MMA News

Author: Kyle Dimond

  • Daniel Cormier Describes Importance Of Khabib Nurmagomedov In Islam Makhachev’s Corner For ‘More Difficult Than Anticipated’ UFC 302 Fight

    Daniel Cormier Describes Importance Of Khabib Nurmagomedov In Islam Makhachev’s Corner For ‘More Difficult Than Anticipated’ UFC 302 Fight

    Daniel Cormier believes that Islam Makhachev benefitted massively from the return of Khabib Nurmagomedov to his corner at UFC 302.

    The former lightweight champion has been away from the spotlight for some time after stating that he didn’t want to take away from his fighters and planned to spend more time with his family.

    However, coach Khabib was back at UFC 302 this past weekend and played a very important role in the main event.

    Makhachev was more than capable of striking with Dustin Poirier, and when he wasn’t able to secure takedowns, he was getting the better of the exchanges on the feet.

    Despite this, Nurmagomedov was going crazy at his fighter in the later rounds. That’s because, while the champion was doing good work on the feet, the longer the fight stayed standing, the better chance Poirier had of pulling off a knockout.

    Daniel Cormier Speaks On Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Influence On Islam Makhachev From The Corner

    During his immediate post-event reactions from cageside, Cormier recapped the main event on his YouTube channel.

    The UFC commentator spoke about how Nurmagomedov’s return to the corner was specifically significant for this particular fight because of the way it played out. He says that for all the success Makhachev had with his striking, it was the former champion who constantly told him to not get carried away and to look for takedowns.

    It was “father’s plan” in full effect, and Cormier isn’t sure whether anyone else could have broken through to Makhachev quite like “The Eagle” did.

    “You know what’s very important to me was having Khabib back in his corner for a fight that proved to be much more difficult than they anticipated,” Cormier said. “After the third round, guys, they didn’t show it on the TV, Khabib storms the Octagon, gets right in Islam’s face, because you saw Dustin kind of tell him, ‘Let’s go! let’s go m***********!’ And Islam’s like, ‘Alright, let’s go.’ He didn’t say m*********** because then they would have started fighting, but he said, ‘Let’s go, let’s go.’

    “Islam was like, ‘Okay,’ and Khabib told him, ‘No, when that happens, you need to take him down, it’s too risky to be standing in front of him.’ It was awesome because I don’t know who can relate or relay that message to him more effectively than Khabib Nurmagomedov.”      

  • Former PFL Finalist Returns From Retirement To Headline PFL Europe Card In Glasgow On September 28

    PFL Europe has confirmed details for the third installment of the 2024 season as the promotion heads to Glasgow, Scotland, for the first time.

    The official announcement states that elite MMA hasn’t been featured in this location for seven years, but all of that changes at the OVO Hydro on September 28.

    Two Scottish fighters have also been announced for the top two spots on the card. In the main event, former PFL finalist Stevie Ray comes out of retirement to take on Wales’ Lewis Long.

    “Braveheart” retired in June of last year after back-to-back defeats to Natan Schulte and Clay Collard eliminated him from the regular season.

    Long, meanwhile, is an experienced competitor with 26 fights on his pro record, having competed under the banners of both Bellator and Cage Warriors in the past. He last fought in May of 2022, suffering a decision loss to Thibault Gouti at Bellator 280.

    Scotland’s Robert Whiteford takes the co-main event slot having also not fought since May of 2022 when he competed at Bellator 281.

    He will be taking on the returning Roger Huerta, who has been out of competition since 2021 following a losing streak to some of the top names in Bellator. The 38-fight veteran last won a fight in 2017 and has faced some of the top names in his weight class in the UFC, Bellator, and ONE Championship.

    PFL Europe returns this Saturday in Newcastle, England, for the second stop on the way to the finals later this year in December.

  • ‘Something Is Absolutely Going On’ – Fan Speculation On Conor McGregor’s UFC 303 Status Increases After Claims Of Deleted Promotional Material

    The build-up to UFC 303 and the return of Conor McGregor was never going to be a straight forward run.

    After months of debate as to whether the fight would finally come together, not even the official announcement has put fight fans at peace.

    This hasn’t been helped by clips of McGregor seemingly partying during his training camp, leading to questions of whether he will even make it to the fight.

    The biggest concern was when on the day it was set to take place, the press conference in Dublin was postponed without any reason being given.

    McGregor put out the following statement but didn’t address many of the concerns that fans had about whether “The Notorious” was withdrawing from the fight.

    His opponent for June 29 in Las Vegas, Michael Chandler, was reportedly told the day before the press conference that it wouldn’t be going ahead in order to avoid him flying over to Ireland.

    Chandler’s following post on social media also had fans speculating as to whether some unfortunate news was on the way.

    MMA Fans React To More Worrying Signs Regarding UFC 303

    The latest potential red flag that could be a coincidence, or could be even more troubling signs, were spotted by fans on social media.

    An account by the name of MMA Joey on X posted screenshots that showed the removal of both the pre-purchase option for the pay-per-view via ESPN+ and two of McGregor’s previous fights that were recently uploaded to the UFC’s YouTube channel.

    MMA fans responded below both posts with concerns that the full story is yet to be revealed regarding the status of the main event.

    “Something is going on”

    “yea it’s over”

    https://twitter.com/yodalorian9/status/1797849084214264000

    “It’s off then, for sure .”

    “Something is absolutely going on”

    “Poor Chandler”

    “Oh yeah it’s over”

  • MMA News Today: Insider Reveals Issue That Prevented Dustin Poirier Training Wrestling Pre-UFC 302, Alexa Grasso & Valentina Shevchenko Disagree On Planned Sphere Theme For UFC 306, & More

    MMA News Today: Insider Reveals Issue That Prevented Dustin Poirier Training Wrestling Pre-UFC 302, Alexa Grasso & Valentina Shevchenko Disagree On Planned Sphere Theme For UFC 306, & More

    Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For June 4, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

    • Poirier and Makhachev both had struggles in camp
    • Grasso and Shevchenko have mixed opinions on Noche UFC
    • Sonnen suggests replacement opponent if McGregor pulls out

    Yves Edwards Says Dustin Poirier Couldn’t Grapple Due To Training Injury Two Weeks Before UFC 302

    A lot of fight fans assumed that similar to his fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov, Dustin Poirier would struggle to stop the grappling game of Islam Makhachev at UFC 302.

    Though he was submitted in the final round, the takedown and submission defense of the challenger was at least enough to make the fight competitive.

    This is only more impressive following some recent comments from a former fighter that had insight into his preparations for Newark.

    On SiriuxXM’s MMA Today, Yves Edwards said that Poirier was unable to grapple toward the end of his training camp due to a rib injury.

