While he defends his belt against the returning Stipe Miocic in the UFC 309 headliner, co-main eventing will be former lightweight titleholder Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler, who run it back three and a half years on from their first battle.
During fight week, those names and the rest of the lineup on Nov. 16 were told they wouldn’t be entering the Octagon sporting the new glove design that was introduced this past June.
The promotion announced the change back in April prior to UFC 300, outlining benefits such as additional padding to protect bone structure, a wristband locking system to prevent glove grabs, lighter weight and more flexibility.
A decrease in knockout percentages have kept the new gloves as a prominent talking point since, and the decision to revert back to the old gloves for UFC 309 got the MMA community talking online.
Many pointed to Jones’ history of eye pokes with the old design to share their conspiracy theories on the decision not to use the new gloves for his return fight.
It’s worth noting that the new design didn’t explicitly address the eye-poke issue, and that form of foul has far from been eradicated in the months since it was introduced.
Regardless, that didn’t stop fans from poking fun (pun intended) at Jones’ expense ahead of UFC 309.
Former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski doesn’t believe Jon Jones’ stint on the heavyweight throne will mean much if he continues to avoid facing Tom Aspinall.
Jones secured the heavyweight crown in his divisional debut last year, running through Ciryl Gane in quick time to achieve glory in a second weight class. But his detractors haven’t been short on ammunition when it comes to dismissing his status as kingpin.
While that started with claims he avoided a showdown with Francis Ngannou following “The Predator’s” rise to the top in 2021, the Rochester native is now being accused of ‘ducking’ Aspinall.
That decision has been a prominent topic in the lead-up to Jones vs. Miocic this weekend at UFC 309, and among the latest to fall on the side of Aspinall in the debate is “Alexander the Great.”
The Australian was firm in analyzing the damage that continuing to avoid Aspinall will do for Jones, insisting that he can’t be seen as the best heavyweight or a two-division champ unless he unifies the title.
“I’m sure Jon Jones is sick of hearing this, but the Tom Aspinall fight is the fight everyone wants to see,” Volkanovski said. “You want to be heavyweight champion? You want to claim that crown? It’s going to be hard to convince me you’re a defending champ if you don’t fight Tom Aspinall while he’s interim champ.
“He’s already got an incredible legacy. But if you want to claim the heavyweight division, say you’re a proper double champ…you’ve got to fight Tom Aspinall,” Volkanovski continued. “If you really want that on your résumé, ‘I was the best heavyweight while I was there,’ you have to fight Tom Aspinall. He is definitely the biggest threat. … I can see why he’s pointing to that (Pereira), but give away the heavyweight belt then.”
Aspinall himself has taken issue with some of Jones’ comments during UFC 309 fight week, posting his highlight reel inside the Octagon on social media in response to the all-time great questioning what he’s done on MMA’s biggest stage.
There’s also a chance of the pair running into each other in the coming days, with Aspinall currently in New York City to weigh in as backup fighter for the Nov. 16 main event.
Days out from their boxing showdown, Jake Paul and Mike Tyson appeared in the ring for their open workouts.
27-year-old “EL Gallo,” a YouTuber-turned-pugilist, and 58-year-old “Iron Mike,” a former undisputed world heavyweight champion, are set to do battle as the headline act of the very first combat sports event to be streamed live on Netflix.
The event takes place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas this coming Friday. It was originally scheduled for July but had to be postponed due to a medical issue on the side of Tyson.
Four months later, the pair have renewed hostilities ahead of their collision atop the Nov. 15 card, which also features a highly awaited championship rematch between boxing stars Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano.
All four featured at Tuesday night’s open workouts, the full replay and highlights from which you can see below.
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson: Open Workout Stream
Jake Paul Open Workout Highlights
HERE’S JAKE “EL GALLO” PAUL
Jake Paul arrives to the #PaulTyson open workout. Watch him take on Mike Tyson Friday, November 15 LIVE on Netflix at 8PM ET | 5PM PT. pic.twitter.com/X5L1YOAe3B
— MVP – Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) November 13, 2024
Mike Tyson Open Workout Highlights
THAT’S IRON MIKE
Mike Tyson is in the ring at the #PaulTyson open workout. It all goes down Friday, November 15 LIVE on Netflix at 8PM ET | 5PM PT. pic.twitter.com/SUAN0R5XmL
58 year old Mike Tyson just completed an open workout for his upcoming fight vs 27 year old Jake Paul. Iron Mike still got it. 🥊 pic.twitter.com/5sJxQomTjP
Fireworks appear guaranteed when UFC featherweight veteran Edson Barboza collides with the always exciting Steve Garcia in 2025.
Barboza (24-12) reached 30 fights in the UFC this year, but he didn’t mark the occasion in the fashion he had hoped. After consecutive wins over Billy Quarantillo and Sodiq Yusuff, the Brazilian had his winning form snapped by the undefeated Lerone Murphy this past May.
While he fell short in that main event, Barboza did exit with Fight of the Night honors, marking his third straight bonus. And given who will be awaiting him inside the Octagon early next year, a fourth on the bounce could be on the way.
