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  • Alex Pereira Defends UFC Against Backlash To Khalil Rountree Title Shot: ‘The Way Ankalaev Has Been Acting…’

    Alex Pereira Defends UFC Against Backlash To Khalil Rountree Title Shot: ‘The Way Ankalaev Has Been Acting…’

    Alex Pereira has taken to playing defense on behalf of the UFC following the announcement of his next title defense.

    In the days prior to UFC 305, UFC CEO Dana White officially announced UFC 307 on Oct. 5 in Salt Lake City, with Alex Pereira defending his UFC light heavyweight championship in the main event against Khalil Rountree.

    The UFC was met with backlash over the selection of Rountree as the title challenger. “The War Horse” has won five straight and has Performance of the Night bonuses in three of his last four wins. Rountree, however, is only ranked #8, coming off back-to-back finishes of Chris Daukaus and Anthony Smith.

    Many were instead clamoring and believing that the next challenger would be Magomed Ankalaev, who will instead face Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 308 later that month. The Russian, ranked #2 at light heavyweight, is coming off a huge knockout of Johnny Walker from the start of 2024.

    The decision to pick Rountree over Ankalaev has left many feeling that the UFC and CEO Dana White still hold a grudge against him for the UFC 282 light heavyweight title fight with Jan Błachowicz that ended in a draw. That was despite many feeling Ankalaev deserved the nod that night.

    In a new YouTube video, however, Pereira claimed that while he also hoped for a fight with Ankalaev, the Dagestani does not want to fight him.

    “I always wanted to fight against Ankalaev,” Pereira said via translation. “I threw that to the organization, left it very clear, but Ankalaev didn’t want to fight against me. I don’t know the reason — if it was the location, if he just didn’t want to.

    “He isn’t the champion; he can’t pick anything. I think it’s the opportunity that shows up; he didn’t want it. He has his reasoning. I don’t know what it is,” Pereira continued. “Came to tell you guys, I’m not scared of anyone, and everyone knows my history.

    Alex Pereira Claims Magomed Ankalaev Refused To Fight Him, Promises Striking War With Khalil Rountree

    Pereira added that the way Ankalaev is acting, in his mind, could result in him not taking the fight with Rakić seriously and costing himself an eventual title shot.

    “Ankalaev is talking about Jiří (Procházka), saying he is a false fighter, that he isn’t good since he lost two times to me. Everyone knows my story, seen my fights, not just UFC but also in (GLORY) Kickboxing, what I did to my opponents. He is taking these two fights to talk bad about the guy. I think Ankalaev has to be very careful with Rakić. The way Ankalaev has been acting his last fights, no one likes it. Fight was a tie, everyone saw it.

    “I think he should watch out for Rakić. He is talking a lot about me, he is going to knock me out and all that. It’s what he says, but at the time, we’ll see if that’s what it is. But I think he should watch out with this fight. (It’s a) very dangerous fight for him; maintain focus on this fight because he is getting a tough opponent.”

    Pereira added that despite Rountree’s ranking, the UFC thinks it’s the best matchup stylistically and that he is confident they will put on an entertaining performance.

    Pereira, furthermore, pointed out his own meteoric rise to the top of the UFC as reason people should not count Rountree out.

    “I think he is a guy showing work,” Pereira said. “It is going to be a good fight for us both. We both like to strike. Not just good for us, but for who is watching. Like I said, I thought it was going to be Ankalaev, but I think the organization sees it as a guy who will give a good fight. They are doing all this for you guys, to please you guys. Same way how I wasn’t ranked. Things happen very fast; look at what you guys get whenever I fight.

    “So I think they are thinking the same thing for Khalil, giving him this opportunity. Ranking doesn’t matter. What matters is the work he has been doing, giving a show. I think it will be a good fight.”

  • Muhammad Mokaev Signs With New Promotion Following UFC Departure

    Muhammad Mokaev Signs With New Promotion Following UFC Departure

    Muhammad Mokaev finally has a new home after his public departure from the UFC last month. “The Punisher” has signed with Brave CF, where he previously competed prior to the UFC.

    Mokaev’s signing was first reported by the BBC before the promotion put out a press release announcing his signing.

    In a statement in the release, Brave CF president Mohammad Shahid said Mokaev and his talents were welcome with open arms, and he appeared to accuse other promoters, including UFC CEO Dana White, of trying to defame the Dagestan-born Brit’s character.

    “There has been an unjust persecution of his character and attempts to use defamation to feed personal vendettas, and is evidently clear that there are no clear reasons as to why the best athlete in the world cannot compete,” Shahid stated. “This is not what the sport is all about, and for BRAVE CF to have him back is fantastic, and he now can become a voice for all these challenges. Not only that, his return solidifies our ethos to have the best fight the best irrespective of any other variable, be it of creed, sex, color or marketability.

