MMA News

Author: Kyle Dimond

  • Kron Gracie Says Fans Who Complain About His Main Card Spot Are The Ones ‘Stealing The PPV’

    Kron Gracie Says Fans Who Complain About His Main Card Spot Are The Ones ‘Stealing The PPV’

    The final UFC PPV card of the year is a strong one from top to bottom so whilst we may have lost some names towards the top of the card, there is still lots to be excited about this Saturday. However, some fans and fighters have questioned the bout order for UFC 310.

    One fight in particular has been targeted, that being the featherweight contest between Bryce Mitchell and Kron Gracie. Of course, it’s not their fault that they have been given this position on the card but some did take issue with this for several reasons.

    Gracie hasn’t fought since May of 2023 where he returned from a four-year break and suffered his second consecutive loss. Mitchell, on the other hand, is ranked #13 in the division having suffered a devastating knockout loss to Josh Emmett in December last year at UFC 296.

    There are plenty of big names and strong match-ups on the prelims that could have taken this slot but none are as fitting as the fight between top 10 contenders which takes place in the very same weight class. Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling will look to halt the undefeated run of Movsar Evloev with both men having a case for a title shot if they get their hand raised.

    In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Gracie responded to the criticism of his fight featuring on the PPV portion of the card.

    “I think it’s funny because the people always have something to say and it’s interesting that people who would complain about something like that are probably the people who are not even paying for the PPV. They’re streaming it for free, they’re stealing the PPV and they’re the ones complaining about where the fight is. If anything, it’s a free fight for the fans that they get to watch sooner. I don’t see why it’s such a big deal.”

    Gracie continued, adding that he doesn’t think the bout order is a decision that the promotion has made in order to diminish certain fighters or match-ups, as has been theorized.

    “I think that the placement of the fight is not the most important thing and I don’t care where I’m at on the card, the sooner the better really. I get to go on with my life after that so. Obviously the UFC knows what they’re doing and they’re in the business of making fights and matchmaking so no one does it better than them. I’m sure they didn’t do this on spitefulness, I’m sure this is a business deal and it is what it is.”   

  • Tom Aspinall Reveals What Surprised Him Most About Watching Jon Jones Up Close

    Tom Aspinall Reveals What Surprised Him Most About Watching Jon Jones Up Close

    Tom Aspinall claims that it wasn’t his intention to make the UFC 309 fight week about him even if he was weighing in as the back-up fighter. The main event at Madison Square Garden featured two of the greatest champions in the history of the promotion colliding for the very first time and yet, a lot of the talk was about the Brit.

    From Jones walking out of interviews to Aspinall chants at the press conference, the presence of the interim champion was clearly felt in New York. After successfully weighing in as the back-up, once it was clear that he wouldn’t be needed, he changed his focus.

    His new goal was to enjoy the fights and watch the man that could be his next opponent if he gets the fight that he wants. Everyone who has been an MMA fan for some time will have seen Jones fight before because he’s been at the top for so long.

    However, Aspinall was able to leave the world’s most famous arena with some new observations after watching the GOAT live and in the flesh. In a recent episode of Tom Aspinall’s Fight Lab on TNT Sports, he broke down his main takeaways from the fight.

    The interim champ highlighted one aspect of the fight that he didn’t see coming, crediting Jones’ aura in the cage and Miocic’s age as the reason why “Bones” was able to dictate the action.

    “Something that surprised me sitting up close was the footwork. Maybe not the footwork as such but just the constant forward motion of Jon Jones and Stipe was just kind of left to go side-to-side with his feet constantly. He was never really on the front foot which is surprising because Stipe is a natural heavyweight, Jon Jones obviously coming up from light heavy. I wouldn’t think that Jon would have the prowess in the Octagon to push him back constantly which I was pretty surprised by.”   

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3gGqrhbfng
  • Chael Sonnen Questions Ciryl Gane’s Commitment & UFC 310 Betting Favorite Status Over Alexander Volkov

    Chael Sonnen Questions Ciryl Gane’s Commitment & UFC 310 Betting Favorite Status Over Alexander Volkov

    At UFC 310 this weekend, another heavyweight could join the conversation that has been dominated by the division’s two titleholders in Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall. Whichever man gets the win, Ciryl Gane or Alexander Volkov will prove that they’re the next in line for a title shot even if the future of the division remains unclear right now.

    Since losing to Aspinall in 2022, Volkov has put together a very strong run with four consecutive wins. Gane, on the other hand, hasn’t fought since his victory over Serghei Spivac in Paris last year which saw him bounce back from his loss to Jones at UFC 285.

    The former interim champion has received some criticism since then over not wanting to pursue a fight with Aspinall and then turning down the interim title fight for UFC 304 in July due to a commitment he had made to filming a TV show for Netflix which has since released. Chael Sonnen believes that with these factors being considered, he doesn’t understand why “Bon Gamin” is a clear favorite according to the oddsmakers.

    “Ciryl is a very heavy favorite. I, for the life of me, do not know why.

    “I don’t mean to be negative towards Ciryl but I will share with you, nobody gets better at this sport by not doing it and Ciryl passed up on very big opportunities to go and film a movie that nobody’s ever heard of and most likely will never see but you can’t ever get around that. Every actor wants to be an athlete and every athlete wants to be an actor. There’s no way to ever work that out. So now Ciryl’s going to come in against largely a mere image of himself.”

    Many would point to Gane being a big favorite due to the way that their first meeting played out. In June of 2021, the French fighter dominated against Volkov and won all five rounds on multiple scorecards to earn his sixth consecutive win inside the Octagon.

