MMA News

Author: Aakrit Sharma

  • Michael Bisping: Sean Brady Is ‘A Nightmare Situation’ For Leon Edwards After Jack Della Maddalena Fight Fallout

    Michael Bisping: Sean Brady Is ‘A Nightmare Situation’ For Leon Edwards After Jack Della Maddalena Fight Fallout

    Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping believes Sean Brady is a more difficult matchup for Leon Edwards than Jack Della Maddalena.

    In recent developments, UFC boss Dana White took to Instagram and made a massive 14-fight announcement, including main events for the upcoming UFC 314 and UFC 315 cards.

    The announcement included a big change to the UFC Fight Night London main event. Originally, Edwards was scheduled to face the No. 4-ranked welterweight Maddalena in London on March 22, 2025. However, after Maddalena’s shift to UFC 315, “Rocky” will face a short-notice replacement in Brady who is coming off consecutive decision wins over Gilbert Burns and Kelvin Gastelum.

    Bisping believes this upheaval can make things worse for Edwards who would definitely want to enter the win column after soundly losing his UFC welterweight title to Belal Muhammad.

    “Della Maddalena versus Leon—that’s off, and Sean Brady steps in. This is kind of a nightmare situation for Leon Edwards. I’m not saying Leon can’t beat him, but stylistically, and on short notice, this is a very, very different fight and potentially a harder fight than Jack Della Maddalena. Styles make fights. Leon is a sniper on the feet. Of course, he’s got great takedown defense. He was able to take down Kamaru Usman, fully mounted, and all the rest of it, right? We know he’s well-rounded.”

    Although Bisping is confident about Edwards’s accurate striking, he is concerned about Brady’s wrestling-heavy style which is very different from Maddalena’s crisp boxing.

    “But when you’re training for Jack Della Maddalena and you’re focusing on boxing and pretty much a standup affair, and you’re not really working on the takedown defense and defending chokes and all the variety of madness in the Jiu-Jitsu world that Sean Brady does offer, it’s a big mix-up. Now granted, all the work that he’s done in the past to beat Kamaru Usman, to fight and go up against Belal Muhammad—that’s all in the tank, okay? It’s like if you go out there and you win a fight really, really quickly, and people think, “Why did I bother? Why did I bother training?” No, the reason you did that is because you still leveled up in training camp. Your skill set overall got better.”

    Talking about Edward’s previous opponents, Bisping further added how Brady would bring in problems similar to the current champ Muhammad.

    “So, Leon’s been preparing for these kinds of fights his entire career, right? Everyone that Leon Edwards fights, whether it’s Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman, Belal Muhammad—they’re all trying to take him down. So, in a way, nothing changes for him. Yes, it’s not Jack Della Maddalena trying to box him, trying to piece him up on the feet. It’s Sean Brady, who’s very, very good, that dominated Gilbert Burns last time out, that’s going to be looking to take him down. So, it’s the exact same fight, essentially, almost on paper, stylistically, that Leon had in Manchester last year when he lost the belt. That’s why I say it’s a bit of a nightmare.”

    However, Bisping is impressed with Edward’s will to accept Brady as a new opponent on short notice even when it could potentially ruin his return to the UFC welterweight title picture.

  • Chael Sonnen Exposes ‘Top Draw’ Conor McGregor’s 11 Failed Callouts Amid Rumored $250 Million Logan Paul Fight

    Chael Sonnen Exposes ‘Top Draw’ Conor McGregor’s 11 Failed Callouts Amid Rumored $250 Million Logan Paul Fight

    MMA star and now analyst Chael Sonnen is highly skeptical of the boxing exhibition between Conor McGregor and Logan Paul ever taking place. This is after he’s seen the former UFC double champ call out several big names in the combat sports world without ever stepping inside the ring with them.

    “The Notorious” is arguably the most popular MMA star ever and he’s made several claims about his Octagon return since losing to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. But after he pulled out from a highly-anticipated fight against Michael Chandler at UFC 303, fans started doubting whether he would ever fight again.

    However, the 36-year-old caught everyone off guard with an announcement that he was in talks with Mukesh Ambani, a billionaire, for a boxing match in India against the Youtuber turned WWE Superstar Logan Paul. The news unsurprisingly gained a lot of steam on the internet thanks to reports claiming the Irishman would bag a staggering paycheck of $250 million for his participation. 

    Soon, UFC CEO Dana White, a key player in the business, turned down McGregor’s claims and vouched for his return to the Octagon by the fall of 2025. 

    Now, Sonnen has joined White as well because he believes that the McGregor’s recent call outs do not mean much. In fact, there’ve been over 10 fighters that have been called out by the Dubliner in the past few years and none of these fights were ever close to being finalized.

    “Meanwhile, getting reports, Conor McGregor is going to box Logan Paul, which is just silly. And Conor McGregor, a great performer and magician, has now called out 11 people in a row, and none of which he fought. I couldn’t even list them all. When he started bringing in Pacquiao, the Crawford, that redheaded kid, and all the MMA guys and the bare-knuckled guys—it’s 11. He’s at 11. Eleven—the top draw who never calls for things that he doesn’t have the power to have—gets turned down publicly 11 times, which is about nine more times than anyone in their entire career.”

    McGregor hasn’t fought anyone in the Octagon since 2021 and the last time he stepped in the boxing ring was in 2017 in one of the highest-grossing PPV events of all time against undefeated boxing great Floyd Mayweather. 

    However, Mayweather vs. McGregor was officially co-promoted by White and since McGregor is still signed to UFC, his return to boxing does not seem likely without the UFC CEO’s approval. 

  • Alex Pereira Accepts Oleksandr Usyk Callout, Claims Two Organizations Already Working On The Bout

    Alex Pereira Accepts Oleksandr Usyk Callout, Claims Two Organizations Already Working On The Bout

    Reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has given a positive response when asked about a potential bout with boxing’s pound-for-pound king Oleksandr Usyk.

    The Brazilian MMA icon is scheduled to headline UFC 313, set to take place in the T-Mobile Arena In Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 8, 2025. In the main event, he will make the fourth defense of his title against Magomed Ankalaev, widely considered the biggest threat to his championship in the division.

    Because of his striking-heavy fighting style and explosive knockout power, fans have often discussed how “Poatan” would perform in a boxing ring. Since “The Cat” expressed the desire to end his career with a boxing superfight against Pereira, fans have been very eager to learn if boxing promoters and Dana White are interested in cross-promoting such a battle too.

    When asked about a boxing fight with Usyk with Mark Bouris, Pereira said:

    “I had already said that before, right? That I would really like to have a boxing match and they asked me who it would be, I said,well I am champion right so it would have to be a champion and he is the champion. And now, he gave an interview and said my name so it is something that I want. He also wants and the two organizations, right, they are working kind of together so I think now it will I believe that this fight can happen.”

    Do note that the statement above is based on Google’s translation of Pereira’s statements. The translator in the live interview was unfortunately called out for missing out on a lot of things so we relied on directly translating the UFC champ’s answer via Google Translator.

    As it turns out, the bits about the two organzations (likely UFC and some boxing promotion) working together weren’t revealed in the live interview but Pereira hinting towards it certainly makes it seem like this matchup is not a far-fetched dream now.

    Usyk’s wins over Tyson Fury have undoubtedly cemented him as an all-time great boxer. He’s formerly united all belts at cruiserweight, and is now eyeing to become a three-time undisputed champion. For his next boxing bout, he’ll face the winner of an upcoming fight between Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker scheduled for February 22, 2025.

    “Poatan”, on the other hand, is often seen sparring with professional heavyweight boxers and on many occasions, he’s mentioned about his will to compete in a boxing ring in the future.

    Having said that, Pereira needs to handle business in the Octagon first and his performance against Ankalaev will naturally have a huge impact on his brand. A victory at UFC 313 could help him make big moves such as facing the UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones or move over to boxing as discussed above.

