Many have expected for a long time that Nurmagomedov just needed the opportunity to show that he was an elite level talent and that finally happened him for on Saturday night.
He was left very impressed by Nurmagomedov’s performance and believes that he should be the next in line to face the winner of the upcoming title fight.
“Mighty Mouse” spoke about how either option of O’Malley or Dvalishvili taking on Nurmagomedov in a title defense makes for an engaging match-up.
Whichever way it ends up unfolding, Johnson is excited to now have another name in the mix at the top end of bantamweight.
“I like him [Nurmagomedov] taking him [O’Malley] to the ground, I don’t think he’ll be able to get Merab down, I’m not sure. But, I think this match-up, whoever wins this one fighting Umar, I think it’s the right thing to do and I can’t wait to see all three of these guys get the opportunity to lock horns each other or one of them fights the other one.”
There are a lot of parallels in the careers of Khabib and his younger cousin Umar Nurmagomedov.
Both have been incredibly dominant inside the Octagon but during their climbs, were held back by injuries and issues with finding opponents.
Eventually, “The Eagle” was undeniable and proved himself to be a top-tier lightweight and that’s what happened in the bantamweight division with Umar this past weekend.
His win over Cory Sandhagen means that just like Islam and his cousin before him, he’s arrived at the top at long last.
Javier Mendez Says Khabib Was A Better Grappler But Umar Nurmagomedov Is Already A Better Striker
In a recent interview with The Schmo, AKA head coach Javier Mendez was asked to compare Umar and Khabib as fighters, given where the undefeated 135-pound contender is at right now.
Mendez is very high on Umar’s potential and went on to say that with Islam being four years older than him, Khabib’s cousin could go on to claim the position of being the number 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world at some stage.
He spoke about what separates the two cousins, by running down which one has the edge in terms of their skill set and toughness.
“Well as far as skills at this juncture of their careers, that’s a tough one you hit me with. I would say that Khabib’s ground is still top notch. Umar’s ground is great but Khabib was just another level but again, Khabib’s stand up wasn’t up to where Umar’s is on par. But, as far as their mental, their mental is fairly comparable. Khabib’s chin’s granite, I’ve never seen anybody have a chin like Khabib. Umar has got a great chin as he proved from the last fight when he got dropped and he was able to go for the takedown as he was being dropped but I guess the chin level would have to go with Khabib but the mental toughness, I think they’re pretty equal, mental toughness. I mean Umar is a tough customer man.”
The biggest fight of Umar Nurmagomedov’s career led to his most impressive performance to date in the main event this past weekend.
There’s been hype surrounding him for a long time now but in an opponent like Cory Sandhagen, he was facing his most skilled, dangerous, and experienced opponent.
He may have been holding the #11-ranking in the division but the writing has been on the wall for some time now in terms of his ranking not reflecting his ability.
UFC commentator Jon Anik believes that even with Sandhagen being his first big win, he would expect Nurmagomedov to be a betting favorite over the two men that are set to fight over the bantamweight title next month.
Jon Anik Believes That Umar Nurmagomedov Will Be A Betting Favorite When He Fights For The Title
In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Anik was asked about Nurmagomedov’s win and who he thinks he will end up fighting for the bantamweight title which is set to be contested between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306, in September.
The UFC commentator didn’t pick a winner in that fight for obvious reasons, but he did say that Nurmagomedov could be the oddsmakers pick in either match-up.
He started by complimenting the undefeated contender both for his skills inside the Octagon and his conduct outside of it.
“Umar is like one of the most impressive human beings, fighters, that I’ve met in any walk of life. His ability to connect with people in English already is insane relative to what it was like 24 months ago and he’s always banging on himself in terms of his ability to speak English. He’s fantastic. He’ll be favored against Sean or Merab, I feel pretty convicted in saying that. I just don’t think a lot of guys would be able to dominate Cory Sandhagen in that way. With respect to Cory, and my kids distracting me, I gave Umar all five rounds so impressed doesn’t even begin to describe it.”
Judge Mike Bell agreed with Anik’s viewpoint, awarding all five rounds to Nurmagomedov on the scorecards whilst Ben Cartlidge and David Lethaby both gave Sandhagen one of the five.
#UFCAbuDhabi Official Scorecard: Cory Sandhagen vs Umar Nurmagomedov (@UNmgdv)
Top ten heavyweights are set to meet in the main event as Serghei Spivac and Marcin Tybura run it back, following their first encounter over four years ago.
However, it was another fight on the card that many were singling out as the one to watch on August 10 in Las Vegas.
Co-main event billing was set to go to a bantamweight clash between Chris Gutierrez and Javid Basharat, a match-up that certainly stuck out on paper.
Both were looking to bounce back from losses in their last outings to try and push themselves towards the top 15 at 135 pounds.
Unfortunately, as reported by Alex Behunin, the fight is now off and the reaction from the fans on social media certainly points towards this being the bout that people were tuning in for.
“Well that’s decided then, I shall not be watching the fights”
Well that’s decided then, I shall not be watching the fights
Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For August 5, 2024, we’re taking a look at:
McGregor is back doing McGregor things
Taveras details his final straw
Ferguson thinks he still has what it takes on the feet
Conor McGregor Stays Busy At BKFC Event
Conor McGregor was in attendance at another Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship event this past weekend, with BKFC 63 taking place in South Dakota.
