Makhachev’s head coach Javier Mendez recognised this in a recent interview whilst talking about another key area that Poirier may have an advantage in.
Javier Mendez Says He Isn’t Worried About Dustin Poirier’s Leg Kicks At UFC 302
When asked during an interview on the Weighing In podcast where he feels that Poirier holds any advantages in this fight, Mendez obviously mentioned Poirier’s boxing.
Another one of the challenger’s best weapons is his low calf kick which he then uses to set up his boxing combinations.
These were especially crucial in his previous two fights with Conor McGregor which really showed how Poirier is able to use these two main weapons in unison.
It’s something that Mendez and the coaches are very wary of but they’re not necessarily concerned about ahead of this fight.
The American Kickboxing Academy coach said that Makhachev isn’t an easy target for leg kicks, let alone the potential of him being able to secure a takedown if he catches Poirier off balance.
“Low calf kick is dangerous from him also, very very dangerous because he likes to throw it. But Islam is actually fairly adapt at low calf kicks so it’s not going to be as big a deal unless he catches a good one, which could happen. It could happen but Islam knows how to defend the low calf kick.”
As Joe Rogan said on a recent episode of his podcast, Ilia Topuria didn’t need any additional inspiration to believe that he was going to become the UFC featherweight champion.
Having not been stopped since his fourth pro fight, Volkanovski has now been on the end of two decisive knockouts in his last two fights.
The Aussie fighter was already planning to defend his title against Topuria when he got the call to step in on a few weeks notice to move up a weight class and face Islam Makhachev.
With Charles Oliveira out, a generous offer from the UFC and the chance to earn some revenge after he was beaten by Makhachev that same year, Volkanovski knew he had to say yes.
Joe Rogan Wishes We Could Have Seen Alexander Volkanovski Face Ilia Topuria Without Fighting At UFC 294
On The Joe Rogan Experience, elite grappler and coach of Volkanovski, Craig Jones, spoke about this with the UFC commentator.
Rogan believes that the knockout and quick turnaround undoubtedly affected Volkanovski at UFC 298.
“This is a short amount of time and then everything kind of falls apart and I think it wouldn’t have fallen apart if not for the rematch. If it wasn’t for the rematch, if he just waited for Topuria, I got to think that head kick has a factor. I mean to get brained like that with a shin to the dome, which is the worst way to get knocked out, it’s so much power in legs.”
Rogan went on to say that he would have tried to talk Volkanovski out of taking the fight so that he could face Topuria in the best shape possible.
“It’s so tricky cuz I’m just such a huge Volk fan that I just wish I had his ear. I don’t know if he would have listened to me but if I had his ear…”
He came in a huge underdog at UFC 293 and was able to successfully implement his style in order to cause all kinds of problems for “The Last Stylebender”.
Whilst his first title defense was still a closely contended fight, Dricus Du Plessis didn’t have many of the same problems when facing Strickland at UFC 297.
The challenger still struggled to land anything clean on the champion and of course, styles make fights so he was able to threaten with his grappling more.
There may be lessons that can be learned from these two fights about Strickland’s trajectory which could end up being crucial in his return this weekend.
‘Big’ John McCarthy Says Sean Strickland Needs To Find His Groove Against Paulo Costa
At UFC 302, Strickland will face Paulo Costa in the co-main event over five rounds in Newark, New Jersey
The former champion certainly has some attributes that he may be able to use effectively in this fight but there was also one concern that has been highlighted.
On the latest episode of the Weighing In podcast, “Big” John McCarthy spoke about how the pressure on Strickland changed massively between UFC 293 and 297.
Forcing a dangerous striker like Costa to back up versus letting him dictate the range and pace could be absolutely vital for Strickland as he attempts to bounce back.
“The real question is, and you bring up the Izzy fight, I thought Sean went into that fight similar to what I was talking with Dustin, he had no pressure on him. No one expected him to win, there’s no pressure, just go be you and he did. You go and look at the DDP fight, he had a ton of pressure on him and it changed him. He was a lot tighter during the fight, you could see where he was pressing at time. He just was not in that flow like he was against Izzy, he needs to get back to that.”