  • Chael Sonnen Calls Francis Ngannou The Sole Obstacle To Jon Jones Superfight: ‘Dana’s Already Announced It’s Going To Happen…’

    Chael Sonnen Calls Francis Ngannou The Sole Obstacle To Jon Jones Superfight: ‘Dana’s Already Announced It’s Going To Happen…’

    The former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight title challenger Chael Sonnen has defended UFC boss Dana White, claiming Francis Ngannou to be the roadblock in his highly-anticipated heavyweight clash with Jon Jones.

    Jones vs Ngannou has easily been one of the most talked-about MMA fights for a couple of years now. However, the deal never reached fruition and differences with White led to the-then UFC heavyweight champion leaving the promotion altogether.

    Following his departure from the UFC, “The Predator” explored other opportunities such as boxing fight Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. He also signed with the PFL, becoming their heavyweight champion by defeating Renan Ferreira.

    Despite no plans to ever return to the UFC, Ngannou believes a superfight with Jones is still not off the table. In a recent interview, he claimed that Turki Alalshikh, the current Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia, could intervene and convince White to cross-promote with the PFL for this bout.

    However, Ngannou’s narrative that White is blocking the fight with Jones didn’t sit well with MMA fighter turned analyst Sonnen.

    Here’s what Sonnen said while putting the blame on the former UFC heavyweight champ for avoiding the Jones fight:

    “Poor Francis was in a world title fight, in the fight capital of the world, in the world’s biggest promotion, where he is going to headline. He was not the champion of the world. He wanted to be. He was going to be given that opportunity. Do you understand? Okay. Because it was at that time that it had already been announced by Dana White, this giant obstacle, that when Jon Jones returns to heavyweight, it will be for the belt. So now we don’t, now we don’t only have an obstacle, it doesn’t even fully have to do with Francis. Francis didn’t even have the belt. He was scheduled to fight Stipe, a fight that Francis had already lost. Like, we didn’t know who the champion was going to be, but whoever it was going to be, we were going to stick to the deal and the plan that when Jon comes up, Jon will contest with that person. It’s important that you understand that, because that one detail, in and of itself, that timeline excludes the possibility that Francis was being picked on. It was an open statement that Jon will contend whenever Jon comes back, if he ever comes back, right into a world title fight. That happened to be Francis. And what happened next? Jon came back. So now we have Jon, and we have Francis, and we’re going to get to see Jon versus Francis. People are talking about it. You’re talking about it. Dana’s already announced it’s going to happen.”

    Sonnen, being the company-man he is, believes that White cannot be blamed at all for Ngannou and Jones not being able to settle their rivalry inside the Octagon.

    Although Jones first fought at heavyweight after over a year of Ngannou’s last UFC outing, “The American Gangster” believes if “The Predator” had not parted ways with the UFC, he would’ve fought “Bones” instead of Ciryl Gane in March 2023.


    “But somebody blinked. That somebody, I would view to be the obstacle in this equation. Do you agree? Because that somebody was not Dana White. That somebody was not Jon Jones. As a matter of fact, Dana White went through with the plan exactly as he had previously stated, which is that Jon went right into a title fight. And it’s important that you understand this, because Francis left. So to make believe now that you wanted to do something, when you were in a position to do it, and so now the only thing stopping this fight is Dana White.”

    Ngannou is promising his fans worldwide a big comeback to combat sports. In boxing, he definitely can be a part of big fights like the Fury rematch or a possible showdown against the hard-hitting Deontay Wilder. In MMA, he’ll have the option to defend his title against the top heavyweight contenders in the promotion.

  • Chael Sonnen Calls Paddy Pimblett vs. Ilia Topuria Personal: ‘They Do Have Unfinished Business’

    Chael Sonnen Calls Paddy Pimblett vs. Ilia Topuria Personal: ‘They Do Have Unfinished Business’

    MMA superstar turned analyst, Chael Sonnen has carefully observed the long-running feud between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett. He believes that the recent online trash-talk could very well turn into a real fight as tensions between the two began as early as 2022.

    “The Baddy” has frequently tried to reignite his beef with Topuria. In one of his recent interviews, he called the reigning featherweight champion a ‘midget’, and showed interest in fighting the Georgian if he moves up to 155 lbs.

    Pimblett also believes that Alexander Volkanovski clearing the featherweight division helped Topuria quickly grab the belt, and he’ll likely be overwhelmed by his opponents’ size at lightweight.

    “The American Gangster” finds this callout interesting because it has all the potential to produce a great fight given the very real bad blood between the two fighters. Here’s what he said on the matchup in a recent video on his YouTube channel:

    “Paddy the baddy is willing to welcome Ilia Toporia to 155 pounds. Now, it’s not Paddy’s first choice because Ilia is not a big enough name but he will do it because of the hand sanitizer incident—he wanted to give him a beating back then, so he will just delay that desire to whip Ilia Topuria until now at 155 pounds. Even though Ilia doesn’t quite have the name recognition now, I summarized, okay?”

    The former title challenger thinks Pimblett might be trying to get the match with “El Matador” at the perfect time. The featherweight champ has expressed his desire to move up a weight class to challenge lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, who, interestingly, seems reluctant to hand out a title shot to another featherweight champ right away.

    So, having Pimblett welcome Topuria to the lightweight division might be win-win for all the parties involved.

    “But, from a performance standpoint, that’s great. That is great stuff by Paddy to declare that he is willing to do a favor for the world champion—stay in your weight class, fight for a world title, activate the participation clause of your contract, the only clause that you can have in MMA that can make you millions of dollars in one night. Leave all of that to come up to 155 over a personal feud where no title is on the line, no legacy is on the line.”

    Because of their infamous alteration in 2022, Sonnen is confident that Pimblett vs. Topuria is certainly not a far-fetched dream:

    “But we do have this incident with the hand sanitizer, and you know what? They do have unfinished business. I remember that night very well.”

    Although he’s never fought at lightweight, knocking out Volkanovski and Max Holloway in back-to-back fights has skyrocketed Topuria’s popularity. On the flip side, Pimblett’s biggest wins are Tony Ferguson and King Green, and fans are still doubtful of his potential since the controversial Jared Gordon fight.

  • Gilbert Burns Defends Sean Strickland Amid UFC 312 Criticism: ‘People Have Very Short Memories’

    Gilbert Burns Defends Sean Strickland Amid UFC 312 Criticism: ‘People Have Very Short Memories’

    UFC 312 might be over but Sean Strickland’s disappointing performance is still on many fans’ radar. Apparently, after frequently promising a violent war against Dricus Du Plessis, he couldn’t deliver and the fight was a one-sided bashing. Although many have complained about Strickland not walking the talk, top welterweight contender Gilbert Burns feels differently.

    The Brazilian is among the few fighters defending Strickland when even the latter’s long-time coach, Eric Nicksick, has shifted grounds.

    In a recent episode of Show Me The Money podcast, the former title challenger called out critics who’re questioning Strickland’s legacy based on one loss:

    “Another thing, Sean didn’t get the defense. Sean was falling, I don’t know, maybe he wasn’t feeling good, whatever. We’re never going to know, right? But to say, ‘Oh, he talks a lot, he doesn’t back it up,’ I don’t like that. I think the guy backs it up many times. He backed it up against Imavov, he backed it up against my guy Brendan Allen, he backed it up against so many guys, right? Paulo Costa, Adesanya, bro, he beat a lot of the best guys, and people are saying, ‘Oh, he just talks, he doesn’t do much.’ I think that’s very disrespectful.”

    Burns claimed that people’s memories have become photographic in the modern world as they’ve clearly forgot Strickland’s impressive wins over Nassourdine Imavov, Paulo Costa, Israel Adesanya, and Brendan Allen.

    “People have very short memories, it’s the reels day, you know? It’s the TikTok days where you swipe, you see something nice, swipe again, and then it’s gone. But it wasn’t long ago the guy was the champion, fighting everybody. He beat so many good guys, and people are just saying, “Oh, he talks a lot, he’s crazy,” but I like it. And the guy backs it up, or he tries at least.”