UFC Bantamweight Ramon Taveras Details Drive-By Shooting Attempt
UFC bantamweight Ramon Taveras was seemingly the target of a drive-by shooting at his home in Jacksonville, Florida, one week ago.
Taveras posted a video and long caption on his Instagram to explain exactly what happened and how he was left uninjured after defending himself with his own firearm.
He ended the post by saying that after losing his brother to gun violence five years ago and this recent attack, he’s leaving Duval County due to the risk and the failures of the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office.
Taveras was set to make his second Octagon appearance at UFC 304 last month until an injury led to him withdrawing from his fight with Caolan Loughran.
“El Cucuy” now holds the longest losing streak in UFC history after he was submitted by Michael Chiesa in the opening round.
Ferguson is still clearly passionate about what he does and has confidence in his skills.
He spoke after the fight about the changes he made for this camp that included a return to sparring, which helped with his striking skills for this fight.
Despite being taken down and finished, the former interim champion believes that he’s still got it while the fight stays standing.
“There’s a lot of things I need to work on,” Ferguson said. “We did a lot of sparring. You could see that out there; I felt pretty good on my feet. … I felt normal in there for a second. … There’s a lot of things that I can and can’t do. … This whole entire camp, I had just got back into sparring. … We just started throwing pads again.
“When I went out there and I hit Chiesa, he didn’t want to stand and bang. Not a lot of people want to stand and bang with me,” Ferguson added.
Evloev has been a force of nature since arriving in the Octagon and whilst he hasn’t had the finishes to really gather hype around his winning streak, his record speaks for itself.
Sterling has also not always received tons of praise for his fighting style but his high-level grappling combined with awkward striking, makes him a very tough test for his Russian opponent.
A fellow 145-pound contender on the UFC roster is excited to see how the two men match up with one another once the Octagon door closes.
Youssef Zalal Breaks Down Aljamain Sterling Vs Movsar Evloev At UFC 307
Youssef Zalal will look to secure back-to-back victories during his second stint in the UFC when he returns to face Jarno Errens on August 10.
In a recent interview with MMA News, the Moroccan fighter broke down how he sees the match-up of top contenders and grapplers going down in Salt Lake City.
Zalal made reference to how a clash of two grappling specialists often turns into a striking match between them as they cancel one another out on the floor.
He also provided the theory that based on what he has seen from both, this could be a wrestling versus jiu-jitsu affair.
“Those guys, I think it’s either gonna see a striking match the whole time and I think you’re gonna see one either wrestling and the other one jiu-jitsu. I feel like when the Russian fought Diego Lopes, you could see the jiu-jitsu kind of felt a little bit [off] right. I mean Diego Lopes’ jiu-jitsu is pretty good too so that’s why that, and I think Aljamain is a really good grappler obviously.
“so I think you’re going to see a little battle on that part or it’s going to be a full-on striking match whenever you put two grapplers together so I’m pretty interested to see how the match-ups and the styles go on that part.”
Featherweight contender Arnold Allen returned to the win column at UFC 304, where winning rounds two and three against Giga Chikadze secured him a unanimous decision across all three scorecards.
The fight was a high-level striking contest between the two men in Manchester where Allen was able to show that he can stand with the best strikers at 145-pounds.
Despite everything appearing to be civil between them ahead of fight night, a social media post from Chikadze appeared to stir up some drama.
The Georgian fighter posted on X and accused his opponent of sending spies to his training room.
You can send as many spies as you want in my training room but tmrw night no one will help you in the octagon! #UFC304@ufc
Arnold Allen Addresses ‘Weird’ Spying Allegations And Says He Wouldn’t Need Them
In a recent interview with InsideFighting, Allen spoke about Chikadze’s claims and explained how he believes that his opponent was paranoid.
“Yeah, I don’t know. That guy’s a strange guy man, paranoid I think, I don’t know. I ain’t got no spies and he was like saying there’s English people everywhere and I’m just like what the f*** do you mean there’s English people everywhere? Mate, you’re in Manchester. I was really, I was kind of taken aback. I was confused. I was just like I don’t know what you’re talking about, so yeah, weird. Weird, weird, weird but like, I ain’t got no spies.”
The #5-ranked contender did go on to explain that some fighters that he knew were, at one point, in the same room as Chikadze, as referenced in the social media post.
Allen broke down what actually played out and said that due to Chikadze’s signature style, he wouldn’t need spies to predict his approach because he is such a specialist striker.
“No one was coming and reporting things and telling me anything. A couple of my teammates were working out in the room, in their workout room, and he had someone from his team come and ask them to leave and they did and they didn’t tell me anything. They were just like, ‘Oh yeah he recognized us from like you train at this gym and then they asked us to leave,’ and they left and they didn’t tell me anything so, other than that they got asked to leave. Weird but also like, if I need spies for anyone, he’s the last guy I need spies for. You know what I mean? It’s like I know exactly what you’re going to do. Unless you’re in the back room drilling double legs, I’m not going to be surprised by anything.”
It appears that Francis Ngannou is gearing up for his long awaited return to MMA, after what has been a difficult year for the former UFC heavyweight champion.
A teammate of his said that “The Predator” appears to be building up some steam in training, and he’s doing it with fire in his eyes after what he has been through.