    Sonnen, however, believes that Volkov has never looked better than he did last time out against Sergei Pavlovich in June in a fight that he believes the Russian coasted through.

    “Volkov went out and didn’t even take him serious. Volkov’s trainer in between rounds brought him water and a comb. He combed his hair in between rounds, I mean he was doing marketing and he was doing a spoof and he was performing cuz he was so unimpressed by your great blonde hope.” 

  • Ian Garry: UFC Tampa Booking Proves ‘Coward’ Colby Covington ‘Avoided Me Like The Plague’

    Ian Garry: UFC Tampa Booking Proves ‘Coward’ Colby Covington ‘Avoided Me Like The Plague’

    Though their paths might not be crossing in the way that he had hoped, there is no love lost between Ian Machado Garry and Colby Covington. The undefeated Irishman has spent a fair few months of 2024 going back-and-forth with the former interim champion.

    Covington was the opponent that he wanted to face at UFC 303 in June which would have been the perfect co-main event to Conor McGregor’s return against Michael Chandler. Instead, Garry would get the main card opener slot against the former Bellator star Michael “Venom” Page which he won to remain undefeated.

    Considering the war of words between them which stems all the way back to UFC 296 in December last year where they were scheduled to share the card with each other before Garry withdrew due to illness, it only made sense to revisit this match-up. With how much time he has spent trying to get “Chaos” to fight him, it’s not surprising that he would be frustrated when the welterweight switch-up happened.

    Garry agreed to fight Joaquin Buckley in the main event of UFC Tampa on December 14, admitting recently that the fight didn’t excite him but no one ranked above him would take the match-up. When Belal Muhammad withdrew from his UFC 310 title defense, Garry replaced him to face Shavkat Rakhmonov this Saturday whilst Covington stepped in to clash with Buckley the following week.

    In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Garry reacted to Covington refusing to fight him only to accept a fight with “New Mansa” instead for the same date that the Irishman was originally targeting.

    “I was seething, how do you think I feel? Because I’ve been screaming and shouting about fighting that man from the rafters,” Garry said. “This man’s made videos about me, my wife, my kids – talking about all this s***. And here’s this man avoiding me like the plague, and then the second I book in against the scariest man in the division, he’s like, ‘Oh, I’ll fight in Florida.’

    “It just proves, it just shows that he’s a coward, that he wants nothing to do with me,” Garry continued. “The truth is I already know I’ve beaten him. I know I’ve already mentally beaten him. He’s weak. He’s an absolute coward.”

  • 8-0 MMA Prospect To Make Pro Wrestling Debut Against Former WWE Star Matt Riddle

    8-0 MMA Prospect To Make Pro Wrestling Debut Against Former WWE Star Matt Riddle

    With an undefeated record of 8-0, flyweight talent Phumi Nkuta is someone that fight fans have had their eyes on for some time. The CFFC and Peak Fighting champion is a name that has been tipped for big things but it looks like his MMA career is being put on hold.

    If there’s one thing that has held Nkuta back in his MMA career, it’s his activity after he had nearly two years out from 2021-2023 due to an injury. Now, he’s looking to progress in a new field by making his professional wrestling debut as House Of Glory’s upcoming event in New York.

    On December 20, HOG “Live For The Moment” will take place at the NYC Arena with a card that boasts the HOG return of one of the most iconic teams in all of wrestling, The Hardy Boyz. Nkuta will also feature on the card against a name and face that will be familiar to both wrestling and MMA fans.

    Matt Riddle came into the UFC via the seventh season of The Ultimate Fighter and would go on to fight inside the Octagon 12 times before being released from the promotion in 2013. Aside from one comeback fight earlier this year in Titan FC, Riddle then left MMA behind to pursue pro wrestling where he would go on to become a major star in the WWE.

    Following several suspensions and controversies, he left the WWE in 2023 and has been working for several other promotions on the independent circuit ever since. He recently made his debut for TNA at their “Turning Point” event on November 29. Now, it will be him that is welcoming an MMA fighter through the ropes on December 20.

  • Training Partner Describes ‘Lighting In A Bottle’ Kai Asakura: ‘Hardest Hitting 125’er On Planet Earth’

    Training Partner Describes ‘Lighting In A Bottle’ Kai Asakura: ‘Hardest Hitting 125’er On Planet Earth’

    It’s always exciting when the UFC signs a big name from another promotion and fight fans get to see how they stack up against the rest of the roster. In the case of Kai Asakura, things are a bit different to the other times that we have seen this happen in recent years.

    For a start, unlike fighters like Kayla Harrison or Michael “Venom” Page, he’s going straight into a UFC title shot on his debut this weekend at UFC 310 where he challenges Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight belt in the main event. The other notable difference is that Asakura didn’t become a champion in a promotion that is on a lot of US fans’ radars.

    The 31-year old is a big name in Japan and though some of his wins in RIZIN have certainly put him on the global map, there are a lot of UFC fans who won’t have heard of him until he was signed to the promotion. In a recent interview with The Scrap, Mando Gutierrez looked to help provide some insight into what the title challenger is like and what fans can expect from him.

    Gutierrez has been training alongside Asakura in his first UFC camp and he’s very excited to see what the new arrival will be capable of. He thinks that though the Japanese star has an impressive highlight reel from his time in RIZIN, he will be able to produce these kinds of finishes in the UFC also.

    “Lighting in a bottle bro. Like he has true finishing capabilities. Super strong, super agile, fast as f*** and he cracks man. If there’s one thing I can guarantee you it’s that’s the hardest hitting 125’er on planet earth and I really believe it. Timing, precision, speed, power, all mixed into one just makes him the hardest f****** puncher there is.”  

