Those who were hoping to see another Nick Diaz appearance in the Octagon really soon will be disappointed.
Per the broadcast of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night, a “travel issue” has left Diaz unable to compete in his scheduled co-main event bout with Vicente Luque on Aug. 3, when the promotion holds a UFC Fight Night card at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
It was announced that undefeated middleweight prospect Sharabutdin “Bullet” Magomedov will now be featured in the new co-main event, taking on Michal Oleksiejczuk.
Diaz’s last UFC appearance came at UFC 266 in September 2021, losing to Robbie Lawler. That marked the Stockton star’s first MMA fight since his January 2015 clash with Anderson Silva.
Luque, meanwhile, has lost three of his last four, most recently being stopped by Joaquin Buckley at UFC Fight Night Atlantic City.
The UFC is expected to reschedule Luque vs. Diaz for an event at a late date.
Luque & Diaz Out, Magomedov In For UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi
Magomedov competed just last month at UFC Fight Night Saudi Arabia, scoring a third-round finish of Antonio TrĂłcoli. He made his Octagon debut in Abu Dhabi last year, defeating Bruno Silva at UFC 294.
Oleksiejczuk, on the other hand, has lost three of his last four, most recently being submitted by Kevin Holland at UFC 302 last month in Newark.
UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi on August 3 will be headlined by Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov. It is the first of two events to take place in Abu Dhabi this year, with UFC 308 to be held in the same location on October 26.
Dooho Choi scored his first victory in the Octagon since 2016 during the main card of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night at the Apex, defeating fellow featherweight veteran Bill Algeo.
After already threatening a choke during the opening round, Choi landed a vicious left hook in the second round, causing Algeo to collapse to the mat. The American grabbed at his face while doing so, with some speculation he may have shattered an orbital bone taking the punch.
After the fight, “The Korean Superboy” expressed a desire to compete at least three times a year from this point forward.
Choi is now unbeaten in back-to-back fights since his return to the Octagon. Prior to tonight, his last fight came at a UFC Fight Night in February 2023, marking the end of a three-year layoff. He battled Kyle Nelson to a majority draw.
The Korean had dropped three straight before the draw, including a fight with Cub Swanson at UFC 206 that earned him Fight of the Year honors and scored both men spots in the Fight Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame.
Algeo, meanwhile, has now dropped back-to-back fights, having lost to Nelson via first-round TKO at UFC Fight Night Atlantic City this past March.
Saturday’s UFC Fight Night may not have been the most hyped card the UFC has ever put on, but the opening matchup of the main card produced fireworks.
Hyder Amil won the bout, needing just over a minute to put away JeongYeong Lee.
The two produced a firefight for the short time it lasted, trading powerful and crisp strikes. Amil had the upper hand following a leg kick, landing hard-hitting combination after combination, filled with hooks aplenty and living up to his nickname of “The Hurricane.”
The undefeated American backed his South Korean opponent up to the fence, and while Lee was still on his feet, he took so many strikes that the referee was forced to step in and wave the fight off.
Hyder Amil Knocks Off JeongYeong Lee In Wild Striking Encounter At Apex-Held UFC Fight Night
Amil, an alumnus of Bellator and LFA, now improves to 10-0. After defeating Emrah Sonmez on Dana White’s Contender Series last year, “The Hurricane” debuted in the Octagon this past February, scoring a finish of Fernie Garcia.
Meanwhile, this result marked Lee’s first loss in the UFC after starting his Octagon run 2-0. Before arriving in the Octagon, “The Korean Tiger” was a Road FC champion and won a pair of bouts on Road to UFC in 2022.
In what will have to go down as one of the most confusing suspensions given out in the history of the UFC, Irina Alekseeva, known as “Russian Ronda,” has been suspended for a failed drug test stemming from just over one year ago.
The promotion outlined in a statemen this week that the positive drug test sample for testosterone was originally collected on June 21, 2023, when the UFC’s anti-drug program was still being overseen by USADA.
According to the UFC, Alekseeva was not notified of the failure until Oct. 31 â four months after the sample was collected. By that time, Alekseeva had already competed in another fight, losing to Melissa Mullins at the Apex-held UFC Fight Night on Oct. 14.
The UFC has since switched partners of the anti-drug program to Combat Sports Anti Doping (CSAD), who branded USADA’s handling of the failed 2023 test “unacceptable.”
“While CSAD was not the independent administrator of the UFC ADP during the above-described time period, CSAD recognizes the importance of promptly reporting results on samples collected in the months and weeks leading up to a UFC event BEFORE the event takes place. CSAD also recognizes that positive results reported out more than 4-months after a sample is collected, and where the athlete is allowed to compete in a UFC bout in the interim, is unacceptable.”
Irina Alekseeva Retroactively Suspended One Year After “Unacceptable” Handling By USADA, According To UFC
Alekseeva passed three drug tests prior to the failure and passed three drug test in the time between the failure and when she was notified. As a result of this unique situation, CSAD lowered the fighter’s perceived fault level.
Alekseeva’s suspension is retroactive to Oct. 15, 2023, as that marks the first day following her most recent fight. She will be eligible to return to competition on Oct. 15, 2024.
CSAD released a statement that reads: “Under the UFC Anti-Doping Program, CSAD, in its sole discretion may suspend all or any part of ineligibility and other consequences imposed in an individual case in which it has results management authority where the athlete has provided full and complete cooperation, where the athlete did not intend to enhance their performance and has provided full, prompt and truthful responses and information.