Tim Johnson Says Francis Ngannou Is Slowly Returning To The Gym With Motivation
Former UFC and Bellator veteran Tim Johnson is set to make his return in the main event of PFL 7 this weekend where he takes on Denis Goltsov.
During his training camp at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, he crossed paths with his teammate and fellow PFL fighter as he works his way back.
Johnson gave an update on Ngannou during a recent interview with MMA News, stating that one of the baddest men on the planet is slowly coming back to speed.
“He’s been in the gym, getting his wheels greased again. Kind of going slow but he’s in no rush like he doesn’t, it’s not like he’s fighting in eight weeks or anything but yeah he’s been back in the gym, feeling big, strong, like he always has.”
Johnson also said that Ngannou appears to be doing okay mentally from what he has been able to take away from their conversations.
He said that if anything, the heavyweight knockout artist is now in a position where he is using this difficult time in his life as fuel.
“He seems to be, yeah. I talked to him a little bit and as a father to father, I told him, me and my wife gave him our sympathies. I couldn’t imagine it, that’d be the worst scenario in any parents life and he seems to be harnessing it and utilizing it.”
He’s now agreed with AKA head coach Javier Mendez that he will corner certain fighters including Makhachev and his own cousins, in undefeated bantamweight contender Umar and the Bellator lightweight champion Usman.
Mendez spoke on fight week about how despite Khabib having some areas to improve as a corner, his ability as a coach is already top notch.
Javier Mendez Says Khabib Nurmagomedov Even Coaches Striking Perfectly
In a recent interview with Helen Yee Sports, Mendez spoke about what it’s like to have coach Khabib back working with him in the corner.
He said that Nurmagomedov, in many ways, has taken up his late father’s mantle in being a figure for all the other fighters in the gym to follow and listen to.
“Khabib is more the leader, he runs everything just like his father did and I come in and I do my little bits here and there. For the most part, I do what I’ve been always doing. I come in and I do my thing and Khabib, in all honesty, has always been coaching these guys even when he was fighting.
“so the only difference this time around for Umar is now he gets to have the great one in his corner also so having him in the corner with me is fantastic. My only thing when he corners is he’s going to go crazy.”
He said that this is his only real feedback though as the former champion has got all other bases covered, including his ability to teach striking.
“Those are little tiny things that I give him, little things like that, everything else he has. His instruction is great, I mean he even demonstrates the striking techniques to perfection now. He knows. Khabib knows.”
UK fight fans may have been treated to a title fight double header this past weekend in Manchester but UFC 304 didn’t hit expectations.
There was a lot of disgruntlement from both fans and fighters when it was announced that the event would be taking place at US time, meaning that the night wouldn’t kick off until 11 pm local time at the Co-Op Live arena.
It was clear to see how it affected the ticket-buyers on the night, with videos of the crowd being literally asleep in their seats during the event.
After Dana White slated the in-Octagon action, which had a run of seven consecutive judges’ decisions, the idea of how much the timings affected the night, was called into question.
‘Big’ John McCarthy & Josh Thomson Say UFC Need To Take Some Blame For Time-Related Issues At UFC 304
On a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast, “Big” John McCarthy and Josh Thomson discussed the impact of UFC 304 taking place at US time despite it being held in England.
McCarthy said that the UFC – namely Dana White- needs to take some of the blame for why the card didn’t end up delivering due to this decision.
“When you’re pointing one finger forward, there’s three coming back at you Josh and you got to look at those and you gotta say well, we did put these fighters in a position where they were fighting at 3 o’clock in the morning, 4 o’clock in the morning, 5 o’clock in the morning. No one works out at those times, no one fights at those times. It is an unusual situation and even if you try to prepare for it, it’s odd. It’s just an odd time for you, your body doesn’t feel the same, you don’t feel like you’re on top of things.”
Thomson went on to add how it wasn’t just the fighters from the UK that would have struggled with the difference in event scheduling.
He noted how fighters and staff coming from other countries would have also experienced difficulties because they would have needed to sleep throughout the day- even if the actual time wouldn’t be any different for them.
“You kind of offset both parties by doing this. What happens is when you go to another country and they’re there five days before, some of them get there seven days before, some of the staff, and sometimes that’s not good. But, what I’m saying though is that now you’ve asked them to stay awake during the night so they can be awake during the night.
“So, the ones that come from the states that work for the UFC, their body clock is trying to change to get adjusted to the UK time when in fact they can’t because their show is at 5 in the morning. Then, the fighters that are there, they’re getting all screwed up because they’re having to fight when they’re normally sleeping. So you really kind of messed up both sides of this equation. You messed it up for the people that work for the promotion and some of the fighters that came over having to fight.”
Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For August 2, 2024, we’re taking a look at:
O’Malley reviews latest McGregor footage
Muhammad and Volkanovski trade words after UFC 304 comments
Former strawweight champion set to return at UFC 307
Sean O’Malley Critiques Conor McGregor’s Latest Pad Work Video On Social Media
After taking some time to recover from his injury that led to the cancellation of his return at UFC 303, Conor McGregor appears to be getting back to work.
“The Notorious” is hopeful of returning later this year but he appeared to have taken his foot off the gas once June 29 was ruled out.
His latest training footage came courtesy of his own social media accounts, with the Irishman seen working on his boxing and hitting pads.
“You guys were hating, all these guys wanted to come out. Volkanovski, ‘Man I think Belal’s a good match-up for me if I fight him.’ Shut up bro, I’ll smack the hell out of you. All these guys right, there’s nobody in the UFC that will beat me.”
