MMA News

Category: MMA

  • Merab Dvalishvili Rejects Notion Sean O’Malley Will Be His Toughest Opponent To Date

    Merab Dvalishvili Rejects Notion Sean O’Malley Will Be His Toughest Opponent To Date

    Top UFC bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili knows he’s in for a challenge this weekend, but he doesn’t see it as the greatest he’s faced to date.

    Dvalishvili will make the walk on Saturday night to headline Noche UFC (UFC 306), the promotion’s second annual celebration of Mexican Independence Day, at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

    The Georgian is set to challenge for the gold at 135 pounds opposite reigning kingpin Sean O’Malley, having earned his first title shot off the back of 10 straight wins on MMA’s biggest stage.

    In “Sugar,” Dvalishvili is challenging a champ whose sole career loss came soon after a freak injury opposite Marlon Vera, a setback he avenged emphatically across five rounds against “Chito” this past March.

    With that defense coming months on from a memorable crowning against grappling specialist Aljamain Sterling, plenty are backing the Montana native to withstand the threat brought by “Funk Master’s” teammate on Sept. 14.

    But Dvalishvili has vowed to wrest the strap away from O’Malley, and he doesn’t even think doing so would represent him overcoming his biggest hurdle thus far…

    Dvalishvili Picks Aldo Over O’Malley For Toughest UFC Opponent

    During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Dvalishvili looked ahead to the challenge awaiting him inside the Sphere on Saturday night.

    When asked whether he’s expecting the toughest test of his career, the Georgian instead pointed to legendary former featherweight champion and one-time bantamweight title challenger José Aldo.

    “I don’t think he’s the toughest opponent because I fought José Aldo, and I think he was the toughest opponent for me,” Dvalishvili said. “(O’Malley) is a new challenge, and I have all the respect for him as a fighter. I know he is good. He is dangerous. He knocks people out. He has the skill, the power, and everything else. But so do I.”

    O’Malley will no doubt expect to prove those comments wrong by delivering another emphatic title defense come fight night in Las Vegas this weekend, where both the UFC and boxing great Canelo Álvarez look to celebrate Mexican Independence Day with standout events in the “Fight Capital of the World.”

  • Israel Adesanya’s Coach Sets Championship Aim: ‘Don’t Be Surprised If We’re Back In Gold’

    Israel Adesanya’s Coach Sets Championship Aim: ‘Don’t Be Surprised If We’re Back In Gold’

    Following his fighter’s loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305, Israel Adesanya’s head coach Eugene Bareman spoke about the differences in this defeat compared to what happened at UFC 293.

    The City Kickboxing boss said that there was a lot of positives and some lessons that they could take away from Perth.

    Unlike their shock upset loss at the hands of Sean Strickland the previous year, the camp came away with a lot more positivity, despite the fact that Adesanya has now come up short in back-to-back Octagon appearances.

    Another one of Adesanya’s coaches is also confident that they will be able to rebuild from this point, after seeing what they did well and what needs work.

    Mike Angove Says Israel Adesanya Will Be Back In The Title Mix

    Some had questioned, including Du Plessis himself, whether Adesanya would retire from MMA if he was unable to reclaim the middleweight title this past month.

    “The Last Stylebender” made it clear in his ‘Wolf Of Wall Street’ style post-fight interview that suggested that he will be re-joining the ranks of the contenders for the first time in a long time.

    In a recent interview with Combat TV, City Kickboxing’s Mike Angove gave his thoughts on the main event of UFC 305 and the conclusions they were able to draw from it.

    He believes that whilst Du Plessis deserves a lot of credit for his performance on the night, it was their fight to lose before Adesanya made a mistake which led to him being submitted in the fourth round.

    Angove believes that the former champ is far from done and could be right back in title contention in the near future.

    “He [Adesanya] was clipped and he was off balance and he made a mistake I think from fatigue but you’ve got to credit Dricus for his ability to stay in the fight to sustain punishment and he did sustain punishment and take his opportunity when it presented itself. I mean he’s stepped up at every level, he’s found ways to win so he’s a champ but that’s a fight I think we can come back to. I think we have to make a couple of adjustments and win a couple of fights and don’t be surprised if we’re back in gold.”

    Read also: UFC’s Mario Bautista Predicts Fantasy Jon Jones, Alex Pereira, & Tom Aspinall Tournament (Exclusive)

  • Bryan Battle Assesses Skills Of Fellow UFC Welterweight Ian Garry: ‘I Think I’d Whoop His Ass’ (Exclusive)

    Bryan Battle Assesses Skills Of Fellow UFC Welterweight Ian Garry: ‘I Think I’d Whoop His Ass’ (Exclusive)

    UFC welterweight prospect Bryan Battle doesn’t see anything special in the arsenal of ranked contender Ian Garry.

    Garry, a former Cage Warriors champion, has extended his perfect professional record to 15-0 with eight victories since signing with mixed martial arts’ leading promotion in 2021.

    The latter half of the Irishman’s UFC career thus far has seen him rise the ranks against stiffer competition, defeating notable names in Daniel Rodriguez, Neil Magny, Geoff Neal, and Michael “Venom” Page en route to #7 in the pecking order at 170 pounds.

    Despite that run and his firm prediction of title success soon enough, not everyone has been impressed by “The Future” and the manner with which he’s emerged victorious in two fights this year.

    That evidently includes a welterweight peer in Battle…

    Battle Likes His Chances Against Garry

    During a recent interview with MMA News’ Ryan Jarrell, Battle assessed the skillset of Garry, who sits among the top contenders that the TUF 29 winner has his sights on for the future.

    “He’s not — I mean, you’ve gotta give a motherf*cker credit where credit’s due. He’s undefeated. He’s been undefeated in the UFC,” Battle said. “One thing I’ve come to appreciate in the UFC is no matter how someone looks to an extent, if they’re being successful in the UFC, then that means they’re good.

    “Eye test and like, my opinion, is that he’s not that good,” Battle continued. “But you have to give credit where credit’s due. He’s out there, he’s doing his thing. He’s fast. He’s sharp. I think I would whoop his ass, but you know, whatever. Hopefully he stays undefeated until we fight each other. Hey, I’d be interested to see how he does against an elite grappler, you know what I’m saying?”

    Perhaps Battle will get the chance to prove his remarks correct inside the Octagon down the line.

    The first step in his pursuit of closing the gap on Garry in the welterweight division comes later this month in the French capital, where “The Butcher” is tasked with stalling the rise of another highly touted up-and-comer in City Kickboxing’s Kevin Jousset.

  • UFC’s Mario Bautista Predicts Fantasy Jon Jones, Alex Pereira, & Tom Aspinall Tournament (Exclusive)

    UFC’s Mario Bautista Predicts Fantasy Jon Jones, Alex Pereira, & Tom Aspinall Tournament (Exclusive)

    The next UFC heavyweight title fight would appear to be pitting arguably the greatest of all time against the best fighter we have seen in this weight class inside the Octagon.

