While Charles Bennett is a known name from the classic days of MMA, particularly his time with PRIDE and King of the Cage, the combat sports world had not been kind to him with 21 straight losses between 2017 and 2024.
But the man formerly known as “Krazy Horse,” now nicknamed “Felony,” was able to finally snap that skid on August 9 with a win over Justin Howard under the Island Fights banner.
Charles “Felony” Bennett ended his 21 fight losing skid across all combat sports tonight after he scored a 2nd round Submission over Justin Howard at Island Fights. #MMApic.twitter.com/SUtnVRoZ0e
In the second round of the fight, Bennett was able to get into mount on Howard and land some ground-and-pound before locking in a rear-naked choke for the tap.
Charles Bennett Breaks Long 7-Year Losing Skid Across Combat Sports
Bennett made his professional MMA debut back in 1999, with his win over Howard marking “Felony’s” 79th in the sport.
His opponent history has included the likes of Duane Ludwig, Urijah Faber, K.J. Noons, Bobby Green, Luis Palomino, Ray Cooper III, Brok Weaver, Kevin Croom, and Jason Knight.
With an MMA record of 31-46-2 after the win over Howard, Bennett has rarely competed for championships. His most prominent high-stakes title fights were a loss to Dokonjonosuke Mishima in a 2005 PRIDE Lightweight Grand Prix replacement bout and his defeat to Faber, which was for the KOTC bantamweight championship.
Bennett, who has also competed in RIZIN and EliteXC, has been known for his pre-fight antics and his unpredictable fighting style.
We have seen some great knockouts in the combat sports world this year now that we’re more than halfway through 2024. But while many will look at the Max Holloway last-second throwdown KO of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 as their favorite, kickboxer Taimu Hisai gave that nomination a run for its money.
Hisai provided fight fans with a major finish in his Muay Thai bout with Chuut Seryvanthong at Knock Out 2024 Vol. 3.
With less than 10 seconds to go in the opening round of their fight, Hisai countered a Seryvanthong right hand by throwing his body in a spinning motion and landing his left heel right on the button, completing a rare rolling thunder knockout.
Marlon Vera has now found himself on a rough patch as of late, and it continued at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi, where he dropped a decision to former two-time flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo.
Figueiredo was able to outwork “Chito” with a solid pacing and using his strength. While Vera had stronger strikes during the second round, “Deus Da Guerra” fought fire with fire and knocked the Ecuadorian down in the third.
The former bantamweight title challenger took to social media after the fight, thanking his supporters and stating that he let himself down inside the Octagon.
Hoy me falle a mi mismo. Gracias a mi familia mi equipo y mi gente que me empuja a seguir, tal vez regrese muy rápido esta vez, pero así es la vida aveces hay que tomarse un tiempo para que la mente y cuerpo se recupere! Una vez más gracias por los que están ahí ❤️.
Marlon Vera Admits to Failing Himself After Dropping Third In Last Four At UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi
“Today I failed myself,” Vera wrote (translated). “Thanks to my family, my team and my people who push me to continue, maybe I will come back very quickly this time, but that’s life, sometimes you have to take some time for the mind and body to recover! Once again thanks for those who are there.”
Vera has now lost three of his last four outings, with his sole win in this stretch coming against Pedro Munhoz at UFC 292 in Boston last August.
“Chito” challenged Sean O’Malley for the bantamweight title at UFC 299 in Miami this past March, serving as a rematch after Vera handed O’Malley his sole loss back in 2020. The Ecuadorian lost the title fight in convincing fashion.
After having his own run in the UFC as a dominant undefeated champion years ago, Khabib Nurmagomedov is now helping to mentor others toward their own reigns. Islam Makhachev already has secured the lightweight title, and now cousin Umar Nurmagomedov may be next.
Umar secured a clear decision win over Cory Sandhagen in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi. The bout seemingly served as a bantamweight title eliminator, and “The Young Eagle” is most likely next in line to challenge the winner of the Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili title fight that takes place at The Sphere on September 14.
Following Umar’s win, Khabib Nurmagomedov was asked about his thoughts on who his cousin might have a better matchup with when it comes to claiming the gold. The former lightweight champion says the undefeated up-and-comer will be prepared regardless of who is holding the title.
That’s not to say he doesn’t have a preference, though…
Khabib Nurmagomedov Says Cousin Umar Nurmagomedov Is Ready To Be UFC Champion
“I want Merab to be honest, because he’s from Georgia. [Dagestan and Georgia are] neighbors. I want Merab to win because it’s going to be a very interesting fight. White papakha vs. black papakha. But if O’Malley wins, it’s going to be white papakha vs. pink papakha.
“He’s going to be good competition for O’Malley. A very good fight, high-level fight for all of the fans all over the world. It’s not easy to beat Umar. And it’s not easy to beat Merab or Sean O’Malley. This is high level. Anything can happen, but in my opinion, Umar is ready.”
Umar Nurmagomedov is now 6-0 in the UFC (and 18-0 overall) since entering the promotion in 2021.