Per MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin, Barboza will begin his 2025 campaign with a showdown opposite Garcia (17-5) at the UFC Fight Night scheduled for February 22. A location and venue is yet to be announced.
New fight alert:
Edson Barboza vs. Steve Garcia booked for the UFC Fight Night event on February 22.
Garcia has been on a violent run as of late, racking up five straight knockouts since being slept himself down at bantamweight by Hayisaer Maheshate back in 2022. This year has seen “Mean Machine” move toward the rankings by dispatching both SeungWoo Choi and Kyle Nelson in one round.
Having earned his shot at a prominent name inside the top 15, the New Mexico native will hope to establish himself as a contender in the 145-pound division at the expense of Barboza.
And Garcia seemingly has the backing of plenty in the community, who reacted to the fight announcement with their support for the up-and-comer. Beyond predictions, though, the common theme on social media was one of excitement to see these two vicious strikers throwing down next year.
Wow. This is a very very big moment for Garcia. Barboza still has power to put him out but Garcia's aggressive style has brought him to the dance. Will adjustments be made? 🤔 https://t.co/58M9IMkz93
UFC featherweight contender Diego Lopes insists he won’t shy away from a firefight should Ilia Topuria repeat his point-and-throw invitation against him down the line.
The Mexico-based Brazilian was cageside for UFC 308 after weighing in as backup fighter for the championship main event. That fact, coupled with his triumph over Brian Ortega at the Sphere this past September, has put Lopes in prime position for a first shot at gold.
And should he get the chance to blemish Topuria’s perfect record in 2025, the #3-ranked contender has called on the Spaniard to repeat how he started the Holloway fight.
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Lopes welcomed an early brawl with Topuria, who made good on his promise to point down and offer to throw the kitchen sink at “Blessed” in the opening 10 seconds.
Holloway didn’t stray from his plan to dismiss that, but Lopes claims he’d do the exact opposite.
“Definitely, definitely, definitely,” Lopes said in Spanish when asked if he’d throw down with Topuria. “I’m telling you, I respect everyone, but I’m not afraid of anyone. If there’s anything I don’t have, it’s fear. I think I’ve shown that in all my fights. I’ve shown that I’m not afraid of anyone.
“As many times as he wants to point to the ground, I will plant my feet in the middle of the cage and throw down. It’s that easy,” he added.
Following the champ’s successful defense in the Middle East, UFC CEO Dana White pointed to Volkanovski as Topuria’s likely next opponent owing to his stint as kingpin prior to running into “El Matador” this past February.
On this weekend’s main card, the 28-year-old Colorado native will share the cage with a man formerly ranked at both middleweight and light heavyweight in Craig. Despite his credentials and notable wins, not many are giving “Bearjew” a chance of victory.
That includes the oddsmakers, most of whom set Nickal’s opening line close to or above -1000. Currently, the American has climbed to -1200 on DraftKings.
During an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Nickal was asked whether he’s shocked to be so heavily favored over a name who boasts wins over the likes of Magomed Ankalaev and Jamahal Hill.
“No, the odds don’t really surprise me. I actually figured they would be even crazier,” Nickal said. “It’s almost like a mania. Every time I come to fight, I think the people know who is going to win. So it’s all good.”
Nickal will hope to prove that he’s not being overestimated and Craig underestimated come fight night in “The Big Apple” this weekend by dispatching the Scottish veteran in emphatic fashion.
The Rochester native was previously slated to do so for the promotion’s 2023 visit to the iconic venue, but a torn pectoral tendon forced a postponement of his title defense against the returning Stipe Miocic.
Jones is unsurprisingly confident of his chances against Miocic, who hasn’t competed in three and a half years. But he seemingly wouldn’t describe himself as being at 100 percent himself when he enters the Octagon again.
During a recent interview with New York Post Sports, Jones looked back on his recovery and assessed how his training has compared to the lead-up to his canceled clash with Miocic last year.
“Bones” admitted that his strength is somewhat down from this time 12 months ago and suggested that other competitors might not be returning from a pectoral tear at this stage.
“I took my recovery pretty seriously. Right now, I feel like I’m in the shape of my life,” Jones said. “This is about as soon as I should be back in the cage. The injury was anywhere from eight months to a year. … Some athletes would still be using this time to recover but I know this sport only waits for so long.
“I do feel healed enough to be in there. I’m not as strong as I used to be but I’m smarter than ever, I have a lot of experience, and I’m plenty strong,” Jones continued. “Before my pec tear, I was benching like, 315 (pounds) I could do for five reps and I had about a 500-pound squat for a few reps. I was pretty strong. Now, I feel incredibly strong still but not like, superhuman strength the way I used to feel.”
While apparently not in the kind of condition he was set to enter UFC 295 in last year, Jones is evidently confident that he’s ready to make his return 20 months on from his crowning as heavyweight kingpin.
The lineup for UFC 312 next February is beginning to take shape.
