The following is an article from earlier this year, featuring one-half of tonight’s UFC 269 headliners and current lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. The article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MAY 16, 2021, 7:01 AM]
Headline: Conor McGregor’s Tweet Elicits A Strong Response From Charles Oliveira
For the second straight pay-per-view, Conor McGregor let the winner of the main event know that he was coming for his championship belt.
When Conor McGregor put Kamaru Usman on notice that he was coming for his welterweight title after UFC 261, Usman accused him of “clout chasing,” stating that McGregor knew full well he didn’t really want to fight him. Others have also accused McGregor of this in the past whenever he would react to a big performance from another fighter soon after an event had concluded.
In this case, McGregor’s post-UFC 262 tweet is fairly safe from this suspicion due to the relevancy the main event had to his own short-term future.
Congrats to Olivera on becoming the 11th UFC lightweight champion. Wonder who Twelve is…
“Congrats to Olivera on becoming the 11th UFC lightweight champion. Wonder who Twelve is…” McGregor wrote.
The usually even-keeled Charles Oliveira issued the following response to McGregor after soaking in his newly won UFC lightweight championship over Michael Chandler.
“Conor, worry about Dustin,” Oliveira advised through an interpreter at the UFC 262 post-fight press conference. “Conor, since you’re so tough: First of all, you beat Dustin, and then you come over to Brazil and I’m going to put you on your ass. First he’s got to get past Dustin. He’s one of these guys that just talks a lot. He’s got to beat Dustin first.”
Charles Oliveira’s come-from-behind victory over Chandler matched the Brazilian’s path to the title shot in the first place: It was hard-earned and full of adversity. The fact that the UFC all-time submission holder got it done with his hands is a testament to how far he’s come as a mixed martial artist since debuting in the UFC at only 20 years old more than a decade ago.
Oliveira was willing to fight whoever was put in front of him along the way, so he is not committed to the idea of fighting Conor McGregor despite his fired-up response. Instead, he’s decided to stick to his job of showing up and winning.
“I battled hard to get here,” Oliveira said. “Everyone’s talking about who it’s going to be next – Poirier or Conor. I’ll leave that my manager, and I’m going to go home and rest.”
How do you think a fight would go between new UFC undisputed lightweight champion Charles Oliveira and Conor McGregor?
Tonight at UFC 269, both Cody Garbrandt and Sean O’Malley will be in action. They won’t be facing one another, however. In fact, they won’t even be fighting in the same division.
Despite the Twitter beef between the two men, the odds of them fighting are farther apart than ever before, even though the two squared up in the pre-fight press conference earlier this week.
Just as Dana White is against O’Malley facing “top” opponents now, he felt the same way last year.
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JUNE 17, 2020, 10:28 AM]
Headline: UFC President Dana White Shuts Down Cody Garbrandt vs. Sean O’Malley Talk
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
UFC president Dana White doesn’t feel it’s the right time to book Cody Garbrandt vs. Sean O’Malley.
O’Malley and Garbrandt have been throwing some verbal jabs ever since UFC 250. Both men scored spectacular one-punch knockouts that earned them performance bonuses. They then got into a fun back-and-forth over who had the better finish. Then, O’Malley expressed his belief that he can knock Garbrandt out. Obviously, “No Love” disagrees.
Dana White Puts a Halt To Garbrandt vs. O’Malley
O’Malley is still quite young in his pro MMA career. While many are calling for him to get a step up a competition, a bout with a former UFC bantamweight champion as dangerous as Garbrandt might be too soon. That’s the belief White shared during his appearance on The Schmozone Podcast (h/t BJPenn.com).
“The problem is, you take a Sean O’ Malley…first of all he has been off for a couple of years, young kid, just coming in, like where does he goes from here? You got to give this kid a few more fights before he gets to Cody Garbrandt,” White said. “If he fought and beat Cody Garbrandt, then he’d break into the top five, and very few people in their careers break into the top five.”
O’Malley’s pro MMA record sits at a perfect 12-0. He’s coming off a highlight reel knockout over Eddie Wineland. It’s the “Sugar” show’s eighth win by way of knockout.
As for Garbrandt, he put a halt to his flyweight plans after knocking out Raphael Assuncao. “No Love” now aims to work his way back to the bantamweight title picture. Defeating Assuncao put Garbrandt back in the top five 135-pound rankings.
While Garbrandt vs. O’Malley probably won’t take place at this time, don’t rule it out in the future. If O’Malley ends up living up to the hype and Garbrandt continues to bounce back, we may very well be seeing “No Love” vs. “Sugar.”
Tonight at UFC 269, Dustin Poirier will not have to worry about anyone skipping the line. He will have a second chance at undisputed lightweight gold when he challenges Charles Oliveira. Three years ago, however, things were much less certain. So much so that there were even rumblings of Georges St-Pierre himself potentially looking to win a world title in a third division. However, Poirier was having none of it.
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AUGUST 6, 2018, 3:54 PM]
Headline: Dustin Poirier Shuts Down Idea of GSP Skipping Lightweight Line
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
Dustin Poirier shuts down the thought of Georges St-Pierre getting a title shot before he does.
Poirier is set to do battle with Nate Diaz at UFC 230 on Nov. 3. “The Diamond” is coming off a second-round TKO victory over former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez. Poirier has now gone 4-0, 1 NC in his last five outings. Meanwhile, Diaz will be stepping inside the Octagon for the first time since Aug. 2016.
Dustin Poirier Shuts Down GSP
St-Pierre recently expressed his desire to fight the winner of Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor. Nurmagomedov will defend his title against McGregor in the main event of UFC 229 on Oct. 6. During a recent appearance on MMAFighting.com‘s “The MMA Hour,” Poirier said St-Pierre will not get a title shot before he does:
“Nah, it’s not happening. Look, after I beat Nate Diaz, I’m fighting for the belt. Or I’m fighting GSP, but he’s not going to get [a title shot] before I do.”
St-Pierre has jumped the line before. Despite having not competed in four years and never fighting at middleweight, St-Pierre challenged Michael Bisping for the 185-pound title at UFC 217. GSP won the bout via submission and vacated his gold the following month.
UFC 230 will feature a middleweight tilt between Jacare Souza and David Branch. Another 185-pound bout is in the works for the card. The UFC is trying to put together Luke Rockhold vs. Chris Weidman II. UFC 230 takes place inside Madison Square Garden in New York City. The card doesn’t have a main event yet.
Do you think Dustin Poirier will get his shot if he beats Nate Diaz?
Russian MMA Fighter Mehdi Dakaev gave a whole new meaning to the Superman punch with his KO victory Friday Night.
At EFC 43: Dakaev vs Zaynukov, Mehdi Dakaev took on fellow Russian Makkasharip Zaynukov. The bout ended quite memorably with Dakaev landing a diving punch on his opponent for the KO win.
MMA fans are well familiar with the superman punch. Many fighters have used it, including one of the greatest fighters of all time, Georges St-Pierre, who used the maneuver quite frequently.
Georges St-Pierre’s Superman punch lands flush
However, Mehdi Dakaev’s diving punch Friday night may have actually been more befitting of the “Superman punch” title. Peep it out below and you be the judge.
In addition to the form, the sheer speed in which it was executed was Superman-esque, with Dakaev diving faster than a speeding bullet! For his efforts, the victory improved his record to 14-2, with Zaynukov now falling to 11-4.
How impressed are you with Mehdi Dakaev’s new spin on the Superman punch?
There is some documentation to back up Julianna Peña’s claim that Amanda Nunes agreed to fight her after UFC 200.
Julianna Peña’s warpath to a title shot against “The Lionness” Amanda Nunes will culminate in the battle tonight at UFC 269. One of Pena’s many claims leading up to the fight is that Nunes was supposed to fight her all the way back in 2016 after Nunes defeated Miesha Tate for the title at UFC 200. As it happens, this claim is backed up with some documentation.
Now that we know @RondaRousey isn't coming back, I would love to, darling.
“Now that we know @RondaRousey isn’t coming back, I would love to, darling,” Nunes posted in a 2016 tweet directed at Peña.
At that moment of time, with the sacred space of Twitter bearing witness, we appeared to have a bout for the UFC female bantamweight title sealed.
However, Nunes would go on to fight Rousey after all at UFC 207 in one-sided beatdown while Peña lost to Shevchenko (and her title shot hopes) one month later.
At the time Nunes sent the above tweet in 2016, Peña was skeptical even then. She claimed that Nunes had been ducking her for two years at that point, a claim “The Venezeuan Vixen” would continue repeating in 2021. That means Peña has been accusing Nunes of ducking her for a total of seven years.