  • Donald Cerrone Reiterates UFC Return Plan During Kill Tony Appearance

    Donald Cerrone Reiterates UFC Return Plan During Kill Tony Appearance

    During a recent episode of the Kill Tony podcast, live at the Comedy Mothership in Austin, Texas, former UFC icon Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone made a special guest appearance. The 41-year old has recently declared that he plans to return to the Octagon after retiring in July of 2022.

    Cerrone was without a win in his last seven fights but the Hall of Famer, who was inducted in 2023, still has a couple bouts left on his contract and considering that he’s fought 38 times in the UFC, rounding that up to 40 is something he wants to tick off.

    Fighting out of his contract would also allow Cerrone to pursue other options away from the UFC and this is why he was brought out on stage in the first place. “Cowboy” came through the curtain after it was said that there was someone backstage that had a message for Jake Paul.

    After receiving a warm welcome from the fans inside the building, he laid out his current plans for the future which could involve “The Problem Child” once his UFC obligations are fulfilled.

    “I mean if the guy wants to come to MMA, I’ll gladly whip his f****** a** but I am coming out of retirement and I have two more fights on our contract so I want 40 UFC fights, that’s the number so I have two before July to get done and then I’m gonna go out there and give it hell and if Jake wants to jump in line for the a** whipping train, he can jump on and give me all the money.”

    Cerrone was then asked by Tony Hinchcliffe whether he would step into boxing to face Paul like several other MMA fighters like Tyron Woodley and Nate Diaz have. He declined this offer, having the self awareness to know that the fight wouldn’t go well for him in this field.

    “No I’m f****** terrible at boxing, I have no head movement. I need to take him down and whip his a**.”

  • Former UFC Title Challenger Becomes Champion At 43 Years Old

    Former UFC Title Challenger Becomes Champion At 43 Years Old

    Former UFC title challenger Yushin Okami has become a champion following his recent win at Shooto 2024 Vol. 8 on November 30. The 33-year old Japanese legend earned his second consecutive victory over Kim Jae-young in Tokyo to win the vacant Shooto middleweight title.

    Having made his MMA debut in 2002, the 54-fight veteran has fought in several of the top promotions in the sport. With outings in the likes of Pancrase, PRIDE and Rumble on the Rock, Okami debuted with the UFC in 2006 where he defeated Alan Belcher at UFC 62.

    He would go on to have a very successful first run with the promotion, winning multiple title eliminators and even challenging Anderson Silva for the middleweight belt at UFC 134. Following a loss to Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in 2013, Okami was surprisingly cut from the promotion despite winning three in a row before that defeat.

    Dana White told Yahoo Sports at the time that though he “liked” Okami, he had become a gatekeeper and with the roster being full, they needed to give opportunities to other fighters. Following several appearances in the World Series of Fighting, which later became the PFL, Okami returned to the UFC in 2017 where he fought three more times, ending his time in the promotion with an overall record of 14-7.

    From there, he signed to ONE Championship where he fought four times before his back-to-back fights with Jae-young in Shooto. Okami posted on social media to celebrate his recent title win, reflecting on how he has come up short as the runner-up several times throughout his career but now, he has reached the top.

    “I was able to win the Shooto World Middleweight Championship. I made my professional debut at the age of 20, and experienced a bitter defeat in my final fight for the UFC middleweight championship. After that, I lost the WSOF championship, fought overseas one after another, and now I’m in my 23rd year. I’ve shed so many tears, but winning this belt at the age of 43 is special to me. Thank you for your support.”

  • Khamzat Chimaev Uses Donald Trump To Aim Cryptic Post At Dricus Du Plessis

    Khamzat Chimaev Uses Donald Trump To Aim Cryptic Post At Dricus Du Plessis

    It looked for a long time like Dricus Du Plessis’ next middleweight title defense would see him face Sean Strickland in a rematch but that was until Khamzat Chimaev changed the narrative. Du Plessis won the middleweight title at UFC 297 in January by beating Strickland via a split decision and after the former champ rebounded with a win, this was the clear direction to go in.

    The only other potential candidate at the time was another former champion in Robert Whittaker but when he was booked to face Chimaev at UFC 308, all the title plans needed to be put on hold until that fight played out. What we ended up getting was a statement win from the undefeated Chimaev who became just the second man to submit “The Reaper” in 34 pro fights.

    As a result, Chimaev challenging Du Plessis for the belt is now the most exciting fight in the division but one barrier to it happening could be the issues that “Borz” has faced in regards to staying active. His recent social media post appears to address that and remove it from the conversation.

    Chimaev has not fought in the United States since UFC 279 in 2022 with his wins over Whittaker and Kamaru Usman both taking place in Abu Dhabi. He previously told Kevin Iole that if Donald Trump was re-elected as President, fighting in the United States wouldn’t be an issue for him.

    “Let Donald Trump win the fight and I will be there.”

    Posting on X, Chimaev tagged the 185-pound champion with nothing more than an image and eye emoji attached to get across his point that there is nothing that can get in the way of him being the next challenger. It now looks likely that we will see this huge fight take place at middleweight with it potentially being held in the United States.

  • Jorge Masvidal Confirms UFC Return For April In Miami

    Jorge Masvidal Confirms UFC Return For April In Miami

    Jorge Masvidal appears to have a date and location for his UFC return as he recently confirmed in an appearance on Jake Shields’ Fight Back podcast. “Gamebred” has been talking about stepping foot inside the Octagon once again for several months now but it now looks like plans are starting to be putting in place.