Belal Muhammad responds to Alexander Volkanovski who said prior to #UFC304 that Belal Muhammad was a good matchup for him:
"Volkanovski [said] 'Man I think Belal's a good matchup for me if I fight him'.
Volkanovski responded on social media where he doubled down on his previous statement and told Muhammad to say that to him the next time they cross paths.
“@bullyb170 you have every reason to hate on what I said about you being a good stylistic match up for me but I truly believe that, even after your last fight, you didn’t show me anything different. You still mad because I accidentally missed your call…pathetic! Say ‘shut up, I’ll smack the shit out of you’ to my face and see what happens.”
“Remember The Name” had the final word on the matter in a follow-up post with a short and to the point message.
Carla Esparza Set To Return At UFC 307 In Utah Against Former Foe
Former UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza is expected to return for the first time since losing her title to Weili Zhang in November of 2022.
She took the majority of 2023 and 2024 off after giving birth to her son and is now targeted to compete in a rematch at UFC 307 on October 5.
Esparza and Tecia Pennington first met back on The Ultimate Fighter a decade ago with “Cookie Monster” getting the nod in that quarterfinal clash before going on to win the series.
MMA Junkie’s Nolan King reported the fight which will see both women look to return to the win column for the first time in several years.
Breaking: Carla Esparza vs. Tecia Pennington is in the works for #UFC307, multiple sources say.
Esparza has been inactive since losing her title to Weili Zhang at UFC 281 in November of 2022.
In the following months, the 36-year old announced that she was pregnant with a son and therefore, has been taking some time off before working towards one last dance.
Breaking: Carla Esparza vs. Tecia Pennington is in the works for #UFC307, multiple sources say.
Carla Esparza Says ‘It’s Time’ To End Her Near 15-Year Career
Esparza announced on social media that her recently reported fight will be the final outing of her 27-fight pro career.
Having made her pro back in 2010, “Cookie Monster” would go on to win season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter which saw her be crowned as the inaugural UFC women’s strawweight champion by defeating Rose Namajunas in the final.
Having already become the inaugural Invicta strawweight champion before signing to the UFC, she remained in this weight class her entire career and put together her best-ever streak before the loss to Zhang in November of 2022.
Winning six-straight, including victories over the likes of Alexa Grasso and Yan Xiaonan, Esparza would defeat Namajunas once again at UFC 274 to become a two-time UFC champion at 115-pounds.
Now she feels, as she said herself on social media, it’s the right time for her to ride off into the sunset following a rematch with Pennington who she defeated a decade ago on route to winning The Ultimate Fighter.
“*RETIREMENT FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENT* I will be stepping into The UFC Octagon on Saturday, October 5th for the final time. After almost 15 years as a professional, fighting the best of the best, I feel it’s time to hang up my gloves. This choice is made for my body and my family; 20+ years doing combat sports takes its toll.
I wanted to give my ‘Cookie Monster’ fans, who have never been there to watch me live, one final opportunity. It feels bittersweet to leave this sport that I love so much, but I’m happy to be doing it on my own terms.” #UFC307
The challenger was unable to really put his stamp on his 135-pound title fight with Sean O’Malley at UFC 299, where he was beaten convincingly over the five round contest.
One strike, in particular, stole the show in March after O’Malley landed a knee that sounded even worse than it looked.
Marlon Vera Says A Punch In The Fifth Round Hurt More Than Viral Knee
Before he makes the walk once again this weekend, Vera reflected on his last fight and some of the damage that he took.
It says a lot about his heart and durability that he was able to make it to the final bell with many finding it hard to believe that he continued to fight on after that knee strike landed in the second round.
Vera spoke during his media day interview about what was going through his mind at that moment and how much damage the knee actually caused.
“Just to make a comparison, the punch in the fifth round that land perfectly on my eye, it wasn’t an eye poke but it felt like one, hurt me a million times more. Like I was fully blind, I was like, ‘F***!’ It was a perfect punch, props on him but I mean the knee really like kind of shocked me.
“I was like, ‘F*** I got clipped with something big,’ and I know it was the knee but I wasn’t like… my legs were there. I was just like, ‘F*** that really hurt,’ In terms of a hit but I would say my brain and my legs were there. I was just like don’t do that again. It was pretty much almost the same knee that I hit Font with.”
Many combat sports fans have criticized Jake Paul for the opponents that he tends to face when stepping inside the ring.
Whilst the amount of experience he has means that he can’t be expected to take on top tier opponents, he tends to fight opponents that shouldn’t be in there with him.
Paul also has a track record for calling out some of the biggest names despite there being very little chance that the fight would actually come together.
This was once again the case following his recent win over Mike Perry, where he called out one of the biggest stars in the UFC right now, light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.
Pereira unsurprisingly instantly responded but Dana White hasn’t given the idea much thought.
Dana White Says He Doesn’t Think About Jake Paul Anymore
The UFC boss has been very open about his dislike for what “The Problem Child” is doing in combat sports and therefore hasn’t been paying much attention.
He made it clear that giving Pereira a pass to go and box Paul isn’t an option that has ever been thought about because White tapped out of caring about the social media star’s boxing career long ago.
