Jon Jones has his eyes on the top names at heavyweight this weekend.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion mentioned that he will be watching UFC 270 this weekend when heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou faces interim titleholder Ciryl Gane. While he doesn’t have a prediction for this weekend’s fight, Jones says he is looking forward to learning about each fighter.
Jones hopes to gain knowledge about the two top heavyweights before he debuts in the division later this year.
Really have no clue who’s going to win, I’m just excited to watch the fight. Going to learn so much about the both of them no matter how it goes down https://t.co/e59QVSiuy7
“Really have no clue who’s going to win, I’m just excited to watch the fight,” he said in a Twitter post on Tuesday. “Going to learn so much about [them] both of them no matter how it goes down.”
Jones Hopes For Move To Heavyweight
Jon Jones (Image Credit: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Jones has long hoped to move up a division and fight at heavyweight in the UFC. He vacated his light heavyweight belt in 2020, citing his intentions to leave the division. Due to his longstanding success at light heavyweight and his level of notoriety in the sport, he would be likely to go straight into the title picture when moving to heavyweight.
In a recent poll done by TSN reporter Aaron Bronsteter, 73 percent of respondents picked Jon Jones over Stipe Miocic or “Others” facing the winner of Ngannou vs. Gane.
Jones is recognized by many as one of the most dominant fighters in UFC history. He was the promotion’s 205-pound champ for the better part of a decade, earning the belt in 2011 and holding it for years to come.
Many recognize Jones as a fighter who has yet to truly be beaten. His sole pro loss came in 2009 when illegal elbows he landed against Matt Hamill caused a disqualification result.
Would you want Jon Jones to join the title picture when moving up to heavyweight?
Miesha Tate has reflected on her recent UFC main event loss and has some thoughts on what could have been done differently.
In 2021, Tate made her return from retirement to compete in MMA. The former UFC bantamweight champion won her first fight against Marion Reneau but later lost a main event fight to Ketlen Vieira in November 2021.
Looking back on the fight, Tate feels she never showed urgency despite being down on scorecards against Vieira. Here’s what Tate said about the fight during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour:
“I think what ended up happening is that the corner was very chill and I stayed very chill the whole fight. I kinda didn’t get that feedback of like, ‘Hey, now’s the time to go.’ And it’s just tough. It was a tough dynamic,” she said. “It was a learning situation. I look at that fight as a bit of a sophomore slump. If it was any fight that I was gonna lose in my comeback, that was the fight to lose.”
Tate will get the chance to return to the win column later this year. She is set to move down to flyweight, meeting Lauren Murphy on May 14th.
Tate is already a decorated MMA fighter that had a title reign in the UFC. She most notably earned UFC’s 135-pound belt in 2016, securing a fifth-round rear-naked choke submission win against Holly Holm.
She lost the belt in her next appearance, dropping it to Amanda Nunes at UFC 200. Nunes would go on to hold the belt until late 2021.
Do you agree with Miesha Tate’s assessment of her loss to Ketlen Vieira?
If you’re interested in seeing a boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, don’t get too excited.
The boxing legend recently took to social media to deny reports of a potential fight between them. Tyson took to Twitter on Monday in response to a report, stating that he didn’t even know about this matchup. He also claimed he recently saw Paul in person and that discussions of a fight didn’t come up.
This is new to me. I saw Jake in St. Barths and he never mentioned it. https://t.co/eL01HDMdmr
“This is [fight] new to me,” said Tyson on social media. “I saw Jake in St. Barths and he never mentioned it.”
Tyson was replying to a report released earlier today by The Sun Online that stated Tyson and Paul had verbally agreed to fight
Jake Paul is coming off an active 2021 campaign. First, he knocked out Ben Askren in April before fighting Tyron Woodley twice before the close of the year. First, he defeated Woodley via split decision in August. Then, he knocked out the former UFC champion on December 18.
Jake Paul, Tyron Woodley, Credit: AP Photo
Earlier boxing appearances saw him knock out former NBA player Nate Robinson in November 2020 and another KO win over YouTuber AnEsonGib in January of the same year.
Tyson, a former heavyweight prizefighter with a decorated record, last fought as a pro in 2005. However, he made his return to action in 2020, fighting fellow legend Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition contest. The fight didn’t count towards either fighter’s pro records, but was scored a draw after eight rounds of action.
After the fight, Tyson mentioned his plans to keep his fighting career going.
Tyson, now 55 years old, is best recognized for his run as a heavyweight champion in the 1980s and 1990s.
Do you see a fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson as plausible?
UFC President Dana White thinks the public counted out Calvin Kattar ahead of his main event bout against Giga Chikadze.
Kattar walked away with a unanimous decision win over Chikadze on Saturday night, clearing scorecards after a brawl against a fellow ranked featherweight. The win saw him emerge as the better striker, hurting Chikadze with a high volume of shots.
This impressive showing from Kattar came after a week where Chikadze was viewed by many as the expected winner. He was even in discussion to step in on short notice to replace Max Holloway in a title fight against Alexander Volkanovski.
White feels that people didn’t give Kattar enough of a chance before the fight. He discussed how we have seen Kattar’s toughness in his previous appearance and how he has proven himself before.
“It’s almost like everybody forgot about Calvin Kattar and [his fight against] Max Holloway. Everybody counted him out tonight. I thought that the spinning elbow he landed changed the fight. I think that first round wrestling tired them out,” said White, speaking at the post-fight press conference on Saturday.
“They just dug in and went to war … [Kattar] kept constant pressure on him. He stayed in his face. He kept him moving backwards. It looked like Giga was out of it halfway through the second round.”
