MMA News

Author: Kyle Dimond

  • Merab Dvalishvili Clarifies Staph Status After He Is Interrupted Mid-Interview By UFC Doctors

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

    A post on social media from Merab Dvalishvili had the MMA fans putting on their detective hats to try and scope out a concern.

    Ahead of his bantamweight title fight against Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, the challenger shared on Instagram that he was releasing his first apparel collection in collaboration with Takedown.

    Fans quickly made note of a mark on Dvalishvili’s left arm that looked like it could be a staph infection, which has been a reoccurring issue in some big fights this year.

    Considering how the Georgian fighter’s cardio is one of his biggest weapons, having to be on a course of antibiotics heading into fight week could have made a huge difference to the main event that is set to go down at the Sphere.

    Merab Dvalishvili Says He’s Got The All-Clear After Being Interrupted Mid-Interview

    New York Post Sports’ MMA reporter Scott Fontana recently posted a clip from his interview with Dvalishvili which was broken up halfway through.

    The top contender at 135 pounds apologized for having to step away for a moment and in this period, consulted with a doctor about the mark on his arm.

    When returning back to the interview to continue from where they left off, he gave Fontana a promising update that would appear to dispel any of the concerns from the fans online.

    “I’m sorry my friend, UFC doctor was checking me out. They was looking at this [showing the mark to camera] like I have nothing, they thought I have something but I’m good… Yes I take a picture and a lot of people comment like they was thinking I have a staph infection but I’m good man, I don’t think I have nothing. As you see, there is no staph infection.”

    Fontana also noted that during the break in the interview, the doctor had mentioned the cut which Dvalishvili had made public on social media.

    The title challenger said that this is also not a worry and that they’re using a cream to help this heal before September 14.

    Read also: ‘He Only Beat Cory Sandhagen’ – Merab Dvalishvili Doubles Down On Deiveson Figueiredo Deserving Next Bantamweight Title Shot Over Umar Nurmagomedov

  • Former Opponent On Overlooking Belal Muhammad: ‘How Is This Dude Even Here?’

    Former Opponent On Overlooking Belal Muhammad: ‘How Is This Dude Even Here?’

    Belal Muhammad has been counted out for a lot of his UFC career and that has given him a lot of motivation during his rise to the top of the welterweight division.

    Even now that he is the champion, “Remember The Name” wants to keep proving people wrong by beating the guys that everyone says he has no chance against.

    Whether it’s some of the things he says online or his fighting style that is incredibly effective but not the most glamorous to watch, Muhammad is one of the more underappreciated high-level fighters that we have seen inside the Octagon.

    A former opponent of his spoke about this and how overlooking the current champ is something that cost him when they fought several years ago.

    Randy Brown Explains Why He Underestimated Belal Muhammad When They Fought And How It Affected Him

    In an interview with Inside Fighting, Randy Brown said that he was happy to see Muhammad become the champion at UFC 304 in Manchester.

    On the subject of Muhammad being an often overlooked fighter before his clash with Leon Edwards, “RudeBoy” said that this is a hole that he also fell into when facing off with him back at UFC 208.

    “I feel like a lot of people underestimate him and it’s easy to underestimate him going into a fight and I saw that with Leon. I did it myself when we fought, you know what I mean, and I was just like, ‘I’m gonna run through this dude.’ But then you realize how sticky he is when you’re in there. Belal is actually pretty damn good and I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves, unfairly.”

    Brown said that he underestimated Muhammad because of what he had seen with his own eyes in a training room, rather than any reputation that may have had.

    As we saw at UFC 304, the champion’s striking has come a long way during his time on the UFC roster but back at the start of his journey, this is what gave Brown a false sense of security.

    “We were both fighting someone from the same camp and I remember we were warming up in the room and I’m watching him shadow box and hit mitts and s*** and he looked f****** horrible. He looked terrible and I looked over to my coach and I said like, ‘How is this dude even here? Like what is he, this dude looks like s***.” So in my mind, I’m like, ‘Yo if I ever get a fight with this dude, I’ll take it in a heart beat. He’s 170, I’d whoop his f****** a**.’”

    Having been given that impression of Muhammad, Brown was happy to accept a late-notice fight with him further down the line at UFC 208 back in 2017.

    After coming into the fight with the expectation that he would be far too good for his opponent, “Remember The Name” would secure his second UFC win via unanimous decision.

    “Completely underestimated him. I already did a camp, I kind of just bull******* whatever and went in to fight him and I brought that energy into the fight.”

    Read also: ‘I’m Team Belal Muhammad’ – Gilbert Burns Extends Support For UFC Welterweight Champ Against Shavkat Rakhmonov

  • ‘Colby Covington With An Afrikaans Accent’ – MMA Fans Hammer Du Plessis After He Proposes Pereira vs. Strickland Title Eliminator

    ‘Colby Covington With An Afrikaans Accent’ – MMA Fans Hammer Du Plessis After He Proposes Pereira vs. Strickland Title Eliminator

    UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis could well have his next two title defenses already laid out in front of him if he keeps hold of the belt.

    After earning his first successful defense by submitting Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, a rematch is seemingly on the cards for his new challenge.

    Sean Strickland and Du Plessis fought to a very close split decision at UFC 297 to kick off the year where “Stillknocks” became champion.

    However, another challenger looms overhead at this time as Alex Pereira is apparently planning to move back down to middleweight for one more fight, after his light heavyweight title defense at UFC 307.

    Given the fact that Strickland and Pereira have become friends after they met inside the Octagon at UFC 276, Du Plessis suggested that they should fight each other for the number one contender status rather than challenging him one after the other.

    MMA Fans React To Dricus Du Plessis Calling The Middleweight Shots

    The fans on social media didn’t respond well to Du Plessis’ call for Strickland and Pereira to run it back, which isn’t necessarily surprising given the large and vocal fan bases of both fighters.

    Though some were complimenting the champion’s trash talk, many didn’t see why “Poatan” would possibly fight anyone but the titleholder at this stage.

    “Makes literally no sense. Alex would immediately get a title shot if he wanted being he’s the champ and has already been the MW champ before. Silly to even say this”

    “New champions always talk like they run the UFC. It’s f***** annoying.”

    “alex and a contender fight do not go together”

    “DDP just says stupid s*** and idiots eat it up. He’s Colby Covington with an Afrikaans accent.”

    https://twitter.com/tony2studs/status/1830952520522621286

    “Bro is scared af. There’s absolutely no reason alex should be fighting Sean lmao”

    “Damn dricus low key a decent s*** talker”

    “doesnt make sense considering that Pereira is a champ who already beat strickland”

    https://twitter.com/RawEggBrah/status/1831261874941317135

    Read also: Demetrious Johnson Gives Stamp Of Approval To UFC Champion

  • Dana White Compares DWCS Lightweight War To Miocic vs. Ngannou

    Dana White Compares DWCS Lightweight War To Miocic vs. Ngannou

    Week four of this year’s instalment of Dana White’s Contender Series delivered some big upsets and one of the show’s most memorable knockouts.

    Whilst it was Yuneisy Duben that stole all the headlines with her one-punch knockout over Shannon Clark, the evening’s opener set the tone.