“I haven’t even talked to Perry in a long time and I didn’t even know Jake Paul was fighting. I was on vacation in Italy, I had no idea. There’s all these stories that were written, it’s ridiculous. I stopped paying attention to Jake Paul when he lost to Fury, you know what I mean. It’s like when he fought somebody that was his age and actually boxed, he lost and I’m not s******* on the kid, I don’t even think about him anymore.
“It doesn’t even cross my mind. I have no beef with him. ‘They’re trying to get me assassinated’. Nobody’s trying to get you assassinated especially, listen, I respect Perry. Smaller, older, I mean it’s the same blueprint that they’re fighting older, smaller guys that, it’s just I literally don’t even think about him anymore. It’s all b*******.”
Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For August 1, 2024, we’re taking a look at:
Magomedsharipov isn’t motivated by money or other promises
Mokaev explores new career paths
Ige vs Murphy booked again for Abu Dhabi
Zabit Magomedsharipov Says The UFC Tried To Bring Him Back Multiple Times But He Doesn’t Have The Desire
The incredibly exciting Zabit Magomedsharipov remains one of the biggest ‘what ifs’ in MMA history.
He went undefeated in the featherweight division and was on the cusp of a title shot before a long period of inactivity was followed by the news that he had decided to retire.
Magomedsharipov spoke in a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, where he revealed details about his current status and how the UFC have tried to bring him back several times.
“Yes they do from time to time since I left the sport. Three or four times they got in touch, they wanted to have a meeting with me, invited me to the US but I couldn’t go. I know that I can’t promise them anything so why should I go and meet with them?”
He added that returning to MMA is something he has thought about in the past but he doesn’t have the passion for competing right now, only for training and coaching.
Still only 33 years old, Magomedsharipov added that the UFC made substantial offers but that isn’t the deciding factor, adding that he doesn’t see a return ever happening.
“No, it’s not. They promised me a lot of things, but that’s not the point. I simply made up my mind. I don’t want to prove anything to anybody. Come back, go through training camps, I have no desire to return and it’s not about money. Whatever they offer me I don’t think I will ever come back.”
Zabit says the UFC has reached out to him 3-4 times to try and get him to return
“They promised me a lot of things, but that’s not the point… I have no desire to return.
And it’s not about money. Whatever they offer me I don’t think I will ever come back.”
Muhammad Mokaev Jokes About Finding A New Career Option After UFC Departure
Muhammad Mokaev finds himself in a very strange position in his career that seemed unimaginable just several days ago.
With the UFC not wanting to renew his contract despite his clear potential and success in the flyweight division, going to another major promotion seemed the clear route for him.
“The Punisher” has instead been posting a series of memes on his social media account to show how he will be spending his time now that he is out of contract with few options.
Whilst he didn’t get his hand raised on that occasion, he will look to return to the win column at UFC 308 on October 27 in Abu Dhabi, per MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck.
Just like how Lopes has been rescheduled for UFC 306 in his original fight with Brian Ortega, Ige will compete in a match-up that got away from him also when he takes on the #11-ranked featherweight Lerone Murphy.
The previously booked featherweight matchup between Dan Ige and Lerone Murphy is now being targeted for UFC 308, Oct. 27 in Abu Dhabi, per multiple sources.
Having faced and defeated both men, Du Plessis finds this fight difficult to call but he did give his analysis and prediction.
Dricus Du Plessis Says Grappling Exchange Key To Whittaker vs. Strickland
Du Plessis has remained on the fence in the past when being asked about this fight because he didn’t have a clear image in his head of the way that it takes place.
He spoke during a recent interview with mainevent on Fox Sports where after giving it some thought, he broke down how he sees it going.
He gave the bold prediction that this one could come down to who wins the grappling exchanges despite both men being known for their striking.
If this is the case, he sided with “The Reaper” to get his hand raised.
“The fact that I really honestly can’t say off the bat means it’s gonna be a great fight. I honestly think it’s going to come down to the same thing, imposing game plans. If you let Strickland walk forward like he did with Paulo Costa and like he did with Israel Adesanya, if you give him that space and that momentum, it’s really really hard to take it back and it’s really hard to swing that fight. So, to make sure that Rob fights his fight. If Rob can do his blitzes the way he does then I think he takes that fight. I think it comes down to a wrestling and clinch game and I think Rob wins that fight.”
Many expected that the champion would defend his title on home soil based on what we have seen from both men in their previous fights.
Whilst Muhammad has been able to dominate opponents with his constant pressure and wrestling, this is something that “Rocky” has been able to deal with as of late.
However, in an old video that has recently resurfaced, Muhammad broke down why his fight with Edwards would be different to the ones the Brit had with Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington.
Belal Muhammad Correctly Predicts Multiple Aspects Of UFC 304 Title Shot Before It Was Made Official
Speaking in an interview with MMA Fighting, Muhammad very accurately predicted what would happen in the main event of UFC 304 long before that date was confirmed.
He spoke about where he believes Edwards is beatable and why his style would be able to capitalize on what Usman and Covington couldn’t.
Muhammad also gave his take on Edwards’ corner which ended up being very similar to what happened this past weekend.
“When you look at stylistically of why they thought Colby would be a bad match-up for him, it was cardio, it was pressure, it was taking him down, keeping volume in his face and I do all those better than Colby. I do all those better than Usman. Usman in that third fight, he wasn’t the same Usman. People can say whatever they want. I think he came back too soon for that head kick.