    “The way he performed on Saturday night, that was super impressive to me, and nobody knows this, and he’s probably gonna be like, ‘Man, why’d you put that out there?’ I know [Makhachev] was also not 100 percent. Nobody goes into a fight a 100 percent. But [Poirier] hurt his ribs like two weeks before the fight and hadn’t wrestled or grappled for like two and a half weeks.” 

    As Edwards stated, the champion wasn’t in his best shape either having confirmed that he suffered a staph infection during his camp that forced him to take a week off.

    Alexa Grasso & Valentina Shevchenko Express Different Impressions On Whether UFC 306 Will Be Noche UFC At The Sphere

    The trilogy fight between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko was seemingly targeted for UFC 306, which would have been a huge occasion.

    After their last fight took place at the very first Noche UFC event, running it back at the first event inside the Sphere made a lot of sense.

    However, former champion Valentina Shevchenko made it perfectly clear that after the scorecard controversy last time out, she wasn’t keen on the idea of running it back on this particular showcase.

    She expressed in a recent interview ahead of the premiere of their time coaching across from each other on The Ultimate Fighter that the card was no longer being planned around the celebration of Mexican Independence Day.

    This was seemingly news to the champion Grasso who said the opposite after being played a clip of Shevchenko’s comments during an interview with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn.

    “Well as I know, it’s gonna be Noche UFC again. I mean, I’ve seen a few interviews from Dana White and he’s saying that it’s a love letter for the Mexican Independence Day, for the Mexican fighters that he has.”

    Chael Sonnen Pitches Title Fight For Michael Chandler If Conor McGregor Withdraws From UFC 303

    The late-notice cancellation of the UFC 303 press conference has got fight fans worried about whether the main event will go ahead.

    For seemingly months on end, there were questions of whether Conor McGregor would ever return to face Michael Chandler or whether that ship was sailing. Everything appeared to be heading in the right direction once the fight was made official for June 29. Now, back-up plans are starting to be questioned.

    Chael Sonnen expressed on a recent episode of the Good Guy/Bad Guy show on ESPN MMA that he can’t see McGregor pulling out of the fight no matter what.

    He did also add that if “The Notorious” can’t fight, the UFC should have the BMF champion on speed dial ready to save the show.

    “One of Conor’s codes is the show must go on… I just don’t believe, a month in advance — whether it’s illness, injury, or any other excuse — that Conor’s gonna be the one that pulls,” Sonnen said. “But I will tell you this, there will be no postponement of this fight. They either fight on the 29th or we move on.

    “I believe Conor’s gonna be opposite Michael Chandler. I’m very confident in telling you that,” Sonnen continued. “However, if he’s not, Michael Chandler versus Max Holloway for the BMF is the fight to book.”

    Read more on the story here.

    For more MMA news, check out:

  • Javier Mendez On Khabib Nurmagomedov Getting Them Into Trouble With The Authorities While Cornering At UFC 302: ‘The Commission Kept Yelling At Us!’

    Islam Makhachev successfully defend his lightweight title in the main event of UFC 302 but it wasn’t an easy night for the champion.

    Dustin Poirier came in as a big underdog and was able to make the fight competitive due to a lot of it playing out on the feet.

    The fight also saw the former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov return to his long-time training partner’s corner for this fight.

    As pointed out on commentary during the main event, “The Eagle” was incredibly animated during some of the rounds after Makhachev showed a willingness to stand and strike with Poirier.

    Though the champion got the better of many of the exchanges, boxing with “The Diamond” was always going to be the best chance that the challenger had to win the fight.

    Mendez Says Khabib’s Passion Led To Corner Receiving Multiple Warnings From The Commission 

    During his podcast, coach Javier Mendez recapped the fight and how he felt Makhachev performed in Newark.

    Mendez stated that he was happy with the work that his fighter did in the exchanges with Poirier but was still aware of the danger in doing so, as was proven by some of the shots that the former interim champion landed.

    The AKA head coach stated that the commission in New Jersey were constantly warning their corner to settle down due to Nurmagomedov’s actions during the fight where he repeatedly called for Makhachev to initiate the grappling.

    It has been a while since the former champion was working the corner and Mendez said that he forgot just how passionate “The Eagle” gets when he’s coaching his fighters.

    “I had Khabib in the corner going crazy on me. Like, I forgot how crazy he is in the corner, so nuts man. I’m like, I’m trying to calm him down and say hey, don’t worry, don’t worry, just scream loud but, ‘No coach, I have…’ but that’s his style, that’s his dad’s style, that’s his style. But I’m trying to get him to settle down a little bit, so the commission kept yelling at us, ‘Sit down! Sit down! Sit down!’ And it almost reminded me of the old style. But Khabib’s an unbelievable corner, he gives unbelievable advice.”      

  • Robert Whittaker Dismisses Notion Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier Was Close: ‘I Had Him Winning Every Round…’

    The main event of UFC 302 ended up being more competitive than many were predicting ahead of this past Saturday night.

    Dustin Poirier was able to pose a serious threat to the champion Islam Makhachev, largely by keeping the fight standing and staying safe from submissions.

    Whilst the defending champ did secure a takedown and get the submission in the fifth round, up until that point, a lot of the contest took place on the feet.

    Makhachev showed in his fights with Alexander Volkanovski that though it isn’t necessarily his strongest skillset, he’s more than capable of striking with his opponents as his confidence improves in this area.

    However, just because Poirier was able to stand and strike, doesn’t mean he was necessarily winning the fight.

    Robert Whittaker Says He Had Islam Makhachev Winning Every Round Despite A Great Fight

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_vGA3zudFk

    Makhachev’s corner, and Khabib Nurmagomedov specifically, were calling for the champion to constantly threaten the takedown.

    Whilst he was winning the majority of the striking exchanges, boxing with “The Diamond” is a dangerous game to play.

    Makhachev was ahead on two of the judges’ scorecards going into the fifth and final round with Eric Colon and Sal D’Amato both having Poirier in need of a finish to leave with the 155-pound title.

    Judge Chris Lee had the fight even but as he stated on his MMArcade Podcast, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker saw it being far more one-sided for Makhachev.

    “The Reaper” stated that despite it being a great fight, the champion was winning each round with his striking or grappling.

    “Makhachev beat him there a lot of the rounds, I had him winning every round. I thought he was outstriking him in a lot of the rounds, I understand there was a lot of significant strikes passed between them, there was a lot of tit-for-tat moments but mate, it was great to watch. I thought that was such a, like I said, I think in my opinion it was one of the better title fights we’ve seen in a long time.”  

  • ‘Big’ John McCarthy Names The Missing ‘Attribute’ Kevin Holland Needs To Be A Top Five Fighter After Impressive UFC 302 Win

    Kevin Holland returned to the win column this past weekend at UFC 302 with a great finish over Michał Oleksiejczuk.