    “We would like to welcome back Muhammad Mokaev, an undefeated superstar, who is an amateur legend, with two IMMAF world titles, and someone who has proven to be the best flyweight in the world, with no losses to his amateur or professional record. This is a very exciting time for Brave CF.”

    Muhammad Mokaev Signs With Brave CF Following UFC Departure

    Mokaev made his professional MMA debut with Brave CF in 2020, scoring a decision win over Glenn McVeigh at Brave CF 37. Five of the seven fights Mokaev had prior to signing with the UFC were in the organization, with “The Punisher” going 4-0 (1 NC).

    Mokaev later went 7-0 in the UFC and was a top flyweight contender. However, he was not re-signed by the promotion, with White criticizing Mokaev in a UFC 304 post-fight press conference for “so much bad s*** that happened behind the scenes.”

    That card saw Mokaev defeat Manel Kape in a lackluster outing after a fight week that included multiple confrontations between the pair, including one where Mokaev sucker-punched “Starboy.”

    PFL’s Ray Sefo later added that he had heard Mokaev was a “pain in the ass” and the promotion was not interested in him.

  • 2024 PFL 9 Playoffs Results & Highlights: Brendan Loughnane Outlasts Kai Kamaka III

    2024 PFL 9 Playoffs Results & Highlights: Brendan Loughnane Outlasts Kai Kamaka III

    The 2024 PFL Playoffs continued on Friday night with the last of three semifinal events in the postseason, and MMA News has you covered with all the action!

    The Professional Fighters League was back this week, with the championship finals at featherweight and welterweight decided at The Anthem in Washington D.C.

    In the 145-pound main event, 2022 PFL kingpin Brendan Loughnane returned for the next step in his pursuit of a second title. To reach another final, the Brit got the better of ex-UFC fighter Kai Kamaka III across three rounds.

    He’ll now go on to face Timur Khizriev with $1 million prize money and this year’s featherweight championship on the line after the Russian outlasted Gabriel Braga in the other semifinal

    The welterweight bracket, meanwhile, saw Magomed Umalatov make good on his favorite status by defeating Neiman Gracie in the PFL 9 co-main event. That result ensured an always likely all-Russian final, with his compatriot Shamil Musaev beating another Russian in Murad Ramazanov in their immediate rematch.

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

    2024 PFL 9 Playoffs Results & Highlights

    Main Card:

    • Featherweight Semifinal Main Event: Brendan Loughnane def. Kai Kamaka III via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
    • Welterweight Semifinal Co-Main Event: Magomed Umalatov def. Neiman Gracie via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
    • Featherweight Semifinal: Timur Khizriev def. Gabriel Braga via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
    • Welterweight Semifinal: Shamil Musaev def. Murad Ramazanov via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Welterweight: Mukhamed Berkhamov def. Ray Cooper III via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
    • Featherweight: Enrique Barzola def. Tyler Diamond via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
    • Featherweight Jose Perez def. Jesse Stirn via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
    • Heavyweight: Maxwell Djantou Nana def. Kent Mafileo via KO (punch): R2, 4:50
    • Welterweight: Shido Boris Esperança def. Tyler Hill via TKO (punches): R1, 3:31

    Shido Boris Esperança Def. Tyler Hill

    Maxwell Djantou Nana Def. Kent Mafileo

    Jose Perez Def. Jesse Stirn

    Enrique Barzola Def. Tyler Diamond

    Mukhamed Berkhamov Def. Ray Cooper III

    Shamil Musaev Def. Murad Ramazanov

    Timur Khizriev Def. Gabriel Braga

    Magomed Umalatov Def. Neiman Gracie

    Brendan Loughnane Def. Kai Kamaka III

  • Daniel Cormier Makes Conor McGregor Comparison To Justify Alex Pereira’s UFC 307 Title Defense Against Khalil Rountree: ‘Big Enough Star Yet?’

    Daniel Cormier Makes Conor McGregor Comparison To Justify Alex Pereira’s UFC 307 Title Defense Against Khalil Rountree: ‘Big Enough Star Yet?’

    Alex Pereira will return at UFC 307 to defend his UFC light heavyweight championship against Khalil Rountree. A couple of weeks later, no. 2 ranked contender Magomed Ankalaev will fight no. 5 ranked Aleksandar Rakić in a potential title eliminator.

    The announcement has left fans divided with many complaining about the no. 8 ranked fighter getting a title shot. Top UFC light heavyweight contenders like Jamahal Hill and Jan Błachowicz have questioned the matchmaking process as well.