While a location and venue is yet to be announced for the mixed martial arts leader’s very first pay-per-view of 2025, its second will see the Octagon back on Australian soil in February.
The official UFC account for Australia and New Zealand announced the first three additions to the UFC 312 lineup on social media this week, with three Aussies set for action on home turf.
Perhaps most notable is the return of formerly ranked light heavyweight Jimmy Crute (12-4-1) at UFC 312. The 28-year-old hasn’t competed since a submission loss to Alonzo Menifield in mid-2023 and is without a win since 2020. He’ll look to change that statistic at the expense of Poland’s Marcin Prachnio (17-8) next year.
Elsewhere, there’s a chance for flyweight prospect Stewart Nicoll (8-1) to get redemption in front of his compatriots. “Kakamora” debuted at UFC 305 in Perth this past August as a highly touted, undefeated newcomer but was quickly caught in a guillotine choke by Jesus Aguilar. If he’s to immediately bounce back, Nicoll must blemish the perfect record of Road to UFC standout Rei Tsuruya (10-0).
And there will be heavy intrigue surrounding the debut of Australia’s Quillan Salkilld (7-1). After a victory on Dana White’s Contender Series this past September, the former Eternal MMA champion will arrive in the Octagon opposite India’s Anshul Jubli (7-1).
Getting beaten by Charles Oliveira back in 2022 hasn’t stopped Michael Chandler from reiterating his belief that there’s “quit” in his UFC 309 opponent.
Also set to make the walk at Madison Square Garden is lightweight contender Chandler, who hasn’t competed since a defeat to Dustin Poirier at the venue two years ago. That’s been largely down to a failed wait to fight Conor McGregor, but with that now in the past, “Iron” has his sights on a familiar foe.
Having predicted that he’d break Oliveira in the lead-up, the American expressed shock at his ability to survive a first round onslaught, explaining in the aftermath that he “truly believed he was going to quit.”
Despite being proven wrong, though, Chandler is sharing a similar theory days out from UFC 309…
During an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Chandler was asked whether he’s entering the Nov. 16 event with the same thoughts about Oliveira’s ability to handle animosity inside the cage.
Overcoming near-finishes against him, Justin Gaethje, and Dustin Poirier in recent years evidently wasn’t enough to rid the “quit” narrative entirely for the ex-lightweight kingpin.
“I do (still believe that),” Chandler said. “I’m not calling him a quitter, but I do know I didn’t put myself in the position to fight him for long enough, to put pressure on him for long enough, to instill second-guessing and doubts into his mind and spirit for long enough for that exit sign to be found. This time, I think we will.”
Chandler will hope to prove as much this time around, as he looks to stake his claim for a second shot at adding UFC gold to his résumé in mixed martial arts.
Should he accomplish that feat, fans will witness “Iron” having his hand raised for the first time since a brutal front-kick knockout of Tony Ferguson in 2022.
And in the aftermath of UFC Fight Night: Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.
Men’s Pound-For-Pound: No changes.
Women’s Pound-for-Pound: No changes.
Women’s Strawweight: Gillian Robertson’s victory over Luana Pinheiro at the Apex has boosted her status at 115 pounds. The submission specialist has climbed two places to #12, leaving both Angela Hill (#13) and Pinheiro (#14) a spot worse off.
Women’s Flyweight: No changes.
Women’s Bantamweight: A week after moving into the rankings following Germaine de Randamie’s retirement, Jacqueline Cavalcanti hasn’t needed to fight in order to keep climbing. The Brazilian has leapfrogged Chelsea Chandler (#14) to secure the #15 position.
Flyweight: No changes.
Bantamweight: No changes.
Featherweight: No changes.
Lightweight: No changes.
Welterweight: Carlos Prates has unsurprisingly had a number placed next to his name following Saturday’s main event. After knocking out Neil Magny in the first round for his fourth straight win of the year, “The Nightmare” has entered the UFC rankings at #13. That’s put Michael “Venom” Page (#15) on the final step of the ladder and eliminated the defeated Magny entirely.
LONGEST ACTIVE UFC KNOCKOUT STREAKS
5 – Steve Garcia 4 – Alex Pereira 4 – Carlos Prates 👊
PFL global and PFL MENA gold will be on the line in Saudi Arabia on November 29.
Following the conclusion of its main and regional seasons, it’s championship time for the Professional Fighters League. And before the sophomore PFL Europe champions are decided in December, the global and MENA kings — as well as a solitary queen — will be crowned.
This week, the promotion announced a stacked and lengthy lineup for the 2024 PFL World Championship later this month in partnership with Ministry of Sport and the Saudi Mixed Martial Arts Federation. The event takes place at King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Friday, Nov. 29.
In the main attraction, six global champions will be decided. The headlining spots have gone to a pair of English standouts in Brendan Loughnane and Dakota Ditcheva, who battle Timur Khizriev at featherweight and Taila Santos at flyweight, respectively.
Beforehand, the MENA titles will be wrapped around four waists, as the likes of Abdullah Al-Qahtani and Ali Taleb look to conclude their 2024 campaigns with championship glory in the Middle East.