“CSAD has determined that Alekseeva’s efforts and the evidence of this case, fits these criteria, and thus CSAD is reducing the sanction against her to 12-months.”
The next UFC bout for Raul Rosas Jr. will take place at The Sphere in Las Vegas, as the bantamweight top prospect will be featured at Noche UFC for the second straight year.
As announced by his management team, Iridium Sports Agency, Rosas Jr. will take on Aoriqileng at UFC 306 on September 14.
— IridiumSportsAgency (@TeamIridiumISA) July 19, 2024
Rosas Jr. was in action just last month at UFC Fight Night Louisville, defeating Ricky Turcios. It was the 19-year-old’s first fight since competing on the inaugural Noche UFC card in September 2023, where he needed just 54 seconds to finish Terrence Mitchell.
“El Niño Problema” is 3-1 in the UFC since earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series.
Raul Rosas Jr. To Face Aoriqileng At Noche UFC 2
Aoriqileng, meanwhile, was last in action this past February, with an unintentional groin strike resulting in his fight with Daniel Marcos ending in a No Contest. He has won three of his last five fights.
UFC 306, branded as “Riyadh Season Noche UFC 2,” is expected to be headlined by Sean O’Malley defending the bantamweight championship against Merab Dvalishvili.
Also expected for the card is the next women’s flyweight title defense for champion Alexa Grasso. She’s long been expected to face divisional legend Valentina Shevchenko following their stint as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter this year. After Grasso’s upset win at UFC 285, the two headlined last year’s Noche UFC card, with their main event ending in a controversial draw.
UFC CEO Dana White told Pat McAfee recently that UFC 306, a one-time UFC event to be held at the new Sphere in Vegas, is expected to have 10 fights booked for it.
Tracy Cortez had a big task in front of her with a short-notice main event bout against former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas at UFC Fight Night Denver.
Though she managed to go the distance, Cortez was largely dominated from the opening minute of the contest, going on to lose via unanimous decision.
While coming up on the short end and not getting the result she’d hoped for left a better sting, Cortez told ESPN MMA’s Megan Olivi that she felt proud of being able to last a full five rounds with someone as highly regarded as Namajunas.
Cortez added that perhaps the fight could have played out differently with a full fight camp.
“I took it on two weeks’ notice, unprepared,” Cortez said. “I gave it all I have. I know if I were to have had a full camp, prepared…I mean, my cardio was there. I think I would have done a lot better with a good gameplan.
“But I think I proved myself tonight that I can go full fives [rounds]. Looking forward to the next one,” Cortez added.
Tracy Cortez Feels Early Pacing Of Self May Have Cost Her Fight
Cortez was dropped early into the first round, with Namajunas putting on a beautiful striking display. The #11-ranked contender tried to battle back in the second round with her grappling skills, but Namajunas’ strikes remained on point and she showed her grappling ability in the third to counter Cortez.
The late-notice replacement fighter looked for a mountain of offense in the fifth round, but it wasn’t enough.
“Because it was five fives, I was really trying to pace myself the first and second round,” Cortez said. “I just realized…give it all I have. It’s all or nothing. I think I waited a little too long to really push it on her.”
Cortez isn’t letting this loss deter her, however. She wants to use this experience and get back into the cage as soon as possible.
“Last time I fought, I went on a killer streak,” Cortez noted. “I’m not here to prove [to] the world, I’m here to prove [to] myself.”
Rose Namajunas looked arguably the best she has ever looked at flyweight in the main event of UFC Fight Night Denver, taking a clear unanimous decision win over Tracy Cortez.
Namajunas dropped Cortez, who took this fight on short notice, in the opening minutes of the fight. The former two-time strawweight champion subsequently put on a striking clinic, keeping her distance and landing on her opponent whichever way possible.
Cortez battled back with her grappling, but Namajunas answered with her own skills. The #11-ranked contender tried to mount a lot of offense in the fifth round, but by then it was too late.
Though she can always pinpoint things in her performance to nitpick, Namajunas told the crew on ESPN’s UFC Post Show that she was satisfied with how she did in the cage.
“I felt really happy with myself, but…Tracy’s really tough,” Namajunas said. “She definitely was durable. Even though I dropped her in the beginning, I knew I probably should have jumped on her right away because I let her recover a little bit.
“Ultimately, I just felt I was better,” Namajunas added.
Rose Namajunas Hopes To Bring The UFC To Lithuania
Namajunas moved up to flyweight in late 2023, about a year-and-a-half removed from losing the UFC strawweight title to Carla Esparza at UFC 274. “Thug Rose” fell to defeat in her 125-pound debut against Manon Fiorot but has now won back-to-back fights. Prior to Saturday’s win, she beat Amanda Ribas in a March Fight Night main event.
Namajunas feels ready for a crack at the gold now, though she expressed interest in trying to get a win back over Fiorot. Be it a rematch with the Frenchwoman or title shot, Namajunas has an idea for an interesting location she would love to see the UFC host a card: Lithuania.
“I had this vision…I want to fight in Lithuania one day, bring the UFC to Lithuania if that could even be possible,” Namajunas said. “I would love to rematch Manon or [face] anybody for the belt, whatever. That’s my dream come true, but anything the UFC has in mind, I’m cool with.”