The latest cause for concern was from a health scare during a flight that was later cleared up with his team saying that he is fine despite becoming nauseous and dizzy before landing.
Tyson echoed this on his own social media account but this recent occurrence doesn’t seem to be an entirely isolated incident or an unexplainable one-off with little significance.
Now feeling 100% even though I don’t need to be to beat Jake Paul.
Chael Sonnen Says Mike Tyson Being In A Wheelchair Isn’t A Concern Ahead Of The Fight
Back when the fight was made official, some people raised a red flag over him needing to use a wheelchair in recent times.
Tyson explained that this was due to him suffering from sciatica, a nerve condition which can cause him to have pain in his legs, making this unrelated to the supposed ulcer flare-up that he suffered from this past weekend whilst heading to Los Angeles.
Though the wheelchair images have resurfaced since this news broke, and surely will come back around before the fight, Chael Sonnen isn’t too worried about them.
“The Bad Guy” is always looking to read between the lines when it comes to fight promotion and the narrative that people want to put out there.
In a recent YouTube video, he spoke about how these old photos are crucial in telling people about this fight.
“Or you could look at it the other way which is Mike Tyson and a mention of his fight with Jake Paul on Netflix would not have been on TMZ Sport today without that. It very much is a perspective of how you are going to handle it. I mean it would be a very very strange and insincere gesture, if you’re in the position of Jake Paul, to wish Mike well and Jake hasn’t done this but it would be a very strange gesture.”
Sonnen went on to say that the main marketing piece for this fight is about how the one attribute Paul has over the boxing legend is his youth.
Therefore by further emphasizing this, it makes the fight more interesting and compelling for potential viewers.
“This is a massive courageous moment by Mike and now you’re just going to add one more level of courage that you, the average man, couldn’t do. Because when you say that Tyson shouldn’t be able to fight in a month, you’re not really talking about Mike cuz you’re not really like Mike. You wouldn’t have any ability to relate.”
The champ has been dominant in most of his fights aside from one setback that happened all the way back in 2015 in his second Octagon appearance.
In trying to land his own big, looping shot on Adriano Martins, Makhachev was caught by a powerful counter and dropped, with the referee stepping in to wave off the fight.
In an interview on mainevent for Fox Sports Australia, Poirier said that the lightweight champion is far better than he was nine years ago so he can’t expect Makhachev to make the same mistake twice.
“I think the Islam I’m fighting on Saturday night is a different guy than we sat in that time he lost. He was kind of fumbling and his weight was over his feet, he was running in kind of goofy and got hit with a good shot but definitely if he’s lunging in and covering space like that recklessly, I’ll throw check hooks all day.”
Dustin Poirier Says He Isn’t Interested In Fighting Conor McGregor Right Now
Poirier also spoke in the same interview about where he is at right now in regards to his rivalry with Conor McGregor.
“The Notorious” is set to return at UFC 303 and seemingly still has unfinished business to attend to with “The Diamond” after their third meeting ended in him suffering the injury that has kept him out for so long.
For Poirier, he’s happy to have moved on to being back in title contention and trying to realize his dream of becoming the world champion.
This is his main focus for now but you can’t help but feel that whilst the two men are still in the promotion, you can never say never.
“I’ve kind of moved past it and I’m fighting for the undisputed world title, that’s the pinnacle of the sport. Fighting Conor isn’t the pinnacle, being the undisputed world champion is the pinnacle so that’s what I’ve been focused on. But I do think he’s going to beat Chandler.”
UFC President Dana White took to social media to announce the stacked main card that is set for the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on August 3.
Amongst four other fantastic matchups, the return of lightweight legend Tony Ferguson is locked in for what will be his first appearance of the year.