    Burns last fought Sean Brady in September 2024, and is scheduled to return on UFC 314 on April 12, 2025. The veteran is on a three-fight losing streak and only a solid win can help him remain in the title race.

    The Brazilian’s opponent for the Miami card, Michael Morales, certainly poses a big threat. Standing a decade younger, he’s among the very few elite fighters on an undefeated run. Coming out of a TKO win over Neil Magny, Morales will try to add another big name to his resume to rise quickly in the rankings.

    As for Strickland, he’s still the no. 2 ranked UFC middleweight contender in the world. From rematches with Imavov, Costa, and Adesanya to fresh fights against Robert Whittaker, Khamzat Chimaev, and Caio Borralho, he has plenty of options on the table for his imminent return to the Octagon.

  • Gilbert Burns Names Three Bellator Fighters Who Can Give UFC Champs A Run For Their Money

    Gilbert Burns Names Three Bellator Fighters Who Can Give UFC Champs A Run For Their Money

    UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns is looking forward to the UFC signing three Bellator fighters to its roster. The Brazilian believes these fighters not only boast considerable star power, but also have the potential to defeat many top contenders and even the champions of their respective divisions.

    Burns is currently on a three-fight losing skid and he’ll return at UFC 314 in Miami, Florida, to face undefeated prospect Michael Morales on April 12, 2025. The former UFC title challenger is on the longest losing streak of his career, making this matchup really important for his title aspirations and future in the promotion.

    As of now, “Durinho” is ranked 8th in the division and he definitely can’t afford losing to the no. 12 ranked prospect in Morales.

    In a recent episode of Show Me The Money, Burns appeared alongside popular UFC lightweight Renato Moicano to discuss UFC 312 and all things MMA. While talking about potential signings for the UFC, Burns named three fighters who are yet to fight for the promotion but have all the tools to make it big there.

    “That’s one guy that I really want to see in the UFC is freaking Patchy Mix. That guy is so good, so good, and I hope they release him because they don’t give him a fight. It’s two guys that I think—so many guys from Bellator, but I’ll say my three favorite guys to be in the UFC now from Bellator is Johnny Eblen. That’s the number one. That guy, he could go head-to-head with Dricus Du Plessis.”

    He further added:

    “That’s one thing, I think he’s a top five for sure. I don’t know if he is gonna beat DDP. I think he can, I think he can, but we got to see, you know? That’s one thing. So, Johnny Eblen should be in the UFC. Patchy Mix, 100%, should be in the UFC. And I think Patricio Pitbull, you know, he can—I don’t know if he’s going to make that run now, but yeah, I wanna see Pitbull in the UFC. Those are my three guys outside of the UFC with the whole Bellator-PFL history. Those three guys I want to see so much in the UFC right now, especially Patchy Mix and Johnny Eblen. Those guys are in their prime and I think it’ll be a couple of great fights.”

    While Patricio “Pitbull” Freire is 37 and arguably in the latter half of his career, both Patchy Mix (31) and Johnny Eblen (33) are very well in their physical primes. Mix boasts an impressive 20-1 record as a bantamweight and Eblen is an undefeated middleweight. This explains why Burns, alongside many in the MMA community, is excited to see how these fighters perform in the UFC.

    Considering that the PFL brand is struggling amidst its acquisition of Bellator, many of its fighters want to be relieved of their contracts. It is undoubtedly a good time for the UFC to sign these stars and give its champions a run for their money. As for fans, they simply want to see the best fight the best, regardless of promotions.

  • Dana White Reflects On When He Almost Sold The UFC: ‘I Thought It Was Over’

    Dana White Reflects On When He Almost Sold The UFC: ‘I Thought It Was Over’

    Like him or not, Dana White helping sell the UFC at over $4 billion and making it a part of TKO Group Holdings alongside WWE is one of the most remarkable business feats ever. He, along with his friends Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, purchased the UFC for $2 million in 2001.

    The early 2000s were when when the company’s reputation was at an all-time low, and there were heavy losses due to it being banned from pay-per-view and TV networks.

    However, White’s vision regarding this product, which was a far-fetched dream back then, now needs no introduction. UFC is the biggest MMA promotion in the world by far with a valuation of $11.3 billion in 2025. This has come after it survived several highs and lows for more than three decades.

    In an interview with TodayShowAustralia ahead of UFC 312 in Sydney, White looked back at the time when he was close to folding the UFC for good.

    “Oh, yeah, in the early days when we were just getting started, there’s no doubt about it, and then when you run a business and stuff happens every day that you don’t see coming and that you got to deal with. Even when we were strong, I mean we were sold in 16 and I want to say that it was probably 14, where like we had a whole year, every main event fell off with an injury and we had to deal with that. But the more bad c**p that gets thrown at you, the better you become.”

    In another interview with Forbes, White and Lorenzo Fertitta shared the exact details of the day they nearly sold the UFC. As per Lorenzo, $30 million was sunk into running the business and because there were no returns, they weren’t left with many options.

    Talking about it, Lorenzo says:

    “Now people look back and they say, Oh! the UFC was overnight success and no, it wasn’t. Like, there were at least five years there, that were very difficult. We got to the point where we were just losing money, year after year, every event we were losing money and at the same time, fighters wanted to make more money, managers wanted more money. Everybody wanted wanted wanted.”

    White, who was running the business as the CEO, describes this time similarly:

    “So, one day, I was at the office and Lorenzo called me and he’s like, ‘I can’t keep doing this. Me and my brother can’t keep funding this thing. It’s getting bad so I need you to go out and see what you could sell this thing for’. I started making phone calls that day and at the end of the day I called him back and I said, ‘seven or eight million, could probably get seven or eight million for this thing in my opinion’.”

    Luckily, for the UFC owners, selling the promotion didn’t feel like the best move at the time and they decided to keep running things for some time. For Lorenzo, it was as simple as this:

    “So, literally went home, woke up the next morning, and just felt like it’s not the right thing to do.”

    White explained his anxiety at the time as well:

    “I thought it was over. And the next day, I’m driving to work and Lorenzo calls me and this is literally quote what he said, ‘f**k it, let’s keep going’.”

    The UFC, as we know it, wasn’t sold during its dark ages and thanks to TUF Season 1, the boom finally happened and MMA is now one of the fastest growing sports in the world. Although the promotion’s monopoly in MMA is often criticized, it’s rise to the top is still inspirational for countless people.

  • ‘Together, They’re Worth $50 Billion’ – MMA Legend Regrets Not Buying TKO Stocks Following WWE And UFC Merger

    Chael Sonnen recently discussed how the UFC and WWE might be valued at $50 billion together at the moment. He came to the conclusion by pointing out that TKO’s stock price has doubled in the last year and also stated that he should’ve invested in the company’s stocks on time.

    Under the banner of TKO, UFC and WWE went public on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2023. This was after Endeavor initiated the process of combining the world’s biggest sports entertainment organization, WWE, with the world’s premier MMA promotion to form a sports and entertainment company called TKO Group Holdings.

    Valued at $21 billion at the time of merger, TKO marked the beginning of new chapter for both the UFC and the WWE and in no time, it’s stock price has doubled.

    Discussing this exponential growth of both companies since they went public, the former UFC title contender regretted not taking his friend’s advice who wanted him to invest in TKO back in 2023.

    “TKO is the publicly traded company that owns WWE and UFC. Now, don’t hold me to these numbers and dates perfectly, but a year ago, TKO was valued at $70. I remember getting a call from Jesse on Fire when it hit $70. Jesse on Fire calls me and he’s telling me to load up, and I did not. I did not load up. I bought, but I did not load up.”

    While “The American Gangster” was still processing if TKO was really a good investment opportunity as his friend had already made money on it, the stock grew by another 10%.

