MMA News

Author: Kyle Dimond

  • UFC Welterweight Slams Sean Strickland For Inciting Social Media Beef To Get Attention: ‘If He’s A Man, Challenge David Goggins…’

    UFC Welterweight Slams Sean Strickland For Inciting Social Media Beef To Get Attention: ‘If He’s A Man, Challenge David Goggins…’

    It’s rare that a week goes by where Sean Strickland isn’t starting up a new beef with someone via social media.

    Whether he’s trading words with someone online or causing controversy by sparring someone that is not skilled enough to be in there with him, the former UFC middleweight champion is always producing talking points.

    His latest public feud has been with public speaker and athlete David Goggins, due to comments that Strickland made about Goggins’ military career.

    Goggins went as far as to challenge the 185-pound contender to three days of spending a training camp with him in exchange for three sparring rounds in boxing.

    One fellow member of the roster is tired of Strickland’s antics and believes that he is only doing this to make himself heard – since he isn’t the champion anymore.

    Belal Muhammad Says Sean Strickland Is Chasing Clout After Losing UFC Title

    Belal Muhammad spoke in a recent interview with The Schmo about his thoughts on Strickland’s recent beef with Goggins.

    The number one welterweight contender has never seen eye-to-eye with the often unfiltered former champion and this is no different.

    Muhammad, who is set to challenge Leon Edwards for the title at UFC 304 later this month, is very much over what he sees as Strickland’s attempts to grab more attention.

    He also dared Strickland to take Goggins up on his offer in order to really put his money where his mouth is.

    “I wouldn’t call it a [real] beef. That’s what Sean is right? He’s a troll. Nobody cares what he says anymore because he doesn’t have the belt anymore. so now he’s just starting to attack these other guys with bigger followings and things like that, just to get attention.

    “I knew what he was from the beginning, he’s fake. He’s not this tough guy that he says he is or this crazy guy that he says he is. He’s just doing stuff for clout and if he’s a man, challenge David Goggins dude… David Goggins’ workout, let’s see if you push through. Let’s see how big your heart is.”

    Read also: Kamaru Usman Calls For Leon Edwards’ ‘Killer’ To Come Out At UFC 304: ‘If You Know You’re The Top Dog…’ 

  • UFC Commentator: ‘I Consider There To Be Two Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champions Right Now’

    UFC Commentator: ‘I Consider There To Be Two Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champions Right Now’

    At UFC 304, Tom Aspinall will become the first interim title holder to defend his belt in eleven years.

    The Brit made the most out of a late notice opportunity at UFC 295 where he stepped into the co-main event to face Sergei Pavlovich for the belt due to Jon Jones’ injury that postponed his fight with Stipe Miocic.

    In most circumstances, Aspinall would now be the next in line to face the returning Jones in a title unification clash but “Bones” is still looking to reschedule his fight with Miocic for later this year.

    With Aspinall looking to avenge his loss to Curtis Blaydes in the co-main event on July 27, some may argue that him defending the interim title is less significant than being the undisputed champion.

    Jon Anik believes that whilst there may be two champions in the division, Aspinall defending the title would be just as significant despite him being the interim titleholder.

    Jon Anik Says That Tom Aspinall Will Be Defending The Undisputed Championship Against Curtis Blaydes

    In a recent interview with InsideFighting, UFC commentator Jon Anik gave his thoughts on the lay of the land right now in the heavyweight division.

    He spoke about how Israel Adesanya considered his title unification clash with Robert Whittaker to count as a title defense despite him coming in as the interim champion.

    In the same vein, Anik believes that Aspinall getting his hand raised in Manchester later this month counts in his mind as a title defense of the undisputed championship.

    He sees it that whether the title says interim before it or not, there are two equal UFC heavyweight champions right now.

    “Interim championships are a very powerful thing in my mind even if maybe in the past I’ve said that the belt should be silver, I consider there to be two undisputed UFC heavyweight champions right now and Tom Aspinall’s one of them. He’s defending his undisputed title as far as I’m concerned and for those that have the archaic philosophy maybe that a champion is not really the champion, and it’s my opinion that it’s archaic, but if a champion doesn’t defend their belt at least one time, then they are not the champion.

    “I mean Alex Pereira never defended his UFC middleweight champion and nobody would dispute that he wasn’t the middleweight king. But, if Tom Aspinall defends the interim championship, as far as I’m concerned, that is an undisputed championship title defense.”

    Read also: Kamaru Usman Calls For Leon Edwards’ ‘Killer’ To Come Out At UFC 304: ‘If You Know You’re The Top Dog…’ 

  • Former UFC Champion Backs Alex Pereira’s Decision To Dismiss Tom Aspinall Fight: ‘Outside Of Conor McGregor, The Biggest Star In Combat Sports…’

    Former UFC Champion Backs Alex Pereira’s Decision To Dismiss Tom Aspinall Fight: ‘Outside Of Conor McGregor, The Biggest Star In Combat Sports…’

    Alex Pereira’s UFC run has been unlike anything else that fans have ever seen in the promotion but the exciting thing is that he could take it up another level if he wanted to.

    “Poatan” has already achieved great success at both middleweight and light heavyweight, but there is potential for him to try and become a world champion in three weight classes.

    Pereira seemingly has the frame and power to make the jump to heavyweight, which would only add even more excitement to his Octagon appearances.

    The 205-pound champion is already a huge star and whilst heavyweight could boost his stock even more, it’s not something that is on his mind right now.

    Pereira recently stated that he doesn’t plan to move up anytime soon but if he did, he would want to fight Jon Jones rather than Tom Aspinall.

    Michael Bisping Agrees With Alex Pereira’s Stance On Not Being Interested In Fighting Tom Aspinall

    Fights against both Aspinall and Jones would be absolutely massive for Pereira and his reasoning for not wanting to fight the Brit over “Bones” makes total sense.

    Despite many feeling like Aspinall’s next title defense at UFC 304 is essentially him defending the undisputed title rather than the interim, “Poatan” knows that he doesn’t have many years left in his career. So if he was going to move up, it would be to fight the undisputed world champion and nothing else.

    Michael Bisping gave his thoughts on this during a recent YouTube video where he sided with Pereira.

    The former UFC middleweight champion understood where the former kickboxer was coming from when he stated that despite having a lot of respect for Aspinall, this fight wouldn’t make sense for him right now.

    “As much as I’m a fan of Tom Aspinall, I’ve got to agree with Alex Pereira here. He’s a two-weight division champion. The man is the talk of the town, the bell of the ball and outside of Conor McGregor, the biggest star in combat sports right now. Maybe even bigger than Jon Jones right now.

    “He’s certainly on the top of everybody’s tongues, he’s the man that everybody wants to fight but he’s saying, ‘I don’t want to fight Tom Aspinall’, and that’s not because he’s scared. It’s not because he says stylistically it might be a bad match-up for me, he’s saying no, it doesn’t make sense. ‘If I was going to fight, I’d want to fight the undisputed champ, I wouldn’t want to fight the interim champion’, and I do kind of get that.”

    Read also: Alistair Overeem Favors Jon Jones To Beat Tom Aspinall But Names 50-50 Matchup For Him: ‘That Was The Fight To Make…’

  • Jon Anik Explains Why Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad 1 Is Not Good Indicator Of UFC 304 Rematch: ‘Largely, I Have To Throw Out Most Of The First Fight…’

    Jon Anik Explains Why Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad 1 Is Not Good Indicator Of UFC 304 Rematch: ‘Largely, I Have To Throw Out Most Of The First Fight…’

    It has been over three years since Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad first met inside the Octagon, back in March of 2021.

    As is always the case ahead of a rematch, one of the big questions heading into UFC 304 is how much we can learn from the first time that these two men squared off.

    Edwards will be looking to secure the third defense of his welterweight title in the main event on July 27, which he went on to claim after his fight with Muhammad ended in a no contest.