    After being knocked down inside the first minute, Holland was able to quickly recover and lock up an armbar submission from the bottom.

    From there, the position only got worse for Oleksiejczuk who refused to tap as Holland controlled the arm and spoke to him throughout.

    Gradually realizing that his opponent wasn’t going to give him the win without doing significant damage first, “Big Mouth” dialled up the intensity to force an end to the fight through a technical submission.

    Holland has produced some incredible finishes during his time in the promotion and will always be a fan favorite but he has struggled to compete with the very best.

    McCarthy Questions Whether Kevin Holland Is Mean Enough For Top Level Of MMA

    During a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast, Josh Thomson and “Big” John McCarthy recapped all of the action from UFC 302.

    Both men were impressed by Holland’s display as he once again proved his ability to compete at both welterweight and middleweight.

    However, McCarthy noticed one thing in this fight that could prove to be something that holds Holland back when it comes to competing at the highest level.

    The way he only really put the pressure on the arm of his opponent after it became clear that he wasn’t going to tap was compared to fighters in the past that have tried to take the arm home with them as soon as they got the hold locked in.

    “I’m going to be honest about this, the one attribute he doesn’t have, he’s not mean. He’s not, because I’m telling you right now, Frank Mir had that arm, you know just watching that fight, he’s sat there and he’s kind of like trying to put a little more pressure, a little more pressure like it is training and kind of looks up (at the referee) like ‘Hey!’ and finally says ‘Okay, I’m gonna have to do this, I’m sorry’ and puts it under his arm.

    “All I’m telling you is Frank Mir, dude as soon as he grabbed that arm, he’s trying to take it off of your body. Carlos Condit, he’s trying to take it off your body. Josh Barnett, he’s trying to take it off your body. He wants to take that thing, pull it off your body and smack you in the head with it.”     

  • Islam Makhachev’s Coach Outlines Flaw With Sean Strickland’s Performance At UFC 302: ‘Great Fighter, But…’

    The UFC 302 co-main event produced the kind of Sean Strickland performance that UFC fans have become very accustomed to at this stage.

    Strickland defeated Paulo Costa via a split decision at the end of five rounds following a fairly lacklustre fight.

    The former middleweight champion fought out of his standard defensive shell, constantly walked down his opponent and kept his strikes simple with jabs, the occasional combination and front kicks.

    Despite Costa being unable to land anything too significant aside from some leg kicks and body punches, the rounds were still close because despite taking little damage, Strickland didn’t open up.

    This was something that his corner were clearly concerned by following their defeats to Jared Cannonier and Dricus Du Plessis, where despite thinking that their fighter had done enough, they lost a decision following some very close rounds.

    Mendez Says Strickland Needed To Open Up More Against Costa, Credits Coach Nicksick For Urgency 

    There was no change in approach from Strickland even as Costa started to slow down which could have come back to bite him.

    His head coach, Eric Nicksick, was very clear heading into the fifth round that he needed to clearly win the final five minutes just in case the scorecards were close.

    Strickland opened up more as the fight came to a close and landed some eye-catching strikes that sealed the deal for him.

    During his podcast recap of the event, Islam Makhachev’s coach Javier Mendez spoke about Strickland and his defensive style.

    He pointed out how it was a great call from Nicksick to stress urgency after how close the former champion’s style can make fights look.

    “Sean Strickland is a great fighter but unfortunately, for me, he pressured, he pressured, he was in control but it wasn’t until his corner gave him great advice, Eric Nicksick is a great coach, he told him ‘hey, I need you to finish strong’, this and that and he didn’t really finish strong until the very very end and actually that’s what solidified that fight for him because that’s what gave him that round. But up to that point, because you don’t know how the judges are judging these fights. It’s ridiculous the way they were judging this fight so he did it correct, he did great cornering.”    

  • Michael Bisping Assesses What Dustin Poirier Should Do Next After UFC 302 Loss: ‘The Best Thing I Ever Did Was Walk Away’

    Heading into UFC 302 this past weekend, Dustin Poirier was honest about how this could be the last fight of his career.

    He echoed the same sentiment in his post-fight interview after being submitted by Islam Makhachev in the main event.

    With another shot at capturing the lightweight title being unlikely, Poirier said that he needs to look at why he’s still fighting and focus on being with his family.

    “The Diamond” has had an incredible career, competing 40 times in the pro ranks and fighting the very best in his weight class.

    Despite being defeated this past weekend, he would still be going out on a high following a great main event and impressive display.

    A former champion believes that whilst there are still fights out there for him, getting out now may be his best option.

    Michael Bisping Speaks From Personal Experience, Says Dustin Poirier Should Retire 

    Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping spoke about what could be next for Poirier during a video on his YouTube channel.

    He named two opponents that would make a lot of sense for him before he does call time on his career but despite that, is leaning towards Poirier hanging up the gloves.

    “So Justin Gaethje, Alexander Volkanovski, they’re my two top picks or, does he walk off into the sunshine. Listen, make hey whilst the sun is shining but, he’s made a lot of hay, he’s got money in the bank, he’s represented himself with class. He went toe-to-toe with Islam Makhachev, he’s been in there with some of the best fighters on the planet and put on some absolute wars and as he said, if he considers his smokers and his kind of amateur fights, he’s had about 50 fights.”

    Bisping also spoke from personal experience about why Poirier should leave combat sports behind despite it being a tough decision to make.

    Having retired in 2018, “The Count” has been able to explore new avenues and he believes the same may be the case for Louisiana’s finest.

    “He’s only 35 years old, he’s got a lot of life left to live so go off, enjoy yourself. That would be my suggestion. I would love to see him fight Volk, I would love to see him fight Gaethje but for me, I would say the best thing that I ever did was walk away from combat sports. It’s a very, very hard thing. It’s all that you know, you’ve dedicated your entire life to it but when you do it, when you reach those kinds of heights, it opens so many other doors. So Dustin Poirier, whatever you do decide, all the best, congratulations.”        

  • Aljamain Sterling Makes Henry Cejudo Comparison To Back Up Dana White’s Contention That Jon Jones Is P4P #1 Over Islam Makhachev

    Following Islam Makhachev’s lightweight title defense against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302, UFC President Dana White had some thoughts on the current pound-for-pound debate.

    Currently, the top spot on the list is occupied by the 155-pound champion who sits one place above the consensus greatest of all time, Jon Jones.

    White firmly believes that the answer is “Bones” but others have questioned whether his recent activity should factor into the equation.

    Of course, it is a hypothetical argument to be having as the entire list is based around if every fighter was the same weight, who would be the best.

    Makhachev certainly has the edge when you look at his current strength of schedule and recent performances but it is impossible to look past Jones when you take overall careers into account.