    The first fight between Quillan Salkilld and Gauge Young was a high-level and super competitive three-round affair in the lightweight division.

    Though Salkilld earned the win and thus, his place on the UFC roster, the UFC boss went into the Octagon after the fight to give praise to both men – something he rarely does.

    Dana White Says The Shots Landing Between Salkilld & Young Were Comparable To Ngannou vs Miocic 2

    In his post-fight press conference after the event, Dana White spoke about how impressed he was by this fight from both men’s perspectives.

    The opening bout of the card has delivered great fights or moments across season 8 of the series and this one was no different.

    To emphasize how powerful and durable both men were, White described the impact of some of the shots that they were both landing and receiving across the 15-minute duration.

    He compared the sound of these strikes to when Francis Ngannou met Stipe Miocic in a rematch for the heavyweight title back at UFC 260, which took place in a near-vacant UFC Apex due to the restrictions for hosting live events at the time.

    “Both of those kids were 24 years old and you know, my thing was however the judges score this fight, however this plays out, both of you have a bright future in this sport. Both durable, tough guys, well-rounded no matter where the fight went. Head kicks, eating nasty head kicks, the body shots that both of those took, the punches. I mean when they hit each other with some of those right hands, it sounded like heavyweights. It reminded me of the night that Francis and Stipe fought in here. When Francis and Stipe were hitting each other that night and you were just like God damn! Those two were throwing those kind of punches at each other, it was a great fight.”

    Read also: Merab Dvalishvili Doesn’t Regret Social Media Post That Angered Dana White: ‘This Is Who I Am!’

  • Jon Anik Defends UFC Champion Against Ducking Allegations

    Jon Anik Defends UFC Champion Against Ducking Allegations

    There has been a lot of talk of late regarding who will be Belal Muhammad’s first title challenger, after winning the welterweight belt at UFC 304.

    The undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov is quite clearly the most deserving contender but there has been some debate over whether former champion Kamaru Usman should also be in the discussion.

    Rakhmonov recently said in an interview that he had already been offered the title shot for UFC 307, which takes place in Salt Lake City on October 5.

    He claims that Muhammad turned the fight down because he couldn’t make that turnaround, which isn’t surprising considering he fought five rounds at the end of July.

    A long-time supporter of the champion has come to his defense after some fans tried to accuse Muhammad of dodging what many believe will be a big challenge for him.

    Jon Anik Says That Belal Muhammad Isn’t Ducking Shavkat Rakhmonov, Explains Motivation Behind Potential Usman Fight

    In a series of posts on X, UFC commentator Jon Anik gave his thoughts on the current layout of the welterweight division.

    Anik stressed that Muhammad shouldn’t be criticized for talking about what would be a big fight against Usman and that he certainly isn’t trying to avoid Rakhmonov at the same time.

    “1) For his legacy, not at all surprising Belal Muhammad would want the chance to defend his title against one of the all-time welterweight greats in Kamaru Usman but the notion he is somehow trying to sidestep Shavkat Rakhmonov is straight fake news.”

    Anik then went on to explain how everyone, including the UFC, knows that Rakhmonov is the next rightful contender, stating that Muhammad’s willingness to fight the unbeaten contender isn’t a barrier in the way of making that fight happen.

    “2) Shavkat Rakhmonov is 18-0 w/ 18 finishes. 6-0 in the UFC. Whether he has the No. 3 or No. 1 ranking matters not. Most of us see him as the largely unquestioned, rightful, next title challenger. And I think the UFC concurs! But the champion ain’t the f*cking problem. Trust.”

    Read also: Demetrious Johnson Gives Stamp Of Approval To UFC Champion

  • Demetrious Johnson Gives Stamp Of Approval To UFC Champion

    Demetrious Johnson Gives Stamp Of Approval To UFC Champion

    When Demetrious Johnson was the UFC flyweight champion, the division suffered to some degree because of how dominant he was.

    No one could knock “Mighty Mouse” off the top spot and that gave his fights a feeling of predictability, because he was levels above all challengers.

    After he left the UFC following his loss to Henry Cejudo, the division became a lot more competitive and after title reigns from Cejudo, Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno, a new champion has started to make his mark at 125 pounds.

    Alexandre Pantoja has produced back-to-back title defenses since becoming champion at UFC 290 last year and the flyweight GOAT believes that the Brazilian is here to stay.

    Demetrious Johnson Says Alexandre Pantoja Was Underappreciated, Doesn’t See Him Losing The Title Soon

    In a recent appearance on the JAXXON Podcast, Johnson gave his thoughts on the man that currently holds the title that once belonged to him.

    The current flyweight king in ONE Championship is a big fan of Pantoja and said that he has been for a long time, after feeling like he was underappreciated for many years.

    “I think he’s great. Alex Pantoja, I’ve always felt he’s been a dark horse at the beginning of his career in the UFC… I just felt, well to begin with, I feel like the flyweight division always had a hard time picking up any traction. This isn’t something new, I mean even when I was a champion in the UFC, it wasn’t the most popular in the whole roster of the UFC and I think Alex Pantoja, he came into The Ultimate Fighter, he didn’t win The Ultimate Fighter, Tim Elliott ended up winning it.”

    As he stated, Pantoja made his way into the promotion through The Ultimate Fighter where if he had won the series, he would’ve challenged Johnson for the title.

    Johnson then went on to say how in his opinion, there aren’t many contenders left for Pantoja that aren’t rematches because he beat many of them on his way to the title already.

    The one exception being Muhammad Mokaev, who is no longer in the UFC after the promotion chose not to resign him at the end of July.

    Due to this reason, “Mighty Mouse” doesn’t see Pantoja losing his grasp at 125 pounds anytime soon.

    “It’s his [Pantoja’s] division and I think it’s his time to shine. He’s worked very hard his whole entire career and I’m very happy for him.”

    Read also: Brandon Moreno Set To Return In UFC Fight Night Edmonton Main Event On Nov. 2

  • Michael Bisping Argues For Conor McGregor’s Spot On MMA Mount Rushmore: A Name For The Ages

    Michael Bisping Argues For Conor McGregor’s Spot On MMA Mount Rushmore: A Name For The Ages

    One of the most common debates that MMA fans are sure to have with one another is who are the greatest and most significant fighters of all time.

    Mixed martial arts is still a very young sport but even with that in mind, picking just four names and faces to fill up a Mount Rushmore of MMA is no easy task.

    This is what former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping attempted to get to the bottom of, on a recent episode of his Believe You Me podcast.

    Of course, all the usual names were thrown into the mix like Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre and Royce Gracie but one big omission throws a major additional factor into the debate.

    Whilst he may not have the same strength of resume or longevity as some of the other names in consideration, MMA would not be what it is today without “The Notorious”.

    Michael Bisping Says Conor McGregor Will Have Long Lasting Legacy On His Side In Mount Rushmore Debate

    After he was left out of the bulk of the discussion, Bisping made the case for why Conor McGregor has to be spoken about as someone that has earned his spot on the sport’s four figureheads.

    The impact that the first-ever UFC champ-champ has had is simply unmatched when you look at the money and attention that he has brought in.

