MMA News

Category: MMA

  • Max Holloway Teases Interest In Facing UFC Champ Islam Makhachev

    Max Holloway may still have unfinished business to settle in the UFC’s lightweight division.

    Holloway is gearing up to challenge reigning featherweight champion Ilia Topuria in the main event of UFC 308, set to take place this Saturday at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

    Holloway stunned the MMA world with a last-second knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 in April, making a strong argument for a shot at the lightweight title. However, divisional champion Islam Makhachev hadn’t considered the new BMF titleholder as a potential challenger at the time.

    That said, Makhachev seems open to the idea — if “Blessed” can convincingly take down Topuria in their upcoming bout.

    During a recent interview with Demetrious Johnson, Holloway discussed his choice to return to the featherweight division following his victory over Gaethje. The Hawaiian revealed that his return to 145 pounds might be a short-term decision and that he could potentially face Makhachev next year.

    “Blessed” stated that going up against Makhachev would be akin to facing UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, calling it a significant opportunity that could further elevate his already storied career.

    “You’ve got to do great things,” Holloway said. “We had that fight booked with Khabib a while back. They call Islam the Khabib 2.0, so I want all the taste. I want all the smoke. It’d be an honor to fight that guy and try to etch my name in the history book. First thing’s first is Ilia. If I had my choice, why not? Why not be able to fight Islam?

    “Islam never ever wanted to fight me even when I was saying I was coming up to [155 pounds]. After fighting the guy that he was supposed to fight next, he still was saying, I don’t know why I would fight him. But then, recently, his tone changed, and he was like, Oh yeah if I can get past Topuria, he’d be open to fighting me. I was like, OK, that’s all we needed. We just needed that little crack in the door. I’ll squeeze my way through the rest; don’t worry about it.”

    Makhachev is riding high after his third successful lightweight title defense, having secured a submission victory over Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 in June. The Dagestani is anticipated to face Arman Tsarukyan, likely at UFC 311 next year, although no official announcement has been made by the promotion as of yet.

  • Donald Cerrone Gets Ripped For UFC Comeback After Steroid Usage: ‘It’s Not A Good Look’

    Donald Cerrone Gets Ripped For UFC Comeback After Steroid Usage: ‘It’s Not A Good Look’

    Donald Cerrone has sparked mixed reactions from fans after announcing his intentions to return to the sport for two more fights despite retiring in 2022. Cerrone, who was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023, hopes to bring his total career fights to 50.

    Following his retirement, Cerrone openly admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), including testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), since he was no longer subject to USADA testing. He noted that the treatments made him feel younger. However, his decision to return to competition after using PEDs has drawn criticism, including from Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen.

    Cerrone Criticized

    “I just don’t think it’s a good idea to retire, take a bunch of steroids, and then come back and fight again,” Eblen said during a post-fight news conference (via MMA Junkie). “It’s not a good look, man.”

    Eblen went on to blame Conor McGregor for setting a precedent by using PEDs while outside of the USADA testing pool, only to return to fighting.

    “I think Conor paved the way, and he’s influencing a lot of people to do it,” Eblen said. “People are trying to fight past their prime using these substances, and it’s just not natural. It’s not good. Your brain doesn’t heal from steroids, so all that CTE just adds up. I’m very against steroids and against people fighting past their prime.”

  • Merab Dvalishvili Clarifies UFC Return Timeline Amid Umar Nurmagomedov’s Complaints

    Merab Dvalishvili Clarifies UFC Return Timeline Amid Umar Nurmagomedov’s Complaints

    UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili has looked to clear up the uncertainty surrounding the timeframe for his first title defense.

    Dvalishvili reached the mountaintop at 135 pounds last month when he headlined UFC 306 inside the Sphere in competition for the belt, which was then held by striking specialist Sean O’Malley.

    The Georgian standout made good on his prediction to dominate, securing a comfortable victory on the scorecards after five rounds of action at the Mexican Independence Day celebration.

    But no sooner had the bantamweight gold been wrapped around his waist, talk turned to the first hurdle for Dvalishvili to overcome as kingpin. For most, that should be the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov. “The Machine,” however, caused eyebrows to raise when he called O’Malley out for an immediate rematch.

    Nurmagomedov has used that to accused Dvalishvili of seeking to avoid him, as well as claims that the champ is deliberately targeting a defense during the period in which he’ll be inactive to observe Ramadan in 2025.

    During an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Dvalishvili sought to clear up his stance.

    The Georgian titleholder insisted that he has no issue meeting the challenge of Nurmagomedov and would be willing to in February.

    “Yes, the UFC told me to fight (Nurmagomedov in December) and I said I would fight him in February or March,” Dvalishvili said. “That was it. Now, Umar take another fight, so I don’t know. But like I said, I don’t know anything else. (I won’t fight) in January because it’s a new year and it’s Georgian Christmas and I need the time. I said February and March is good for me, and I’ll go from there.

    “Like I said, I want three fights in 2025. So, I’m ready. I have no problem (fighting Nurmagomedov next). Whoever the UFC offers me, I will fight. I never choose my opponents, and I’m going to continue the same,” Dvalishvili continued. “I’ve never had the option to say, ‘I’m going to fight him, or him.’ I was never like this in this situation before, and I don’t see why it’d be different now.”

    But Nurmagomedov evidently isn’t buying it.

    After Dvalishvili’s teammate, former champ Aljamain Sterling, took to social media to defend the Georgian’s willingness to return sooner if his opposition was Sean O’Malley, Nurmagomedov branded his remarks a “cheap excuse.”