For the first time, the PFL championship matchups will see the fighters permitted to throw elbows, which have previously been banned throughout the season and playoff format.
A number of intriguing showcase matchups have also been announced. Among the notable names is 2023 PFL featherweight title winner Jesus Pinedo — returning for the first time since last year’s world championship event — former Ares FC heavyweight king Slim Trabelsi, and top Bellator middleweight contender Costello van Steenis.
PFL World Championship Card (3 PM ET, ESPN+):
Featherweight Championship: Brendan Loughnane vs. Timur Khizriev
Women’s Flyweight Championship: Dakota Ditcheva vs. Taila Santos
Light Heavyweight Championship: Impa Kasanganay vs. Dovletzhan Yagshimuradov
Welterweight: Championship: Magomed Umalatov vs. Shamil Musaev
Lightweight Championship: Brent Primus vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov
Heavyweight Championship: Denis Goltsov vs. Oleg Popov
PFL MENA Championship Card (9:30 AM ET, ESPN+):
MENA Featherweight Championship: Abdelrahman Alhyasat vs. Abdullah Al-Qahtani
MENA Welterweight Championship: Mohammad Alaqraa vs. Omar El Dafrawy
Amateur Women’s Atomweight: Hattan Alsaif vs. Lilia Osmani
MENA Bantamweight Championship: Ali Taleb vs. Rachid El Hazoume
MENA Lightweight Championship: Mohsen Mohammadseifi vs. Georges Eid
Showcase Fight Card (9:30 AM ET, ESPN+):
Lightweight: Mansour Barnaoui vs. Alfie Davis
Heavyweight: Slim Trabelsi vs. Abraham Bably
Featherweight: Jesus Pinedo vs. Jeremy Kennedy
Featherweight: Asael Adjoudj vs. Jose Perez
Middleweight: Costello van Steenis vs. Joao Dantas
Under the spotlight in this edition is the headliner between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic and the co-main event between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler.
Saturday’s UFC 309 lineup is topped by a championship clash, with heavyweight kingpin Jones (27-1, 1 NC) looking to add a first successful defense to his reign, which got underway with a memorable submission victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in March 2023.
If “Bones” is to continue his rule atop the 265-pound mountain, he must record a victory over Miocic (20-4). The former two-time titleholder is returning from a lengthy layoff for his opportunity to regain the gold, having most recently been unseated in brutal fashion by Francis Ngannou back in 2021.
Before those two collide in the main event at New York City’s iconic Madison Square Garden, the stakes will also be high for a crucial five-round lightweight clash.
After a toe injury resulted in Conor McGregor’s withdrawal from UFC 303 this past June, Chandler (23-8) finally heeded the calls of those advising him to move on from the Irishman.
The Polish standout had hoped to bounce back against Denise Gomes after dropping a decision to the fast-rising Iasmin Lucindo this past May at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro.
But the 39-year-old once again fell short to a young Brazilian fighter, with “Dee” also getting the nod on all three scorecards following 15 minutes of action.
Back-to-back wins 😤
Denise Gomes takes the Unanimous Decision at #UFCVegas100 !
A day on from her second straight setback, Kowalkiewicz took to her Instagram Story to address her supporters.
The Polish veteran gave an honest assessment of her performance and the result, admitting that Gomes was simply better. That fact hasn’t, however, brought her to the brink of calling it quits.
“Hey guys, I’m so sorry. But thank you for your support, for your love. I’m okay, as you can see, I’m okay, just my heart is broken,” Kowalkiewicz said. “I had a really great fight camp, perfect weight-cutting, I felt really, really good. Really good shape, but my opponent, she’s better than me, what can I say?
“Give me some time and see you soon. I’m not going to retire, don’t worry,” Kowalkiewicz added.
It remains to be seen what comes next for Kowalkiewicz, but it appears certain that fans haven’t seen the last of the former KSW women’s flyweight champion inside the Octagon.
Gomes, meanwhile, has now won two on the bounce since failing to climb the ladder against Angela Hill in November 2023. The Brazilian will no doubt look to keep her sights on those above her in pursuit of a spot in contention.
Carlos Prates is living the dream on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage, having emerged victorious from his maiden UFC main event this past weekend.
After earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023, Prates has announced himself as a name to watch at 170 pounds by reeling off four straight wins in his debut year inside the Octagon.
“The Nightmare” lived up to his moniker by swarming “The Haitian Sensation” with strikes after defending the 37-year-old’s early attempts to drag the fight to the mat. And after putting Magny on skates, a glancing blow to the temple face-planted him.
During his post-fight press conference, Prates reflected on his latest triumph in the UFC, which should see him with a number next to his name come the latest rankings update on Tuesday.
The Brazilian admitted his winning run in 2024 is like a “dream” given his early days in the sport, which saw him follow the grueling path from making pennies on the regional scene to earning a living toward the top of the MMA ladder.