    Aljamain Sterling Backs Up Dana White’s Comments With Henry Cejudo Example

    When he decided to vacate the light heavyweight title and move up to heavyweight, it was three years before fans saw Jones compete again.

    His injury ahead of UFC 295 last November hasn’t helped the questions about his activity either.

    Aljamain Sterling, however, said on his YouTube channel that he backs White’s argument because of Jones’ last fight.

    The former light heavyweight king took three years off, came back and made it look easy when he submitted Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in just over two minutes.

    Sterling used the example of Henry Cejudo to demonstrate his point, stating how “Triple C” attempted to come back and was unsuccessful in his title challenge at UFC 288 – which shows why the significance of the Gane victory can’t be overlooked.

    “I was about to say, three years off and to come back and do that to the number one guy like Dana said, I actually really agree with that.  

    “Jon Jones, what he did, is super impressive. Henry Cejudo came back, he tried to do what he tried to do and look what happened. He’s ‘the greatest combat athlete of all time’, no disrespect to him but…” 

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

  • Former UFC Champion Compares ‘Annoying As Hell’ Sean Strickland’s Fighting Style To A Child After UFC 302 Win Over Paulo Costa

    A major talking point both before and after his fight with Paulo Costa this past weekend was the fighting style of Sean Strickland.

    In back-to-back fights, Strickland showed how his unique approach can both be very effective and cause him some issues.

    His title win over Israel Adesanya was a great display of defensive pressure but against Dricus Du Plessis, he lost close rounds by not opening up or landing eye-catching strikes.

    The former middleweight champion got the win at UFC 302 but it was very much more of the same from the Xtreme Couture fighter as he walked Costa down, kept him at range and blocked anything coming back at him.

    It worked for him in New Jersey but there’s no denying that his unique approach can be both his biggest weapon and drawback at the same time.

    Robert Whittaker Doesn’t Envy Paulo Costa After Saying How Frustrating It Must Be To Fight Sean Strickland

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_vGA3zudFk

    In recapping the fights on his MMArcade Podcast, Robert Whittaker spoke about the style that Strickland brings to the Octagon.

    The former champion is one of the few top middleweights that “The Reaper” is yet to cross paths with and from his words, it doesn’t sound like it’s something he’s looking forward to.

    Whittaker spoke about how nobody fights quite like Strickland does in his unorthodox stance and movement and how he could feel the frustration of what is like to compete against just from watching him on TV.  

    “I think that’s just his fight style. His fight style looks annoying as hell dude. He looks like a kid when a brother or sister is like ‘I’m walking forward and if you walk into it, it’s your own fault’ sort of thing. With those teep kicks just like rapid fire one after the other dude and Costa was on his bike the whole time, I think you can’t do that with Sean.” 

  • MMA News Today: Islam Makhachev’s Coach Identifies Incorrect Corner Advice To Dustin Poirier During UFC 302 War, Conor McGregor Caught Abusing Rival Alcohol Brand On Social Media, & More

    Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For June 3, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

    • Javier Mendez says Poirier was in danger in the middle of the Octagon
    • McGregor gets passionate about stout
    • Fans will need to wait a bit longer to see McGregor and Chandler trade words

    Islam Makhachev’s Coach Says Dustin Poirier’s Corner Made A Mistake When Warning Him About Takedowns

    Dustin Poirier’s takedown and submission defense held up for most of his main event clash with Islam Makhachev this past weekend.

    Though the lightweight champion eventually found a way through in the fifth round where he locked up a D’Arce choke, Poirier was able to be more competitive than many thought.

    However, Makhachev’s coach Javier Mendez believes that the corner of “The Diamond” made a crucial mistake when giving advice to their fighter.

    Poirier’s coaches told him that he needed to do whatever he could to avoid being against the cage, as long as he was out in the middle, the grappling wasn’t as much of a threat.

    Mendez said on his podcast that the issue with this advice was that Makhachev was still able to get takedowns in the middle of the cage, as he did in the final round, where he had more room to work.

    “Yeah see that was bad, I would have never said that because it was like what happened? You got taken out in the middle. You’re all good? No, you’re not good, they should have said something else. But, you know, in your mind sometimes you get stuck saying those things.”  

    Conor McGregor Launches Tirade Against Guinness On Social Media 

    In 2018, Conor McGregor entered the drinks business with his Proper No. Twelve Irish whiskey and had no problem calling out some of the top names in this particular field.

    “The Notorious” has never been one to shy away from tearing others down where he sees necessary and now, he has a new target in his sights.

    Last year, McGregor’s second foray into the alcoholic beverage market came with Forged Irish Stout which appears to have taken off in similar fashion to his first product.

    Rather than his fellow Irish whiskey brands, the Irishman is now focused on going after Guinness, as shown by Andy Hickey MMA on X.

    The “Guinness Community” Facebook group has had several posts from McGregor, one promoting his own product whilst the other looks to call out the inventor of the popular stout brand, Arthur Guinness.

    UFC 303 Press Conference Called Off, Conor McGregor & Michael Chandler Set To Meet At A Later Unconfirmed Date 

    On the same day that it was set to take place, the press conference for UFC 303 was announced to not be going ahead.

    Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler were set to come face-to-face for the first time since The Ultimate Fighter at a sold-out 3Arena in Dublin.

    Though the tickets were free, fans were still disappointed for the announcement to be made on such short notice due to travel and accommodation costs.

    Chandler was reportedly informed that it wouldn’t be going ahead yesterday before getting a flight over to Ireland to promote International Fight Week.

    An email has also been sent out to ticket holders to inform them that their tickets will still be valid once the event is rescheduled.

    No reason has been given as of yet as to why the press conference has been postponed on such short notice though some have suggested that is due to on-going protests that are currently happening in Dublin.

    For more MMA news, check out:

  • ‘Sean Strickland Is Lowkey The Belal Muhammad Of The Middleweight Division’ – MMA Fans Have Mixed Reactions After ‘Tarzan’ Survives Bad Judging To Beat Paulo Costa At UFC 302

    ‘Sean Strickland Is Lowkey The Belal Muhammad Of The Middleweight Division’ – MMA Fans Have Mixed Reactions After ‘Tarzan’ Survives Bad Judging To Beat Paulo Costa At UFC 302

    In the co-main event of UFC 302, Sean Strickland returned to the win column with a split-decision victory over Paulo Costa.

    It was another massively varying scorecard for a Strickland fight with two of the three judges scoring the fight 49-46 for either fighter and another scoring all five for the former champion to get the win.

    The story of the fight was the pressure of Strickland as he backed Costa up for the entire duration, using his jabs and body kicks to wear his opponent down.

    “Borrachinha” primarily targeted the legs and body but was unable to land enough to edge out the rounds, which were mostly competitive.