    “And like that, it was at $77. It jumps 10% while I am processing what Jesse told me. So I don’t get in until it hit $90. That’s when I finally go load up. But I want you to think about this, okay, the UFC sold for what was a higher valuation for a franchise than the evaluation at current time of the New York Yankees’. And the New York Yankees were said to be the most valuable franchise in the world, and the UFC sold for more than the Yankees’ valuation.”

    TKO also owns the WWE, and here’s how Sonnen came to the conclusion that both the brands, together, might be valued at $50 billion now:

    “You then have WWE, which sold—I’m going to round numbers here—but for over twice what the UFC sold for. You had a statement by TKO where they said they valued the entire company, so having both entities, at $22 billion. Now, the UFC had sold for $4.2 billion, WWE had sold for $11 billion, and now, because they are together, just go ahead and add 30% to that number to get us to $22 billion. But the stock is still hovering around $90 at the time of this story.”

    He further theorized:

    “Now, fast forward one year, and the stock, as we speak, is $153. So let’s just call that double. That’s double what it was when Jesse on Fire calls and tells me. If I look at the stock price—and this isn’t a perfect way to do an evaluation, I’m just sharing for you, loose terms—if I look at the stock price, it’s valued at $22 billion when it’s at $77. Now that it’s worth twice that, are we saying that together, they’re worth $50 billion. Is that what we’re saying?”

    Sonnen’s friend, Jesse Merl, undoubtedly gave him solid advice regarding loading up on TKO stocks as he himself is now enjoying a 100% profit on his investment in just a year. The YouTuber posted about the same on X and is pretty confident that this is just the beginning for the UFC, Dana White, and TKO.

  • Henry Cejudo Backs ‘Greatest’ Dricus Du Plessis To Beat Khamzat Chimaev And Alex Pereira

    Henry Cejudo Backs ‘Greatest’ Dricus Du Plessis To Beat Khamzat Chimaev And Alex Pereira

    Former UFC double champ Henry Cejudo has been so impressed with Dricus Du Plessis’s performance against Sean Strickland at UFC 312 that he went on to pick him against potential future opponents Khamzat Chimaev and Alex Pereira.

    The UFC middleweight kingpin was as dominant as he could be in his second outing against Strickland, skyrocketing his brand even further. The challenger left with a broken nose at UFC 312, and before that, DDP showcased his grappling prowess by becoming the first fighter to submit Israel Adesanya.

    Now, fans are excited to see “Stillknocks” get tested against Chimaev and Pereira. While “”Borz” is coming off an impressive first-round submission victory over Robert Whittaker, “Poatan” has looked invincible at light heavyweight.

    In a recent episode of Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry, Cejudo heavily praised DDP for his cardio and explained why he could hand defeats to both Chimaev and Pereira:

    “If you’re asking me now Kumaru, who is it if we do see a match between DDP and Alex Pereira. Even though I do believe that Pereira is going to beat Magomed Ankalaev, I’ll definitely put my money with DDP. I think DDP, stylistically, is a problem dude. And I know DDP is gonna go in there and f****g wrestle. And I think with the grappling, I think that could be very problematic, but there’s one thing that I will say is he will need to be careful because Alex Pereira does a really good job of cornering and there’s a lot of little sloppy things that DDP does but I think I put my strengths and his mixing of the fighting against a guy like Alex Pereira.”

    While discussing a potential match-up with Chimaev, “Triple C” again picked the South African despite knowing that the Emirati fighter is on an iconic undefeated run. The latter’s ability to out grapple and finish elite fighters like Whittaker and Usman definitely makes him a threat to anyone at middleweight.

    “I personally think he beats up Khamzat Chimaev. I don’t think it’s going to be easy to submit, I think DDP is scrambly and I think his conditioning, bro, I mean I want to put him up there. Even like this particularly, this last fight, you want to kind of, you know, maybe the top three, maybe greatest right now cardio in the UFC. Obviously, Merab is one and then you can go two three but whatever it is, he looked freaking good and he looked so good that fifth round where he was like hey, I was able to go another five more rounds. I mean this guy’s ready and this guy’s gonna be a problem for anybody at 185 lbs and I am excited to see this dude fight Khamzat and if he beats a guy like Khamzat Chimaev, I would love for him to go up and then fight the winner of Alex Pereira and Ankalaev.”

    Ankalaev is the no.1 ranked UFC light heavyweight contender set to fight the champion at UFC 313 in T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada on March 8, 2025. The outcome of this fight will naturally impact the futures of the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions.

  • Fans Amused By A ‘Smashed’ Dricus Du Plessis After UFC 312 Victory

    Fans Amused By A ‘Smashed’ Dricus Du Plessis After UFC 312 Victory

    UFC star Dricus Du Plessis has gained popularity for not just his unorthodox fighting style in the Octagon, but also for his ability to chug beers at a surprisingly fast rate.

    Athletes aren’t generally known for their drinking prowess, but the South African frequently beats influencers and his friends in competitions that revolve around gulping cans or glasses of beers.

    At UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia, “Stillknocks” defended his UFC middleweight title for the second time against Sean Strickland. The champion looked way more dominant this time around, even breaking the challenger’s nose in the fourth.

    Despite being undefeated in the UFC, Du Plessis suffered a cheeky loss against Jackson O’Doherty when he stepped into a beer chugging competition with the influencer.

    O’Doherty announced that he’s already 0-3 against the UFC middleweight kingpin, but the fourth time around, he was clever enough to empty the entire glass under his shirt. Du Plessis, who still very impressively chugged his glass in a couple of seconds, seemed too buzzed to care about the result.

    The creator announced ahead of his fourth try at beating the UFC champ:

    “Alright, guys, I’m currently 0 and 3 against the champion in the beer race, and today that changes.”

    Considering that “Stillknocks” is just coming off another five-round hard-fought battle against Strickland, most fans were amused to see him celebrating his second title defense.

    The loss in the chugging contest barely impacted Du Plessis who seemed to be having a time of his life drinking beer and puffing a cigar. He simply said this to acknowledge O’ Doherty’s feat, which, to be fair, would’ve been very rare if genuine:

    “He finally got it done.”

    Time and again, Du Plessis has highlighted the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between training and having light moments like the one described above. As someone who cuts around 40 lbs. ahead of his fights at middleweight, he undoubtedly deserves to treat himself after a tiring bout.

    Fans from around the world could easily make out that Du Plessis was not having his fourth beer with O’ Doherty, and because of his usual comfort with alcohol, he must’ve had quite a few drinks to be evidently drunk.

    If you’re unaware of how quickly DDP can empty a glass of beer, this footage of him celebrating his iconic win over Israel Adesanya should definitely give you the idea:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iIfXnI_y6o

    For now, the UFC middleweight champion could make the most of every bit of rest and enjoyment as he’s most likely to return against the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev, one of the most hyped and explosive fighters in the UFC. Based on his callout, a superfight against Alex Pereira could be possible too.

  • Dana White Shares What Gets People UFC Contracts, & It’s Not ‘A Personality Like Conor & Ronda…’

    Dana White Shares What Gets People UFC Contracts, & It’s Not ‘A Personality Like Conor & Ronda…’

    UFC is the biggest MMA promotion in the world, by far. Because most competitor promotions have turned into dust, it’s almost every MMA fighter’s dream to be a part of the esteemed UFC roaster. Unfortunately, not everyone succeeds in securing such an opportunity, given the promotion only picks the most elite fighters from around the world.

    Dana White, the businessman credited for the UFC’s rise, has no biases. He believes that having the desired fighting skills is the only basis on which a fighter can expect to be part of his promotion.

    In a recent interview with Mark Bouris leading up to UFC 312 in Australia, the UFC CEO was asked:

    “When you go out to put people into the UFC, you got your contender’s series. Are you looking for individuals who are happy to express themselves like as part or just the skill?”

    White had a straightforward answer.

