MMA News

Author: Kyle Dimond

  • Former Bellator Champion With 27-1 Record Enters Free Agency: ‘See You In The Octagon’

    Former Bellator Champion With 27-1 Record Enters Free Agency: ‘See You In The Octagon’

    One of the most notable names on the Bellator roster has announced that, after six years with the promotion, his contract has expired.

    Yaroslav Amosov is the former Bellator welterweight champion and still has a lot left to give in his career at just 31 years old.

    Prior to losing his title to Jason Jackson in his last outing, which marked the first defeat of his professional career, Amosov compiled a staggering record of 27-0. That run included with wins over the likes of Logan Storley, Douglas Lima, and Roberto Soldić.

    The Ukrainian was inactive throughout 2022 after joining the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, Oleksandr Usyk, and Vasiliy Lomachenko in defending their country against the Russian invasion.

    He returned in 2023 to defend his title, putting on a dominant performance in a rematch with Storley that led to conversations regarding whether he was the best in the world at his weight.

    Yaroslav Amosov Announces End Of Bellator Run, Teases UFC Future

    Amosov announced the news via his own Instagram account. He reflected on his time under the Bellator banner and spoke about what could be next for him.

    With nine fights in the promotion, he was able to announce himself on the global stage, and despite not competing since last November, wherever he ends up is sure to produce an anticipated debut.

    “Friends, my contract with @bellatormma has ended. It was an unforgettable 6 years. A time that will be etched in my heart forever. Thank you all 🙏 soon I will announce my next actions! Unforgettable emotions during winning the title, even greater while defending it, the first defeat in 11 years, the war in the homeland… but I’m sure it’s only made me stronger 👊🏼 it’s all a small part of a big story. This is not the finish line, this is a new beginning.”

    In the second part of the caption, Amosov spoke about being excited to continue his career but being “ready for a new phase.”

    His final words teased that the UFC could be his next destination after he signed the post off with “See you in the octagon.”

  • Kamaru Usman Rectifies Merab Dvalishvili’s Misconception About Fighting Umar Nurmagomedov

    Kamaru Usman Rectifies Merab Dvalishvili’s Misconception About Fighting Umar Nurmagomedov

    Umar Nurmagomedov would appear to be next in line for whoever comes out on top in this weekend’s UFC 306 main event.

    Champion Sean O’Malley looks to earn his second title defense when he takes on Merab Dvalishvili at the Sphere.

    However, in the lead up to this fight, Dvalishvili has explained why he doesn’t believe that Nurmagomedov is currently at the front of the pack.

    The cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov is undefeated at 18-0 but his only win over a ranked opponent was his most recent outing against Cory Sandhagen, which elevated him all the way to the #2-spot.

    Dvalishvili has instead made the case for former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo being his first challenger if he becomes champion on September 14, after winning three in a row since moving up to 135 pounds.

    Kamaru Usman Argues Why Merab Dvalishvili Should Be Lobbying For Umar Nurmagomedov Fight Next

    On a recent appearance on the Pound 4 Pound podcast with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo, Dvalishvili once again explained why he doesn’t think Nurmagomedov has got enough high-level wins to justify a title shot.

    There’s no denying that this would be a big fight for the UFC considering the legacy of Nurmagomedov’s family name and that’s something that Usman addressed.

    After hearing Dvalishvili’s reasoning, he looked to get across to him why fighting Nurmagomedov should be an option that he considers rather than disregarding him.

    “The Nigerian Nightmare” spoke about how it’s important for a champion to make the most of their time at the top by getting the biggest possible fights out there, which right now in the bantamweight division, means taking on the undefeated contender.

    “I get it, if we’re going by the rankings senses, it makes more sense 100% but, at the same time, we have to understand and I want you to understand this. This is one thing I’m gonna tell you Merab. If by God’s grace you are the champion, you have to understand that as the champion, now I have to use this belt, this position to accumulate as much income as I can at that time because time waits for nobody.

    “At some point, we’re gonna get old, we’re going to change and the belt is going to change hands, there’s going to be new champions even whether you retire the champion or not. There’s going to be a new champion so the job, the goal, is to pull in as much as you can while you’re in that position and we can’t deny that a fight with a guy like yourself and Umar Nurmagomedov would be a bigger sell than a fight with Deiveson Figueiredo at this time, even though Figueiredo is still, I think, a big name.

    Read also: Coach Ray Longo Pushes Back On Dana White’s Criticism Of Merab Dvalishvili: ‘He’s Far From A Dummy…’ 

  • Merab Dvalishvili Wants To Avenge Aljamain Sterling Loss, Prove O’Malley Got ‘Lucky’

    Merab Dvalishvili Wants To Avenge Aljamain Sterling Loss, Prove O’Malley Got ‘Lucky’

    Merab Dvalishvili has been chasing a shot at the bantamweight title for a long time now but there was one major obstacle in his way.

    For a long time now, he has been training partners and close friends with Aljamain Sterling, who held the 135-pound belt for over two years.

    Sterling’s reign came to an end at UFC 292 last year where he was stopped by Sean O’Malley in the second round.

    Sterling debated whether the referee on that night, Marc Goddard, was guilty of an early stoppage and this is something that Dvalishvili has been very vocal about.

    Now he has the opportunity to get revenge for his teammate by taking the belt off of O’Malley at UFC 306 inside the Sphere.

    Merab Dvalishvili Says He Wants To Prove That Sean O’Malley Was ‘Lucky’

    During a recent appearance on the Pound 4 Pound podcast with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo, Dvalishvili spoke passionately about his thoughts on the Sterling vs O’Malley fight.

    He doesn’t see why the official would call the action when he did because despite the defending champion being dropped, he continued to move before taking several follow-up shots that led to Goddard stepping in.

    The challenger says that this gives him more motivation ahead of September 14 where he wants to show that “Suga” had luck on his side on that night in Boston.

    “I want to win this fight and I want to show the world he’s just a regular [guy] and he just got lucky because yeah, he did throw punch, he did clip Aljamain Sterling but Marc Goddard really helped him because when Aljo was down, he was keep moving, he was trying to grab the leg, he was moving and where Marc Goddard called him to move, he moved and then he stopped. If you tell him move and then he move, why you stop it you know. Me, when I fight, before the fight in locker room when referee comes I always tell referee, ‘Hey, if I get clipped, don’t stop me. Let me fight, I rather sleep, I rather die. Then, of course, you stop me but long as I’m moving, I’m doing something, please don’t stop me because I don’t need you.’

    “Aljo was still in this fight but I was so mad when Marc Goddard stop the fight early again. So yeah, this is also like you said Henry, this is avenge this loss.”

    Read also: Coach Ray Longo Pushes Back On Dana White’s Criticism Of Merab Dvalishvili: ‘He’s Far From A Dummy…’ 

  • Israel Adesanya Predicts Which Nation Will Dominate UFC’s Future: ‘In A Few Generations…’

    Israel Adesanya Predicts Which Nation Will Dominate UFC’s Future: ‘In A Few Generations…’

    MMA is truly a global sport and we’re watching first hand as new regions become serious hotbeds for nurturing talent.