Lithuania is the home country of Namajunas’ parents. The UFC is yet to stage an event in the European nation.
Rose Namajunas looked to continue her path toward a title shot in a second weight class, and she accomplished that with a win over Tracy Cortez in the main event of UFC Fight Night Denver.
Namajunas got off to a strong start nearly right away, dropping Cortez with a jab a couple of minutes into the fight. The former two-time strawweight champion seemed to be landing at will, and that trend continued as the fight entered the second round.
Midway through the frame, however, Cortez looked to take Namajunas down and secure a choke. “Thug Rose” worked her way through the grappling, however, battling with her own wrestling before returning to her fairly dominant striking performance.
The veteran seemed to have an all-around dominant showing in the third round, grinding out with a takedown and her own unsuccessful choke attempt. Meanwhile, on the feet, the ex-strawweight kept her distance, keeping herself out of Cortez’s range as she continued to fire off.
Namajunas continued this throughout the fourth round. Her late-notice replacement opponent brought pressure in the fifth round, but at that point Namajunas was in cruise control and Cortez was unable to get the finish.
Namajunas won a unanimous decision, with two 49-46 cards and a 48-47.
Fans React As Rose Namajunas Takes Clear-Cut Decision Win In UFC Fight Night Denver Main Event
Great fight. Rose takes this with a late Cortez rally.
Feel like that fight went as expected and no complaints on that. A zoned-in Rose is such a treat to watch. The footwork, speed, range control. Levels. Definitely a valuable learning experience for Cortez. Overall, a fun card.
Rose just knocked out one of her eyelashes. The absolute cajones on Cortez committing to lashes during a UFC fight. #UFCDenverpic.twitter.com/KNujrYR04w
Rose Namajunas wins a unanimous decision over Tracy Cortez. Solid performance all around, won both the striking and the grappling exchanges throughout.
Namajunas vs. Erin Blanchfield sounds like fun to me… #UFCDenver
Namajunas is now 2-1 since moving up to flyweight. The former strawweight champion defeated Amanda Ribas in March following a debut defeat in the division to Manon Fiorot last September in Paris.
Cortez, who took this main event bout on short notice, sees a 10-fight win streak snapped.
Just two weeks after pulling off a highlight knockout at UFC 303, Jean Silva put on another spectacular performance with a hard-fought victory over Drew Dober at UFC Fight Night Denver.
Dober put on a striking clinic in the fight, being creative in his strikes and well-timed with his attacks. For all that Silva dished out, however, the veteran fan favorite took it and then some, continuing to come forward with his attack in spite of the damage Silva was placing on him. Dober, in fact, was already bleeding in the first round.
Despite a strong second-round performance, Silva rocked Dober at the end of the round with an elbow, with the formerly ranked contender arguably being saved by the bell.
Dober was cleared by doctors to continue into the third round, but an elbow less than two minutes into that final frame brought the action to a conclusion due to a gnarly cut.
Holy shit man Silva almost took of Drew Doberâs eyebrow for life. That skin is barely attached at this point. What a savage fight that was!! #UFCDenverpic.twitter.com/FY9mKyNJ7i
Silva is now 3-0 in the UFC. The Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus fought just two weeks ago, scoring a second-round knockout of Charles Jourdain at the International Fight Week pay-per-view.
Dober, meanwhile, has now lost three of four following a three-fight win streak.
More and more people won’t believe that Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler will occur until the two fighters are actually in the Octagon. Some, meanwhile, are believing that McGregor will just never fight again.
The Irishman, however, wants to assure Chandler and fight fans everywhere that the bout between the two will happen before 2024 ends.
In a tweet to “Iron,” McGregor stated that promise after apparently having a recent conversation with UFC CEO Dana White.
I talked to Dana today about our new date, all looking good! 24â for sure đđ
“I talked to Dana today about our new date, all looking good! 24′ for sure,” McGregor wrote.
Conor McGregor: Fight vs. Michael Chandler Will Happen Before End Of 2024
McGregor, in fact, posted a video on his social media showing him taking a run weeks removed from his toe injury, which led to the cancellation of his planned comeback at UFC 303 late last month.
Conor McGregor out on a run today via his Instagram đ
McGregor told @SevereMMA three weeks ago that he could barely put a shoe on after breaking his toe last month.
With McGregor back running and the toe seemingly healing well, could McGregorâs return be imminent? đ€ pic.twitter.com/MQFN4k1xuR
McGregor and Chandler, after coaching season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter, were finally scheduled to face each other in the June 29 main event at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.
A June 3 press conference, however, was canceled at the last minute, with the fight officially being confirmed as postponed 10 days later.
Charles Johnson had tough competition on his hands when he faced rising flyweight star Joshua Van in the featured prelim bout of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Denver.
Johnson came into the fight as a notable underdog, and Van appeared to be proving the sportsbooks correct through the first two rounds.
Motivated with the idea of likely needing a finish, Johnson came out focused in the final round. The former LFA champion turned up the pressure and landed a couple of combinations, including a right hand that rocked his Burmese counterpart.
“InnerG” then landed a three-punch combination, ending with an uppercut, to drop Van and score the KO just seconds into the third frame.
Charles Johnson Fires Flurries To Finish Joshua Van In Upset Fashion
Johnson has now won three straight fights this year after going 0-3 in the Octagon in 2023.