You have ducked me for 2 years. I'll believe it when I see you on the otherside of the cage. #NoMoreExcuses#MakeTheCall
“You have ducked me for 2 years. I’ll believe it when I see you on the otherside of the cage.”
Peña will be made into a believer tonight when she finally stands across the cage from Amanda Nunes tonight at UFC 269. Here’s another look at how long Peña has been wanting to fight Nunes in a video shared on the ESPN MMA Twitter page Friday night.
Julianna Peña has been calling Amanda Nunes out since UFC 200.
We’ve got a full, comprhensive breakdown of all the storylines headed into tomorrow night’s UFC 269 event along with the final face-offs.
UFC 269 goes down tomorrow night, December 11, 2021, from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The action kicks off at 6:00 PM ET on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass, followed by the ESPN2 prelims at 8:00 PM. The main card begins at 10:00 PM ET on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
We’ve got a preview of the entire card and the storylines attached to each fight below capped off with the face-offs. And be sure to check out our staff predictions for the event right here!
Gillian Robertson vs. Priscilla Cachoeira
Gillian Robertson went 2-0 last year, including an impressive submission victory over Cortney Casey. She is currently 0-2 in 2021, most recently losing to Miranda Maverick via unanimous decision.
Priscilla Cachoeira’s sole fight last year only lasted seconds, with this “Zombie” getting the kill with ease in her 40-second Performance of the Night win against Shana Dobson.
In 2021, Cachoeira advanced to the first winning streak of her UFC career when she defeated Gina Mazany in another TKO victory. Since then, Cachoeira has had some turmoil in her personal life, but this weekend she will need to keep pushing forward as she always does, with nothing else on her mind but getting the kill.
Check out the face-off between these two flyweights below!
The Savage takes on Zombie Girl to kick off #UFC269 tomorrow!
27-year-old Randy Costa has not gone to the judges’ scorecard once in his career. 6-2 as a professional and 2-2 in the UFC, all six of Costa’s wins are by knockout, including this Performance of the Night-winning KO of Journey Newson last year at UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Woodley.
Costa also stunned quite a few people with his TKO victory over Boston Salmon in 2019. Most recently, Costa lost to hot bantamweight prospect Adrian Yanez in July.
Tony Kelley will be competing in the UFC for the third time this year in this bout. He’ll be entering with a 1-1 record and is coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Ali AlQaisi in October. At Legacy FC 57 in 2019, Kelley took part in what some called one of the best fights of MMA in 2016.
You can check out the face-off below to get you ready for tomorrow’s action!
If either of these two submission experts doze at the wheel, even for an instant, they may lose a limb after the smallest accident.
Ryan Hall is a third-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, with arguably the biggest feather in his submission cap coming when he was able to submit fellow black belt BJ Penn in 2018 with a flawlessly executed heel hook. Hall has a UFC record of 4-1 and is coming off his first loss to the undefeated Ilia Topuria via first-round KO.
Darrick Minner has three times as many pro-MMA fights as Hall, with a record of 26-12. Minner’s game plan every time appears to be the same: score the submission. A nearly unimaginable 22 of Minner’s 26 wins have come by submission. You can check out some of his past handiwork here along with another potential highlight tomorrow.
Here’s the final face-off between these two high-level grapplers below.
In July, Miranda Maverick’s five-fight winning streak was snapped by one of the most controversial decisions of the year, arguably in recent history, when Maycee Barber was awarded the split-decision victory over her at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Dillashaw. The 24-year-old has all the time in the world to put that loss behind her, and she has already done so as she prepares to tackle her next task in another youthful prospect in Erin Blanchfield.
22-year-old prospect Erin Blanchfield will enter UFC 269 tomorrow with a record of 7-1. Her only loss as a professional was to another UFC prospect, Tracy Cortez, when Blanchfield was only 19 years old. Since then, she has gone on a four-fight winning streak, including in her UFC debut in September over Sarah Alpar. You can see why she’s so highly touted right here in this background package put together by the UFC, which includes some of her best highlights.
And you can also see the face-offs between these two upstarts down below!
It’s been five years since André Muniz suffered a loss. Since then, he has won seven consecutive fights, including a 3-0 UFC run thus far. Most recently Muniz defeated Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in Souza’s final career bout. This made for back-to-back submission victories over elite grapplers for Muniz, with the prior coming over Bartosz Fabiński last year. 14 of Muniz’s 21 career wins have come by way of submission.
Eryk Anders has rebounded from the disappointment of his illegal knee to Darren Stewart with a legitimate victory over Stewart to redeem himself. Not counting the Stewart No-Contest, Anders has won three of his last four bouts. Anders has done fairly well against high-level grapplers in the past. He defeated jiu-jitsu black belts Gerald Meerschaert and Vinicius Moreira in 2019. We’ll see if he has his hand raised tomorrow against proven submission artist André Muniz.
You can view the face-off between these two middleweights below.
There are some interesting numbers attached to this middleweight bout. For starters, Jordan Wright has 13 fights on his official record (excluding no-contests). All 13 fights ended in a finish. Oh, and by the way, Wright is responsible for 12 of those 13 finishes.
Meanwhile, Bruno Silva has not gone to a decision since 2016. During his current six-fight winning streak, he has put away each of his opponents via KO/TKO. So if you want a fight to bet the under, this might be it.
Here’s the face-off between these two middleweights.
Finishers in the MW division battle it out tomorrow night 🤜🤛
This fight presents an opportunity for Tai Tuivasa to return to the heavyweight rankings when he takes on #11-ranked Augusto Sakai. Tuivasa and Sakai have different wavelengths of momentum right now, with Sakai losing back-to-back fights while Tuivasa has won three straight, matching the winning streak he had when he first debuted in the promotion with the Australian wind on his back.
Despite his consecutive losses to Alistair Overeem and Jairzinho Rozenstruik, the fact remains that Sakai has wins over names like Marcin Tybura, Andrei Arlovski, and Blagoy Ivanov. Meanwhile, ever since a proposed secret, Fight Club-esque challenge to old nemesis Justin Willis got him into AKA, Tuivasa has been nothing but money, cashing in on wins over Stefan Struve, Harry Hunsucker, and Greg Hardy, each by KO/TKO.
Peep out the heavyweight face-off down below.
Heavy hitters look to make a quick night in the office tomorrow 👀
To some, the lead story in this fight would be the commentary of Daniel Cormier after much was made of Dominick Cruz’s criticism from earlier this week. Cormier and Cruz have since publicly hashed it out (sort of), so now fans, Cormier, and Cruz can all focus on the fight!
That fight will come against #8-ranked Pedro Munhoz, who is on a bit of a skid as of late. He has lost three of his last four fights, with the lone win in that stretch coming against Jimmie Rivera, who is no longer in the UFC. Munhoz stated earlier this year that he’s considering joining another UFC 269 competitor, Cody Garbrandt, down at flyweight. A loss here could finalize that career decision.
Following his loss to The Korean Zombie (Chan Sung Jung) this past summer, Dan Ige released a lengthy statement that deeply reflected on the loss. In the same statement, he made the vow to get better. One fight prior to losing to Jung, Ige earned a Performance of the Night bonus for his KO of Gavin Tucker.
The rise of Dan Ige since UFC 2017 has been nothing short of impressive, with the 30-year-old once stringing together six straight wins. At UFC 269, he’ll attempt to start a new one from scratch but will have to do so against Josh Emmett, who is coming fresh off a Fight of the Night scrap against Shane Burgos last June.
Check out the face-offs between these two ranked featherweights below!
Non-stop action is slated in our #UFC269 featured prelim 👊
Cody Garbrandt hasn’t been having very champion-like ever since winning the bantamweight title in 2016. He went on to lose four of his next five fights, three of which coming by KO/TKO. Garbrandt doesn’t need me or anyone else to point out these struggles. That is why he decided to make a change and move down to flyweight.
Still, ready or not, Kai Kara-France has warned the public about putting their money down on the former champion. Indeed, the New Zealender expects to win a second straight fight to build off his Performance of the Night victory over Rogério Bontorin at UFC 259.
Check out the spirited face-off between these two athletes below.
An entertaining clash at flyweight is in store for us tomorrow 🍿👀
Immediately after Santiago Ponzinibbio’s seven-fight winning streak was snapped earlier this year, the Argentenian let it be known that he would remain undeterred on his quest for UFC welterweight gold. He let his actions get that point across very well in his Fight of the Night win over Miguel Baeza in June.