    Bisping made his case by posing the question of what the debate will look like in the distant future and when looking at the list of fighters from that angle, there’s no chance that McGregor isn’t a first-round draft pick.

    “What about this point of view, let’s remember the sport’s only thirty years old. Let’s look at this in a hundred years time from now. Who will be the name that’s really stood out? You cannot deny the impact that McGregor had on this sport and bringing it to the next level and you know, I’m the last person to sit here and fluff him up but you can’t deny that, you just can’t.”

    Read also: Kayla Harrison On How Julianna Peña Reached The Top In UFC: ‘Pretty, Tough As Nails, & Got A Big Mouth’

  • Merab Dvalishvili Told To Borrow From Pedro Munhoz’s Approach Against ‘Suga’: ‘Let O’Malley Make The Mistakes…’

    Merab Dvalishvili Told To Borrow From Pedro Munhoz’s Approach Against ‘Suga’: ‘Let O’Malley Make The Mistakes…’

    A lot of fans are going to be tuning into the main event of UFC 306 expecting Merab Dvalishvili to come out and fight with a very high work rate.

    The bantamweight contender is one of the best fighters in the sport when it comes to weaponizing his conditioning, especially over five rounds.

    His grappling and relentless output is sure to be a difficult problem for the sniper-like striking of Sean O’Malley but Dvalishvili’s teammate has a different option in mind.

    The former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling pointed to one of O’Malley’s past fights as a good example of how the opposite strategy can be effective against “Suga”.

    Aljamain Sterling Points Out How Pedro Munhoz Had Success Against Sean O’Malley By Letting Him Go First

    O’Malley’s best skillset is far and above his counter-striking, as we saw in his title defense against Marlon Vera and his bantamweight title win over Sterling.

    On that night at UFC 292, “Funkmaster” made a mistake in trying to press the action and was caught during his takedown entry.

    In a recent interview with Jake Noecker for Home of Fight, Sterling spoke out about how being reserved so that you aren’t giving the counter-striker many opportunities to land shots or make reads, could be an option for his long-time friend and training partner.

    He pointed to O’Malley’s fight against Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276 as a good example of this.

    Though the fight was declared a no-contest in the second round after Munhoz couldn’t continue from an eye poke, he won the opening stanza on two of the three scorecards by fighting with a much more calculated and controlled approach.

    “I think it’s gonna come down to a patience game. I think if Merab implements the same game plan that I used in the first round, just make it a slow fight, let O’Malley be the one to make mistakes. He’s used to people chasing him and he’s a very good counter fighter so don’t give him what he needs which is what the game plan was in our fight.

    “So just speaking to Merab, letting him know those are his keys to victory. You watch his fight with Pedro Munhoz, it’s a very slow paced fight, not much happens if you don’t give him what he wants and I think anyone who’s an analyst in the sport knows what he’s good at, knows what he needs to have to have success. You take those tools away from him then he doesn’t really, I don’t want to say he doesn’t really have much but we haven’t seen that side of him. Having to be the aggressor when his opponent is not hurt.”

    Read also: Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’ 

  • UFC Champion Feels Kamaru Usman’s Legacy Doesn’t Compare With Israel Adesanya Or Alexander Volkanovski

    UFC Champion Feels Kamaru Usman’s Legacy Doesn’t Compare With Israel Adesanya Or Alexander Volkanovski

    Welterweight champion Belal Muhammad has been trading some comments with the title’s former holder, Kamaru Usman.

    Despite being without a win since his second victory over Colby Covington, “The Nigerian Nightmare” is still very much in the title mix at 170-pounds.

    He may have lost back-to-back fights against Leon Edwards and came up short when attempting to beat Khamzat Chimaev up a weight class on late notice, but his prior winning streak in the division speaks for itself.

    Muhammad, however, doesn’t have the same kind of respect for the run that Usman went on, mostly because of his conduct when he was the champion.

    Belal Muhammad Says Kamaru Usman Picked Opponents During His Welterweight Title Reign

    Muhammad always felt that during his own welterweight winning streak, he was being overlooked by the guys at the top who didn’t want to fight him.

    He had this issue with Edwards before they met in a rematch at UFC 304 and he has the same problem with Usman.

    In an interview with Submission Radio, he spoke about why he doesn’t believe that the former champion deserves another shot at the title without returning to the win column first.

    The current titleholder, who appears to be facing Shavkat Rakhmonov next, says that Usman chose to ignore him and other viable contenders like Vicente Luque in order to take bigger money fights against the likes of Jorge Masvidal.

    Comparing Usman to other long-reigning champions of this era in Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski, Muhammad believes that he isn’t in the same conversation because he picked opponents instead of fighting the next best guy at all times.

    “If you wanted to cement yourself as the best welterweight, you do what Adesanya did or Volkanovski, who’s the next best guy. Who’s the guy that’s right there and he didn’t do that. So for him to say like now he’s calling my name, like oh now you noticed me because I have the target on my back but before you act like you didn’t know who I was. I’ve been chasing you, I’ve been here, I’ve been talking.”

    Read also: ‘Mates With Jorge Masvidal’ – MMA Analyst Explains Why Rumored Dustin Poirier vs. Colby Covington Fight Makes Perfect Sense

  • Aljamain Sterling Calls Movsar Evloev A Drug Cheat: ‘Same Thing People Were Saying About TJ Dillashaw…’

    Aljamain Sterling Calls Movsar Evloev A Drug Cheat: ‘Same Thing People Were Saying About TJ Dillashaw…’

    Aljamain Sterling may not hold any ill-will against his next opponent but he does have some serious accusations about him.

    At UFC 307, the former bantamweight champion will look to produce back-to-back wins since moving up to featherweight.

    In order to build on his UFC 300 victory over Calvin Kattar, he will need to hand Movsar Evloev the first loss of his career.

    The 18-0 Russian has clearly been one of the best in the division since his arrival in the UFC but in “Funkmaster”, faces a very tough test.

    Sterling recently made some comments to suggest that all of Evloev’s accomplishments have been unfairly assisted during his career.

    Aljamain Sterling Says He’s Heard Stories Of Movsar Evloev Being A Drug Cheat, Teaching Others His Methods

    In a recent interview with Jake Noecker for Home of Fight, Sterling said that he believes that Evloev has been cheating at some stage in his career by using performance-enhancing drugs.

    He said that he has his suspicions as to whether his upcoming opponent in Salt Lake City on October 5 is a clean athlete because of things that he has been told in the past.

    Though he did make it very clear that he has no firm evidence of this, Sterling says that they have mutual friends that he used to train with, who are now a part of Evloev’s camp or were, at one point in time.

    The former 135-pound king compared what he has heard to when Cody Garbrandt acted as a whistle-blower against his former teammate TJ Dillashaw and wasn’t taken seriously, only for the former champion to later test positive for EPO.