    All it takes is for one fighter from a certain part of the world to have some success and the right infrastructure to be put in place, and it can lead to a revolution.

    That’s happening right now in Mexico following the investment that the UFC has made with things like the Performance Institute in Mexico City.

    After Brandon Moreno became the first Mexican-born UFC champion back in 2021, which was quickly followed by Alexa Grasso and Yair Rodríguez (interim title), it was clear this would inspire more young people in Mexico to train in mixed martial arts.

    Though there’s certainly a larger Mexican presence in the sport right now than ever before, that’s only going to continue growing in the future.

    Israel Adesanya Says Mexico Can Become A Leading Country In Mixed Martial Arts

    Mexico already has such an incredible legacy in combat sports due to the country having boxing as its national sport, and Israel Adesanya is excited to watch that continue to grow in MMA.

    In his preview for the second annual Noche UFC event this weekend with UFC 306 taking place inside the Sphere, the former two-time middleweight champion spoke about how Mexico could become a major player in the sport in years to come.

    “That from boxing, a lot of kids who would have maybe gone into boxing would start doing MMA and not just doing kickboxing or Jiu-Jitsu, like MMA as a whole and then it’s going to be, in a few generations you’ll see like a wave of Mexican fighters who have that Mexican spirit. You’ll see them like just dominating the UFC. Could be, who knows how many generations but kind of is already happening slowly.”

    With Mexican talent from top to bottom, Adesanya rounded out his thoughts by saying that this weekend’s card should be a fantastic display of that fighting spirit that Mexican fighters are so well known for.

    “I look forward to it. I like seeing Mexicans, like I think even with this card, it’s going to bring that spirit. I think you’re going to see some crazy fights, some really crazy fights just cuz the essence of Mexican fighting.”

    Read also: Israel Adesanya Hails Latest UFC Fighter From CKB As ‘Evolved’ Version Of Him

  • ‘Is It A Requirement For His Sparring Partners To Never Throw Anything Back?’ – MMA Fans React To Latest Conor McGregor Training Video

    ‘Is It A Requirement For His Sparring Partners To Never Throw Anything Back?’ – MMA Fans React To Latest Conor McGregor Training Video

    Having withdrawn from his scheduled return at UFC 303 in June, it appears that Conor McGregor is back working towards his new date.

    Nothing has been confirmed as yet for when “The Notorious” will step back inside the Octagon to face Michael Chandler.

    Given the amount of time since he last competed and the videos that are often posted on social media, one of which came out recently, fans have had their doubts about whether the fight will ever happen.

    McGregor posted a video of his return to sparring on social media, showing him working quite extensively on his clinch game, defending some takedowns and of course, landing his legendary left hand.

    Though this would seem to be an encouraging sign that the wheels are once again beginning to turn, we have been here several times in recent history.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmCOhw5ssx0

    MMA Fans React To Conor McGregor’s Return To Sparring In New Footage

    Suffice to say that the fans who commented below the footage posted on The Mac Life’s YouTube channel weren’t overly impressed by what they were seeing.

    There has been a lot of clips of McGregor sparring in recent months and that has seemingly led to two conclusions.

    One being that this doesn’t necessarily mean his return is drawing closer and two, that the videos are all fairly similar to one another.

    “All of these Conor sparring videos seem like a never ending bad fever dream at this point.”

    “2days off the coke looking good”

    “I love Conor but I’m so sick of this footage already. I see zero progression, it’s like he lives in an echo chamber of yes men. How has no one told him how stiff he’s gotten? How has no one showed him how much his stance has changed and affected his fighting? Like this footage is useless.”

    “Is it a requirement for his sparring partners to never throw anything back?? Can’t improve when all u do is beat up low level guys.”

    “Year 2033: Conor has released a new sparring footage and calls out out the champions of every weight class.”

    “Sparring champion that’s about it coz that’s all he does”

    “His sparring partners are told to not push him to boost his confidence, but thats the problem, he never have a ‘normal’ sparrings that actually make him uncomfortable as a result he gets knocked the fak out.”

    Read also: Sean O’Malley On What Will Set Him Apart From Conor McGregor: ‘No One Thinks Conor Is The GOAT’

  • Israel Adesanya Hails Latest UFC Fighter From CKB As ‘Evolved’ Version Of Him

    Israel Adesanya Hails Latest UFC Fighter From CKB As ‘Evolved’ Version Of Him

    On the latest episode of Dana White’s Contender Series, City Kickboxing saw it’s eleventh fighter get signed to the UFC roster.

    Navajo Stirling came into the UFC Apex with an undefeated MMA record after making the transition from being a professional kickboxer.

    After a strong opening round against Phillip Latu, the Kiwi fighter found the finish in the second round with a perfect one-punch counter knockout that earned him a contract.

    Given their backgrounds, physiques and home gym, there was always going to be comparisons drawn between Stirling and his teammate, Israel Adesanya.

    Israel Adesanya Says Teammate Navajo Stirling Is The Evolved Version Of Him

    Though Adesanya knew that people were going to compare Stirling to his game, “The Last Stylebender” says that it’s not that simple.

    Both men are very technical strikers that use their range and accuracy to pick opponents apart, which is what Stirling did earlier this week.

    However, Adesanya believes there’s a clear difference between them as he referred to his teammate as the evolved version of himself in a recent YouTube video.

    In his Contender Series fight, Stirling looked to showcase some of his grappling skills in the first round and though he was unsuccessful at securing the takedown, it demonstrated his willingness to compete in all ranges.

    The former two-time UFC middleweight champion said that this is what separates the two of them.

    “Navajo is his own beast and you’ll see his own style show. If you think he’s like me now, I think he’s better than me like he’s evolved like the next version because of his grappling intelligence as well, which I have but I just don’t use them but he actually uses it and yeah. Maybe because he’s young, 26, skilled.”

    Read also: Former UFC Fighter Rejects Jon Jones For MMA Mount Rushmore: ‘People Outside The Sport Don’t Know Him!’

  • Brian Ortega Refuses To Predict Topuria vs. Holloway Title Fight: ‘Lesson Learned’

    Brian Ortega Refuses To Predict Topuria vs. Holloway Title Fight: ‘Lesson Learned’

    Despite falling short on two attempts at claiming the UFC featherweight title, Brian Ortega is still very much in the mix at the top of the division.

    “T-City” currently occupies the #3-ranking spot at 145 pounds following his win over Yair Rodríguez last time out in Mexico City.

    He’s now set to return at UFC 306 where a win over rising star Diego Lopes could set him up for a third chance at winning the gold.

    The featherweight belt is set to be defended next month at UFC 308 in one of the most anticipated fights of the year between the champion Ilia Topuria and the former titleholder, Max Holloway.

    Though Ortega is excited to watch that one play out, he doesn’t have a prediction for who takes the victory in Abu Dhabi.