He now sets his sights on Geoff Neal, someone with his back against the wall after two consecutive losses. Neal has already promised fireworks in this welterweight banger, and fans should fully expect just that from these two heavy hitters.
Neal is coming off a DWI arrest that took place mere weeks ago. If he is to get his career back in order, he will need to remain focused on the task at hand from bell to bell.
You can check out the face-off between Neal and Ponzinibbio below.
Julianna Peña would be the first to tell you that this is a fight that has been over five years in the making. Some of the bumps along the way were due to some setbacks on Peña’s end as Nunes continued to build GOAT status fight after the fight. But other hiccups in finalizing this fight, according to lead investigator Julianna Peña, is due to Nunes questionably delaying the fight.
Tomorrow night, the two will finally be locked in the cage together. The expectation from most seems to be that Peña will be just another victimized name on Nunes’ GOAT résumé. MMA legend Chael Sonnen believes Peña more than has what it takes to get the victory and that, for some reason, fans are blind to it. Peña herself has echoed these remarks in stating that people are sleeping on her ahead of this bantamweight title fight.
Whatever happens, Dustin Poirier predicts that fans are in for a treat because both men will be in there going for the finish from the bell to bell. And when all is said and done, Poirier hopes to join the ranks of other inspirational UFC champions that have come before him, including Charles Oliveira.
Check out the final face-off of the evening down below featuring the UFC 269 headliners along with their closing remarks.
To view the full UFC 269 Ceremonial Weigh-in, you can do so right here. And please be sure to keep it locked on MMANews.com tomorrow for full, live coverage of UFC 269!
The weigh-in results for UFC 269: Oliveira vs. Poirier are complete, and we’ve got you covered with the intel below.
Tomorrow night, UFC 269 takes place from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. On deck for fight fans are not one but two title fights when Charles Oliveira defends his lightweight championship against Dustin Poirier and Amanda Nunes defends her bantamweight title against Julianna Peña.
In addition to that double-header, Cody Garbrandt makes his flyweight debut against Kai Kara-France, ranked welterweights Geoff Neal and Santiago Ponzinibbio go at it, and “Sugar” Sean O’Malley brings the “The Suga Show” to Las Vegas when he battles Raulian Paiva.
You can check out our staff predictions for each of the above main-card bouts right here.
UFC 269 Weigh-In Results
One fight fell through when Matt Schnell was pulled from his flyweight bout against Alex Perez due to a medical issue. In a women’s flyweight bout, Priscila Cachoeira missed the flyweight limit and has been fined 30% of her fight purse as a result, but her bout against Gillian Robertson will proceed as scheduled.
The UFC hosted a live UFC 269 weigh-in show, which you can view right here. And you can catch the full card for UFC 269 as well as all the viewing information below, courtesy of UFC.com.
MAIN CARD (ESPN+ PPV, 10:00 PM ET)
Main Event – Lightweight Title Bout: Charles Oliveira (155) vs Dustin Poirier (154.5)
Co-Main Event – Women’s Bantamweight Title Bout: Amanda Nunes (134.5) vs Julianna Peña(135)
Welterweight Bout: Geoff Neal (170.5) vs Santiago Ponzinibbio (169.5)
Flyweight Bout: Kai Kara-France (125) vs Cody Garbrandt (126)
Bantamweight Bout: Raulian Paiva (135.5) vs Sean O’Malley (135.5)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, ESPN 2, 10:00 PM)
Featherweight Bout: Josh Emmett (145.5) vs Dan Ige (146)
Bantamweight Bout: Pedro Munhoz (135.5) vs Dominick Cruz (135)
Heavyweight Bout: Augusto Sakai (263.5) vs Tai Tuivasa (264)
Middleweight Bout: Jordan Wright (186) vs Bruno Silva (186)
EARLY PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, UFC Fight Pass, 6:00 PM)
Middleweight Bout: Andre Muniz (185.5) vs Eryk Anders (185.5)
Women’s Flyweight Bout: Miranda Maverick (125) vs Erin Blanchfield (125.5)
Featherweight Bout: Ryan Hall (145.5) vs Darrick Minner (146)
Bantamweight Bout: Randy Costa (134.5) vs Tony Kelley (136)
Women’s Flyweight Bout: Gillian Robertson (125) vs *Priscila Cachoeira (129)
Be sure to keep it locked on MMANews.com tomorrow for full coverage of tomorrow night’s UFC 269 event!
UFC 269 is now one sleep away, and to get you more hype for the event than you already are, we’ve got some staff predictions ready to serve up for ya!
Perhaps the most stacked card of the year from top to bottom will close out the 2021 PPV docket. UFC 269 will be available exclusively on ESPN+ pay-per-view, with the main card beginning at 10:00 PM ET, the ESPN2 preliminary card kicking off at 8:00 PM, and the early preliminary card starting at 6:15 PM.
The main event will see Charles Oliveira defend his lightweight championship for the first time when he takes on fellow UFC veteran Dustin Poirier. The co-main event will feature the consensus greatest women’s mixed martial artist of all time, Amanda Nunes, taking on the fearless Julianna Peña for the women’s bantamweight championship.
Also on the main card, top-15 welterweights Geoff Neal and Santiago Ponzinibbio will go at it, and we’ll also see former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt make his flyweight debut against Kai Kara-France. And kicking off the pay-per-view will be “The Suga Show” when “Sugar” Sean O’Malley faces Raulian Paiva.
UFC 269 Staff Predictions
MMA News is the place to be for all the latest UFC 269 updates. Staff members Clyde Aidoo, Andrew Ravens, Harvey Leonard, and Ed Carbajal have provided predictions for the main card. Here is the full main card lineup for tomorrow night:
Clyde Aidoo: Raulian Paiva is not a “can” by any means. He is on a three-fight winning streak, including a win over another strong prospect in Kyler Phillips. And overall, he is 3-2 in the UFC.
However, even though he isn’t a “can,” he is a great stylistic matchup for O’Malley because he has proven to be very hittable with suspect defense. With O’Malley’s three-inch reach advantage and cleaner boxing skills, this may come down to if Paiva is able to come back like he did against Phillips or if O’Malley will be able to punch ad nauseam as he did against Kris Moutinho. I’m banking on the latter. (Prediction: Sean O’Malley)
Andrew Ravens: Sean is back on track after some setbacks, but now, his next challenge will be a tough one in Paiva, who is riding a three-fight winning streak. Sean has faced and mostly defeated better competition than Paiva, which gives him an edge. I’ll take Sean getting a third-round TKO win. (Prediction: Sean O’Malley)
Harvey Leonard: I see this fight playing out relatively similar to O’Malley’s victory over Moutinho earlier this year, albeit with a better defense on the end of his punches. With his usual high volume, I’d expect “Sugar” to have his way with the Brazilian and use his reach advantage to full effect. While I don’t think it’s as set of a deal as many, and Paiva boasts the counter-striking and jiu-jitsu skills to cause an issue, I believe an upset is unlikely. (Prediction: Sean O’Malley)
Ed Carbajal: This should be an interesting fight. O’Malley’s grappling is underrated because he usually wins by knockout, but we have seen him wear down when fights go long, especially in his last bout against a short-notice Kris Moutinho. Most of Paiva’s wins come by decision, so unless O’Malley’s fame is distracting him from imposing his ectomorph reach on his opponents, it’s hard to pick against him here. (Prediction: Sean O’Malley)
Consensus: 4-0 O’Malley
Kai Kara-France vs. Cody Garbrandt
Kai Kara-France, Cody Garbrandt
Clyde Aidoo: No one really knows what to expect from Garbrandt at flyweight. Will he revert back to a brawl-heavy approach in an attempt to bully smaller opponents? That may actually be the smart move because Kara-France is one of if not the most technical striker in the division, so making the fight dirty could be the right path for Garbrandt. Because it’ll be difficult for Garbrandt to outpoint France, and France hasn’t been knocked out since 2012.