    For Muhammad, who took that fight on short notice and was unable to continue fighting after an eye poke, he then produced five consecutive wins over fellow contenders in order to earn this rematch.

    Whilst the fight only lasted just over one round, “Rocky” was on top for the majority – but Jon Anik isn’t putting too much stock on what he has seen from this match-up in the past.

    Jon Anik Says That Both Men Have Improved Too Much For Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad 1 To Impact The Rematch

    In a recent interview with InsideFighting, UFC commentator Jon Anik said that he doesn’t believe you can look too much into how the first fight between Edwards and Muhammad played out when previewing the rematch.

    Edwards started uncharacteristically fast on that night at the UFC Apex but as Anik goes on to state, Muhammad didn’t have the same kind of preparation ahead of time.

    “It’s hard not to toss it out completely, it was a short notice circumstance really for both athletes but Leon was to face Khamzat Chimaev, one of the three times those individuals were scheduled to have fought and Belal was the guy that stepped up.

    “Obviously he did show a lot of heart and toughness when he did have compromising spots in that fight, one of the hardest eye pokes I think to watch back just in terms of seeing the combination of a human being’s physical and emotional pain because Belal was not wrong in thinking that when that opportunity against Leon went away with an eye poke, that it was going to be hard to come by again.

    “But, they’re just different athletes at this point in time. So I know they’ve both leveled up, Leon levelling up maybe has been easier for someone like me with a more amateur eye to see but I give him a lot of credit for certainly those two wins over Usman.”

    Due to the time elapsed since their initial meeting, Anik came to the conclusion that both men have changed too much for the first fight to have much impact on this high-stakes rematch at UFC 304.

    “I’m fascinated to see [the rematch] but largely I have to throw out most of the first fight. Even though Leon had more success, I just think Belal’s a totally different physical animal than he was and I think Leon is 25% better than he was.”

    Read also: Curtis Blaydes Making No Changes For Tom Aspinall Fight At UFC 304: ‘I Don’t Adjust For Anyone’

  • MMA News Today: Dan Hooker Claims Israel Adesanya Has Bulked Up To 230 Pounds Ahead Of Dricus Du Plessis Fight, Jon Anik On Staying Impartial While Calling Friend Belal Muhammad’s Title Fight At UFC 304, & More

    MMA News Today: Dan Hooker Claims Israel Adesanya Has Bulked Up To 230 Pounds Ahead Of Dricus Du Plessis Fight, Jon Anik On Staying Impartial While Calling Friend Belal Muhammad’s Title Fight At UFC 304, & More

    Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 15, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

    • Hooker says Adesanya sparring isn’t on his wish list right now
    • Anik never lets his relationships affect his commentary
    • Blaydes says he’s keeping things simple ahead of Aspinall rematch

    Dan Hooker Says Israel Adesanya Is Hitting Too Hard For Them To Spar One Another

    When Israel Adesanya returns at UFC 305 to try and recapture the middleweight title against Dricus Du Plessis, he will do so off the back of his longest break between fights since signing with the promotion.

    “The Last Stylebender” decided to take some much-needed and well-earned time to regroup before jumping back inside the Octagon, following his loss to Sean Strickland.

    In a recent interview with Submission Radio, his City Kickboxing teammate Dan Hooker spoke about how Adesanya has been bulking up outside of training camp.

    The lightweight contender, who has sparred with the former middleweight champion for a long time, said that his fellow New Zealander is starting to pack too much of a punch for him to trade shots with.

    “I can’t even be bothered sparring him at the moment like the way he’s hitting. I think he’s like 105 kilos [around 230 pounds], I’m just like f******, kicked me in the leg and I was like ‘get f*****!’. He’s had some time off, he was carrying some injuries, he spent a lot of time just packing on some size and like a lot of strength bro and he’s hitting like a truck man. I can’t even be bothered sparring him… like he’s hitting too hard.”

    Jon Anik Says Relationship With Belal Muhammad Won’t Affect His UFC 304 Commentary

    It’s only natural for UFC commentators to have relationships and friendships with some of the fighters that are signed to the roster.

    This is especially difficult in a sport like MMA where the highs are so high and the lows are so low but Jon Anik always looks to separate his work from his personal feelings.

    At UFC 304, Anik’s friend Belal Muhammad will finally get his first shot at welterweight gold when he challenges Leon Edwards on July 27.

    Anik spoke in a recent interview with InsideFighting about how he always looks to serve the moment and both fighters as best as he can, regardless of whether he has personal connections to them.

    “No, I feel like once the athlete hits the tunnel, any of those types of feeling or emotions go away. As I’ve said repeatedly, Dominick Cruz is probably the guy I’m closest to, I mean Belal’s obviously right there on his heels as are other athletes.

    “you establish a lot of interpersonal relationship and you can’t help that but it certainly doesn’t affect the call. I can assure you and everybody else if Leon Edwards head kicks Belal Muhammad into oblivion, my call is going to reflect that and there was nothing hard about me screaming with veins popping out of my mouth, ‘Stipe gets his revenge’, even though he did it against Daniel Cormier.”

    Curtis Blaydes Isn’t Adjusting His Approach For Fighting Tom Aspinall At UFC 304

    In the co-main event in Manchester, Tom Aspinall’s interim heavyweight title will be on the line when he faces Curtis Blaydes in a rematch.

    Blaydes, who is now a 22-fight veteran, has faced the majority of the top names at heavyweight at this stage.

    He spoke in an interview with the media during this past weekend’s UFC Fight Night in Denver, about how his approach to this fight is the same as always.

    Rather than working specifically on his opponent’s approach, Blaydes simply looks to bring the best version of himself to England in order to come away with the win.

    “Conditioning (has been the focus in camp). That’s the same old,” Blaydes said. “I don’t adjust for anyone. I have prepared for this fight the same way I prepare for everyone. I don’t like to add extra adjustments, extra things to think about. There’s already a whole lot, we don’t need to add anything else.

    “Just a normal, standard fight camp,” Blaydes continued. “Eight weeks of sparring, drilling, running, icing; normal stuff.”

    Read more on the story here.

    For more MMA news, check out:

  • ONE Championship Star Breaks Down Du Plessis vs. Adesanya At UFC 305: ‘Dricus Is My Boy…’

    ONE Championship Star Breaks Down Du Plessis vs. Adesanya At UFC 305: ‘Dricus Is My Boy…’

    One of the biggest fights of the year is set to go down on August 17 at UFC 305 when the Octagon returns to Perth, Australia.

    The feud between current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and former two-time titleholder Israel Adesanya has been building for over a year at this point.

    Whilst the consensus seemed to be heavily in Adesanya’s favor when the fight was first spoken about this time last year, many have found that the matchup has become more difficult to predict after both men’s recent fights.

    A former training partner of Du Plessis’ who is one of the most recognizable names in ONE Championship believes that the champion will be more than a tough test for the returning Adesanya…

    Aung La N Sang Points Out Advantages For Dricus Du Plessis Against Israel Adesanya

    Aung La N Sang has been one of the poster athletes for ONE Championship for eight years now, having previously reigned as a simultaneous two-weight world champion.

    The former middleweight and light heavyweight king, who is set to return on September 6 in Denver, trains out of Kill Cliff FC in Florida, where Du Plessis has also trained in the past.

    In a recent interview with The AllStar, “The Burmese Python” weighed in with his thoughts on this fight, speaking about where the champion can cause problems for “The Last Stylebender.”

    He pointed out how the physicality of “Stillknocks” and his willingness to walk opponents down could make it a very difficult night for Adesanya.

    “For sure, Dricus is my boy. It’s gonna be a good matchup. Styles make fights and Dricus doesn’t care about how good Israel’s kickboxing is, he’s just going to go forward and hit him, you know?

    “One thing for sure that I know about Dricus, he’s very very strong physically, very, very strong. If Israel’s not on point, he’s going to have a hard night.”