    Brian Ortega Says He Doesn’t Take Either Topuria Or Holloway For Granted After Being Proven Wrong

    The way that Ortega sees it, giving a prediction for the main event of UFC 308 would be counting out one man and that’s not something he is prepared to do.

    He was asked if he had a pick for the fight during a recent interview with Submission Radio where he responded by saying that he isn’t sure who will claim the victory.

    Having faced Holloway back in 2018 and been very impressed with Topuria’s title-winning performance against Alexander Volkanovski, he’s remaining on the fence for this one.

    “I don’t know man… and I’m not even trying to be political, I have no idea. Topuria is someone who surprised me obviously last time so I learned very quickly not to say or go against him, lesson learned. Max is another guy that you don’t want to go against, lesson learned. Then when you look at the styles, you have Topuria who has more of a traditional boxer style, you have Max with his just a machine of punches and then unorthodox boxing style but it’s very effective.”

    Read also: Dana White Responds To ‘Experts’ Criticizing Noche UFC: ‘Talked About That UFC 300 Wasn’t A Good Card!’

  • Brian Ortega On Diego Lopes Fight: ‘I Either Put You On Your Shield Or You Put Me On Mine!’

    Brian Ortega On Diego Lopes Fight: ‘I Either Put You On Your Shield Or You Put Me On Mine!’

    When Brian Ortega was first announced to be taking on Diego Lopes in the co-main event of UFC 303, fans circled that one out as a fight that you can’t afford to miss.

    The two featherweight contenders have got two of the most exciting styles in the division and neither man is known for backing down from a scrap.

    Unfortunately, Ortega was forced to pull out of the fight due to illness but after Lopes defeated Dan Ige on that night, the pair were rescheduled for UFC 306.

    It’s a big fight for the former two-time title challenger to once again put himself in the mix at the top of the 145-pound weight class.

    However, if you think that that’s going to make Ortega switch up his approach, you’re sorely mistaken.

    Brian Ortega Says He’s Going To Go To War With Like-Minded Individual At UFC 306

    In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Ortega told the fans what they can expect to see from his fight at the Sphere this weekend.

    Rather than using his experience against the surging Lopes or looking to fight a bit more reserved, he’s excited to compete against another man that is always willing to wade into the fire to come away with the victory.

    “It’s like I told everybody, I said that you have someone who refuses to lose on the feet and refuses to lose in the stand-up so when I say that, I bet you have no idea who I’m talking about. That’s why this is an exciting fight, you get to fight almost like a version of yourself. Tad bit different styles, same mentality.”   

    Ortega closed things out with one final message, promising that the judges aren’t going to be needed for this fight but he won’t be the one that requires any assistance.

    “Someone is going to get finished, guaranteed. You know me, you’ve seen me. I either put you on your shield or you put me on mine. I’m not going out on my shield.”

    Read also: Alexander Volkanovski Shocked By Brian Ortega’s Underdog Status At Noche UFC: ‘Lopes Is Very Good, But…’

  • Noche UFC 306’s Diego Lopes Chooses Between Volkanovski, Holloway, & Topuria: ‘My Dream Fight…’

    Noche UFC 306’s Diego Lopes Chooses Between Volkanovski, Holloway, & Topuria: ‘My Dream Fight…’

    For a long time now, the faces at the top of the UFC’s featherweight division have remained the same cast of elite level competitors.

    Ilia Topuria breathed a lot of new life into the 145-pound title mix after he took the title off of the long-time champion, Alexander Volkanovski, earlier this year.

    At UFC 306 this weekend, Diego Lopes will look to enter that conversation by taking out another of the division’s stalwart contenders in Brian Ortega.

    With Volkanovski watching closely as Topuria defends the belt for the first time against Max Holloway at UFC 308, there are some very exciting potential fights on the horizon for Lopes if he’s able to get past “T-City” on September 14.

    Diego Lopes Says Max Holloway Is His Dream Fight Whether It’s For A Title Or Not

    In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Lopes gave his thoughts on who he would rather face out of that trio of world class fighters.

    With four consecutive wins under his belt since a defeat on his late notice debut, the Brazilian finds himself in a big opportunity to leap up the top 15 rankings if he can take out Ortega, who holds the #3 position right now.

    None of these fights are that far away for him if he puts on a big performance at the Sphere on Saturday night and though he rates all three men highly, his preference is to fight Holloway.

    Lopes sees a clash with “Blessed” as his ideal scenario because of the respect that he has for the BMF champion.

    That being said, he did also mention inevitably facing the current champion Topuria down the line as two of the division’s most exciting additions in recent years are sure to meet at some stage.

    “Bro, I’m big fans for the Max and the Volk but my dream fight is Max. My dream fight is Max, a lot of respect for Max. The guy stay in the UFC for so long time, the guy fight everybody, everybody in the rankings, everybody in the UFC. Max is my dream fight, title or no title. Max is my dream fight for so much respect for your career but for who you want to fight for the title, I don’t know bro. I think the division needs the new face you know, I think it’s me and Ilia is the big fight for everybody, for the new face.”

    Read also: Alexander Volkanovski Shocked By Brian Ortega’s Underdog Status At Noche UFC: ‘Lopes Is Very Good, But…’

  • PFL Founder Picks Dana White, Joe Rogan On His MMA Mount Rushmore

    PFL Founder Picks Dana White, Joe Rogan On His MMA Mount Rushmore

    UFC President Dana White sparked conversation this week after revealing the four figures that would make it into his MMA Mount Rushmore.

    Unsurprisingly, White picked out the names that he believes have left behind the greatest legacies in the UFC and have made the biggest impact on the sport as a whole.

    Jon Jones, Ronda Rousey, Conor McGregor and Georges St-Pierre are all incredibly deserving of their recognition for different reasons.

    After the fans had their say on who they would exchange for their own personal lists, the founder of the promotion that hopes to stand side-by-side with the UFC in the future weighed in with his thoughts.

    Donn Davis Lists Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, Joe Rogan & Dana White As His Mt. Rushmore Picks

    Via a post on X, PFL founder Donn Davis revealed who would make it into his exclusive club for their contributions to the sport.

    Rather than naming four fighters, he went slightly outside the box by listing two influential figures who have helped bring the sport to a whole new level.

    Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey were the two shared picks between White and Davis for the sheer amount of attention they have brought to MMA, with Rousey being credited for breaking down barriers in women’s MMA.

    However, where they differ is in Davis’ two non-fighter picks, one of which was the UFC President, who Davis attributes with “Built the industry”.

    It’s undeniable that White has been a massively significant figure when looking at the growth of the sport and in that same vein, the PFL founder included UFC commentator Joe Rogan on his list.

    Not only does Rogan regularly feature on PPV broadcasts, his Joe Rogan Experience Podcast being one of the biggest in the world will have exposed so many new fans to the sport.

    As Davis wrote in his social media post, Rogan has played a crucial role in “Explaining the sport to masses” which has helped to remove barriers to entry and stigmas surrounding mixed martial arts.