I think Kara-France is going to be tough enough to get to the scorecards here, and in a close fight where one fighter is technically superior, I’m going to lean in that direction. I think Kara-France will be a watered-down version of Rob Font here against “No Love.” (Prediction: Kai Kara-France)
Andrew Ravens: Garbrandt finds himself in a really interesting spot, especially after the UFC just cut ties with Kevin Lee, who had also been struggling over his last few fights. Kai is someone that Garbrandt should beat, but if Cody doesn’t show up in the right mindset, he could lose and then the possibilities are wide open. Garbrandt takes a calculated approach and gets it done in 15 minutes. (Prediction: Cody Garbrandt)
Harvey Leonard: This should be an entertaining standup battle. While I can picture a Munhoz-esque brawl in the pocket resulting in Kara-France finishing Garbrandt, I don’t think there’s a good enough chance of that happening to go against the former champion. This should be a tough flyweight debut, but one in which “No Love” has the skill and power edge to get the job done and advance towards the title. (Prediction: Cody Garbrandt)
Ed Carbajal: Someone is getting knocked out in this fight. Who that will be? Well, we’ll have to tune in, but looking at recent losses and losses via knockout, Garbrandt seems the most vulnerable. Since both men like to pick up wins by knockout, they could forego that and test their grappling skills against one another, but bonuses don’t usually go to decisive grapplers. (Prediction: Kai Kara-France)
Consensus: 2-2 Pick ’em
Geoff Neal vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio
Geoff Neal, Santiago Ponzinibbio (Image Credits: Chris Unger/Alexandre Schneider/Zuffa LLC)
Clyde Aidoo: This may be the closest fight on the main card, if not the entire event, which is saying a lot given how stacked the lineup is. I think this bout is going to come down to which individual is more likely to make a fight-ending mistake. I think that would be Ponzinibbio. Meanwhile, Neal is slicker on the feet and also tougher to put away.
I don’t see Ponzinibbio prioritizing footwork and elusiveness, which is why one big opening could be costly. I see Neal taking advantage of that or maybe just winning the fight with the heavier firepower and ability to withstand more punishment. (Prediction: Geoff Neal)
Andrew Ravens: These two enter this fight in different positions, as Neal has lost his last two fights while Ponzinibbio had a bump in the road with a loss only to rebound with a decision win. Both are really talented, but with Neal being desperate, I think he pulls out all of the stops to get his hand raised once again and stop the losing streak from continuing with a decision win. (Prediction: Geoff Neal)
Harvey Leonard: This should be yet another intriguing contest on the feet and one that is very tough to call. Despite losing two on the bounce, Neal fell to high-ranked opponents and should be a lot more competitive this weekend. But Ponzinibbio was an elite contender before his layoff, and I’ve not seen anything to suggest that’s changed since he returned. Any fighter can get caught like he did against Jingliang, and to bounce back with a victory over the previously unbeaten Baeza in a FOTY contender was mightily impressive. I expect the Argentine to narrowly outpoint Neal. (Prediction: Santiago Ponzinibbio)
Ed Carbajal: Neal is coming off of two losses and if the news of his November legal troubles is an indicator of his focus, fans will know for sure when he faces Ponzinibbio. Ponzinibbio coming off of a win likely wants to keep that going and will look to test Neal’s resolve. It will boil down to who wants it more. I’m leaning Ponzinibbio here. (Prediction: Santiago Ponzinibbio)
Consensus: 2-2 Pick ’em
Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Peña
Amanda Nunes, Julianna Pena
Clyde Aidoo: Julianna Peña is being criminally underlooked in this fight, and it doesn’t make any sense. On paper, Amanda Nunes has been unstoppable ever since winning the bantamweight title at UFC 200 five years ago. Meanwhile, Peña is only 2-2 in her last four fights.
However, what the paper doesn’t tell you is that styles make fights. Peña is arguably the best wrestler in the division; has never been dropped, broken, or dominated; and most importantly, she gets better as fights progress while Nunes has struggled later in fights in the past. Nunes may very well be the most dangerous first-round fighter in the UFC, but if Peña can weather the storm, which I believe she can, then I see her pulling a Cat Zingano and getting the better of Nunes on the mat. (Prediction: Julianna Peña)
Andrew Ravens: Another title defense for Nunes, and it comes against yet another worthy challenger. Peña is one of the best in the division but doesn’t have a real chance against the champion. Nunes is on a different level from anyone else, and while Peña could shock the world on Saturday night, I, like the rest of the people interested in this fight, don’t see it happening. So I have Nunes going the distance to get the decision win. (Prediction: Amanda Nunes)
Harvey Leonard: While Nunes is still dominating and defending her titles, there’s no logic or sound reasoning to a prediction against her, especially when it’s in favor of a contender who’s 2-2 in her last four outings and who’d likely not have the opportunity had she not brought some trash talk to the table. Is Peña more capable of an upset than Spencer and Anderson were? Perhaps. Is she massively better to the point where can spring an upset? Almost certainly not. (Prediction: Amanda Nunes)
Ed Carbajal: It’s hard to pick against Nunes, who has been so dominant at this point in her career. Still, Peña seems hungry enough to give Nunes a challenge. Details of Nunes positive COVID test from the original booking begs the question of how sick was she? And was it bad enough to affect her preparation? Chances are, she’s probably fine and ready to defend at UFC 269. (Prediction: Amanda Nunes)
Consensus: 3-1 Nunes
Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier
Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira
Clyde Aidoo: Whenever you’re dealing with a submission ace like Charles Oliveira, there is never any real comfort level to pick against him, especially as his striking continues to catch up to his grappling skills year by year, fight by fight.
Nevertheless, I think Poirier has just a little bit more tools in the toolbox and that, more importantly, his fight IQ has fully caught up to his physical gifts to create a more consistent, cage-aware Poirier. No longer the overzealous fighter he was in his past, I think the combination of fight IQ and true grit will truly see Poirier get paid in full to close out UFC’s 2021 PPV year. (Prediction: Dustin Poirier)
Andrew Ravens: Poirier is one of the best fighters in the division, but I think part of the reason that he is being so hyped up and even has the oddsmakers backing him is due to him beating the biggest star in MMA, Conor McGregor, in back-to-back fights. McGregor isn’t the best fighter in the division, so that needs to be factored in.
Whatever Oliveira has done to change his style and go on such an impressive winning streak is what people should focus on. I have Oliveira getting it done by decision to retain. (Prediction: Charles Oliveira)
Harvey Leonard: I firmly believe Oliveira is being massively and unfairly underrated heading into this fight. However, I still believe he may struggle to keep hold of his title this weekend. While ‘Do Bronx’ showed the grit and toughness that many doubted he had to come back against Chandler, I’m not sure a finisher like Poirier will give him the chance to do so.
I find it difficult to believe “The Diamond,” with his pressure and volume, won’t find a way to hurt the champion at some point. When that happens, I think he’ll get the job done. (Prediction: Dustin Poirier)
Ed Carbajal: Both fighters are in their relative prime and both are riding win streaks against some pretty well-established fighters. Still, this might be a battle that is decided by durability. Poirier may hold more losses than Oliviera, but his are not as finish-heavy as Olivera’s are. By that, I mean Oliveira has been finished more than Poirier. Four of his eight losses came by way of knockout, something Poirier is good at. (Prediction: Dustin Poirier)
Consensus: 3-1 Poirier
That’ll do it for our UFC 269 staff picks! What do you think? Do your picks look similar? Let us know in the comments section! Also, you can check out the UFC 269 undercard below.
UFC 269 takes place this Saturday, December 11, from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event, Charles Oliveira will defend the lightweight championship against Dustin Poirier. The co-main event will see the GOAT, Amanda Nunes, taking on the confident Julianna Peña.
Also going down on the main card will be top-15 welterweights Geoff Neal (#12) and Santiago Ponzinibbio (#14) battling it out, as well as former UFC bantamweight champion Cody “No Love” Garbrandt facing Kai Kara France. And the main card will kick off with “The Suga Show” when “Sugar” Sean O’Malley faces Raulian Paiva.
Each of the above fighters was present during Thursday’s pre-fight press conference. Here were some of the most memorable moments and exchanges from the event.
Former UFC champions and current broadcast colleagues Daniel Cormier and Dominick Cruz sat down to have an open dialogue about Cruz’s brutally honest and very public feedback about Cormier’s commentating.
This Saturday at UFC 269, Dominick Cruz will be competing against Pedro Munhoz in a high-level bout between two veterans ranked in the bantamweight division’s top 10. But that’s not the story Cruz made headlines for yesterday. Instead, that would be his harsh take on Daniel Cormier’s job performance as a UFC commentator/analyst.
During a media scrum ahead of UFC 269, here is what Cruz had to say about his broadcast partner:
“I watch (Jon) Anik do so much homework leading up to a fight. Like, people have no idea how much homework he has to do to be prepared for that, and the most kudos, for me, goes to him. He leads us in the broadcast with how he talks. When it comes to DC, I usually mute it,” Cruz said with a chuckle.