Van, meanwhile, is now 3-1 in the Octagon, with this fight marking his first loss in professional MMA since dropping his third fight under the Fury FC banner.
Montel Jackson is promoted as having some dangerous power in his hands, and that was on full display in his victory on the preliminary card of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Denver.
Jackson scored a quick win inside Ball Arena, knocking out Da’Mon Blackshear in just 18 seconds.
As the two were feeling each other out, Jackson threw a one-two combination that saw a right hand to the chest and brutal straight left, with enough power to put Blackshear down and out.
Montel Jackson Scores Lightning Quick KO At UFC Fight Night Denver
Jackson’s finish is good enough for the second-quickest in UFC bantamweight history.
“Quik” has now won five consecutive fights and is 8-2 in the Octagon since joining the UFC off a 2018 win on Dana White’s Contender Series. He will most likely find himself opposite a figure within the top 15 of the UFC bantamweight rankings next time out.
Blackshear, meanwhile, has now dropped two consecutive fights and is 2-3-1 in the UFC. He is one of just three fighters to record a rare twister submission inside the Octagon.
Donald Trump, the 45th U.S. President and likely Republican nominee in the upcoming U.S. presidential election, is reportedly safe after being rushed off stage following an apparent assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The Associated Press reports that Trump said “Oh” and grabbed at his ear when the shots first rang out, with the presumptive Republican nominee crouching down as two more shots were heard.
Trump was tackled on stage by agents, who were covering to protect him from the gunfire, as screams were heard throughout the thousands gathered for the rally. When Trump got back to his feet, he appeared to have blood on his face but pumped his fist as he was escorted off stage and away from the scene.
Spokesman Steven Cheung subsequently released the following statement.
“President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act. He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility. More details will follow.”
Multiple reports, citing Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger, state that a suspected gunman and at least one member of the rally’s audience were killed.
UFC Fighters & Personalities React To Apparent Trump Shooting
Doesnât matter what side of the political fence youâre on, this is major foul play! I heard they put the shooter down? Waiting for more updates. A fair fight for the office is better than someone trying to take the oppositions life. https://t.co/ncLId8w0xL
God loves this man! Iâm happy that President Trump is ok. The left knows no bounds! They say they are the non violent ones. They will stop at nothing! Make sure you take screen shots of any leftist celebrating what happened today. pic.twitter.com/hL16Zuxzy2
THIS ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT WAS NOT ONLY AGAINST TRUMP!!! WAS AGAINST DEMOCRACY!!! NOW MORE THAN EVER ITS EASY TO SEE THERES BAD AND GOOD!!! CHOOSE YOUR SIDE!!!
Trump and UFC CEO Dana White have had a long-standing loyalty and friendship to one another dating back to the UFC’s early days. When Zuffa purchased the promotion at the start of 2001, the first two events (UFC 30 and UFC 31) were held at the then-Trump Taj Mahal (now the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino) in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
White was a big supporter of Trump during the 2016 and 2020 elections and appeared to continue to be such with Trump being the presumptive Republican Party nominee for the 2024 election.
The Pennsylvania rally was the last Trump was holding prior to the start of the Republican National Convention that begins on July 15.
If you think there has not been enough drama in the UFC over the last month or so, Jon Jones is now pouring gasoline on that fire, with a series of now-deleted tweets bringing concern to the MMA community.
It started with a tweet in which Jones said he was at an airport in Las Vegas “getting half my finger cut off.”
— Val Dewar (Jaylen Warren Fanclub Prez) (@the3els) July 13, 2024
Jones followed that up with more tweets, including one that simply says, “No,” one that tells an X/Twitter user to, |Stop before it starts,” and one that says, “Do not call me.”
The nature of these messages, combined with their quick deletion, has several in the MMA speculating what this could mean about Jones. Some have feared him being on another bender, while others are concerned this is a sign that Jones is yet again injured.
Some even wonder if Jones will ever compete in the UFC ever again. Others, meanwhile, compared the behavior of Jones here to his brother, Chandler Jones, a star NFL defenseman who had a dispute with the Las Vegas Raiders at the start of the 2023 season and was released by the team following a September 2023 arrest.
MMA Community Reacts To Concerning Series Of Deleted Tweets From UFC Heavyweight Champ Jon Jones
Some who view this as a sign Jones is hurt say, if that turns out to be true, “Bones” needs to be stripped of the UFC heavyweight championship quickly.
In spite of some fan outcry, the UFC has been insistent on booking Jones vs. Stipe Miocic at New York’s Madison Square Garden after a plan for them to headline UFC 295 fell through due to Jones suffering a torn pec.
Tom Aspinall won the interim heavyweight championship on that card, and he will defend that interim title against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 on July 27.
Jorge Masvidal appeared to out-land Nate Diaz in the statistics at the conclusion of their boxing match on July 6, but it was not enough to get the win. And “Gamebred” feels the hometown advantage his opponent had played a role in that.
Diaz scored the win over Masvidal by majority decision in the main event of a card that took place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.
The fight proved to be an exciting one that seemingly could have gone either way. The Stockton native had a notable volume-based attack and took over the fight as the former UFC BMF champion’s energy decreased during the middle portion of the fight. In the eyes of many, Masvidal landed the cleaner, more effective, and damaging strikes.