    Read also: Dana White Responds To ‘Experts’ Criticizing Noche UFC: ‘Talked About That UFC 300 Wasn’t A Good Card!’

  • PFL Champion: Only One Active UFC Fighter Bigger Star Than Sean O’Malley

    PFL Champion: Only One Active UFC Fighter Bigger Star Than Sean O’Malley

    Sean O’Malley had clear star potential from the moment that he impressed Dana White with his Contender Series debut that earned him a UFC contract.

    Having been the main event in his last two outings where he won the bantamweight title and defended it, “Suga” is back to headline his biggest event to date.

    At UFC 306 this weekend, he will be the last man to walk out at a historic event hosted inside the Sphere for Noche UFC.

    Given the demographic that O’Malley is able to connect with and his polarizing qualities, there’s no denying that he’s one of the biggest names in the sport right now.

    However, a former PFL winner recently made the case for why there is another fighter on the roster that is currently the brightest active star that the promotion has.

    Brendan Loughnane Says Ilia Topuria Is A Bigger Star Than Sean O’Malley Right Now

    Ilia Topuria put in some incredible performances during his path to becoming featherweight champion.

    After capping that off by stopping Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298, “El Matador” really cemented himself as one of the top names in the UFC right now.

    What some fans may not have realized at the time is the amount of support he has in Europe from both his Spanish and Georgian fans.

    This was proven in front of our very eyes when he took the belt back home to Spain and walked out, as the champion, in front of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, the home of Real Madrid.

    Looking at social media numbers alone, Topuria has a bigger following on Instagram with 4.5 million to O’Malley’s 4.3 million, despite the fact that “Suga” has been a notable name in the UFC for longer.

    On a recent episode of Uncaged by talkSPORT MMA, 2022 PFL featherweight champion and 2024 finalist Brendan Loughnane made the case for why Topuria takes the top spot right now.

    “Do you know what? There’s one man that we’re missing out on here that’s totally missed the conversation. Ilia Topuria, I’d put above him [O’Malley] right now, I really would. He’s walking out at the Bernabéu! Ilia Topuria has just knocked out our guy Volk who is pound-for-pound, wherever you put him, he’s in that conversation. He’s doing the same thing that Sean’s doing. I’ve never seen anyone captivate an audience quite like, well obviously bar Conor McGregor, let’s take Conor McGregor out of this, I would put Ilia above Sean O’Malley right now. Just due to the fact of the way he finished Volk.

    “Sean’s got great finishes along the way, he’s obviously finished Sterling and all that but I’m talking personally. I just, this Ilia Topuria thing and the train that’s moving at the minute, again I don’t want to keep going on about this Bernabéu thing but do you know how big, well I know you know, but that is humongous and I just know what’s going on because I have the same manager as this guy. I know the type of deals he’s getting, I know the type of circles he’s moving in, he’s had less fights than Sean in the UFC I believe and I just feel like his train is moving a little bit faster at the minute, maybe I’m completely wrong.”

    Read also: Dana White Responds To ‘Experts’ Criticizing Noche UFC: ‘Talked About That UFC 300 Wasn’t A Good Card!’

  • Kayla Harrison On UFC Bantamweight Title Shot Snub: ‘Dana Is A Man Of His Word…’

    Kayla Harrison On UFC Bantamweight Title Shot Snub: ‘Dana Is A Man Of His Word…’

    Former PFL star Kayla Harrison is set to return at UFC 307 where she faces Ketlen Vieira in a huge fight for the bantamweight division.

    With Vieira being ranked at #2 and Harrison at #3, the next title contender will surely be whichever woman gets her hand raised in Salt Lake City.

    However, some fans, and Harrison herself, questioned after her debut at UFC 300 whether she would need to get another win before jumping right into the title picture.

    Coming into the UFC as an already established name and dominating a former champion in Holly Holm like she did was a perfect introduction for the former Olympic Judoka.

    Rather than being frustrated that she isn’t in the next women’s bantamweight title fight which takes place the very same night, Harrison believes that it is only a matter of time.

    Kayla Harrison Isn’t Bitter About Not Getting Next Bantamweight Title Fight

    When Amanda Nunes made the decision to retire and vacate her bantamweight title, many expected that Juliana Peña would be in the equation to fight for the belt.

    Instead, Raquel Pennington became the champion after defeating Mayra Bueno Silva which then set the new titleholder up for a first defense against the number one contender in Peña.

    Harrison spoke in an interview with MMA Fighting about how it doesn’t bother her that there was an order for who gets the next title shot because of where the division was at after Nunes stepped away.

    She referenced how the UFC and Dana White had an agreement with Peña which they didn’t break even if putting Harrison straight into a title fight after her debut would have been a big move by the promotion.

    Instead, she’s focused on beating Vieira and challenging the winner in the near future.

    “I’m ready for everyone in the division, I’m ready to go out there and prove that I am the best in the world and I deserve to be UFC champion. Having said that, I think that a lot people wanted me to fight for the title but from what I understand, Dana is a man of his word and he made a promise to Juliana and so it’s her turn now but you know, whoever wins that fight, enjoy it while you can. That’s all I got to say about that.”

    Read also: Alexa Grasso Explains ‘Pausing’ Double-Champ Ambitions Ahead Of Noche UFC Title Defense

  • Tom Aspinall Names Sean O’Malley Trait He Admires The Most

    Tom Aspinall Names Sean O’Malley Trait He Admires The Most

    Between them, UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall know a thing or two about getting opponents out of there.

    Both men are incredibly fast and accurate strikers who often rely on reading their opponents and lining them up for the perfect shot.

    The major talking point heading into O’Malley’s second title defense at UFC 306 this weekend is whether he can land that on Merab Dvalishvili without being taken down and smothered.

    “Suga” isn’t going to be an easy opponent to get hold of and though his distance control and timing makes him very dangerous on the feet, Aspinall believes that it’s his decision making that is his biggest advantage in this fight.

    Tom Aspinall Credits Sean O’Malley’s Ability To Thrive Under Pressure As A Potential Difference Maker

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4awHfVkGspA

    On a recent episode of Tom Aspinall’s Fight Lab on TNT Sports, the interim heavyweight champ broke down the main event that is set to take place this weekend.

    When looking at O’Malley’s game and some of his previous fights, Aspinall drew special attention to how relaxed he is inside the Octagon.

    This allows him to stay loose, clear-minded and creative. which the Brit believes is what makes him so effective under the bright lights.

    “The timing is fantastic and as I said, how calm he is is something that I can really respect because being in there, having so much pressure on you, especially when you talk about title fights, he just makes really, really good decisions at a really good time and that’s really difficult to do.”

    O’Malley’s ability to be so calculated in the moment helps him to pick his shots and predict what his opponents are going to do next, which will be crucial against Dvalishvili at UFC 306.

    While “Suga” isn’t without his critics, Aspinall admitted that it was his big step-up against Petr Yan at UFC 280 that really sold him on O’Malley as a legitimate contender in the bantamweight division.