O’Malley, meanwhile, won the bantamweight championship by defeating Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292. He retained the title against Marlon “Chito” Vera at UFC 299 in Miami this past March.
For his part, Dvalishvili has won 10 straight fights, clinching himself a title shot after defeating former champion Henry Cejudo at UFC 298 in February.
Umar Nurmagomedov’s work in his UFC journey over the last few years may now be finally paying off, as he scored a win over Cory Sandhagen in a bantamweight title eliminator that headlined Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi.
It was a battle of two highly talented contenders, and that was on display in the opening round. Both men had their moments in their striking, and Sandhagen even put takedown defense on display. Nurmagomedov, however, was able to get the former interim title challenger down before the round concluded.
“The Sandman” continued to land strong strikes in the second round, but Nurmagomedov got him to the ground again and appeared to get him in some trouble, attempting a twister before the round’s conclusion. The Dagestani then picked up his aggression and striking pace in the third round, appearing to land the better shots.
Nurmagomedov continued to piece things together, and while he wasn’t doing much with his takedowns, he seemed like the more active fighter in the fourth. He continued to get more confident with his striking, and he put on a similar performance in the fifth.
Nurmagomedov easily won on the scorecards, with a 50-45 total from one judge and 49-46 from the other two.
Umar Nurmagomedov Stakes Claim For Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili Winner After UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi Win
The term statement win gets thrown around a little too loosely.
THIS was a statement win by Umar Nurmagomedov. Now 18-0. Cory Sandhagen is no joke and this was in large part a very one sided fight. Big result. pic.twitter.com/RqkQbGLwCA
This was such a step up in competition for Nurm that it almost felt disrespectful to Sandhagen, but damn he lived up to the hype here. 48-47 at worst for Cousin Umar. Insanely impressive.
The way Umar held his own and did so well on the feet with someone like Cory Sandhagen is extremely impressive and he passed this test with flying colors. #UFCAbuDhabi
Shara Magomedov received quite the opportunity as the co-main event of UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi on very short notice. That was following the announcement that Nick Diaz would not be able to compete in his originally scheduled fight with Vicente Luque.
If one were to ask fans if “Bullet” made the most of his opportunity, they’d be split after his performance, which saw him get the decision win over Michał Oleksiejczuk.
For all that people have been previously impressed by Magomedov, things seemed to be a problem early on. The Dagestani had the better strikes and kept his distance, busting Oleksiejczuk open with an elbow. The Polish veteran, however, landed one punch that briefly knocked “Bullet” down.
Magomedov continued to outwork him with striking in the second round, and Oleksiejczuk didn’t make much of the takedown he scored at the end of the frame.
Magomedov then cruised his way to a clear decision win, with two 30-27 scorecards and a 29-28.
Though the UFC has previously announced they intend to re-book Nick Diaz vs. Vicente Luque, Magomedov surprisingly called out the elder Diaz brother following his win.
Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov Calls Out Nick Diaz After Cruising To Decision Win At UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi
Nobody – and I emphasise NOBODY – wants to see Shara Magomedov fight Nick Diaz. #UFCAbuDhabi
Following the best performance of his career, Shara Magomedov has the most shameless callout in years, calling for Nick Diaz, in Abu Dhabi. This is worse than Jon Jones insisting on fighting an old firefighter. https://t.co/7chRklXpb9
Deiveson Figueiredo continued to show how solid he is in his new bantamweight home, as he defeated former title challenger Marlon Vera via unanimous decision at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi.
As he normally does, Vera got off to a slow start in the opening frame, with Figueiredo utilizing his wrestling and starting to work a good pace with his strikes. “Chito,” however, appeared to battle back in the second round, landing stronger strikes.
Figueiredo still brought some trouble with his pacing and stance switching, and he finally countered Vera’s strength in the third when he scored a knockdown.
Overall, two judges scored the fight 29-28, and one 30-27, all in the Brazilian’s favor.
Deiveson Figueiredo Stays Unbeaten At Bantamweight After Dropping, Outlasting Marlon “Chito” Vera
Watching Chito Vera feels like you're getting scammed but you're OK with it because he seems like a cool guy. He's a generalist, doesn't do almost anything great in there.
That has now worn off. Boring, frustrating, and should lose to Figgy here. #UFCAbuDhabi
Figueiredo, the former two-time UFC flyweight champion, is now 3-0 at 135 pounds following wins over Rob Font and Cody Garbrandt.
Vera, meanwhile, has now dropped three of his last four, one of which was his unsuccessful attempt to take the bantamweight title from Sean O’Malley at UFC 299 in Miami this past March.
After a couple of fights down that earned her pretty heavy criticism, Mackenzie Dern appeared to bounce back at UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi, earning a unanimous decision win over Loopy Godinez.
The grappling prowess of Dern was on full display in the first round, nearly locking in an armbar attempt that appeared it’d be tight and could have snapped Godinez’s arm. The Mexican, however, battled back in the second round, with the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist’s lack of striking defense, which has earned her the previously mentioned criticism, rearing its head again.
The third round was closely contested, with Dern landing stronger strikes — though some may feel Godinez landed cleaner ones — and landing another takedown.