    Strickland called for a shot at the title in his post-fight interview, alongside professing his support for Donald Trump who was sat cage side. 

    Fans React With Mixed Feelings To Sean Strickland’s Co-Main Event Win

    Despite the split judging, Strickland got the win this time around unlike his bout with Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297 in January.

    He capped off the fifth round and sealed the deal with a head kick that dropped Costa, following it up with several jumping kicks as he chased his opponent around the cage.

    Judge Dave Tirelli scored the fight in favor of Costa having already caused controversy in the first fight of the night after he scored the opening bout for Mitch Raposo.

    The mixed reactions to the fight and varying scorecards poured in from the MMA world on social media.

    https://twitter.com/meekokokrunch/status/1797121256011214945

    https://twitter.com/valorisback/status/1797121240932499921

    Read More: UFC 302: Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier Live Results & Highlights

  • ‘Coach Khabib Does It Again’ – MMA Fans React As Jailton Almeida Secures Dominant UFC 302 Win After Receiving Tips From ‘The Eagle’

    ‘Coach Khabib Does It Again’ – MMA Fans React As Jailton Almeida Secures Dominant UFC 302 Win After Receiving Tips From ‘The Eagle’

    The first finish of the night at UFC 302 came courtesy of Jailton Almeida who made quick work of Alexandr Romanov.

    “Malhadinho” bounced back in style from his tough loss to Curtis Blaydes at UFC 299 which ended his undefeated streak inside the Octagon.

    Following prior complaints in some of his fights regarding not actively seeking a finish, Almeida didn’t take long before locking in the rear-naked choke after securing an early takedown.

    After Romanov attempted to get back to his feet, the choke was locked in and the tap came soon after to break a run of decisions on the card.

    Almeida said in his post-fight interview that he saw the scorecards roll in whilst backstage, and was looking to finish the fight as soon as possible.

    During fight week, he stated that he received some great advice from Khabib Nurmagomedov to improve his game. MMA fans were quick to highlight that after he secured UFC 302’s first finish.

    MMA Fans React To Jailton Almeida Breaking Decision Streak At UFC 302 With First-Round Sub

    Due to the criticism that Almeida has faced in the past, particularly for his 25-minute domination over Derrick Lewis, MMA fans were stunned to see the first finish of the night come from the Brazilian.

    The reactions poured in on social media, with some hoping that it would be the first of many finishes in Newark.

    In his post-fight interview, Almeida called to face Ciryl Gane in a fight that would make a lot of sense for the headliner spot in Paris in September.

    https://twitter.com/mmaSharke/status/1797076122611425650

    https://twitter.com/JayLoJL/status/1797076144392683566

  • ‘This Needs To Be The End’ – Boxing Fans React After Deontay Wilder Suffers Brutal KO Loss To Zhilei Zhang

    ‘This Needs To Be The End’ – Boxing Fans React After Deontay Wilder Suffers Brutal KO Loss To Zhilei Zhang

    Deontay Wilder suffered his second consecutive loss in Riyadh after he was stopped by Zhilei Zhang in the fifth round.

    “Big Bang” landed a huge right hand as Wilder looked to land one of his own, spinning “The Bronze Bomber” around before Zhang followed up with another shot that sent him to the canvas.

    The main event win for Zhang made it a clean sweep for Frank Warren and Team Queensbury in their 5 v 5 clash with Matchroom and Eddie Hearn.

    It also means that Wilder has lost four of his last five, beating Robert Helenius in between his losses to Zhang and Joseph Parker and back-to-back defeats at the hands of Tyson Fury.

    Many have suggested that this could be the end for Wilder, who was undefeated at 42-0-1 until the rematch with Fury.

    Boxing Fans Call For Deontay Wilder To Retire Following KO Loss

    Wilder may only have four losses on his record but he looks a significantly different fighter in his last few performances following his consecutive defeats to “The Gypsy King”.

    After he was stopped for the third time in his career, the boxing world weighed in with their thoughts on the fight and what should be next for Wilder after another tough result.

    https://twitter.com/AbzTalks1/status/1797062364082123206

  • Daniel Cormier Urges Michael Chandler To Go Hard At Conor McGregor During UFC 303 Dublin Press Conference

    Daniel Cormier Urges Michael Chandler To Go Hard At Conor McGregor During UFC 303 Dublin Press Conference

    Monday sees Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler come face-to-face for the first time since they coached The Ultimate Fighter.

    From that point, it was a long time before their fight was official for UFC 303 on June 29, so both men have had a long time to think about one another.

    On the series itself, things remained fairly relaxed between them for the most part as Chandler didn’t get too heated or bothered by anything McGregor said.

    The only time that there was clear tension was when McGregor’s team weren’t doing well in the tournament, so “The Notorious” was particularly on edge.

    Daniel Cormier, however, believes that Chandler needs to flip the script.

    Cormier Says Chandler Should Stand Up For Himself More At UFC 303 Press Conference 

    During a recent episode of the Good Guy / Bad Guy show on ESPN MMA, Cormier said that he needs to see something different from Chandler at the press conference.

    In his opinion, “Iron” Mike made it too easy for McGregor to call the shots and run the show during their interactions on TUF.

    He called for Chandler to put his foot down at the 3Arena in Dublin, even if it means exaggerating his own worth in this fight.

    Not letting the Irishman control the narrative over how important Chandler is to this fight will not be easy, but it’s what “DC” wants to see from him.

    “Conor grabs him by the face and Conor’s almost like talking down to Michael the whole time. It is on Michael Chandler to go to Ireland, show Conor McGregor, like, ‘Hey, I understand who you are, I recognize that you are the A-side of this deal, but you do not get to treat me as I’m just a supporting cast. This thing doesn’t go off without me.’ Maybe that is overstating his value, it might be but overstate your value, make this man realize that he cannot treat you as a subservient, like, ‘I’m not there to be the guy that elevates you.’”  

  • Israel Adesanya Breaks Down The Difference Between Islam Makhachev & ‘Scary To Watch’ Khabib Nurmagomedov As Fighters

    Israel Adesanya Breaks Down The Difference Between Islam Makhachev & ‘Scary To Watch’ Khabib Nurmagomedov As Fighters

    It was always going to be a tall order for Islam Makhachev to live up to what Khabib Nurmagomedov was able to accomplish in the UFC. However since “The Eagle” retired with his undefeated record intact, Makhachev at three years younger has started to take over at 155 pounds.

    The current lightweight champion can match his coach and training partner’s total title defenses at three this weekend if he is able to beat Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 302.

    Despite coming from the same area, team, and dominating style of wrestling, there are some clear differences between the two men…

    Adesanya Says Makhachev Is A Better Striker, But Khabib Was A ‘Savage’

    Potentially due to being the younger of the two, Makhachev has been able to advance his game further than Nurmagomedov in the eyes of some.