    On the flip side, admirers of Rountree’s explosive striking are expecting him to put on a great performance against Pereira. Here’s how Daniel Cormier looks at the UFC 307 main event and why he thinks it’s the right move by the UFC…

    Daniel Cormier Explains Why He Wouldn’t Put Alex Pereira Against Magomed Ankalaev Despite Him Being The Obvious Choice

    Cormier and Ben Askren discussed Pereira vs. Rountree on the former’s official YouTube channel recently. While Askren seemed perplexed by how “The War Horse” is fighting for the title, Cormier understood the decision because of Pereira’s growing stardom.

    “Ankalaev seems so obvious a choice but not really the choice because I wouldn’t put him in there with Alex right now. Like honestly, Alex Pereira is actually selling pay-per-views and he’s making money for you as a company. I don’t know if Ankalaev can do that right now.”

    By frequently fighting in major events like UFC 300, UFC 303, and now, UFC 307, “Poatan” has quickly amassed millions of fans. However, as per DC, he’s yet to be as big a star as Conor McGregor.

    The former UFC champ further explained that McGregor’s unprecedented stardom helped his opponents make a name for themselves by beating him. Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier are fine examples of the same.

    “If you beat Conor McGregor, you become a pay-per-view attraction. If you beat certain guys, you kind of take their shine and you become that attraction. I don’t know if you beat Pereira, you become that attraction. I don’t know, I think he is the attraction. I don’t know, just by beating him, if he’s the big enough star yet to elevate the next guy to the point that they’re selling a whole bunch of paper.:

    Cormier believes that Pereira is yet to reach McGregor’s levels of popularity where he generates new stars, even while losing. As a result, the UFC would want to give “Poatan” favorable matchups and make him the center of attention for as long as possible. At the moment, the promotion won’t risk ending the reign of its biggest star in recent times.

    Read also: Sean O’Malley ‘Annoyed-ish’ At Noche UFC Fight Promotion After Getting Nod To Headline Over Holloway vs. Topuria, Conor McGregor

  • PFL Star Touted For Ronda Rousey-esque Growth: ‘She Knows Exactly When To Switch Off The Savage & Become The Sweetheart…’

    PFL Star Touted For Ronda Rousey-esque Growth: ‘She Knows Exactly When To Switch Off The Savage & Become The Sweetheart…’

    Ronda Rousey will always be a massive part of the history of MMA and whilst she was a pioneer in many ways, no female fighter has been able to reach that same level of star power.

    There have been many athletes that come along with elements of star potential but the PFL’s Dakota Ditcheva appears to have everything.

    It was clear that she had a special quality about her when talking to the media but of course, none of that matters if you can’t back it up in the cage.

    Despite detractors regarding her quality of opponents, Ditcheva has beaten everyone that the PFL has put in front of her to go from winning the PFL Europe tournament last year to advancing to the finals of the regular season this year, where she will take on former UFC title challenger Taila Santos in a must-see bout.

    Sean O’Connell Says Dakota Ditcheva Has Everything She Needs To Be A Huge Star

    Ditcheva appeared on stage moments before the press conference for Francis Ngannou’s PFL debut, where she was joined by Jake Paul who compared her to Rousey.

    PFL commentator Sean O’Connell believes that whilst she might be doing it in a different way, he can understand the comparisons between the former face of women’s MMA and one of the most exciting contenders around right now.

    He spoke in an interview with TalkSPORT about how Ditcheva has the world at her feet because she ticks every box to become a huge star.

    “She has the potential to be a superstar but not for the same reasons as Ronda Rousey. Ronda was the pioneer, Ronda was the one that broke the barrier and got women into the UFC and unfortunately, that’s a milestone that can never be reached again even for someone with the star caliber of Dakota Ditcheva. You could make the argument that it’s going to be harder for Dakota to reach those heights of celebrity but she absolutely is capable of it.

    “First of all, because of how incredible she is as a fighter but also she understands the media game, right. She knows exactly when to switch off that savage and become the sweetheart again. She’s got the look, she’s got the charisma and when you have that plus the ability to knock women out like she does, the sky is the limit.”

    Read also: 2024 PFL 9 Playoffs: Brendan Loughnane vs. Kai Kamaka III Results & Highlights (7 PM ET)

  • St-Pierre’s Coach Feels Du Plessis Breaking ‘Old School’ BJJ Principles Led To UFC 305 Win

    St-Pierre’s Coach Feels Du Plessis Breaking ‘Old School’ BJJ Principles Led To UFC 305 Win

    Dricus Du Plessis retained the middleweight title at UFC 305 by submitting Israel Adesanya in the fourth round.