Ultimately, Dern took the decision with 29-28 scores on all three judges’ scorecards.
Mackenzie Dern Gets Nod In Close Battle With Loopy Godinez At UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi
Dern is all gas, no breaks, but it looks sloppy. #UFCAbuDhabi
Commentary team is right, Dern’s striking defense isn’t great at all and hasn’t really evolved unlike her offensive striking has. Cost her the fight in this one and her takedown in the 3rd not keeping her down. Godinez should edge her 29-28 but close fight #UFCAbuDhabi
In the eyes of UFC CEO Dana White, the rejection of the settlement in the UFC’s antitrust, class-action lawsuits was more than just business — it was personal.
White feels that Boulware’s actions went beyond legalities and may have been based on a personal grudge, with White — who says he usually lets the UFC’s legal team deal with matters involving things like this — claiming that he and Lorenzo Fertitta, former UFC CEO, went to high school with Boulware.
“It’s getting to a point now where this feels personal. You know I went to high school with this guy? Me and Lorenzo went to high school with him. I don’t know what me or Lorenzo did to him in high school, but this seems very, very personal.
“I don’t think I did anything to this guy. I don’t know what the hell happened, but there’s no doubt in my mind that this feels absolutely personal. And whatever it is with this guy, we’ll let the lawyers deal with it, and it is what it is.”
Dana White Claims Judge’s Rejection Of UFC Antitrust Lawsuit Settlement Stems From ‘Personal’ High School Grudge
In March, TKO agreed to the $335 million payout to settle a pair of class-action lawsuits brought against the UFC, [Cung] Le et al. vs. Zuffa and [Kajan] Johnson et al. vs. Zuffa. The plaintiffs were seeking $1.6 billion in damages and contractual changes to UFC contracts.
Boulware, in previous weeks, had express concern about the settlement for various reasons. Firstly, the amount obtained in the settlement greatly differed from what the plaintiffs were originally seeking, creating concern over how much each fighter would actually receive from this.
Secondly, each class-action lawsuit had a different focus, with the Le case centered around money and the Johnson case focused on contractual changes. Boulware expressed worry that this settlement did little to nothing for fighters represented in the Johnson case.
A jury trial is currently scheduled to begin on October 28 for Le vs. Zuffa. Johnson vs. Zuffa, meanwhile, is still in a very early portion of the legal process.
The UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi featured preliminary bout saw a battle between two light heavyweights looking to climb their way up the ranks, and the undefeated Azamat Murzakanov did that and then some.
The Russian laid out Alonzo Menifield in a second-round finish to stay unbeaten.
Murzakanov received praise for his first-round performance as he seemed to land at will, pressuring his American counterpart. Menifield, however, appeared to turn the tide in round two, landing some damaging shots that tired and hurt Murazakanov.
Unbeaten Murzakanov Lands Vicious Shots To Stop Menifield At UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi
Murzakanov, however, answered right back with a stunning pair of left hands before dropping and finishing “Atomic” in brutal fashion.
Since a first-round finish on Dana White’s Contender Series that earned him a UFC contract, Murzakanov has won four straight. That run includes three finishes, defeating Tafon Nchukwi, Devin Clark and Dustin Jacoby, in addition to Saturday’s win.
Menifield, meanwhile, has now lost back-to-back fights after a five-fight unbeaten streak.
Former UFC star Nate Diaz was not going to let slander of an ex-Octagon opponent go unanswered, hopping right away to defend.
Streamer Adin Ross recently broadcasted harsh criticism of Leon Edwards, who dropped the welterweight championship to Belal Muhammad in the main event of UFC 304 last weekend.
Ross went on a near three-minute rant on Edwards after the Brit’s loss cost him a $250,000 bet, stating Edwards was the “worst champion ever” and is “a disgrace to the UFC.”
While Ross’ comments received a mixed reception from fight fans, Diaz was not having it, taking to his Instagram Stories to suggest somebody should ‘beat his ass’.
Nate Diaz Fell Short In Memorable Five-Round Leon Edwards Battle In 2021
Diaz and Edwards met in a five-round bout at UFC 263, with Edwards winning via unanimous decision. “Rocky” was in complete control for four rounds before being rocked and dropped by Diaz in the fifth, a scary moment that he managed to survive.
Prior to UFC 304, Edwards had not lost since his first encounter with Kamaru Usman at the end of 2015. His sole non-victory in that stretch was his first meeting with Muhammad in March 2021, a fight Edwards was clearly winning before a second eye poke resulted in a no contest.
Edwards, however, was unable to handle Muhammad’s wrestling in the pay-per-view bout in Manchester, thoroughly getting worked over as “Remember the Name” took the decision and title in a fight UFC CEO Dana White called “not a barnburner.”
Diaz, meanwhile, competed in a boxing match with Jorge Masvidal last month, taking a decision win and calling for a rematch with Jake Paul.
Muhammad Mokaev’s future has been in question ever since his very public release from the mixed martial arts leader after UFC 304. And now, it seems the best potential alternate option for him has its door closed.
Or has it?