“But in that second fight, it was volume, pressure, and it was breaking Leon and Leon’s easily broken. I think that’s why when you see in between rounds, his coaches, his team, they’re all like, they’re not giving him advice right? They’re not telling him, ‘Oh yes, on the outside jab.’ No, they’re like, ‘You’re looking beautiful Leon, You’re a beast Leon, Don’t let him bully you son.’”
“Once he starts getting on his back foot, he starts breaking. Once he stars getting taken down, he starts breaking. Once he starts getting hit, he hates it. So the last two fights that he’s had, it’s been more so let me stay on the outside, let me keep the pace at what I like it at… when I’m in there, it’s not going to be that at all.”
Many suspected that Leon Edwards could have come into his welterweight title defense at UFC 304 less than in ideal condition following his performance.
The champion was defeated by Belal Muhammad over five rounds with his head coach later revealing some details about what they went through in camp.
The champion himself made the call to keep aiming for July 27 and whilst Lovell clearly stated that Muhammad more than deserved to win, it did play a factor.
“Where Leon was concerned, a lot of people don’t know this — and I’m not making any kind of excuses for him — but we had a few niggles in camp. His back was niggling him,” Lovell said. “So he couldn’t wrestle the way he really needed to, offensively and defensively. We’re not taking anything away from Belal’s performance. He did well; the best man won on the night. But Leon will be back.”
MMA Fans React On Social Media To Leon Edwards’ Back Injury Problem
Despite a lot of people believing that “Rocky” didn’t look himself in Manchester, the reaction on social media to the news about his back injury didn’t appear to go down well with some fans.
The social media reaction to this clip from the interview appears to have attracted a lot of people who would rather that these things remain behind closed doors.
“I thought Leon already said in the octagon after the fight the reason he performed the way he did was because he was tired all week. I assume he was talking about the fact that he had to fight on the US time zone in the UK. So thats now 2 excuses from Leon and his camp…”
I thought Leon already said in the octagon after the fight the reason he performed the way he did was because he was tired all week. I assume he was talking about the fact that he had to fight on the US time zone in the UK. So thats now 2 excuses from Leon and his camp…
— The Combat Sports Matrixer (@TheCSMatrixer) July 30, 2024
“Cool story bro, 3-4 more wins and maybe Leon will get another title shot”
Cool story bro, 3-4 more wins and maybe Leon will get another title shot🤣🤣
Adesanya lost his middleweight title to Sean Strickland in one of the biggest title fight upsets in UFC history last year at UFC 293.
Whilst the challenger had a great night in general, the defining moment of the fight was when he caught and dropped “The Last Stylebender” in the first round but was unable to get the finish.
This came as such a shock to many fans who felt like Strickland simply wouldn’t be on the same level as the champion, when it came to the striking exchanges.
Dricus Du Plessis Says He Would’ve Finished Israel Adesanya With The Same Strike
Dricus Du Plessis is much more of a power striker than Strickland, who he defeated earlier this year to become the middleweight champion.
Whilst the former champ may be very accurate and defensively sound, “Stillknocks” has the momentum and force to stop any opponent and that gives him confidence ahead of August 17.
Du Plessis believes that he can close the show on Adesanya in their heated grudge match in Perth, especially if he’s able to land something similar to the strike Strickland landed last year.
He spoke in a recent interview with mainevent on Fox Sports about how “The Last Stylebender” wouldn’t have made it out of the first round if it was him in there that night.
“If I land that shot that Sean Strickland landed, the fight is over right there, 100%. We know that Strickland’s not a power puncher. I’ve felt, and Strickland’s a great boxer, his boxing is really really good. Very awkward and amazing jab, he throws that 1-2 and he does it great but he doesn’t have that starch power and he put him down. I honestly thought the fight was over but if I catch him with that shot then it’s over.”
Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 31, 2024, we’re taking a look at:
Anik says fans are biased against Muhammad
Allen labels Olympic Games as corrupt
UFC veteran says Mokaev didn’t have a leg to stand on
Jon Anik Says Fans Criticism Of UFC 304 Main Event Is Out Of Dislike For Belal Muhammad
Whilst the majority of each round was spent with either Muhammad or Leon Edwards holding the other in a dominant position with little action, the momentum of the fight did swing back and forth at points.
Anik said that to make it clear, he is a huge fan of both men because whilst he may be friends with the new champion, his career will always be tied to “Rocky” and his title reign.
On the Anik & Florian Podcast recap of this past weekend’s event, he said that some were looking for a way to criticize Muhammad rather than praise him.
“So I’m not sure what exactly we are looking for, I think a lot of people just watch Belal Muhammad with a tainted eye and that’s why I tweet, “cry”, right. I am a Leon Edwards fan as anyone knows, ‘Shabba Madda Pot’ is my favorite song.
“My most significant call of my career is Leon Edwards, the favorite moment of my professional career is when Leon hugged me after the fact, six months later. But, it is time to put respect on the name Belal Muhammad.”
Arnold Allen Criticizes The Paris Olympic Games Amidst Multiple Controversies
The Paris Olympic Games are in full swing but this particular instalment has been defined by controversy from the very start.
In a recent series of posts on social media, UFC featherweight contender Arnold Allen voiced his opinions on how the event has become unwatchable over time.
He may have been planning to spend some time this summer watching the games after returning to the win column this past weekend at UFC 304 but “Almighty” has had to tap out.