    Considering the styles of both fighters, it’s not necessarily surprising to see the champion get the victory in this fashion but the result doesn’t tell the full story.

    “Stillknocks” was able to get the tap by hurting Adesanya on the feet, jumping on his back and quickly locking in the choke which his opponent admitted was caused by a simple mistake that he made in defending it.

    Du Plessis has always been a very effective finisher with 20 of his 22 pro wins ending inside the distance but what impressed one of the top minds in the sport was how he circumnavigates a basic rule of Jiu-Jitsu to threaten with submissions.

    Firas Zahabi Breaks Down How Dricus Du Plessis Ignores Jiu-Jitsu Fundamentals When Finishing Fights

    Firas Zahabi gave his thoughts on the main event during a recent YouTube video on the Tristar Gym channel where he pointed out an interesting element of Du Plessis’ game which may have been overlooked.

    The head coach of Georges St-Pierre referenced how one of the first things you’re taught in Jiu-Jitsu is that you go position over submission.

    Especially in MMA where strikes are involved, going for an attack and losing your position as a result can be incredibly costly, but the middleweight champion ignores this altogether.

    Rather than looking to control Adesanya first, he went right for the choke which caught his opponent off guard and gave him insufficient time to regain his bearings.

    Zahabi highlighted this after seeing the South African champ pull off his first title defense.

    “He choked him and I realized something about Du Plessis. When Du Plessis gets somebody down, he jumps immediately on the choke, he doesn’t solidify position you know and in Jiu-Jitsu, we’re always taught, the old school mentality was like position, position, position, and then submission. It was like always burnt into our minds. You take the guy down, you stabilize him, you stabilize him, you stabilize him and then you submit him. Well Du Plessis doesn’t do that, he flies in the face of everything everybody ever told us.”

    Read also: Jared Cannonier Dismisses Caio Borralho’s Grappling Superiority Ahead Of UFC Fight Night Main Event: ‘I Fought Glover Teixeira!’

  • Sean O’Malley Feels Defeating Coach Khabib Nurmagomedov Would Be All-Time Career Highlight: ‘It Would Be Hard To Top That…’

    Sean O’Malley Feels Defeating Coach Khabib Nurmagomedov Would Be All-Time Career Highlight: ‘It Would Be Hard To Top That…’

    Should Sean O’Malley successfully defend his bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306, another big fight awaits the champion.

    Umar Nurmagomedov will look to become the second fighter in his family to win UFC gold following his win over Cory Sandhagen.

    Alongside the fact that it’s a great clash of styles, this fight is huge because of Umar’s family bond with the great Khabib Nurmagomedov.

    The former UFC lightweight champion is sure to be in his corner for that fight and that’s something that adds extra incentive for “Suga”.

    Getting the chance to test himself against one of the best minds in the sport makes this one even more significant for his legacy.

    Sean O’Malley Says Even Two-Weight Success Would Struggle To Top Going Up Against Umar & Khabib Nurmagomedov

    Having Khabib in the mix with his cousin is going to make the fight feel bigger and that suits O’Malley well if it does end up happening.

    Since retiring from MMA with his undefeated record intact, “The Eagle” has earned a phenomenal reputation as a coach and cornerman.

    In many ways, he stepped into the role that was left behind after his father, Abdulmanap, passed away.

    O’Malley spoke in a recent interview with Red Corner MMA about how getting the chance to go up against this Nurmagomedov family team would be a career-high moment for him.

    “I never really thought about it but just kind of off the top of my head right now if I think about it, that would be cool. Khabib’s a legend, 29-0 and very disciplined, serious guy which would make it even more fun.

    “It’d be hard to top that, like I guess beating Ilia or Max after that, like there’s guys you could top that with but it’d be hard to get too excited for. I don’t know, I’m thinking out loud right now. It would be cool.”

    Read also: Sean O’Malley ‘Annoyed-ish’ At Noche UFC Fight Promotion After Getting Nod To Headline Over Holloway vs. Topuria, Conor McGregor

  • Dan Hardy Highlights Difficulty For Francis Ngannou In Renan Ferreira Fight: ‘I Might Wrestle But Then I’ve Got Five Rounds…’

    Dan Hardy Highlights Difficulty For Francis Ngannou In Renan Ferreira Fight: ‘I Might Wrestle But Then I’ve Got Five Rounds…’

    Francis Ngannou is set to make his return to MMA on October 19 where his PFL debut comes with some big unknowns.

    Earlier this year, in his second venture into pro boxing, he was stopped for the first time in his career by Anthony Joshua.

    It was a devastating finish after being dropped several times in the early stages of the fight and we don’t know how Ngannou will bounce back from such a tough loss.