    “Skills. You can be a deaf-mute, if you’re a bad*** I’m that’s what I’m interested in. I’m interested in how good are you at fighting. If you have a personality like Conor and Ronda and these others, that’s just, you know that’s just a homerun, it doesn’t suck.”

    Although White is aware that the UFC is a star-driven business, he still believes that a diverse skillset and potent fighting style make the foundation of a fighter he’d want fighting under his banner.

    By keeping skill as an entry barrier, the UFC ensures that the champions in every weight class are always reaching that pinnacle after fighting the best competition available in the world. In contrast, other promotions like PFL and ONE Championship are yet to make such an image among the fans.

    The UFC also keeps the competition healthy by constantly signing new names in all their divisions. From picking up the local superstars from regional circuits to poaching established names from the PFL, One Championship, and RIZIN, there are many ways to go about this.

    On top of that, of course, the UFC has dedicated shows like Dana White’s Contender Series, Road to UFC, and The Ultimate Fighter, that revolve around handing out contracts to up-and-coming fighters.

  • ‘Coolest Thing Ever’ – Dricus Du Plessis Reveals Fighter Who Got Him Into Fighting Instead Of Rugby

    ‘Coolest Thing Ever’ – Dricus Du Plessis Reveals Fighter Who Got Him Into Fighting Instead Of Rugby

    UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis has had a long and amusing path to becoming an MMA Fighter. Considering the several twists and turns, it’s a storyline that you’d see in TV shows or movies.

    The South African did not start professional MMA until the age of 19. However, the build-up to becoming a modern-day gladiator began when he was just five. The 31-year-old trained different combat arts including judo, wrestling and kickboxing, and finally ended up becoming a fighter for a rising MMA promotion in South Africa.

    However, Du Plessis’ life as an athlete really changed when he entered the UFC in October 2020. “Stillknocks” seized this opportunity and went on to become a champion within just seven fights in the promotion. He is set to defend his title for the second time now, against former champion and rival Sean Strickland this Saturday in Sydney, Australia, at UFC 312.

    The champ recently sat down with UFC legend Demetrious Johnson for an episode of MightyCast, where he broke down the journey of turning into a mixed martial artist after early dreams of being a Rugby pro.

    “I started fighting professionally at 19, I did Judo since I was five years old. I started Judo, yeah, when I was five, I did that for a couple of years, maybe six years. Then, I wrestled for, but I didn’t wrestle very long just, primary school. Like, from the age of 10 to 12, 13 and then at 14, I started with K1 kickboxing.”

    Lack of a wrestling and MMA culture in his school didn’t stop Du Plessis from exploring combat sports. However, he was very close to choosing Rugby as his careeer after completing his secondary education.

    “We don’t have any of those things in our school system. We don’t have a college wrestling, we don’t have that. You have to do this extracurricular activity after school, so in school, I played rugby, I played I wanted to become a professional rugby player. I played rugby up until I was 19. I played rugby my whole life but, you know kickboxing K1 kickboxing wrestling, judo, all of those were things that that you basically did privately after school. Your parents would take you and I got classes so we moved that’s why we moved, away from where I used to stay with, where I had really good Judo coach and then there was a wrestling club in the new place we stayed and I went to join the wrestling club, did it for two years three years I wasn’t into it.”

    Amidst the constant dillema of which career to choose, Du Plessis thanked legendary Croatian martial artist Mirko
    Filipovic for making him fall in love with kickboxing. Although the veteran’s record doesn’t look the best on paper, he easily had one of the most memorable runs ever in PRIDE, knocking out opponents left and right and with his head kicks.

    “And then, with the kickboxing,I just fell in love with that I watched Mirko Cro Cop videos on YouTube and I thought that’s the coolest thing ever. Till this day. one of the the greatest kickboxing. kickboxing K1 fighters in the world to me. He’s somebody that got me into this and yeah, I mean, I became national champion, two years later in kickboxing, and at 18, I became a wacker junior world champion. K1 world champion, I fought in Slovakia. You know, obviously, I loved fighting and I wanted to make a career out of this but you know in kickboxing, I mean, there’s no way to earn a living, not from South Africa. And then the local scene was booming in the EFC here in South Africa with MMA. We have a very good EFC Africa now, worldwide scene, and yeah,19. I started fighting professional MMA and that’s how it all started.”

    It isn’t surprising at all that “Cro Cop” inspired Du Plessis to be a fighter becauses anyone who’s seen him fight in PRIDE knows what the UFC middlweight champion is talking about.

  • Dana White Reacts To Dricus Du Plessis Admitting He’s Prepared To Kill A Man In Front Of His Family

    Dana White Reacts To Dricus Du Plessis Admitting He’s Prepared To Kill A Man In Front Of His Family

    Dana White recently reviewed the bone-chilling mentality of Dricus Du Plessis that spread like wildfire in MMA circles. Unlike many fans who found the champion’s quotes cold and intimidating, the UFC President admitted that this mentality is exactly what makes fighters champions in the most competitive MMA organization in the world.

    The UFC middleweight champion is all set to defend his title for the second time this Saturday night in a grudge-fueled rematch against former champ Sean Strickland. In an interview with Mark Bouris, the South African made a ruthless admission.

    The 31-year-old not only claimed that he’ll be willing to die in the ring to emerge victorious like any other MMA fighter, but he took things further and also confessed to be fine with killing a man in front of his family if needed.

    In another interview by Bouris, Dana White had this to say when the host reminded him about Du Plessis’ remarks:

    “All of these guys, I mean if you go in and you’re going to stand toe-to-toe for five rounds. And remember, you can punch, kick, knee, elbow, take a shin to the head, all I mean, these people are wired differently than the rest of us. That’s what makes professional fighters and especially in MMA so different as far as humans go.”

    White explained that the lack of this killer instinct is why there’s only a few MMA world champions out there. Considering he’s been dealing with such personalities for decades now, he definitely understands them more than an average human.

    “There’s this many of them right here, that become world champions and have that type of mindset. They’re not wired like you and I. They’re different, they’re special human beings and yeah, I mean, I think that’s all of their mindset when they go in and fight.”

    There is no doubt MMA fighters are modern-day gladiators and “Stillknocks” is clearly a fighter who’s embraced this mindset in the perfect way. He’s calm, composed, and collected outside the Octagon but only wreaks havoc as soon as the time to fight begins.

    Unlike the previous outing against Strickland which ended in a razor-close split decision win, Du Plessis aims to resolve the rivalry with a KO victory this time around.

  • Throwback: Dricus Du Plessis Claims Conor McGregor Who Fought Alvarez Would’ve Beaten Khabib Nurmagomedov

    Throwback: Dricus Du Plessis Claims Conor McGregor Who Fought Alvarez Would’ve Beaten Khabib Nurmagomedov

    In one of his most popular interviews ever, Dricus Du Plessis claimed that the version of Conor McGregor who displayed a perfect clinical performance against the then-lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, would’ve defeated Khabib Nurmagomedov.

    The reigning UFC middleweight champion is a huge “Notorious” fan. Du Plessis has also frequently expressed his desire to move up a weight class to be a double champ, a feat first achieved by “The Mystic Mac” in the UFC.

    Despite the gradually heating rivalry with Alex Pereira, “Stillknocks” believes in making at least three title defenses against rising contenders like Khamzat Chimaev and Nassourdine Imavov in the middlweight division. On the other hand, McGregor moved up to lightweight without ever defending his featherweight belt, a trend which fans call out quickly now a days.

    In an interview with Shadow Banned back in April 2024 , Du Plessis had said:

    “He deserved to go up there because he absolutely made That look easy against Alvarez. One of the best performances at the highest level, I’ve seen in my whole life.”

    He had further added:

    “His fight against Alvarez. I mean, I was already a professional long time then and I mean everybody, you look at that fight it was Flawless. He didn’t do anything wrong. He fought one of the greatest fighters in the world and he made him look like an amateur. Conor McGregor, as a favorite fighter, I said Gilbert Burns one of my favourite fighters, and so is Conor.”