  • Michael Chandler Told He Has Become A Top Five Draw In The UFC Despite Long Layoff: ‘He Got What He Wanted Without Having To Throw A Punch…’

    Michael Chandler Told He Has Become A Top Five Draw In The UFC Despite Long Layoff: ‘He Got What He Wanted Without Having To Throw A Punch…’

    Michael Chandler has not fought since his loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 281 in November of 2022.

    He has spent the best part of a year and a half at this stage trying to answer questions of when he will be fighting Conor McGregor and whether this wait has been worth it.

    Everything finally looked to be heading his way until McGregor withdrew from UFC 303 due to a broken toe with the plan to push the fight back a few months so that he can return at 100%.

    Of course, fighting McGregor is an opportunity that simply doesn’t get any bigger in this sport but if the fight never happens, Chandler could have missed out on some incredibly significant time in his career now that he is 38 years old.

    Chael Sonnen does not see it this way because of the goal that “Iron” Mike approached this fight with.

    Chael Sonnen Argues That Michael Chandler Has Still Got What He Wanted Out Of Conor McGregor Without Fighting Him

    During a recent episode of the Good Guy / Bad Guy show on ESPN MMA, Daniel Cormier made the prediction that Chandler will fight again this year but it may not be McGregor.

    Though some would consider this a big setback for the former Bellator fight because of how long he has waited, Sonnen believes that he has still gained massively from this period of his career.

    “The Bad Guy” argues that by being spoken about in connection with the biggest fight that is possible means that he has been able to increase his own stock and name value without ever stepping inside the Octagon.

    Sonnen argues that Chandler has been given the McGregor exposure without actually needing to fight him first.

    “Michael Chandler, behind the scenes, his number one motivation to fight Conor McGregor, it was not some big huge lucrative payday like so many people think. Michael Chandler was playing a long game, he thought, ‘I match-up very well, Conor’s got the fans, I go in there, I beat him, I leave with all the fans’. Well, he’s kind of there. I mean, in all fairness, we’re all chomping at the bit to see Michael Chandler.

    “What I’m trying to suggest for you is it doesn’t really matter. Michael Chandler, I believe, is a top five draw right now and I don’t believe after his last fight that he was. I think all this media, all this attention, the things that are dangling, you and I discussing him, I think he’s actually gone up. I think he got what he wanted without having to throw a punch.”

    Read also: Chael Sonnen Sends Advice To Former Alex Pereira Kickboxing Opponent Artem Vakhitov On MMA Transition: ‘Might Be A Better Approach…’ 

  • Daniel Cormier Makes Bold Second-Half Of 2024 Prediction For Conor McGregor: ‘Will Get Increasingly Annoyed With The UFC…’

    Daniel Cormier Makes Bold Second-Half Of 2024 Prediction For Conor McGregor: ‘Will Get Increasingly Annoyed With The UFC…’

    Despite coming so close to finally getting Conor McGregor back inside the Octagon, it still remains unclear what will happen from this point on.

    “The Notorious” stated once the news was official that he had withdrawn from the main event of UFC 303, that he wouldn’t need much time to recover.

    His broken toe would mean taking a few weeks away to heal up before getting back into his training camp, so a September or October date would make a lot of sense.

    There is yet to be an update on this and Daniel Cormier wonders whether the UFC could be left in a position where they don’t have a good time for him to come back because of the plans that they already have in place for each month.

    Daniel Cormier Predicts That Conor McGregor Is Going To Find The Remainder Of 2024 Frustrating

    During a recent episode of the Good Guy / Bad Guy show on ESPN MMA, Cormier and Chael Sonnen gave their predictions for the remainder of 2024.

    The first topic tasked both men with completing the sentence, “Conor McGregor will…”, which Sonnen chose to end with ‘return’.

    Cormier, on the other hand, took a different route as he spoke about whether there will be space in the schedule for McGregor’s return now that it has been pushed back.

    When his injury was confirmed, there was talk of whether an additional numbered event would need to take place in order to allow for McGregor to fight without changing any of the other plans that are already in place.

    With the PPV cards already starting to come together for the remaining months of the year, “DC” isn’t sure that booking the Irishman’s comeback against Michael Chandler is going to be a simple process.

    “For me, Conor McGregor will get increasingly annoyed with the UFC because they will not have anywhere to put him, that’s my prediction. He will want to fight, Chael, like you said, because he will want to get back to that guy but as you know, fight cards fill up and Conor McGregor can’t just be dropped onto any fight card.

    Whereas New York may be a great place to put McGregor, you can’t put him on the same card as Jones and Stipe so he will have to find a place to fight.”

    Read also: ‘He’s Touching Billionaire Status…’ – PFL Star & Conor McGregor’s Sparring Partner Feels UFC 303 Withdrawal Showed ‘Maturity’

  • UFC Lightweight Drew Dober On Sharing Knockout Record With Dustin Poirier: ‘The Moment I Start Thinking About It…’

    UFC Lightweight Drew Dober On Sharing Knockout Record With Dustin Poirier: ‘The Moment I Start Thinking About It…’

    UFC lightweight Drew Dober is back in action this weekend and is sure to get a hero’s welcome from the Denver crowd due to him being based out of Colorado.

    He will take on Jean Silva who will be making a quick turnaround for this fight after stopping Charles Jourdain just two weeks prior at UFC 303.

    Given both men’s track records for putting opponents away with their heavy hands, the judges aren’t likely to be called into action in this fight.

    If Dober is able to secure a knockout or TKO victory in this fight, he will overtake Dustin Poirier for the most finishes of this kind in lightweight history.

    The two contenders have constantly added tallies to their records and you’d need to go all the way back to his 2018 fight with Jon Tuck to find the last time that Dober won a UFC fight via the scorecards.

    Drew Dober Says He Purposefully Tries To Ignore Knockout Stats Because It Has Impacted Him In The Past

    Currently tied with Poirier at 9 each, Dober has the opportunity this weekend at the Ball Arena to become the first 155-pound fighter to hit double figures in the UFC.

    He recently revealed in an interview with Mike Bohn for MMA Junkie that this isn’t just something that he doesn’t spend much time thinking about – he actively chooses to ignore it.

    Dober stated that he believes keeping these achievements in mind has negatively affected him in the past. Nowadays, he mentioned he rather wait for the knockouts to come than trying to look for them.

    “The thing is, I received that record not even thinking about it and I think the moment I started thinking about it, my performances kind of dipped. So no, I stopped thinking about it, knockout record is great, we’re also tied for guillotine record so these are the things that you guys tell me after the fact, I get in there and I just do me.”

    Read also: UFC Fight Night Denver Headliner Tracy Cortez Envisions ‘Surpassing’ Ronda Rousey: ‘I Say This Humbly…’

  • Christian Lee Set To Defend Lightweight Title At ONE 169: Atlanta After Two-Year Hiatus

    Christian Lee Set To Defend Lightweight Title At ONE 169: Atlanta After Two-Year Hiatus

    ONE lightweight and welterweight world champion Christian Lee is set to make his long-awaited return at ONE 169 on November 8 in Atlanta.

    He will be defending his lightweight title against the undefeated Alibeg Rasulov at the State Farm Arena in ONE Championship’s second US event of the year.

    Lee has been out of action since winning the welterweight title at ONE on Prime Video 4 in November of 2022.

    At the end of that year, tragedy struck the Lee family as Christian’s younger sister and former ONE Championship athlete, Victoria, took her own life. This led to her siblings, Christian and Angela, to take a break from the spotlight.

    Christian’s elder sister Angela has since vacated her atomweight title and retired from MMA whilst his younger brother Adrian became the first of the Lee family to compete after Victoria’s passing, when he made his pro debut at ONE 167 in June.

    Christian’s upcoming opponent, Turkey’s Rasulov, made his debut in ONE this past weekend at ONE Fight Night 23 where he won a unanimous decision after going five rounds with former champion Ok Rae Yoon.