    His last fight in the UFC to this point came at UFC 287 in Miami where after a loss to Gilbert Burns, he announced that he would be stepping away. This decision loss in April of 2023 marked his fourth outing in a row without a win, suffering defeats to Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington in the run that followed his three-fight win streak that turned him into a major star.

    Masvidal then stepped into the boxing world where he lost a majority decision to Nate Diaz this past July having previously beaten him in the UFC to become the inaugural BMF titleholder at UFC 244. He told Shields that his return will take place in the same city two years on from his loss to Burns though he doesn’t have an opponent confirmed as of yet.

    He has been very outspoken about wanting to settle the score with Leon Edwards which stems all the way back to their backstage altercation at the O2 Arena in London over five years ago. With “Rocky” recently stating on a DAZN broadcast over the weekend that he will be making his return to headline the London card on March 22, it doesn’t look like he will be a potential candidate to welcome Masvidal back.

    “I will be back. April next year in the UFC. Yes sir. We don’t have the opponent yet. Hopefully, by December we get the opponent. In April, Miami card.”

  • Dan Hardy: Jon Jones ‘Certainly Not’ World’s Best Heavyweight

    Dan Hardy: Jon Jones ‘Certainly Not’ World’s Best Heavyweight

    Jon Jones isn’t just the reigning UFC heavyweight champion, he’s largely considered to be the greatest of all time. However, as Dan Hardy spoke about in a recent interview with MMA Fighting, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s the best in his weight class right now.

    Many believe that with the sheer amount of heavyweights he has beaten compared to Jones, interim champion Tom Aspinall might be the best in the weight class even if he doesn’t have the longevity of somebody like “Bones” just yet. Francis Ngannou left the UFC without ever losing his heavyweight title and in his PFL debut against Renan Ferreira, he showed that he also has to be in the conversation.

    Hardy believes that if there was a fight to decide the best heavyweight on the planet, Jones wouldn’t even factor into the equation.

    “I think Jon Jones is the pound-for-pound best. I think he’s the best representation of mixed martial arts generally that we’ve ever seen. I think he’s still evolving, which is terrifying. But is he the best current heavyweight on the planet? I don’t think so.

    “I think the winner of Aspinall versus Ngannou would be the answer … no disrespect in any way to Jon. Current heavyweight champion but not the current best heavyweight on the planet. Certainly not.”

    Hardy went on to describe Jones as “bottom of the rung” in regards to the incredible physicality that Aspinall and Ngannou bring to the table as legitimate heavyweight-sized competitors though he would hold advantages in other areas.

    “The creativity of Jon Jones and the wisdom, the fight IQ, that reigns supreme. I just wonder if he’s got that ability in the heavyweight division with someone as fast as Tom Aspinall and someone as powerful as Francis Ngannou. There were times when Stipe [Miocic] landed [on Jones at UFC 309] and I think if Ngannou lands those shots, Jon Jones doesn’t get back up.

    “I also think the speed of Tom Aspinall would allow him to land punches against Jon Jones and Ngannou that both of those guys wouldn’t see coming and wouldn’t be able to stop. The question is would he be able to do that kind of damage to knock them out. I don’t know. I’ve seen Francis take some big shots. I know obviously he got knocked out by Anthony Joshua but at the same time, you’re talking of an elite level boxer who’s an incredible athlete at the same time. I mean, it’s just so difficult to pick one.”

  • Igor Severino Returns After Being Cut From The UFC Over Biting Disqualification

    Igor Severino Returns After Being Cut From The UFC Over Biting Disqualification

    Igor Severino is set to make his MMA return after serving a nine-month suspension due to a disqualification loss in the UFC. The Brazilian earned his spot on the roster via last year’s season of the Contender Series where he improved to 8-0.

    At just 21-years old with all eight wins coming by way of finish, Severino looked to be an exciting addition to the flyweight division but that all came crumbling down in his Octagon debut. At the UFC Fight Night event that was headlined by Amanda Ribas vs. Rose Namajunas at the Apex on March 23, he was disqualified for biting André Lima in the second round.

    Lima complained to the referee and with visible bite marks on his arm, there was no denying what had just happened. As a result, Severino was cut from the UFC, fined by the Nevada Athletic Commission and suspended until the 23rd of December.

    He’s now set to make his debut for European promotion OKTAGON on their end of year card, OKTAGON 65, which takes place at the O2 Arena in Praha on December 29. He will move up a weight class to face the promotion’s former bantamweight champion, Jonas Mågård, who previously lost the title to Felipe Lima who has since earned a debut win inside the Octagon.

    Lima was very honest in the aftermath of his disqualification loss and the consequences that came with his actions. He now has the opportunity to put this behind him by moving on with his career. In a video posted by OKTAGON on social media, he announced his arrival.

    “Hey guys, Igor here. I will make my debut in OKTAGON MMA against Jonas Mågård. I’m very excited for the fight, I can’t wait to go there and put on a show for everybody. Jonas, I see you soon, I’m ready. December 29th, let’s go.”

  • ‘Best WMMA Fighter In The World’ – Fans React As Dakota Ditcheva Batters Taila Santos To Win Inaugural PFL Flyweight Title

    ‘Best WMMA Fighter In The World’ – Fans React As Dakota Ditcheva Batters Taila Santos To Win Inaugural PFL Flyweight Title

    Dakota Ditcheva passed the toughest test of her career to date with flying colors to become the 2024 PFL flyweight champion, stopping Taila Santos in the second round.