    “I just think, from what I’ve heard through the grapevine, he’s not a clean athlete and I think that’s just what it comes down to and people can say whatever, ‘You have no proof.’ I’m like dude, the same thing people were saying about TJ Dillashaw from years ago, him teaching people how to do it, Cody Garbrandt calling him out at the press conference and everyone sweeping it under the rug, telling TJ to his face that you taught everyone how to do it. Those conversations are not very different from what I’ve had about Movsar and I think where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

    “Do I have any hard evidence like did I see the guy stick a needle up his a**? No. Did he pop for anything yet? No, maybe he never will but at the day, only him and his consciousness will know if he’s truly a clean athlete or not and I really so believe, I truly do believe he knows he’s cheating. It is what it is, I’m gonna fight him, I’ve fought multiple guys who’ve done stuff, whether or not they got caught.”

    Read also: Alex Pereira Reiterates Plan For Middleweight Return Post-UFC 307, Magomed Ankalaev Reacts With Anger

  • Belal Muhammad Chooses Shavkat Rakhmonov Over Kamaru Usman For Title Defense: ‘Looks Exactly Like The Leon Fight…’

    Belal Muhammad Chooses Shavkat Rakhmonov Over Kamaru Usman For Title Defense: ‘Looks Exactly Like The Leon Fight…’

    There has been a lot of conversation over the past week about whether there will be a surprise next contender for the welterweight title.

    Shavkat Rakhmonov is the clear top pick to challenge Belal Muhammad next and according to him, he was already offered the fight but it didn’t come together.

    Some have debated whether Kamaru Usman’s pedigree in the sport and strong relationship with the UFC could be enough for him to get the next shot despite the fact he is winless in his last three Octagon appearances.

    The champion himself gave his thoughts on this where he clarified why in his opinion, Rakhmonov is next in line.

    Belal Muhammad Says Kamaru Usman Misses Out Because Of Taking UFC 294 Opportunity

    In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Muhammad gave his thoughts on who he believes he will be fighting next.

    Along with one option being more credible because of their current form, the champion also believes that fans would look to detract from his achievements if he were to defeat Usman, which means he finds himself more motivated to go the opposite way.

    “Remember The Name” went with the consensus opinion that Rakhmonov deserves the opportunity but rather than totally disregarding Usman, he explained why in his opinion, “The Nigerian Nightmare” isn’t the front-runner at this time.

    “I think it would just be, for me, if Usman didn’t lose to Khamzat and take that fight, but people forget it was a short notice fight, that would be the fight because he only lost to Leon. But, now he lost three in a row, I think he would need another win. So for me now, it’s all right, Shavkat is the boogeyman that they all think is unbeatable and now I’m getting freaking a thousand comments on my Instagram page anytime I post anything, from the ‘Shavkatians’, so yeah I think for me, it would be another one of those tests to prove people wrong, to shut them up right.

    “My last five or six fights, everybody thought I was gonna get killed, they thought I was gonna lose so he’s another guy that I go out there and I smash him, what’s your excuse gonna be? If I go out there and I beat Usman, it’s like, ‘Well he’s on a three-fight losing streak, he’s done, he has no knees, you just beat a bum.’ But if I go out there and I beat Shavkat, they’re gonna be like what? Nothing. He was undefeated, he has all finishes so now that’s the guy that I’m putting my sights on.”

    Muhammad also broke down how he sees the fight against Rakhmonov playing out when they do eventually meet inside the Octagon.

    He said that this fight will look similar to his title-winning display at UFC 304 and referenced his win over Sean Brady to explain why he believes he will be the one to hand the unbeaten contender his first loss.

    “Honestly I think it looks exactly like the Leon fight. I think I dominate him everywhere. For me, I have a different style every single fight.

    “Shavkat looks like he’s not uncomfortable now because he’s undefeated but these undefeated guys, like I dealt with with Sean Brady, I know how to make them uncomfortable and once I make them uncomfortable, I know how to break them.”

    Read also: Belal Muhammad Claims Kamaru Usman Is A Harder Fight Than Shavkat Rakhmonov: ‘One Of The Best IQs In The Game’

  • Kayla Harrison Makes Surprising Prediction For Larissa Pacheco vs. Cris Cyborg: ‘Unless She’s Been Goofing Off…’

    Kayla Harrison Makes Surprising Prediction For Larissa Pacheco vs. Cris Cyborg: ‘Unless She’s Been Goofing Off…’

    Kayla Harrison fighting Cris Cyborg is a fight that has been spoken about for many years, but looks to be completely off the table at this stage.

    The former PFL and Bellator champions could’ve put on one of the biggest fights possible outside of the UFC but with Harrison signing to the MMA leader, it wasn’t possible even with Cyborg joining the PFL in the Bellator acquisition.

    Now, on October 19, Cyborg will fight a PFL champion but it will instead be the only woman to have beaten the former Olympic Judoka during her pro career.

    Larissa Pacheco has won back-to-back PFL tournaments including her shock upset win over the former champ in 2023.

    Though Harrison may now be competing at the top of the UFC’s bantamweight division, she has got some thoughts on this match-up between the two greatest rivals of her career so far.

    Kayla Harrison Picks Larissa Pacheco To Defeat Cris Cyborg, Says Age A Key Factor

    In a recent interview with Inside Fighting, Harrison picked Pacheco to get the better of Cyborg when they clash at PFL: Battle Of The Giants.

    The bout is set to be the co-main event for the debut of the promotion’s PPV Super Fights division, which will see both the winner of this fight and the main event between Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira receive a new Super Fights belt.

    Harrison said that as long as Pacheco hasn’t lost her dedication, after being able to earn a lot of money, she has the edge in this fight.

    “I think Pacheco wins. She’s young, I mean unless she’s been goofing off, you know. Couple mil will do that sometimes. Couple mil in the bank account makes it hard to get out of bed but she’s young, she’s hungry, she keeps getting better, she’s got real power. Cyborg’s at the end of her career.”

    Harrison then elaborated on the idea that in her opinion, Cyborg is in the final stages of her career now at 39 years old, which gives Pacheco an advantage.

    The Brazilian MMA icon made her pro debut back in 2005, whereas Pacheco wouldn’t make hers until seven years after in 2012.

    “Yeah I think she’s a little bit older and I just think that we like we haven’t seen a lot of progress from her like I don’t see her fight IQ growing. I haven’t seen progression really, she fights the same way now that she fought, you know, however long ago so I think Pacheco is gonna win.”

    Read also: Jéssica Andrade Teases Inaugural Women’s BMF Matchup With Retired Legend: ‘I’ve Been Talking To Joanna…’

  • Jon Anik Opens On Emotional Tribute To Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Father: ‘The Only Thing That Even Comes Close…’

    Jon Anik Opens On Emotional Tribute To Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Father: ‘The Only Thing That Even Comes Close…’

    There was a point in time where MMA fans questioned the UFC’s decision to have Jon Anik take over as the lead play-by-play commentator on the broadcasts, only for him to become an integral part of the promotion.

    Anik has been a part of so many incredible moments in the history of the sport but for “Big” John McCarthy, there’s one memory that stands out.

    McCarthy and Josh Thomson were joined by the modern-day voice of the UFC on the latest episode of their Weighing In podcast.

    During their conversation, the veteran referee wanted to highlight how one piece of work from Anik has always stuck with him since he first heard it.

    Anik delivered a tribute to the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov following his passing in 2020 which led to his son, Khabib Nurmagomedov, retiring on top of the sport.