    Many point to him being a much better and more natural striker than the former champion, as echoed by Israel Adesanya in his recent breakdown video of Saturday night’s event.

    Despite the improvements that the current titleholder has made in this area, Adesanya also pointed out that there was something that Nurmagomedov had that made him special.

    Something that you can’t teach even to fighters that follow the exact same path as “The Eagle.”

    “I think he’s got better striking than Khabib, but he’s not as — Khabib was just a savage, bro. He was a crazy man, it’s different. He’s just a mauler,” Adesanya said. “What was the one I watched live? (Edson) Barboza, that one. When I saw that live and the pace he put on him, even after eating the wheel kick… that was scary to watch.

    “Makhachev is more clean, more polished, even more dynamic than Khabib,” Adesanya continued. “But yeah, if I’m going to put money on this fight, I’m going to go Islam Makhachev, but look, my heart tells me I want Dustin (Poirier) to win.”     

  • Sean Strickland Berates MMA Judges Months On From Narrow UFC Title Loss: ‘They’re Just Government Officials Collecting A Paycheck’

    Sean Strickland Berates MMA Judges Months On From Narrow UFC Title Loss: ‘They’re Just Government Officials Collecting A Paycheck’

    Sean Strickland still believes that he was screwed over by the judges in his last fight at UFC 297 in January.

    The then-middleweight champion lost the title to Dricus Du Plessis in his first defense via the scorecards in Toronto, Canada.

    Judge Sal D’Amato scored the fight in Strickland’s favor, giving him rounds one, three and five. Derek Cleary and Eric Colon, meanwhile, saw the fight going the opposite way and both scored the middle rounds to Du Plessis, giving Strickland the first and final rounds.

    The former champion has been very honest about how he believes there was potential bias and judges being influenced incorrectly that went against him on that night.

    Sean Strickland BlamesJudges For His Loss At UFC 297, Calls Out How Easily Influenced They Are

    In a fight week interview with Daniel Cormier ahead of his return this weekend at UFC 302, Strickland spoke about his views on the judges.

    Cormier had questioned whether Strickland’s losses to the likes of Du Plessis and Jared Cannonier could be an issue in this fight with Paulo Costa owing to the fact he narrowly loses rounds despite not taking too much damage.

    In Strickland’s opinion, it’s not his actions in these fights that are the problem, it’s the judges, the way they score the fights, and how easily influenced they are by corners.

    “It also comes down to bad f****** judges that like, you know, they see guys throwing output and they’re like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s doing good.’ Like, what? No. Even when I fought Jared, and Jared’s a good guy, he’ll throw a combination, I block every single one of them and his corner is like, ‘That’s good, that right hand landed,’ and I’m like, what do you f****** know, didn’t even f****** touch me. But, you know, you have stupid a** judges that are like listening to the corners, as much as they don’t say that, whenever you have a corner saying, ‘You’re winning, you’re throwing punches,’ and the judge is like, ‘He must be winning, his corner is saying so.’

    “Dude, judges don’t give a f*** bro, look at judging like a lot of times, they don’t even watch the fight. They don’t give a f***, they’re just government officials just f****** collecting a paycheck.”          

  • MMA News Today: Ryan Garcia’s Team Claims Supplements Used Before Devin Haney Fight Tested Positive For Ostarine, Paulo Costa Gets Twerking Lessons From Fellow UFC 302 Fighter, & More

    MMA News Today: Ryan Garcia’s Team Claims Supplements Used Before Devin Haney Fight Tested Positive For Ostarine, Paulo Costa Gets Twerking Lessons From Fellow UFC 302 Fighter, & More

    Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For May 31, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

    • Garcia’s team claim ostarine ingestion was unintentional 
    • Costa gets some fight week lessons in
    • Aliskerov misses out on another big fight

    Ryan Garcia’s Team Explains Why They Believe Positive Test Was Caused By Tainted Supplement

    Ryan Garcia’s team have put out a statement in response to the recent findings regarding his testing results for his win over Devin Haney.

    After his A sample tested positive for ostarine, the B sample was sent away and came back with the same result, which appeared to make it a lot harder to defend.

    Garcia’s team believe that this was caused by a tainted supplement, as spoken about in the message that was put out there following the latest update.

    “This confirms what we have consistently maintained: Ryan was a victim of supplement contamination and has never intentionally used any banned or performance-enhance substances. Any claims to the contrary, questioning Ryan’s integrity as a clean fighter, are unequivocally false and defamatory.”

    The statement also provides several examples of why they believe that this is the case.

    It lists the likes of Garcia’s previous track record for voluntary testing, the small traces of ostarine that were found, his other pre-fight tests, and his clean hair sample as points that prove his innocence.

    Paulo Costa Receives Twerk Training From UFC Bantamweight Ailin Perez During UFC 302 Fight Week

    For a Paulo Costa fight week, UFC 302 appears to have been relatively plain sailing thus far, even if weigh-in day is still to come.

    Things can get confusing and crazy very quickly when he’s set to be in action, but in Newark, “Borrachinha” hasn’t been the instigator.

    In fact, the only thing that screams Costa fight week was a recent video that surfaced online of him being given twerking lessons from a fellow member of the roster.

    Ailin Perez caused some discussion last November after she twerked inside the Octagon following her win over Lucie Pudilová.

    From the fighter hotel, Perez has now passed this knowledge on to Costa by giving him step by step instructions.

    https://twitter.com/ChampRDS/status/1796344861614014692

    Rising Middleweight Ikram Aliskerov Has Yet Another Fight Canceled

    Highly regarded middleweight Ikram Aliskerov has had another fight slip through his fingers in 2024.

    He was booked to face André Muniz on June 16 but a report from Laerte Viana announced that Muniz was out of the fight.

    Aliskerov was named MMA News’ Newcomer of the Year for 2023 following two devastating performances inside the Octagon that should have led to big things in the near future.

    The UFC has certainly tried to make that happen but bouts against the likes of Paulo Costa, Nassourdine Imavov, and Anthony Hernandez have all fallen apart during his time in the promotion.

    Aliskerov posted on social media to suggest that he will be staying on the card, providing that the UFC can find him a replacement opponent.

    Read more on the story here.

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  • Former UFC Champion Tells People To Take It Easy On Conor McGregor For Party Video: ‘If That’s His Wife & They’re Hanging Out…’

    Former UFC Champion Tells People To Take It Easy On Conor McGregor For Party Video: ‘If That’s His Wife & They’re Hanging Out…’

    As with any Conor McGregor fight since he became a major star, there is always going to be talk surrounding how dedicated he is for the training camp.

    “The Notorious” has openly admitted that for his return to the Octagon to face Khabib Nurmagomedov, he was cutting corners where he shouldn’t have.