White: Kattar’s Layoff Helped Him
The win on Saturday night was Kattar’s first appearance in nearly a year. He was fighting for the first time in 364 days, appearing for the first time since he was on the losing side of a dominant performance by Max Holloway.
White thought the extensive break for Kattar worked in his favor because of how his last fight went.
“I think after that fight he had with Max [Holloway], you gotta take a year off. I think you have to … He absolutely, positively needed to take that time off,” said White.
With a UFC event on nearly every weekend in a year, it is easy to lose sight of the other fights going on in MMA. Every week there are big moments happening in the sport across the United States and all around the world.
As we move deeper into the new year, let’s look at four names who had exceptional years in MMA, with that success happening outside of the UFC cage. For this article, we selected three fighters that excelled in their respective promotion. Representing Bellator is AJ McKee Jr. For PFL, we picked Antonio Carlos Junior. And for RIZIN, you had to go with Hiromasa Ougikubo.
McKee Jr. Reaches Top Of The Bellator Mountain
(via Bellator MMA)
In July, AJ McKee Jr. saw himself facing Patricio Pitbull in the finals of a 16-man featherweight tournament. But his fight wasn’t just the culmination of that bout. In a sense, it was the conclusion to his 18-fight run up the Bellator ranks.
After a short amateur run, McKee Jr. signed with Bellator in 2015 and made his professional debut under their banner. He attained a flawless record through the year, finishing most of his opponents in a flashy fashion.
In 2019, he joined the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix—a bracket that, if successful, would crown him champion. After three finish wins in previous years in the bracket, he was matched this year against Pitbull, one of Bellator’s all-time greats.
McKee Jr. was able to catch Pitbull in just the second minute, putting on the submission after hurting him with a head kick. And with that, he became the new king of Bellator’s 145-pound division.
Four Wins And An Overdue Crowning Moment For Ougikubo
Hiromasa Ougikubo (RIZIN FF)
RIZIN bantamweight Hiromasa Ougikubo has long been recognized as a solid fighter. Viewers of Shooto Japan and RIZIN will know him as one of the stronger names at bantamweight. If not for that reason, many will recognize him from Season 24 of The Ultimate Fighter, where he scored three wins before being eliminated by Tim Elliott.
However, Ougikubo never had his real big moment as a fighter. He never earned a major championship, and he never won in a major main event.
In 2021, he showed his skills by winning RIZIN’s rigorous bantamweight tournament. To start the bracket, he defeated veterans Takeshi Kasugai and Takafumi Otsuka in June and September respectively.
Then, on New Year’s Eve, he beat two big challenges in one night. First, he fought to a unanimous decision against former UFC fighter Naoki Inoue, giving him his first loss since joining the promotion.
Later in the night, he avenged a loss against Kai Asakura with a thorough decision victory. The win came in the main event of RIZIN 33, which was the promotion’s biggest event of the year. More than a decade-and-a-half into his career, Ougikubo got his big moment in MMA.
Carlos Junior Bounces Back In Major Fashion
Image Credit: Christian Petersen / Getty Images
Unlike others on this list, Antonio Carlos Junior’s year actually started in the UFC. After losing a fight in January 2021 against Brad Tavares, Carlos Junior found himself off the promotion’s roster.
Carlos Junior secured a spot in the playoffs with his first fight, submitting fellow UFC alum Tom Lawlor in the first round with a guillotine choke.
He scored his biggest win of the year in the semi-finals, defeating 2019 champion Emiliano Sordi on scorecards. In October, he was put against tournament underdog Marthin Hamlet in the grand finals. That was a quick win for Carlos Junior, submitting him in the first round with a rear naked choke.
Carlos Junior started the year cut from the largest MMA promotion in the world. But he ended the year as a champion – and a millionaire.
UFC President Dana White is big on the promotion’s upcoming heavyweight title fight.
White recently had high praise for the UFC 270 bout between UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou and interim champ Ciryl Gane. In an interview with BT Sport, White gave his pitch for why the title unification bout could be one of the greatest heavyweight bouts of all time.
White cited the high level of the fight and the storylines behind it as reasons for why people should pay attention.
“That fight’s ridiculous—one of the best if not the best heavyweight matchup ever. You got two guys that train together, two guys that had a falling out now and don’t like each other,” said White. “One guy has unbelievable knockout power and the other guy moves around like a middleweight, probably the best technical striker in heavyweight history. So I mean, you couldn’t ask for a better matchup.”
White: This Fight Has ‘Bad Blood’
Francis Ngannou, Dana White
As White said, there is seemingly a real rivalry between Ngannou and Gane heading into this fight. Controversy struck last month, as old sparring footage of them was released by Gane’s camp. Ngannou argued the footage was used to make Gane look good before their fight, potentially playing mind games with the champ and the public as a whole.
Gane will enter the fight with an undefeated record of 10 wins, including seven in the UFC cage. Ngannou will be fighting to defend his title for the first time in the bout. He first gained the championship last year, stopping Stipe Miocic with a brutal second-round knockout.
White feels that the stars have aligned perfectly for the upcoming heavyweight title fight.
“They’re both champions. You got one (who) has the interim title; the other one has the title. Everything’s on the line—and how in-depth the bad blood is between the camp. You just couldn’t write a better story than this.”
Do you agree with Dana White? Does this fight have the potential to be one of the greatest heavyweight bouts of all time?
Former two-division UFC Champion Henry Cejudo is frustrated that he didn’t get the call to face Alexander Volkanovski.
Numerous names floated around earlier this week after Max Holloway pulled out of his title bout against UFC Featherweight Champion Alex Volkanovski. One of the many was Cejudo, who said he would come out of retirement for the bout.