    In Renan Ferreira, he meets a fellow super-athlete who has proven his ability to connect with massive power at an unmatched range.

    We have seen Ngannou use his grappling to secure the win when he defeated fellow-striker Ciryl Gane but will this be the same version that we see in Riyadh later this year?

    Dan Hardy Breaks Down What Version Of Francis Ngannou We Will See On His Return

    If there’s one area that is a weakness on Ferreira’s side, it’s his wrestling ability which has been an issue for him during his PFL career.

    PFL commentator and analyst Dan Hardy isn’t convinced that even with this in mind, we will see Ngannou lace up his wrestling shoes because it’s not his usual game.

    He spoke in an interview with talkSPORT shortly after the first meeting between Ngannou and Ferreira about how coming in with a grappling approach may not be the best idea for “The Predator”.

    “It certainly could, especially the psychology around it right. Especially that first round where I mean, it’s not like he’s stepping back in against another heavyweight, like this guy is a legit phenom. He’s a freak, he’s tall, he’s fast, he can do backflips off of one leg, it’s ridiculous. So then you’ve got to think, if I’m Francis Ngannou and I’m standing across from this guy, I’m thinking to myself, ‘Well, I might wrestle but then I’ve got five rounds. If I start to slow down over five rounds, this guy could beat me up with a jab from a distance.’

    “So for me, the confident but reckless Ngannou is the real danger on the feet in this one and we might see him go back to his wrestling again but ultimately, I think that the work that Ferreira has done at ATT [American top Team] has really shored up his wrestling and his grappling so even that’s not a foregone conclusion. I think we’re going to get a striking extravaganza and really, honestly, it’s the first one to land clean.”

    Read also: 2024 PFL 9 Playoffs: Brendan Loughnane vs. Kai Kamaka III Results & Highlights (7 PM ET)

  • UFC Fight Night: Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho takes place on Saturday, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results!

    After staging its latest pay-per-view Down Under at the RAC Arena in Perth this past weekend, mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is back on home soil to put on another card at the Apex facility in Las Vegas.

    Topping the lineup will be a crucial clash of top contenders in the middleweight division, with former title challenger Jared Cannonier and the fast-rising Caio Borralho both looking to put themselves in a strong position within the title picture.

    Elsewhere, the likes of Angela Hill, Neil Magny, and Edmen Shahbazyan will all have their next assignments inside the Octagon, while this year’s TUF finales also go down inside the Apex.

    UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Borralho Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Borralho takes place on Saturday, August 24, at the Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, with the preliminary card starting at 7 p.m. ET/4p.m. PT.

    See above for a live stream of the weigh-ins via MMA Junkie, and check out the full results below!

    Main Card:

    • Middleweight Main Event: Jared Cannonier (184lbs) vs. Caio Borralho (186lbs)
    • Women’s Strawweight Co-Main Event: Angela Hill (115.5lbs) vs. Tabatha Ricci (115lbs)
    • Middleweight (TUF 32 Finale): Robert Valentin (185lbs) vs. Ryan Loder (186lbs)
    • Featherweight (TUF 32 Finale): Kaan Ofli (145lbs) vs. Mairon Santos (146lbs)
    • Welterweight: Neil Magny (170lbs) vs. Michael Morales (171lbs)
    • Middleweight: Edmen Shahbazyan (184.5lbs) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (185lbs)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Lightweight: Dennis Buzukja (155.5lbs) vs. Francis Marshall (156lbs)
    • Middleweight: Zachary Reese (184.5lbs) vs. Jose Medina (186lbs)
    • Lightweight: Viacheslav Borshchev (155.5lbs) vs. James Llontop (154.5lbs)
    • Women’s Bantamweight: Jacqueline Cavalcanti (135lbs) vs. Josiane Nunes (136lbs)
    • Featherweight: Zygimantas Ramaska (146lbs) vs. Nathan Fletcher (145.5lbs)
    • Women’s Flyweight: Wang Cong (125lbs) vs. Victoria Leonardo (125lbs)
  • ‘Cain Looks Like He Was Holding Back Tears’ – MMA Fans React To Khabib Nurmagomedov Reminiscing With Cain Velasquez

    ‘Cain Looks Like He Was Holding Back Tears’ – MMA Fans React To Khabib Nurmagomedov Reminiscing With Cain Velasquez

    In a recent video posted on Instagram by AKA head coach Javier Mendez, two of the gym’s greatest fighters shared a touching moment.

    Khabib Nurmagomedov may have defined this stable for many years but before him, there was heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez flying the AKA flag alongside Luke Rockhold and Daniel Cormier.

    Velasquez competed in one of the biggest fights in the history of the gym when he faced Brock Lesnar at UFC 121 and brought the heavyweight title back with him.