    That version appeared to go away for his subsequent fights against Donald Cerrone and Dustin Poirier but there’s always going to be a big question mark surrounding his hunger.

    These questions about his fight with Michael Chandler at UFC 303 were not helped by the videos that were released this past weekend of McGregor partying at his The Black Forge Inn until the early hours of the morning.

    However, as a former champion pointed out, this could end up being far less damning than it appears.

    Kamaru Usman Defends Videos Of Conor McGregor Partying During His Training Camp 

    The image of McGregor dancing the night away at his own establishment is sure to raise alarm bells but Kamaru Usman questions whether people have jumped to conclusions.

    Upon seeing the videos for the first time on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, he pointed out two key things.

    Firstly, McGregor isn’t seen drinking or holding any alcohol in the video and secondly, he’s only dancing with his fiancée, Dee Devlin.

    “No, if that’s his wife and they’re hanging out and having a great time and yeah, it’s at least he didn’t have a drink in his hand right? So yeah, he’s blowing off some team, he’s hanging, having a great time partying, if that’s what’s working for him, that’s what’s working for him, I don’t judge.”   

    Usman also questioned whether the video could be an attempt from McGregor to play mind games, forcing people to underestimate him based on what they have seen ahead of June 29.

    “There’s no drink in his hand so listen, Conor McGregor is a smart man, I don’t take anything away from him. I think he’s smart enough to understand that ‘hey, I could play possum here if I need to’, so he could be playing like ‘I’m not training’, he could have just left the gym right here.”   

  • Two Khabib Nurmagomedov Records That Islam Makhachev Is On Track To Break With A Victory At UFC 302

    Islam Makhachev returns to the Octagon this weekend at UFC 302 to defend his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier.

    When Khabib Nurmagomedov vacated the title and chose to retire, it was hard to imagine how Makhachev was going to live up to his close friend and teammate’s legacy by picking up the mantle.

    Despite Charles Oliveira’s impressive title reign, it felt like an inevitability until the lightweight title was back in the hands of a fighter hailing from Dagestan.

    With two title defenses under his belt now, even if both were against a featherweight moving up, people are now starting to question how far the current champion is away from surpassing the legacy of his coach.

    Some already consider to him be the more well-rounded fighter of the two and a win in Newark will see him push in front of “The Eagle” in a few key areas

    Islam Makhachev Is Starting To Separate Himself By Moving Up The Record Books

    Beating Poirier on Saturday night will see Makhachev tie Nurmagomedov at three title defenses. More importantly, he will surpass his winning streak.

    The likes of Makhachev, Nurmagomedov, Max Holloway, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, and Demetrious Johnson have all managed to win 13 fights in a row inside the Octagon. 

    One more win will push the current 155-pound king away from the rest of the pack into third place for all-time winning streaks behind Kamaru Usman and Anderson Silva.

    According to Makhachev’s coach Javier Mendez, he could overtake the former champion for one other record as well.

    “I believe he might very well pass it yeah but he also will pass another record, the most wins when you’re favored,” Mendez said on his podcast. “He’s got 15, they’re tied at 15. Since [the] UFC when you’re favored to win, you win, so if he wins this one, it’ll be 16 wins so he’ll be the leader in that department. I have a feeling before he’s done, he’s going to have a few records added to his arsenal of accomplishments because you know, this guy, he’s silent but he’s very progressive, he keeps advancing.”     

  • Kamaru Usman Sets Record Straight On Potential Jan Błachowicz Fight: ‘I’m No Longer Champion & He’s No Longer Champion…’

    Back when Kamaru Usman was the dominant UFC welterweight champion, he expressed an interest in potentially trying to become a two-weight titleholder.

    It’s the goal that every champion now wants to work toward, but there was one problem with this in Usman’s case. At the time, his friend Israel Adesanya reigned over the middleweight division and the two men had no intention of fighting each other

    Usman, instead, threw the idea out there of him moving up two weight classes to take on the light heavyweight champion, Jan Błachowicz.

    There was even a staredown between them backstage at UFC 276 where, all of a sudden, fans realized that there wasn’t much of a size disparity between them. 

    Kamaru Usman Makes His Opinion Clear On Fighting Jan Błachowicz At Light Heavyweight 

    During a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Usman spoke about this staredown with the Polish behemoth from several years ago, reflecting on how he felt about it at the time.

    Błachowicz responded to the clip on social media, stating that he is still happy to take on “The Nigerian Nightmare.”

    Following Błachowicz’s post, Usman gave his reaction via the podcast where he said that his words were taken out of context.

    The former welterweight champion states that he was talking about his viewpoint at the time rather than currently, where his thoughts on the fight have since changed. 

    “Obviously they didn’t watch the whole pod and they didn’t get the fact where I said then, when he was champion, I liked the matchup because it made sense, we were fighting for something. Listen, I respect each and every UFC fighter that steps in there, in that Octagon, and even with Jan Błachowicz, I respect him, the original ‘Polish Power’. 

    “Big respect for Jan Błachowicz but I thought that matchup favoured me and I wanted that matchup when Jan Błachowicz was the champion and I was the champion. I am no longer the champion, he’s no longer the champion so that fight makes absolutely no sense, it does nothing for me. If I go up there and I beat Jan Błachowicz, what does that do for me? Nothing, it’s just another paycheck.”   

  • Dan Hooker On Latest City Kickboxing Fighter To Go After Alex Pereira: ‘The Amount Of Camps We’ve Done Preparing For Alex…’

    Dan Hooker On Latest City Kickboxing Fighter To Go After Alex Pereira: ‘The Amount Of Camps We’ve Done Preparing For Alex…’

    Carlos Ulberg gets a huge opportunity to leap up the light heavyweight rankings after stepping in as a replacement opponent for UFC 303.

    The #11-ranked contender in the division picked up his sixth consecutive win just recently when he stopped Alonzo Menifield in just 12 seconds.

    He will now be taking the place of Khalil Rountree to face the #3-ranked former champion Jamahal Hill on International Fight Week.

    A win would be massive for Ulberg but it could also lead to a big moment for his team due to the implications of beating the former champion.

    Dan Hooker Says City Kickboxing Is Excited About The Idea Of Carlos Ulberg Challenging Alex Pereira

    Victory against Hill on June 29 could tee Ulberg up for a title shot later on in the year and that means one thing.

    Assuming that the champion doesn’t defend his belt beforehand and lose it, this would lead to the City Kickboxing team going up against Alex Pereira once again.

    The New Zealand-based gym are very familiar with “Poatan” given his four previous encounters with Israel Adesanya but with Ulberg potentially getting himself in the mix at 205 pounds, they have a new match-up to think about.

    On Sky Sports New Zealand, Dan Hooker spoke about Ulberg going on to challenge Pereira if he wins on June 29 and how the team feels about the idea of that happening in the near future.