According to Drake Riggs of MMA Mania, ONE Championship and Mokaev have had discussions, but the Asian promotion was told that he will be re-signing with the UFC.
Hearing Mokaev spoke to ONE but told them he's re-signing with the UFC.
Could just be wishful thinking on his part or a colossal swerve… To be determined. https://t.co/jlGWKBLMUP
It is unknown if Mokaev will actually get re-signed by the UFC, but Mokaev’s social media activity of late seems to indicate he only is seeking an Octagon return return.
Muhammad Mokaev Claims He Is Re-Signing With UFC Following Talks With ONE Championship, PFL Expressing Lack Of Interest
Following the PFL Playoffs card in Nashville on Friday, PFL President Ray Sefo was asked by Brett Cagle at the event’s post-fight press conference about the promotion’s interest in Mokaev. Sefo, however, seemed against the idea.
“I’ve spoken to people in the know and, apparently, he’s just a pain in the ass to deal with,” Sefo said. “And so, no, we’re not interested.”
This came following UFC CEO’s Dana White’s comments at the UFC 304 post-fight press conference, where he stated “the PFL is going to get a great undefeated fighter” as he announced the UFC was not looking to re-sign Mokaev following the conclusion of his contract.
A follow-up claim from Ben Davis stated that Mokaev had attempted to use the PFL as leverage in negotiations, contacting them before the expiration of his UFC contract in Manchester. That claim, however, has since been thrown into question, with Mokaev and his team branding it false.
Mokaev came out on social media in response to Sefo, claiming he was not going to sign with the PFL regardless and suggesting the the organization is trying to get out in front of things.
Of course you gonna say this.. I never accepted you deals Nice move 😂😂😂😂 https://t.co/eOhHgiUhbY
Mokaev was the source of controversy last week after a number of altercations with UFC 304 opponent Manel Kape. The pair went on to have an underwhelming battle at the event, with “The Punisher” getting a win via decision.
Those who are not fans of Belal Muhammad must have felt justified upon seeing UFC CEO Dana White’s mood at the UFC 304 post-fight press conference immediately following his title win.
Muhammad toppled Leon Edwards in the card’s main event via unanimous decision to capture the UFC welterweight championship. Though he was able to get his shots in on the feet, perhaps his best work came with his strong wrestling background.
“Remember the Name” constantly pressured Edwards, bringing him to the fence on multiple occasions to score takedowns. Muhammad controlled Edwards in a way no one had ever seen before, though Edwards landed nasty elbows in the fight’s closing seconds that could have troubled Muhammad had the fight had more time.
Muhammad’s wrestling-heavy offense has led to him being negatively received by many fans, and it appeared from the moment White wrapped the belt around his waist in the Octagon that the UFC CEO was not impressed.
Dana White wasn't thrilled by the #UFC304 main event.
“Wasn’t a barn burner… Belal [Muhammad has] been training with Khabib, so his performance was what you would expect.” pic.twitter.com/zjm50YJxLc
“It wasn’t a barnburner,” White said matter-of-factly at the press conference.
Dana White Says Belal Muhammad Gameplan Was ‘What You Would Expect’
After that comment, a reporter followed up by asking White if Edwards’ performance — along with others on the card — were compromised by a late start time. The card aired in its usual pay-per-view slot, so the pay-per-view did not begin until 3:10 AM in England after being delayed by 10 minutes due to the prelims running over time.
It should be worth noting that the decision to not move the start time to something more UK-friendly is widely believed to have been an ESPN decision, not UFC’s. Although the extent to which the promotion could have forced alternative plans has been widely debated.
White declined to comment on that matter, suggesting to reporters in Manchester that they’d have to ask Edwards himself about his performance.
The UFC did, however, suggest that he was not surprised by Muhammad’s gameplan given his training time with former undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
“I know Belal has been training with Khabib,” White said. “So his performance is…what you would expect.”
Muhammad and Edwards were competing in a rematch from their initial 2021 battle that ended in a no contest after the former was hit with a bad eye poke.
Both men were on big unbeaten runs. UFC 304 marked “Rocky’s” first loss since his first fight with Kamaru Usman in December 2015. Muhammad, meanwhile, has not lost since a defeat at the hands of Geoff Neal in January 2019.
Paddy Pimblett made a huge statement at UFC 304, scoring an easy first-round submission of King Green in under four minutes and likely clinching a spot in the UFC’s lightweight rankings.
After Pimblett nailed Green with several low kicks early in the fight, the veteran American made a questionable decision by trying to take down “The Baddy,” who is a grappling expert. Pimblett countered with a guillotine before transitioning into a triangle choke, which Pimblett told ESPN MMA’s Megan Olivi after the fight is his favorite kind of submission.
As Pimblett looked for an armbar, Green could be seen unconscious, giving him a submission win.
When Pimblett reflected on how the fight played out, he expressed concern that others might move the goal posts and say that Green, who was ranked No. 15, is not the kind of quality opponent to get him into the rankings.
The Liverpool native, however, had a counterargument in mind.