    Despite the pedigree that both Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic bring to the table, there are two other names that the majority of fans would rather see face off with “Bones”.

    Interim champion Tom Aspinall is seen by many as the future of the division and with his speed and ability to finish fights, he’s a test that many want to see Jones face.

    Though he may have never competed at this weight, the idea of seeing light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira move up is another incredibly enticing prospect following the run that he has been on, which has turned him into one of the biggest names in the sport.

    Mario Bautista Gives His Take On How Alex Pereira, Tom Aspinall & Jon Jones Match Up

    At UFC 307, Mario Bautista is set to share the card with “Poatan” who will be defending his light heavyweight title in the main event against Khalil Rountree.

    Elsewhere on the main card, Bautista is set to take on his biggest challenge to date when he faces off with a legend of the game in Brazil’s José Aldo.

    The bantamweight contender spoke in a recent interview with MMA News about whether he thinks Pereira would be able to mix it up with the heavyweight division’s two current champions.

    He explained why, in his opinion, Aspinall would be the tougher match-up for the elite striker at 205-pounds.

    “It’s hard to say, it’s very interesting you know. He has that power and I think Jon Jones did fight at 205 too so I’d give him a shot at Jon Jones. Tom Aspinall, he can move pretty fast for how big he is so that’s the iffy one for me.”

    In a follow-up question, Bautista was asked whether this means that based on MMA math, he would also pick Aspinall to beat Jones, therefore seeing him come out on top in this little fantasy round-robin tournament.

    “I think he could. Tom Aspinall, for how big he is and how fast he moves, I don’t think Jon Jones has kind of seen anything like that so I would go with Tom on that one.”

    Read also: Gilbert Burns Addresses Future After Third Straight UFC Loss: ‘Nothing Was Good…I’ve Got To Rethink’

  • Coach Vows: ‘No Way’ Merab Dvalishvili Suffers Ben Askren-Like Knockout At UFC 306

    Coach Vows: ‘No Way’ Merab Dvalishvili Suffers Ben Askren-Like Knockout At UFC 306

    Heading into the biggest fight of his career, Merab Dvalishvili is preparing for a high-stakes chess match in the main event of UFC 306.

    Many will point to the grappling skills as the clear advantage that Dvalishvili has over the bantamweight champion, Sean O’Malley.

    The issue is getting to “Suga” without taking significant damage requires a lot of patience and timing which means he can’t afford to rush things.

    This was stressed by both his long-time training partner and former O’Malley opponent Aljamain Sterling as well as his coach, John Wood, who is making sure that they’re ready to fight across all ranges in case they need to.

    John Wood Says That Merab Dvalishvili Won’t Be Overzealous In Shooting For A Takedown

    In a recent interview with The Scrap, Wood spoke about how he always prepares his fighters in this way even if they have a specialist skillset.

    Being confident in all aspects of the fight means that Dvalishvili isn’t going to solely rely on his grappling, which could lead to him rushing and making mistakes which O’Malley will be looking to punish him for with his counter-striking game.

    “There are things that we can see that we can capitalize on and obviously, it’d be a fool to think that they don’t think or his coach Tim Welch wouldn’t think, ‘Oh hey, we’re going out there to just dive in on his legs.’ Of course they know that so we’re not going to do that. We’re not going to make it, ‘Oh hey, here I am,’ boom, run into something. That’s just stupid.”

    The interviewer, Marcos Antelo, then made reference to Jorge Masvidal’s record-breaking knockout of Ben Askren at UFC 239.

    “Gamebred” secured the fastest finish in UFC history back in 2019 after he correctly predicted that Askren would dip his head for a takedown if Masvidal ran at him, lining him up perfectly for a flying knee.

    Wood doubled down on the idea that they won’t be rushing anything on Saturday night at the Sphere, and are preparing for a complete mixed martial arts contest.

    “Yeah that’s just ridiculous, there’s no way that’s happening. There’s no way we’re getting KO’d in that kind of situation. There’s no way like, are we gonna get hit? Sure. Is Sean gonna get taken down? Yes. It it gonna be a fight? Absolutely.”

    Read also: UFC Analyst Predicts Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili To Be One-Sided: ‘Can’t See A Back & Forth Fight’

  • Aljamain Sterling: UFC’s Focus On Jones vs. Miocic Could Involve Overseas Sheikh Influence

    Aljamain Sterling: UFC’s Focus On Jones vs. Miocic Could Involve Overseas Sheikh Influence

    Rarely has a fight been spoken about and debated as much before it has even happened, as the overdue meeting between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic.

    The current and former UFC heavyweight champions were set to meet at UFC 295 in what many believed would be the final fight of both men’s careers.

    Jones’ injury pushed the fight back and in that time, there has been a lot of talk about whether interim champion Tom Aspinall should be next for “Bones” instead.

    Despite the clear case to be made for why Aspinall should get the chance to unify the belts, Dana White and the UFC haven’t even considered the possibility of Jones vs Miocic being removed from the schedule.

    White has questioned whether the fans and media expect him to tell Miocic, who is arguably the best UFC heavyweight of all time, to stand aside rather than rescheduling his long-awaited meeting with Jones.

    Aljamain Sterling Theorizes Why The UFC Are Sticking To Their Guns On Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic

    In a recent YouTube video, former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling gave his thoughts on this heavily debated topic.

    ‘Funkmaster’ took the stance that if Jones is on his way out, surely you would want him to face a young fighter like Aspinall who could become a big star if he’s able to be the first man to defeat “Bones”, rather than the potential of seeing both Jones and Miocic walk away after their fight.

    Sterling then came to the conclusion that there could be another factor in play that has not been publicly announced.

    He questioned whether there could be a party outside of the UFC who are keeping the Jones vs Miocic fight together because as Sterling stated, the promotion always wants to put on the biggest possible fights, which at this time, would be the heavyweight title unification clash with Aspinall.

    The former champion theorized that a wealthy outside influence may be the one that is pushing for the original fight to be rebooked, rather than scrapping it in favor of a more exciting option.

    “They always go with the fight that makes the most money so there has to be something there with the UFC being adamant and sticking to the guns of Jon Jones fighting Stipe Miocic. There just has to be something there. Maybe it’s contractual, maybe it’s contractual with another organization, maybe it’s one of the Sheikhs overseas or something that they promised this fight. There has to be something that’s making the UFC reluctant to unify the belts and that’s the only thing that I could think of that makes sense.”