    “That puts Carlos Ulberg one fight away from a title fight against Alex Pereira so I think… we’re all excited about that cuz yeah, Israel didn’t even know and then Israel, I told him. I said he’s fighting Hill and then he goes ‘and then Alex!’ and then Izzy just got goosebumps man, he was so excited for Carlos.

    “So excited just thinking about that fight as well because like in our opinion, not only do we think Carlos beats Hill, we think he beats Alex as well. We think that’s one heck of a fight but we feel like Carlos has the edge over Alex as well and the amount of camps we’ve done preparing for Alex, we got a pretty solid game plan for that here at City Kickboxing.”      

  • ‘One Of The Best Grapplers In The UFC’ – Renato ‘Money’ Moicano Talks Up Under-The-Radar UFC 302 Fight

    ‘One Of The Best Grapplers In The UFC’ – Renato ‘Money’ Moicano Talks Up Under-The-Radar UFC 302 Fight

    The UFC returns to Newark, New Jersey this Saturday night for UFC 302, headlined by a huge lightweight title fight.

    When you have names like Islam Makhachev, Dustin Poirier, Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa at the top of the card, it’s no surprise that some other fights may slip under the radar.

    This is something that Renato Moicano highlighted during his recent preview of the card on his YouTube channel.

    One of Moicano’s fellow fighters out of American Top Team is set to be in action in a fight that he believes is a certain pick in favor of his teammate.

    Renato Moicano Highlights Grant Dawson vs. Joe Solecki, Praises Dawson As Top-Tier Grappler

    On the prelim card, Grant Dawson will look to bounce back from his first defeat in the UFC where he was stopped by Bobby Green in just 33 seconds.

    Up to that point, he was putting together a serious run in the lightweight division and now faces Joe Solecki in an attempt to regain that momentum.

    Solecki, who is coming off of a loss to Drakkar Klose, is known for his jiu-jitsu skills but Moicano doesn’t believe that he will be effective with them on this occasion.

    “Money” said that Dawson is one of the very best grapplers in the UFC right now so even if the fight hits the floor, he will be able to get back to his feet in no time.

    “I’m not seeing him losing, I think he is the lock of the card. Especially because Joe Solecki is a BJJ guy, he’s a grappler, I don’t think he’s a better wrestler than Grant Dawson. I think he’s a jiu-jitsu guy that will try takedowns, will fail on the takedowns, will pull guard or even if he does take Grant Dawson down, he will not be able to control Grant Dawson on the ground because Grant Dawson is one of the best grapplers in the UFC.

    “Maybe you cannot believe in me but I’m telling you, he is one of the best grapplers on the division. I saw him training against Arman Tsarukyan, I saw him train against Mateusz Gamrot, I train with him myself, so he’s very hard to control, very good grappler.”    

  • MMA News Today: Islam Makhachev Explains Why He Doesn’t Have A Nickname, Dustin Poirier Flexes Impressive Knowledge Of Lightweight Division By Naming Every Champion, & More

    MMA News Today: Islam Makhachev Explains Why He Doesn’t Have A Nickname, Dustin Poirier Flexes Impressive Knowledge Of Lightweight Division By Naming Every Champion, & More

    Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For May 30, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

    • Makhachev doesn’t mind being the odd one out
    • Poirier takes on a 155-pound history lesson
    • Strickland isn’t happy with the UFC

    Islam Makhachev Is Happy To Fly The Flag For Fighters That Don’t Have A Nickname

    Over the past few years where he has been dominant at the top of the lightweight division, Islam Makhachev’s personality has started to come out more.

    The same could be said for Khabib Nurmagomedov who also saw his sense of humour translate more and more as his English improved.

    Makhachev is very much the same and whilst he is incredibly calm and soft spoken, he’s often sarcastic and funny.

    During a recent episode of his podcast, AKA head coach Javier Mendez spoke about how people are getting to know what his fighter is like behind the scenes more.

    He said that he even asked the champion about why he doesn’t have a nickname that would allow people to connect with him even more.

    In Mendez’ words, Makhachev is happy to be the outlier and represent for the fighters that don’t have a moniker.

    “I asked him ‘hey, everybody’s got a nickname, someone’s got this, cowboy, Khabib’s got the eagle, this and that, what about you?’ And he said ‘well, somebody’s got to hold the trend for no name so let that be me, they can have the names, I’ll be the guy that starts a no name. Everybody has a name so why not me have no name, just my name’.”     

    Dustin Poirier Correctly Names Every UFC Lightweight Champion Before Attempting To Become One Himself

    In a video posted by the UFC ahead of his clash with Islam Makhachev this weekend, Dustin Poirier showed his MMA knowledge.

    In Newark, he will look to add his name to the list of fighters that have reigned as the undisputed UFC lightweight champion.

    Before fight night comes around, “The Diamond” was tasked with naming every fighter that has held the 155-pound gold.

    Poirier was impressively able to name all 12 and wasn’t far off doing it totally in order but he did need to circle back to a few at some points.

    The next challenger was able to correctly trace back the belt all the way from Jens Pulver being the inaugural champion to modern day, passing by the likes of BJ Penn, Anthony Pettis and Conor McGregor along the way.

    One name that did give him some pause as the last one he needed to name was Charles Oliveira who he challenged for the belt back at UFC 269.

    Sean Strickland Vents Frustrations With The UFC: “It Doesn’t Do The Right Things”

    With UFC 302 fight week in full flow, it was only a matter of time before Sean Strickland picked his first target to take a shot at.

    The often controversial former middleweight champion is usually found slandering other fighters or even media members but this time around, he chose to get something off his chest.

    In an interview with Daniel Cormier, Strickland spoke out about the UFC itself and how in his opinion, they don’t try to do right by the fighters.

    He was clearly still frustrated by the rocky negotiations for his fight this weekend against Paulo Costa and this isn’t likely be the last time that we hear about it.

    “Here’s the thing, sometimes you’ve gotta be ready to f*cking throw away your entire career if you don’t get your sh*t,” Strickland said. “Just doing the f*cking right things, man. The UFC doesn’t do the right things. It doesn’t f*cking do the right things. It doesn’t do the right things with most of the roster.

    “If you go look at what these f*cks, the guys that run the UFC, what they’re making and what (fighters) get paid, it’s f*cking sh*t, dude. The UFC does not do the f*cking right things,” Strickland continued. “Unless you hold them at gunpoint, they aren’t gonna do it. But that’s all business these days. All these f*cking corporations are f*cking leeches, dude. Look at the working man’s f*cking (pay) gap, bro. My gap is a lot f*cking smalled than your guys’ gap, but that’s how it works. These corporations are just f*cking sucky.”

    Read more on the story here.

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