    Jon Anik Reflects On Tribute For Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, Reveals Whether Anything Tops It

    After McCarthy spoke about the level of emotion and heart that the commentator was able to put into this tribute as one of his finest moments on the mic, Anik spoke about the backstory of putting this together.

    When asked if there was anything in his career that tops this, he gave another example of a powerful piece of work like the tribute for Nurmagomedov, that he also gives a lot of credit to his producer at the time to.

    “Yes, I mean the only thing that even comes close and same producer no longer with the UFC, Mike Ricci now actually working for chess.com, and my daughters along with Daniel Cormier’s daughter got to do an Amanda Nunes essay. So it was those three girls doing it so it had nothing to do with me. I don’t know that anything could top that but man, yes, you’re giving me chills when you reference that poem, ‘a father to his son.’

    “I wish I remember what it was but oftentimes when we do an essay for a fighter, I might write it, I might have a ghost writer and then I might edit that script. In this case, it was this poem that was actually picked and I really had to find, and I appreciate you acknowledging the work because I am proud of it. I had to find, sort of a dulcet, melancholy, sad tone that was very, and it was voiced on this exact headset that you’re looking at right now in a hotel room probably like this so finding the right tone and sending that off, hoping that they would put it together in the right way, yes it was special and obviously it was to him [Khabib Nurmagomedov] but Mike Ricci really deserves all the credit.”

    Read also: Coach On Sean O’Malley Not Defending Title Against Umar Nurmagomedov: “If ‘Suga’ Just Faceplants Merab & Drops A ‘Hendo’ Bomb…”

  • Merab Dvalishvili’s Coach On Approach To Avoid Against Sean O’Malley: ‘That’s How We’re Gonna Get Knocked Out’

    Merab Dvalishvili’s Coach On Approach To Avoid Against Sean O’Malley: ‘That’s How We’re Gonna Get Knocked Out’

    Merab Dvalishvili has won ten consecutive UFC fights to find himself as the number one contender in the bantamweight division.

    In many of his signature wins over the likes of Henry Cejudo, José Aldo and Petr Yan, it has been his relentless cardio and grappling game that usually sees him dominate opponents.

    Though the Georgian fighter has shown a willingness to test his striking skills rather than constantly chaining together his takedown attempts, he has been hurt several times whilst standing with other contenders.

    While it is important for Dvalishvili to not be too one dimensional in his upcoming title fight with Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, his coach is also very aware that this is where they have the best chance of winning this fight.

    John Wood Says It’s Important For Merab Dvalishvili To Use His Grappling Skill Set At UFC 306

    O’Malley and Dvalishvili are far too accomplished as overall mixed martial arts to refer to this fight as entirely a striker vs grappler match-up, but it’s clear that they do their best work in the respective ranges.

    This is something that was stressed by John Wood in a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, where he spoke about Dvalishvili’s preparations.

    He isn’t going to be training his fighter to neglect his striking skills but at the same time, he knows that if they aren’t looking to use their grappling whenever they can, they’re making it an easier night for the champion on September 14.

    “I never want to overlook what got Merab to the dance, what brought Merab into this title fight and we have to try to keep those things in check and not lose ourselves. ‘Oh we have to go learn traditional boxing, we have to learn striking, we have to do these things to compete with O’Malley,’ because that’s how we’re going to get knocked out. Merab is a crazy man we just have to make him a technical crazy man.”

    Read also: Coach On Sean O’Malley Not Defending Title Against Umar Nurmagomedov: “If ‘Suga’ Just Faceplants Merab & Drops A ‘Hendo’ Bomb…”

  • Robert Whittaker Explains Why UFC Could Gift Welterweight Title Shot To Former Champion: ‘A Lot Of Balls In His Court’

    Robert Whittaker Explains Why UFC Could Gift Welterweight Title Shot To Former Champion: ‘A Lot Of Balls In His Court’

    Kamaru Usman could be back in the mix at the top of the welterweight division despite the fact that he has lost his last three fights inside the Octagon.

    The former welterweight champion may be without a win since he lost the title in his second fight with Leon Edwards but he has other factors that make him a credible contender.

    Shavkat Rakhmonov may be the clear option on paper but the undefeated finisher doesn’t have the same pedigree and longstanding relationship with the UFC.

    The relationship that Usman has built up with the promotion was on full display at UFC 294, where he stepped in to fight Khamzat Chimaev up a weight class on short notice.

    Robert Whittaker believes that this puts him in a strong position to get the title shot.

    Robert Whittaker Says Kamaru Usman’s UFC 294 Save Puts Him On Good Terms With The UFC

    Whittaker isn’t the first to suggest that Usman may be more likely to get the first shot at Belal Muhammad, it would appear.

    Rakhmonov has already stated that he was offered to fight Muhammad at UFC 307 but the fight didn’t get signed because the champion couldn’t make that turnaround after winning the title at the end of July.

    On a recent episode of his MMArcade Podcast, Whittaker gave his thoughts on whether “The Nigerian Nightmare” will be able to secure this fight after what he has done for the UFC in the past.

    “I think after Usman stepped in to fight Chimaev on a week’s notice, I feel like that’s a lot of balls in his court. I feel like that’s a lot of weight cuz that’s pretty ballsy, it was a pretty good fight. I don’t know, I wouldn’t be terribly upset if he gets a title shot.”

    Whittaker’s co-host on the podcast, Jonny Roses, referenced how after that fight at UFC 294, Dana White went into the Octagon to thank Usman for taking this fight on short notice.

    “The Reaper” responded by saying that though he can see Usman getting a title shot or an eliminator, he doesn’t think the promotion will want to do what is best for Muhammad.

    “It’s hard to say, I can see them giving it to Usman because of that but Usman hasn’t been in for a long time. I could also say I can also see them fighting Shavkat for that reason but I can’t see UFC doing Belal too much of a solid in terms of matching up his hardest opponents together, you know what I mean. I don’t think he’s earned that credit strip yet.”

    Read also: Gilbert Burns Makes Retirement Admission Ahead Of UFC Return: ‘I’m Getting Freaking Old’

  • Coach On Sean O’Malley Not Defending Title Against Umar Nurmagomedov: “If ‘Suga’ Just Faceplants Merab & Drops A ‘Hendo’ Bomb…”

    Coach On Sean O’Malley Not Defending Title Against Umar Nurmagomedov: “If ‘Suga’ Just Faceplants Merab & Drops A ‘Hendo’ Bomb…”

    Following his win over Cory Sandhagen at the start of August, Umar Nurmagomedov would appear to be the next in line to challenge for the bantamweight title.

    Sean O’Malley will be defending the belt against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 while Nurmagomedov watches on to see how it plays out.

    The only thing that could potentially stop the undefeated contender from getting his shot is if there is the potential to put on a massive fight between UFC champions.

    O’Malley has spoken in the past about wanting to challenge himself at featherweight and though Dvalishvili presents a very serious threat, “Suga” has big plans.

    The current champion has spoken about wanting to face Nurmagomedov but a super fight against the winner of the featherweight title fight at UFC 308 could be a now-or-never opportunity for O’Malley and the promotion.