“It’s a dream,” Prates said. “A few years ago — not a few years ago, I think two years ago, one year and a half I was fighting for maybe $200. Now I’m doing a lot of money. It’s a dream. I worked hard for this for many years and I’m really happy.”
And Prates doesn’t appear to plan on slowing down in 2025.
Having secured a place in the top 15, “The Nightmare” has his sights on continuing to climb closer to title contention. Judging by his post-fight remarks, he’s hoping for that to come at the expense of either Jack Della Maddalena or Geoff Neal in the coming months.
Former two-division ONE champion and UFC newcomer Reinier de Ridder would welcome the chance to hand Khamzat Chimaev his first defeat inside the cage.
De Ridder arrived in mixed martial arts’ leading promotion this year, having had his two pieces of ONE Championship gold ripped from his grasp by Anatoly Malykhin and becoming angered by the workings of the Asia-based promotion.
After bouncing back under the UAE Warriors banner in the summer, “The Dutch Knight” put pen to paper on a dream move to the UFC. And his pursuit of adding the organization’s middleweight belt to his trophy cabinet got underway this past weekend at the Apex.
Co-headlining UFC Vegas 100, de Ridder shared the cage with a former training partner and fellow grappling specialist in Gerald Meerschaert. The Breda, Netherlands native emerged victorious from a competitive and grueling affair by way of submission in round three.
De Ridder’s debut performance split opinion in the community, with many already writing off his chances of defeating the top names high up the ladder at 185 pounds.
The former ONE double champ, however, says he’s “ready” for the toughest tests.
During his post-fight press conference on Saturday night, de Ridder reflected on his first foray into the Octagon, admitting that not everything went how he had envisioned pre-fight.
“On the floor, I made a few mistakes, especially in the second round,” de Ridder said. “I shouldn’t have went for those (D’arce chokes), I thought I had them but they weren’t there. There’s a few little tweaks I should make there.
“But I’m happy it happened this way, the fight happened this way. Because normally he’s the guy who lasts longer, he takes some shots and he’s still there and he finishes guys at the end of the second or in the third round,” de Ridder continued. “So it’s cool I was that guy this time.”
Nevertheless, the manner in which the fight played out hasn’t dented his confidence. In fact, de Ridder has maintained his self-belief when it comes to defeating the best contenders, even calling for the opportunity to blemish Khamzat Chimaev’s perfect record.
“Why not Khamzat? That would be a nice matchup, grappling wise, it would be cool,” de Ridder suggested. “Whatever the UFC wants of me, I’ll do it. Just give me a call. I’m ready.”
Welcome to the UFC RdR
Reinier de Ridder gets the Arm Triangle in Round 3 at #UFCVegas100!
The pressure on UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones to fight Tom Aspinall is continuing to mount just days away from his first title defense.
Jones will return to the cage 20 months on from his crowning in March 2023, when he debuted at heavyweight by rapidly submitting Ciryl Gane to capture the then-vacant belt.
That, however, is despite the presence of an interim titleholder in Aspinall, who had gold wrapped around his waist after knocking out Sergei Pavlovich in their late-notice clash last November, which replaced the original Jones vs. Miocic showdown.
Having also defended his strap in the months since, Aspinall has plenty of backers when it comes to his calls for a unification fight. But not only did Jones dismiss that for his upcoming defense, he’s also seemingly planning to either hang up his gloves or target the champ from below, Alex Pereira, should he get past Miocic on Saturday night.
Commenting on a social media post detailing Jones’ recent remarks about favoring a clash with “Poatan” over his interim counterpart, Magomed Ankalaev joined in with those suggesting the Rochester native is ducking Aspinall.
“Sound like someone (scared) of big TOM,” Ankalaev wrote.
It didn’t take long for Jones to take notice of the Russian’s words, branding him ‘jealous’ and challenging the surging light heavyweight to replicate his résumé on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage.
Magomed jealousy won’t earn you legend status, my friend. Train harder, hate less. Want to truly insult me? Break some of my records first. Let’s get started.
“Magomed jealousy won’t earn you legend status, my friend,” Jones wrote. “Train harder, hate less. Want to truly insult me? Break some of my records first. Let’s get started.”
MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming cards.
With events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.
Between Monday, November 4, and Sunday, November 10, a number of fights were made official by the UFC or reported by reputable sources. For those matchups, check out the list below:
The violent start to Carlos Prates’ Octagon career continued at the expense of veteran contender Neil Magny at UFC Vegas 100.
Prates had already staked a strong claim for this year’s Newcomer of the Year accolade, having followed a contract-winning performance on Dana White’s Contender Series 14 months ago with three straight UFC knockouts in 2024.
And if his brutal finishes of Trevin Giles, Charles Radtke, and Li Jingliang weren’t enough to get some aboard the Prates hype train, his quick night at the office opposite “The Haitian Sensation” Saturday night likely did the trick.
The Brazilian immediately had his grappling defense tested by Magny, who looked to avoid his opponent’s renowned power at any and all cost.