    Despite the interim lightweight title being on the line in this fight, Rasulov was unable to win the belt after he made weight but failed his hydration test.

    The lightweight title fight joins two other previously announced world championship clashes on the card for November 8 in Atlanta.

    In the main event, ONE three-weight world champion Anatoly Malykhin will defend his heavyweight title against Oumar “Reug Reug” Kane.

    ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai will also be in action when he faces Jo Nattawut in a trilogy fight following their closely contested clash at ONE 167.

    Read also: ONE Championship Three-Division Champion Anatoly Malykhin Reacts To Being Called ‘Most Dangerous’ By Islam Makhachev, Says No ‘Escape’ For Francis Ngannou

  • MMA News Today: Fans Left Bewildered After Sean O’Malley Voted ‘Best UFC Fighter’ In 2024, David Goggins Reveals DM Exchange With Strickland, & More

    MMA News Today: Fans Left Bewildered After Sean O’Malley Voted ‘Best UFC Fighter’ In 2024, David Goggins Reveals DM Exchange With Strickland, & More

    Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 12, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

    • Fans believe Pereira was snubbed over O’Malley
    • Goggins says Strickland has not replied to his challenge
    • Gane and Volkov set to meet again at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi

    Fans Give Confused Reaction To Sean O’Malley Winning ‘Best UFC Fighter’ At The ESPYs

    ESPN’s annual awards, The ESPYs, took place last night where Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley was named the best UFC fighter.

    He came out on top in a category that featured three other world champions in Alex Pereira, Islam Makhachev and Weili Zhang.

    The instant reaction from fans online was to question how “Suga” could have possibly won the category, considering what “Poatan” has done in recent times.

    Whilst some fans questioned whether the period of time that is judged meant that the award was voted this way, many were simply baffled at the idea of Pereira not winning this award regardless of which time frame you want to look at.

    “Bro sean has fought 3 ( 4 if you county the Pedro fight) times since 2022. Alex has fought 8 smh they did bad on this”

    “Alright the UFC pushing Sean as the next superstar allegations are undeniable now”

    “what exactly is the criteria lmao”

    David Goggins Challenges Sean Strickland To Three Days Of Training For Three Rounds Of Boxing

    David Goggins vs. Sean Strickland has turned into a surprising social media beef as of late, with both men speaking about one another in videos.

    Following the former UFC middleweight champion’s comments about Navy SEALs and Goggins’ military career, the athlete and public speaker issued a challenge to him to test what Strickland is truly made of.

    “Sean Strickland, I know you’re doing all this for clickbait. We had a DM the other day, me and you, back and forth. I was pretty much DMing you because you called me a b**** and talked about my military career and going out here once again and trying to, like you said in your DM, trying to be a clown. You’re an MMA fighter and you’re also a comedian so, you know, I’m not much of a comedian at all.”

    As seen below, Goggins recently shared a look at the message that he sent to Strickland which has not received a reply as of yet, calling to train and spar with him.

    He continued to say that he is done with exchanging videos and that this is his final offer- and whether the former champion takes it or not is up to him.

    “You say you can f*** me up in training, I responded to that video to you and this is what I said. You have yet to respond to this and so anytime you want to train with me, I am ready to train with you. I am done with the videos.”

    Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov 2 Reportedly Set For UFC 308 In Abu Dhabi

    The UFC is heading back to Abu Dhabi in October for UFC 308, as has become a tradition for the MMA leader’s calendar.

    A first match-up has been reported for this card with Ag. Fight claiming that former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane will be facing Alexander Volkov in a rematch on October 26.

    Many were expecting to see Gane return on the Paris card in September, after he reportedly turned down the option to fight Tom Aspinall at UFC 304 later this month.

    Volkov will be looking to avenge his loss to “Bon Gamin” in 2021 off the back of a big victory over Sergei Pavlovich in Saudi Arabia last month.

    Read more on the story here.

    For more MMA news, check out:

  • Michael ‘Venom’ Page Squashes Rumors Of Trying To Have Mole In Ian Garry’s Camp Pre-UFC 303: ‘I Don’t Need It, Especially For Him!’

    Michael ‘Venom’ Page Squashes Rumors Of Trying To Have Mole In Ian Garry’s Camp Pre-UFC 303: ‘I Don’t Need It, Especially For Him!’

    Ahead of their bout at UFC 303, Ian Garry made an accusation regarding Michael “Venom” Page and his team.

    The Irishman claimed at the press conference on fight week that someone from Page’s circle had tried to gain information about Garry from someone in Brazil, where he spent his training camp.

    “MVP” didn’t react to these comments at the time but Garry once again made reference to this after the fight where he picked up a unanimous decision win in the main card opener.

    Page recently spoke about his side of this story where he made it clear that he knows nothing about Garry’s claims and wouldn’t want information anyways.

    Michael ‘Venom’ Page Says He Doesn’t Know Of & Wouldn’t Want Someone Trying To Get Information For Him

    Page appeared on The MMA Hour where he was asked for his interpretation of Garry’s accusations and what his reaction to them was at the time.

    He says that whilst things like that do happen in MMA and has happened to him in the past, it’s not something that he was aware of in this training camp.

    “When he was saying it I was like I don’t even know, I’m not entertaining it just because it sounded like he was just shouting a lot of stuff with an Irish accent so I was just like I don’t care. When I listened to it after, I was like I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s not me anyway. There’s always gonna be guys in people’s camps should I say that are gonna be reporting back. We’ve had that in our camp before and we find out who it is and kick them out, same stuff, but I don’t know what he’s talking about.”

    Page also said that if Garry is correct in what he is saying, he would be incredibly frustrated that someone would try to go behind his back to get information without him wanting it.

    He stated that due to the match-up that he was preparing for on June 29, he doesn’t believe that something like that would even give him an advantage – so the only effect it would have is downplaying his reputation.

    “Yeah, 100% because I don’t need it. I don’t feel like I need it, especially for him and again, I try not to be disrespectful to him because it’s not personal at all but I don’t feel like I needed to get any extra information to do what I need to do, what I know I can do, or should have done should I say, in that last fight.”

  • ‘He’s Touching Billionaire Status…’ – PFL Star & Conor McGregor’s Sparring Partner Feels UFC 303 Withdrawal Showed ‘Maturity’

    ‘He’s Touching Billionaire Status…’ – PFL Star & Conor McGregor’s Sparring Partner Feels UFC 303 Withdrawal Showed ‘Maturity’

    MMA fans had to wait a long time before there was concrete news about the return of Conor McGregor.

    There was plenty of questions during this time about whether he would ever comeback, how much he still has left to give to the sport and so on.

    When McGregor announced his withdrawal from the UFC 303 main event against Michael Chandler, some took this in combination with the long wait and posed another theory regarding whether “The Notorious” was ever going to actually fight on June 29.

    Having trained with the Irishman throughout his comeback process, PFL’s Brendan Loughnane strongly disagrees with any sentiment that McGregor doesn’t have that same passion for competition anymore.

    Brendan Loughnane Says Conor McGregor Still Has The Same Fire & Was Correct To Pull Out Of UFC 303

    Loughnane, who is set to return at PFL 9 on August 23, has spent a lot of solid time around McGregor in the past year specifically.

    Having trained alongside “The Mac” as he was looking to make a return to the Octagon, he believes that McGregor is still just as motivated to compete as ever before but pulling out of UFC 303 due to his broken toe was the right call.

    Loughnane drew attention to the fact that the former UFC champ-champ never needs to fight again so putting himself through a training camp in the first place should tell you all you need to know about where he’s at regarding the current status of his career.

    “This guy is hungry for it, he doesn’t have to do this now, he’s touching billionaire status. He’s doing this out of the love of the sport, guy loves it through and through, he’s a martial artist. He wakes up every day, this is what lights the fire inside people like him and me.

    and the fact that he got the injury and he pulled out shows me that he’s in a good place because it’s like going through these fights injured for what? He’s done it before, it’s well documented that he’s done it many times before. Do it when you’re healthy, there’s so much on the line now.”