    In the video, Nurmagomedov is watching the fight on his phone whilst stood next to his former teammate, speaking about the impact this fight had on him, recalling how he watched it hundreds of times.

    It’s a warm exchange as “The Eagle” gives deserved props to one of the heavyweight division’s greatest fighters.

    MMA Fans React To Khabib Nurmagomedov Taking A Second To Recognise Cain Velasquez

    The fans reacted on social media to Nurmagomedov celebrating one of the biggest nights in the history of AKA.

    Velasquez will always be a legend of the sport but what he did that night against Lesnar put him into a whole new level of recognition and in turn, this brought a lot of credibility to AKA, where Nurmagomedov would go on to spend his years.

    “Cain look like he was holding back tears”

    “Feels so good to watch khabib fanboying”

    “My goat knows how to respect your elders esp when they’re going through tuff times”

    “Khabib has respect for him, he was a champion before Khabib was and treated him like family and He still remembers that”

    “Team AKA produced the best UFC champions out of every camp in the USA.”

    https://twitter.com/KhabibsRightEar/status/1826789276933091668

    “Guys like Khabib are the best kind of people to have in your corner”

    “Perfect time to go rewatch that fight.”

    Read also: Battle Of The Giants: Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira Press Conference Highlights & Faceoff

  • Sean Strickland’s Coach Points Out Weakness In Dricus Du Plessis Ahead Of Potential Rematch: ‘If The Wrestling Does Happen…’

    Sean Strickland’s Coach Points Out Weakness In Dricus Du Plessis Ahead Of Potential Rematch: ‘If The Wrestling Does Happen…’

    Sean Strickland’s coach Eric Nicksick has already spoken about how a rematch with Dricus Du Plessis won’t need big changes from them.

    Their first encounter at UFC 297 where Du Plessis came away with a split decision to become the middleweight champion, was a closely contested affair over five rounds.

    Making small adjustments before running it back will be key because, as we saw in the first fight, there isn’t much to separate these two.

    The fight was predominantly a striking exchange between them but the occasional takedown attempts from Du Plessis opened up some moments that they could capitalize on in the rematch, in Nicksick’s opinion.

    Eric Nicksick Says Sean Strickland Can Use Transitional Grappling Against Dricus Du Plessis

    Nicksick knows better than to expect his fighter to go out there in a title fight and start shooting for takedowns.

    Strickland’s style is very set in its ways and we saw that when he faced elite strikers in Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya, and didn’t once try to take the fight to the ground.

    Where Nicksick feels they can have success after watching the first fight play out is in the transitions after Du Plessis attempts takedowns.

    The Xtreme Couture head coach was able to take lessons from UFC 297 and the time he cornered Brad Tavares against “Stillknocks”, to find this one area.

    “The one thing I will bring up that I feel like Sean doesn’t give himself enough credit for – so when Dricus took Sean down, there was some transitional grappling, things that I want to see Sean implement a little bit more. Sean never was really held down, we were never like taken down and laid on our back but there, Sean’s really good at hitting the switch and Sean’s really good at counterbalancing and taking the back to where I think Sean could implement a little ground and pound and top pressure himself.

    “Anecdotally looking back at what Brad did, when Brad fought Dricus, Brad got on top and Brad rode Dricus all the first round so I think Dricus is a very good topside grappler, I don’t think he’s that great off his back so I’m not saying we need to go and initiate the wrestling but if the wrestling does happen, I think Sean can reverse those positions and get on top and create some havoc up there.”

    Read also: Jared Cannonier Dismisses Caio Borralho’s Grappling Superiority Ahead Of UFC Fight Night Main Event: ‘I Fought Glover Teixeira!’

  • Jared Cannonier Dismisses Caio Borralho’s Grappling Superiority Ahead Of UFC Fight Night Main Event: ‘I Fought Glover Teixeira!’

    Jared Cannonier Dismisses Caio Borralho’s Grappling Superiority Ahead Of UFC Fight Night Main Event: ‘I Fought Glover Teixeira!’

    Jared Cannonier looks to return to the win column this weekend by turning back a UFC middleweight contender on the rise.

    Caio Borralho has won six in a row to find himself in this position, but in Cannonier, he faces by far his toughest test to date.

    Despite what fans saw from him last time out at UFC 301, where he stopped Paul Craig in devastating fashion, the Brazilian is better known for his grappling skills.

    Given the high-level opposition that he has faced during his time competing at both middleweight and several other weight classes in the UFC, this isn’t something that is going to faze “The Killa Gorilla.”