    Read also: Sean O’Malley Questions Who Aljamain Sterling Will Be Supporting At Noche UFC: ‘Probably Hopes I Beat Merab…’

  • Sean O’Malley’s Coach Reveals He Uses Memes To Craft Game Plan Against Merab Dvalishvili

    Sean O’Malley’s Coach Reveals He Uses Memes To Craft Game Plan Against Merab Dvalishvili

    UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and his long-time coach, Tim Welch, have come through their careers alongside one another.

    Due to the fact that they have worked as a team for such a long time, they have a great working relationship that allows both of them to excel in their roles.

    Welch has spent the past few months helping to prepare his fighter for UFC 306 this Saturday night, where “Suga” takes on Merab Dvalishvili.

    On a recent podcast appearance, Welch spoke about a technique they use when helping the 135-pound champ to become familiar with how their opponents react to different scenarios.

    Tim Welch Reveals Scouting Technique For Sean O’Malley’s Opponents

    On The BrendenSchmitty Show, Welch explained how a fighter in their gym named TJ is crucial to helping break down O’Malley’s opponents.

    He explained how TJ helps to produce detailed reports of what and how Dvalishvili acts in instances where he’s shooting for takedowns, responding to strikes from different stances and recovering from being hurt.

    The added trick that helps to translate this information to O’Malley in his training is by breaking these reactions into short clips – and memes – so that they can be constantly replayed, meaning that “Suga” can pick them up even faster.

    Taking these patterns and making them into a part of their training and drills allows O’Malley to know what his opponent will do before they even do it.

    “What does he do after he gets rocked and hurt like when Marlon hurt him or Henry hurt him? What does he do? Where’s his head at? What does he do? And he breaks down all these things and turns them into little GIFs or like memes so he can watch that and then it can structure the pads and the knockout shots around that… and then just having Sean rep it and rep it and rep it and then try to hit it in sparring.”

    Read also: Sean O’Malley Questions Who Aljamain Sterling Will Be Supporting At Noche UFC: ‘Probably Hopes I Beat Merab…’

  • VIDEO: UFC 306 Countdown Episode Ahead Of Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili & Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko 3

    VIDEO: UFC 306 Countdown Episode Ahead Of Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili & Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko 3

    Fight week for the UFC 306 (Noche UFC) pay-per-view this Saturday night has kicked off with the release of the promotion’s latest Countdown episode.

    Under the spotlight in this edition is the headliner between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili and the co-main event between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko.

    Saturday’s lineup is topped by an intriguing championship clash, with bantamweight kingpin O’Malley (18-1, 1 NC) looking to add a second successful defense to his reign, which got underway with a victory over Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 in August 2023. He’s since retained possession of the belt by getting the better of Marlon Vera in their Miami rematch this past March.

    If “Sugar” is to continue his rule atop the 135-pound mountain, he must record a victory over Dvalishvili (17-4). “The Machine” will ride a 10-fight win streak into his first title shot on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage, most notably getting the better of prominent names like Marlon Moraes, José Aldo, Petr Yan, and Henry Cejudo in recent years.

    Before those two run it back in the main event at Las Vegas’ Sphere, the Mexican Independence Day celebration will see one of the country’s own defending their championship.

    For the third straight fight, the UFC women’s flyweight gold will be contested by Grasso (16-3-1) and Shevchenko (23-4-1), as they complete their trilogy 18 months on from the Mexican’s memorable upset submission at T-Mobile Arena. Since that result, the pair have fought to a draw at last year’s Noche UFC event and coached opposite one another on the 2024 edition of The Ultimate Fighter.

    Ahead of those two contests in Las Vegas, fans can catch previews in the full episode of UFC 306 Countdown on the promotion’s YouTube channel.

    UFC 306 Countdown: Full Episode

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDwQL_Dyonk
  • Gilbert Burns Addresses Future After Third Straight UFC Loss: ‘Nothing Was Good…I’ve Got To Rethink’

    Gilbert Burns Addresses Future After Third Straight UFC Loss: ‘Nothing Was Good…I’ve Got To Rethink’

    UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns knows he’s reached a point of uncertainty after falling to a three-fight losing skid.

    Burns, a former title challenger on MMA’s biggest stage, suffered his latest defeat inside the Octagon this past weekend while headlining Saturday’s UFC Fight Night at the Apex.

    Following consecutive defeats at the hands of then-future champion Belal Muhammad in May 2023 and the rising Jack Della Maddalena this past March, “Durinho” was hoping for a crucial rebound performance at the expense of Sean Brady.

    But the Brazilian was unable to find that across five rounds in Las Vegas, instead falling to a convincing unanimous decision loss in what marked his third main event in the UFC.

    With another slip down the pecking order set to arrive at his doorstep in Tuesday’s rankings update, Burns’ career appears to be in limbo.

    ‘Disappointed’ Burns Ready For ‘Rethink’ After Another Defeat

    During a backstage interview with Charly Arnolt for ESPN, Burns gave an honest and critical reflection on his performance opposite Burns.

    The former title challenger admitted that nothing felt right when the cage door closed behind him on Saturday night. And with that in mind, “Durinho” isn’t sure what lies ahead for him in MMA.

    “I’m a little bit disappointed. I know I have the grit, I know I can fight hard, but I didn’t let go,” Burns said. “I felt great this whole freaking week. I felt good in training camp. This morning was great. But when I got (to the Octagon), it didn’t flow. It just didn’t flow. Nothing was good.

    “I didn’t let it go. Props to Sean. Sean is a tough one. I hit him with some good shots, I tried to finish. I think I forced the finish too much,” Burns continued. “I don’t know (what’s next). … I’ve got to rethink. I’ve got to go back, talk to my coaches, see what’s next. At the same time, give a little time to my family. They give up so much when I’m in a camp for a fight. I’m gonna go back, spend time with the family, go back to train. I don’t have any injuries, thank God. I lost, but at least the body is feeling good.”

    At 38 years old and riding a three-fight skid, returning to the title conversation would look to be an uphill task for Burns, who once appeared close to a title crowning after dropping Kamaru Usman early into their UFC 258 showdown over three years ago.

    Brady, meanwhile, firmly has his eyes on the prize. And having likely secured a rise to within touching distance of the welterweight top five, the Philadelphian has his sights on either Ian Garry or Colby Covington next.

  • Sean O’Malley Questions Who Aljamain Sterling Will Be Supporting At Noche UFC: ‘Probably Hopes I Beat Merab…’

    Sean O’Malley Questions Who Aljamain Sterling Will Be Supporting At Noche UFC: ‘Probably Hopes I Beat Merab…’

    UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley sees a reason for upcoming opponent Merab Dvalishvili’s most notable teammate actually rooting against the challenger this weekend.

    O’Malley is set for his second assignment of 2024 on Saturday night. After headlining UFC 299 in Miami this past March, the 135-pound kingpin will put his gold on the line in the main event of Noche UFC.