Allen referred to Dutch volleyball player Steven van de Velde who qualified for this year’s games despite being convicted of child rape in 2016.
Always loved watching the olympics when I was younger, it was always corrupt but now it’s beyond a joke, how can anyone support that shit
Matt Brown Says The UFC Made The Right Call Regarding Muhammad Mokaev’s Contract Status
UFC veteran Matt Brown weighed in with his thoughts on the recent UFC departure of undefeated flyweight contender Muhammad Mokaev.
Like many, he admitted that he was surprised at first given the ability and potential that “The Punisher” brings to the table.
Brown was also able to identify why the UFC would want to walk away from resigning the fighter, if he’s causing issues behind the scenes.
Crucially, he pointed out how Mokaev isn’t in a position where the juice is worth the squeeze given his profile in the sport and performances, compared to other controversial fighters on the roster.
During the latest episode of MMA Fighting’s The Fighter vs. The Writer, “The Immortal” said that he understands the promotion’s call after what went down on fight week.
“I’d probably cut him, too, to be honest,” Brown said. “It is surprising that they would do that, being that his ceiling is pretty freaking high. I’ve watched him fight before. The dude has really, really high ceiling. Young guy with a lot of skills, a lot of talent. But when you’re up and coming like that, you can’t just do that. I think the UFC has shown that before. When you’re an up and comer, you can’t be ruffling too many feathers. Obviously like some but you can’t be doing stupid sh*t like that.
“Once you’re Jon Jones and you’re putting all those asses in the seats, yeah you get away with some sh*t. Because you’re in business with the UFC. You’re a partner essentially,” Brown continued. “Whereas how many people tune in to watch Muhammad Mokaev? When he goes and fights in PFL, how many people are going to tune in and watch Muhammad Mokaev? So there are double standards or triple standards or whatever. There is different standards for every fighter. He’s not at that level to be getting away with sh*t like that. I don’t know the story but that (sucker-punch) sounds like a cowardly b*tch move, and I wouldn’t want to be in business with someone like that either.”
What makes this even more impressive, and something that Perry is able to take out of this fight, is that he was compromised from the very first punch that his opponent landed.
Mike Perry Reveals That Jake Paul Broke His Rib With The First Punch That He Landed
Perry appeared on BS w/ Jake Paul where they spoke about the fight and revealed new details about how it all went down.
During the podcast, the former UFC fighter said that he is going to take some time off for his rib to recover after it was broken in the opening 10 seconds of the fight.
He said that he was so focused on keeping his hands up that it left an opening for Paul which he successfully took advantage of from the opening bell.
With his body badly injured, Perry was forced to drop his guard which left him more susceptible to head strikes which eventually closed the show on him.
“First 10 seconds, that first punch you hit me with, you popped me. Because look, I knew people were going to be like, ‘Put your hands up,’ Right, so I come out and I’m like this with my hands up and my rib was wide open. You hit me in the rib and I was like, ‘F*** that’s it, I’m putting my hands down.’ You popped it right away and I fought through it I mean there’s something, there’s pieces I can take that I can be proud of but you know, I think it was fair and square.”
With the likes of Shavkat Rakhmonov, Jack Della Maddalena, and Ian Garry all in the mix, there’s some great matchups for Edwards, assuming that he isn’t getting a straight rematch.
His coach believes that one of those names is the best option partly due to his history with the former champion…
Dave Lovell Says Ian Garry Is His Pick To Fight Leon Edwards Next
In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Edwards’ head coach Dave Lovell said that his preferred choice for Edwards’ bounce-back fight would be the #7-ranked Garry.
The undefeated Irishman previously had some tension with Edwards and his team after spending a brief amount of time training with them at Team Renegade in Birmingham, England.
Lovell said that this history combined with Garry’s current position in this division make this fight a great return for “Rocky.”
“I’d like to see Leon fight Ian Garry. Obviously we can keep it British based, either Ireland or over here. Obviously the little background story we had going back last year is a — he’s looking for a scalp. Now Leon’s not champion, he may think well, he’s a good scalp for him to get to obviously march on to get a championship belt or title shot.
“For Leon, if Leon beats him, that then puts him at the back of the queue and then maybe if they want one more before he fights Belal, if Belal’s still got the belt, well that’ll be the future move, the future plan.”
Lovell believes Edwards would have the advantage in this fight because of the experience that he brings to the table.
The Team Renegade head coach said that during Garry’s short time at the gym, they were able to identify some of the weaker areas in his game.
“I believe Leon would beat him with the simple fact of fight experience. (Garry’s) a good lad, he’s got good skills, but we know — because we’ve seen some when he was at our gym — don’t just think he came to the gym and it was a boogie ride for him, you know, he was getting tapped out by — again, I’m not mentioning no names. If he wants to mention them, that’s up to him.”
The former interim welterweight champion’s high profile split from American Top Team meant that some relationships weren’t able to be rebuilt.
Most notably, he and his former training partner Jorge Masvidal will probably never see eye-to-eye again after what happened between them both before and after they met inside the Octagon at UFC 272.
There is another former teammate of his who will also not bury the hatchet, and with Covington still living and training around the same area, they’re bound to cross paths…
Colby Covington Says Dustin Poirier Had His Chance But Didn’t Do Anything Last Time They Met
In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Covington was asked whether he has encountered Dustin Poirier whilst being out in Florida. He said that this exact scenario actually played out not that long ago.