    “That’s only something you can do when you’re super relaxed, you can’t do that when you’re stiff in there. You have to be like almost at that playful mindset. I was kind of on the fence with him thinking ‘yeah, he’s getting fed a couple of easy opponents and this, that and the other.’ It’s the Yan fight for me ‘cuz he showed a lot or grit in that as well. We all knew how good Yan was coming into it and then it was a tough fight, in my opinion, it could have gone either way but just the grit that he showed in there. I think he got a lot of fans’ respect, at least for me anyway.”

    Read also: Teddy Atlas Says Sean O’Malley Could Cross Over To Boxing Successfully: ‘He Has The Instinct, The Talent…’

  • Director Tells Viewers At Home What To Expect From Noche UFC 306

    Director Tells Viewers At Home What To Expect From Noche UFC 306

    Hosting the first ever sporting event at the Sphere this weekend has brought a lot of opportunity to the UFC, but also a lot of hurdles to overcome.

    Whilst the venue that will play host to UFC 306 on September 14 is state of the art for those in attendance, it comes with a lot of unanswered questions.

    A lot has been made about the tribute to the Mexican people that the event is themed around but for the fans at home that won’t be sat in front of the enormous screen, would it feel any different to a regular PPV card in a standard arena?

    UFC director Craig Borsari and his team have put extensive work into this specific area to make sure that even the fans that aren’t in the building get to witness something unique and special.

    UFC Director On Improving Viewing Experience For Fans At Home

    In a recent interview with Shakiel Mahjouri, Borsari detailed the steps that they had to take when considering how they could make the viewing experience for fans watching around the world feel as close to the live event as possible.

    It would have been easy for the promotion to put on a spectacle inside the Sphere and try to adapt this venue for their regular style of PPV broadcasts, but that wasn’t going to cut it.

    Borsari spoke about how, in order to make this event feel special and really get across the feeling of being inside the Sphere from the opposite side of a screen, they brought in new staff and equipment to facilitate the best possible broadcast.

    “One of those principles you just touched on which is we wanted the viewer at home to have an experience as close to being inside the Sphere as possible which required us to bring in two separate TV trucks in addition to our normal A and B unit fight trucks, a separate director so Glenn Weiss is the director who will sit in one of those trucks, a whole separate set of cameras that will be designed to capture all of the content on the media plane in a way where we’re not going full frame in the broadcast but it feels as if you’re seated in the 300 or 400 level inside the Sphere watching the show.

    “We could have gone about this and not put those TV trucks in place and not put those separate cameras in place and really brought you a visual experience that’s vert similar to any pay-per-view we would go on any given Saturday night, but this is a unique event and we took a very unique approach and felt that it was important for viewers at home to get the sense of the volume of the space that they’re in and try to experience that. I mean there’s nothing like being there but we wanted to come as close as we possibly could.”

    Read also: UFC CEO Dana White Takes Credit For WWE’s Production Improvements: ‘A Lot Of Influence…’

  • Jon Jones Reacts To Inclusion On Dana White’s MMA Mount Rushmore

    Jon Jones Reacts To Inclusion On Dana White’s MMA Mount Rushmore

    There is always going to be debate amongst the fans about who would make it onto an MMA version of Mount Rushmore.

    Even when looking exclusively at the UFC, that can be difficult to narrow it down to just four spots considering how many fighters have made huge impacts and left behind incredible legacies.

    The recent retirement of Demetrious Johnson at ONE 168 appeared to circulate this topic once again, alongside a lot of the recent conversation surrounding Jon Jones.

    On a recent episode of First Take, Dana White named his top four in UFC history, which was always going to provoke further conversation from the fans.

    He listed arguably the greatest to ever do it in Jon Jones, the biggest star the sport has ever seen in Conor McGregor, the leading pioneer in women’s MMA, Ronda Rousey, and one of the best representatives for the sport, Georges St-Pierre, as his picks.

    Jon Jones Reacts To Being Named In Dana White’s UFC Mount Rushmore

    Despite not fighting since March of last year, Jon Jones has been heavily talked about by both the fans and the UFC President in recent times.

    White has come out in defence of “Bones” several times due to questions regarding his upcoming fight with Stipe Miocic, not fighting interim champion Tom Aspinall and the debate of whether he deserves to be listed as the pound-for-pound best fighter in the sport.

    After being named in White’s Mount Rushmore list, Jones showed his appreciation via an Instagram story that he posted with the following caption next to the video.

    “Big compliment from the boss, he’s not talking about the best fighters. He’s talking about fighters who changed the game.”

    Regardless of whether he belongs at the top of the P4P list right now, it’s undeniable that Jones has had a massive impact on the sport during his long and successful career.

    Read also: UFC CEO Dana White Takes Credit For WWE’s Production Improvements: ‘A Lot Of Influence…’

  • Alexa Grasso Targets Champ vs. Champ Super Fight After Valentina Shevchenko

    Alexa Grasso Targets Champ vs. Champ Super Fight After Valentina Shevchenko

    UFC flyweight champion Alexa Grasso returns at UFC 306 where she hopes to put this chapter of her career behind her.

    Over the past two years, the Mexican star has only had one opponent in mind, former champion Valentina Shevchenko.

    After shockingly submitting her to win the title back at UFC 285, the two women met in a rematch at the first ever Noche UFC this time last year where the fight was controversially scored as a draw.

    This Saturday, Grasso will look to end the trilogy by beating Shevchenko once again so that she can move on to new and exciting challenges that await her at flyweight.

    Alexa Grasso Tees Up Future Plans For Upcoming Title Defenses, Dream Fight & Two-Weight Goals

    Grasso knows that beating the “Bullet” for a second time will require her to be at her absolute best but that doesn’t mean she isn’t excited for what could be in store for her down the line.

    In a recent interview with Stake.com, she spoke about how a champion vs champion clash with strawweight queen Weili Zhang is something that really piques her interest.

    ”Weili Zhang is my dream fight. It will be one of my biggest fights to date. She is strong, powerful and well rounded. She is a great fighter and I even heard she would love to test herself at 125, so I would love to welcome her.”

    At the same time, Grasso knows that the flyweight division has several contenders who have emerged during the time that she has been locked into the Shevchenko trilogy.

    The champion is happy to defend the belt against the next worthy challenger which, in her opinion, is Manon Fiorot at this time.

    “I’m not the one who chooses these things, I think Manon Fiorot is more deserving of the title shot than Rose. She has been in the division longer and she has a bigger win streak. She was also next in line before she got injured, so I would like to fight Fiorot.”

    Grasso also added that if she is able to keep hold of the flyweight title, she would like the opportunity to make history.

    After becoming the first female Mexican UFC champion, she wants to hold two gold belts in the air, but is also conscious of doing what is best for her teammates.

    “I would love to be a two weight World Champion, it is such a big question and goal for me. However, I have friends in the upper weight classes such as Loopy Godinez in the Strawweight division and Irene Aldana in the Bantamweight division and our team’s goal is to all be champions in each of our weight classes so I would have to pause that dream for now.”