  • Ilia Topuria’s Training Partner Says He’s Even More Confident Away From Interviews

    Ilia Topuria’s Training Partner Says He’s Even More Confident Away From Interviews

    Since Ilia Topuria arrived in the UFC, he’s become a somewhat divisive character despite the fact that he backs up what he says inside the Octagon. The current featherweight champion has always carried himself with supreme self confidence.

    Though it’s clearly a major asset of his, it does lead to some fans reading this as arrogance, especially when he’s going up against long-time fan favorites like Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway. Topuria said multiple times before his fight with Volkanovski that it was already written for him to become the champion and though he respected “The Great”, it was no longer his time to sit at the top of the 145-pound division.

    In the lead up to his first title defense against Holloway this weekend at UFC 308, “El Matador” has been his usual confident self, claiming that he will be the first man to knock the former champion out. Some might say that this is Topuria just trying to sell the fight or that he’s playing up his own confidence just because there’s a microphone in front of him.

    A training partner of his in Spain says that this is completely the opposite to an act that Topuria puts on for the cameras. In a recent interview with The Scrap, Miguel Navarro gave his insight into the fight as someone who knows the champion well.

    Navarro trained with the champ at Climent Club in Alicante but has continued to make the trip to Madrid to train with him now that Topuria has moved. He says that his fellow Spaniard is always extremely self-assured, claiming that if anything, he tones it down for interviews rather than amplifying it.

    “Yeah, he’s always like that. That’s not like a role or something. Personal treatment, he’s like that and I think even more than in the interviews, even more. If you know all his people, everyone thinks like him. Everyone doesn’t have like piece of doubt, any piece of doubt.”

  • UFC 308 Backup Fighter Diego Lopes Predicts Topuria vs. Holloway

    UFC 308 Backup Fighter Diego Lopes Predicts Topuria vs. Holloway

    The UFC 308 main event is one of the biggest fights of the year between featherweight champion Ilia Topuria and his first challenger, Max Holloway. As is often the case with a fight of this magnitude, there is a backup fighter on standby in case either man is unable to compete on Saturday night.

    #3-ranked Diego Lopes is in Abu Dhabi and will make weight on Friday knowing that he could be asked to step in and fight if anything happens to the main event. The Brazilian is coming off of a big win over Brian Ortega at UFC 306 but won’t likely be the next title challenger given Alexander Volkanovski’s current position.

    Topuria vs Holloway is a fascinating contest but in the case that the fight falls apart at some stage on fight week, having a top contender and fan favorite ready and waiting would soften the blow.

    In an interview with Submission Radio, Lopes gave his prediction for the headline attraction at the Etihad Arena on October 26. He’s previously stated that fighting Holloway would be his dream fight because he’s been watching him for a long time.

    Despite the adoration that he has for the BMF titleholder, Lopes named the defending champion as his pick for the main event. A victory for “El Matador” on Saturday will surely lead to him bringing the belt back to Spain in the near future and this is something that the Brazilian contender also has his eye on.

    “I hope, bro, I don’t know it’s crazy but Ilia mention my name. UFC have plans for UFC in Spain, UFC need the guy who speaks Spanish for the promotion for the fight. I don’t know, maybe Ilia wins, I win too. Maybe we go Spain, I speak Spanish for the promotion for UFC in Spain, it’s good.”

  • Daniel Cormier Brands Aspinall The World’s Best Heavyweight Over Ngannou, Jones

    Daniel Cormier Brands Aspinall The World’s Best Heavyweight Over Ngannou, Jones

    Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier believes Tom Aspinall currently holds the global heavyweight crown over both Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou.

    The debate surrounding who sits top spot as the world’s best heavyweight has picked up again following a standout performance from Ngannou this past weekend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    Headlining a PFL pay-per-view, “The Predator” debuted in the SmartCage by battering Renan Ferreira on the ground and rendering the Brazilian unconscious in the very first round. The result came in Ngannou’s first MMA bout since January 2022.

    With the Cameroonian back in the discussion, he appears to be battling the UFC’s heavyweight champ, Jones, and his interim counterpart, Aspinall, for the global throne.

    And although much of the discussion post-fight for Ngannou has centered around a long-desired clash with Jones, Cormier said during a recent episode of his Good Guy / Bad Guy show alongside Chael Sonnen on ESPN MMA‘s YouTube channel that they would be competing for silver.

    After dismissing Ngannou’s claim to superiority over Jones and Aspinall, “DC” said he’d back the Englishman to beat both “The Predator” and “Bones,” leaving him as the best heavyweight in the world.

    “I don’t believe he’s the best heavyweight, not Francis,” Cormier said. “I think the best heavyweight is Tom Aspinall, still. I still believe the best heavyweight in the world right now is Tom Aspinall. I think Jon is, but he’s older now. I think Aspinall’s still young, he’s fresh. There is something to not having everything yet. When you have everything, it’s hard, man. This guy Tom still doesn’t have everything. Sure, he’s headlined a couple of pay-per-view. But he’s not making seven figures every time he walks into the Octagon. He hasn’t been making a million dollars for 10 years like Jon Jones.

    “I believe that Jones right now has everything. … There was a time he could go through anything to stay champion. Can he still do that? … Can he dig as deep as he did against Alexander Gustafsson?” Cormier continued. “Aspinall sure has a lot of questions, but when you look at these dudes all on paper, I would favor Tom to beat Francis, I would favor Tom to beat Stipe (Miocic), and I would actually favor Tom to beat Jon Jones right now.”

    It remains to be seen what lies ahead in MMA for Ngannou, but given his position away from the UFC and the uncertainty surrounding suitable opposition, he may struggle to change the minds of those sharing Cormier’s sentiment.

    Aspinall himself has cited Ngannou’s opponent options away from the Octagon as the reason why he doesn’t consider the Cameroonian a candidate for best-heavyweight status.