The Korean Zombie has since been selected to fight Volkanovski. Cejudo voiced his displeasure in this outcome in a recent interview with MMA Junkie. Part of his anger in the situation comes from how he doesn’t think he would get his fair slice of the profit from a fight.
“I would be known as C4,” said Cejudo, mentioning a nickname that implies the four championships he has earned between MMA and wrestling. “But you also have to compensate because I’m the person who’s going to sell the fight. I’m the person who is going to make it entertaining, you know? So yeah, I do want my cake and eat it too. I really do. But I also really do deserve it. If I don’t get it, guys, it’s OK. You guys want me to show you my trophy case once again? It’s OK. I got enough of it. Demetrious Johnson’s record was going to be broken. Somebody better than Jon Jones will come.”
Cejudo: UFC Wants To Pay Me ‘Peanuts’
Photo via Instagram @henrycejudo
It’s not all about Cejudo, though. He later mentioned how he feels the promotion has large issues about properly paying their fighters as a whole.
“They don’t want to pay, man,” Cejudo said. “It’s plain and simple. They don’t want to pay. Dana [White] doesn’t want to pay. [If] they pay me, they got to pay the rest. And I’m out here. I’m not here to say to start a union. What I’m here to say is like, ‘Hey, man, everybody should be compensated individually.’ The guys are going to sell the fight, the guys that that are proven, like me. You know what I’m saying? So that’s plain and simple. Dana [White] would love to see the fight, but he wants to pay me peanuts in comparison to what I really deserve. I respect the man because it’s his business, what he’s able to do to take this company to a two-billion-dollar company to what it’s worth now seven [to] nine billion and I can’t get a raise. That just seems a little off to me, man.”
Cejudo went on to mention how fighters who don’t necessarily do the best in the cage are some of the more financially successful competitors. He feels that the promotion should be paying their actual champions more,
“If Conor McGregor is making money and getting paid, and Jorge Masvidal. They’re doing what they’re doing and they’re getting paid more than me and I got two belts and I’m doing the exact same shit and I’m not getting compensated, then you know what? F*** you, too.”
Do you agree with Henry Cejudo’s comments on UFC not paying people, himself included, enough?
UFC’s January 15th card has suffered a few changes just a few days before it is set to happen.
The upcoming “Fight Night” card lost two matchups Wednesday, although one of them has already been accounted for with a new short-notice opponent.
Undisclosed reasons have forced former CFFC Bantamweight Champion Saidyokub Kakhramonov out of his fight against Brian Kelleher, per a report from MyMMANews.com.
UFC is currently in talks to replace Kakhramonov with Kevin Croom. News of the new matchup was first reported by Damon Martin of MMA Fighting, saying it has not been finalized but is near completion.
The potential matchup gives Croom a chance to score his first UFC win. His last appearance was a loss to Alex Caceres in February 2021. Croom is going from one veteran opponent to another with this matchup of him against Kelleher.
Kelleher returned to the win column in his last showing, going three rounds against Domingo Pilarte for a unanimous decision win in August.
Juarez vs. Demopoulos Moved To UFC 270
Saturday’s card also lost a fight between strawweights Silvana Gomez Juarez and Vanessa Demopoulos, per MMA Fighting. The matchup is now expected to happen a week later, taking place at UFC 270 on January 22nd.
Both fighters will be competing for their first UFC win. Demopoulos, a former LFA Strawweight Champion, lost her promotional debut to JJ Aldrich in August. Two months later, Juarez lost her respective UFC debut against Loopy Godinez.
The recent changes bring Saturday’s UFC card down to 10 bouts in total. It has suffered numerous changes throughout the week, including the departure of a co-main event fight between Michel Pereira and Muslim Salikhov. Pereira has since been matched against UFC newcomer Andre Fialho for the pay-per-view card later this month.
UFC’s January 15th card is currently set to be headlined by featherweights Giga Chikadze and Calvin Kattar.
What do you think about these recent changes? Do you like the new bantamweight matchup?
When Max Holloway was pulled from his title fight against Alexander Volkanovski, the MMA community suggested many names to step in and replace him. This included former bantamweight champ Henry Cejudo, The Korean Zombie (who ended up getting the title fight), and Giga Chikadze. Wait. Chikadze, the guy who is set to fight Calvin Kattar in just a few days? Yes, him.
Amidst the need to find a new opponent for Volkanovski, many forgot—or likely chose to ignore—that Chikadze had a main event fight booked already. And it’s not that Calvin Kattar, his opponent, isn’t a good fighter. Instead, it’s that many believe Chikadze is a big name for the featherweight division that is already able to get a title shot.
That anecdote alone describes what people see in Chikadze. Still undefeated in the UFC, every win puts him closer to a title fight. This weekend, Chikadze is scheduled to compete in his second UFC “Fight Night” headlining bout when facing Kattar.
A win this weekend would give Chikadze an incredibly strong résumé. He has already won seven fights in the UFC, and his past three have all come via finish. The case could be made that it doesn’t even matter the method for how Chikadze wins this weekend. As long as he wins, he’d have the best background out of any potential contender at 145 pounds.
Kattar Provides Another Strong Challenge
Giga Chikadze, Calvin Kattar
It could certainly be argued that Chikadze shouldn’t get a title fight right now. Right now, the names ahead of him (Holloway and Zombie) still have a stronger case for a title shot. But a win this weekend could put him next in line.
Think of it this way: A win for Chikadze would likely put him up to the #5 spot in the division, where Kattar currently resides. This position would make him the highest-ranked fighter who has yet to get a title fight and yet to lose to someone else in the top five. Everyone else in the rankings at that point has either lost a title fight or lost to one of their neighboring featherweights in the rankings.