    Loughnane, like many others have, made reference to how McGregor’s injury that led to such a long time away from the Octagon was caused by him going into the third fight with Dustin Poirier with an existing injury that cost him the fight.

    He believes that with this in mind, it was the correct decision to make on this occasion.

    “I’m glad that he did it, it’s showing maturity and I can’t wait for his comeback.”

  • UFC Middleweight Abdul Razak Alhassan Blows Lid On Dricus Du Plessis’ ‘Real’ African Comments: ‘If He Is A True African, He Would Have Understood That…’

    UFC Middleweight Abdul Razak Alhassan Blows Lid On Dricus Du Plessis’ ‘Real’ African Comments: ‘If He Is A True African, He Would Have Understood That…’

    The build-up to UFC 305 on August 17 is sure to have some tense moments due to the grudge match that will take place in the main event.

    Dricus Du Plessis knew that he was going to be stirring the pot when he said that by becoming the middleweight champion, he would be the first true African to hold gold.

    What he meant was that unlike the likes of Kamaru Usman, Francis Ngannou and Israel Adesanya, who he faces in Perth, he has become champion whilst still living and training out of South Africa.

    Adesanya took major issue with these comments but they will finally get the chance to settle the score in their upcoming clash.

    Unsurprisingly, “The Last Stylebender” wasn’t the only fighter on the roster with African roots that feels offended by what Du Plessis had to say.

    Abdul Razak Hassan Launches Into Fired-Up Rant About Dricus Du Plessis’ Comments

    Abdul Razak Alhassan is set to make his return this weekend in Denver when he takes on Cody Brundage and looks to bounce back from a defeat last time out.

    During his media day interviews, the middleweight livewire was asked for his opinion on the conversation based on the fact that he represents Ghana.

    What followed was an incredibly passionate and heated speech from Alhassan about Du Plessis’s words.

    He believes that the middleweight champion would not have said these things if he knew what it meant to truly be African and battle through tough living situations early on in life.

    “I respect the things he’s done in MMA but he’s a f****** b****, he’s a f****** a****** for that word that he used right. If he’s a f****** real African and he lived in Africa, he would have never used that f****** word, he’s a f****** b**** a** to use that word because an African, if he was raised with the poor people in Africa, the way I was raised, the way I grew up with how I go days without food. I have to go see my friends eating and I be like, ‘Hey bro can you give me one teaspoon of your food so I can put it in my mouth?’ That’s how I’ll survive for a few days until I can get money.

    “So if we get opportunity to leave that s***hole, of course I’m sorry, I’m not trying to call my country a s***hole but I’m poor. If I can go to America or I can go to a different country to make a better life for myself, I’ll f****** cut off my leg to f****** go. If he is a true African, he would have understood that. That means he was living the comfortable life, his family had the money to feed him everyday so he didn’t have to worry about leaving to go and make it so for him to say he’s the true African champion that lived there and he made it, he’s a f****** b**** for saying that. I respect what he’s done but he’s a b**** for that.”

  • MMA News Today: Former UFC Middleweight On How He Defeated Opponent Using Technique Learned From Hollywood Star Michael Jai White, Tom Aspinall’s Training Partner Outlines Potential Issue For Alex Pereira If He Moves To Heavyweight, & More

    MMA News Today: Former UFC Middleweight On How He Defeated Opponent Using Technique Learned From Hollywood Star Michael Jai White, Tom Aspinall’s Training Partner Outlines Potential Issue For Alex Pereira If He Moves To Heavyweight, & More

    Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 11, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

    • Hall tells interesting story behind highlight reel finish
    • Parkin says Pereira may struggle with bigger grapplers
    • Anik suggests Poirier vs Diaz

    Uriah Hall Says Michael Jai White Deserves Credit For His Finish Over Gegard Mousasi

    Back in 2015, UFC middleweight Uriah Hall secured one of his greatest ever wins when he stopped Gegard Mousasi in Japan.

    Hall spoke about the way he was able to secure this second-round finish during a recent episode of the Jaxxon Podcast, where he revealed an interesting story behind this win.

    He stated that when watching Mousasi’s previous fight with Lyoto Machida, he noticed a tell where the Dutchman dipped his head whenever Machida feinted with his hips.

    Hall then combined this with a technique that he learned during his final preparations that came courtesy of Hollywood star Michael Jai White.

    “Two weeks before that fight, I was hanging out with Michael Jai White, that m*********** is legit by the way, and he was showing me how to throw techniques without no fat, no tell, no telegraph. It was the hardest s*** ever, I’m still working on some of it. He was showing me the spinning back kick and I think I was this close to him and he was like, ‘You can do it from here’ and I was like what?! He showed me how to move my body that way so when I did that jump spinning back kick, I took away the fat a little bit because I expected him to move a certain way and it just lined up perfectly.”

    UFC Heavyweight Mick Parkin Says Alex Pereira May Struggle At Heavyweights With Keeping Opponents Off Him

    Following another defense of his UFC light heavyweight title, fans want to see whether Alex Pereira can move up another weight class to try and win a third title.

    “Poatan” went from middleweight up to 205-pounds seamlessly and with his ferocious power, he clearly has the ability to put anyone out cold.

    Heavyweight contender Mick Parkin believes that Pereira may encounter one issue if he does decide to compete with the big boys on the roster.

    Parkin, who regularly trains alongside the interim champion Tom Aspinall, is looking to match the longest active win streak in the division when he returns at UFC 304.

    He spoke in a recent interview with Violent Money TV about how despite Pereira’s improving grappling defense, this could become an issue for him against larger opponents.

    “It’s a lot different, the size. I think he’s amazing, he just keeps taking these fights and knocking everybody out. He hits so hard that he could definitely hit as hard at heavyweight and knock any heavyweight out in the world. His defensive wrestling is actually looking good but with a bigger guy it’s a lot harder so it might be a bit harder for him to get a bigger guy off on top of him. He might come up and get huge, he’s still got a big frame for it.

    “But yeah, the bigger guys, I don’t know if he’s that confident as well that he would just walk the big guys down and think I’m knocking you out or if he’d be a bit more, ‘oh I don’t want to get taken down by these guys’. I don’t know how his mindset is but I definitely feel he could do good.”    

    Jon Anik Believes That Nate Diaz Makes A Lot Of Sense For Dustin Poirier’s Farewell Fight

    There aren’t too many options out there right now that make sense for Dustin Poirier following his lightweight title fight loss at UFC 302.

    “The Diamond” recently said that he was leaning towards this being his last outing because at this stage, what is he fighting for if he isn’t trying to become the champion.

    One match-up that UFC commentator Jon Anik believes would be a great way to close out his career is one of the few big names in and around his weight class that Poirier is yet to face.

    He was booked to fight Nate Diaz in what would have been a massive fight at Madison Square Garden back in 2018 but it never took place due to Poirier withdrawing due to an injury.

    Anik spoke in an interview with MMA Junkie about how following Diaz’s win over Jorge Masvidal in boxing, now could be the perfect time to put them back together.

    “Nate Diaz is a massive superstar and that is among a myriad of reasons why Dustin Poirier is of an appetitive nature for that particular fight and match-up and part of the reason we talked about this in context was not just Nate Diaz suggesting that he wants to come back to the UFC and pursue a championship but also because I was with Dustin Poirier recently and there aren’t that many fights that make sense for him and even some of the match-ups that have been suggested have some relative downside.”

    For more MMA news, check out:

  • Joe Rogan Discusses Jon Jones PED Accusations: ‘He Doesn’t Look Like Someone Who Does Steroids…But Neither Did Lance Armstrong’

    Joe Rogan Discusses Jon Jones PED Accusations: ‘He Doesn’t Look Like Someone Who Does Steroids…But Neither Did Lance Armstrong’

    Most MMA fans will find it hard to argue against the fact that Jon Jones is the greatest fighter to ever compete in the sport.