But one judge scored the bout an even 95-95, while the other two scored the fight 97-93 and 98-92 in favor of Diaz.
“I definitely know the judges were influenced by the crowd because a lot of those shots were landing in the corner,” Masvidal said at the post-fight press conference. “I was just getting my timing. He’d throw three or four shots that wouldn’t land, and then I’d throw a good power shot. I’d see that Iâd hurt him and I’d back him up or he would start goofing around. (I) hurt him to the body numerous times.”
Jorge Masvidal Feels Nate Diaz’s Hometown Advantage Led To Lopsided Scorecards Against Him
Masvidal felt he landed the better strikes in the fight, noting the number of times that he seemed to hurt Diaz. However, “Gamebred” claimed the roars of the crowd whenever his rival landed a shot proved to be his downfall and led to two judges scoring the contest in lopsided fashion for Diaz.
Masvidal feels that if a potential trilogy bout is to go down, then that fight needs to take place in a location where neither man will be a hometown hero.
“I think one or two of the judges only gave me two rounds. There’s just no way,” Masvidal insisted. “We were looking at the fight right now in the locker room, the meaningful shots, and a lot more of the meaningful shots were landed by me. I just feel that it didnât go my way, but whatever. Weâre 1-1, we can run it back some place like Vegas. Make it a neutral place and letâs f*cking throw down.
“From what I saw, I definitely hurt him more than he ever hurt me. I got way cleaner shots, especially to the body. He never even did anything to my body. I definitely hurt his body, and a couple times that I hurt him, he backed up,” Masvidal continued. “He put a lot of pressure and he was coming forward but he never hurt me. I donât think he landed any meaningful punches. Eight rounds to two is f*cking nuts. Whatever, itâs California. I knew I had to get a knockout or some sh*t like this (would happen).”
Masvidal expressed a desire for a third fight in the ring, too, prior to the press conference. The pair exchanged heated words during that time, needing to be separated.
“Gamebred” previously scored the win in their first outing in the UFC five years ago, defeating Diaz via third-round doctor’s stoppage in the main event of UFC 244 to win the inaugural BMF championship.
An amateur MMA fighter from Northern Ireland will be facing severe consequences after trying to take out frustrations from a loss on his ex partner.
Carter Coulter pleaded guilty on July 3 at Craigavon Crown Court to charges of criminal damage, threats to kill, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Coulter was given a two-year sentence in which he will serve one year in prison and another year on license. The fighter also received a non-molestation order until July 3, 2027.
Hours later, Coulter attacked Dolores Gallagher in her own home, locking in a rear-naked choke and threatening to kill her with it. Gallagher was ultimately able to escape and get assistance from neighbors, according to Belfast Live.
Ex Of Irish MMA Fighter Hopes Sentencing Encourages Others To Leave Abusive Situations
Gallagher told the news outlet that people came back to their property afterward for drinks following Coulter’s fight. When everyone left, that’s when Coulter struck.
“He suddenly turned on me and attacked me, knocking me unconscious and dragging me into another room,” Gallagher said. “When I came round, he was standing there screaming at me, and I was terrified that something more serious was going to happen. He then went downstairs and started to sleep on the sofa, so I decided that I would try to sneak out of the house to safety. But as I was doing that, he woke up and then dragged me up the stairs into the bedroom where I begged for him to leave me alone and to not hurt me.
“He then attacked me again, hitting me over and over across my head, ribs and back before putting me into a rear-naked choke. As he was choking me, I started to see dots all over my vision and was certain that this was going to be the moment that I died, as he was whispering in my ear that he was going to kill me.”
Gallagher, who also trains MMA, was able to escape the chokehold and run to a neighbor, who notified police.
The victim added that she still suffers from the injuries to this day and expressed to Belfast Live frustration on what she feels was a light sentencing for her ex and attacker.
“When I was finally free from him, I have had this court case hanging over my head for nearly two years which has caused me further anguish,” Gallagher said. “I am glad that he has received a prison sentence for the attack, but I am disappointed that it was not a stronger sentence. He will lose a year of his life but I feel like I have lost five years of mine. I just hope that by speaking out and highlighting what type of a person he really is, I can make others aware of him and encourage others in a similar situation to find the strength to leave their abusers and get help.”
Now that Nate Diaz has avenged his previous loss to Jorge Masvidal, he has other names in mind that he’d like to get wins back on.
Diaz scored a majority decision win over Masvidal in the main event of a boxing card at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, on July 6. This served as a rematch â albeit in another sport â five years from their first encounter at UFC 244. Masvidal won the initial fight by doctor’s stoppage, making him the first-ever BMF champion of the UFC.
Diaz scored the win in the closely contested boxing match with a volume-based attack, despite Masvidal landing the harder and arguably cleaner strikes.
Following the fight, despite Masvidal’s wishes for a trilogy bout and an exchanging of words, Diaz expressed a desire to get back in the ring with Jake Paul and to return to the UFC to face current welterweight champion Leon Edwards.
Nate Diaz Calls Out Jake Paul & Leon Edwards After Avenging Jorge Masvidal Defeat
Diaz doubled down on these thoughts at the post-fight press conference.
“Just off the top of my head, I would like to whip (Paul’s) ass,” Diaz said. “I would like to get a win against Leon Edwards, whoâs the best fighter in the world right now at 170 (pounds). I think that’s something major who actually brings something that I can take and put in a credential box. That’s what Iâm going for. I’m not playing for no f*cking fun fights, because that sh*t ain’t fun.”