Ferguson is currently tied for the longest losing streak in UFC history following his tied record for the longest winning streak at 155 pounds at 12.
Several key details were mentioned by White during his announcement for this next matchup for “El Cucuy,” where he will be taking on Michael Chiesa.
“Opening the main card is a fight between the legend, Tony Ferguson, moving up to 170 pounds in what could be his final fight to take on Michael Chiesa.”
The two major points to highlight in White’s announcement is first of all, that this contest will see Ferguson move to welterweight.
The former interim lightweight champion has competed at 170 pounds in the past, having faced Nate Diaz at this weight on short notice two years ago and also won The Ultimate Fighter as a welterweight.
Chiesa is also a former lightweight and TUF winner who made the jump up a weight class back in 2018 and has since fought seven times there.
He is currently on a three-fight losing streak after winning his first four fights at 170 pounds in impressive fashion.
Chiesa was last seen at UFC 291 in July of last year, where he was submitted by Kevin Holland in the opening round.
Ferguson, on the other hand, went three rounds with Paddy Pimblett in December where he was unable to find his groove and show glimpses of the lightweight boogeyman that the fans fell in love with.
The other key point is that White specifically says, “in what could be his final fight.”
The UFC boss has suggested in the past that Ferguson should hang up the gloves meaning that Abu Dhabi could be one final ride for “El Cucuy”.
August 3 will mark the promotion’s first event in Abu Dhabi this year.
Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For May 29, 2024, we’re taking a look at:
Kavanagh calls for the 3Arena to be opened up
Saint-Denis says knockout is key for Poirier
The all-female promotion is back up and running
John Kavanagh Calls For The 3Arena To Upgrade Capacity
The press conference for UFC 303 and the return of Conor McGregor is shaping up to be a huge moment in the MMA calendar.
On Monday, The Mac and Michael Chandler will arrive at the 3Arena in Dublin and if there were any doubts as to whether “The Notorious” has still got the backing of the Irish fans, those questions are soon to be answered.
Tickets went on sale this morning for the event and were free but limited to just two per purchase but that didn’t stop them from selling out in minutes.
It took less than 5 minutes for the Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler #UFC303 press conference tickets to be sold out.
The tickets were free of charge and limited to 2 per person.
The seating plan for the event shows that as usual for these kinds of occasions, they were only planning to use a part of the full arena.
McGregor’s own coach, John Kavanagh, said on social media that they should open up the building to accommodate for more seats in order to completely pack out the building for another iconic press conference.
Poirier weathered the storm and let his striking, specifically his boxing and power, do the talking on that night in Miami.
In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Saint Denis said that this will be the same for Poirier this weekend at UFC 302.
In his mind, he believes that the challenger and his former opponent will only be able to pull off the upset if he is able to stop Islam Makhachev with his strikes.
“Dustin Poirier is very composed and experienced fighter and I do believe he has the boxing at his side but Makhachev is very well rounded and I do believe he has to watch my fight against Poirier as well as Dustin’s fight with Oliveira. Everybody knows what the game plan is gonna be. It’s gonna be Makhachev trying to submit Poirier and Poirier trying to knock out Makhachev, with Makhachev having a bit more options. Makhachev can knock out or submit Poirier but I see Poirier only having the knockout win. Decision-wise, I also see Makhachev having the physicality to dominate the fight if it goes long.”
Invicta FC Is Back On June 28 After 8-Month Hiatus And Concerning Reports
Having not hosted an event since last October, reports were suggesting that Invicta FC was coming to an unfortunate end.
The all-female promotion has had an incredible impact on the sport by providing an excellent place for fighters to build up experience and prove themselves.
Despite the concerns for fans, Invicta FC isn’t going anywhere, as was announced by the promotion’s President Shannon Knapp during a recent appearance on Sirius XM.
Knapp announced that the promotion will be returning home to Kansas City on June 28 where former UFC fighter Talita Bernardo will be defending her bantamweight title against Olga Rubin in the main event.