Chikadze had a solid opponent last time around in Edson Barboza. Kattar offers another good challenge for him. While Kattar is coming off an early 2021 loss against Holloway, he has notable wins against names like Dan Ige and Jeremy Stephens and is no stranger to a five-round fight. Saturday’s bout will mark the fourth time that Kattar has headlined a UFC card.
But Not So Fast…
MMA Fighting
Unfortunately for Chikadze, a win this weekend doesn’t guarantee anything. No matter who wins in the Volkanovski and Zombie fight in April, the winner will likely get a fight with Holloway, as he was in the title picture before an injury got into the mix. Going off that assumption, Chikadze will have two options later this year. One option is he will take another fight, risking the chance of losing his position in the division. The other option is he will sit out, possibly benching himself for months upon end. It’s not unrealistic to say that Chikadze could have to fight one more time after this before a title shot. He may be in a tough position here, but it’s not the fault of anyone involved, really.
Everything is going the right way for Chikadze as a fighter. And as it stands currently, everything indicates that it will continue to be that way. It wouldn’t be a shock if a title shot is in his near future. However, how near that future really is, it’s quite hard to determine right now.
Where do you think Giga Chikadze would sit in the featherweight division if he wins this weekend?
One of the most prominent referees in the sport of MMA has launched a program to teach people how to judge and officiate fights.
Marc Goddard recently launched his online training series, which aims to offer a “line by line” breakdown of the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. The videos look at the rules through the lens of officiating a fight or being a judge for a fight.
Goddard hopes that the series can help people understand the rules that MMA utilizes. The unified rules are free online and accessible to anyone. However, Goddard thinks his series can further people’s understanding of the information.
“There is a huge difference between reading something and actually understanding something,” Goddard said on The MMA Hour. “Having the sit-down, the classroom environment, getting that theoretical knowledge explained to you and broken down in great detail. That’s essentially what the training is.”
“Refereeing and judging, it’s something people think you can just have a go at, and it’s not. It’s the same as any other profession”
Goddard: Program Can Help Anyone Involved With MMA
Image Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Goddard’s program does not make fighters qualified to officiate or judge upon completion. However, that’s not the point of the program. As Goddard explained in a video posted on his website, the series can help enlighten people on the systems that MMA operates under no matter what angle they are coming from.
“The content is available for just about everybody and anybody. Of course, would be officials, but [also] coaches and fighters in the sport, promoters, commentators, and media members,” said Goddard in a Q&A video. “The unified rules for mixed martial arts should be more accessible, and that is exactly what this program offers and does.”
Goddard is one of the bigger names in the MMA refereeing community. He frequently appears at UFC events and oversees some of the bigger fights in the sport. Last month, he officiated the upset win for Julianna Peña over Amanda Nunes.
Do you think the MMA community needs to know more about the unified rules?
The Korean Zombie has been selected to replace Max Holloway as UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski’s next title defense.
Shortly after news broke that Holloway was out of his UFC 272 fight against Volkanovski, people started to wonder what will be next for the champion. Many names were suggested for Volkanovski, with Chan Sung Jung, better known as The Korean Zombie, being one of them.
Now, according to MMA reporter Ariel Helwani, the bout is a “done deal” to take place on the April 9th pay-per-view. It was also revealed that Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan II will take place on this same card.
This is a fight that the champion himself pushed for after Holloway withdrew from the bout.
“Let’s do this!! #UFC272” Volkanovski tweeted last week.
Volkanovsk’s canceled defense against Holloway would have been a trilogy fight. His second fight against Holloway came in 2020 and saw him defend his belt for the first time in split-decision fashion.
Volkanovski has since defended his belt again, going five rounds against Brian Ortega for a scorecard victory.
The Korean Zombie made a clear push towards a title fight in 2019, attaining first-round wins over Renato Moicano and Frankie Edgar. That momentum was later stopped by Ortega, who beat him in the main event of a show in 2020.
Zombie has since bounced back with a big win, beating Dan Ige via unanimous decision in June 2021.
Who do you think will win this featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and The Korean Zombie?
Rivals are set to clash in the main event of UFC 272, as Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington have been paired against one another.
The welterweight bout was first reported by Brett Okamoto of ESPN. While contracts have yet to be signed for the fight, it is “nearly finalized,” per the report. Should it be completed, it would headline a pay-per-view card that is set to happen on March 5th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
The matchup marks the first time that either Covington or Masvidal will compete since losing a title fight to current UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman.
Covington was the more recent of the two to meet Usman. He fought the current champ in November, losing a unanimous decision after five rounds of action. That fight was his second time meeting him, with their first bout being a fifth-round stoppage victory for Usman in late 2019.
Masvidal met Usman in both of his more recent bouts. His first fight, a meeting against him in 2020, saw him come in on short notice and lose a decision. Masvidal was knocked out the next time around, as Usman stopped him in the second round of a 2021 bout.
UFC 272 Sees Big Changes
Dustin Poirier, Max Holloway, Image Credit: AFP
UFC was originally planning two title fights for UFC 272, with the top of their featherweight and bantamweight divisions competing. However, after Max Holloway pulled out of his title bout against Alexander Volkanovski and Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan’s rematch also experiencing roadblocks, both belts will now be on the line in April.
For now at least, UFC 272 is a rare card that includes no title fights. This was seen twice in the 2021 schedule. Both times, lightweights Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor met in the main event of numbered cards.
Who do you see winning in a fight between Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington?