In Covington’s version of events, “The Diamond” got up and left without saying anything.
“Chaos” has called to fight his former ATT teammate several times in the past, but with lightweight fan favorite Poirier seemingly being ready to wind his career down, this looks unlikely.
Covington stated that despite Poirier previously claiming that it was “on sight” between them, there wasn’t much of an interaction.
“That’s funny you say that. I crossed paths with him about three months ago at NYY Steakhouse, Coconut Creek Casino, which is in the same city he trains at, the gym. He came by the steakhouse and I looked at him eye-to-eye and I was like, ‘What’s up b****? It’s on sight? Do something, say something,’ and he just walked right out the restaurant because he knows.
“You can talk big to the media, you can talk big in front of a camera, but when you’re in front of someone’s face and you feel their energy and you know what they’re capable of, that’s when it’s a different story. Now you can’t run your mouth, now you can’t do anything. If you wanted to do something, he could have done something. I stood up, I looked him right in the eyes and he walked right out of the restaurant like a good little b****.”
Colby Covington reveals recent run-in with Dustin Poirier in a local Restaurant! 😤
“I looked him right in the eyes, and he walked right out of the restaurant like a good little b****!”
While Mokaev claimed that he had been warned by UFC staff about his wrestling-heavy fighting style, White said that this isn’t a factor and that the decision was instead made due to his conduct outside of the cage.
Another rumor was cleared up once the news was made official as Mokaev’s manager denied any chance of his release being caused by negotiations that were being held with the PFL whilst he was still under contract with the UFC.
Muhammad Mokaev's manager Tim Simpson tells me the rumor floating around that his UFC exit was brought on by negotiations with the PFL while still under contract are "completely false."
Muhammad Mokaev Posts Statement, Clarifies Lack Of Interest In PFL & Hopes Of Re-Signing With UFC
Mokaev has spoken about the current situation regarding his status with the UFC now that the dust has settled on this past weekend.
He made it clear that going to the PFL was never a priority for him for multiple reasons. Not only has his main focus always been to achieve UFC gold, the PFL doesn’t currently have an active flyweight division, or bantamweight for that matter.
“The Punisher” noted that despite this rocky relationship with the UFC, he still hopes to return to the Octagon in the near future to continue working his way toward the belt.
“My dream is to become UFC Champion. I turn them all down because UFC gave me the platform to put my name out there and earn money to feed my family! btw PFL don’t have flyweight division. All these journalists that make this shit up are idiots! I hope Dana resigns me, this is my dream to become champion!”
My dream is to become UFC Champion
I turn them all down because UFC gave me the platform to put my name out there and earn money to feed my family!
btw PFL don’t have flyweight division All these journalists that make this shit up are idiots!
Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 30, 2024, we’re taking a look at:
Pimblett scolds Muhammad after title win
Alalshikh gives strong prediction for UFC vs. Canelo
Sonnen points out that Aspinall is finishing big guys with ease
Paddy Pimblett Posts Reaction To UFC 304 Main Event, Belal Muhammad Becoming Champion
A video posted on Paddy Pimblett’s YouTube channel gives fight fans a behind the scenes look at his fight night experience this past weekend.
“The Baddy” delivered one of the performances of the night at UFC 304 in Manchester when he submitted King Green in the first round to earn a lightweight ranking.
The main event, however, did not end on such good terms for the UK fighters and fans as Belal Muhammad defeated Leon Edwards to become the welterweight champion.
In the video, Pimblett is seen reacting to the official decision before going on to label Muhammad as the “most boring champion ever.”
Turki Alalshikh Not Worried About Saudi-Backed UFC 306 Going Up Against Canelo Álvarez
It’s incredibly rare to see any major sporting events going up against the UFC, but that is exactly what Canelo Álvarez will look to do on September 14 with his fight against Edgar Berlanga.
Alvarez has a track record for fighting on Mexican Independence Day, but he missed out on this last year after the UFC booked the T-Mobile Arena for the first Noche UFC card.
The MMA leader will instead be hosting UFC 306 this year at the Sphere, which is being built up to be an event like no other.
Part of the reason that both events are going head-to-head in Las Vegas is because UFC 306 is being sponsored by Riyadh Season and the Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority, which has allowed the UFC to go big on this particular card, meaning Álvarez could run the T-Mobile on this occasion.
Speaking to ESPN, Turki Alalshikh gave a short response to how he believes the Saudi-backed Sphere event will compete with Álvarez.
“We will eat him,”
Chael Sonnen Says Tom Aspinall Is Doing Something That Even Mike Tyson Struggled With
Tom Aspinall’s incredible ability to end fights early on means that he has unbelievably low amounts of Octagon time despite being a world champion.
The interim heavyweight champ has said it himself that he wants opponents to test him in deeper waters but nobody can take him there.
He compared Aspinall to arguably the greatest knockout artist combat sports has ever seen and said that he is even capable of finishing fights in ways that Mike Tyson couldn’t even accomplish.
“Mike Tyson had a hard time putting down the heavyweights that were 240, 250, 260 [pounds]. These are the guys that Tom is touching one time; this is shocking power. Tom is getting guys out of here so quickly. I don’t love the reality that in three years, Tom has been in the ring for about three minutes, but the other side of it is, what are you going to do? How are you going to stop him?”