    Jared Cannonier Doesn’t Understand Why People Underestimate His Grappling

    In a recent interview with MMA Junkie ahead of this weekend’s middleweight main event, Cannonier was asked whether, in his mind, this fight boils down to if he can stop Borralho from having success with his takedowns.

    The 185-pound stalwart doesn’t have this point of view and isn’t afraid to let his opponent test his grappling if that’s the way things end up going. He believes that his ground game is slept on by the rest of the division, potentially because you very rarely see opponents try to take him down.

    “If he ends up on the bottom, it’s not going to be too good for him down there either, so I got all the confidence in my ground game,” Cannonier said. “I don’t know why people think my ground game isn’t good. I haven’t been submitted in the UFC, I haven’t been submitted in my career.

    “When I was green, I fought Glover Teixeira. I spent a lot of time underneath him and didn’t get tapped, and I was green as far as my grappling goes back then,” Cannonier continued. “I’m much better now. I’m attacking you guys. If you guys think you want to take me down, you’re more than welcome to try.”

    Cannonier believes Borralho and the rest of the middleweight division could be in for a shock if the ground is where they think his weakness is.

  • Francis Ngannou Clears The Air On Dana White Claiming He Ducked Jon Jones: ‘The Guy Who Control The Narrative…’

    Francis Ngannou Clears The Air On Dana White Claiming He Ducked Jon Jones: ‘The Guy Who Control The Narrative…’

    Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it’s common knowledge in MMA circles that Francis Ngannou and Dana White have a rocky relationship. After being the UFC’s biggest heavyweight superstar for quite some time, Ngannou left due to contract-related conflicts, and White has never been happy about it.

    Since Ngannou’s departure, White has frequently taken jabs at the former UFC heavyweight champ. The UFC President has blamed him for not fighting Jon Jones and has discredited his boxing career as well.

    In the press conference for his PFL debut against Renan Ferreira on Oct. 19 in Saudi Arabia, Ngannou finally fired back at White’s latest comments…

    Francis Ngannou Reveals Why Jon Jones Fight Didn’t Happen Despite His Request

    While talking to journalists at the PFL press conference, Ngannou flipped the script and claimed that Jones didn’t want to fight him in the UFC. He allegedly requested the fight multiple times but was told that “Bones” wasn’t willing to fight as he was enjoying life in Albuquerque.

    “As far as I’m concerned, it was Jon Jones didn’t want to fight for me, according to them. And so many time that we sit down on the meeting, I’m like, oh it can’t happen Jon Jones doesn’t want to fight anymore. You know, like he live in Albuquerque. He live his small life. He has a lot of money in his bank account, you know. So, I think, the guy who control the narrative can say whatever he wants but that’s just the narrative. I never, I was the one requesting the Jon Jones fight but I didn’t want that like a trap, to get into some deal and get to something I didn’t want.”

    As per “The Predator”, another reason why the Jones fight couldn’t happen was his contract. He was down to fight the UFC light heavyweight GOAT but wanted a contract that benefited him in ways other than just money. This included the freedom to box, in-cage sponsorships, and health insurance, among other things.

    Ngannou’s relationship with the UFC fell apart when both parties couldn’t negotiate a contract that fulfilled the former’s demands. Instead, the UFC heavyweight champ left the promotion and signed with the PFL.

  • Sean O’Malley ‘Annoyed-ish’ At Noche UFC Fight Promotion After Getting Nod To Headline Over Holloway vs. Topuria, Conor McGregor

    Sean O’Malley ‘Annoyed-ish’ At Noche UFC Fight Promotion After Getting Nod To Headline Over Holloway vs. Topuria, Conor McGregor

    Sean O’Malley will defend his UFC bantamweight championship against Merab Dvalishvili at Riyadh Season Noche UFC in the Las Vegas Sphere on September 14, 2024. The event will celebrate Mexican Independence Day and UFC CEO Dana White has promised unprecedented production quality.

    With a spectacular win at The Sphere, O’Malley can significantly boost his popularity in MMA circles and draw new fans. However, his opponent has won ten consecutive fights in the UFC with relentless pressure and dominant wrestling.

    Amidst the gradually increasing hype for his next fight, “Suga” revealed his mixed feelings about headlining a massive card like UFC 306…

    Sean O’Malley Expects The UFC To Promote His Fight, Not Just The Sphere In The Lead-Up To UFC 306

    O’Malley talked about the opportunity to headline a card as massive as UFC 306 on Michael Bisping’s Believe You Me podcast recently. With UFC 305 done and dusted, the UFC bantamweight champ acknowledges that Riyadh Season Noche UFC will soon get all the eyes.