Miesha Tate could drop down a division for her next fight, as she is being set up to face Lauren Murphy at UFC 273.
Reports surfaced Monday that Tate and Murphy could meet at UFC’s April 9th pay-per-view event. The fight has reportedly been verbally agreed upon by both parties, but contracts have not been signed yet. News of the fight was first reported by Damon Martin of MMA Fighting.
The potential fight gives Tate, a former champ at bantamweight, a chance to make her debut down a weight class.
Tate came out of retirement last year, competing for the first time in nearly five years. She won in her return, defeating Marion Reneau in the third round of a July bout. Tate was later booked in a main event bout against Ketlen Vieira. She did not succeed in that appearance, losing via unanimous decision after 25 minutes of action.
All of Tate’s major fights as a pro have come at bantamweight. She was the 135-pound champ in 2016, securing a fifth-round submission win over Holly Holm to take the belt. She dropped the title later that year, as she was submitted by Amanda Nunes at UFC 200. Nunes went on to hold the belt for numerous years before recently dropping it to Julianna Peña.
Murphy Coming Off Title Fight
Lauren Murphy (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
The booking offers Murphy the opportunity to bounce back from a high-profile loss.
Murphy challenged UFC Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko in September, a fight that resulted in a fourth-round finish victory for the champ. The title fight was given to Murphy after a strong climb up the flyweight division, attaining five consecutive wins from 2019 to 2021.
Coincidentally, Murphy is a former bantamweight who made the drop down a weight class after she fought her fourth UFC bout in 2016. She has remained at flyweight since 2017.
How do you think Miesha Tate could do down at flyweight? And what do you think of Tate facing Lauren Murphy?
Gregor Gillespie showed more color than usual when calling out Tony Ferguson recently.
Gillespie wants to get more recognition in the lightweight division. As he put it, he feels the need “to start climbing” up the rankings. He has recently been publicly calling out #7 ranked lightweight Ferguson, who he sees as a good opponent.
While Gillespie has called out Ferguson before, his message Thursday showed more aggression than usual. In the message, he mentioned his frustration with Ferguson seemingly being more interested in a fight against former title challenger Michael Chandler.
In a short one-minute message via Instagram, Gillespie addressed Ferguson after receiving word that he allegedly turned down a fight between them.
“I just got word again through my manager that Tony Ferguson will not accept the fight against me. And then I see you online, Tony, calling out f Michael Chandler? Saying ‘it’s wrestling season bro,’ dude … If you’re looking for a wrestler, accept the fight [against me], dude.”
Gillespie’s reference to Ferguson talking about Chandler likely refers to a Twitter back-and-forth that the fighters had last week. In that conversation, both Ferguson and Chandler discussed potentially meeting later this year.
Last month, Gillespie uploaded a video that was politely calling for a fight with Ferguson. In what he noted was only his second time calling out someone, he jokingly said to Ferguson that “It’s time for me to ankle pick you in that Octagon.”
Gillespie, currently ranked #10 at lightweight, has a strong pro record of 14 wins through 15 fights. His sole pro loss came in 2019 when he was knocked out by Kevin Lee. He bounced back from that result in May of last year, stopping Diego Ferreira with strikes.
The next time Ferguson steps in the cage, he will be attempting to break a three-fight losing streak. The first part of this skid came at UFC 249 in 2020, when he lost an interim title fight against Justin Gaethje. Later that year, he lost to Charles Oliveira, who went on to become a champion a year later.
His most recent fight was a loss to Beneil Dariush at UFC 262.
Do you think Gregor Gillespie’s recent message will interest Tony Ferguson?
The third meeting between UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway will have to wait after Holloway was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury.
The new matchup was a chance for Holloway to regain the 145-pound belt and avenge the two previous losses he took to Volkanovski in recent years. ESPN broke the news Friday about Holloway’s withdrawal. There is currently no timetable set for his return.
The two featherweights first met in late 2019. Volkanovski went five rounds with Holloway in that fight to walk away with a unanimous decision win. The fight was re-booked for just seven months later, giving Holloway an opportunity to even his score with Volkanovski.
Volkanovski pulled off the win in that meeting as well—albeit in a closer split-decision outcome.
Calvin Kattar & Max Holloway (Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Holloway has worked his way towards another title opportunity since then, fighting in two UFC main event bouts. He kicked off his 2021 with a dominant striking performance against Calvin Kattar. Later in the year, he fought in a more competitive five-round battle against Yair Rodriguez for another decision win.
Volkanovski defended his belt for the second time in September, defeating Brian Ortega in a hard 25-minute scrap. The result not only continued Volkanovski’s reign as champ but marked his 10th consecutive win since joining the UFC in 2016.
MMA News will keep you posted on if this trilogy fight is rebooked or if Volkanovski draws another opponent for the UFC 272 event.
Two fights including UFC veterans have been added to the upcoming schedule of events with live crowds.
Brown Rebooked Against Barberena Re-Booked For Hometown Event
Image Credit: USA Today Sports
Matt Brown’s previously attempted fight against Bryan Barberena is back on the schedule, and it is set to happen in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, USA. The matchup is set to happen on March 26th, per Damon Martin of MMA Fighting.
Brown was previously booked to face Barberena on a December “Fight Night” card. That fight didn’t come to fruition, as a positive COVID-19 test forced Brown out of the lineup. They were still able to find Barberena an opponent for that event, as he beat UFC debutant Darian Weeks on scorecards.
Brown is riding the momentum of a finish win he earned against Dhiego Lima in June. The loss put him back to his winning ways for the first time since 2019. He entered the bout on a two-fight losing streak, including an early 2021 bout against fellow veteran Carlos Condit.