    Tim Welch Says Super Fight Could Be Next For Sean O’Malley Under The Right Circumstances

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoNd4U5WNok&t=623s

    In a recent interview with James Lynch for Bodog Canada, O’Malley’s head coach Tim Welch gave his thoughts on Nurmagomedov being the next contender.

    Welch believes that taking on the cousin of the great Khabib Nurmagomedov will be their next challenge unless the main events of UFC 306 and UFC 308 end in emphatic fashion.

    He thinks that the UFC could strike while the iron is hot if both O’Malley and either Ilia Topuria or Max Holloway is able to put in a statement performance before going on to face each other, leaving Nurmagomedov to wait a bit longer for his chance.

    Welch referenced Dan Henderson’s iconic knockout of Michael Bisping at UFC 100 to make the case for this fight being put together if there is enough buzz.

    “I think we’ll see how it goes and if Ilia, maybe if Max knocks out Ilia or Ilia knocks out Max cold and then ‘Suga’ just face plants Merab and drops a ‘Hendo’ bomb on him at the end and it’s just spectacular knock outs, I don’t think Dana and those guys would be opposed to make a super fight.”

    Read also: Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’ 

  • UFC Fighter Francis Marshall Opens Up About Career As Fire Fighter: ‘You’re Going Into Someone’s House On The Worst Day Of Their Life!’ (Exclusive)

    UFC Fighter Francis Marshall Opens Up About Career As Fire Fighter: ‘You’re Going Into Someone’s House On The Worst Day Of Their Life!’ (Exclusive)

    Francis Marshall is living the dream of being a UFC fighter after competing four times inside the Octagon as a member of the lightweight roster.

    His latest appearance saw him bounce back from consecutive defeats by besting Dennis Buzukja on short notice this past weekend at the UFC Apex.

    Though Marshall is focused on keeping this dream going by continuing to pick up wins and evolve as a martial artist, he does have another pursuit and passion.

    The 25-year-old doesn’t carry the nickname “Fire” just because that’s what he always looks to bring when stepping inside the cage.

    Alongside his MMA career, Marshall works as a firefighter, though for obvious reasons, that’s currently on hold because of his fight career.

    Francis Marshall Talks About The Rewarding Nature Of Being A Fire Fighter

    In a recent interview with MMA News, Marshall spoke about his love for being a firefighter where getting to help others is incredibly rewarding for him.

    Competing as a professional athlete has become a career option for him at this stage in his life so his other job has had to be left in the background for the time being.

    That being said, it isn’t something that he plans on leaving behind for good depending on what happens during his MMA journey.

    The 155-pound fighter said that being there for others in their most desperate time of need isn’t something he takes for granted, even if he’s competing at the highest level in MMA.

    “Right now, I’m on the leave of absence from work so I’m training full-time. I got to see where my future goes. Obviously, I would love to fight forever and then see what happens after that but I mean, it’s a great career. It’s a great job, it’s great to help people like that. It was always like, you’re going to someone’s house on the worst day of their life like nobody wants that. So you kind of go there with the respect of that, with the courtesy, like you don’t wanna ruin their day anymore than it is. You’re going there to help so whatever that homeowner or that resident needs in that time, that’s what we’re kinda there for.”

    Read also: Undefeated UFC Contender Targets Michael ‘Venom’ Page Having Emulated Him In The Past: “I Know The Way To Knock The Guy Out”

  • Former Khalil Rountree Training Partner Predicts First-Round Knockout For ‘Guy Of The Moment’ Alex Pereira

    Former Khalil Rountree Training Partner Predicts First-Round Knockout For ‘Guy Of The Moment’ Alex Pereira

    The main event of UFC 307 is sure to be an exciting contest while it lasts as knockout artists compete for the light heavyweight title in Salt Lake City.

    Many were surprised to see Khalil Rountree get the next shot at Alex Pereira’s title but in some ways, the match-up speaks for itself.

    A lot is going to be made from now up to October 5 about Rountree’s comments regarding his willingness to stand and strike with the former GLORY kickboxer.

    Despite rating his skills as a fighter and his conduct as a person, a former training partner of his isn’t sure that he can hang in there against “Poatan”.

    Carlos Prates Can’t See How Khalil Rountree Will Compete With Alex Pereira On The Feet

    In a recent interview with Sherdog.com, breakout welterweight Carlos Prates gave his thoughts on the main event clash at 205 pounds.

    As someone who has spent some time in the company of Rountree, he was able to give an educated prediction for this fight.

    Prates, like many, simply doesn’t believe that Rountree will be able to have success when striking with Pereira, even if he has been very effective on the feet.

    The 170-pounder picked out Magomed Ankalaev, who many expected would be next for the title shot, as the only fighter that might be able to cause Pereira some problems, likely due to his grappling game.

    “To be honest, I train before with Khalil Rountree. He’s a nice guy, he’s a good fighter but I don’t think he can fight with ‘Poatan’. ‘Poatan’ is a different level of striking. I also see an interview of Khalil, he saying he have no plans to try take down so I think he, the first round, ‘Poatan’ gonna knock him out and that’s it. In light heavyweight, maybe Ankalaev can fight good against him but that’s it. Other guys, I don’t think they win the fight against ‘Poatan’. now ‘Poatan’ is the guy of the moment, the guy of the UFC right now.”

    Read also: Khalil Rountree Receives Lighter Sentence After Self-Reporting PED Usage

  • UFC Contender Targets Michael ‘Venom’ Page Having Emulated Him In The Past: “I Know The Way To Knock The Guy Out”

    UFC Contender Targets Michael ‘Venom’ Page Having Emulated Him In The Past: “I Know The Way To Knock The Guy Out”

    Carlos Prates has been a fantastic edition to the UFC roster since earning his contract via the last season of the Contender Series.

    The Fighting Nerds athlete has gone 3-0 inside the Octagon, stopping all three opponents with devastating finishes.

    His latest win over Li Jingliang at UFC 305 set him up well for an even bigger name next time out, and given the fact that he has put on a show with each appearance, a ranked opponent isn’t out of the question.

    When looking at the fighters that occupy the ranking sports from 15-10, one name in particular stands out to Prates.

    Carlos Prates Reveals That He Emulated Michael Page For ‘MVP’s Only Knockout Loss

    In a recent interview with Sherdog.com, Prates gave his thoughts on all of the potential ranked opponents that he could be matched with in the near future.

    He revealed an interesting story from his earlier career when arriving at the name of one of the division’s most talented strikers.

    Michael “Venom” Page is an incredibly difficult opponent to train for because you don’t find people that have his unique style combined with size and reach, very easily.

    Prates said that he has been a stand in for “MVP” when he was training alongside Douglas Lima, who fought Page twice in Bellator.

    In their first meeting, Lima would hand the Brit his first defeat at Bellator, via a ruthless second-round knockout.

    Prates believes that after being a part of the camp for this fight, he has the secret to become the second man to stop Page.

    “Michael Page would be a really good fight. I would like to fight him, it would be a great bonus again. You know the first time he lost to Douglas Lima? I was a sparring partner of Douglas. I was doing like MVP and Douglas was doing his game. He, Douglas and his coach, came to Thailand and we trained all together… So it’s kinda I know the way to knock the guy out.”