Diaz made his professional boxing debut against Paul last year. “The Problem Child” dealt some big damage to Diaz in the opening rounds before going on to win a decision.
Paul called Diaz out on social media after the fight, claiming that the Stockton native has been ducking him despite the callout. As he noted on X/Twitter this weekend, Paul has previously offered Diaz upwards of $15 million for a rematch in the PFL MMA cage, not in the boxing ring.
Fuck you Nate Diaz youâre a hoe who ducked my PFL $15m MMA offer
After losing to him in the UFC in 2019, Nate Diaz has scored revenge in the boxing ring, defeating Jorge Masvidal via majority decision in the main event of a card on July 6 in Anaheim, California.
Diaz and Masvidal both brought it from the opening bell. Diaz set the pace early, but Masvidal fired off solid shots of his own. Masvidal seemingly took control then, continuing to land the more effective and powerful blows. Masvidal continued this into the fourth round, but Diaz started to bring out the volume.
Masvidal worked the body, but Diaz seemed to have more energy as the fight got to the halfway mark. That volume helped him bring forward pressure to Masvidal in the sixth round.
The themes continued into the final few rounds, with Diaz landing noteworthy shots, but Masvidal landing the cleaner and more powerful punches, proving it to be anyone’s battle.
Ultimately, it was Diaz who came out on top, winning on 97-93 and a 98-92 scorecards. The third scorecard was a 95-95 draw.
Fight Fans React To Close, Controversial Decision Win For Nate Diaz Over Jorge Masvidal In Boxing Ring
Diaz went on to call out Jake Paul and Leon Edwards after the fight, looking for revenge against Paul in his next outing before intending to return to the UFC and challenge the welterweight champion.
Masvidal, meanwhile, will look for a trilogy bout with Diaz. His post-fight comments saw some tense words exchanged between the pair.
Diaz and Masvidal first met five years ago in the UFC at UFC 244. At New York’s Madison Square Garden, Masvidal scored a controversial third-round doctor’s stoppage win over Diaz to become the first ‘BMF’ champion. Masvidal then lost his next four fights, retiring in 2023 following a loss to Gilbert Burns.
Masvidal’s sole professional boxing match prior to tonight came in 2005, defeating Joseph Benjamin via majority decision.
Diaz fought twice more in UFC after the loss, dropping a decision to Leon Edwards and scoring a submission of Tony Ferguson. Diaz made his professional boxing debut last year, losing to Paul.
Professional wrestling fans know the story of the infamous WCW Halloween Havoc pay-per-view in 1998. After a disasterous Hollywood Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior match, the WCW world title battle between Goldberg and Diamond Dallas Page proved to be a classic — but people didn’t get to see it because the pay-per-view broadcast ran overtime.
You would think in a world where we have streaming platforms aplenty and are used to the nature (for better or for worse) of combat sports pay-per-view pacing, we wouldn’t have such a mistake again. Unfortunately, we somehow did with Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal.
After a grueling co-main event battle between Shane Mosley Jr. and Daniel Jacobs, and an undercard criticized for its pacing, the main event battle between Diaz and Masvidal kicked off at 1:18 am ET. But just as the fireworks in the ring were ready to start, those who were watching on the Fanmio pay-per-view service saw their feeds shockingly crash.
Ultimately, the Fanmio broadcast never went back up. And from the moment the broadcast went down, the combat community on social media went full scorched earth on the service.
Fight Fans Demand Refunds After Fanmio Broadcast Goes Down At Start Of Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal
Anyone else getting a streaming error and cant watch Diaz/Masdival? #fanmio#DiazMasvidal
— You Donât Hate The Media Enough (@Mike99462045) July 7, 2024
As of publication time, Fanmio has yet to release a statement in response to the issues and fan outrage. It is unknown if refunds will be issued.
Diaz scored a majority decision win over Masvidal, edging Masvidal out in a battle of volume from Diaz vs. power from Masvidal.
Following the fight, Diaz announced intentions to get revenge on Jake Paul before returning to the UFC. Masvidal, meanwhile, hopes to have another battle in boxing, with the two trading words and needing to be separated.
Conor McGregor has made his opinion known on tonight’s boxing battle between Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal.
As McGregor recovers from his toe injury that led to the postponement of his long-planned MMA return with Michael Chandler â and as we wait for a new date to be announced for such a fight â he has eyes turned toward a main event boxing showdown between two other names that have been UFC stars.
McGregor is very familiar with Diaz as a fighter, and it’s that experience that partly makes him predict that the Stockton native will come out on top in this fight at Anaheim’s Honda Center on Saturday.
In fact, McGregor took to social media to state that he has placed a major, $500,000 bet down on Diaz tonight.
Conor McGregor Places $500K Bet That Nate Diaz Defeats Jorge Masvidal In Boxing
Iâve decided to put $500,000 on Diaz to win tonightâs boxing match. Range, form, experience, solely hands being used, I canât see Masvidal causing any problems to Nate in a boxing ring whatsoever. They are both little play around dipshits in a fight, play around bollox, but IâŠ
“Range, form, experience, solely hands being used, I can’t see Masvidal causing any problems to Nate in a boxing ring whatsoever,” McGregor posted. They are both little play around dips**** in a fight, play around bollox, but I feel Nate does him in easy here for real.”