    The Manchester native is confident that he holds that distinction, but he unfortunately won’t have the chance to prove it next time out. Much to his bemusement and the frustration of many fans, Jones won’t be unifying the title next month.

    Instead, the former light heavyweight kingpin is set to put his gold on the line at UFC 309 against Miocic, who hasn’t competed since a knockout loss to Ngannou back in March 2021.

  • Julianna Peña Tells Amanda Nunes: ‘No Amount Of Money’ Worth The Damage I’ll Give You

    Julianna Peña Tells Amanda Nunes: ‘No Amount Of Money’ Worth The Damage I’ll Give You

    UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña has sent a stern warning to longtime rival Amanda Nunes as she continues to pursue a trilogy.

    Peña returned to the 135-pound throne earlier this month in the co-main event of the UFC 307 pay-per-view. In Salt Lake City, Utah, “The Venezuelan Vixen” fell on the right side of a controversial split decision to make Raquel Pennington’s reign a short one.

    With two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison moving to 2-0 in the UFC on the same night, many were quick to brand her possible clash with Peña as the next title fight in the bantamweight division.

    The champ, however, had other plans. She used her time on the mic post-fight to call out former opponent Amanda Nunes, who retired after avenging her loss to Peña and subsequently defeating Irena Aldana to defend the 135-pound title.

    But during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Peña suggested that Nunes is awaiting the result of her expected defense against Harrison, claiming the Brazilian’s comeback teases will dissipate when she blemishes the ex-PFL champ’s UFC record.

    Despite being heavily beaten and bloodied herself en route to a lopsided decision defeat to Nunes in mid-2022, Peña insisted that the damage she’d inflict on Nunes in a trilogy fight would not be worth a lucrative comeback check from the UFC.

    “(Nunes) thinks I’m going to lose to Kayla, and when I beat Kayla, she’s going to say, ‘I stay retired.’ But if Kayla wins, then she’s going to come out of retirement and look like some hero,” Peña said. “The reality is — and I know this for a fact — she feels that she doesn’t have anything to prove against me, and she feels that she hates Kayla more than she wants to prove something and fight me for a trilogy.

    “She walked out of (the rematch) with frickin’ elephantitis on half her face, crutches, and a wheelchair. She knows it’s not going to be some walk in the park, easy night in the office,” Peña continued. “No amount of money they pay her is going to be worth the amount of damage that she’s going to have to sustain in this fight because I’m not going away, and she knows that.”

    “The Lioness” and “The Venezuelan Vixen” were originally slated to share the cage for a third time in Canada last year, but a rib injury forced the latter out.

    Peña was left bemused when her rival subsequently hung up the gloves and has long attempted to draw Nunes back to competition.

    The Brazilian appears closer to a return than ever, but whether that desire derives from a hope to complete unfinished business with the champ or do battle with an ex-teammate in Harrison remains to be seen.

    Julianna Pena & Amanda Nunes
    Image: Chris Unger/UFC/Zuffa LLC
  • Francis Ngannou Reveals Timeline For Next Fight, ‘Could Be Either’ MMA Or Boxing

    Francis Ngannou Reveals Timeline For Next Fight, ‘Could Be Either’ MMA Or Boxing

    Newly crowned PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou is looking to keep his ball rolling — be it in the cage or ring.

    Ngannou completed his long-awaited return to mixed martial arts competition this past weekend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he debuted for the Professional Fighters League.

    Headlining the promotion’s second pay-per-view event of the year, “The Predator” brutally announced himself back in the sport by ground-and-pounding Renan Ferreira into unconsciousness less than four minutes in.

    The result marked a needed performance for the Cameroonian, who returned to winning ways following a devastating boxing setback at the hands of Anthony Joshua this past March.

    During an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Ngannou looked ahead to what could await him in 2025 — and in which realm of combat it’ll be in.

    There appears to be plenty of uncertainty regarding Ngannou’s next steps, and the man himself doesn’t seem to be any wiser than the masses.

    “It could be either one (MMA or boxing),” Ngannou said. “I don’t know yet. I don’t have any hand in that one. I don’t have a decision. I think it also depends on promotion. I don’t know. If next, PFL, they come up with something with a fight or a date, maybe we’ll work on it. If it’s boxing, same thing.”

    With “The Predator” now having PFL gold to defend, the organization could look to secure him for a PPV date early next year. The heavyweight champ gave Helwani an estimate of the second quarter of 2025 for his return to action.

    The only problem appears to be opposition for “The Predator,” with a lack of options being highlighted as a concern for the PFL moving forward.

    For the time being, Ngannou likely won’t be worrying about that and will instead be celebrating his successful return to MMA, which he dedicated to his late son Kobe on Oct. 19.

  • Tatiana Suarez Refutes Injury Claims After Reports Of UFC 310 Fight Cancellation

    There’s significant uncertainty surrounding the condition of UFC strawweight contender Tatiana Suarez and her status for the December pay-per-view.

    After serious injuries took away years of her career, Suarez made a splash in her return to action last year. Following a successful comeback fight up at flyweight, the undefeated wrestling specialist announced herself back in the 115-pound title picture by submitting Jéssica Andrade.

    But 2024 hasn’t gone smoothly for the Californian after injury forced her out of a planned clash with ex-championship challenger Amanda Lemos this past February.

    And recent reports suggested her woes had continued, with X account @MMAmelotto first reporting that Suarez had withdrawn from a top contenders’ clash with Virna Jandiroba at UFC 310 due to injury.

    A number of reliable sources subsequently supported that, including MMA Junkie’s Nolan King.

    Though all signs are pointing toward that bout on Dec. 7 being canceled, confusion emerged when Suarez posted training images from the day of the injury report and began refuting those claims on social media.