    Read also: Coach Vows: ‘No Way’ Merab Dvalishvili Suffers Ben Askren-Like Knockout At UFC 306

  • Israel Adesanya’s Coach Sets Championship Aim: ‘Don’t Be Surprised If We’re Back In Gold’

    Israel Adesanya’s Coach Sets Championship Aim: ‘Don’t Be Surprised If We’re Back In Gold’

    Following his fighter’s loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305, Israel Adesanya’s head coach Eugene Bareman spoke about the differences in this defeat compared to what happened at UFC 293.

    The City Kickboxing boss said that there was a lot of positives and some lessons that they could take away from Perth.

    Unlike their shock upset loss at the hands of Sean Strickland the previous year, the camp came away with a lot more positivity, despite the fact that Adesanya has now come up short in back-to-back Octagon appearances.

    Another one of Adesanya’s coaches is also confident that they will be able to rebuild from this point, after seeing what they did well and what needs work.

    Mike Angove Says Israel Adesanya Will Be Back In The Title Mix

    Some had questioned, including Du Plessis himself, whether Adesanya would retire from MMA if he was unable to reclaim the middleweight title this past month.

    “The Last Stylebender” made it clear in his ‘Wolf Of Wall Street’ style post-fight interview that suggested that he will be re-joining the ranks of the contenders for the first time in a long time.

    In a recent interview with Combat TV, City Kickboxing’s Mike Angove gave his thoughts on the main event of UFC 305 and the conclusions they were able to draw from it.

    He believes that whilst Du Plessis deserves a lot of credit for his performance on the night, it was their fight to lose before Adesanya made a mistake which led to him being submitted in the fourth round.

    Angove believes that the former champ is far from done and could be right back in title contention in the near future.

    “He [Adesanya] was clipped and he was off balance and he made a mistake I think from fatigue but you’ve got to credit Dricus for his ability to stay in the fight to sustain punishment and he did sustain punishment and take his opportunity when it presented itself. I mean he’s stepped up at every level, he’s found ways to win so he’s a champ but that’s a fight I think we can come back to. I think we have to make a couple of adjustments and win a couple of fights and don’t be surprised if we’re back in gold.”

    Read also: UFC’s Mario Bautista Predicts Fantasy Jon Jones, Alex Pereira, & Tom Aspinall Tournament (Exclusive)

  • UFC’s Mario Bautista Predicts Fantasy Jon Jones, Alex Pereira, & Tom Aspinall Tournament (Exclusive)

    UFC’s Mario Bautista Predicts Fantasy Jon Jones, Alex Pereira, & Tom Aspinall Tournament (Exclusive)

    The next UFC heavyweight title fight would appear to be pitting arguably the greatest of all time against the best fighter we have seen in this weight class inside the Octagon.

    Despite the pedigree that both Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic bring to the table, there are two other names that the majority of fans would rather see face off with “Bones”.

    Interim champion Tom Aspinall is seen by many as the future of the division and with his speed and ability to finish fights, he’s a test that many want to see Jones face.

    Though he may have never competed at this weight, the idea of seeing light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira move up is another incredibly enticing prospect following the run that he has been on, which has turned him into one of the biggest names in the sport.

    Mario Bautista Gives His Take On How Alex Pereira, Tom Aspinall & Jon Jones Match Up

    At UFC 307, Mario Bautista is set to share the card with “Poatan” who will be defending his light heavyweight title in the main event against Khalil Rountree.

    Elsewhere on the main card, Bautista is set to take on his biggest challenge to date when he faces off with a legend of the game in Brazil’s José Aldo.

    The bantamweight contender spoke in a recent interview with MMA News about whether he thinks Pereira would be able to mix it up with the heavyweight division’s two current champions.

    He explained why, in his opinion, Aspinall would be the tougher match-up for the elite striker at 205-pounds.

    “It’s hard to say, it’s very interesting you know. He has that power and I think Jon Jones did fight at 205 too so I’d give him a shot at Jon Jones. Tom Aspinall, he can move pretty fast for how big he is so that’s the iffy one for me.”

    In a follow-up question, Bautista was asked whether this means that based on MMA math, he would also pick Aspinall to beat Jones, therefore seeing him come out on top in this little fantasy round-robin tournament.

    “I think he could. Tom Aspinall, for how big he is and how fast he moves, I don’t think Jon Jones has kind of seen anything like that so I would go with Tom on that one.”

    Read also: Gilbert Burns Addresses Future After Third Straight UFC Loss: ‘Nothing Was Good…I’ve Got To Rethink’

  • Coach Vows: ‘No Way’ Merab Dvalishvili Suffers Ben Askren-Like Knockout At UFC 306

    Coach Vows: ‘No Way’ Merab Dvalishvili Suffers Ben Askren-Like Knockout At UFC 306

    Heading into the biggest fight of his career, Merab Dvalishvili is preparing for a high-stakes chess match in the main event of UFC 306.

    Many will point to the grappling skills as the clear advantage that Dvalishvili has over the bantamweight champion, Sean O’Malley.

    The issue is getting to “Suga” without taking significant damage requires a lot of patience and timing which means he can’t afford to rush things.

    This was stressed by both his long-time training partner and former O’Malley opponent Aljamain Sterling as well as his coach, John Wood, who is making sure that they’re ready to fight across all ranges in case they need to.

    John Wood Says That Merab Dvalishvili Won’t Be Overzealous In Shooting For A Takedown

    In a recent interview with The Scrap, Wood spoke about how he always prepares his fighters in this way even if they have a specialist skillset.

    Being confident in all aspects of the fight means that Dvalishvili isn’t going to solely rely on his grappling, which could lead to him rushing and making mistakes which O’Malley will be looking to punish him for with his counter-striking game.

    “There are things that we can see that we can capitalize on and obviously, it’d be a fool to think that they don’t think or his coach Tim Welch wouldn’t think, ‘Oh hey, we’re going out there to just dive in on his legs.’ Of course they know that so we’re not going to do that. We’re not going to make it, ‘Oh hey, here I am,’ boom, run into something. That’s just stupid.”

    The interviewer, Marcos Antelo, then made reference to Jorge Masvidal’s record-breaking knockout of Ben Askren at UFC 239.

    “Gamebred” secured the fastest finish in UFC history back in 2019 after he correctly predicted that Askren would dip his head for a takedown if Masvidal ran at him, lining him up perfectly for a flying knee.

    Wood doubled down on the idea that they won’t be rushing anything on Saturday night at the Sphere, and are preparing for a complete mixed martial arts contest.

    “Yeah that’s just ridiculous, there’s no way that’s happening. There’s no way we’re getting KO’d in that kind of situation. There’s no way like, are we gonna get hit? Sure. Is Sean gonna get taken down? Yes. It it gonna be a fight? Absolutely.”