    “Sugar” has been tasked with topping the lineup for the promotion’s celebration of Mexican Independence Day this year, which comes at a notably different venue in the form of Las Vegas’ Sphere.

    The Montana native is looking to close out a memorable night by stalling the title charge of Dvalishvili, who has won 10 straight to finally earn his first opportunity at reaching the bantamweight mountaintop.

    O’Malley and his supporters will be expecting “The Machine” to fall short. And, according to the champ, Dvalishvili’s own teammate may be hoping for the same fate…

    O’Malley Has A Theory On Dvalishvili, Sterling Friendship

    During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, O’Malley looked ahead to his second defense of the bantamweight title, which has seen his eyes remain on a member of the Serra-Longo Fight Team.

    Talk of Sterling providing Dvalishvili with valuable insight into sharing the cage with “Sugar” has been a prominent topic in the lead-up to the Sept. 14 event.

    However, given the manner of his defeat in Boston last year, O’Malley wouldn’t be surprised if “Funk Master” is secretly rooting for the Georgian’s failure in order to make his efforts against “Sugar” look better.

    “I mean, I don’t know what Aljo’s gonna tell Merab. Like, ‘F*ck, he’s fast, he’s sharp, he’s accurate, he’s hard to take down. Good luck!’ Like, there wasn’t a lot of success Aljo had in that fight,” O’Malley said. “If anything, Aljo probably shouldn’t tell him anything because it’s probably just gonna make him a little bit nervous.

    “Who knows, Aljo probably hopes I beat Merab. It makes Aljo look better,” O’Malley continued. “I’m just curious if Merab was happy that I knocked out Aljo. If I didn’t knock out Aljo, Merab still would be waiting around. So I have a little theory that maybe they’re not as good buddies as we all thought.”

    Sterling is expected to be alongside the likes of Ray Longo with team Dvalishvili this weekend, hoping to get a cageside view of his friend and training partner’s long-awaited crowning moment on MMA’s biggest stage.

    And when it comes to the venue for his first attempt at securing that, the Georgian likely couldn’t have wished for a grander setting than the unique surroundings of the Sphere.

  • Sean Brady Begs UFC To Let Him Fight Former Title Challenger Next: ‘Please…I Will Murder Him!’

    Sean Brady Begs UFC To Let Him Fight Former Title Challenger Next: ‘Please…I Will Murder Him!’

    UFC welterweight contender Sean Brady has big fights in his sights after likely moving close to the top five with a victory over Gilbert Burns this past weekend.

    Brady made it two wins on the bounce in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night main event. Since suffering his first career defeat at the hands of then-future champion Belal Muhammad in 2022 and subsequently missing 14 months through injury, the 31-year-old has gotten the better of Kelvin Gastelum and now “Durinho.”

    The Philadelphia native and his Brazilian counterpart headlined the event on September 7, going five rounds inside the Apex in Las Vegas. Brady had his hand raised by way of a convincing unanimous decision.

    Having beaten the #6 contender, Brady can expect to find himself within touching distance of the title picture come the next rankings update. And to break into it, he wouldn’t mind facing the man occupying #5…

    Brady Keen For Covington Clash After UFC Fight Night Main Event Win

    During Saturday’s post-fight press conference, Brady reflected on his first main event win on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage.

    In terms of what could come next as a result, Brady had a couple of names in mind, one of whom’s career is in limbo following a third failed bid for title glory last time out.

    “I’ll fight Colby (Covington). I think Colby is the easiest matchup in the division. I’ll piece him up on the feet. I’ll rag doll him,” Covington said. “I’ll fight Colby in a heartbeat. UFC, please give me Colby, I will murder him. He shouldn’t even be ranked. When’s the last time he fought?”

    Covington wasn’t the only notable name on Brady’s lips at the Apex. Both inside the Octagon and at the presser, the Philadelphia standout staked his claim for the chance to blemish the perfect record of Ian Garry.

    It remains to be seen what the UFC will choose for Brady next, but there’s no doubt that the 31-year-old has got himself back on track less than two years on from his setback at the hands of Muhammad.

  • Dana White Reacts To Demetrious Johnson’s MMA Retirement: ‘I Was Defending Him From The Fans!

    Dana White Reacts To Demetrious Johnson’s MMA Retirement: ‘I Was Defending Him From The Fans!

    Demetrious Johnson has long cemented his place in the minds of MMA fans as one of the greatest of all time and the greatest flyweight the sport has ever seen.

    Many in the MMA community are celebrating and reflecting on Johnson’s performances and accomplishments in the sport after he announced his retirement at ONE Championship’s event in Denver, Colorado on September 6.

    Though the latter years of Johnson’s career saw him in Asia’s ONE Championship, he is best known as the inaugural and long-reigning king of the UFC’s flyweight division.

    In an interview with John Morgan, UFC CEO Dana White was given his chance to react to the retirement of “Mighty Mouse.” White stated that he has long praised Johnson’s abilities, even claiming to be the former flyweight champ’s biggest defender.

    “If you go back to when he was here, I was defending him from the fans,” White said. “Who’s defended Demetrious Johnson more than me? Good for him. Incredible career he had, and I’ve never had a problem with Demetrious Johnson.”

    Demetrious Johnson ‘Absolutely’ Will Find Himself In UFC Hall Of Fame, Says Dana White

    Johnson made his professional MMA debut in 2007, winning 10 straight before a loss to Brad Pickett. He then won four more fights, including his first two UFC matchups against Norifumi Yamamoto and Miguel Torres, before unsuccessfully challenging then-UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz in October 2011.

    Johnson subsequently dropped to flyweight upon the UFC’s establishment of its 125-pound division in 2012, defeating Ian McCall and Joseph Benavidez to become the inaugural champion.

    This would start Johnson’s six-year dominance over the weight class, going to defend the championship 11 straight times, setting a still-standing UFC record in the process.

    Johnson lost the championship to Henry Cejudo at UFC 227 in August 2018 and was traded by the UFC to ONE Championship in exchange for Ben Askren.

    “Mighty Mouse” went on to win the ONE Flyweight Grand Prix in 2019 but was knocked out for the only time in his career against Adriano Moraes in their 2021 title fight. Johnson won their rematch in August 2022 to capture the ONE flyweight title.

    The American defended the title in a trilogy fight with Moraes in May 2023 — the final fight of Johnson’s career and ONE’s debut in the US.

    Though Johnson’s UFC run ended in the trade and in ONE Championship, White said that with his accomplishments, there is no doubt he’ll be in the UFC Hall of Fame.

    “Absolutely,” White said matter-of-factly.