    Suarez responded to a post on X that branded her injured, insisting that’s not the case. She didn’t, however, dispute that her clash with Jandiroba is no longer happening and later deleted the tweet entirely.

    A report from MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin listed an undisclosed health issue as the reason for her apparent withdrawal from UFC 310, rather than a fight-related injury.

    Things will likely be cleared up by Suarez and her team soon. But while injury doesn’t seem to be the reason, it would appear that she won’t be making the walk inside T-Mobile Arena later this year, making 2024 another calendar year without a fight for the highly regarded strawweight contender.

  • Alexander Volkanovski Makes The Case For Ilia Topuria As ‘Fighter Of The Year’

    Alexander Volkanovski Makes The Case For Ilia Topuria As ‘Fighter Of The Year’

    As the year draws to a close, many fans are making their picks for “Fighter of the Year.” While Max Holloway is a leading candidate, Alexander Volkanovski believes there’s another name in the running—especially if that fighter gets past his next opponent.

    Holloway is set to return later this month at UFC 308, where he will challenge Ilia Topuria for the featherweight title. Holloway and Volkanovski previously fought at UFC 276 in July 2022, with Volkanovski winning by decision. Since that loss, Holloway has been on a tear, securing wins over Arnold Allen by decision in April 2023 and finishing The Korean Zombie in August 2023. Earlier this year, he also knocked out Justin Gaethje at UFC 300.

    In the Hunt for Fighter of the Year

    Volkanovski recently explained to Kevin Iole why he believes the UFC featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria, could be a top choice for “Fighter of the Year” if he defeats Holloway.

    “If Ilia goes out there and does his thing, that’s very impressive—taking out myself and Max… He’d be right up there for Fighter of the Year. He may not be as active as some of the other guys, but the competition is [better],” Volkanovski said.

    Volkanovski also mentioned that he will be watching the fight closely as he envisions facing the winner in 2025. He expressed his desire to fight at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia.

  • UFC 308 Card Takes Fight-Week Hit With Nurmagomedov Out

    UFC 308 Card Takes Fight-Week Hit With Nurmagomedov Out

    It appears that a UFC 308 bout could be hanging in the balance, as the event reportedly encounters a late-notice disruption. UFC 308 is set to take place this Saturday at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The main event showcases reigning UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria defending his title against Max Holloway. Meanwhile, the co-main event will feature a middleweight clash between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev in a high-stakes, five-round showdown.

    The scheduled bantamweight clash between Said Nurmagomedov and Daniel Santos, intended to take place on the preliminary card of Saturday’s event, has reportedly been scrapped. According to MMA journalist Damon Martin, the Brazilian withdrew for undisclosed reasons. UFC matchmakers are now searching for a replacement opponent for Nurmagomedov with only five days to spare.

    Nurmagomedov has not competed for over a year, with his last appearance in the Octagon resulting in a first-round submission victory against Muin Gafurov at UFC 294 in October 2023. The 32-year-old Russian boasts a 7-2 record in the UFC. He was originally scheduled to face Montel Jackson at UFC Fight Night in Saudi Arabia in June, but he ultimately withdrew from the matchup.

    The UFC 308 card nearly faced another setback when the welterweight matchup between Rinat Fakhretdinov and Nursulton Ruziboev fell through. Thankfully, UFC debutant Carlos Leal rose to the occasion on a week’s notice, stepping in to fight Fakhretdinov.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUJGgnRAy4A
  • Belal Muhammad Targeting ‘Alex Pereira Schedule’ In 2025: ‘I Love To Fight’

    Belal Muhammad Targeting ‘Alex Pereira Schedule’ In 2025: ‘I Love To Fight’

    UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad wants to be active — just as much as record-breaker Alex Pereira.

    Muhammad has fought once in the past 17 months, but that inactivity is not down to his doing. After defeating Gilbert Burns on short notice in May 2023, “Remember the Name” banked his long-awaited first title shot on MMA’s biggest stage.

    Unfortunately for him, he had to wait for then-champion Leon Edwards to settle his business with Colby Covington before cashing in on his opportunity at UFC 304 in Manchester, England this past July.

    Despite a lengthy break from competition, Muhammad looked at his best inside the Co-op Live, dominating Edwards across five rounds to extend his unbeaten run to 11 and capture the 170-pound crown.

    The new kingpin will now return five months later to put his gold on the line for the first time at UFC 310 this December, headlining the pay-per-view event opposite the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov.

    Muhammad outlined his plans for the new year should he get past the threat posed by “Nomad” during a recent interview with John Morgan for Grind City Media.

    While he’ll make the walk on Dec. 7 as the underdog, “Remember the Name” is no stranger to upsetting the odds. And he fully expects to do so once again before embarking on an Alex Pereira-esque campaign in 2025.

    “I love to fight. It’s so hard to stay healthy in this game that if if I’m healthy, I wanna be in the cage,” Muhammad said. “People are like, ‘Oh, we thought you were gonna wait a year to defend and you’re gonna push it longer because it took you this long to get in.’ Sitting on the couch doesn’t get you paid, sitting on the couch doesn’t make me happy. I wanna get happy by competing. I love to compete and it’s such a small window in this game where you don’t know what tomorrow is gonna hold that I’d rather stay busy.

    “The hardest thing for me was that wait (after beating Gilbert Burns),” Muhammad continued. “I wanted to get into the cage. I wanted to fight. And then for 2025, I’m trying to get on that Alex Pereira schedule. … Next year, for myself, is just (about) staying busy.”

    After winning the light heavyweight title in late 2023, Pereira has gone on to rack up three straight defenses this year in record-breaking speed. His victims were Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 in April, Jiří Procházka at UFC 303 in June, and Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 earlier this month.