    When asked whether the 2016 version of McGregor who fought Alvarez woould’ve given Nurmagomedov more problems, the 31-year-old replied:

    “I think he beats Khabib.”

    It is safe to assume that Du Plessis still holds high regard for everything McGregor has achieved inside the Octagon. In his recent interviews with Mark Bouris, he yet again praised the former UFC double champ for introducing mental warfare to fighting and elevating the overall pay scale of mixed martial arts athletes worldwide.

    As of now, the South African is all set for his upcoming rematch against Sean Strickland this Saturday night at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.

  • Dana White Highlights Boxing’s Edge Over MMA Using Ronda Rousey Example

    Dana White Highlights Boxing’s Edge Over MMA Using Ronda Rousey Example

    While looking back at Ronda Rousey’s loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193, Dana White pointed out a key difference in MMA fighters and boxers. He didn’t necessarily blame the fighters but stated the primary benefit boxers have during preparation because they represent a much older sport.

    The UFC President is back in Australia with a highly anticipated event in front of him, featuring a rematch between arch-rivals Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland for the UFC middleweight title.

    Discussing the preparation of both fighters leading up to the fight in an interview with Mark Bouris, White said:

    “Well, I ran, listen Sean Strickland, for all of his, you know, the talking that he does, when he gets into the Octagon, you know he’s got a very very good style, nice jab, always stays composed. I ran into Du Plessis in the elevator at the hotel and his coach and they were telling me, I mean, these guys do everything right. They’re actually really smart in how they approach everything. He got here, I’ll give you an example, he got here over two weeks ago to acclimate to the time and all the other things.”

    White claimed that boxers at the pinnacle of the sport are able to invest a lot more resources into their training camps before fights. From dedicated training partners to relocating their entire teams, they leave no stone unturned to be fully prepared.

    In contrast, UFC fighters, according to White, are often burdened by small yet significant factors like time zones and weather changes during their careers.

    “I think that’s one of the things that boxing has over us. Because we had such humble beginnings and we’re only like 30 years old as a sport, these guys don’t do the things that that boxers do. Like, when you were a boxer at that level making that kind of money and you were the main event, the camp was all built around you. You had your own Camp, your own training Partners. You would get into a place early, you know like I said,to acclimate whether it’s to altitude or time differences or temperature or humidity, all these different things play a factor in the fight and I think Du Plesis’ Camp did a great job of getting here early.”

    Giving the example of UFC Hall of Famer, Ronda Rousey, White explained the importance of preparation for combat sports athletes. While not taking away anything from Holm, he highlighted that Rousey had a hectic schedule ahead of her title defense and the lack of a more intensive training camp might’ve led to the massive upset.

    “Ronda Rousey, when she flew over here to Australia and lost to Holly Holm, she came straight from filming a movie. Got here three days before the fight, had a hard time making weight because of it, and obviously the time difference and you saw how that fight ended for Ronda”

    Having said that, White was delighted to see Du Plessis’ camp doing all the right things ahead of UFC 312. Getting used to Australian conditions might end up giving the champ an edge over Strickland, who, according to White, also boasts a very composed and safe fighting style.

  • ‘9/11 Guys’ – Sean Strickland Gives The Most Blunt Take On UFC’s ‘Buddy Buddy’ Ties With Saudi Arabia

    ‘9/11 Guys’ – Sean Strickland Gives The Most Blunt Take On UFC’s ‘Buddy Buddy’ Ties With Saudi Arabia

    Self-proclaimed hardcore American Sean Strickland is not new to controversies. As much as he is known for his uniquely defensive and puzzling fighting style, he is also notorious for his tendency to walk into trouble by making outrageous and unfiltered claims on almost any topic. 

    This time around, the former UFC middleweight champion captured the media’s attention with his bold take on UFC’s relationship with Saudi Arabia. 

    During the UFC 312 Media Day in Australia, Strickland could not hold back when asked about Dana White comparing the UFC championship to a master key that opens a lot of doors. Here’s what the 32-year-old had to say on the importance of being a UFC champ:

    “You know what it is. If you’re a f****g shill. If you’re not, if you’re a f****g c***, like my boy Izzy and you want to go suck off the China government and you don’t have one ounce of freedom of speech or dignity, it opens up a lot of f****g doors.” 

    The controversial rant did not stop there as he went on to say:

    “I mean, hell, like, you know how many uh, what, like the UFC’s buddy buddy with Saudi Arabia now. I shouldn’t say this dude, but I mean, look at my boy Vivic. How many, like, I could be wrong when I say this, weren’t like a significant amount of like the 9/11 guys Saudi, do they have Saudi passports is that what it was?”

    Unsurprisingly, Strickland flipped the script in no time and also praised the Saudi people for their wealth as fighters get handsome paychecks when UFC returns to the region with a couple of events each year.

    “That is, that are you backing them up? I think that’s what it was, and then the crazy thing about that Saudi Arabia. You know they seem like a real great people, and you gave us a lot of money, so thank you. I’m sure you lined my paycheck, and I appreciate that, but they get off a plane, and they go, and they randomly run into a guy from, like, the intelligence agency, and they go and stay with him.”

    This is not the first time Strickland has had Saudi Arabia on his radar. Earlier, when his potential matchup with Khamzat Chimaev was making headlines, he dismissed the idea of traveling to Saudi Arabia and taking on the fight due to apparent cultural differences.

  • Dricus Du Plessis Breaks Down Drastic 45-Pound Weight Cut Ahead Of Sean Strickland Rematch

    Dricus Du Plessis Breaks Down Drastic 45-Pound Weight Cut Ahead Of Sean Strickland Rematch

    Dricus Du Plessis has revealed that he walks around 230 lbs when not in training camp, which is shocking, considering that he fights in the UFC middleweight division that has an upper limit of 185 lbs.

    It is normal for combat sports athletes to experiment a little and choose a weight division in which they feel agile, durable, and powerful. You might not notice it as a fan, but weight cutting, over the years, has become a very complex and integral part of the sport.

    From Daniel Cormier and Khabib Nurmagomedov to Yoel Romero and Deiveson Figueiredo, some of the biggest names out there have faced significant weight-cut complications throughout their career. Most of the times, fights are canceled due to weight misses and fines are imposed on the fighter who weighs in over the limit.

    The South African understands the importance of weight cutting well and has a proper team to help him fight in middleweight without health and fitness-related worries. In a recent interview with Mark Bouris ahead of UFC 312 in Australia, “Stillknocks” revealed his walk-in weight:

    “Around 102 -105 kgs. That’s me, like, I would say three weeks after a fight, four weeks after a fight. Then you’re training, eating whatever you didn’t eat in the last 12 weeks. You’re eating whatever you want, drinking a lot of beer and enjoying life a little for that period because you have to do that. You have to unwind and also, I love this sport more than anything. So, you also have that break.”

    Since Du Plessis fights at 185lbs (approximately 83.9 kg), he cuts 15 to 20 kgs in the fight camp to make it to the weigh-in. However, it is important to note that fighters get a couple of days to rehydrate before the actual fight which is why they look different on fight day compared to weigh-in day.

    Du Plessis also recalled the days when he used to compete at 170lbs:

    “When I was 25 , 26 you know my body just became heavier and bigger, so to make that weight, my body fat was like 3%. and I made the weight, but every shot I would take feels like somebody’s hitting me with a baseball bat and that’s It. I said no I’m not doing this anymore because I’m going to lose unnecessary fights and it took the joy out of sport because my diet had to, I had one week off in terms of just diet and then I’d start dieting for the next fight because I would go up from 77 getting in the cage at around 92. A week later, I’m a 100 kilos again so then the whole process start all over and that’s not healthy.”