“First person in the UFC to submit Bobby Green, and that’s like his 25th UFC fight or something like that,” Pimblett said. “Even Islam [Makhachev] couldn’t do that. But people are going to keep underestimating me. People are going to move the goal posts now and say, ‘Oh Bobby is finished, Bobby this, Bobby that,’ when last week it was, ‘Bobby’s going to beat Paddy up. Bobby’s going to do this to him, he’s going to do that, he’s going to dog-walk him.’ What happened?”
Paddy Pimblett May Be Cageside For Renato Moicano vs. Benoît Saint Denis In Paris After UFC 304 Win
In the Octagon at UFC 304, Pimblett called out Renato Moicano for his next fight. Though the two have had exchanges on social media, the Brazilian s currently booked to face Benoît Saint Denis in Paris on September 28.
While Pimblett hopes to be placed at No. 10 in the rankings, he will take being at No. 15, as he looks up toward other contenders to continue his momentum and rise up the 155 ranks.
“Before this Bobby Green fight got made, me and Renato were speaking about each other on Twitter,” Pimblett said. “A lot of people up front of me in the rankings can’t really say no. The only thing about Renato now is that he’s got a fight. He’s fighting BSD in Paris. You never know, might end up going out there. Might end up being cageside for that.”
Moicano and Saint Denis are set to headline the upcoming UFC Fight Night in the French capital, with the former looking to build on his momentum from a knockout of Jalin Turner at UFC 300 and “God of War” hoping to bounce back from his loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 299.
The UFC may be receiving a major blow to its schedule for the second half of 2024, as UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev has revealed that he is suffering from a hand injury.
According to a video interview Makhachev did with Russian MMA and boxing media outlet Ushatayka, Makhachev revealed that a recent MRI has shown damage to the ligaments in one of his hands.
It is unknown when he suffered this injury, though Makhachev seemed to suggest it may have come from his victory over Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 last month.
Makhachev is currently exploring options and looking to see if he can recover without surgery. If he has to have the procedure, it will almost certainly leave him unable to compete for the rest of 2024.
This would mean the planned lightweight championship fight between Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi on October 26 is in major jeopardy.
“After the fight, my fists hurt, a lot of things hurt,” Makhachev said (translation provided via @ChampRDS on X). “We’ll take time, everything is healing little by little. An MRI recently confirmed that I have a partial ligament tear. Let’s see if I can recover. If not, I might even have to have surgery.
“(Fighting in Abu Dhabi on October 26) is questionable. We haven’t talked about the fight yet… I really want to perform before the end of the year. I plan to, too…let’s see what happens.”
Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan Title Fight Potentially Set For Delay
The UFC has annually held a fall pay-per-view (originally September before moving to October) in Abu Dhabi since 2019. All but one event has seen either Khabib Nurmagomedov or Makhachev main eventing.
Questions of Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan originally arose because of a nine-month suspension the Nevada State Athletic Commission handed down to Tsarukyan for a pre-fight altercation he had with a fan while making his entrance for UFC 300. However, it’s expected that the Russian-Armenian will do a PSA that will reduce his suspension to six months, allowing him to stay in the plans for an October title fight.
Tsarukyan defeated former champion Charles Oliveira at the event in a lightweight title eliminator to seemingly secure a second dance with the champ.
Makhachev, meanwhile, defeated Oliveira to claim the lightweight title at UFC 280. He retained the belt successfully against then-featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski twice in 2023.
It is unknown what the UFC’s plans would be for Abu Dhabi in October if Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan cannot take place. Mateusz Gamrot, who faces Dan Hooker at UFC 305 in August, is the only lightweight fighter in the top five of the UFC’s lightweight rankings — minus Tsarukyan — with a win in his most recent fight.
Tom Aspinall felt that he was in the fight of his life when he stepped in the Octagon for his UFC 304 interim heavyweight championship co-main event against Curtis Blaydes.
The Brit is two years removed from his devastating MCL tear the first time he faced “Razor” in England, and it was his first fight since winning the interim belt at New York’s Madison Square Garden last November.
And despite a day that he described as the longest of his life, with nerves going throughout his body, Aspinall got the job done in just 60 seconds, finishing Blaydes to retain the championship.
Though Aspinall told Megan Olivi of ESPN MMA that it felt like a homecoming redemption moment after all he’s been through, he made sure to give a ton of respect to Blaydes.
“Curtis is a great wrestler, but he’s also got great hands. He’s a great MMA fighter,” Aspinall said. “The guy’s been in the top five since before I was in the UFC. He’s a veteran. There is a lot of emphasis on his wrestling because not a lot of guys in the heavyweight division can wrestle well, but he’s an MMA fighter, so I was expecting everything.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Curtis, and I want to get in and out as quick as possible without anyone getting hurt. That’s my plan. I hope Curtis is OK.”
‘You Can’t Leave Me Out’ – Tom Aspinall Awaits Jon Jones Or Stipe Miocic To Unify Heavyweight Championship
Following the win, Aspinall had a callout of UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones — a fight that many have been clamoring to see over Jones vs. Stipe Miocic. The interim champ commented about having a conversation with UFC CEO Dana White, implying the chance that plans could change.