Ireland’s Ian Garry is set to return when he takes on the division’s exciting newcomer in Michael “Venom” Page.
After beating Kevin Holland in his debut at UFC 299 in March, “MVP” will look to shoot up the rankings by taking out Garry in the #7-spot who has spent a lot longer in the promotion, building up his current undefeated winning streak.
Despite the sniper-like striking skills that both men bring to the table, there are some that believe that this fight may not make for the best stylistic clash despite how interesting a fight it is on paper.
Sean O’Malley & Tim Welch Aren’t Sure That The Styles Of Ian Garry And ‘MVP’ Will Gel At UFC 303
On the latest episode of the TimboSugaShow, UFC bantamweight champion and his coach Tim Welch discussed the announcement of this fight.
O’Malley stayed positive on the fight, saying that it should be interesting even if it isn’t a great watch on the night.
“Could be fun, could be fun”
Welch, however, was less confident as he spoke about how them both being counter strikers could make this one a difficult fight to get through.
“I feel like there’s a good chance it’s going to be boring. There’s going to be, I just feel like, watch Ian Garry versus Neil Magny, backing up, backing up. ‘Venom’ Page isn’t the type to stalk someone down and cut them off and put them against the fence and make it a fight.”
O’Malley rounded things out with joking about how both men could retreat until they both hit the opposite sides of the Octagon.
Despite this concern, he is still excited to watch the fight to see who gets the better of the striking exchanges when they do happen.
The footage shows McGregor partying at his Black Forge Inn until the early hours of the morning.
Whilst there isn’t a video which sees him consuming any alcohol, he is dancing with his long-time partner Dee Devlin amongst other things like taking his shirt off.
Though some were quick to disregard this as McGregor being out of control and not taking his comeback fight against Michael Chandler seriously, perhaps there is a deeper meaning at play.
Sonnen Suggests Conor McGregor Is Giving Himself Built-In Excuse By Partying During Fight Camp
In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen attempted to unpack the videos of McGregor that surfaced over the weekend.
“The Bad Guy” made the point that why would McGregor put himself in this scenario knowing that everyone has a camera in their pockets.
With that in mind, he tried to think about why “The Notorious” would want something like this out there.
Some may point to it being an attempt to throw people off with the Ryan Garcia style of mind games to lull people into underestimating him.
Sonnen, however, compared the videos to the former antics of Jon Jones and how he would sabotage himself in order to ease the pressure of winning.
“That’s where all of your options all of a sudden start really narrowing and when you’re confronted with the reality that it is not a marketing piece, then what is the story? What is the story and the message that the sports greatest storyteller is attempting to get you to consume. Jon Jones played the same game and Jon Jones eventually quit playing the game but he told the world why he was doing it initially and that was he always wanted to have an excuse in case he lost.
“Not to you, the public, he wanted to have one for himself. If he would go to practice and he would work hard, he’d do what the coaches asked him, he’d put all that time in but he would also go out and drink and have a good time. If he was to taste defeat could tell himself well yeah but it was because of…”
Chikadze is a great fight on paper but “Almighty” wants to know what he needs to do to take on some of the bigger names in the weight class.
Allen Uses Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov As An Example For His Featherweight Confusion
In an interview with InsideFighting, Allen spoke about how he doesn’t quite understand what determines which match-ups get put together.
He used the example of Cory Sandhagen fighting down the bantamweight rankings for his next fight against Umar Nurmagomedov on August 3.
Even after the pair were matched last year and the fight didn’t happen, it has been rebooked despite a big gap between them in the top 15.
Allen questioned whether it’s down to who you’re managed by and the influence that some fighters and teams seem to have compared to others. Nurmagomedov, of course, is managed by Ali Abdelaziz if Dominance MMA, a well-known management stable featuring some of the biggest names in the sport such as Islam Makhachev, Kamaru Usman and others.