  • Update Provided On Gruesome Eye Injury Suffered By Rongzhu In UFC Fight Night Loss

    Update Provided On Gruesome Eye Injury Suffered By Rongzhu In UFC Fight Night Loss

    Perhaps the most noteworthy finish of UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Brady on Saturday night came in the featured bout of the preliminary card, as Rongzhu suffered a gruesome facial injury at the hands of Chris Padilla.

    Padilla landed an elbow that went directly to one of Rongzhu’s eyes, swelling it shut and forcing the cageside doctor to step in. The fight was ultimately waved off in the American’s favor in the second round.

    Rongzhu was transported to the hospital following the fight.

    Rongzhu ‘Could Not Open His Eye’ After Being Transported To Hospital Following Loss To Chris Padilla

    In the latest update on his health, Rongzhu’s manager told Alex Behunin of MMA Mania late Saturday night that the fighter suffered multiple fractures in his face. He added that Rongzhu still could not open his eye.

    This fight marked his first fight back in the UFC after winning the Road to UFC season 2 lightweight tournament, defeating Shin Haraguchi in the final back in February.

    Rongzhu previously went 1-2 in his first stint with the UFC, defeating Brandon Jenkins but losing to Kazula Vargas and Ignacio Bahamondes alongside a pair of weight misses.

  • ‘Grow Up & Mature!’ – Former UFC Champ To Nate Diaz After He Gets Into Altercation Like Israel Adesanya

    ‘Grow Up & Mature!’ – Former UFC Champ To Nate Diaz After He Gets Into Altercation Like Israel Adesanya

    Nate Diaz recently made the headlines for getting into an altercation at a club. The UFC veteran retired after submitting Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 and went on to box former rival Jorge Masvidal in July 2024.

    Over the years, Diaz has been in several heated altercations with fellow fighters and regular citizens. Although a lot of fans love to see him throw hands outside the Octagon, such incidents usually end up getting a mixed reaction in MMA circles.

    Diaz’s latest brawl with a club bouncer is no exception. While some fans cheered for the UFC legend as he squared up, others like Michael Bisping have criticized him…

    Michael Bisping Explains Why UFC Fighters Need To Be More Responsible Publicly While Reacting To Nate Diaz And Israel Adesanya Altercations

    Bisping was reacting to Khamzat Chimaev submitting Luke Rockhold in a friendly match on his YouTube channel recently. Before beginning the breakdown, he pointed out how both fighters knew about being recorded.

    On a similar note, “The Count” remembered prominent UFC fighters like Israel Adesanya and Diaz getting into conflicts and being recorded in the last week. Bisping claimed that nowadays, people intentionally try to provoke fighters and then sue them.

    “That guy knew exactly who Israel Adesanya was. He was probably doing it to goad him on to maybe, sue him down the line because that’s just the state of the world we live in.”

    While Adesanya is pressing charges against the person who verbally abused him, the same can’t be said for Diaz. It’s hard to justify his actions as self-defense and Bisping was quite critical of it.

    “Nate Diaz, he did the same thing a few days ago. Once again, getting into some kind of altercation out and about on a night out with a doorman, you know what I mean? I’m not going to sit here and bash Nate Diaz because he’s got legions of fans but come on, what the hell? The man’s almost 40 years old, can’t be going out there and getting into altercations like this every time, every time, right? Listen, I wasn’t innocent when I was a kid but you got to grow up and mature at some point. Nate Diaz is a very very famous man, right? You got to know that people again, are going to be on their phones.”

    “The Count” looked back at the times he used to get into brawls constantly but claimed to have matured with age. He expects Diaz to follow a similar route and avoid such altercations for his own good.

  • Arman Tsarukyan Lays Down Condition For Charles Oliveira Rematch: ‘I Beat Him Via Unanimous Decision’

    Arman Tsarukyan Lays Down Condition For Charles Oliveira Rematch: ‘I Beat Him Via Unanimous Decision’

    Arman Tsarukyan defeated Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 to become the undisputed title challenger in the UFC lightweight division. The champion Islam Makhachev defended his belt against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302, so fans were looking forward to his return before the end of the year.

    Unfortunately, a hand injury has forced Makhachev to be out of action until at least the end of 2024. The UFC might book an interim title fight in the meantime to avoid stalling the division, and Tsarukyan is naturally going to be one-half of it.

    Despite winning a razor-close split decision against Oliveira at UFC 300, Tsarukyan is uninterested in fighting him again unless it’s for the title…

    Arman Tsarukyan Rejects Official Decision And Claims To Have Beaten Charles Oliveira By Unanimous Decision

    In an interview with Red Corner MMA, Tsarukyan revealed that he’s back in training and discussed what’s next for him while Makhachev recovers from injury.

    Right away, Tsarukyan highlighted that his goal is to win the UFC title, regardless of the opponent. So, with the lightweight kingpin out because of injury, he’s ready to fight any top-5 ranked contender for interim gold.

    When asked about how many people weren’t convinced by his latest victory, “Ahalkalakets” claimed that he beat Oliveira comfortably in the second and third rounds. The first round was close, but he strongly believes to have won the fight via unanimous decision.

    “No, I did put a dot on it already. I beat him via unanimous decision in my opinion. In all of the rounds. Yes, the first round was 50-50 but the second and third were one-sided. I was taking him down, beating him up in the stand-up. So, if it’s a rematch in the interim title fight then I wouldn’t care. I’d fight anyone for the title.”

    The stats don’t tell a different story either. Tsarukyan had over twice the significant strikes than “Do Bronxs” in their bout (49 to 19) and had 8 minutes 40 seconds of control time over Oliveira’s 2 minutes and 32 seconds. However, the Brazilian’s submission attempts definitely helped make the fight a lot closer than it seems.

    Regardless, “Ahalkalakets” doesn’t think he has anything more to prove against Oliveira. He’ll be interested in a rematch only if winning it guarantees him interim gold.

  • UFC Analyst Predicts Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili To Be One-Sided: ‘Can’t See A Back & Forth Fight’

    UFC Analyst Predicts Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili To Be One-Sided: ‘Can’t See A Back & Forth Fight’

    UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Brady has concluded, and next week, The Sphere will finally host UFC 306 featuring Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili as the main event. Alongside the exciting fight card, fans are looking forward to enjoying the spectacle promised by Dana White.

    The UFC bantamweight title bout is hard to predict for many. O’Malley and Dvalishvili are masters of different trades, and both have been pretty successful with their styles so far.

    According to UFC analyst Din Thomas, the UFC 306 main event will be one-sided, and it’s unlikely that fans will get to see a persistent brawl…

    Din Thomas Believes Sean O’Malley Is A Harder Opponent For Merab Dvalishvili Than Aljamain Sterling

    Karyn Brant, Paul Felder, and Thomas previewed UFC 306 at the UFC Fight Night Post Show on ESPN MMA recently.