White, however, stated at the UFC 304 post-fight press conference that the plan is still to go with Jones vs. Miocic. However, he appeared to insinuate that Aspinall will be assigned as the backup fighter in case Jones vs. Miocic falls through again.
Aspinall told Olivi that the plan is to fight the winner of Jones vs. Miocic, but he urged “Bones” to hand the belt over if he doesn’t want the fight.
“I’ll wait…that’s one worth waiting for,” Aspinall said. “If Jon Jones doesn’t want to do it, OK. Just hand me over the title. I’ll take it, no problem. But that’s the fight I want. It’s the right fight to do. I understand that’s a huge fight for the UFC and the company — Stipe vs. Jon Jones. But, c’mon, you can’t leave me out.”
Jones vs. Miocic was scheduled to headline UFC 295 last November before Jones tore his pec, which led to the fight where Aspinall defeated Sergei Pavlovich to become interim champion.
Jones defeated Ciryl Gane to win the then-vacant heavyweight title at UFC 285 following Francis Ngannou’s departure from the promotion. Miocic, meanwhile, has not fought since dropping the heavyweight title to Ngannou at UFC 260.
Rumors, reports, and even Jones himself have stated the plan is for Jones vs. Miocic to headline a Madison Square Garden PPV card in November. Those event plans, however, have not been confirmed by the UFC and have been left murky with a concert series taking place at the venue during UFC 309’s original target date of November 9.
Muhammad Mokaev will not be coming back to the UFC, according to promotional CEO Dana White at the UFC 304 post-fight press conference.
Mokaev scored a win over Manel Kape during the UFC 304 prelims. In spite of being promoted as a potential flyweight title eliminator, the fight proved to be disappointing and widely panned. The bout marked the final one on Mokaev’s current deal.
According to White, matchmakers are not a fan of Mokaev’s conduct, and the Dagestani-Englishman has caused unnamed issues in the past few months.
Dana White on what’s next for Muhammad Mokaev: “I think PFL is going to get a great, undefeated guy…good luck to him.”
— Fightful Combat: MMA, Boxing And Fights (@FightfulMMA) July 28, 2024
“I think the PFL will get a great, undefeated guy,” White said. “Good luck to him.”
Dana White, UFC Appears To Formally Part Ways With Muhammad Mokaev
The unbeaten Mokaev, a noteworthy flyweight contender, was a big talking point heading into this card. Mokaev and Kape had bad blood between them, resulting in a number of confrontations in the week leading up to the fight.
The bout was also notable for the number of times it moved in the card order, going from the main card, to the televised prelims, to the early prelims, then finally settling in as the opening bout of the televised prelims.
Despite the supposed bad blood, the fight proved to be lackluster. The first round saw little actual action from both men. Early in the second, Mokaev grabbed Kape’s shorts in a grappling exchange and appeared to show disrespect to referee Mike Beltran, causing Beltran to loudly admonish him during the pause in the action.
Mokaev ultimately won the fight by unanimous decision.
Earlier in the week, Mokaev acknowledged this being the last fight on his deal and desired a guaranteed title shot in a new deal, following a win.
Mokaev has not commented on the matter as of press time, but he did tweet this out after the event.
Thank you to all my true fans that supported me from the beginning! I see you all ❤️
Muhammad got right to work with what works best for him, scoring a pair of takedowns early. Edwards had good connections on the feet during the round, but Muhammad connected with a late uppercut that seemed to rock Edwards.
Muhammad then completely had his way with the defending champion in the second round, landing a couple of more takedowns and showing complete pressure and control. This included a takedown where Edwards was notably dumped on his head.
Edwards fought back against Muhammad’s pressure in the third round, taking control on the ground and getting to Muhammad’s back with a body triangle, threatening a choke. Edwards looked to land in the fourth and had solid connections. But Muhammad answered and went back to his wrestling pressure, scoring another takedown and having complete control of Edwards’s back this time around.
The two exchanged early in the fifth round, with Edwards fending off a takedown attempt. But Muhammad pressured him back to the fence and took a hold of him again. There, Muhammad got another body lock and another takedown, overwhelming Edwards with wrestling. Edwards busted Muhammad open with two elbows in the fight’s closing seconds, but it was too little, too late.
Muhammad won on all three scorecards, with two 48-47s and a 49-46.
Belal Muhammad Claims Welterweight Championship With Decision Win Over Leon Edwards At UFC 304
— Platinum Mike Perry (@PlatinumPerry) July 28, 2024
Interesting scorecards.
One judge had the first for Edwards another had the fifth for Edwards.
I think you can certainly make a case for the fifth with those big elbows at the end of a round that was mostly control. The first was somewhat close, but thought Belal had it. https://t.co/kTqhbOvXqq
Muhammad has won all but two fights in the UFC since 2017. This now marks six straight wins for Muhammad since a no-contest in his first fight with Edwards.
This marks Edwards’s first loss since dropping his initial battle with Kamaru Usman at the end of 2015. Edwards won the welterweight title at UFC 278 with a fifth-round knockout of Usman and retained in a trilogy fight with Usman, as well as Colby Covington.