    Before looking to potentially replicate that feat next year, Muhammad must first vault his reign’s first hurdle by getting the better of Rakhmonov at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

  • Raquel Pennington Calls For Rethink Into Scoring Criteria After Controversial UFC 307 Loss

    Raquel Pennington Calls For Rethink Into Scoring Criteria After Controversial UFC 307 Loss

    In the co-main event of UFC 307, Raquel Pennington narrowly lost the bantamweight title to Julianna Peña via split decision. A lot of people had “Rocky” winning the fight at the end of the fifth round, including the media scores and the commentators.

    Not to mention the fact that Pennington said the UFC had already gathered her family so they could join her in the Octagon after assuming she had won the fight before the cards were read out by Bruce Buffer.

    In the end, it was the opening round that proved to be the difference in the split verdict as Sal D’Amato and Mike Bell scored it in Peña’s favor. This is something that Pennington has had a hard time coming to terms with in the aftermath of the fight.

    She told MMA Junkie in a recent interview that she was incredibly confident that she had done enough to win the fight when the final bell went. After attempting to analyze where she lost the opening round, Pennington was left with more questions than answers.

    In her opinion, though Peña out landed her in the first stanza, her shots did far more damage which is outlined as the primary scoring criteria. Pennington told MMA Junkie that in this case, the criteria needs to be clearer and stuck to after feeling like she won the round in terms of damage.

    “I’m still really frustrated with it because for me, it’s like what are you guys really looking for, you know? And they say damaging strikes but you just said everything right there so it’s like okay, some of the scorecards said she out struck me by four strikes but what were her four strikes doing? She was shadow boxing a little bit more, she wasn’t landing actual punches so that’s where it becomes really frustrating because I feel like the lines are not clear and it just robs so many athletes of opportunities… We need to be able to distinguish exactly what’s being looked for and I mean that needs to be honoured.”

  • Ian Garry Claims Usman Turned Down UFC Tampa Fight: ‘You & Colby Are More Similar Than I Thought…’

    Ian Garry Claims Usman Turned Down UFC Tampa Fight: ‘You & Colby Are More Similar Than I Thought…’

    Undefeated welterweight contender Ian Machado Garry has spent a lot of this year campaigning for a fight with former interim champion Colby Covington. Given the build up alone, the fight would be huge but it seems unlikely that we will see it happen.

    The Irishman wanted the match-up at UFC 303 in June but ended up facing and beating Michael “Venom” Page instead. Now occupying the #7-spot in the rankings, Garry is looking for a main event slot in order to get him closer to a title shot.

    There aren’t too many opponents ahead of Garry that make sense for him right now. The likes of Sean Brady and Jack Della Maddalena would be great fights but of course, defeating a former champion would be a great scalp to have on his record.

    According to a recent social media post, it looks like he may have been offered a former rival of Covington’s who has been out for a over a year at this point in time.

    Kamaru Usman posted a short message on social media to suggest that is ready to return to action in the near future to snap his current losing streak. It didn’t take long before Garry responded, claiming that Usman turned a fight with him down for December 14 which is set to take place at the Amalie Arena in Tampa.

    With Belal Muhammad set to make the first defense of his title against Shavkat Rakhmonov the week before at UFC 310, a potential title eliminator taking place seven days later would make a lot of sense.

    “Ready? Really? I thought you were built different, but turns out you and Colby are more similar than I thought. Say YES see you December 14th!”

  • Francis Ngannou Almost Withdrew From MMA Return Due To Injury, Coach Reveals

    Francis Ngannou Almost Withdrew From MMA Return Due To Injury, Coach Reveals

    Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou made a successful return to mixed martial arts this past weekend, but as it turns out, injury had threatened to derail it.

    Ngannou entered the cage on Saturday for the first time since a victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January 2022. After departing the promotion and signing with the PFL, “The Predator” turned his attention to the chance to complete a long-desired boxing crossover.

    While his success against Tyson Fury left many questioning whether he’d compete in MMA again, a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua this past March was soon followed by confirmation of his SmartCage debut.

    That came on October 19 in the main event of the PFL’s second pay-per-view of the year, staged at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ngannou showed he hasn’t lost a step, taking Renan Ferreira down and ground-and-pounding him to a first-round knockout.

    During an interview with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn in the aftermath of the PFL event in the Middle East, coach Eric Nicksick reflected on the hardships his man endured this year.

    And when it came to fight camp for Saturday’s Battle of the Giants event, that included a rib injury that came close to scrapping the main event altogether.

    “It was bad enough to where you’ve got to think: He blew out his knee and wasn’t going to pull out of the Ciryl Gane fight, (but almost pulled out of this one),” Nicksick said. “There’s a difference, different stakes, but also it was a different type of pain for him, and obviously we had a grappling-heavy game plan.

    “He was worried if he was on his back, how he would be able to move and try to grapple with an injured rib. Once he went to the doctors and they cleared him with an MRI and everything else, I think he realized, ‘I’m going to be OK. I’m going to get through this still.’”

    Ngannou ultimately overcame that piece of adversity, which marked far from his toughest experience of this year.

    Following his boxing defeat to “AJ,” the Cameroonian star tragically lost his son, Kobe, at the age of just 15 months. Ngannou admitted that his child’s passing brought him close to retirement, and he dedicated the win on Saturday to Kobe.

  • Dricus Du Plessis’ Coach Says Khamzat Chimaev Will Be ‘Out Of His League’ Against Robert Whittaker

    Dricus Du Plessis’ Coach Says Khamzat Chimaev Will Be ‘Out Of His League’ Against Robert Whittaker

    Despite having fought seven times inside the Octagon, the potential of Khamzat Chimaev still has some question marks hanging over it. Listen to anyone that trains with the middleweight contender and they will tell you that he’s the champion in waiting.