    Felder was hyped up for the main event because of the long history between “Suga” and “The Machine”. From Dvalishvili stealing O’Malley’s jacket inside the Octagon to the latter unknowingly filming the former training in the rain, there have been plenty of memorable moments in their rivalry.

    Felder also mentioned the challenger’s relentless pressure and the champ’s accurate counter-striking that make this fight so unpredictable. According to Din Thomas, the fighter who walks away with the win will make himself known early in the fight.

    Thomas stated that the initial rounds would reveal the entire story of the UFC 306 main event. If Dvalishvili can control O’Malley early on, he’ll most likely continue to do so for five rounds. On the flip side, if the UFC bantamweight kingpin finds his range quickly, he’ll be piecing up “The Machine” from a distance throughout the fight.

    “I think we’re going to know right away. I think if Merab is able to get his hands on Sean early, then I think that’s going to tell the entire story of the fight. And if he can’t, I think that’s going to tell… I can’t see a back-and-forth fight here because their styles are so different and they’re so strong at their offenses that I just can’t imagine it going back-and-forth.”

    The analyst also pointed out that Dvalishvili is shorter than former champ Aljamain Sterling and he also gets hit way more. Thomas concluded that to emerge victorious, the challenger must find a way to not be overwhelmed by O’Malley’s precise distant striking.

    “As sharp as Sean O’Malley is, like that shot that he hit Aljamain Sterling with, that right hand.. just eagle eyed him. Just bang, Merab is more susceptible to getting hit than Aljamain and he’s shorter and he’s going to have a harder time getting in. So, Merab to me, this comes down to what is Merab doing in training to be able to deal with that length.”

  • Sean Brady Reveals How Belal Muhammad Made Him ‘A Completely Different Fighter’

    Sean Brady Reveals How Belal Muhammad Made Him ‘A Completely Different Fighter’

    Sean Brady just emerged victorious in his first UFC main event against Gilbert Burns. The welterweight prospect lost to Belal Muhammad via TKO in October 2022 which led to many doubting his ability to win the title.

    However, Brady has bounced back by beating big names like Kelvin Gastelum and Burns consecutively since that loss. He submitted Gastelum in the third and put on a dominant performance against “Durinho” to restart his welterweight title run.

    Brady seems more than ready to take on another top contender, and he’s interestingly credited Muhammad for his recent success…

    Sean Brady Talks About The Positive Impact Of Losing His Undefeated Status Against Belal Muhammad

    At the UFC Fight Night Post Show on ESPN MMA, Brady was asked about his statement that he would beat Muhammad nine times out of ten. He still agreed to it but highlighted that he didn’t mean to be disrespectful.

    The main-event winner praised the champion’s skills and admitted to not appreciating the hate he gets. At the same time, though, Brady also pointed out how nervous he was going into his fight with Muhammad.

    Brady fought with “Remember the Name” while boasting an impressive 15-0 record. He talked about having bad dreams regarding losing the fight and his undefeated status. The pressure of maintaining his perfect record got to him but after the loss, Brady actually felt relieved.

    “I personally like Belal. I don’t like the hate that Belal’s always gotten. I think he deserves to be where he’s at. He’s an amazing fighter but that night, I beat myself. I was having dreams that entire week, I was going to lose the fight and it was close. I was undefeated and I felt like my entire identity was wrapped into me being this undefeated fighter.”

    Brady rightly mentioned that he’s put on two of his best performances against two of the toughest opponents in his career since losing to Muhammad. He aims to fight Ian Garry or Colby Covington next and finally secure a welterweight title shot.

    “I put so much pressure on myself. The moment I lost that fight, I was like I’m going to be a completely different fighter and my next two performances after that were my two best performances against the hardest guys I’ve ever fought.”

  • ‘Khabib Bout To Jump In Himself’ – Fans React To Usman Nurmagomedov’s Bellator Title Defense, Khabib’s Corner Face Crank

    ‘Khabib Bout To Jump In Himself’ – Fans React To Usman Nurmagomedov’s Bellator Title Defense, Khabib’s Corner Face Crank

    Usman Nurmagomedov continued to live up to the high praise of his cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov, who has called him the future of the sport, by recording successful lightweight title defense against Alexandr Shabliy in the main event of Saturday’s Bellator Champions Series event in San Diego.

    From the beginning, Shabliy looked to use a quick right hook to his advantage, especially on the counterattack. But Nurmagomedov managed to score a takedown in the first round, though his challenger quickly shook him off.

    The two had a back-and-forth striking second round, and the third round proved to be the quietest of the bunch. Nurmagomedov did, however, still appear to be the fighter with more activity.

    The champ got quite the scare in the fourth round thanks to a one-two and a knee early in the round, turning away after the attack. But as it turned out, Shabliy poked him in the eye.

    Nurmagomedov then had his own moment of success later in the round, rocking his fellow Russian with a high kick and bringing him back to the mat, looking for a submission. The moment was topped by a shot of Khabib Nurmagomedov, in his cousin’s corner, doing a mock face crank of his own on UFC bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov.

    Shabliy was unable to pull the trigger and do much in the fifth round until it was too little, too late. Nurmagomedov won 50-45 on one judge’s scorecard and 49-46 on the other two to retain the title.

    Usman Nurmagomedov Nearly Sweeps Scorecards In Successful Bellator Lightweight Title Defense Over Alexandr Shabliy

    Nurmagomedov claimed the lightweight title with a win over Patricky Pitbull at Bellator 288. He then retained in wins over Benson Henderson and Brent Primus (the latter overturned to a no contest) during the unfinished Bellator Lightweight Grand Prix.

    Shabliy, meanwhile, had a nine-fight win streak entering this fight, including victories over Tofiq Musayev and Pitbull during the same tournament.

  • Bellator Champions Series Results & Highlights: Usman Nurmagomedov Decisions Alexandr Shabliy

    Bellator Champions Series Results & Highlights: Usman Nurmagomedov Decisions Alexandr Shabliy

    The fourth Bellator Champions Series event went down on Saturday night, and MMA News has you covered with all the action!

    After taking the newly created Bellator Champions Series to Belfast, Paris, and Dublin thus far since acquiring its rival promotion late last year, the Professional Fighters League (PFL) brought the brand back to United States soil for the first time in 2024.

    And headlining inside the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California on September 7 was Bellator Lightweight Champion Usman Nurmagomedov, who was tasked with defending his belt opposite an Alexandr Shabliy who rode a nine-fight win streak into his first title challenge.

    The reigning kingpin was ultimately successful, comfortably outpointing his fellow countryman in a largely low-volume affair across five rounds.

    Elsewhere on the lineup, Lorenz Larkin and Levan Chokheli duked it out to secure number one contender status at middleweight, with the 38-year-old UFC and Strikeforce veteran getting it done in under two minutes, and former Bellator champ Douglas Lima fell to Aaron Jeffrey in his comeback after 15 months away.