    Many expected the former UFC title challenger to be a threat to the undefeated star in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but the fight was one-way traffic from start to finish.

    It was clear right from the get-go that there was no comparison between them on the feet, with Ditcheva’s excellent striking causing damage to multiple targets and making her opponent bite on all of her feints.

    The biggest takeaway in this fight was that when Santos was able to close the distance in order to test the Brit’s grappling, “Dangerous” was able to defend takedowns, keep herself safe, and get back to striking. She even took the Brazilian veteran down at one point before standing back up.

    Santos looked to be hanging on at the end of the first round, and in the second, the champion picked up where she left off. After the damage started to add up, she put the stamp on her most impressive display to date by becoming the first woman to finish Santos.

    Ditcheva didn’t just become the champion and win $1 million in this fight, she proved herself to be a legitimate world class competitor at flyweight. PFL strapped the rocket to the 25-year old, and it has more than paid off.

    Fight fans reacted to her undeniable performance via social media:

  • VIDEO: Shamil Musaev Wins Battle Of Undefeated Russians With Nasty Left Hook, Nets PFL Welterweight Title

    VIDEO: Shamil Musaev Wins Battle Of Undefeated Russians With Nasty Left Hook, Nets PFL Welterweight Title

    Shamil Musaev is the 2024 PFL welterweight champion after coming out on top in the battle of the undefeated Russian competitors. He improved to 20-0-1 by stopping Magomed Umalatov in the third round with a devastating left hook.

    As expected, the fight at Friday’s event in Riyadh was incredibly strategic and both men weren’t willing to risk over-asserting themselves. With that, there was a lot of feeling out and reads in-between the action.

    Umalatov appeared to be building into the fight following a slow start, but everything that Musaev did, he did it well in order to keep his opponent guessing.

    Whether it was his quick strikes and exits or his world-class takedown defense, the champion started ahead of Umalatov and maintained that lead throughout before landing the ruthless shot that secured him his third finish of the year.

    Watch another great finish from the 2024 PFL World Championship in Saudi Arabia that was perfectly set up by a feint from the promotion’s latest welterweight king below.

    The grappling exchanges were always going to be fascinating between these two, and though we only got a few of them, they lived up to the expectations.

    The usually stoic Musaev even cracked a smile when being awarded the welterweight title and the $1 million cheque after handing Umalatov the first loss of his 18-fight pro career.

  • Potential Francis Ngannou Opponent Emerges As Denis Goltsov Nets Shock Submission To Win 2024 PFL Heavyweight Title

    Potential Francis Ngannou Opponent Emerges As Denis Goltsov Nets Shock Submission To Win 2024 PFL Heavyweight Title

    Heavyweight veteran Denis Goltsov finally went all the way, stunning Oleg Popov with a shock submission win at the 2024 PFL World Championship.

    The Russian produced three consecutive finishes this season to make it back to the finals in what marked his fifth season shooting for glory in the PFL SmartCage.

    Against Popov, he faced an opponent who certainly isn’t used to losing. And beyond just the shock of defeat, not many would have predicted this finish.

    Popov secured an early takedown but didn’t threaten with much offense from the top position. His opponent then popped the commentators by throwing up a triangle attempt from the bottom.

    After adjusting his submission, the referee eventually stepped in to pull Goltsov off of his unconscious opponent.

    The commentary team initially believed the newly crowned champ was retiring after he took his gloves off immediately after the win, but Goltsov later clarified that this isn’t the case.

    After some prompting from Dan Hardy, the Russian said he wants to fight Francis Ngannou next year after the former UFC champion made his PFL debut in October, stopping Renan Ferreira in the first round.

    With the likes of Vadim Nemkov and Ante Delija being matched for January next year in Dubai, Goltsov has certainly emerged as the frontrunner for being “The Predator’s” next opponent in the PFL.

  • Dan Hardy: Dakota Ditcheva Can Prove Herself To Be The Best Flyweight In The World vs. Taila Santos

    Dan Hardy: Dakota Ditcheva Can Prove Herself To Be The Best Flyweight In The World vs. Taila Santos

    At the 2024 PFL Championships this Friday in Riyadh, Dakota Ditcheva faces her toughest test to date as the undefeated striker takes on Taila Santos. For all of the hype surrounding the British striker, there has been a lot of doubts as well with some saying that she hasn’t been tested at the top level yet.

    With every step-up in the quality of her opponents, the former PFL Europe champion has blasted through them also, winning all three of her fights this season via a knockout in the first round. Santos, however, is an opponent that fight fans know is a legitimate threat to her.

    The former UFC fighter competed in one of the most controversial bouts in recent years when at UFC 275 she fought to a split decision against Valentina Shevchenko with many believing that she did enough to secure the victory. PFL commentator Dan Hardy believes that with a strong showing against Santos, Ditcheva can prove that she isn’t just the best flyweight in the PFL, she’s the best in the world.

    In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Hardy said that Santos is a tough test for Ditcheva but she’s also a measuring stick for the undefeated star to use.

    “I mean I certainly think so and the fact that Santos has been the distance with Shevchenko is going to make it easier for the fans to see the difference in Dakota’s skills compared to Shevchenko.”

    After comparing the point fighting style of Shevchenko to the lethal striking of Ditcheva, Hardy said if she’s able to beat Santos and look impressive whilst doing it, there can be no more doubting her.

    “If Dakota’s got enough skills in her game to stuff takedowns or to get back to her feet or to defend any submissions that she finds herself in in this fight coming up, if she proves that she’s got enough grappling for people to go, ‘You know what, I think that would work against Shevchenko as well’, then I don’t really think there’s much of a question around Dakota’s striking compared to Shevchenko.”