    However, his recent performances and issues with staying active have significantly pumped the breaks on what was once the biggest hype train in the entire sport.

    We will find out this weekend at UFC 308 where Chimaev ranks amongst the rest of the middleweight division when he faces former champion Robert Whittaker. “The Reaper” has fought many of the top contenders and has only lost at 185-pounds to two champions in Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis.

    Even in a win that looks great on paper over Kamaru Usman last time out, there was some doubters due to how close the fight was despite Usman stepping up a weight class as a short notice replacement for Paulo Costa. This won’t be the same for a victory against someone that is as highly regarded and proven as Whittaker.

    In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Du Plessis’ coach Morne Visser weighed in with his thoughts on the fight. Having spent time preparing his fighter to face Whittaker in the past, he knows how good the former champion is.

    He believes that Whittaker won’t just get the win on Saturday night, he will show that Chimaev isn’t ready to compete with the best guys in the weight class.

    “That fight against Usman, who’s a genuine welterweight, was way too close for me. His stand-up is, in my opinion, suspect. His wrestling, he couldn’t do anything with Usman and Rob’s stand-up is phenomenal, his wrestling and his ground work’s awesome so I honestly think Khamzat’s out of his league here. He’s gotta go back to welter where he maybe stands a chance to become something or become a champion. At this stage, I honestly think Rob beats Khamzat and I don’t think it’s gonna be on points, he’s going to grind him. Rob’s a tough dude and he’s smart and he’s got a smart team behind him.”

  • Former Opponent Picks Out Changes In Max Holloway’s Style That Could Be Crucial At UFC 308

    Former Opponent Picks Out Changes In Max Holloway’s Style That Could Be Crucial At UFC 308

    UFC fans have watched Max Holloway grow up in the promotion and evolve into the elite level competitor that we now see today. The incredible success that he has achieved hasn’t been without some adjustments along the way and a former opponent of his found that out first hand.

    At UFC 308 this Saturday, Holloway will challenge Ilia Topuria for the featherweight title in his return to 145-pounds. “Blessed” has faced his fair share of heavy hitters in the past but seeing how he deals with the boxing and power of the champion is a massive factor in this fight.

    When top-10 ranked featherweight Arnold Allen faced Holloway over five rounds in April last year, the Brit was surprised by the way that the former champion fought him.

    Rather than bringing his usual brand of forward pressure and high output, the BMF titleholder was happy to counter strike and showed a different side to his game. We saw the same thing in his last fight against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 where aside from the final few seconds, Holloway didn’t need to put himself in harm’s way to be effective.

    Allen highlighted this during his breakdown video for the main event on October 26. “Almighty” spoke about some of the changes that he has noticed from “Blessed” in recent times.

    “Max Holloway kind of reinvigorated his style since fighting me. He made some adjustments. He started breaking distance, coming in and out, kicking more, being a little bit smarter like not taking so many shots. Not being in the pocket and just trying to out-will you. I do think one of things when I fought him that we or I didn’t respect enough is his fight IQ.”

    Allen also spoke about how Holloway is still able to pressure his opponents without constantly being in their faces. This ability to control the distance without trading with “El Matador” could be a massive factor in his attempt to reclaim the featherweight gold.

    “One of the things I really like that he’s done since making some adjustments is he disengages but he keeps the pressure on and there’s definitely an art to it. He’ll leave the danger but he’s still in the range for pressure, it’s hard to explain.”  

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPoXra01qwc&t=734s
  • Muhammad Mokaev Claims UFC Has Blocked Raul Rosas Jr. From Grappling Him

    Muhammad Mokaev Claims UFC Has Blocked Raul Rosas Jr. From Grappling Him

    Muhammad Mokaev was set to make his competition return this weekend at the ADXC 6 grappling event in Abu Dhabi. “The Punisher” was announced last week to be headlining the card against UFC bantamweight Raul Rosas Jr.

    The contest certainly would have attracted lots of attention with Mokaev returning for the first time since his UFC departure. Not to mention that the event would be taking place the day before UFC 308 goes down at the Etihad Arena.

    Unfortunately, their meeting on October 25 appears to be cancelled and Mokaev is pointing the finger as to why he will no longer be in action against Rosas Jr.

    In a post on X, the undefeated flyweight announced the news and stated that it is the UFC that are to blame after they prevented Rosas Jr. from making the walk at the Mubadala Arena.

    UFC fighters taking grappling matches in other promotions isn’t anything new but given the narrative surrounding Mokaev, it makes sense why the MMA leader may have put their foot down if what he’s saying is true.

    The event is set to feature several other UFC fighters who still appear to be on the card, including Umar Nurmagomedov. ADXC said in their post that a new main event will be announced for the card.

  • VIDEO: UFC 308 Countdown Episode Ahead Of Topuria vs. Holloway & Whittaker vs. Chimaev

    VIDEO: UFC 308 Countdown Episode Ahead Of Topuria vs. Holloway & Whittaker vs. Chimaev

    Fight week for the UFC 308 pay-per-view this Saturday has kicked off with the release of the promotion’s latest Countdown episode.

    Under the spotlight in this edition is the headliner between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway and the co-main event between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev.

    Saturday’s lineup is topped by an intriguing championship clash, with featherweight kingpin Topuria (15-0) looking to add a first successful defense to his reign, which got underway with a memorable knockout victory over Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 this past February.

    If “El Matador” is to continue his rule atop the 145-pound mountain, he must record a victory over Holloway (26-7). “Blessed” will ride a three-fight win streak into his latest opportunity to regain the title, most recently getting the better of Justin Gaethje in brutal fashion up at lightweight to capture the symbolic BMF belt at UFC 300.