“I love DC, he’s my friend, but to me, from my experience, he doesn’t do the homework. He wants to get in and out, get the job done, make his money. I think he cares about us, but it’s just different. He doesn’t do the preparation from my experience. He might now. I’m hoping that he watches some film this time, on me, so he knows what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. But I’m not going to hold my breath on that, for sure.”
Cormier & Cruz Have Face-To-Face Conversation About Cruz’s Criticisms
Dominick Cruz, Daniel Cormier
Soon after Cruz’s comments spread like wildfire throughout the MMA media, Daniel Cormier and Dominick Cruz had a sit-down conversation that was published on Cormier’s YouTube channel. What follows is a full recap of their conversation.
The conversation began with Cormier attempting to nonchalantly have an interview about Cruz’s upcoming fight. Cruz, having already established his frank nature, preferred to skip the formalities and relative small talk and address the elephant in the room. Cormier politely implied that such conversations are better left private, to which Cruz proposed they speak ‘privately in public.’
Cormier disagreed, stating things that are discussed privately should remain behind closed doors. Cruz asked who made that rule and stated that he was merely holding Cormier accountable out of love. Cruz used the analogy of Cormier holding his children accountable if they do something wrong and that it’s all out of love. Cormier replied that it’s only love in Cruz’s mind.
Cormier: What do you hold me accountable for?
Cruz: Not watching film.
Cormier: Dominick, there’s different ways to prepare for a fight than watching film. It’s not singular.
Cruz: It’s not part of it?
Cormier: It’s not singular. I do watch film. I watch film every single time. Do I watch fights to the extent that you watch fights? No…I will openly sit here and say that I don’t watch fights to the extent that Dominick Cruz (watches it).
Cormier concluded that because he doesn’t combat Cruz’s opinions, Cruz thinks they must be true. He would then tell Cruz to his face that he violated their trust as colleagues and friends.
Cormier: It’s like, Dominick Cruz, I’ve watched you for years. I’ve watched you. I’ve studied you. But that’s the thing, though, because I don’t combat your opinions, you continue to build on those opinions. And honestly, can I say something? Can I tell you something right now as a friend?
Cruz: Please.
Cormier: It was wrong of you to say what you said this morning.
Cruz: Oh, so I’m wrong?
Cormier: Because it was not fair of you as a colleague to do that publicly. You should tell me. That is a blatant mistrust of friendship and as a colleague.
Daniel Cormier Offers Criticism To Dominick Cruz In Return
At this point and to keep things fair, Cruz urged Cormier to give him an honest performance review as well.
Cormier: I think you’re a fantastic analyst.
Cruz: Why?
Cormier: Because you’re prepared, I think you enjoy the fights, and you love your job.
Cruz pushed Cormier to provide negative feedback as well so that this aspect of their reviews would not be one-sided. Cormier would oblige.
“I think you can be a bit dry,” Cormier offered.
When Cruz disagreed with that assessment, this visibly flabbergasted the former double champion.
At this point, a third man joined the conversation to “mediate,” a fellow colleague and former UFC champion, Michael “The Count” Bisping.
Jeff Bottari | Credit: Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Not long after joining the convo, Bisping told Cruz that he was in the wrong for sharing those thoughts publicly. He also revealed that Cormier used to pay someone to assist him with research, but he stopped this arrangement so that he could process the information himself and also save money.
Cormier was asked to explain more about the researcher, and his testimony did not seem to bolster his case all that much.
Cormier: So I had a researcher that I would pay to give me all my notes, and I would go and call the fights.
Cruz: So how is that watching film?!
Cormier: But then I would watch the fights still, but the guy would give me all the background stuff and all that.
Cruz: Why? That’s your job.
Before Cormier could respond, Bisping interjected and explained on his behalf that he didn’t pay the researcher to do all the research and film study, only some of it.
Towards the end of the conversation, Cruz blamed the media for not providing the full context for his criticism. He also clarified that he never stated Cormier was a bad commentator.
In any event, although Cruz still did not understand why Cormier and Bisping believe his comments would have been better kept private, he did make sure to throw in some positive feedback to his partner as well.
“But this stuff that we’re talking about is much more fun ’cause now, the media can’t create some dark picture that I don’t appreciate you as an analyst. Because this is the truth: I do appreciate you as an analyst. I do. I think that you’re an Olympic gold medalist and you bring a different repertoire in that vision that I don’t have.”
Cruz did not backtrack on his criticisms of Cormier’s research skills, however, and Cormier would ultimately bring the conversation to a close, expressing that things went off the rails.
You can view the full conversation for yourself below. You can also watch Dominick Cruz’s full media day press scrum to judge for yourself if his comments were taken out of context.
The UFC has joined the Kayla Harrison sweepstakes.
The UFC featherweight division has been relatively dormant since its inception in 2017. Four years in, there still are not any rankings for the division, and the roster continues to be flimsy at best, with no signs of that changing anytime soon.
Dana White Reveals The UFC Is In Talks With Kayla Harrison
Kayla Harrison, Dana White
However, according to Dana White, the fate of the division isn’t in the hands of the two-time PFL lightweight champion but is dependent on the UFC’s reigning featherweight champ, Amanda Nunes.
“That division is still there for the champ,” White said Wednesday in an interview with TSN. “The day (Nunes) says she doesn’t want to defend that belt anymore, we probably let it go. It’s there for her. And I’m interested in the whole Kayla Harrison thing. She thinks she’s the best in the world. There’s only one way to find out: come over here and fight the GOAT.”
It wasn’t long ago that Dana White advised Kayla Harrison to stick with the PFL and continue taking what he deemed to be easy money. Such a nonchalant indifference to one of the biggest free agents in recent history came across as potential reverse psychology.
This about-face indicates that may have been precisely what it was, or perhaps other UFC executives later persuaded White to make a play for the Olympic gold medalist. Whatever the reason, White confirmed to TSN that the UFC is, in fact, in active talks with Kayla Harrison, and those talks will culminate with her joining the UFC if she really wants to prove she’s the best.
“Well, first of all, Amanda Nunes is one of the best athletes I’ve ever worked with, and she doesn’t play all that goofy, ‘We’re friends’ shit,” White assured.
Bellator has also confirmed interest in Kayla Harrison, with company president Scott Coker saying in last week’s Bellator 272 post-fight press conference that the promotion will meet with her this week. PFL also hopes to retain her services for the fourth year.
MMA News will be right on top of Kayla Harrison’s free agency and fill you in on all the latest updates.
Do you think Kayla Harrison should follow Dana White’s revised advice and fight Amanda Nunes in the UFC to “prove she’s the best?”
Tyron Woodley has made a vow to the world about his upcoming rematch against Jake Paul: nothing will stand in the way of a knockout this time around.
After a roller coaster of tattoo bets, trash talk, and emotions, the door to a Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley rematch appeared to be closed. At least, that’s what Paul himself stated when Woodley failed to act on their tattoo bet agreement swiftly enough to his liking. Much to the chagrin of the Jake Paul-branded Woodley, his YouTuber nemesis had moved on to someone else, reality TV star and undefeated boxer, Tommy Fury.
After Woodley lashed out at Paul for not granting him the rematch that was promised to him, he was blessed with an early Christmas gift. Fury withdrew from the bout with a chest infection and rib injury, and then the moment that Woodley prophesied came to pass.
“I want to let you guys know I’m excited about this fight,” Woodley said on Instagram. “I also want to let you guys know that something told me – end of September, beginning of October I told my boxing coach, ‘My spirit ain’t sitting right. The fight that’s supposed to happen is me and Jake. This Tommy Fury fight doesn’t even make f*cking sense. Like, who gives a f*ck about that fight? Nobody do.’ …
“I told my coach that and I didn’t just speak it and tell him that, I said, watch what I’m telling you. I told my strength and conditioning coach and my boxing coach, ‘This fight ain’t gonna happen. Let’s train as if we are fighting for this f*cking fight.’ I flew him in from Miami – my strength and conditioning coach is already in St. Louis – and I literally started training.”
A Thankful Tyron Woodley Makes A Vow
Woodley’s hastened training will be put to use one week from Saturday on December 18. Paul has been training for this fight for weeks, with the official announcement for his next bout coming down in October. Meanwhile, Woodley did not have anything lined up following his first fight against Paul in August.
Nevertheless, “The Chosen One” maintains that he will be entering the ring as a ready and ravenous fighter.
“One thing I know for sure, my spirit has never been f*cking wrong,” Woodley said. “My intuition, my alignment, so when I got the call it was kind of funny, because sometimes people call you and they think you out of shape. They think you fat and they think you greasy and they think you not ready. I was ready and I’m so thankful.”