But the 37-year-old quickly found himself hurt and backpedaling after being struck by the prolific knockout artist. And with short time remaining in round one, “The Nightmare” shut Magny’s lights out and faceplanted him with a glancing left hand.
Prates Showered With Praise After Magny KO In UFC Vegas 100 Main Event
Unsurprisingly, the MMA community was abuzz in the aftermath of the Brazilian’s latest display of violence. Both fellow fighters and fans took to social media to express shock and awe.
The common theme? “Legit.”
Carlos Prates has a very bright future in the UFC. Welterweights beware 😬 #UFCVegas100
Dude! Prates just slept Neil Magny in the first round. Locked up our Rookie of the Year, and should win everyone’s breakout/breakthrough FOTY as well. #UFCVegas100
With the result, “The Nightmare’s” winning run now stands at 11 straight fights spanning seven years. He’s expected to inherit Magny’s #15 spot inside the welterweight rankings come next week’s update.
“The Haitian Sensation,” meanwhile, has now lost consecutive bouts for the first time since 2013. While his year opened in style when he stalled the surge of Canada’s Mike Malott, he’s now dropped back-to-back outings against two highly regarded names in Michael Morales and Prates.
Reinier de Ridder got his UFC career off to a winning start at UFC Vegas 100, submitting Gerald Meerschaert in the co-main event.
De Ridder, a former two-division kingpin under the ONE Championship banner, departed Asia’s leading martial arts promotion after being unseated by Anatoly Malykhin at both middleweight (205lbs) and light heavyweight (225lbs).
Following a bounce-back win at UAE Warriors 51 this past July, the Dutchman put pen to paper on a deal with the UFC, vowing to make a splash and compete with the best in the 185-pound class.
Things started off rocky for “The Dutch Knight,” who found himself getting hit by the UFC veteran throughout the first round. But de Ridder finished the frame in strong fashion, dropping “GM3” and threatening a finish before the buzzer.
After a grueling second round, the Octagon newcomer looked to take advantage of his opponent’s apparent fatigue, which paved the way for him to establish control on the ground in the final stanza.
It was there where he locked in an arm-triangle choke, extending his submission tally to 13 in the cage and forcing Meerschaert’s first tap since a defeat to Jack Hermansson way back in 2018.
Welcome to the UFC RdR
Reinier de Ridder gets the Arm Triangle in Round 3 at #UFCVegas100!
While the former ONE double champ had his hand raised, his performance received mixed reviews from MMA peers and the fanbase on social media.
Some were quick to write off de Ridder’s chances of adding UFC gold to his trophy cabinet, predicting that his striking deficiencies will be exposed by those occupying spots inside the middleweight top 15.
Others, however, noted that de Ridder’s display at UFC Vegas 100 followed a similar trend to his previous performances on the other side of the world — which he was able to repeat all the way to multiple thrones.
Anybody who's watched de Ridder before will be well aware but the second he goes against anybody in the top 15 there's a very high chance he's getting murked on the feet. Standup is really poor at this level.
Obviously it didn't work out, but I still feel pretty justified in picking GM3 to win that fight going in. All the opportunities were right there for him.
For Meerschaert, Saturday’s result snapped his two-fight winning run. The veteran had previously strung together consecutive submission triumphs over Bryan Barberena and Edmen Shahbazyan to reignite his ambitions of earning a number next to his name at 185 pounds.
Anatoly Malykhin’s three-division kingpin status is no more following ONE 169.
Malykhin became the first MMA fighter in a major organization to capture gold across three separate weight classes earlier this year when he added the ONE Championship middleweight title to a trophy cabinet that already boasted the heavyweight and light heavyweight belts.
And after getting the better of Reinier de Ridder for the second time to accomplish that feat, the Russian behemoth turned his sights to defending his thrones.
His first attempt at adding a successful retention to his résumé came on Friday night at ONE 169, which he headlined inside the famed Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand opposite Oumar “Reug Reug” Kane.
The Senegalese wrestler entered the event as a significant underdog against the undefeated “Sladkiy,” but he overcame the odds to have the heavyweight strap placed on his shoulder after five rounds.
That ultimately proved crucial, as he fell on the wrong side of a split decision verdict to be relegated to two-division titleholder status at ONE 169.
But with Kane now on the throne, perhaps a door has been opened to a huge Senegal vs. Cameroon showdown down the line, should the PFL and ONE come to terms on a cross-promotional event.
Elsewhere at ONE 169, there were big wins for the likes of Kade Ruotolo and Jackie Buntan. While the lightweight submission grappling champion further showed his MMA promise by club-and-subbing Ahmed Mujtaba, the Filipino-American finally got her hands on ONE gold by outpointing Anissa Meksen for the inaugural strawweight kickboxing title.
Thai star Rodtang Jitmuangnon also had his hand raised after getting the better of England’s Jacob Smith for the second time. Unfortunately, his weight miss on Thursday meant he was ineligible to exit with the flyweight Muay Thai title.
The main event presents an opportunity for the highly touted Prates to further climb the ranks at 170 pounds. The Brazilian will mark the latest rising name looking to establish himself in contention at the expense of longtime top 15 veteran Magny.