Green vs. Haqparast Scheduled For UFC 271
Bobby Green (Photo: Getty Images)
The always-active Bobby Green will return for his first fight of the new year at UFC 271, facing Nasrat Haqparast in a lightweight bout. The matchup was first reported on Thursday by Walter Salcido.
Green finished his year on a high note in November, putting away Al Iaquinta in the first round with punches. This performance snapped a two-fight skid for the veteran, which included a tough three-round battle against the rising Rafael Fiziev.
Haqparast will be aiming to return to the win column in this fight. He lost his last fight on scorecards, going three rounds against Dan Hooker at UFC 266. Haqparast was on a strong two-fight winning streak before then, handing UFC newcomers Alex Munoz and Rafa Garcia both their first loss.
Do you have a prediction for Green vs. Haqparast and/or Brown vs. Barberena?
Flashy heavyweight Tai Tuivasa is interested in a fight against Derrick Lewis, seeing the hypothetical bout as a clash of fan favorites.
Tuivasa is riding the momentum of a recent knockout victory over Augusto Sakai at UFC 269. The victory moved his winning streak to a strong four consecutive finish wins and allowed him to show his unique charisma in front of a live crowd.
But what’s next for Tuivasa is unknown at the moment. In an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Tuivasa mentioned how he wants to return soon, citing March or April as a good time to come back.
Tuivasa expressed interest when asked about a fight against Lewis. Not only did he see the bout as a clash between two fighters that have a reputation for their comedy, but he also mentioned the value that a win over him would have.
“I’d love to step in the cage with him one day. I think he’s a bit up from me at the moment, especially coming off his last win,” said Tuivasa. “But definitely, I would love to fight Derrick Lewis. We both have good personalities. We are the fun of this division … He’s a great opponent, he’s a great guy … That’s the way I’d like to prove myself.”
A fight between Tuivasa and Lewis could happen someday, but chances are it won’t happen next. While Tuivasa said in his interview that he’s “going to come for everyone this year,” including the top six ranked UFC heavyweights, he also implied that he currently has a fight in the works.
What’s more, Lewis doesn’t have his sights set on that bout currently. Lewis recently stated that he is focused on facing former UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic. The fight would be Miocic’s return after losing his belt to Francis Ngannou last year.
Are you personally interested in a fight between Tai Tuivasa and Derrick Lewis?
The UFC Bantamweight Championship will be unified later this year, as current champ Aljamain Sterling will meet interim titleholder Petr Yan at UFC 272.
The matchup gives Yan the chance to reclaim the undisputed bantamweight title. But on the other side, it gives Sterling the opportunity to get another win and override his most controversial victory yet.
Sterling became champion in March 2021 as a fourth-round illegal knee landed by Yan disqualified him from their title fight. This result caused the belt to change hands and gave Yan his first loss since joining the UFC.
While Sterling’s title win in 2021 was controversial, it came after a respected run up the bantamweight rankings. He picked up five consecutive wins from 2018 to 2020, including two submission victories.
He has yet to compete since he earned the belt in the first quarter of 2021.
Sterling Suffers Injury, Yan Earns Interim Belt In Late 2021
Photos via Instagram @espnmma @petr_yan
UFC has attempted to re-book the fight in two different instances, although it has fallen off a card for various reasons. A previous iteration of the bout lined it up to take place on UFC 267 in October. That fight was later scrapped due to Sterling suffering health complications following neck surgery.
Yan still competed on that card, using the opportunity to further solidify himself as the rightful challenger for Sterling’s belt. He went five rounds against Cory Sandhagen at that event, defeating him via decision to become the interim UFC bantamweight champion.
A win for Yan would begin his second title reign as bantamweight champ. His first run started in 2020 after he defeated former featherweight champion José Aldo.
Now that they are booked to meet again, who do you see as the winner?
Cage Warriors fighter Aaron Aby wants his journey of ups and downs to eventually lead to a shot in the UFC—and he wants to inspire onlookers every step of the way.
Aby, a survivor of stage-three testicular cancer and a fighter living with cystic fibrosis, wants his story to show that people can overcome big obstacles in life.
Growing up, Aby was warned that his cystic fibrosis diagnosis could shorten his lifespan. In an act of defiance to this, he started in athletics, first as a cross-country runner, then as a serious footballer. He played for the Shrewsbury Town youth squad and the Wrexham pro team before pursuing MMA.
“MMA was an individual sport after what happened at Shrewsbury and having to have to have someone to pick you in football,” Aby told WalesOnline.
Aaron Aby
“One of the funny things was that MMA used to make me feel more tired than football, which I liked. I used to love the techniques and the philosophy of fighting and the principles behind it. It just started off once a week, then became twice a week, then I was doing it every day.”
Aby made his professional MMA debut in 2013. Four years later, he had to undergo surgery after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He had two surgeries, including one that had to remove a tumor the size of 15 centimeters.
“I was on a three-fight win streak,” Aby said. “The [cancer] symptoms actually started during the last fight camp. I was doing well, on a big show. There’s never good timing for these things.
Aby described the mindset he had to keep when going into a surgery he thought he might not survive.
“Negative thoughts come into your head, but I always used to say to myself that I was never going to quit. I will accept whatever happens but I will always fight until the last chance. I think that’s what I did.”
Aby: ‘UFC’s Always Got To Be A Goal’
Aby currently holds a pro record of 12 wins, four losses, and one draw. He has spent his last two fights with notable European promotion Cage Warriors, where he has earned a win and a loss.
Like most prospects, Aby is aiming to land in the UFC one day.