    Along with the weight cut, Du Plessis highlighted why proper rehydration is a big deal for fighters who’re expected to take a lot of damage in every outing:

    “We need to get punched in the face, you need to be able to perform for the timing, it’s I mean you have to be able to perform at the highest level on earth, you know cardio wise, muscle endurance all of that I mean whole body is consist of water so if your brain, I mean the shots you take so you have to all that in consideration when you’re cutting this weight and do it in such a manner where it doesn’t negatively affect your fights.”

    Based on the numbers stated above, it is safe to say that Du Plessis is a huge middleweight like Alex Pereira, who currently holds light heavyweight gold in the UFC.

    After taking on a couple more contenders at middleweight like Khamzat Chimaev and Nassourdine Imavov, the middleweight kingpin can definitely consider moving up a weight class as his physique is suited to compete in two weight divisions.

  • Dricus Du Plessis Explains Why Alex Pereira Is ‘The Most Achieved Combat Sports Athlete The World’s Ever Seen’

    Dricus Du Plessis Explains Why Alex Pereira Is ‘The Most Achieved Combat Sports Athlete The World’s Ever Seen’

    The reigning UFC middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis, has been following Alex Pereira’s career closely for years and thinks he is easily one of the most accomplished combat sports athletes in the world. 

    The South African is set to defend his title for the second time at UFC 312 against a familiar opponent he faced last year, Sean Strickland. The bad blood between the two fighters is yet to be settled, and they’re promising another back-and-forth war to fans worldwide.  

    At UFC 297, “Stillknocks” had clinched the UFC middleweight title via a split decision. However, his first title defense against two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was definitely more promising as he became the first athelete to submit “The Last Stylebender”.

    On the other hand, Strickland is coming off a much less exciting but dominant win over Paulo Costa. 

    Interestingly, in the first fight, the American had Pereira in his corner and the UFC light heavyweight champion will be in his corner at UFC 312 as well. Du Plessis considers the Brazilian a potential opponent and in a recent interview with Mark Bouris, he sent a chilling message to “Poatan”.

    “How’s it going to feel to be in Sean Strickland’s corner losing again…One day when we fight, he’ll be zero and 2.”

    Despite the cold trash talk, Du Plessis also praised his fellow UFC champ by saying: 

    “I think he is one of the greatest combat athletes to ever live. He is a phenomenal athlete. to go in a short period of time from a different sport and not just a different sport, kickboxing, which is not a great base for MMA. It helps, but if that’s the only thing you know, not a great base if you want to go up against these wrestling guys. He came in and just went through everyone after being one of the greatest K1 kickboxers to ever live. I mean in multiple titles at the highest level comes in a short period of time and just becomes a two, like middle weight champion, goes to light heavyweight, becomes champion and being one of the biggest names, always, like always ready to fight.”

    After acknolweding Pereira’s impressive and quick rise in MMA after a massively successful kickboxing career, he explained why the UFC light heavyweight kingpin is a special combat sports athelete:

     “I have the world’s respect for him as a fighter, I think and you know, as a person even I think. We are rivals, but, you know, I have the utmost respect for what he’s achieved in the sport and he’s truly one of the goats to ever. Not [just] MMA or in the UFC , in combat sports. I think, probably, the most acheived combat sports athlete the world’s ever seen.”

    As of now, Du Plessis is locked in for what could be another slugfest with Strickland on Saturday at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Although the middlweight division is stacked with contenders like Khamzat Chimaev, Nassourdine Imavov, and Caio Borralho, the champion might show interest in moving up for a superfight against Pereira.

  • VIDEO: Israel Adesanya Fails To Replicate Alex Pereira’s Iconic UFC 300 Feat

    VIDEO: Israel Adesanya Fails To Replicate Alex Pereira’s Iconic UFC 300 Feat

    After being one of the most dominant UFC champions ever, Israel Adesanya has now lost four of his last five fights in the promotion. While the losses to Alex Pereira, Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland came in title fights, Nassourdine Imavov became the first fighter to beat “The Last Stylebender” in a non-title fight.

    Unsurprisingly, Adesanya dominated the first round with a tactical approach. Using his reach advantage and feints, the former UFC middleweight champion landed a few heavy kicks on the body and limbs, keeping his opponent unsettled.

    Izzy, who usually starts slow and relies on counter-striking, could be seen putting the pressure on Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia. “The Sniper” only landed a solid uppercut in the first round and failed to secure any takedowns.

    Things took a sudden turn in the second round, though. Adesanya started with a high pace yet again but suffered an eye poke 20 seconds into the round. Marc Goddard stepped in to check if the former champ wanted time to recover but was asked to let the fight continue.

    To everyone’s surprise, Imavov knocked down Adesanya in the very next exchange after the eye poke and got the TKO win. After the fight, fans could not help but draw parallels to Pereira’s UFC 300 main event against Jamahal Hill. The challenger hit “Poatan” in the groin which led to Herb Dean stepping in like Marc Goddard to check on the affected fighter.

    Just like Izzy, Pereira shrugged away the referee and in the very next exchange, knocked out Hill with a left hook to defend his UFC light heavyweight championship. Considering “Poatan” and “The Last Stylebender” are long-time rivals, it was interesting for many fans how both of them stopped the referee from intervening but got completely opposite results right away.

    The tweets embedded below show just two of the many fans who believe that Izzy failed to recreate Pereira’s iconic UFC 300 KO win:

    https://twitter.com/ElonovMMA/status/1886048511734780333

    As usual, Adesanya has no excuses for his KO loss to Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia. And of course, he wasn’t trying to copy his former rival by not allowing Goddard to stop the action during his fight. However, considering his long history with Pereira, it’s nonetheless amusing how their stories were intertwined yet again.

  • Sean O’Malley’s Coach Claims Umar Nurmagomedov Can Afford Fighting Injured Due To His Last Name

    Sean O’Malley’s Coach Claims Umar Nurmagomedov Can Afford Fighting Injured Due To His Last Name

    The first UFC pay-per-view for 2025, UFC 311, will be headlined by Islam Makhachev as he defends his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan. In the co-main event, Merab Dvalishvili will also aim to defend his UFC bantamweight title against Umar Nurmagomedov.

    Two highly competitive title fights on a single card is naturally a delight for fans worldwide. However, it didn’t sit well with many when Nurmagomedov shed light on his arm injury leading up to UFC 311.

    Early rumors suggested that the arm injury would stop him from competing this month. However, the Dagestani eventually agreed to fight “The Machine.” Even though X-ray reports suggested that he broke his arm, Nurmagomedov continued training and now feels fit enough to take part in his first UFC title fight.

    Sean O’Malley is no stranger to enterting the Octagon with injuries. While discussing the topic in an interview for the Submission Radio YouTube channel, the former champ’s coach Tim Welch had an interesting take on why Nurmagomedov could be fighting with an injury at UFC 311.

    “They know they’re going to get the title shot eventually. So, I don’t think he’s going to be that hurt. I think he’s probably going to be, probably more healthy and more ready than people think. And, yeah, it’s like I said, for these title shots, it’s like, for some people, you’ll get one title shot your whole career, the rest of your life. For Umar, with his last name, I feel like even if he lost this Merab fight, he wins two more, he gets back into the title picture.”

    According to “Red Hawk,” being associated with the Nurmagomedov clan greatly benefits the UFC 311 title challenger. He stated that even if the undefeated bantamweight loses his first shot at the title, he’ll likely find himself in the same scenario with another win or two.

    Welch thinks that having some of the best and most popular MMA fighters in his camp also ensures that Nurmagomedov’s decision to fight at UFC 311 is calculated. He expects the Dagestani team to stop Dvalishvili from getting into comfortable ground positions which will eventually affect his cardio.

  • UFC Vegas 100 Has Another Co-Main Event Canceled After Late Medical Issue

    UFC Vegas 100 Has Another Co-Main Event Canceled After Late Medical Issue

    After Cody Garbrandt pulled out against Miles Johns, Ricky Turcios vs. Bernardo Sopaj was scheduled to be the UFC Vegas 100 co-main event. However, according to UFC officials, Turcios has pulled out due to medical issues.