    Before those two collide in the main event at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena, the stakes will be high for a crucial five-round middleweight clash.

    After dismantling Ikram Aliskerov in quick time to emerge victorious from the UFC’s first event in Saudi Arabia, former champion Whittaker (26-7) will return to the Middle East to face his original opponent for this past June, the undefeated Chimaev (13-0). While “The Reaper” has gone 2-0 this year after outpointing Paulo Costa to open his 2024 campaign, “Borz” hasn’t made the walk since a narrow decision win over Kamaru Usman last October.

    Ahead of those two contests in the United Arab Emirates, fans can catch previews in the full episode of UFC 308 Countdown on the promotion’s YouTube channel.

    UFC 308 Countdown: Full Episode

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfrUF74cDQc
  • Conor McGregor Gives Mocking Review Of PFL’s Battle Of The Giants PPV: ‘UFC Has Zero Competition’ 

    Conor McGregor Gives Mocking Review Of PFL’s Battle Of The Giants PPV: ‘UFC Has Zero Competition’ 

    We can seemingly count Conor McGregor among those unimpressed by the Professional Fighters League (PFL) and its latest pay-per-view offering.

    The PFL staged its second PPV of the year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this past weekend, with The Mayadeen playing host to a stacked lineup that included one Bellator title fight and the crowning of two inaugural superfight champions.

    In regard to the Bellator stakes, the middleweight belt remained in the possession of Johnny Eblen after he once again got the better of Fabian Edwards.

    Following that contest, Cris Cyborg and Francis Ngannou emerged from the headliners with PFL gold in what marked their respective SmartCage debuts.

    There’s little doubt that the thrilling co-main event and “The Predator’s” brutal knockout to close the show delivered the fireworks many had expected. But while McGregor had compliments for their performances, he was less positive when it came to the overall show.

    The Irishman’s mockery began on the main card when he sarcastically talked over the grappling exchanges during Eblen’s wrestling-heavy win over Edwards.

    “Wow!” McGregor exclaimed. “Oh my god! No! What the hell?! Wow. Oh my god! No way! F*ck off. This can’t be happening right now. He’s holding him! How’s he doing this? Oh my god! F*ck off.”

    Though he ultimately laid praise on Cyborg’s triumph later in the night, he was at it again when the Brazilian held top position over Larissa Pacheco.

    “Wow! This is f*cking excitement,” McGregor joked. “This is excitement.”

    Both of those videos on X were deleted, as was a subsequent post that rejected the PFL’s chances of competing with the UFC.

    “UFC has zero competition in MMA,” McGregor wrote.

    Conor McGregor
  • VIDEO: Israel Adesanya Pumped Up While Live Reacting To Francis Ngannou’s Dominant MMA Return

    VIDEO: Israel Adesanya Pumped Up While Live Reacting To Francis Ngannou’s Dominant MMA Return

    Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was ecstatic to see Francis Ngannou make a winning return to mixed martial arts.

    Adesanya was among the keen viewers tuning in for this past weekend’s PFL pay-per-view in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which was headlined by Ngannou’s first taste of MMA action since January 2022.

    Back then, “The Predator” held the UFC heavyweight belt and successfully stalled the title ambitions of Ciryl Gane. On Oct. 19, he captured PFL gold at the expense of Renan Ferreira, whom he brutally pummeled into unconsciousness in under four minutes.

    During a video recently uploaded to his FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel, Adesanya reacted to his friend and fellow African standout’s long-awaited MMA comeback and SmartCage debut.

    “The Last Stylebender” was visibly pumped up during the finishing sequence, which saw referee Dan Miragliotta come under criticism for what many deemed to have been an egregiously late stoppage.

    Adesanya later became emotional as the victorious Ngannou teared up post-fight while dedicating the victory to his late son, Kobe.

    “Let’s go, brother,” Adesanya said, before recapping Ngannou’s win. “Flawless. That was a beautiful performance. He took one leg kick, dodged the flurry, and eventually timed his right hand, shot for a double, kept him there and knocked him out.

    “Proud, inspired, and just happy to watch him do his thing,” Adesanya continued. He’s gone through so much in his career — even still. After the whole boxing thing, people were doubting him. … They forget who this man is. … I’m glad he reminded everybody why he’s the best, why he’s the one, why he’s Francis Ngannou.”

    It remains to be seen what will come next in the career of Ngannou, and whether his sights will remain on the cage or return to the ring following a two-fight boxing stint across the past year.

    But with talk of dream showdowns with the likes of Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall rising back to the surface following this past weekend’s result, it would appear that plenty have strong interest in “The Predator’s” MMA exploits moving forward.

  • Anthony Hernandez Assesses Future Dricus Du Plessis Clash After UFC Fight Night Win

    Anthony Hernandez Assesses Future Dricus Du Plessis Clash After UFC Fight Night Win

    UFC middleweight contender Anthony Hernandez has a firm eye on Dricus Du Plessis and his gold.

    The fan favorite boosted his chances of booking a spot opposite the reigning champion at 185 pounds down the line on Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night card at the Apex, where he emerged victorious from his maiden main event.

    Hernandez emphatically ended the winning run of Michel Pereira, putting a beating on the Brazilian across four rounds before forcing the TKO stoppage in the final frame.

    During his post-fight press conference, Hernandez outlined his plans to repeat the performance he put in all the way to the top.

    When he gets there, the current title scenario in the middleweight division would see the #13-ranked contender challenge the reign of Du Plessis, which commenced at the expense of Sean Strickland at the start of 2024 and has already gone through Israel Adesanya.

    Hernandez looked ahead to a potential clash with “Stillknocks” in the future with a respectful assessment of the champ’s style, which has continually proved fans and analysts wrong on MMA’s biggest stage.