    From being the youngest UFC champion in history to defending the belt 11 times consecutively and then going up to heavyweight and becoming champion in that division also, “Bones” has done it all.

    The one issue that comes with arguing his case is whether or not you have to add a footnote to some of his wins because of several failed drug tests throughout his career.

    There is some form of explanation for some of these, but not everyone is willing to accept these reasonings because of how often they’ve become talking points.

    Joe Rogan References Lance Armstrong When Debating Whether Or Not Jon Jones Was Guilty Of Cheating

    During a recent podcast episode, a former opponent of Jones’, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson appeared on the JRE MMA Show alongside UFC commentator Joe Rogan.

    Jackson, like many fans, assumed that some of Jones’ career was up for debate because of the positive tests that he hadn’t looked into in lots of detail.

    Rogan then explained what the issue is with some of these findings and why some still believe that the current heavyweight champion is in the clear.

    “He did but the problem that he got popped with, there were so miniscule levels that it didn’t make sense.”

    Jackson responded, stating that given the fact that the conversation began by talking about Alistair Overeem, his former opponent never appeared to give off signs of performance enhancing drugs from his appearance alone.

    “He don’t look like somebody that does steroids.”

    Rogan made the point of how some of the most famous examples of athletes using steroids or other drugs to cheat didn’t necessarily give it away just by looking at them, referencing Lance Armstrong who was stripped of his record-setting seven consecutive Tour de France victories.

    “No he doesn’t… but neither did Lance Armstrong… he was doing testosterone, he was definitely doing that too. Those guys were doing a lot of s***.”

  • Leon Edwards On Potential Super Fight Against Makhachev: ‘Islam Just Fought The First Actual Lightweight…’

    Leon Edwards On Potential Super Fight Against Makhachev: ‘Islam Just Fought The First Actual Lightweight…’

    Leon Edwards isn’t short on challengers that are hoping to earn a shot at his UFC welterweight title.

    The champion has already defended the belt twice, against Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington, and now looks to add a third ruby to his 170-pound title when facing Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 later this month.

    Despite having other potential candidates waiting in the wings, it also appears to be a matter of time before the champion in the weight class below looks to conquer a second division.

    Lightweight and pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev spoke after his latest defense at UFC 302 about his goals to fight at welterweight in the near future.

    Edwards believes that with both he and Makhachev on similar paths, the fight is likely to take place.

    Leon Edwards Says Islam Makhachev Just Beat His First Lightweight Contender At UFC 302

    During a recent interview with talkSPORT MMA, Edwards made reference to the fact that Makhachev’s first two title defenses didn’t come against a lightweight contender.

    Some may argue that his wins over the featherweight champion at the time, Alexander Volkanovski (who was also at the top of the pound-for-pound list), make his case for moving up and trying for a second belt even stronger.

    Having given Volkanovski this opportunity on two occasions, Makhachev believes that he is due his chance to do the same.

    However, despite believing that his submission win against Poirier was Makhachev’s first title defense against a contender in his division, Edwards did acknowledge that they will both be on the same amount of total defenses if he is able to get past Muhammad on July 27.

    He believes that this will likely line them up for a champion versus champion clash at some point although he does also have his own intentions to move up a weight class during his championship reign.

    “For sure, I feel like we’ve got work to do within the division. I feel like Islam just fought the first actual lightweight, he beat Volk, but this is the first actual lightweight he’s fought within the division. He’s on a three-defense streak, after I beat Belal, that’ll be my third as well so we’re both on similar paths. I can see that happening in the future. Also, I’d like to move up as well and challenge for the middleweight belt hopefully so whoever comes first.”

  • UFC Light Heavyweight Settles Number One Pound-For-Pound Debate Between Jon Jones & Alex Pereira

    UFC Light Heavyweight Settles Number One Pound-For-Pound Debate Between Jon Jones & Alex Pereira

    When Jon Jones made the decision to vacate the UFC light heavyweight title in order to take some time off before coming back at heavyweight, his former division was left in a strange place.

    The title seemed to change hands constantly without a real dominant presence at the top, until Alex Pereira made the move up from middleweight.

    Having conquered the 185-pound division before losing the title in a rematch with Israel Adesanya, he went on to do the same at 205.

    Whilst it would be hard to argue that Pereira is the most skilled mixed martial artist on the planet, his record and accomplishments in such a short period of time speak for themselves.

    It was only a matter of time, with just one weight class between them, that people started to pit Pereira versus the current heavyweight champion.

    Modestas Bukauskas Says Jon Jones Is Undeniable Despite Alex Pereira’s Achievements

    In a recent interview with InsideFighting, UFC light heavyweight Modestas Bukauskas gave his thoughts on whether Pereira has done enough to overshadow Jones on the pound-for-pound list.

    There has been a debate over the past several months about whether Jones or the lightweight champion Islam Makhachev should be considered the best on the planet, but after Pereira put on another dominant display at UFC 303, he has entered the conversation.

    Bukauskas, who returns at UFC 304 against Marcin Prachnio, cites Pereira as a big inspiration and has briefly trained with Jones much earlier in his career.

    He believes that despite his admiration for the impact that “Poatan” has had, the record books alone show why “Bones” is considered by many to be the greatest to ever do it.

    “I mean if you’re talking about who’s probably the greatest of all time and what they’ve done in the sport, how could Jon Jones not be at the top of that list? Alex Pereira has obviously done a hell of a lot considering like in a short space of time but you know, Jon Jones has literally had about like 10 or 11 title defenses or something like that. When you’re defending the belt like that many times and now moved up to heavyweight and stuff like this, I mean you can’t really deny that. Although, what Alex has done has been amazing but I’d still put Jon Jones at the top of that list.”

  • Kamaru Usman Slams Henry Cejudo For Suggesting Nate Diaz Walks Into UFC Title Shot Next: ‘You Were Two-Division Champ & Fought Merab!’

    Kamaru Usman Slams Henry Cejudo For Suggesting Nate Diaz Walks Into UFC Title Shot Next: ‘You Were Two-Division Champ & Fought Merab!’

    Following his win over Jorge Masvidal in boxing this past weekend, Nate Diaz expressed interest in avenging a previous loss of his.

    Diaz is keen to run it back with the current UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, despite no longer being signed to the promotion.

    He faced “Rocky” back at UFC 263 in his second to last appearance inside the Octagon, where he lost the fight via unanimous decision.

    During a recent podcast, former UFC champions Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman disagreed on whether this rematch taking place is a possibility.

    Henry Cejudo & Kamaru Usman Debate Nate Diaz Walking Straight Into A UFC Title Shot

    Cejudo believes that given the name value and attention that Diaz brings to the table, he could potentially step back into a title shot. He said on the Pound 4 Pound podcast that a rematch with Edwards could potentially happen if both sides wanted it.

    “He called out Leon Edwards for the strap at 170-pounds, you don’t think Dana would give it to him? You don’t think Dana would give him that fight? Remember dude, the UFC is an entertainment company and if he’s able to bring those pay-per-view numbers and especially if a guy like Leon Edwards calls for the fight, he could potentially get it.”

    Usman, interrupted his podcast co-host, passionately disagreeing with Cejudo on the options that are currently available to Diaz.

    He used Cejudo’s own career as an example of why the Stockton fighter wouldn’t be able to jump right back in at the top in the UFC, despite his profile.

    “Let’s get serious here Henry, what?! You think, ‘Oh yes I want to fight Leon Edwards’ and he just jumps in and he gets a title shot? Are you serious? Come on Henry. Henry you were two-division champion and you came back and you fought Merab so basically, you had to earn the shot at Sean O’Malley. So you’re saying that he should just definitely come in and get it just because he has numbers?”