  • Anthony Hernandez Says Brendan Allen Has Got A Lot Better Since Their First Fight: ‘I Just Think I Have His Number’

    Anthony Hernandez Says Brendan Allen Has Got A Lot Better Since Their First Fight: ‘I Just Think I Have His Number’

    Top 15 middleweights are set to meet for the second time in their careers on February 22 in a huge fight for both men. Anthony Hernandez is one of the surging contenders at 185-pounds right now following his main event win over Michel Pereira last time out where his relentless output was the story of the fight once again.

    His next opponent, Brendan Allen, was another one of of middleweight’s most in-form fighters until a recent loss to Nassourdine Imavov halted his winning streak. The two men first met all the way back in 2018 in a five-round fight that had a huge impact on their careers.

    Hernandez got the win at LFA 32 and went on to receive an opportunity on Dana White’s Contender Series. Allen, on the other hand, secured a few more wins in order to bounce back and join his former foe in the UFC where he has been incredibly active to climb up the rankings quickly.

    Hernandez recalls that his first fight with Allen was a tough outing and he gives his opponent a lot of respect for the improvements he had made over the past six years. However, as he revealed in a recent interview with Inside Fighting, he still believes that he will get his hand raised once again regardless of how much better Allen has become.

    “I mean he called me out and it’s like all right well if you want to f****** run it back I mean it’s the perfect opportunity because obviously he’s ahead of me, he’s been healthy and he’s, well his last fight he lost, but he’s been winning and stuff and like the kid’s gotten so much f****** better. I just think I have his number, you know what I mean.”

  • MMA Analyst Says Colby Covington Might Regret His Return Decision: ‘That’s A Different Buckley’

    MMA Analyst Says Colby Covington Might Regret His Return Decision: ‘That’s A Different Buckley’

    At UFC Tampa in the promotion’s final event of 2024, Colby Covington makes a somewhat unexpected return to face Joaquin Buckley in the main event on December 14. The former interim welterweight champion has been linked with a lot of different match-ups since his last fight against Leon Edwards in December of last year but none of them have come together.

    Covington will now be replacing Ian Machado Garry to take on the surging Buckley after Garry moved into the co-main event of UFC 310 to face Shavkat Rakhmonov. Though “New Mansa” is in the best form of his life right now, many see Buckley as a more winnable fight for Covington than some of the other names he has been linked with.

    For as good as his winning streak at welterweight has been, he’s got some losses on his record and in some of those, he was outwrestled which is where the former three-time title challenger could get his hand raised.

    Josh Thomson and “Big” John McCarthy raised this point during a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast where they said that “Chaos” may be underestimating Buckley for this very reason. McCarthy spoke about why Covington has decided to come back for this fight in particular.

    “I look and I think Colby actually bit on this fight thinking ‘Alright, I’ve seen people out wrestle Buckley in the past and I can out wrestle him and take him down’. Now, that’s a different Buckley though too, Buckley’s a different fighter.”

    McCarthy also made reference to Buckley’s 2018 loss in Bellator to Logan Storley, using this as a comparison to his next match-up.

    “You can look at that and say well, Logan just outwrestled him and dropped him anytime he wanted and takedown stuff. Logan’s a better wrestler than Colby Covington ever was okay, sorry, and Buckley is way better now than he was back then.”

  • Jamahal Hill Responds To Fans Being ‘Weird’ About Jon Jones Calling Him Out

    Jamahal Hill Responds To Fans Being ‘Weird’ About Jon Jones Calling Him Out

    The former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill had his name brought up in an unexpected conversation during UFC 309 fight week. A huge talking point surrounding the event was Jon Jones’ future after many expected that the consensus greatest of all time would retire after headlining Madison Square Garden.

    Amongst the debate of him fighting Tom Aspinall or Alex Pereira next, Jones suggested a few other options that caught a lot of fight fans by surprise. “Bones” claimed that he only wanted to compete in fights against guy that are similar to him and in fights that the fans wanted to see.

    He proceeded to name Derrick Lewis and Hill as two of those match-ups, much to the surprise of everyone else. “Sweet Dreams” hasn’t been a name that has been heavily linked to Jones, especially after he lost the 205-pound title at UFC 300 earlier this year.

    In a recent interview with Inside Fighting, he gave his reaction to hearing Jones mention his name and the reaction that it brought from the fans.

    “Yeah 100% it did. However, people getting weird about it, it’s like, he called me out?! You know what I mean. Which, that’s a fight that I’ve wanted since I got here. That was the first name that came out of my mouth whenever they put a UFC camera in front of me so for him to say that now to me, lets me know that I’ve been doing the right things.”

    Hil’s attention is currently focused on Jiří Procházka who he will face at UFC 311 in January though he did say that with a potential fight against Jones likely taking place at heavyweight, moving up a weight class is something that is in his future.

    “Yeah, that’s my plan eventually. I got a couple challenges here that I want to have, questions that I want to answer at this weight but then yeah, eventually I do want to move up.”

  • Former UFC Champion Points Out Huge Difference Kai Asakura Will Have To Adapt To At UFC 310

    Former UFC Champion Points Out Huge Difference Kai Asakura Will Have To Adapt To At UFC 310

    One of the most exciting elements of the UFC’s final PPV event of 2024 is the introduction of a new superstar who is going right into a main event title fight. Kai Asakura has already become a huge name in Japan through the time he has spent in RIZIN.