Much was said prior to Woodley’s first bout with Jake Paul on both ends. The outcome would turn out to be milder than what either man predicted, with the fight going to the scorecards. Woodley was particularly criticized for not being more aggressive during the fight, especially after he had sent the former Disney star down onto the ropes.
(via Amanda Wescott/Showtime)
This time, Woodley spoke with a strong emphasis in his assurance that things will be different and that the closure will be definitive and absolute.
“No doubt, no controversy, no bullsh*t, no shenanigans,” Woodley said. “He’s going. To. F*cking. Sleep. I promise you that.”
Bryan Barberena says that, unlike Nate Diaz, he is a true embodiment of what it means to be willing to fight anyone, anytime.
Prior to this past weekend’s UFC Vegas 44 card, Bryan Barberena was scheduled to face UFC legend Matt Brown in a fight that carried massive Fight of the Night potential. Unfortunately, a COVID-19 contraction forced Brown to withdraw only two weeks out from the brawl. Undeterred, Barberena flew out to Vegas anyway, willing to fight literally anyone the UFC put in front of him.
That person turned out to be the debuting Darian Weeks. After a rocky start, Barberena was able to break down the 28-year-old upstart en route to a unanimous decision victory. This short-notice free-for-all served as another example of Barberena’s identity as a throwback fighter who is always down to scrap, no questions asked.
Image Credit: Dave Mandel of Sherdog.com
The same has often been said of Stockton legend Nate Diaz. Like Barberena, Diaz is often praised for his toughness and his non-discriminating willingness to scrap, regardless of the name or location. However, after Diaz publicly refused to fight “rookie” Khamzat Chimaev, Barberena is more confused by Diaz’s behavior than anything, while he is the one who is truly down to fight anyone (h/t MMA Junkie).
“I will fight anybody. Nate Diaz, he’s a stud and whatever, but he’s over here like ‘(Khamzhat) Chimaev, you don’t deserve to fight me.’ Man, I’m here to fight everybody. If your name comes on the contract, I’m signing it. I don’t care whose name is on it – I’m signing it because I’m here to fight everybody. … I’m here to test myself against everybody. Bring it on,” Barberena said during his UFC Vegas 44 post-fight media scrum.
Barberena isn’t the only one to throw shade at Diaz for his rejection of Chimaev. Conor McGregor called Diaz a “bitch” for turning down the fight, and Dana White implied that Diaz simply wants no part of Chimaev.
As for Barberena, the top name he’d be willing to fight next is the same name he expected to fight last Saturday, another “anywhere, anytime” kind of guy, fellow veteran Matt Brown.
“I would like to get the Matt Brown matchup back,” Barberena said. “That was kind of a dream matchup. He’s a legend.”
MMA fighter Walter Pugliesi may be guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct by ditching a glove-touch agreement in favor of a swift KO victory.
One of the universal and long-standing unwritten rules of MMA is that if you signal that you will touch gloves with the opposing fighter, then you touch gloves—or at the very least you don’t KO the opponent as an alternative.
The tattoo-laden Pugliesi is being accused of showing no regard for this custom during The Golden Cage 6 event that took place on Saturday. The Italian held his hand up toward his opponent while in his corner, which in MMA gesturing signals that the two will touch gloves. Instead, immediately after the fight began, Pugliesi stormed and KOed his opponent within seconds. Peep it out below (h/t Twitter user @Grabaka_Hitman).
Kinda suspect when you hold your hand up like you want to touch gloves only to blitz the guy. It’s ultimately not his fault cause you should always be prepared but still kind of BS cause the other guy was prepared to touch em up.
It should be noted that we cannot see the full view of the cage when Pugliesi made the gesture. Therefore, he may have been signaling to the official, and we do not know if the opponent raised his hand back towards him at any point.
With the victory, Pugliesi moves to 8-3. His opponent, Konstantin Linnik, is now 27-22 after the sudden loss.
What do you think? Was this foul play? Or is all fair in combat fighting?
In this week’s installment of The Twitter Adventures of Conor McGregor, The Notorious One takes on an award-winning filmmaker in a debate about Khabib Nurmagomedov’s legacy.
On October 24, 2020, Khabib Nurmagomedov called it a career after advancing his flawless record to 29-0 with a submission victory over Justin Gaethje. Instantly, debates began on where “The Eagle” perched among the greatest fighters to ever do it.
Khabib Nurmagomedov Moments After Winning Final Fight
Sunday, award-winning filmmaker Will Harris recalled a moment when Khabib’s cousin, Umar Nurmagomedov, praised the former lightweight champion as the “greatest” during filming of the Anatomy of a Fighter series. According to Harris, Khabib requested that Umar’s remark be omitted from the film. This, says Harris, just goes to show how humble Khabib is at heart.
However, going back to that October night, one of the millions of people to hear Khabib’s retirement announcement was his old nemesis, Conor McGregor.
McGregor was quick to point out what he believed to be a contradiction to Harris’ implication of Khabib’s humility. Because Khabib did not want such recognition, McGregor argued, then why did he request to be ranked #1 on the pound-for-pound list?
You can view the opening exchanges of the debate in the screenshot below.
At the end of that exchange, McGregor didn’t stop at questioning Khabib’s humility but also questioned his legacy altogether. He would then brand the Dagestani a “fool” by alluding back to comments made earlier this year about Aldo no longer being in his prime or able to fight against elite competition.
Below, the debate continues with McGregor listing his supporting points for why Khabib is merely a “good,” not great fighter. Harris then attempts to hold a mirror to McGregor about his own perceived struggles with weight after the Irishman criticized Khabib’s past scale struggles.
In this third and final round, McGregor disputes Harris’ claim that he struggled on the scales himself by pointing out that he never missed weight. He also argued that his transition up a weight class went flawlessly.
Overall, the debate was cordial, especially by Twitter standards, and the two fine gentlemen agreed to disagree on Khabib’s legacy.
Check out the final exchange below:
Conor McGregor is expected to return to competition in early 2022 after suffering a leg injury at UFC 264. His bout against Khabib took place at UFC 229 three years ago, in a contest that saw the Dagestani advance to 27-0 with a submission victory.
Who do you side with in the above debate? Will Harris or Conor McGregor?
The Countdown to UFC 269: Oliveira vs. Poirier has officially begun.
For the last time in 2021, it’s fight week, fight fans! This year’s lineup of pay-per-view fights culminates with the lightweight title bout many believe should have happened back in May to crown the new champion. That fight will now take place Saturday when reigning lightweight champion Charles Oliveira takes on Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier in the UFC 269 main event.
And in the co-main event, the consensus GOAT of women’s mixed martial arts, Amanda Nunes, defends her bantamweight title against Julianna Peña.
The UFC’s countdown video sets the stage for both title fights.
UFC 269: Oliveira vs. Poirier: Countdown
“If this thing gets gritty, if this thing gets bloody, and exhausting, drag ‘em out type of fight–that’s where I’m gonna shine.” – Dustin Poirier
Dustin Poirier has closed out his rivalry with Conor McGregor, at least for the time being, and all that’s left to do now is realize his dream of being the undisputed UFC champion. Dustin Poirier embodies the grind, and in the Countdown video, we are reminded of the dues that have been fully paid to arrive at this opportunity.
“No matter who is on the other side, they will fold and fall.” – Charles Oliveira
Credit: Jason Da Silva-USA TODAY Sports
Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira has proven year after year that he is the definition of “kill or be killed.” In the Countdown video, the UFC chronicles the finishing ability of Oliveira, including the TKO that crowned him as the UFC’s lightweight champion and an immortalized Brazilian hero.
“I’m the one fight that she doesn’t want because she knows that it’s gonna be a long night.” – Julianna Peña
Photo via Instagram @venezuelanvixen
By now, the MMA world should be well aware of how badly Julianna Peña has wanted this fight. In case you forgot, the Countdown video reminds you of that. It also reminds viewers of something that may be lost in all the trash talk: the fact that Peña is a hardened OG of the bantamweight division who can become the first woman to go from Ultimate Fighter to Undisputed Champion.
“I just need one mistake from her. From that moment, I’m gonna capitalize and finish the fight.” – Amanda Nunes
Image Credit: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Amanda Nunes has made one thing clear since her rise to the top of women’s MMA: place anybody in front of her, and the outcome will remain the same. That, of course, would be Nunes having her hand raised. In the Countdown video, Nunes also shares a specific weakness she sees in Peña’s game. Meanwhile, the champ says she is continuing to evolve and get better every single day.