“The UFC’s always got to be a goal,” Aby continued. “If not, I’ve just got to keep winning, keep making my name relevant and keep working towards that Cage Warriors title.”
Aby picked up a victory in his last appearance, going three rounds against Samir Faiddine for a unanimous decision victory in December.
On December 26th, Sterling made a post that was a parody conversation between him and “Russians.” This mock conversation saw him imply the Russian he was talking to was cheating, with the Russian replying “I know but c’mon, dude. You know what’s up already.”
After the post received backlash, Sterling made a post to clarify that his sights aren’t actually set on Russians. Instead, it’s still on Yan only.
For the record, I do not think every Russian fighter or athlete cheats. Just like every American, Brazilian, Chinese, or any other nationality of athletes, you have the clean and dirty ones.
Personally I think Cheotr Yan is a dirty cheat. Maybe I’m wrong but I highly doubt it. https://t.co/NFWdQC4RGi
“For the record, I do not think every Russian fighter or athlete cheats. Just like every American, Brazilian, Chinese, or any other nationality of athletes, you have the clean and dirty ones,” said Sterling via Twitter. He then used a play on words to imply Yan cheats, saying “Personally I think Cheotr Yan is a dirty cheat. Maybe I’m wrong but I highly doubt it.”
Sterling Destined To Cross Paths With Yan Again
Petr Yan, Aljamain Sterling Face-Off, Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Sterling became the UFC Bantamweight Champion last year after defeating Yan. The fight ended in a controversial fashion, as Yan disqualified himself with a knee to Sterling’s head while he was deemed a grounded opponent.
Yan has since returned and defeated Cory Sandhagen to become the interim UFC Bantamweight Champion. His interim title status lines him up to face Sterling in a title unification belt sometime down the line. For now, though, it isn’t known when that fight will actually happen if it is in fact what’s next for the top of the bantamweight division.
Do you think Aljamain Sterling genuinely believes Petr Yan is a cheater? Or do you think he is just trying to get in the head of the interim champ and his fans?
Ranked Bellator welterweights Neiman Gracie and Logan Storley will headline the promotion’s February 19th event, as announced Tuesday.
The fight between Gracie and Storley headlines Bellator 274, which will see the promotion return to the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, USA.
While known for his grappling skills, Gracie showed his striking in September when stopping Mark Lemminger in the second minute of action. That win put him back on the right track after suffering a loss to Jason Jackson five months prior.
Storley will be competing in his first-ever Bellator main event. He has fought in the promotion since 2017, picking up seven wins through eight appearances. He was given his sole pro loss came in 2020 against Yaroslav Amosov. Just one fight later, Amosov defeated Douglas Lima to become the new Bellator Welterweight Champion.
Storley returned to the win column in August, defeating Dante Schiro via split decision.
Bellator Unveils Nine-Fight Card For February
As of this week, Bellator has nine bouts in total set for their return to the Mohegan Sun Arena. Promotional veteran Andrey Koreshkov is scheduled to appear in the co-main event. He will face Mukhamed Berkamov, who is riding a long winning streak and coming off a successful Bellator debut.
Looking lower on the card, veteran names like Georgie Karakhanyan and Adam Piccolotti are also set to appear.
Also on the prelims, viewers will see a clash of two prospects when flashy fighter Mandell Nallo meets former LFA Lightweight Champion Nick Browne.
Full Lineup:
Main Card (Showtime/9 p.m. ET)
Welterweight Main Event Bout: Neiman Gracie (11-2) vs. Logan Storley (12-1)
Priscila Cachoeira’s manager, Wallid Ismail, says she wasn’t intentionally eye-gouging during her December fight against Gillian Robertson.
The controversy around Cachoeira’s fight comes from the ending sequence while she was in a rear-naked choke. She reached up to Robertson’s head while in the choke, with her fingers making contact with Roberton’s eyes at times. Cachoeira was submitted by Robertson in the closing seconds of the first round.
Ismail, a former UFC fighter in his own right, echoes Cachoeira’s claim that her movement towards the eyes of Robertson only happened accidentally during the sequence. He criticized those who thought otherwise in a recent interview:
“It was cowardice from the press and everyone who attacked her. She didn’t put her finger in the opponent’s eye on purpose. She just tried to push her away in the heat of the fight,” said Ismail, in an interview with Sherdog.com. “People who work in the UFC come from the fighting business, they know what I mean. We are already talking about her next fight and Priscila will return to [the] win column.”
Recent Loss Put Cachoeira Back Into Losing Ways
Image Credit: Via WMMA Rankings
Cachoeira’s loss at UFC 269 broke a two-fight winning streak she had attained. This included two finish wins, defeating Gina Mazany in May 2021, and stopping Shana Dobson a year before then.
The result kept her promotional record negative, now sitting at two wins and four losses in total. Cachoeira’s start in the UFC was rough, losing three times between 2018 and 2019. This included a fight against now UFC Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko, which concluded via second-round submission.
As stated above, Ismail says they are currently working on a new fight for Cachoeira. In the new year, she will have a chance to turn around her UFC run.
What’s your take on the controversy? Do you think Cachoeira was intentionally trying to gouge the eyes of Robertson?
Former UFC fighter Mark Hunt has proposed a potential fight with UFC’s top figures to potentially drop his lawsuit against them.
Hunt has been in a legal battle with the UFC for years. He first took them to court over his 2017 bout against Brock Lesnar. He alleged that the promotion knew Lesnar was taking performance-enhancing substances but allowed him to fight Hunt anyway.
Hunt recently issued a statement online saying he is willing to drop his lawsuit if he loses a fight to Dana White, Frank, and Lorenzo Fertitta. On the flip side, he wants a win for him to mean UFC would pay talent they have “ripped off.”