    Though the 31-year old has fought some names that UFC fans will recognise, not to mention some of the acclaim he has received during his time in Japan, December 7 is when we all get to find out how he will fare in the UFC’s flyweight division when he challenges Alexandre Pantoja for the 125-pound title.

    Asakura’s highlight reel, which fans will become used to seeing in the promos for UFC 310, paints a good picture of who he is as a fighter. He does his best work on the feet and has some signature finishes to go with his striking skills.

    That then opens up the question of how he will perform when facing a very high-level grappler in Pantoja who is usually so dominant on the ground. In a recent YouTube video, UFC commentator and former champion Michael Bisping added another question mark to this debate.

    He pointed out that just like when the UFC and PRIDE fighters would crossover back in the day, fighters would have to adapt to fighting in a ring or a cage and that could be a factor in Las Vegas’ main event clash because it changes the way that you defend takedowns.

    “The big difference between PRIDE and the UFC is that they are competed in a ring and the reason why this is going to be interesting is because has he adapted his style to the UFC, has he been training in a cage? In his fights, for example his last one against Juan Archuleta, Juan Archuleta was trying to take him down. Up against the ring, under the ropes, he was sprawling and his legs were all the way past, they were right past the end of the ropes on the apron of the ring… obviously, in a cage, you can’t do that. So if you’re pushed up against it, your feet are perpendicular to your body and that makes it easier for somebody like Alexandre Pantoja to get a hold of a leg.”

  • UFC Produces In-Depth Conversation With Concussion Expert: ‘I’m Not Concerned About Concussion Injuries’

    UFC Produces In-Depth Conversation With Concussion Expert: ‘I’m Not Concerned About Concussion Injuries’

    The conversation and knowledge surrounding concussions and the affects they can have on a fighter both during and after their careers are more prominent and extensive today than they have ever been. This is a huge positive for combat sports across the board and it’s something that the MMA leader is placing more focus and emphasis on.

    Alongside studies written and posted by the likes of Erik Magraken, the UFC has started taking responsibility into it’s own hands by releasing its own studies or recently announcing the promotion’s first brain health education summit with invites being sent to athletes, managers and coaches.

    In the latest release of more important information regarding brain health from the promotion, UFC commentator John Gooden sat down for an extensive and in-depth conversation with concussion expert Dr Cameron Marshall. The full discussion lasts nearly one hour and 20 minutes and is available via the UFC Fight Pass platform or the YouTube channel.

    The chat is full of interesting takeaways but perhaps one of the most important is the following statement from Marshall. He explains why, when looking at the studies and research that has been conducted, receiving numerous concussions throughout a fighter’s career isn’t the main cause for concern.

    The real danger is when those concussions come in a short space of time meaning that they have a greater impact.

    “I’m not one to try and change sports like there’s people to be like, ‘we gotta ban MMA because of concussion.’ It’s not the concussion that’s the problem and I say this as a concussion researcher. I’m not concerned about concussion injuries, I’m concerned about multiple concussions in a short-time proximity because the research basically shows so far that if you get a concussion and you recover from that concussion and you get another one, it’s just another concussion. You don’t have this additive cumulative effect but when they’re back-to-back within that temporal window of vulnerability we call it, then you start to get additive and cumulative effects.”     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBl8irmkbXo&list=WL&index=59
  • Demetrious Johnson & Ben Askren Agree ‘Everybody Won’ In UFC-ONE Championship Trade

    Demetrious Johnson & Ben Askren Agree ‘Everybody Won’ In UFC-ONE Championship Trade

    In October of 2018, the MMA world was left stunned by a first of it’s kind trade that saw two big names in the sport switch promotions. The UFC gained the trash-talking and controversial Ben Askren with the promotion’s former flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson going the other way and joining ONE Championship.

    From a basic view, it appears that ONE got the better of the deal. “Mighty Mouse” still had years of elite level competition in him after fighting for the last time in 2023 and during his time in the promotion, he produced some of their biggest moments, was a great ambassador for them and remained one of the greatest to ever do it.

    However, though Askren would only fight three times inside the Octagon, he created a lot of interest for his two fights against Robbie Lawler and Jorge Masvidal in particular and though Johnson was loved by hardcore fans, he didn’t have that same draw that bringing Askren in created, even if it did only last a short time.

    During a recent episode of Johnson’s MightyCast, he was joined by Askren as the two men spoke about the details of the trade and the time they spent in both promotions. The flyweight GOAT started off by outlining his thoughts on how it all played out which Askren quickly agreed with.

    “My standpoint, I said everybody won. I got to go to ONE Championship, make good money. You got to come to UFC, get the opportunity to fight and see if you can do it there.”

    With Johnson referencing those big fights and moments that Askren created during his time in the UFC, “Funky” then responded by talking about how ONE didn’t lose any of the interest that Askren brought to the table because at that point, he was already retired unless an opportunity like the UFC landed on his table.

    “I mean ONE Championship, the thing that was golden for them is like I wasn’t gonna fight. I was done. If you stay in UFC, I’m assuming you’re going to continue to fight at least for a while until you don’t enjoy it enough to be done and in ONE Championship, I was legit done. I wasn’t fighting anymore and so they essentially sold an asset that was off market and you had a five-year run.”

  • UFC Commentator: Jon Jones Losing To Tom Aspinall Isn’t ‘Legacy Diminishing,’ But He Must Get Big Money For The Fight

    UFC Commentator: Jon Jones Losing To Tom Aspinall Isn’t ‘Legacy Diminishing,’ But He Must Get Big Money For The Fight

    UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones made it perfectly clear in the aftermath of his UFC 309 main event win that if the promotion wants him back inside the Octagon for a huge fight, they’ll have to get the chequebook out. “Bones” has already mentioned getting “F*** you” money for a return and that is likely to be even more so the case if he’s going to be tempted into fighting Tom Aspinall.