UFC 269 takes place this Saturday, December 11, 2021, from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card for the event also includes appearances by former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt and rising star “Sugar” Sean O’Malley. The entire card is absolutely stacked from top to bottom. You can view the full UFC 269 lineup as well as all the viewing information here.
And without further ado, you can check out the full episode of UFC Countdown: Oliveira vs. Poirier below.
The Pulse of MMA: Fan Reactions To The Sport’s Biggest Stories
In this installment of The Pulse of MMA, we look at the raw, unfiltered reactions from MMA fans to the result of UFC Vegas 44’s main event between José Aldo and Rob Font.
José Aldo def. Rob Font via Unanimous Decision At UFC Vegas 44
Last night at UFC Vegas 44, José Aldo picked up his third consecutive victory when he defeated Rob Font via unanimous decision. Font brought the fight to him but Aldo stood strong and struck back with more firepower behind his shots. You can check out the official scorecards from the bout below.
Judges Derek Cleary and Junichiro Kamijo gave all five rounds to Aldo while Sal D’Amato gave the third to Font. If you missed the action, you can catch our highlights from yesterday’s event right here.
After the bout in the Octagon interview, Aldo reiterated what he said leading into the bout, which is that he would fancy a fight against T.J. Dillashaw next. With Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling on a collision course to settle their unfinished business, Dillashaw is unbooked and should be ready to return from knee surgery in early 2022.
Aldo’s peers have reacted to his win over Font last night, but what about the Pulse of MMA? Check out the raw, unfiltered reactions of what fans had to say about the UFC Vegas 44 main event below!
Font vs Aldo was such a good scrap, had me on the edge of my seat! #UFCVegas44
Jose "King Of Rio" Aldo ran this town tonight. Fantastic performance, FOTY contender. Rob Font brought many great ideas and gutted through a hellacious fight. But Jose Aldo was not going to be denied tonight #UFCVegas44
To drop 10lbs to a new weight class to the deepest division in MMA and get unanimous decision wins over Marlon Vera, Pedro Munhoz and Rob Font (5×5) all while 17 years into your MMA career, 13 years at the highest level in the sport.
@josealdojunior is beating top 5 bantamweights after being in the fight game for more than 10 years! Let that sink in…. Most older fighters move up due to cutting weight becoming harder when u get older.. what a god damn legend you are @josealdojunior. #legend
Names like Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, and Don Frye were among the first fighters to wear both hats, followed by Lesnarmania that ran wild through the UFC, and more recent crossover examples like Bobby Lashley and Jake Hager.
There has particularly been a surge of MMA talent dappling in rasslin’ world as of late, with several fighters over at American Top Team appearing regularly on AEW. This includes former UFC heavyweight champions Junior dos Santos and Andrei Arlovski, who have made their in-ring pro wrestling debuts with the promotion recently.
Image Credit: AEW
Michael Bisping has taken notice of the ATT invasion of AEW, and he may just want to throw his name in the ring as well (h/t PWTorch).
“Hey, never say never, but I do know that professional wrestling, whilst it is a performance, it is very tough on the body” said Bisping on Radican Worldwide. “My body went through the wringer in the UFC, but hey listen… give me a call, give me a call. There you go. It looks like a lot of fun and I’m so happy to see Junior dos Santos and other members of the American Top Team making a successful transition into something else after fighting.”
One essential ingredient to making it in the rasslin’ business is knowing how to work a microphone. This is one thing Bisping has never struggled at. Whether it’s tearing his opponents down a peg before a fight with his trash talk or crushing it in the commentating booth or podcast studio, Bisping has always had a way with words.
That being said, if the 42-year-old former UFC champion decides to take up another post-retirement project, pro wrestling could certainly be a viable option.
“As a former athlete myself, a fighter, a lot of fighters or athletes struggle with what they are going to do post-fight career,” said Bisping. “I’m always happy to see someone else thriving and that’s why for myself when I was professional athlete I was always terrified as to what I was going to do afterwards, so things like this I’m forever grateful for. I’m truly passionate about my acting career.
“Obviously, I still got a long long way to go, but I study hard and do everything I can to be the best version of myself that I can. Fortunately, I got a few roles lined up for next year and so far so good, but yeah if AEW needed a one-eyed Brit, give me a call.”
If Bisping doesn’t want all that wear and tear on his body but still wants to leave his mark in professional wrestling, he could always just stick to the smack talk as a heel manager. And if things turn violent, “The Count” would be more than capable of taking care of himself in a very real way, believe you me.
Do you think Michael Bisping would be a good fit in the world of professional wrestling?
Jon Jones has engaged in many Twitter feuds over the years: Chael Sonnen, Daniel Cormier, Israel Adesanya, etc., but he has also never shied away from firing back at his collective mass of detractors.
A case can be made that no fighter in UFC history has been as criticized as Jon Jones. It can’t be denied that Jones has given his detractors plenty of fuel over the years, including numerous run-ins with law enforcement and multiple atypical drug tests.
“Let he who was not famous when they did something dumb be glad no one cared,” Jones wrote.
Most recently, Jones criticisms have perhaps been at an all-time high after recent allegations of domestic violence against his fiancée. Jones is set to appear in court on January 31 to answer to these charges.
Someday, Jones intends to put all of these experiences into a book, where he’d have the free space he needs to share all of his thoughts without character limits and with as many quotes he can think of.
Yeah, I’m going to write one hell of a book one day. Been around the block a few times https://t.co/4vfiounpGt
Dana White says he is now completely rid of COVID-19 a mere five days after testing positive for the virus, and he says he and his entire family has Joe Rogan to thank for it.
The following is what White had to say about his discussion with Rogan and the treatment he was recommended to take:
“I get up, 9 o’clock Monday morning, and I get tested,” White continued. “He said get monoclonal antibodies in you as soon as possible, so I did. By noon, I had the monoclonal antibodies in me. Then he told me to do a NAD drip. I did that right after. The next day – so Sunday at 8 o’clock at night I have no taste or smell. I get up Tuesday getting ready to shave. Cleaning my razor, I could smell the alcohol. My taste and smell were back by the next day by 11 o’clock. Then I took a dose of ivermectin. Then yesterday I did a vitamin drip, and today I’m doing another NAD drip.
“Never felt better. I’m feeling like a million bucks. I’m doing two-a-day workouts for the next 10 days while I have COVID and I’m in quarantine. I got my smell and taste back in less than 24 hours.”
Dana White And Family Now COVID Free
Days later, TMZ caught up with Dana White for an update on his health status. Not only is Dana White now testing negative for COVID, but his entire family is also on the mend after taking Rogan’s advice.
“I’m incredible. Today is Day 5 (since I) tested positive for COVID. And today, this morning at 9 o’clock, I tested negative. Thank you, Dr. Joe Rogan!”
Rogan has been widely criticized for recommending ivermectin be used to treat COVID, with sources such as the FDA and the BBC stating that the drug is not intended for human usage.
The legitimacy of such warnings has been widely disputed, with the doubters often being associated with ring-wing ties. There have been reports as recent as four months ago of ivermectin gaining momentum in places such as Latin America and India. Readers are encouraged to do their own research and form their own opinions on the matter beyond this snapshot overview of the issue.
As far as Dana White is concerned, every time he looks at his family is all the proof he needs about the efficacy of Joe Rogan’s treatment regimen. And if that’s not enough proof, there’s a whole host of others who swear by Rogan’s advice, says White.
“And himself, he did it himself, and like 40 other people that he’s close to he’s done this with,” White said of the number of people Rogan has helped with his advice. “And here’s the reality. In all seriousness, Joe Rogan is a brilliant guy and he talks to the most brilliant people out there. He studies, he does his homework on all this stuff.
“And it’s a fact that this works, and not just me. So me and my wife are both 53 years old. We both did it. My daughter is 15 years old. She did it. My mother-in-law is 80 years old. She did it. When I was sitting here waiting to talk to you, my mother-in-law went strolling by here. She’s on her way over to get a massage. Everybody feels like a million bucks, man.”
What do you make of Dana White’s testimony in favor of Joe Rogan’s medical advice?
Dana White has reacted to Nate Diaz publicly rejecting a fight against undefeated rising star Khamzat Chimaev.
After Khamzat Chimaev advanced his professional record to 10-0 at UFC 267 by manhandling Li Jingliang, White and Borz both set their sights on Nate Diaz as his next opponent. There’s just one problem, Diaz wanted nothing to do with it.