There can be no question that Paddy Pimblett is legit now, as he will have a ranking next to his name after his win over King Green (formerly Bobby Green) at UFC 304.
Green looked to use the leg kicks and set things up early, but he found himself unable to establish the jab.
In a move that baffled people late in the first round, Green shot in for a takedown. Pimblett easily countered it and looked for a guillotine before transitioning into a triangle choke. Pimblett sunk in the triangle in tight, and as he looked to turn it into a triangle armbar, it could be seen that Green was out cold, forcing the referee to stop the fight.
Following the fight, Pimblett used the opportunity to call out Renato Moicano.
Paddy Pimblett Makes Emphatic Statement With Easy First-Round Submission Of King Green At UFC 304
Damn. That was impressive! One mistake is all it takes. #UFC304
Pimblett has now won eight straight and is a perfect 6-0 in the UFC. His win streak also includes names such as Tony Ferguson, Jared Gordon and Jordan Leavitt.
Green has now lost two of his last three, though he has still won three of his last six.
Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape had so much bad blood and fighting outside the cage going into their collision at UFC 304 that many expected a brawl when they faced off, especially with a potential title shot on the line.
What we got, however, was something completely different – a fight panned by many that saw Mokaev ultimately come up with a decision win.
The first round ultimately featured a lot of feinting, with neither man scoring a clear edge. Arguably the biggest action in the fight came from a moment in the second where Mokaev grabbed Kape’s shorts in an exchange on the ground. Mokaev appeared to show disrespect to referee Mike Beltran, who yelled at Mokaev during the time-out but elected not to take a point.
Mokaev scored a takedown in the third round and had position advantage, though Kape locked in a guillotine choke attempt.
Mokaev won on all three scorecards, with two 29-28 scores and a 30-27.
Muhammad Mokaev Scores Controversial Decision Over Manel Kape In Fight That Proves Lackluster
Mokaev v Kape pre-fight brovado and shenanigan score 10. In-fight killer instinct score 2.5. These guys man…point fighting after acting all “tough” #ufc304
Jake Paul put on a thoroughly dominant display in his boxing matchup with Mike Perry on Saturday, overwhelming the BKFC star en route to a sixth-round knockout win.
The victory marked the fifth former UFC star whom Paul has stood victorious over in the boxing ring, with previous wins over Nate Diaz, Anderson Silva, Ben Askren, and Tyron Woodley (twice).
Woodley was, in fact, on color commentary for the Paul vs. Perry DAZN broadcast, and he was willing to tip his cap to his former foe.
“You got to kind of give Jake his props, man,” Woodley told The Schmo in a post-fight interview. “You can be a hater all you want, but he was punching the dude high, low. He was throwing power with both hands, variety.”
Tyron Woodley Explains What Makes For Good Cardio While Defending Jake Paul Against Critics
Paul dropped Perry once each during the opening two rounds. Despite this, “Platinum” continued to go through the former Disney star’s punches and fire away, trying to make use of his well-known and entertaining brawling style. “The Problem Child,” however, continued to land damaging shots, and Perry was dropped for a third time during the sixth round.
Perry stumbled while returning to his feet, prompting the referee to call the fight in Paul’s favor.
One notable thing that critics got on Paul for was his heavy breathing during the fight, as the Cleveland native seemed to be winded after his bashing of Perry for two rounds.
Woodley, however, pointed out that Paul recovered and got the knockout eventually — and that’s what cardio is about, not a lack of breathing hard.
“Everybody thinks you’re supposed to have the cardio where you never breathe hard,” Woodley said. “When you’re punching that hard, it’s not about breathing hard, it’s about recovering. He showed he can recover and go back to the power.”
Virna Jandiroba may have proven herself worthy of the next shot at UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili thanks to a submission win over former title challenger Amanda Lemos in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night main event.
Jandiroba looked to utilize her grappling from the get-go, scoring an early takedown and battling with her fellow Brazilian for top position and submission attempts. “Carcara,” a grappling expert, managed to lock in an armbar and submit Lemos during round two.
“The fight went in the best scenario I could imagine,” Jandiroba said through a translator at the post-fight press conference. “I was for sure going to try to take it to the ground, and I was able to do it and find the submission.”
Virna Jandiroba Confident She Can Get Title Shot, Beat Zhang Weili After UFC Fight Night Main Event Win
Jandiroba, a former Invicta strawweight champion, has now won four straight and five of her last six fights. Entering this weekend’s UFC Fight Night at No. 5 in the strawweight rankings, there is a good chance she could be next in line for a title shot.
Jandiroba, in fact, called out Zhang in the Octagon following her victory. And at the post-fight conference, Jandiroba expressed how her unique fighting style can help lead her to a win — let alone a title fight — that plenty previously doubted could happen.
“My style’s a little different,” Jandiroba said. “The way that I grapple is a little strange. I know my wrestling is very effective, my jiu-jitsu is very good, but it’s not like you can say, ‘Oh, she’s like a proper wrestler.’ But I make it work.