Before that, the likes of TUF winner Ricky Turcios, former two-division ONE Championship titleholder Reinier de Ridder, and strawweight submission specialist Gillian Robertson will all be in action.
UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Prates Weigh-In Results
UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Prates takes place on Saturday, November 9, at the Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with the preliminary card starting at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.
See above for a replay of the weigh-ins via MMA Junkie, and check out the full results below!
Main Card:
Welterweight Main Event: Neil Magny (171lbs) vs. Carlos Prates (170.5lbs)
Bantamweight Co-Main Event: Ricky Turcios (136lbs) vs. Benardo Sopaj (136lbs)
Middleweight: Gerald Meerschaert (185lbs) vs. Reinier de Ridder (185lbs)
Women’s Strawweight: Gillian Robertson (116lbs) vs. Luana Pinheiro (115.5lbs)
Middleweight: Mansur Abdul-Malik (186lbs) vs. Duško Todorović (185.5lbs)
Preliminary Card:
Women’s Strawweight: Karolina Kowalkiewicz (115.5lbs) vs. Denise Gomes (115lbs)
Bantamweight: Gaston Bolaños (135.5lbs) vs. Cortavious Romious (136lbs)
Welterweight: Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (171lbs) vs. Zachary Scroggin (174lbs)*
Welterweight: Matthew Semelsberger (171lbs) vs. Charles Radtke (170.5lbs)
Bantamweight: Cody Stamann (135.5lbs) vs. Da’Mon Blackshear (135.5lbs)
Middleweight: Tresean Gore (186lbs) vs. Antonio Trócoli (186lbs)
Women’s Bantamweight: Melissa Dixon (137lbs)** vs. Klaudia Sygula (136lbs)
*Zachary Scroggin missed the welterweight limit by three pounds
**Melissa Dixon missed the bantamweight limit by one pounds
The top heavyweight competing in Asia’s leading martial arts promotion plans to prove his superiority over the rest of the pack by facing and defeating PFL champion Francis Ngannou next year.
Having not competed in MMA since January 2022, Ngannou made his highly anticipated return to the sport in which he made his name last month following a two-fight stint in the boxing ring.
The result saw Ngannou crowned the inaugural PFL Super Fight heavyweight champ, and he subsequently reaffirmed his belief that no heavyweight comes close to matching him.
Unsurprisingly, the uber-confident Anatoly Malykhin has something to say about that.
During a recent interview with MMA Knockout, the three-division ONE Championship king reiterated his desire to do battle with another of the planet’s most devastating heavyweight knockout artists.
And the Russian’s fire for that fight appears to have been flamed by “The Predator’s” claim to global supremacy in the division following his successful return to the cage last month in the Middle East.
“2025, for me, is a year when a really big fight should happen, that’s what I want. Because Ngannou, Francis Ngannou, recently said that he’s the best fighter on the planet, which he cannot and should not be saying until he faces me,” Malykhin said. “So my fight against Ngannou is something that needs to happen in 2025. I think everybody looks forward to that, everybody wants that fight, and we need to have it to decide once and for all who is the best heavyweight in the world right now.”
Image: ONE Championship
And beyond himself, “Sladkiy” sees plenty of threats to Ngannou from Russian brutes already under the PFL banner, naming 2024 PFL heavyweight finalist Oleg Popov and former Bellator champion Vadim Nemkov.
“Francis Ngannou is a strong fighter. I watched his fight (with Ferreira), he’s got a great skillset,” Malykhin stated. “He has got some great opposition in PFL. That’s Oleg Popov, who’s definitely gonna win the (heavyweight tournament). Everybody needs to keep his eyes on Popov, this guy is going to be absolutely amazing. I can see great things coming for him. And of course there is Vadim Nemkov, who is another amazing Russian fighter.
“As for Ngannou, I think that it was more of a psychological pressure for him to come back into the ring after such a long break from MMA. But I think he did well, he did well,” Malykhin continued. “But his words after the fight, I think were a little bit premature. He shouldn’t have said that he is the greatest heavyweight in the world.”
For now, Malykhin’s sights are on a different African heavyweight behemoth — one currently competing alongside him in ONE.
The heavyweight, light heavyweight, and middleweight champ will put the first of those titles on the line against Senagalese powerhouse Oumar “Reug Reug” Kane tomorrow night at ONE 169.
The build-up to their showdown at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand has been a heated one, with the pair almost coming to blows at the hotel and press conference faceoff during fight week.
Things got HEATED between Anatoly Malykhin and Reug Reug 🔥 Who walks out of ONE 169 as the undisputed heavyweight MMA king?#ONE169 | Nov 8 at 8PM ET 🇺🇸🇨🇦 Watch Live on Prime 🇬🇧🇮🇪 Watch Live on Sky Sports 🎟️ Tickets 👉 https://t.co/oaoglQ7cgBpic.twitter.com/HR14pp4fOl
Former interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington is eyeing a return to action next year, and he has a couple of potential foes in mind.