McGregor and Diaz fought in two legendary battles at UFC 196 and UFC 202. Fighting on just over a week’s notice, the American fan favorite submitted his Irish counterpart in upset fashion at UFC 196.
McGregor got his revenge in a closely contested encounter by a majority decision win at UFC 202, which at one point was the most bought pay-per-view in UFC history.
Meanwhile, Masvidal and the former two-division champion never fought in the Octagon, with UFC CEO Dana White at one point noting that McGregor would look small fighting “Gamebred” at 170 pounds.
Diaz and Masvidal faced off at UFC 244 in November 2019, with the Miami native winning via third-round doctor’s stoppage TKO to become the inaugural BMF champion.
As Tom Aspinall gets ready to defend the interim UFC heavyweight championship against Curtis Blaydes later this month at UFC 304, fight fans will have to remain patient before seeing the actual heavyweight title on the line again.
That’s because the expectation is for Jon Jones to defend the title against former two-time champion Stipe Miocic in the main event of the UFC’s annual November pay-per-view card at New York’s Madison Square Garden. This had been the plan for UFC 295 last year until Jones suffered a torn pectoral tendon during training.
In spite of Aspinall winning the interim belt on this card, however, the seeming desire of the UFC’s to have Jones vs. Miocic at MSG, as well as the pair’s own desire for this fight to happen, resulted in “Bones” not being stripped or vacating the title with his injury — and the UFC’s patience in delaying this fight.
Fight fans on social media, however, have voiced frustration with the situation. Many have expressed a lack of desire to see Jones vs. Miocic, with many preferring a unification bout between Jones and Aspinall â or a champion vs. champion superfight between Jones and Alex Pereira.
Miocic Admits He Would ‘Feel The Same Way’ If He Was Aspinall
In an interview with CBS Sports’ Shakiel Mahjouri, Miocic was asked about the outcry from fans and their impatience or lack of desire for the fight. Miocic’s response was simple â fans need to stop “crying” because this is what he, Jones, and the UFC all want.
“I get it. I’d feel the same way but I’m not taking anything away from him (Aspinall),” Miocic said. “The UFC can do what they want. It is what it is. There’s only one guy I want to fight, it’s Jon Jones. But at the same time, the UFC can pick who they want.
“People don’t know this but there were a couple of other times where I was ready to fight and they gave them another guy. What am I supposed to do? I’m not holding up any division like everyone says. I don’t care. Do what you want and stop crying. I’m not saying he’s crying. I’m just saying like fans and stuff like that.”
Though there has not been an official announcement from the UFC, Miocic confirmed that the plan right now is for him and Jones to face off inside MSG this November.
Jones has repeatedly mentioned the date November 9 on social media, even though a David Gilmour concert (one in a series) is scheduled for that night at the arena.
After dominating the light heavyweight division for most of the 2010s, Jones moved up to heavyweight. After a three-year hiatus from the cage, Jones defeated Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 to capture the then-vacant UFC heavyweight championship.
Miocic, meanwhile, has not fought in the UFC since dropping the heavyweight title to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 in March 2021. With Andrei Arlovski’s recent departure from the promotion, Miocic has not fought anyone on the current UFC roster.
Despite coming out on top in their UFC encounter five years ago, Jorge Masvidal is not one of the top-two earners of the boxing card that he and Nate Diaz will be headlining on July 6.
The California State Athletic Commission revealed the purse salaries on fight day, with MMA Fighting being the first to report them.
Diaz will have the most guaranteed money out of all participants on the night, walking away with a minimum of $500,000. Masvidal, meanwhile, will only make $300,000 guaranteed.
Masvidal actually has just the third-most guaranteed money out of everyone on the card. Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, who competes on the Diaz vs. Masvidal undercard, will earn $350,000 in guaranteed money.
Other notable figures from the card include Chris Avila making $210,000, Shane Mosley Jr. making $160,000, and Daniel Jacobs making $100,000. Jacobs, however, missed weight for his fight, so half of his purse will go to Mosley Jr., his opponent.
The full listed of guaranteed salaries is listed below.
Nate Diaz $500,000
Jorge Masvidal $300,000
Daniel Jacobs $100,000* (fined 20 percent of his purse)
Shane Mosley Jr. $160,000
Anthony Pettis $350,000
Chris Avila $210,000
Curmel Moton $40,000
Nikolai Buzolin $8,000* (fined 20 percent of his purse)
Amado Vargas $100,000
Sean Garcia $50,000* (fined 20 percent of his purse)
Devin Cushing $60,000
Manuel Correa $15,000
Luciano Ramos $5,000
Dan Hernandez $3,500
Alan Sanchez $55,000
Luis Lopes $22,500
Steve Dunn $500
Gabriel Costa $2,500
Jose Aguayo $40,000
Bryce Logan $6,000
Ken Lopez $18,000
Andres Martinez $600
As previously mentioned, these salaries are just guaranteed money and do not include earnings of pay-per-view sales that certain fighters may receive. They also do not include locker room bonuses, sponsorship earnings, and other means of revenue.
Diaz and Masvidal will meet in a 10-round light heavyweight bout in Saturday’s main event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
The two first met at UFC 244 in November 2019, with Masvidal winning via third-round doctor’s stoppage TKO to become the inaugural BMF champion.