    Read also: Shavkat Rakhmonov Trusts UFC’s Meritocracy To Prevent Conor McGregor Title Shot Hijack, Reveals Belal Muhammad Turned Down UFC 307 Date

  • Caio Borralho Makes Convincing Argument To Fight Israel Adesanya Next: ‘So Dominant In His Prime…’

    Caio Borralho Makes Convincing Argument To Fight Israel Adesanya Next: ‘So Dominant In His Prime…’

    Following his biggest win to date this past weekend, Caio Borralho finds himself in the top five of the UFC’s middleweight division.

    The Contender Series alum capitalized on his first main event opportunity by beating Jared Cannonier to inject some new blood into the mix at 185-pounds.

    Though he would like to be in the title picture already, it appears likely that Borralho will need one more big win in order to really solidify his case, due to Sean Strickland being in line to challenge Dricus Du Plessis next.

    The Brazilian has now targeted the next best thing to fighting for the belt and that means facing off with the division’s biggest name.

    Caio Borralho Says Fighting Israel Adesanya Means He Gets To Face A Legend

    For the first time in a long time, Israel Adesanya’s next outing inside the Octagon will not be in a UFC title fight.

    “The Last Stylebender” said after his defeat at UFC 305 that he isn’t going anywhere just yet, meaning that he will go back to joining the list of contenders.

    In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Borralho made a strong case for why he should be next for the former champion.

    When you look at the other top fights in the rankings right now, Adesanya has already faced many of them aside from Brendan Allen and Nassourdine Imavov, who are already matched up with one another as the #5 contender pointed out.

    Borralho said that he wants this fight next because it would be a big moment for his own legacy to face someone that has represented the very best of the weight class for such a long time.

    “Let’s see, I want to fight him [Adesanya]. I think it will be a good fight on my resume and if the UFC wants me to do one more fight before I go to the belt, I think this is the fight to make. Why not fight a guy that is a legend of this sport and that was so dominant in his prime, so definitely a guy that I want to face just because nothing personal but just because it makes sense right now for him and it makes sense for me too.”

    Borralho then went on to explain how Adesanya has fought all the other names in the top 8 of the division, except Imavov and Allen – who are going to fight one another.

    Hence, the only realistic fight for Adesanya is the Brazilian, and Borralho is only too happy to oblige.

    Read also: MMA Analyst Believes Israel Adesanya Following ‘The Khabib Model’ Might Have Led To Dricus Du Plessis Loss

  • UFC Middleweight On Brendan Allen – Marvin Vettori Casino Bust Up: ‘Talk Some S**t To The Wrong Person They’ll Punch You In The Mouth’ [Exclusive]

    UFC Middleweight On Brendan Allen – Marvin Vettori Casino Bust Up: ‘Talk Some S**t To The Wrong Person They’ll Punch You In The Mouth’ [Exclusive]

    After a lot of tension between the two men due to their history where they were set to meet inside the Octagon, UFC middleweights Brendan Allen and Marvin Vettori were involved in a brawl several weeks ago.

    Sources reported that the Italian fighter had gotten into an altercation with UFC fighter Tuco Tokkos which Allen then intervened in, whilst they were in attendance at a PFL event.

    The fight, which was captured on video, shows Allen going at “The Italian Dream” as both men traded blows.

    They have exchanged comments on social media and in interviews multiple times before so this beef certainly didn’t come out of nowhere.

    Zach Reese Says Online Trash Talking Isn’t For Him

    In a recent interview with MMA News, UFC middleweight Zach Reese gave his thoughts on the viral brawl between Vettori and Allen.

    The 30-year-old has got back-to-back wins in the 185-pound weight class.

    Reese believes that whilst he understands that trash-talking is a big part of the sport today, it’s not something that he likes to partake in.

    “Savage” has no problem saying what he thinks but he isn’t going to say anything that he can’t physically back up in person, as opposed to making comments from the other side of a screen.

    “I don’t believe in jumping, I think that’s what’s gone down the world is that people won’t have one-on-one fist fights anymore and you know dude, if you talk s*** on the internet, I think talking s*** on the internet’s lame as f*** to be honest man. I don’t even know the whole backstory on that or who started it or whatever but there’s something in me as like a man, it’s just I don’t like the idea of talking s*** on the internet dude, it’s kind of weird. I know it’s kind of the name of the game in MMA and it gets the fans excited and stuff but yeah, if you talk crap to somebody man then you better be willing to face the consequences or say it to their face. Talk some s*** to the wrong person, they’ll punch you in the mouth.”

    Read also: Khamzat Chimaev’s Former ‘Main Sparring Partner’ Caio Borralho Warns Robert Whittaker: ‘I Didn’t See Any Other Guy In My Life…’

  • Shavkat Rakhmonov Trusts UFC’s Meritocracy To Prevent Conor McGregor Title Shot Hijack, Reveals Belal Muhammad Turned Down UFC 307 Date

    Shavkat Rakhmonov Trusts UFC’s Meritocracy To Prevent Conor McGregor Title Shot Hijack, Reveals Belal Muhammad Turned Down UFC 307 Date

    Shavkat Rakhmonov hasn’t put a foot wrong during his ascent up the welterweight ladder towards a title shot.

    With a undefeated record and all of his wins coming via finish, the 170-pound contender appears to be set up to challenge Belal Muhammad for the belt next time out. unless something unexpected occurs.

    The UFC has been known to temporarily swerve the rankings if it means putting something big together and when you’re talking big in MMA, there’s no one larger than Conor McGregor.

    Despite there being no rescheduled date for his welterweight return against Michael Chandler, “The Notorious” returning with a win could completely change the top of the weight class.

    Rakhmonov spoke in a recent interview with MMA Fighting about how he believes the promotion will do right by him even in the instance that “The Mac” is back in the mix.

    “He’s been getting ready to fight a long time but wasn’t able to do that yet so in my head, I don’t even think about him winning this one fight in three years is going to do something. I understand he’s a big star but in my head, I don’t see it being possible. I believe UFC is the best and the most fair organization so I believe they’re gonna do everything right.”

    Shavkat Rakhmonov Reveals That Belal Muhammad Turned Down UFC 307 Title Fight

    Though there has been some debate over whether Rakhmonov will definitely be the next title challenger for Muhammad, the contender answered this question all by himself.

    He revealed during the same interview that he has already been offered the title shot but it didn’t come to fruition due to the champion not being able to make a 70-day turnaround to fight at elevation in Salt Lake City, Utah.

    Alex Pereira will be headlining UFC 307 instead, which always seemed to be an optimistic target for Muhammad after he won the belt at the end of July.

    “Yeah, actually I had already been offered to fight Belal and I accepted the fight against Belal but unfortunately, he declined to fight me due to the timing issues, he wasn’t ready to defend his belt on that time. So, we’ll see what’s gonna happen and when he’s gonna be ready so I will be able to fight him. Before he became a champion and after he won the belt, he said he’s gonna be an active champion and he will defend his belt more often but at the moment, he isn’t backing up what he said so let’s see what’s going to happen, when he’s going to be ready to fight me.”