    With that said, see below for the full results, followed by all the highlights!

    Bellator Champions Series: Nurmagomedov vs. Shabliy Results & Highlights

    Main Card:

    • Lightweight Championship: Usman Nurmagomedov def. Alexandr Shabliy via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46)
    • Welterweight: Lorenz Larkin def. Levan Chokheli via TKO (punches): R1, 1:53
    • Middleweight: Aaron Jeffrey def. Douglas Lima via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
    • Women’s Flyweight: Sumiko Inaba def. Mackenzie Stiller via TKO (ground strikes): R2, 4:25
    • Lightweight: Zhora Ayvazyan def. Yancy Medeiros via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Middleweight: Jordan Newman def. Imamshafi Aliev via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
    • Welterweight: Masayuki Kikuiri def. Herman Terrado via TKO (body kick): R3, 2:54
    • Bantamweight: Bryce Meredith def. Jon Macalolooy via submission (rear-naked choke): R1, 3:18
    • Heavyweight: Josh Hokit def. Sean Rose via submission (armbar): R1, 4:48
    • Women’s Strawweight: Ashley Thiner def. Aysia Cortez via TKO (punches): R2, 3:11

    Ashley Thiner Def. Aysia Cortez

    Josh Hokit Def. Sean Rose

    Bryce Meredith Def. Jon Macalolooy

    Masayuki Kikuiri Def. Herman Terrado

    Jordan Newman Def. Imamshafi Aliev

    Zhora Ayvazyan Def. Yancy Medeiros

    Sumiko Inaba Def. Mackenzie Stiller

    Aaron Jeffrey Def. Douglas Lima

    Lorenz Larkin Def. Levan Chokheli

    Usman Nurmagomedov Def. Alexandr Shabliy

  • Lorenz Larkin, UFC & Strikeforce Vet, Earns Title Shot At 38 With Quick Bellator Champions Series Knockout

    Lorenz Larkin, UFC & Strikeforce Vet, Earns Title Shot At 38 With Quick Bellator Champions Series Knockout

    Even at 38 years old, Lorenz Larkin is not slowing down.

    Now, his next fight will present a likely last opportunity to earn gold thanks to his win at Saturday’s Bellator Champions Series event in San Diego.

    Larkin, a former UFC and Strikeforce fighter, faced Levan Chokheli in the co-main event at Pechanga Arena. The Georgian appeared set to present some challenge after catching a kick from Larkin and knocking him down.

    Chokheli, however, allowed the veteran back to his feet, a decision that proved to be a costly mistake when Larkin landed a right hand that wobbled Chokheli moments later.

    That started a flurry, paving the way for the American to score a TKO finish in just under two minutes.

    Lorenz Larkin Stops Levan Chokheli Quickly To Earn Bellator Welterweight Title Shot

    Larkin has now won nine of his last 11 fights and will take on Bellator welterweight champion Ramazan Kuramagomedov at some point to be determined.

    “The Monsoon” challenged for the same belt in his Bellator debut back in 2017 but fell to Douglas Lima. That result came off the back of a two-fight win streak in the UFC, with wins over Jorge Masvidal and Neil Magny concluding his four-year stint on MMA’s biggest stage.

    Chokheli, meanwhile, sees a three-fight winning run snapped. He is now 4-3 under the banner of Bellator, which was acquired by the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in late 2023.

  • ‘Belal vs. Brady Rematch For An Early Bedtime’ – Fans Give Mixed Reviews After Brady Beats Gilbert Burns In UFC Fight Night Main Event

    ‘Belal vs. Brady Rematch For An Early Bedtime’ – Fans Give Mixed Reviews After Brady Beats Gilbert Burns In UFC Fight Night Main Event

    Though not all fans were happy about the performance, the rising Sean Brady earned the biggest win of his MMA career thus far on Saturday night, defeating Gilbert Burns in the UFC Fight Night main event.

    Brady brought most of the activity in a relatively quiet opening round. He continued his pace into the second, although Burns’ power was on display from the get-go, stumbling his American counterpart early with a right hand.

    Burns appeared to land some of the fight’s strongest shots in the third frame, seemingly damaging Brady in a stuff and scramble. The Philadelphia native, however, managed to land knees to the body, fighting back and scoring the takedown to close out a highlight sequence featuring the two men.

    Brady’s activity did not slow down in the fourth round, with many believing Burns needed to turn up the aggression and let his hands go in the fifth stanza. “Durinho” partially landed a jumping knee, but it wasn’t enough.

    The favored American was able to score a takedown, riding out the round on top and scoring the unanimous nod from the judges.

    Sean Brady Scores Decision Win Over Former Title Challenger Gilbert Burns

    Brady has now won back-to-back fights after suffering the lone loss of his MMA career against current welterweight champion Belal Muhammad in October 2022.

    Former welterweight title challenger Burns, meanwhile, has now lost three straight.

  • UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Sean Brady Outlasts Gilbert Burns

    UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Sean Brady Outlasts Gilbert Burns

    The mixed martial arts leader staged its latest UFC Fight Night event on Saturday, and MMA News has you covered with all the action.

    Before all focus turns to a highly anticipated and significantly built-up Noche UFC pay-per-view at the Sphere next weekend, the promotion put on another card at a much more low-key Las Vegas venue in the Apex.

    The headline spot fell in the welterweight division, where former title challenger Gilbert Burns attempted to defend his #6 spot on the ladder and keep his hopes of a late-career second opportunity at the gold alive at the expense of Sean Brady.

    “Durinho” ultimately failed in that mission, with his Philadelphian opponent putting on a dominant display en route to a lopsided unanimous decision victory.

    Before that, a former champion was in action as ex-strawweight queen Jéssica Andrade shared the cage with her surging fellow countrywoman Natália Silva. The latter put on another striking masterclass to earn the nod from all three judges, catapulting her into the title picture at 125 pounds.

    With that said, see below for the full results, followed by all the highlights!

    UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Brady Results & Highlights

    Main Card:

    • Welterweight Main Event: Sean Brady def. Gilbert Burns via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46)
    • Women’s Flyweight Co-Main Event: Natália Silva def. Jéssica Andrade via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
    • Featherweight: Steve Garcia def. Kyle Nelson via TKO (ground strikes): R1, 3:59
    • Bantamweight: Cody Durden def. Matt Schnell via submission (ninja choke): R2, 0:29
    • Lightweight: Yanal Ashmouz def. Trevor Peek via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Lightweight: Chris Padilla def. Rongzhu via TKO (doctor stoppage): R3, 4:14
    • Featherweight: Isaac Dulgarian def. Brendon Marotte via submission (arm-triangle choke): R2, 4:19
    • Flyweight: André Lima def. Felipe dos Santos via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
    • Featherweight: Gabriel Santos def. Yizha via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
    • Women’s Strawweight: Jaqueline Amorim def. Vanessa Demopoulos via submission (armbar): R1, 3:28
    • Middleweight: Andre Petroski def. Dylan Budka via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
    • Featherweight: Nathan Fletcher def. Zygimantas Ramaska via submission (arm-triangle choke): R2, 1:14

    Nathan Fletcher Def. Zygimantas Ramaska

    Andre Petroski Def. Dylan Budka

    Jaqueline Amorim Def. Vanessa Demopoulos

    https://twitter.com/Haduuuucken/status/1832525623090381020

    Gabriel Santos Def. Yizha

    André Lima Def. Felipe dos Santos

    Isaac Dulgarian Def. Brendon Marotte

    https://twitter.com/Haduuuucken/status/1832546395653337462

    Chris Padilla Def. Rongzhu

    https://twitter.com/Haduuuucken/status/1832552709209096224

    Yanal Ashmouz Def. Trevor Peek

    Cody Durden Def. Matt Schnell

    https://twitter.com/Haduuuucken/status/1832567560644014199

    Steve Garcia Def. Kyle Nelson

    https://twitter.com/Haduuuucken/status/1832573926872064167

    Natália Silva Def. Jéssica Andrade

    Sean Brady Def. Gilbert Burns

  • ‘UFC Has Never Seen A Striker Like Natália Silva’ – Fans React After Silva Puts On Masterclass To Beat Former Champion Jéssica Andrade

    ‘UFC Has Never Seen A Striker Like Natália Silva’ – Fans React After Silva Puts On Masterclass To Beat Former Champion Jéssica Andrade

    A rising face at flyweight, Natália Silva will be in for a huge opportunity in her next outing after pulling off a win over former women’s strawweight champion Jéssica Andrade in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night.

    The first round was tight between the two, with Silva landing better strikes but Andrade working around the cage as the two traded and scrapped throughout the opening five minutes.

    “Bate Estaca” continued to press in the second round, but her fellow Brazilian was able to answer every time, stopping takedowns and working the distance with strikes.

    Silva did not slow down, sweeping the scorecards against the former UFC champion.

    Natália Silva Puts On Impressive Display With Strong Win Over Former Champion Jéssica Andrade

    Silva has now won 12 straight and improves to 6-0 in the UFC. Her last loss in MMA came against Marina Rodriguez in December 2017.

    Andrade, meanwhile, had won back-to-back fights at 115 pounds prior to this performance and has now lost four of her last six.

  • ‘One Of The Grossest Things I’ve Ever Seen’ – Fans React As Vicious Elbow To The Eye Forces Doctor Stoppage In UFC Fight Night Featured Prelim

    ‘One Of The Grossest Things I’ve Ever Seen’ – Fans React As Vicious Elbow To The Eye Forces Doctor Stoppage In UFC Fight Night Featured Prelim

    Chris Padilla brought about a vicious injury on his opponent, earning him a win in the featured preliminary bout of UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Brady.

    Rongzhu, Padilla’s opponent, appeared to be landing the higher quality strikes at a better pace, but the American flashed his power, foreshadowing the fight’s conclusion.

    Late in the second round, Padilla landed an elbow that landed directly on the eye of the Road to UFC standout. Rongzhu’s eye was completely shut by the attack, bringing in the cageside doctor, who quickly called a stop to the bout.

    Chris Padilla Picks Up Doctor’s Stoppage Win After Brutal Elbow Strike To Eye

    https://twitter.com/Haduuuucken/status/1832552240625693004

    Padilla has now won five straight with all but one win coming via a finish. He is also now 2-0 in the UFC after submitting James Llontop in April.

    Meanwhile, this marked Rongzhu’s first UFC fight since three straight wins on Road to UFC between 2023 and 2024. He previously competed for the UFC three times between 2021 and 2022, going 1-2.

  • Jorge Masvidal Reveals UFC Response After Requesting Leon Edwards Fight For Return

    After his loss to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 last year, Jorge Masvidal appeared to take his curtain call in MMA, retiring from competition after a lengthy career that featured a sudden rise to superstardom in 2019.

    But it now seems that Masvidal truly isn’t done with the sport.

    In a recent interview with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Masvidal revealed that he is planning to return to the UFC, reiterating plans that he made during the time of his boxing match with Nate Diaz a couple of months ago.

    Masvidal dropped a decision to Diaz in that fight, which left a bad taste in his mouth. He added that he couldn’t stay away from the fight game, and he couldn’t get ready for more training and fights without venturing back into MMA.

    “I definitely did (retire) from sports and all martial arts,” Masvidal said. “I retired for about…45 to 60 days. And then it just hit me. I was like, I’m not retired. I can’t. I started training, I started doing something, and this boxing opportunity fell in my lap; great opportunity, I couldn’t pass it up.

    “But even when I was doing boxing, even though I loved it, it just doesn’t compare to MMA. I just couldn’t picture myself getting ready for more fights and not being in MMA.”

    Jorge Masvidal Plans UFC Return, Wants To Face Leon Edwards

    Masvidal informed the UFC of his intention to return last month. He does not need a new contract, as he retired with two fights remaining on his UFC deal at the time of his retirement.

    Since Masvidal did a formal retirement, however, he will need to enter the UFC’s anti-doping program for a minimum of six months before making an official return to the Octagon. Those rights can be waived by the promotion if they deem necessary.

    There is one name on Masvidal’s mind for a return fight: Leon Edwards. The two have had bad blood spanning back to UFC Fight Night London in 2019, an event headlined by Masvidal knocking out Darren Till and Edwards defeating Gunnar Nelson.

    “Gamebred” and “Rocky,” live in an ESPN interview, got into an altercation that saw Masvidal land his infamous “three piece and a soda” on Edwards.

    “Give me f*cking Leon Edwards, bro,” Masvidal said. “Is he an up-and-coming guy? What would you call him? A veteran? Ex-champion? Whatever you call that mother******, give me that. Let’s go. We’ve got a built-in history. (The UFC) has got the whole promo.

    “He’s 0-1 against me. Let’s go. Let’s do the fight at the end of the year, next year. That’s it. Let’s get it done. And then, after I knock his ass out, guess what? They’ve got to give me the title shot.”

    But Masvidal admitted the UFC isn’t so sure of the idea.

    “Of course, I did (asked to fight Edwards in his return). Man, the first thing I told his (Hunter Campbell’s) a**. Yeah, they shut it down,” Masvidal said. “Said they won’t do that. Okay, we’ll see who’s next.

    “I heard he doesn’t want to fight,” Masvidal continued. “Who knows [why]? Maybe because I beat the f*** out of that guy, almost knocked him out.”

    Masvidal said he would only fight an up-and-comer if he feels it’s the right kind of fighter.