“Mark the super Samoan vs Dana the parasite White Lorenzo Fertita and Frank Fertita,” Hunt began in an Instagram post. “5 rounds mma these losers @danawhite frank Fertita Lorenzo Fertita has sucked the life out of so many fighters him and his scum friends -u win I drop the law suit-I win u pay every fighter u have ripped off since @ufc started now who would pay to see that.”
Hunt Recently Ordered To Pay Nearly $400k In Legal Fees For UFC
The United States District Court in Nevada recently ordered Hunt to pay nearly $400,000 to cover UFC’s legal fees. The ruling for Hunt to pay legal fees was made months back and was uncovered recently by Combat Sports Law.
The order for Hunt to pay the fees was made due to a part of Hunt’s contract with the UFC, which allows them to be awarded money for “its attorney’s fees and costs” if they are the “prevailing party” in a lawsuit. UFC was able to dismiss numerous motions in the case.
“Because I find that UFC is entitled to attorneys’ fees and costs under the parties’ agreement, its request is reasonable, and its motion is ripe, I grant UFC’s motion in its entirety,” said the Nevada court in a document dated March 25th, 2021.
Ranked bantamweight Ricky Simon thinks Sean O’Malley doesn’t want to face him despite a recent call-out.
Simon has expressed interest before in facing O’Malley. He likes the idea of the matchup, as “people want to see him tested against a wrestler,” and he also believes he has the striking to go along with it.
With that being said, Simon has given up hope on getting a fight against O’Malley. In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Simon was asked how good of a chance he thought he has of getting a fight against O’Malley. Here’s how he responded.
“I don’t think there’s a very good chance … I don’t think he wants to fight. I said his name after the interview, said everything, then he goes and tweets to [Adrian] Yanez. So I’m moving on.”
Simon Doesn’t Understand Why O’Malley Got Ranked Over Him
Image Credit: Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Simon is currently sitting right next to O’Malley on UFC’s official rankings, giving further justification for booking the two. However, this ranking puzzles Simon, who doesn’t understand why the rankings are that way.
Simon expected his recent victory over Raphael Assuncao to make him enter the rankings at #12. But in the end, it was O’Malley who took that spot, leaving Simon down at rank #13.
“I beat the #12-ranked guy in the world and they moved him to #12 … I know there’s a lot that kind of goes into [the rankings], but it just feels like someone was messing with me at that point,” he said.
Are you be interested in ahypothetical fight between Ricky Simon and Sean O’Malley?
Some of the better fights in the heavyweight division are being made currently. Last month, former title challenger Derrick Lewis made for a good step-up fight against prospect Chris Daukaus. And this month, an undefeated challenger in Ciryl Gane will face the ever-so-explosive champion Francis Ngannou.
There’s a lot of interesting things happening at heavyweight, but something is missing. Rather, someone is missing: and that would be Stipe Miocic.
Those who watched the UFC from 2016 to 2020 will remember Miocic as a dominant force at heavyweight. He defended his belt three times in his first reign, making him the most successful heavyweight champ in the promotion’s history—out-performing anyone who held the title since its inception in 1997.
He suffered a setback in 2018 against Daniel Cormier, getting stopped in the first round by the former light heavyweight. But in a testament to his adversity, he returned a year later to regain his belt. He went four rounds with Cormier and finished him in their 2019 rematch. A year later, he beat “DC” again and put an end to their rivalry.
After Miocic’s brutal second-round knockout loss to Ngannou last year, he has been completely out of the heavyweight picture. And unfairly so. His absence from the scene has been felt—so much so that he has had to come out and deny that he is going into retirement.
Lewis recently mentioned he wants to face Miocic because he is “one of the best of all time” at heavyweight. A question could be posed about whether that fight is intriguing. However, that’s not the first question that comes to mind. Instead, we think, “What is the ‘greatest of all time’ doing on the sidelines?”
In 2022, Where Does Miocic Fit In The Heavyweight Picture?
First, let’s look back to the summer of 2021 for a moment. When surprised by the news of an interim title fight between Gane and Lewis, Miocic was “bothered” that the UFC didn’t come to him regarding the fight. However, he also mentioned he wasn’t sure he would accept the fight if he was offered it due to his wife being pregnant at the time.
So sure, there was some justification for him possibly being left out of the interim title fight even though it might have been fair for them to at least approach him. But let’s take a step back: should he even be in the interim title bout? Even that may be a step down for him. He is one of the most successful heavyweights in UFC history. His loss—no matter how bad it was—shouldn’t write off his years of wins at a high level.
Miocic Should Get The Title Fight
Some may criticize that Miocic feels he deserves a fight against Ngannou. However, there’s more than enough reason for him to get that fight.
If his pure dominance in the division for numerous years doesn’t give the idea of another fight against Ngannou legs to stand on, there’s another fact that does. It’s that Miocic beat Ngannou before. He went the distance with him in early 2018, walking away with a scorecard win to retain his belt. It can’t be forgotten that a fight between them wouldn’t be a rematch; it would be a trilogy with an even score.
It could be said that Ngannou’s win over Miocic was quite decisive in early 2021. But the consistent results from Miocic as a champion, plus his older win against Ngannou, offers a good enough case for him to get a fight.
The lack of buzz around Miocic coupled with the fact that he hasn’t been mentioned by the UFC recently feels out of place in contrast to where he stands in the recent history of heavyweight MMA. It feels like a failure of the entire system from the highest, most influential names in the sport down to the casual viewer that Miocic is currently being forgotten in the divisional picture. Then again, maybe that can change in the new year.