    Read also: Khalil Rountree Says He Would Fire His Coaches If They Insisted He Grapple Alex Pereira

  • Khalil Rountree Says He Would Fire His Coaches If They Insisted He Grapple Alex Pereira

    Khalil Rountree Says He Would Fire His Coaches If They Insisted He Grapple Alex Pereira

    Khalil Rountree has made it pretty clear that if he’s going to leave UFC 307 on October 5 with the light heavyweight title, and he’s going to do it with his striking skills.

    The title challenger is a very skilled and dangerous stand-up fighter who has finished four of the five wins on his current streak.

    However, standing with most opponents and standing with Alex Pereira are two extremely different prospects.

    The current 205-pound champion and former GLORY kickboxing legend is one of the best strikers that we have seen inside the Octagon, meaning that if there’s a best path to victory against him, it’s to avoid the striking range altogether.

    Rountree wouldn’t even consider this as a potential backup plan because it’s not who he is as a fighter.

    Khalil Rountree Says Coaches Asking Him To Grapple Would Show Lack Of Confidence

    In a recent interview with former middleweight champion Michael Bisping on his YouTube channel, “The Count” posed a question to Rountree about his strategy for this fight.

    Bisping asked what his thoughts would be if his coach were to come to the title challenger and suggest that for this fight, they implement a grappling-focused game plan because it’s the weaker part of Pereira’s game.

    Rountree responded by saying that even just this idea would make him have serious doubts in his coaches because of how much time they have spent working on his striking.

    Whilst he may be able to grapple when he needs to, this would mean completely going against what it is that he does best. which would show a lack of faith in his ability to get the job done.

    “If it were my coach, I’d say maybe I need to look for another coach man. Yeah I mean, it doesn’t make sense, I’m not a wrestler. Yes, I’m a mixed martial artist, I’m able to do a lot of different things.

    “My grappling’s good, my wrestling’s decent but that’s just not me, that’s not my instinct and so like why would I put myself in harm’s way to try to secure this victory when that’s just not me, that’s just not my style.

    “So it would just show me that if my coach were telling me, ‘Hey this is the way’, I’d be like man, who are you coaching because this has never been the game plan so why at the height of my career would we switch everything that we’ve ever done to secure some victory? Like where is your belief in what I do? So it would make me question my coaches if anything.”

    Read also: Khalil Rountree Receives Lighter Sentence After Self-Reporting PED Usage

  • Khamzat Chimaev’s Former ‘Main Sparring Partner’ Caio Borralho Warns Robert Whittaker: ‘I Didn’t See Any Other Guy In My Life…’

    Khamzat Chimaev’s Former ‘Main Sparring Partner’ Caio Borralho Warns Robert Whittaker: ‘I Didn’t See Any Other Guy In My Life…’

    Khamzat Chimaev is set to return to action at UFC 308 where his fight with former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has been rescheduled for the co-main event.

    Despite the fact that he debuted in the UFC four years ago, it still feels like there are so many unanswered questions surrounding the undefeated contender.

    Chimaev has an element of mystery and myth that still surrounds him, largely thanks to the stories you will hear from the fighters that have trained alongside him.

    One of those athletes is the #5-ranked middleweight Caio Borralho who got some work in with Chimaev two years ago.

    Caio Borralho Reflects On Experience Training With Khamzat Chimaev In Sweden

    Borralho had two main takeaways from the time that he spent training with Chimaev in the past, as he detailed in a recent interview with Submission Radio.

    His first major talking point was about the level of wrestling that his fellow middleweight contender brings to the table and how Whittaker will need to be working with the right training partners in order to prepare himself for this.

    “I already training with him, spent some time in Sweden with him for his training camp against Nate Diaz, the fight that never happened. I was there training with him every day, was my main sparring partner for this camp and I think it’s a very tough fight for Whittaker ‘cuz Khamzat has very great wrestling and there’s one thing about Khamzat that people don’t realize too much. They don’t know what kind of level to expect from him. Like they know by seeing but when feel it, think it’s a little bit different. This kind of level of wrestling, of grappling, I think the best wrestler in the division is Khamzat and we saw how he dominated Kamaru Usman, that’s a great, great wrestler.”

    Along with his wrestling pedigree, the other major characteristic of Chimaev’s approach to MMA has been his intense work ethic.

    Borralho gave some insight into this by detailing one particular session where “Borz” continued to work after completing the sparring session for the day.

    “He trains a lot, like I didn’t see any other guy in my life that trains as much as he trains. Maybe that’s why sometimes he like kills his body and doesn’t make it to the fight but definitely a guy that over train everyone in the room. There was a time that we did like five rounds sparring and after sparring, he did like three or four rounds of pads and then after that, he did like a 30-minute run and I was like, ‘What the f*** is this guy doing?’”

    Read also: MMA Analyst Believes Israel Adesanya Following ‘The Khabib Model’ Might Have Led To Dricus Du Plessis Loss

  • Daniel Cormier Highlights PEDs As Biggest Concern For Mike Tyson In Jake Paul Fight

    Daniel Cormier Highlights PEDs As Biggest Concern For Mike Tyson In Jake Paul Fight

    November 15 will see one of the biggest and most controversial boxing matches of all time take place when Jake Paul faces Mike Tyson in Arlington, Texas.

    Set to be the first live boxing event streamed on Netflix, the card is sure to draw huge numbers and demand a lot of attention.

    The question is whether this will, in turn, bring a lot of negativity to it because of the nature of the match-up.

    Regardless of any other health and physical factors, the just over 30-year age gap between them has made a lot of people speak out about their concerns for this fight and whether it should even be going ahead.

    Tyson is obviously a legend of the sport even with his experience and power, there’s a good chance that this fight could get ugly, especially once it goes past the first few rounds.

    Daniel Cormier Says Jake Paul’s Cardio & Output Concerns Him In Mike Tyson Fight

    What the fight looks like past the opening few minutes is something that Daniel Cormier has a big problem with.

    The former UFC two-weight world champion spoke during a recent episode of Funky and the Champ about how Paul is surely going to take over, even if the fight starts competitively.

    Cormier made reference to how this was the case in his recent fight with Mike Perry where even when “Platinum” was able to survive an early onslaught, “The Problem Child” was able to keep this pace up and put it on his opponent to get the finish.

    “DC” also stated how Paul has been accused of taking performance enhancing drugs in the past, which will only widen the gap in athletic ability between the two men.

    Like nearly every combat sports fan in the world, Cormier is a big fan of Tyson and doesn’t want to see a scenario where the fight starts to become uncomfortable if Paul starts to pull away due to his conditioning.

    “As the fight went longer, Jake Paul draws on this reserve, finishes Mike Perry. Many believe that in that reserve is a few banned things but at the end of the day, it allows for Jake to draw from that and put himself on the path to get a victory. That is my concern, because what if this thing looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man when Mike can’t draw from that reserve tank to stay and compete with this young kid.”

    Read also: Jon Jones Has NSFW Response To Tom Aspinall Labelling Him The ‘Champion Of Fight Dodging’: ‘I Absolutely Guarantee He Will Not Win…’