“You need some of those old guys to fight these guys coming up so this will be my second fight now fighting down the rankings and I get it, I lost the last two, whatever I think, I lost the last two. The one after Holloway I felt like probably fighting someone like Ortega would have made sense but then they’re like ‘ahh, have number #9’ so then okay, whatever, is what it is. It feels like you have to be someone or be with the right management to get the right match-ups that make sense.
“Kind of like Cory Sandhagen fighting Umar, he’s like #9 or #10 and like come on. He’s #2, Sandhagen is #2 and he also already accepted the fight, didn’t happen, none of his fault, he fought anyway so yeah, I don’t get it, it’s confusing. I don’t doubt his ability, he’s very good, I think it’s going to be a good fight, a tough test, I just don’t understand what gets that skip in the queue.”
Nothing represents the incredible highs and lows that can co-exist in the sport of MMA like a jaw-dropping knockout.
Think back to any iconic knockout and the first thing that comes to mind is sure to be the celebrations and crowd reactions immediately following the final blow.
There is, of course, two sides to this moment though as the fighter on the receiving end of the knockout will have friends, family and supporters also.
One man that knows a thing or two about stunning people with his ability to finish fights is Cory Sandhagen who back in 2021, secured one of the best knockouts of the year.
Cory Sandhagen Gives His View On Sympathy For Opponents
Sandhagen’s flying knee knockout over Frankie Edgar is sure to feature on UFC highlight reels for a long time but it was a worrying moment for Edgar’s supporters.
The legend of the sport was out cold and took some time to get his bearings back in the immediate aftermath.
In a recent live Q&A with Luke Thomas, Sandhagen was asked about the eventuality of a death inside the UFC Octagon whether his opponent’s health is something that he thinks about.
“The Sandman” dived deep into his mentality and how he doesn’t allow himself to feel for his opponent given what both men know they are signing up for.
“Umm… no [laughs]. Me and Frankie both signed up for that, you know what I mean. The human piece of me, which is different than the fighter piece of me, but the human piece of me obviously doesn’t like to see people get hurt. It definitely is a really big problem of watching people’s children watch their loved ones get hurt of their wife watch their loved ones get hurt but I think from like a fighter perspective, I care more about the people that love that person and how bad they probably feel then I do for the actual fighter because we all signed up for this.
“This is something where if you die, you die, you know what I mean. But, at least it was exciting and you did your best and you committed your life to something that was super awesome and really brave and courageous and at least you got to do that with your life and if you get to lose your life in something like that then maybe that’s a better way to go about it, not that I want that.”
He has become a true fan favourite, put on some classic fights, become the interim lightweight champion and of course, shared the Octagon with Conor McGregor on three occasions.
However, beating Islam Makhachev to become the lightweight champion at UFC 302 would go down as the crowning achievement of the entire run.
An accomplishment so good that he may not be able to top it, providing the perfect time to ride off into the sunset.
Mike Brown Says He Can See Dustin Poirier Fighting Again Despite Retirement Talks
Poirier’s long-time head coach at American Top Team, Mike Brown, isn’t so sure that this could be the last time we see “The Diamond”.
As Josh Thomson pointed out in Brown’s interview on the Weighing In podcast, Poirier is still just 35 years old despite everything he has done in the sport.
The ATT coach said that sometimes this is what Poirier is like and he didn’t read his recent comments as anything too serious at this stage.
“This is him, he is a love/hate sometimes, you know how he is. I mean I’ve heard him say this before and he, I think that’s a day-to-day thing. You never know but he’s accomplished a ton, he’s got a ton of money, he’s content with what he’s done. You know, you don’t want to push too long but I wouldn’t be surprised if he fought again after this fight, win or lose, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw him again. This is just, this is how it is. I think he’s trying to say he’s content with what he’s done, he’s proud of his accomplishments.”
Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For May 28, 2024, we’re taking a look at:
White praises McGregor’s business and fighting mind
Vera has suspicions of Brazilian drug testing protocol
Ulberg talks ahead of huge opportunity on June 29
Dana White Talks About What Makes Conor McGregor Special That You Simply Can’t Teach
During a recent appearance on the In Search of Excellence Podcast, UFC President Dana White spoke about the emergence of Conor McGregor as a superstar.