“And within the weirdness of everything that I do, I think that I create problems for most people, and that’s how I can beat her. With the weirdness, that’s how I get my arm raised.”
Conor McGregor may be among those who took Perry’s knockout loss to Jake Paul the roughest, publicly trashing both men before and claiming that “Platinum” will be released by the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
McGregor, who became a part-owner of BKFC a couple of months ago, fired off the posts on X (formerly Twitter) moments following Perry being stopped by Paul in their headlining boxing match at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, on Saturday night.
Perry was dropped twice in the opening two rounds, and while he tried to walk through Paul’s punches and walk the ex-Disney star down, Paul’s power and technical skills were just too much.
After getting dropped in the sixth round, Perry made it back to his feet but stumbled, forcing the referee to wave off the fight.
Perry Hits Back AT BKFC Part-Owner McGregor: ‘He Can’t Fire Me!’
Perry was asked about McGregor’s actions during his post-fight press conference. He claimed the Irishman has no power to release him. Perry even offered to settle the differences in the BKFC ring.
"Me and him are both owners of BKFC, so he can't fire me."
Mike Perry responds to Conor McGregor and says McGregor fighting Jake Paul would be "worse than Conor McGregor vs. [Floyd] Mayweather" 👀 #PaulPerrypic.twitter.com/fGo8klU0qY
“Me and him are both co-owners of BKFC,” Perry said. “So he can’t fire me. We can fight in Bare Knuckle. Look at me, I lost to Jake Paul. Why don’t you go fight Jake Paul in boxing with gloves on? I think it would be worse than Conor McGregor vs. [Floyd] Mayweather.”
McGregor’s post made reference to Perry announcing the formation of Dirty Boxing Championship, a promotion that will mix in boxing and ground-and-pound mechanics.
Perry is BKFC’s “King of Violence” and has amassed a 5-0 record in the organization since coming over from the UFC in 2021.
McGregor’s return to the UFC is still to be determined, meanwhile, after a planned comeback against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 was scrapped. The current rumor is the bout will be rebooked for UFC 310 in December.
Jake Paul added another name to his record, putting away Mike Perry in their bout from Tampa, Florida.
In what seemed to be a flashback to his fight with Nate Diaz, Paul got off to a hot start by dropping the former UFC fighter-turned-BKFC star with a clubbing blow in the opening couple of minutes.
Paul continued to land at will, with Perry unable to trap “The Problem Child” at all. “Platinum” landed strong shots in the second round, but he was dropped again courtesy of a right hook from Paul and was rocked later in the frame.
Perry walked Paul down during the second and third rounds, trying to showcase a strong chin. He busted the ex-Disney star open in the middle of the third round and looked to continue his pressure. But Paul wobbled Perry again in the fourth.
Perry was still wobbly but recovering as he continued to fight and try to walk Paul down, rather than pause for recovery. A flurry of punches stumbled “Perry “Platinum” back into a corner, but the MMA veteran ultimately survived the round in spite of being caught with a right hand at the bell.
With the fight looking like it could come to an end at any moment, Perry was knocked down again in the sixth round. Perry got to his feet but stumbled, and the referee waved the contest off.
This date was the original plan for Paul’s fight with Mike Tyson in Texas, which will now take place on November 15.
Since his sole loss to Tommy Fury, “The Problem Child” has scored a unanimous decision win over Diaz and back-to-back stoppages of Andre August and Ryan Bourland, in addition to his latest triumph on Saturday night.
Since leaving the UFC in 2021, meanwhile, Perry has been dominant in BKFC, with wins over Julian Lane, Michael “Venom” Page, Luke Rockhold, Eddie Alvarez and Thiago Alves. Perry’s finish of Alvarez at BKFC 56 in December won him the promotion’s “King of Violence” title.
Perry had only competed in pro boxing once prior to tonight, losing a March 2015 bout to Kenneth McNeil.
Virna Jandiroba could now be in prime position to challenge Weili Zhang for the strawweight championship following a submission win over former title challenger Amanda Lemos in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night.
Jandiroba scored a takedown in the opening minute of the fight, looking to do what she does best. Lemos, however, had an arm around the neck and looked for a guillotine. The 36-year-old escaped, however, and remained in top control. A couple of minutes later, Lemos looked to scramble, only for Jandiroba to reverse and look for a leg lock. The longtime contender responded in kind with a toe hold.
Lemos landed some notable striking during that opening frame between scrambles, and she tried to bring out her striking again and focused on that in the second round. However, Jandiroba scored another takedown a couple of minutes into the round and got to Lemos’ back in a scramble.
In the closing seconds of the round, the #5-ranked contender locked in an armbar and scored the submission.
Virna Jandiroba Submits Amanda Lemos In Headlining UFC Fight Night Strawweight Battle
Jandiroba has now won four straight and five of her last six. She called for a title fight in her post-fight interview and will likely be alongside Tatiana Suarez as one of two logical next challengers for the Chinese champ.
Lemos, meanwhile, is now 1-1 since losing a strawweight title fight with Weili Zhang at UFC 292 nearly one year ago.