    Usman also countered the point made by Cejudo regarding the narrative of the fight between Edwards and Diaz that went down in 2021.

    Despite dominating the fight, the Brit had to face some adversity in the final moments of the contest after being caught clean by his opponent.

    Usman does not believe that this one aspect is enough for a rematch to make sense between them at this stage in both men’s careers.

    “He landed it, it was an incredible punch but that does not warrant him all because of that. He had one moment in the fight, we’re going to give him a title shot just because… get serious bro!”

  • MMA News Today: UFC 304 Star Paddy Pimblett Becomes Latest To Request Custom Shorts, Two Former UFC Champs Could Box In ONE Championship, & More

    MMA News Today: UFC 304 Star Paddy Pimblett Becomes Latest To Request Custom Shorts, Two Former UFC Champs Could Box In ONE Championship, & More

    Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 10, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

    • Pimblett has a special request ahead of June 27
    • ‘Rampage’ vs Rashad Evans could potentially box in ONE Championship
    • Ankalaev resumes pursuit of Pereira

    Paddy Pimblett Requests Signature Orange Shorts For His UFC 304 Return

    In recent times, certain high profile UFC fighters have been granted custom shorts from Venum that they helped design.

    The likes of Max Holloway, Justin Gaethje, Zhang Weili, Dustin Poirier and Alex Pereira have all stepped inside the Octagon with their own distinct looks.

    Paddy Pimblett is hoping that he will be able to add his name to this list when he returns at UFC 304 later this month.

    “The Baddy” put a post up on Instagram of him reaching out to the UFC’s apparel partner to make a special request before facing King (formerly Bobby) Green in Manchester.

    During his days in Cage Warriors, before he signed to the UFC, Pimblett was known for competing in bright orange shorts – which he wants to bring back in front of the UK fans.

    ‘Rampage’ Jackson Says Boxing Clash With Rashad Evans Is Being Spoken About For Later This Year

    Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has had to wait a long time to make his debut in boxing due to the saga with Shannon Briggs that never led anywhere.

    Now, he has changed his focus and could be set to square off with one of his greatest rivals once again.

    Jackson and Rashad Evans fought back at UFC 114 where Evans won via a unanimous decision following one of the most memorable seasons of The Ultimate Fighter.

    “Rampage” recently stated during an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast that he could be set to box Evans, with ONE Championship potentially hosting the contest at their event (ONE 169) in Atlanta on November 8.

    “He’s still trying, but I lost my faith in Shannon [Briggs],” Jackson said. “I don’t know if he’s going to get it done. He talks a good game. I hope he get it done. If he ever gets it done, I’ll be game to fight him, but right now, I guess my first boxing match is going to be against Rashad. I need to get that win back.”

    Magomed Ankalaev Continues To Call Out Alex Pereira Following UFC 303

    Magomed Ankalaev has been as vocal as ever following the UFC light heavyweight title fight that took place at UFC 303 on June 29.

    After missing out on the title shot with the champion Alex Pereira instead facing Jiří Procházka in a rematch, Ankalaev believes that he is the next in line.

    He believes that “Poatan” does not want to fight him and is therefore continuing to call him out whilst making bold predictions for the fight.

    His latest post spoke about why this fight needs to happen next, reaffirming that he will stop Pereira once they meet inside the Octagon.

    “@AlexPereiraUFC kept away from me for a reason, and I do understand this is business @ufc best fight the best and he is the best for now I will keep my (word),” Ankalaev wrote on X. “I will knock him out. @Mickmaynard2 @danawhite nothing better than you’ve seen an event somebody going to sleep”

    Read more on the story here.

    For more MMA news, check out:

  • Former UFC Champion Demetrious Johnson Explains Why MMA Is ‘So Much Easier’ Than Jiu-Jitsu

    Former UFC Champion Demetrious Johnson Explains Why MMA Is ‘So Much Easier’ Than Jiu-Jitsu

    MMA great Demetrious Johnson has taken a step back from the sport that he made his name in as of late.

    Despite still being the flyweight titleholder in ONE Championship, he has become completely focused on competing in jiu-jitsu, which was always something he wanted to do toward the end of his career.

    Johnson has been able to stimulate himself by learning to compete in grappling tournaments in the gi having never focused on this area in the past.

    He’s already achieved some great success at the brown belt level and was recently promoted to a black belt following his dedication to grappling.

    In fact, Johnson isn’t just swapping his MMA training for jiu-jitsu, he believes that his new pursuit is even harder…

    Demetrious Johnson Says The Techniques & Specific Preparation Makes MMA Easier Than Jiu-Jitsu

    During a recent appearance on the Unsubscribe Podcast, Johnson explained his reasoning for believing MMA is easier than competing in jiu-jitsu.

    “Mighty Mouse” thinks the intricacies of training and competing in the gi specifically makes it much harder to adapt to or avoid certain difficult positions that require a lot of practice.

    “Fighting (MMA) is so much easier than jiu-jitsu… Gi is a lot harder. No gi is f***ing easy, in my opinion,” Johnson said. “Because like, If I’m going with Kody and let’s say he has some form of curriculum in the gi, if he grabs me, I have to break his grip. He’s attached to me, we become one. In no gi, I can just push him and create space and move.

    “If I put him in like, a Lasso, or a Worm, or a Squid guard and he’s never been exposed to it, he’s like, ‘What the f*ck is this!?’”

    Johnson also said that another part of his reasoning is the difference in how fighters must prepare to compete in the two sports.

    He believes that being given a specific opponent in MMA that can be studied and preparation catered for for makes everything a lot easier to plan and predict. That’s compared to stepping into a tournament against multiple unknown competitors.

    “The unknown sucks. It’s like, ‘Okay, I’m going to a tournament with 30 motherf*ckers.’ I don’t know what you’re going to do. It is what it is, we’re gonna run it and see what happens. (MMA) is like, ‘Okay, I’m fighting you, I have three months to prepare for you. I can watch all this tape on you. I know what your tendencies are, I know what your mistakes are, I know what you’re strong at. Alright, light work, easy.’”

  • Robert Whittaker Backs Teammate To Climb Into UFC Middleweight Top 10: ‘I’m The Best In The World & He Gives Me Trouble’ (Exclusive)

    Robert Whittaker Backs Teammate To Climb Into UFC Middleweight Top 10: ‘I’m The Best In The World & He Gives Me Trouble’ (Exclusive)

    Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker expects his division’s title picture to soon have another Australian making waves.

    Whittaker is one of the most experienced high level competitors in MMA today. He has been considered to be right at the top of the 185-pound weight class ever since 2017 when he became the interim champion by defeating Yoel Romero at UFC 213, and he’s still in the title picture to this day.

    With that in mind, “The Reaper” is an excellent judge of whether fighters have what it takes to swim with the sharks. In his opinion, one of his close teammates and training partners is just waiting for the opportunity to live up to his potential…

    Robert Whittaker Says Teammate Jacob Malkoun Has What It Takes To Fight The Best In The World

    Speaking in an interview with MMA News, Whittaker was asked to name some of the fighters he will always tune in to watch as a fan favorite himself.

    “Well, my teammate, Jacob Malkoun, he’s certainly one that I watch, obviously. But I think that he’s still flying under the radar,” Whittaker said. “I think he had a couple unfortunate weird losses but he’s back in that winning column now and he’s a guy that could fight someone in the top 10 tomorrow I think and like, handedly get his hand raised.”

    The 28-year old Malkoun has had an up and down run so far in the UFC since debuting back at UFC 254 in 2020 with just four professional fights under his belt.

    He has since secured four wins in seven outings, the latest of which came in March when he stopped Andre Petroski in one of the most unique endings to a fight in some time.

    Whittaker believes that his teammate is more than equipped to compete at the top level of the division and hopes that he will get his opportunity to prove that in the near future.