    Even with a fight as big as Jones vs the light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira, being one of two options, most fight fans are leaning towards the other. The only issue being that the heavyweight unification fight is something that the consensus greatest of all time doesn’t seem overly interested in.

    Though he’s said that he doesn’t think a fight with Aspinall adds to his legacy, many have criticized Jones for avoiding the fight because it’s the biggest threat to his stellar record. UFC commentator Jon Anik believes that even if he was to lose to the interim champion, it wouldn’t tarnish all of the incredible performances he has put on inside the Octagon.

    However, with the threat that Aspinall brings to the table, Anik agrees with Jones that he would deserve a career-high payday for this fight not just because of how big it is but because of the risk in taking it. He told MMA Junkie that the assurance of receiving a huge purse to end his career on could be the turning point that makes this fight happen.

    “I think what he wants is like that $30, $40, $50 million payday which he so deserves at this point in time because in heavyweight MMA, anything can happen and certainly in light heavyweight, anything can happen but the consequences are so great when it comes to four ounce gloves with these guys chucking that I mean yeah, Tom Aspinall could knock Jon Jones out in a minute and I don’t think it’s legacy diminishing whatsoever but you better make $30 million because then at that point in time, maybe Jon Jones doesn’t want to have another training camp and rematch Tom Aspinall or have two or three more fights.”

  • Michael Bisping Reflects On Doing A Post-Fight Interview Right After ‘The Worst Knockout’ He’s Ever Seen

    Michael Bisping Reflects On Doing A Post-Fight Interview Right After ‘The Worst Knockout’ He’s Ever Seen

    This past weekend’s UFC Fight Night event in Macau might just have been 2024’s surprise card of the year following some incredible performances and highlight reel knockouts. Though Muslim Salikhov certainly gave it a run for its money later on in the night, a prelim fight went viral following a devastating head kick finish.

    Shi Ming was seemingly down two rounds on the scorecards in her strawweight Road to UFC final match-up against Feng Xiaocan. In the third round, she delivered the kick that ended the fight in an instant, knocking her opponent out cold which you very rarely see in this weight class.

    The incredible joy from Ming following her remarkable accomplishment and comeback was set alongside a scary moment that developed in the immediate aftermath as Xiaocan remained motionless on the canvas. She was eventually stretchered out of the Octagon and throughout the remainder of the card, UFC commentator John Gooden provided promising health updates regarding her status which put fans at ease.

    UFC hall of famer Michael Bisping was on post-fight interview duty in Macau meaning that whilst Feng was still being attended to, he needed to enter the Octagon and prepare to interview the victor. During a recent episode of his Believe You Me Podcast alongside fellow commentator Paul Felder, he spoke about this unnerving experience.

    “The legs are frozen in the air and you know what it’s like Paul, when you walk into the Octagon to interview the winner and the person that’s been knocked out is still on the ground, well this went on for about 20 minutes and they must have been filling and all kinds of stuff. I’m in there and I’m talking to security and the doctors are panicking and they’re like shouting and screaming because they don’t have too many UFC events there and this was the worst knockout I’ve ever seen. She was totally unresponsive and then they bring the stretcher in, she was still unconscious, they had to carry her away and stuff. Dude, it was one of those. I was really starting to worry.”

    Felder responded, using his own experiences to relate to Bisping despite the fact that he wasn’t part of the broadcast team this past weekend.       

    “We know that there’s high risk when you go in there but man, when you see somebody down like that and they just don’t start moving, it’s like oh my god, I don’t want to be here for this. It’s not good for business right. I mean, knockouts are great but we want everyone to get up and move on and be okay afterwards.”

  • Jon Jones’ Coach Says Alex Pereira Makes Him Excited To Try & End His Current Streak

    Jon Jones’ Coach Says Alex Pereira Makes Him Excited To Try & End His Current Streak

    A potential fight between the UFC’s heavyweight and light heavyweight champions is a divisive talking point right now. Despite that, it can’t be forgotten how big a clash between Jon Jones and Alex Pereira would be even if Dana White doesn’t seem sold on the idea.

    There are reasons why this fight shouldn’t be next for both men even if “Poatan” comes through his likely next challenger in Magomed Ankalaev. Not only does interim champion Tom Aspinall make the most sense to face Jones next time out, there’s an argument that putting Pereira in there with a heavyweight who is a dominant grappler could tarnish his star potential.

    However, from the perspective of Jones’ team and the heavyweight champ himself, it’s easy to see why this match-up would be appealing. Jones has some clear advantages in this fight but the striking of Pereira is going to make any potential contest more exciting.

    That’s exactly the point made by Brandon Gibson during a recent interview with Inside Fighting after Jones’ team were left incredibly satisfied by the performance that “Bones” put on against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. Gibson believes that though there are some unknowns surrounding Aspinall, we’ve seen Pereira go into deep waters and come out on top in huge, high-profile fights time and time again and that makes him an interesting puzzle to try and solve.

    “I think that’s a great stylistic match-up. Pereira has such dynamite in his hands and with his kicks. Incredible pressure, championship mentality and to see what he’s accomplished and the streak he’s been on is something that has us exciting to go and try to figure out and solve that puzzle but Jon brings so many tools to the table, I think it’s more challenging for another team and set of coaches to try to solve the riddle, the problem that is Jon Jones.”