White recalls his first encounter with “The Notorious” where they met in Las Vegas after he was signed to the promotion.
White also emphasised how despite coming from a working class background and cashing welfare cheques, McGregor is an excellent businessman with a great mind for the sport.
He credited the former UFC champ-champ with having the kind of instincts that you simply can’t teach, comparing him to one of the biggest combat sports stars that came before him.
“If you look at all the brands that he has built off of his brand, very very sharp kid. When you hear some speak, he’s very articulate about fighting. Again when you talk about fighter IQ, like Tyson, Conor’s fight IQ is off the charts.”
Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera Says He Thinks But Can’t Prove That José Aldo Was Juicing For Return Fight At UFC 301
José Aldo is back in the mix at bantamweight following his triumphant return to the Octagon earlier this month.
Vera suffered a defeat to Aldo back in December of 2020 which he rebounded from with a great winning streak.
During a recent appearance on the Jaxxon Podcast, Vera suggested that he isn’t sure whether or not his former opponent was being tested for his return fight.
“Chito” didn’t say for certain but he does have his suspicions about what went down in Brazil.
“Check this out, fighting in Brazil, no USADA, those [Jose Aldo] traps were f****** thick so… José might go to those f****** farmers and [juice]. I mean they’re notorious for that, that’s normal in Brazil right? I don’t know, I cannot prove it but I mean you fight in Brazil, I don’t think they’re testing.”
Carlos Ulberg Speaks On Jamahal Hill Fight & Conor McGregor Inspiration
The opportunity to fight on June 29 at UFC 303 is going to be massive for all of the fighters on the undercard but especially Carlos Ulberg.
International Fight Week is set to be even bigger than usual thanks to the long-awaited return of Conor McGregor in the main event.
In a recent interview with Engage on YouTube, he spoke for the first time about this fight and where he stands on McGregor and fighting on the same card as his comeback.
“We’re going up against Hill, I think he’s number three at the moment so that’s some really good news that puts us in a really good spot and I’m not going to pass that opportunity.”
“He is definitely a big star and to fight under that undercard would be amazing and if we can get the co-main event, then that’d be even more spectacular so yeah man.
“He goes in with confidence and that’s something that I like to lead into my fights. When I jump in that cage, it’s just me, my opponent and the preparation that I’ve had prior.”
Beating Hill, who headlined UFC 300 in April against Alex Pereira, will see Ulberg extend his winning streak to seven and likely secure himself a position in the top five.
In his first interview since the fight was made official, he told Engage about what this fight and opponent means to him.
“We’re going up against Hill, I think he’s number three at the moment so that’s some really good news that puts us in a really good spot and I’m not going to pass that opportunity.”
Carlos Ulberg Talks Fighting On The Same Card As Conor McGregor On June 29
Competing on International Fight Week is already a big deal but this year’s instalment is something entirely different.
Ulberg vs Hill will take place in a prominent spot on the PPV main card of UFC 303 which will be headlined by the returning Conor McGregor.
This fight was already the biggest of his career but now the 33-year old has the opportunity to secure a massive win on one of the biggest platforms possible.
In the interview with Engage, Ulberg spoke about McGregor and how he is able to draw inspiration from “The Notorious”.
“Yeah McGregor is obviously the biggest star to rise out of the UFC and even sporting alone. So everybody that you talk to, they all know McGregor even if they’re not MMA fans. I spoke to someone today and they didn’t know about MMA but they knew who McGregor was which was amazing so he is definitely a big star and to fight under that undercard would be amazing and if we can get the co-main event, then that’d be even more spectacular so yeah man.
“He goes in with confidence and that’s something that I like to lead into my fights. When I jump in that cage, it’s just me, my opponent and the preparation that I’ve had prior.”