    “I think Jacob will beat a lot of people. Like, I cannot stress enough how much trouble he gives me in the gym and I think I’m the best in the world,” Whittaker continued. “He gives me trouble every single day, so the world’s his oyster. I want to see him get a top 10 fight and just cement that.”

  • ‘Me When I Lie’ – Fans React To Belal Muhammad’s Manager Predicting Finish In Leon Edwards Title Fight At UFC 304

    ‘Me When I Lie’ – Fans React To Belal Muhammad’s Manager Predicting Finish In Leon Edwards Title Fight At UFC 304

    Betting on the main event of UFC 304 to go the full five rounds on July 27 likely isn’t going to offer you large returns.

    Both Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad have been on dominant winning streaks in the welterweight division but neither the champion nor the challenger are particularly known for finishing fights.

    With Edwards’ very composed and calculated striking style and Muhammad’s brand of heavy and relentless grappling, they have seven finishes between them inside the Octagon.

    That being said, just under half of the Brit’s professional wins have come by stoppage, whereas Muhammad has 17 wins by decision and six finishes to his name, the last of which came against Sean Brady at UFC 280 in 2022.

    Despite this track record, the challenger’s managed recently made the bold prediction that his fighter will become the new welterweight champion without the need of the championship rounds.

    “@bullyb170 will stop Leon Edwards under three rounds,” Ali Abdelaziz wrote.

    MMA Fans React To Ali Abdelaziz Claiming Belal Muhammad Will Finish Leon Edwards

    If there is one criticism that is often thrown the way of Muhammad, it’s that he doesn’t finish enough fights or that his style isn’t the most exciting.

    It’s undeniable that he is incredibly effective, but there is an argument to be made that this approach has made it harder for him to find himself in position for a title shot.

    Fans reacted on social media to Abdelaziz believing that Muhammad will earn his fourth finish in the UFC against the man that he last faced in 2021.

    “Belal can’t finish a sandwich.”

    “Fight goes to decision is gonna be like -1000”

    https://twitter.com/DKD2421/status/1810436713615163669

    “Even Belal said that’s not happening”

    “Me when I lie”

    https://twitter.com/Jordan83835055/status/1810433123202585031
  • Darren Till Roasts Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal Boxing Match: ‘Fluffy Hands, Not A Lot Of Power, In No Fit Physical Shape…’

    Darren Till Roasts Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal Boxing Match: ‘Fluffy Hands, Not A Lot Of Power, In No Fit Physical Shape…’

    This past weekend was a big one for former UFC stars making their way into the boxing world as Saturday night’s major contest saw Nate Diaz take on Jorge Masvidal inside the ring.

    On the same night, former UFC title challenger Darren Till also stepped through the ropes for the first time when making his long awaited return to competition at Social Knockout 3.

    Whilst he took this fight just to try and stay active after his bout on the undercard of Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fell off, Till hopes to mix it up with the big names in this scene in the near future.

    With both Masvidal and Diaz being potential opponents for him inside the ring, he was sure to have a keen eye on their rematch that went down in California…

    Darren Till Not Impressed By What He Saw From Nate Diaz & Jorge Masvidal

    The general consensus seemed to be that the boxing clash between Masvidal and Diaz ended up being a better watch that some may have expected.

    Till didn’t see the fight that way, however, as he outlined during his appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani.

    “The Gorilla” wasn’t particularly impressed by what he saw from either man but didn’t want to discredit them too much due to the respect he has for them both.

    “I wasn’t impressed mate. Just like, fluffy hands, just not a lot of power, both looked like they wasn’t in no fit physical shape. But as I say, Masvidal, I fought and he beat me fair and square. Diaz, I don’t ever like to diss Diaz too much, I’ve always been a fan since a kid. I think he’s a f****** G of the sport, he’s one of your real ones. Whether you want it in the ring or outside, he’s that guy and that’s what I respect.”

    Till, meanwhile, emerged victorious in bizarre fashion after his opponent claimed to be unable to continue following a shot to the back of the head.

    After a brawl between the pair was split up, the Liverpool native was awarded the victory by way of TKO, marking his first combat sports win since 2019.

  • MMA News Today: Fight Night Weights Show 14-Pound Difference Between Nate Diaz & Jorge Masvidal, Johnny Walker Told He Has ‘BJ Penn Levels Of CTE’ After Sharing Dinosaur Theory, & More

    MMA News Today: Fight Night Weights Show 14-Pound Difference Between Nate Diaz & Jorge Masvidal, Johnny Walker Told He Has ‘BJ Penn Levels Of CTE’ After Sharing Dinosaur Theory, & More

    Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 9, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

    • Masvidal put on twice as many pounds as Diaz after making weight
    • Fans aren’t buying Walker’s dinosaur theory
    • Vakhitov says Pereira is defensively vulnerable

    Nate Diaz & Jorge Masvidal Fight Day Weigh-Ins Show Drastic Difference

    With the California State Athletic Commission looking to cut down on excessive weight cutting in combat sports, the fight nights weights for the recent Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal boxing match were released.

    The most noteworthy result shows that Jorge Masvidal made a staggering near 30-pound gain between weighing in and showing up on fight night.

    After hitting 175.2 pounds on Friday, he then weighed in at 204.1 pounds, which is a 16 percent increase in body weight.

    Diaz, who won the fight via majority decision, gained 14.6 pounds after coming in on Saturday at 190.2, meaning that he put on half as much weight as his opponent.

    Masvidal competed at both 155 and 170 pounds during his tenure in the UFC. By the time he stepped inside the ring this past weekend, he was closer to the light heavyweight mark.

    Johnny Walker Receives Pushback After Posting Dinosaur Extinction Theory

    It’s an understatement to call Brazil’s Johnny Walker one of the most unpredictable characters in MMA today.

    He recently gathered some attention on social media after he responded to an Instagram post from MMA great Georges St-Pierre.

    “GSP” shared a video about the dinosaurs and how they were made extinct and largely wiped off the face of the earth by an asteroid.

    Walker, in the replies to the post, provided his own theory about how it wasn’t an asteroid that killed them off, but perhaps humans did it instead…

    “Sorry champ but i am not sure about it anymore! I don’t believe that a asteroid ☄️ extinguished the dinosaurs 🦖 , it may be the men , take a look at some saints around the world like the flat of Russia that have a dragon and a guy that probably kill lots of it , and Brasil also have a saint , and lots of other cultures have history about some hero that killed a dragon = Dino 🦖! I’m just saying, history always change and the winner of some war tells his side of the truth ! We never know the actually real truth”

    It didn’t take too long before fans took notice of his comment and gave their sceptical reactions to his take.

    The Last Man To Defeat Alex Pereira In Kickboxing Breaks Down His Weaknesses As A Striker

    Alex Pereira has been on an incredible upwards trajectory since making the switch to MMA, but what some fight fans might not know is that he suffered a defeat in his final kickboxing fight.

    After losing a split decision the first time around, Artem Vakhitov got the better of “Poatan” in the rematch before Pereira made the decision to leave Glory behind to really pursue MMA.

    Vakhitov, who has also been trying his hand at MMA as of late, spoke in a recent interview with MMA Fighting about where he believes Pereira is vulnerable, having been one of the few to outstrike him.

    He said that the UFC light heavyweight champion’s greatest strength is also his greatest weakness,but the issue many of his MMA opponents have is that they’re not confident enough to try and exploit it.

    “His biggest weakness is that he is all attack, he has no defense,” Vakhitov said. “Because of his lack of defense, he is open to taking a lot of punches to the head if he’s facing a skilled striker. You saw that in his second fight with Adesanya. He got caught because he leaves a lot of openings for people who know what they are doing.

    “These other guys haven’t done well against Alex because their striking isn’t at a high enough level. They aren’t confident against him and they think he’s unbeatable, so in their heart they are already defeated before the fight starts,” Vakhitov continued. “But I have beaten him before in pure striking competition, and I am sure I’ll do it again if we can get our trilogy match in the UFC.”

    Read more on the story here.

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