This, according to the Stockton bad boy himself, is due to the fact that Chimaev only has four fights in the UFC and is a “rookie.” Therefore, the suggestion that Diaz, an established veteran of the game, should fight him was considered “disrespectful” by the Californian.
TMZ caught up with Dana White this weekend and asked the UFC President to comment on Diaz’s remarks. Here’s what he had to say.
“Listen, man. Khamzat is a straight murderer. He’s a killer. He’s an absolute savage. And I don’t blame anybody for not wanting to fight Khamzat Chimaev,” White said.
White was then pressed to respond directly to Nate Diaz’s reasoning and if he thought Chimaev’s “rookie” status is the legitimate reason why Diaz is uninterested in the fight. White could not stifle the urge to smile throughout the entirety of the following response.
“What do you think? What do you think? [SMILE GROWS WIDER] Listen, everybody in this business, everybody in this company is here because they belong here. There are no real ‘rookies’ per se here. There are guys with more experience and some guys with some less experience.
Khamzat Chimaev (Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa)
“Khamzat Chimaev is one of those guys that’s willing to fight anybody in multiple weight classes on short notice. He’s doing wrestling matches. If it’s a fight, he’s in, and he wants to fight you. And that’s the reality. I mean, people can spin Khamzat however they want to and I don’t blame ’em.”
Dana White has recently shared how difficult it has been to get Chimaev booked in a fight, stating that no one in the welterweight division wants to fight him. There have been reports of a potential pairing of Chimaev and Burns, and Burns himself said he’d be open to that fight, but there has been zero traction on that bout ever since the initial report.
Why do you think Nate Diaz does not want to fight Khamzat Chimaev? Because it’s “disrespectful” or because he simply wants no part of Borz?
Conor McGregor has implied that he’d have “no problem” fighting Khamzat Chimaev if Nate Diaz won’t.
Khamzat Chimaev has been on a call-out rampage ever since smeshing Li Jingliang at UFC 267 in October. The man has even called out Brock Lesnar and Georges St-Pierre for crying out loud. However, there is one call-out of a legendary fighter that was as realistic as it gets, Nate Diaz.
Let him fight kamrat that be a great fight to make He needs a easy new guy to fight anyway he can taper back in and see if he can even still fight at all Great idea Nate 👏 Thanks 💯 pic.twitter.com/WyAj1oVsVu
“Let him fight kamrat that be a great fight to make He needs a easy new guy to fight anyway he can taper back in and see if he can even still fight at all Great idea Nate Thanks.”
Plot Twist: McGregor Approves Nate Diaz’s Matchmaking Idea
Within the hour of Nate Diaz’s matchmaking proposal, Conor McGregor would respond, implying that he’d have no problem taking on Borz even though Diaz wouldn’t.
McGregor would then respond referencing a line used against Diaz in an old exchange between the two, where McGregor requested Diaz go fetch him his coffee.
It should come as no surprise that Conor McGregor was among the plethora of names that Borz has called out in recent weeks. To be precise, he proposed that they make a “big drama show.”
Should McGregor’s Twitter acceptance actually take fruit in a McGregor/Chimaev booking, then a drama show is what we would have indeed: on Twitter, in the press conference, and certainly in the climactic Octagon finale.
Do you think Conor McGregor is really down to fight Khamzat Chimaev?
Now, in a recent installment of “The Triple C & Schmo Show,” Cejudo is doubling down on that commitment, going so far as stating that Jon Jones and Fight Ready are synonymous as long as they are working together.
“He knew that there was a lot of room for improvement for him, even though him being the GOAT,” Cejudo said. “We’re bringing new techniques, we’re bringing structure, we’re bringing a whole other level of how is it that we kind of run our program. It’s all dedicated towards somebody like Jon. He is the team. The team is built around him, so I think he sees the great things that we’re doing out here.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWMvjZ0lS8C/
Henry Cejudo says that even though he considers Jon Jones to be the GOAT, he still has much to learn. And the more time he spends at Fight Ready, the more apparent it becomes to everyone that this is a great fit. All in all, as long as Jones is ready to learn, Cejudo and the Fight Ready crew are ready to continue dispensing guidance and learning material whenever he wants it.
“The champ is welcome,” Cejudo said. “When you’re the champ, when you’re the GOAT, you really can do whatever it is that you want to do. But one thing that I do feel like he would have at Fight Ready is just structure, and I think that’s the reason why he loves coming out here – because of the people, the team, the professionalism that we have out here. My job is to dissect him. My job is to dissect his fundamentals. My job is to pinpoint all the minor little things he’s missing – because he is missing a lot of things, but he’s such a student.”
Jon Jones is expected to make his heavyweight debut in 2022 but first must appear in court to answer for battery domestic violence and vehicle charges on January 31, 2022.
Top-10 middleweights Jack Hermansson and Sean Strickland are set to collide in the main event of the February 5 UFC Fight Night event.
The news of this middleweight clash was first reported by ESPN on Friday. The bout has been verbally agreed to by both parties and contracts should be signed shortly.
Both Hermansson and Strickland are coming off wins. Hermansson (#6) defeated Edmen Shahbazyan via unanimous decision in May but has had mixed results in his most recent fights, going 2-2 in his last four bouts. Hermansson has also kept himself busy by engaging in a wrestling matchup with welterweight Khamzat Chimaev.
The last time Hermansson main-evented a UFC card, he took home Fight of the Night against Marvin Vettori. Hermansson came out on the losing end of that contest and will certainly look to have a different outcome as he returns to the main event spotlight in February.
Sean Strickland (#7) has been searching for a new opponent ever since his bout with Luke Rockhold fell apart. Strickland and Rockhold were engaged in some very heated trash talk that was expected to culminate at UFC 268 in November. Unfortunately, Rockhold had to withdraw from the bout.
Every fighter has made weight ahead of UFC Vegas 44, including the event’s headliners, Rob Font and José Aldo.
UFC Vegas 44 takes place Saturday, December 4, 2021, from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event, Rob Font (#4) will battle José Aldo (#5). Font has candidly stated that he does not believe a win here would be enough for him to earn a title shot, yet he still expects that his jab and other tools in his arsenal will be enough to get the job done nonetheless.
In the co-main event, Rafael Fiziev will take on Brad Riddell. MMA News caught up with Fiziev prior to tomorrow’s battle. One of the things Fiziev had to say ahead of tomorrow’s contest is he views this fight as a must-win if he is to secure a strong new UFC contract. If he is victorious, he would have handed Riddell his first loss in the UFC.
Also competing on tomorrow’s card is ranked lightweights Jimmy Crute and Jamahal Hill. Hill told MMA News that he is moving on from the brutal outcome of his previous bout against Paul Craig. Tomorrow, the world will witness how the promising young light heavyweight rebounds.
The main card for UFC Vegas 44 begins at 10:00 PM ET, with the preliminary bouts starting at 7:00 PM. The entire card will be available on ESPN, ESPN+, and ESPN Deportes.
You can find the full weigh-in results below, courtesy of UFC.com, and you check out the video of today’s weigh-ins here, courtesy of MMA Weekly.
UFC Vegas 44 Weigh-In Results
Main Card
Main Event – Bantamweight Bout: Rob Font (134) vs Jose Aldo (136)
Co-Main Event – Lightweight Bout: Brad Riddell (155.5) vs Rafael Fiziev (155.5)
Light Heavyweight Bout: Jimmy Crute (205.5) vs Jamahal Hill (205)
Lightweight Bout: Clay Guida (155) vs Leonardo Santos (156)
Middleweight Bout: Brendan Allen (185.5) vs Chris Curtis (185)
Welterweight Bout: Alex Morono (170.5) vs Mickey Gall (170.5)
Preliminary Card
Middleweight Bout: Maki Pitolo (184.5) vs Dusko Todorovic (185.5)
Flyweight Bout: Manel Kape (125.5) vs Zhalgas Zhumagulov (125.5)
Welterweight Bout: Bryan Barberena (170.5) vs Darian Weeks (170)
Welterweight Bout: Jake Matthews (170) vs Jeremiah Wells (170.5)
Strawweight Bout: Cheyanne Vlismas (115.5) vs Mallory Martin (115)
Light Heavyweight Bout: Alonzo Menifield (205.5) vs William Knight (206)
Lightweight Bout: Claudio Puelles (155) vs Chris Gruetzemacher (156)
Bantamweight Bout: Louis Smolka (135.5) vs Vince Morales (135.5)
Be sure to visit MMANews.com tomorrow full for coverage of UFC Vegas 44, including all the highlights and results from the event!