    Nolan King reported the news on X:

    Gerald Meerschaert vs. Reinier de Ridder is the new co-main event, and Gastón Bolaños vs. Cortavious Romious has been moved up to the main card as well. Having two co-main event fights canceled is understandably disappointing for fans, but many are happy to see De Ridder up the order.

    UFC Vegas 100 Card Updated Order

    Here’s what the coming UFC card looks like after the latest developments:

    Main Card

    • Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates, welterweight (Main event)
    • Gerald Meerschaert vs. Reinier de Ridder, middleweight (Co-main event)
    • Gaston Bolanos vs. Cortavious Romious, bantamweight
    • Luana Pinheiro vs. Gillian Robertson, women’s strawweight
    • Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Dusko Todorovic, middleweight

    Prelims

    • Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Denise Gomes, women’s strawweight
    • Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos vs. Zach Scroggin, welterweight
    • Matthew Semelsberger vs. Charles Radtke, welterweight
    • Cody Stamann vs. Da’Mon Blackshear, bantamweight
    • Tresean Gore vs. Antonio Trocoli, middleweight
    • Melissa Mullins vs. Klaudia Syguła, women’s bantamweight

    Marcel Dorff reported the updated order for UFC Vegas 100 on X:

    “The Dutch Knight” boasts an impressive 17-2 record, and has only lost to undefeated Anatoly Malykhin. De Ridder is a former ONE world champion at middleweight and light heavyweight. He aims to finish Meerschaert in his UFC debut to create a solid first impression in the middleweight division.

    Bantamweight contenders Gastón Bolaños and Cortavious Romious will now fight on a bigger stage too. Bolaños is coming off a TKO loss and Romious is making his UFC debut after earning a contract at Dana White’s Contender Series Season 8 Week 2.

  • Jon Jones Picks Alex Pereira Over Tom Aspinall As Preferred Next Opponent

    Jon Jones Picks Alex Pereira Over Tom Aspinall As Preferred Next Opponent

    Jon Jones will defend his UFC heavyweight championship for the first time against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. After winning the title against Ciryl Gane in March 2023, the newly crowned champion suffered a shoulder injury that delayed his fight with the former UFC heavyweight kingpin.

    While many fans are interested in watching two legends face each other before they hang up their gloves, others simply want the UFC heavyweight division to move forward. Tom Aspinall has defended his interim UFC heavyweight belt once and has finished most top contenders in the first round.

    Jones is a considerable favorite against Miocic, and while he’s teased retirement in the past, he discussed potential future opponents during an interview on the Kevin Iole YouTube channel.

    “Tom Aspinall, is, I don’t want to say nobody but, he just hasn’t proven anything. He hasn’t done anything and I understand that, I mean he won his belt against Sergei. Sergei just got slaughtered by someone else, so, it’s just like, I’m not here to gamble someone else making a name off of me,” He continued. “A guy that’s still on our UFC roster that would be, not only financially worth it, but, legacy worth it, would be Alex Pereira.”

    When asked if he would fight Aspinall after beating Miocic, Jones outright rejected the current interim UFC heavyweight champion. He compared the English heavyweight to Johnny Walker, who many thought could dethrone “Bones” at light heavyweight.

    “Bones” mentioned that he’s accepted a fair amount of risky fights back in the day, and he now only expects an opponent that makes sense to him financially and legacy-wise. On these grounds, he named Alex Pereira a more exciting fight than Aspinall.

    Unsurprisingly, “Bones” is being called out for not giving any credit at all to an interim champion with a title defense. That said, it’s hard to speculate on the future of the heavyweight division accurately until the UFC 309 main event concludes.

  • Michael Chandler Targets ‘Craziest’ Fight Run Against Makhachev, Holloway, & McGregor

    Michael Chandler Targets ‘Craziest’ Fight Run Against Makhachev, Holloway, & McGregor

    Michael Chandler has been out of action for almost two years, having last fought Dustin Poirier in November 2022. Outside of TUF 31, he’s spent most of this time waiting for Conor McGregor, but after the upheaval around UFC 303, he finally moved on to fight Charles Oliveira at UFC 309.

    Following his razor-close split decision loss to Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300, Oliveira is currently the #2 ranked UFC lightweight in the world. So, defeating him should put Chandler in line for a title shot.

    Chandler fought frequently in the UFC since his debut against Dan Hooker. It appears he wants to compensate for the two-year hiatus by fighting as many high-profile names as possible before 2025.

    Chandler recently appeared on the SHAK MMA YouTube channel for an interview. When asked if he would fight McGregor or Makhachev after a win over Oliveira, “Iron” stated that getting the UFC lightweight title is his priority. He also feels the need to settle the rivalry with “The Notorious” which began with TUF 31.

    “The title is the number one goal but there is some unfinished business. Chandler vs. McGregor TUF 31, it needs, that chapter needs to close to some point. Conor wants that fight. He’s talked about it openly in public, in interviews. Obviously, I want that fight. I’m not focused on it right now. I’m focused on Charles, but it’ll be interesting you know. Because you also got to remember, Islam is fighting probably in January, could be late January. He’s gonna go into Ramadan in February, all of March, won’t be able to go till training camp, won’t be able to fight till June July. I’m not trying to wait till June or July. So, Conor could sneak in there, we could see Chandler vs. Oliveira, Chandler vs. Conor, Chandler vs. Islam, Chandler vs. Max. The craziest four or five fight-run in a 12-month period that anyone’s ever seen.”

    Besides Makhachev and McGregor, “Iron” is also interested in fighting former UFC featherweight champion and the reigning BMF champion Max Holloway in 2025. Fans have been eagerly waiting to see this fight too, as both fighters boast an aggressive, fearless, and striking-heavy fighting style.

    It’ll be interesting to see how many superfights Chandler can be a part of before the end of 2025. For now, he needs to focus on beating Oliveira, who already holds a TKO win over him.

  • Daniel Cormier: ‘Sharpest Businessman’ Dana White Can Make Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou

    Daniel Cormier: ‘Sharpest Businessman’ Dana White Can Make Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou

    Francis Ngannou couldn’t have had a better return to MMA as he knocked out Renan Ferreira in the first round to win the PFL heavyweight championship on October 19, 2024. Jon Jones, on the other hand, is finally returning to the Octagon against Stipe Miocic on November 16, 2024.

    Ngannou was the UFC heavyweight kingpin before Jones moved up to the division. Many fans eagerly wanted to see them fight, but before anything could materialize, Ngannou left the UFC and signed with the PFL. He also boxed in high-profile matchups against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

    “The Predator” was recently asked on The Ariel Helwani Show if he could still fight “Bones”. The lineal heavyweight MMA champion claimed that the superfight is not completely off the table and that figures like Turki Alalshikh might play a role in it.

    Alalshikh, as the head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, has helped organize several major combat sports events over the last few years.

    Daniel Cormier reviewed Ngannou’s statements on his YouTube channel recently. He admitted that White’s rocky relationship with the PFL champ is a problem, but Riyadh Season’s inclusion could shake things up.

    The former UFC champ mentioned that Riyadh Season sponsoring UFC 306 was a huge development, and might have laid the foundation for crossovers like Jones vs. Ngannou.

    “Dana does not like Francis, that is a massive problem. Massive problem. But hell, when in the world do you put that over business. I don’t know that he will, he’s one of the smartest, sharpest businessman you’ve ever met. If the dollars make sense, the fight could potentially happen,” DC continued. “If Francis is to be believed, and Francis has had these conversations, we’re now entering a world where multiple partnerships already established in this realm. ESPN UFC, ESPN PFL, Riyadh Season UFC. Ladies and gentleman, maybe, just maybe, we get that fight.”

    DC also believes White is smart enough to put personal differences aside for a lucrative business opportunity. He isn’t sure that Ngannou and Jones will fight in MMA, but he’s not ruling out the possibility entirely.