    Read also: UFC Analyst Predicts Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili To Be One-Sided: ‘Can’t See A Back & Forth Fight’

  • Aljamain Sterling: UFC’s Focus On Jones vs. Miocic Could Involve Overseas Sheikh Influence

    Aljamain Sterling: UFC’s Focus On Jones vs. Miocic Could Involve Overseas Sheikh Influence

    Rarely has a fight been spoken about and debated as much before it has even happened, as the overdue meeting between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic.

    The current and former UFC heavyweight champions were set to meet at UFC 295 in what many believed would be the final fight of both men’s careers.

    Jones’ injury pushed the fight back and in that time, there has been a lot of talk about whether interim champion Tom Aspinall should be next for “Bones” instead.

    Despite the clear case to be made for why Aspinall should get the chance to unify the belts, Dana White and the UFC haven’t even considered the possibility of Jones vs Miocic being removed from the schedule.

    White has questioned whether the fans and media expect him to tell Miocic, who is arguably the best UFC heavyweight of all time, to stand aside rather than rescheduling his long-awaited meeting with Jones.

    Aljamain Sterling Theorizes Why The UFC Are Sticking To Their Guns On Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic

    In a recent YouTube video, former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling gave his thoughts on this heavily debated topic.

    ‘Funkmaster’ took the stance that if Jones is on his way out, surely you would want him to face a young fighter like Aspinall who could become a big star if he’s able to be the first man to defeat “Bones”, rather than the potential of seeing both Jones and Miocic walk away after their fight.

    Sterling then came to the conclusion that there could be another factor in play that has not been publicly announced.

    He questioned whether there could be a party outside of the UFC who are keeping the Jones vs Miocic fight together because as Sterling stated, the promotion always wants to put on the biggest possible fights, which at this time, would be the heavyweight title unification clash with Aspinall.

    The former champion theorized that a wealthy outside influence may be the one that is pushing for the original fight to be rebooked, rather than scrapping it in favor of a more exciting option.

    “They always go with the fight that makes the most money so there has to be something there with the UFC being adamant and sticking to the guns of Jon Jones fighting Stipe Miocic. There just has to be something there. Maybe it’s contractual, maybe it’s contractual with another organization, maybe it’s one of the Sheikhs overseas or something that they promised this fight. There has to be something that’s making the UFC reluctant to unify the belts and that’s the only thing that I could think of that makes sense.”

    Read also: Sean O’Malley Questions Who Aljamain Sterling Will Be Supporting At Noche UFC: ‘Probably Hopes I Beat Merab…’

  • Sean O’Malley’s Coach Reveals He Uses Memes To Craft Game Plan Against Merab Dvalishvili

    Sean O’Malley’s Coach Reveals He Uses Memes To Craft Game Plan Against Merab Dvalishvili

    UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and his long-time coach, Tim Welch, have come through their careers alongside one another.

    Due to the fact that they have worked as a team for such a long time, they have a great working relationship that allows both of them to excel in their roles.

    Welch has spent the past few months helping to prepare his fighter for UFC 306 this Saturday night, where “Suga” takes on Merab Dvalishvili.

    On a recent podcast appearance, Welch spoke about a technique they use when helping the 135-pound champ to become familiar with how their opponents react to different scenarios.

    Tim Welch Reveals Scouting Technique For Sean O’Malley’s Opponents

    On The BrendenSchmitty Show, Welch explained how a fighter in their gym named TJ is crucial to helping break down O’Malley’s opponents.

    He explained how TJ helps to produce detailed reports of what and how Dvalishvili acts in instances where he’s shooting for takedowns, responding to strikes from different stances and recovering from being hurt.

    The added trick that helps to translate this information to O’Malley in his training is by breaking these reactions into short clips – and memes – so that they can be constantly replayed, meaning that “Suga” can pick them up even faster.

    Taking these patterns and making them into a part of their training and drills allows O’Malley to know what his opponent will do before they even do it.

    “What does he do after he gets rocked and hurt like when Marlon hurt him or Henry hurt him? What does he do? Where’s his head at? What does he do? And he breaks down all these things and turns them into little GIFs or like memes so he can watch that and then it can structure the pads and the knockout shots around that… and then just having Sean rep it and rep it and rep it and then try to hit it in sparring.”

    Read also: Sean O’Malley Questions Who Aljamain Sterling Will Be Supporting At Noche UFC: ‘Probably Hopes I Beat Merab…’

  • Israel Adesanya’s Teammate Reveals He Turned Down ‘Stylebender’s’ Aid Ahead Of DWCS Debut

    Israel Adesanya’s Teammate Reveals He Turned Down ‘Stylebender’s’ Aid Ahead Of DWCS Debut

    When Israel Adesanya is on the mats at City Kickboxing in Auckland, New Zealand he’s no different to the other martial artists that he’s sharing the space with.

    That being said, having a major name in the sport be the leading figure for this stable of fighters does bring some added spotlight to the rest of the team.

    We’ve seen in the past how “The Last Stylebender” has been able to transfer some of his shine onto his teammates, with a strong City Kickboxing representation on the UFC roster.

    In just a few weeks, another fighter from the gym will look to join the likes of Adesanya, Dan Hooker, Kai Kara-France and Carlos Ulberg when he fights for his place on Dana White’s Contender Series.

    Interestingly, Navajo Stirling is happy to do things by himself instead of expecting a leg-up from Adesanya.

    Navajo Stirling Recalls Telling Israel Adesanya That He Doesn’t Need To Feel Like He Has To Help Him

    With four pro wins under his belt in MMA following a career in kickboxing & Muay Thai, Stirling will compete on week five of this year’s Contender Series.

    He will face American light heavyweight Phillip Latu at the Apex next week, where a big performance will see him become an exciting addition at 205 pounds.

    In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Stirling spoke about the benefit of having major UFC names in the same gym as him and whether he’s been able to use their experience and advice to his advantage.

    He said that rather than using the profile of his training partners to help accelerate his own career, the 26-year-old wants to see where this journey takes him.

    Stirling stated that while he appreciates the support he receives from the likes of the former UFC middleweight champion, he doesn’t want him to feel like he has any responsibility over his career.

    “He talks to me like I already know what I’m talking about and I just said to him, you know, I think I was just like, because obviously he’s big and he can do a lot for his teammates by bringing them up as well, but I just said to him like he doesn’t, don’t feel like you have to do anything like I want to do it my way, you know. That’s what I said to him, I want to do it my way and I want to make a name for myself. I don’t really need the help, although I appreciate it, I appreciate it for sure, I’m not saying like don’t do it but I said don’t feel like you need to, you know. Don’t feel like there’s pressure on you to bring your teammates up or whatever. I’ll just do it myself and he was just like, ‘You’re the man for that, that’s cool as.’”

    Read also: Video: Israel Adesanya Confronts Aggressive Man, Urges Him to ‘Walk Away’ in Tense Altercation

  • Kamaru Usman Fires Back At Belal Muhammad For ‘Corny, Weak’ Diss Track, Clarifies Next Steps

    Kamaru Usman Fires Back At Belal Muhammad For ‘Corny, Weak’ Diss Track, Clarifies Next Steps

    Kamaru Usman and Belal Muhammad are continuing to engage with one another in back-and-forth comments.