Covington hasn’t appeared inside the Octagon since his third failed attempt at capturing undisputed gold on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage last December.
Having previously had his ambitions stalled by Kamaru Usman, Leon Edwards continued the trend against Covington at UFC 296 to record his second — and ultimately last — successful defense of the 170-pound belt.
With that, the controversial UFC veteran now has his sights on an early 2025 return to active competition.
During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Covington claimed that talks are ongoing over a potential showdown with Jack Della Maddalena in the first quarter of 2025.
While “Chaos” was surprisingly respectful when discussing the Australian, the same can’t be said when his attention turned to an option from outside his division…
“A fight that’s being talked about, this guy’s running his mouth a little bit, which is weird because every time I see this guy, he puts his eyes down and he walks past me like a little b*tch,” Covington said. “Now he wants to throw stones in the media. I don’t know if you’ve seen, Paddy Pimblett, he’s been throwing some stones.
“He’s been running his mouth in the media, saying, ‘I’ll go up to welterweight, I’ll fight Colby.’ Of course he wants to come up to welterweight and fight me or Conor (McGregor), the two biggest names in the UFC right now,” Covington continued. “He’d be honored and be lucky to get this fight. But I think we need to get it going. I don’t like when people talk big to the media and don’t back up their talk. … We need to hold him accountable for his words…stupid, dumb bowl cut.”
Pimblett has long expressed a firm dislike toward Covington, calling him out for the supposed persona he’s employed for much of his UFC career.
“The Baddy” was notably among the vocal critics of the American’s conduct at the pre-fight press conference for UFC 296 last December, during which he made unsavory comments about Edwards’ deceased father.
UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja isn’t buying former two-division king Henry Cejudo’s talk of a return to 125 pounds next year.
Cejudo’s comeback from a short-lived retirement hasn’t gone to plan thus far. “Triple C” has gone 0-2 at bantamweight since returning three years on from his successful title defense opposite Dominick Cruz.
After narrowly falling short of immediately regaining the crown against Aljamain Sterling in May 2023, Cejudo failed to stake his claim for another opportunity when he battled Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298 this past February.
Having now slipped down the pecking order at 135 pounds, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist plans to take his pursuit of another stint as UFC champ back down to flyweight.
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie’s Danny Segura, Pantoja reacted to Cejudo’s apparent plans to cut down for another title run at flyweight.
Suffice to say, the champ has his doubts…
“When you go to the surgery doctor, yeah, he needs (liposuction) to make the weight,” Pantoja said jokingly. “I don’t think he can make the weight again. He’s too big. I’d love the opportunity. If Cejudo can do that, I’ll give him five pounds to fight. It will be a dream to fight with Cejudo, of course. He’s a legend.”
For now, Pantoja will have his full attention on a different name set to arrive in the division.
In Kai Asakura, “The Cannibal” is scheduled to meet a former Rizin champion who has his sights on a memorable first foray into the Octagon at UFC 310 on Dec. 7.
Newly signed UFC middleweight Reinier de Ridder says a victory is not enough when he debuts inside the Octagon this weekend at the Apex.
Among the most notable storylines set to play out at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night is the arrival of de Ridder, a former two-division titleholder under the ONE Championship banner over in Asia.
After losing his undefeated record in addition to his 205- and 225-pound belts to Russian behemoth Anatoly Malykhin, “The Dutch Knight” departed ONE earlier this year. And after getting back to the win column opposite Magomedmurad Khasaev at UAE Warriors 51, the 34-year-old put pen to paper on a deal with the UFC.
While he’ll no doubt hope to walk through an arena crowd soon enough, his first taste of Octagon action will come in the serene surroundings of the Apex on Nov. 9, where veteran Gerald Meerschaert is set to await him.
During his appearance at UFC Vegas 100 media day on Wednesday, de Ridder looked ahead to his first foray into the cage in his new promotion and assessed what he must do to establish himself as a force to be reckoned with on the sport’s biggest stage.
“Finally, after all these years of talking about the top guys, to finally be close to getting them is very cool,” de Ridder said. “The most important this is Gerald first. It’s a very cool matchup. … A win is not enough – the top dogs finish Gerald and I want to prove I’m one of them. … I’ve always watched his fights and that’s a great thing for this fight as well. There’s so much tape to study. He has so much fights. He has a really difficult style.
“The ways he finishes fights, there’s a few things he’s very dangerous at, there’s a few things he does that I think I can really capitalize as well. But it’s a great matchup,” de Ridder continued. “I’m very happy that they’ve given me him for my first fight because he’s a veteran, he’s a real name, and I think if I can put a stamp on this one, I have some leverage to start calling out some bigger names.”
De Ridder will look to make good on those remarks by delivering an emphatic finish of Meerschaert on the main card of the promotion’s centennial Apex-held UFC Fight Night.
Should he do so, the Dutchman has the likes of Bo Nickal in his sights as he hopes to add UFC gold to his already illustrious trophy cabinet in mixed martial arts.