    “I think it would be a great fight. Realistically, who mixes it up really well would be Du Plessis,” Hernandez said. “He mixes it very f*cking well, and that’s why he’s champion right now. He’s just a tough motherf*cker and he goes. He looks like he’s gassed and he keeps pushing. I’d love to fight him. I’m just going to keep climbing the ladder so I can get to him. Great job to him. Keep up the great work, man.”

    Hernandez would seem to have a decent chunk of work to do before standing opposite the middleweight kingpin, however.

    And after defending his spot on the ladder this past weekend to make it six wins on the bounce, the 31-year-old will no doubt be setting his sights on the top 10 next time out.

  • Renan Ferreira Issues First Statement On Brutal PFL Loss To Francis Ngannou: ‘A Bit Broken…’

    Renan Ferreira Issues First Statement On Brutal PFL Loss To Francis Ngannou: ‘A Bit Broken…’

    PFL heavyweight Renan Ferreira has spoken publicly for the first time since falling to a devastating fate at the hands of Francis Ngannou in Riyadh.

    In his return to Saudi Arabia eight months on from a rapid knockout of Ryan Bader at the PFL vs. Bellator event, Ferreira was the one on the wrong end of a quick conclusion in the main event.

    The Brazilian headlined this past weekend’s Battle of the Giants pay-per-view at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, welcoming Ngannou back to mixed martial arts.

    While “Problema” vowed to upset the odds and stall “The Predator’s” debut inside the SmartCage, he was quickly taken down and ground-and-pounded into unconsciousness.

    With many seeing the stoppage as late, there was some concern over Ferreira’s condition in the immediate aftermath. Fortunately, he returned to his feet for the official result and has since released a statement on social media.

    On his Instagram Stories, the 2023 PFL champ admitted to being ” a bit broken” by the disappointing result. He did, however, vow to bounce back stronger and thanked his supporters for their backing.

    “Hey guys, Renan ‘Problema’ here, a bit broken,” Ferreira said in Portuguese. (h/t Danny Segura). “Yesterday wasn’t a good day at work, guys, but I’m very happy with all our dedication and everything that developed through our work. I’ve always had the mindset of never losing, for myself, to fight any lack of dedication and commitment, and thank God I have a clean conscience. I worked very hard there, showed up well to the fight, and was happy to return.

    “Unfortunately, my opponent was superior. He managed to impose a game where that I couldn’t defend the takedowns, which led to very hard ground-and-pound to get through. And that’s it, life goes on, we’ll be back. I want to thank everyone for all the love and support, we’re always together. Hugs.”

    While Ferreira looks ahead to his opportunity to return to winning ways next time out, all eyes are on Ngannou and his plans in MMA.

    Though his desire to lace the boxing gloves is seemingly far from fulfilled, the Cameroonian’s emphatic comeback to the sport in which he made his name has no doubt only increased the fans’ appetite for some major matchups in the cage.

  • Max Holloway Honest On If He Can Surpass Alex Pereira For 2024 Fighter Of The Year

    Max Holloway Honest On If He Can Surpass Alex Pereira For 2024 Fighter Of The Year

    Max Holloway has expressed his belief that UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira is likely to be named 2024 Fighter of the Year. In 2024, Pereira has fought three times, earning three consecutive finishes. He secured victories against Jamal Hill at UFC 300, Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303, and most recently, Khalil Rountree at UFC 307. Following these dominant performances, Pereira plans to take some time off.

    Fighter of the Year Discussion

    In a recent interview with Kevin Iole, Holloway was asked about his thoughts on the 2024 Fighter of the Year.

    “I mean, I don’t know, man. I don’t know that I would be [the Fighter of the Year]. The way Alex [Pereira] took fights… he’s the fastest guy to defend his title, right? With three title defenses. That’s a hard man to beat.”

    He continued, “Every time I’m in the talks for [being Fighter of the Year], somebody’s having a crazy year. I think Alex Pereira has already got that win in the bag.”

    Holloway himself is set to return later this month at UFC 308, where he will challenge Ilia Topuria for the featherweight title.

  • ‘2024 Beatdown Of The Year’ – Fans React As Anthony Hernandez Dominates Michel Pereira In UFC Fight Night Main Event

    ‘2024 Beatdown Of The Year’ – Fans React As Anthony Hernandez Dominates Michel Pereira In UFC Fight Night Main Event

    “Fluffy” has made a statement in a brutal manner, as Anthony Hernandez put a beating on Michel Pereira in the middleweight main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night.

    The first round ultimately proved to be a close one, with both men having their moments. Pereira made Hernandez take on barrages of shots, but the American was able to survive and adjust, scoring takedowns and having the momentum at the end of the round.

    “Demolidor” came out strong in the first 30 seconds of the second round, but his foe was able to bring relentless pressure throughout the rest of the round. “Fluffy” got Pereira in trouble with a pair of submission attempts and nearly finished the fight with striking on the ground.

    Hernandez brought the fight back to the ground in the third and seemed to just have his way with him, with Pereira offering up no defense or answer to his positioning and attacks. This continued into the fourth before Hernandez bloodied up the Brazilian in the fifth, forcing a stoppage approximately halfway through the round.

    Anthony Hernandez Batters Michel Pereira In One-Sided UFC Fight Night Main Event

    Hernandez came into this fight on a five-fight win streak. Prior to tonight, he had most recently finished Roman Kopylov at UFC 298 this past February.

    Pereira, meanwhile, entered this fight on a solid eight-fight win streak with victories over the likes of Michał Oleksiejczuk, Andre Petroski, Santiago Ponzinibbio and, most recently at UFC 301, Ihor Potieria.