    The welterweight champion has made it clear that it’s his preference to fight Shavkat Rakhmonov next, despite the undefeated contender claiming that Muhammad turned the fight down for UFC 307 due to the quick turnaround.

    Though Usman hasn’t totally pushed to get the fight, this has been a major topic of discussion this past week because of the pedigree that the former champ has in the promotion.

    During a recent episode of his podcast, “The Nigerian Nightmare” responded to Muhammad’s most recent comeback and gave his current status.

    Kamaru Usman Reacts To Belal Muhammad’s Recent Comments

    On the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Usman and Henry Cejudo discussed the ongoing communication between Muhammad and the former champ.

    He started by addressing the stance that “Remember The Name” gave on wanting to fight Rakhmonov first and commenting on the video that the champion posted of Usman’s training footage with an AI song over the top.

    “For me, the way I looked at it, oh I want both, I want both guys because I want both paychecks but he doesn’t see it that way. So it is what it is but, at some point, he’s going to have to step in there with and we’re going to settle it but yeah, it is what it is. Keep dropping corny, weak diss tracks, is that what that’s called? A diss track? It was like a lullaby or something, nice country lullaby for me but it is what it is.”

    Usman then spoke about his current position in the division and appeared to be leaning towards the idea that as long as Muhammad is an active champion, both he and Shavkat will get the chance to fight him in the near future.

    It doesn’t sound from these comments like “The Nigerian Nightmare” is in any rush to fight another top contender in order to further cement his position at 170 pounds.

    “Obviously with this rumor with Shavkat, listen, we’re right there to where if the champion decides to fight sometime in the next year and a half, two years, then we’ll both fight the champion but if the champion is not deciding to fight, then the division is going to have to move on and fights are going to happen but yeah right now, all of this is rumors.

    “It is all rumors but listen, I am scared of no one. On less than nine days notice, I flew to the other side of the world to fight supposedly the scariest guy. I’m scared of no one, believe none of these rumors and at the same time, believe all of these rumors. Anything can happen, that’s all I’mma say, I’mma just leave it at that.”

    Read also: Video: Israel Adesanya Confronts Aggressive Man, Urges Him to ‘Walk Away’ in Tense Altercation

  • ‘Savior Of The Flyweights’ Henry Cejudo Discusses Possible Return To 125 Pounds

    ‘Savior Of The Flyweights’ Henry Cejudo Discusses Possible Return To 125 Pounds

    When Henry Cejudo became the UFC flyweight champion back in 2018, the division was in a very difficult position.

    Demetrious Johnson had been such a dominant champion that the weight class didn’t feel competitive or exciting, at least as far as the UFC was concerned.

    Cejudo beating “Mighty Mouse” in the rematch certainly helped to change that and his title reign did contribute to the promotion not getting rid of the division entirely, even if he did only defend the belt once before moving up a weight class and temporarily retiring.

    Having suffered back-to-back defeats in his return to the bantamweight division, “Triple C” knows that earning a shot at reclaiming the 135-pound title isn’t going to be easy.

    Instead, he’s flirting with the idea of returning to his former home where he first became a champion.

    Henry Cejudo Says He’s Thinking About A Flyweight Return As The ‘Savior’ Of The Division

    Unlike bantamweight, the UFC’s flyweight division could do with some new and exciting challenges for the champion, Alexandre Pantoja.

    The likes of Tatsuro Taira and Amir Albazi could emerge as fresh faces for the champion to face if they can get past two opponents that Pantoja has already beaten multiple times in Brandon Royval and Brandon Moreno.

    Another option for his next challenge is Kai Kara-France, who recently defeated another of Pantoja’s former challengers but even then, that impressive win over Steve Erceg at UFC 305 came off the back of consecutive defeats.

    With Muhammad Mokaev, who likely would have been next, now out of the picture, it would seemingly be a lot easier for Cejudo to work his way into another UFC title shot, especially considering the fact that he vacated the title rather than losing it.

    He spoke on his Pound 4 Pound podcast alongside Kamaru Usman about how the idea has been floating around his head as of late.

    “I’ve been thinking about it quite a bit man of potentially going back down dude. You know, obviously, I do believe Merab’s going to win this [bantamweight] belt and I just feel like where I am in the picture at bantam, it just makes it a little harder dude to get back to the damn title dude. So I’ve been making, if I can get on a good diet if I decide to, it’s still not official [moving to flyweight], ‘cuz you know I know like them chimichangas, them gorditas.”

    Usman proceeded to laugh at the idea of a former two-weight UFC champion and gold medallist struggling with a diet, only for Cejudo to state how difficult that cut is for him.

    “The only reason why I say that bro is because flyweights no joke bro, like making that weight is like f****** cutting off a leg dude.

    “It’s to be continued. I think there’s a lot of good fights too. It was a belt that I left, I left undefeated, I left as champion, I gave it to the flyweights, I saved the damn division and if I do decide, you know, I want to talk to Mick Maynard man. I mean I am the savior of the flyweights and they all know that so. I always felt like all the flyweights should pay a 20% royalty to the true king.”

    Read also: Merab Dvalishvili Clarifies Staph Status After He Is Interrupted Mid-Interview By UFC Doctors

  • VIDEO: Israel Adesanya Confronts Aggressive Man, Urges Him to ‘Walk Away’ in Tense Altercation

    VIDEO: Israel Adesanya Confronts Aggressive Man, Urges Him to ‘Walk Away’ in Tense Altercation

    Israel Adesanya may have squashed the beef with Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305 but it hasn’t taken him long before getting back into a heated altercation.

    “The Last Stylebender”, as he previously stated he would, went back to Nigeria after coming up short in Perth several weeks ago.

    Though he hasn’t been back in New Zealand for long, city life in Auckland has quickly caught back up with him.

    The former UFC middleweight champion hasn’t been known for getting into arguments or conflict with members of the general public but that’s exactly what was captured on video.

    Israel Adesanya Gets Into A Heated Confrontation In New Zealand, Spits And Curses At A Man

    A recently posted video shows Adesanya standing outside his McLaren 720S Spider, having a confrontation with an aggressive man who has walked over to the car.

    The clip appears to capture the end of the interaction as it immediately starts with Adesanya already standing outside the vehicle, telling the person that he isn’t going to fight him for free – because it’s his job.

    Whatever happened between them before the video started clearly got to “The Last Stylebender” who is very rarely this agitated. For his part, the man does motion towards Adesanya, flexing, as though he wants to fight him.

    “I get paid for this s***, f*** off you little b****. That’s right, walk away, go drive your f****** beat up f****** s***.”

    Adesanya continues to curse towards the man who continues to stand across from him.

    The final seconds of the video sees the person recording drive past them as Adesanya spits towards the man he is arguing with before saying “I pray for you to try me, I’d pay for you to try me”, shutting his car door at the same time.

    Read also: Merab Dvalishvili Clarifies Staph Status After He Is Interrupted Mid-Interview By UFC Doctors