Darren Till may have scored a win in his return to combat sports action, but the ultimate result was a disaster inside the ring.
Till took on Moh Mutie in the featured contest of Social Knockout 3 in Dubai, UAE. During the fight, Mutie turned his head, with the former UFC fighter landing a light strike to the back of the head.
While this would normally be considered an illegal strike, Till was declared the winner by TKO after Mutie was left apparently unable to continue, claiming to feel dizzy after the punch.
But the action did not stop there, as the pair got into a brawl following the fight ending, with both teams getting involved.
Darren Till Involved In Brawl After Defeating Moh Mutie In Combat Sports Return
Till had been out of action since losing to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 282 in December 2022. He exited the UFC last February after requesting his release to pursue other ventures.
Till’s opponent, Mutie, is a Middle Eastern MMA fighter known as “The Palestinian Gorilla” with an MMA record of 2-2-1.
Things never came easy for Dustin Poirier, both in his personal life and his career. That carried into UFC 302, where he came up short in what was likely his last chance to become an undisputed world champion in MMA.
And yet, through it all, Poirier maintained a positive attitude in times of victory and defeat.
Reflecting back on the person he is, showing resilience and perseverance even after a devastating loss, Poirier says it also comes down to being grateful for the life he’s been able to have and the dream he’s been able to live.
“After the [Justin] Gaethje fight was a big test for me in my personal growth,” Poirier told Megan Olivi in an interview for ESPN MMA after UFC 302. “Practicing mindfulness and practicing gratitude, because…without gratitude, nothing’s ever enough. My cup’s full, my family’s good, I have my health, they have theirs, I’m chasing dreams.
“I’m living the life that I could have only imagined as a kid just by chasing my dreams. I came up short tonight, and it hurts bad because, like I said, I know I’m not going to get another chance. I’m probably not going to get another chance to be the undisputed world champion. And that meant a lot to me.”
Dustin Poirier Regrets Not ‘Taking More Chances’ During Striking Exchanges With Makhachev
Heading into UFC 302 as an underdog, Poirier already seemed to be in trouble in the first round, getting taken down by defending champion Islam Makhachev and nearly submitted on more than one occasion.
But, “The Diamond” told Olivi that every time he got off the stool, he felt that he had the chance to find a way to win. And that was seen in the second round, when Poirier’s takedown defenses were on point and he forced a round of standing and trading.
Makhachev got the fight back down to the ground in the third, but in the fourth, Poirier landed noteworthy body shots that got the champion’s attention. Unfortunately for the challenger, Makhachev ultimately finished things off in the fifth frame with a D’arce choke.
“It was a world title fight with the best guy in the world; it was everything I thought it was going to be,” Poirier said. “I feel like I could have [done] more. I said that in the Khabib [Nurmagomedov] fight as well. I could have picked up the volume, took more chances on the feet. He was just similar to Khabib moving weird. His cadence was weird. His head movement was weird. When he would commit to the pocket, he would exit weird. My shots just weren’t there to land.
“I don’t know if it was the third or fourth round, he pulled me off of the fence before I switched him, and I felt my knee and my shin slide over each other. And then it started feeling like burning; I’ll have to get that checked out but it didn’t bother me getting off the stool or anything like that for the next round…that’s fighting. You’re going to get busted up.”
It’s unknown if Poirier will ever return to the Octagon again, and making a decision in a time like he was in isn’t always the best timing. But at the end of the day, the gratitude the Louisianan has practiced keeps his spirits high.
“Life is good,” Poirier said. “I have more to be grateful for than to complain about for sure.”
While it wasn’t a fight that seemed to live up to its hype, Sean Strickland and his forward-footed pressure outworked Paulo Costa over the course of 25 minutes at UFC 302.
But, what seemed like an assured victory wasn’t, thanks to one judge.
Dave Tirelli scored the fight 49-46 for Costa in spite of the bout clearly looking one-sided in Strickland’s favor.
Strickland himself let his displeasure be known while talking with Megan Olivi in a backstage interview for ESPN MMA following his victory.
“The judges are crazy, guys,” Strickland said. “I don’t think they watch fighting, I don’t think they know fighting. You never know; if you leave it in the hands of the judges, only the gods know.”
Strickland Willing To Sit Out & Wait For Shot At UFC Middleweight Title
In Strickland’s eyes, the reason that the fight went to the final horn as it did was because Costa did not fight how the former champion expected. As a result, according to Strickland, he wasn’t able to chase the Brazilian down and get the finish.
“I didn’t think he was going to back up,” Strickland said. “Costa’s not known to fight like that. I don’t know, man… I wasn’t expecting to fight like that. It’s a damn shame. I wanted to finish him, but unless I was running at a full sprint, I just couldn’t catch him.”
This fight was Strickland’s first since losing the middleweight championship in a close decision to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297 this past January.
Though Strickland felt he did enough to get the win, as did White back then, he was willing to be a “company man” and take this fight. Now, however, Strickland says he’s willing to wait on the sidelines until he gets a rematch.
“I paid my dues; I did what I had to do,” Strickland said. “Every time you lose, and I think the world knows I beat Dricus, every time you lose, you have to pay your penance. I did my penance with Costa, and no damage…give it to me. I’ll wait.”
It’s expected that Du Plessis will defend the middleweight title against Israel Adesanya â the man Strickland upset for the belt â at UFC 305 this August in Perth, Australia.