    “I’m very excited. Now that it’s like, you know, the last fight, the pay-per-view is last weekend so now it’s, you know, it’s always the next pay-per-view, that’s being talked about so now that that fight’s over, we got The Sphere coming up.”

    “Suga” realizes his fight with Dvalishvili is the UFC 306 main event over Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway, now scheduled for UFC 308. Conor McGregor was also rumored to be added to the card. He’s naturally honored to get this chance from the UFC but expects the promotions to improve as the event approaches.

    O’Malley highlighted that the UFC has promoted The Sphere and the event’s theme more than the fighters, including him and Dvalishvili. However, he looks forward to things getting better once promotion on social media begins.

    “A little annoyed-ish about the promotion of The Sphere. The Sphere is the show. I’m the one doing interviews, not The Sphere. Let’s promote Sean vs. Merab, the Suga show. I’m the one fighting let’s go baby. But, you know, it is what it is. The Sphere is going to be f*****g legendary, it’ll be epic, it’ll be cool. But yeah I think these next few weeks are really going to, you know, things are still going to start coming out. ESPN Will start posting, UFC will Start Posting. So, it’s going to feel big soon.

    “Suga” leaves no opportunity to take sly digs at his opponents through funny skits and memes on social media platforms. He’s also fulfilling his media responsibilities as a UFC champion, which explains his aforementioned expectations from the promotion.

  • Caio Borralho Reveals Best Way To Beat Jared Cannonier & Fight ‘Strangest Guy In the Division’ Dricus Du Plessis

    Caio Borralho Reveals Best Way To Beat Jared Cannonier & Fight ‘Strangest Guy In the Division’ Dricus Du Plessis

    Caio Borralho, who fights Jared Cannonier this weekend, has been undefeated in professional MMA since 2015. The former Future FC middleweight champ entered the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series and has racked up six wins in the promotion.

    After defeating the likes of Abus Magomedov and Paul Craig, Borralho will face the No. 5 ranked UFC middleweight. This is arguably his toughest test yet, as Cannonier is a veteran with explosive knockout power.

    The Brazilian prospect aims to get a title shot after his seventh straight win in the UFC. Here’s how he would like to beat Cannonier to stand alongside other top middleweight contenders like Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland…

    Caio Borralho Highlights The Importance Of Putting On A ‘Mature Performance’ Against Jared Cannonier

    Borralho discussed his next UFC fight on Michael Bisping’s Believe You Me Podcast recently. Although he’s prepared for adversity, “The Natural” looks forward to controlling the fight and landing the perfect KO shot or submission.

    At middleweight, Cannonier has been a hard nut to crack for most fighters, except for Israel Adesanya and Whittaker. His last loss to Nassourdine Imavov was seen as an early stoppage by many, including Borralho.

    As a result, “The Natural” understands the significance of an impressive win over Cannonier who’s always hard to take out or dominate.

    “Bisping, I’m finishing him with an amazing performance, like a mature performance. That’s what I need to show the UFC. A mature performance against a top contender, you know. For sure, I’m looking for the KO or for submitting him but the perfect way is that I’m gonna go there, be on his face all the time, put some jabs on him, get some good defense, and then catch him with a good counter punch.”

    Borralho looked back at the two occasions he’s called out Dricus Du Plessis after winning in the UFC. Interestingly, the UFC middleweight kingpin responded to one of his callouts on X, asking him to get a couple more wins in the promotion.

    Borralho has bagged three wins in the UFC since this interaction, which explains why he wants to get inside the Octagon with Du Plessis next.

    “I’m willing to face the strangest guy in the division. And I’m willing to beat his a**. You know, that’s what I’m going to say because I’ve been calling out him two times already so I think the third time UFC gonna hear me after a great feature on Cannonier.”

  • Chael Sonnen Tells Fans To Hold Their Horses On Seeing Magomed Ankalaev As Top Light Heavyweight Contender: ‘Rakić Is That Damn Good!’

    Chael Sonnen Tells Fans To Hold Their Horses On Seeing Magomed Ankalaev As Top Light Heavyweight Contender: ‘Rakić Is That Damn Good!’

    The UFC’s light heavyweight division has been unpredictable as of late after two big matchups were put together that left some questions.

    Magomed Ankalaev has been pushing to face champion Alex Pereira for a long time now, but in order to get his second shot at the title, he will need to get past Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 308.

    Meanwhile, Khalil Rountree will leapfrog both him and the majority of the top 10 to face “Poatan” at UFC 307 in an exciting clash of styles that plenty have suggested is premature.

    Many will be expecting Ankalaev to come through yet another light heavyweight contender and continue to call for his shot, but Chael Sonnen believes some may be getting carried away…

    Sonnen Warns Fans Not To Underestimate Rakić’s Chances Against Ankalaev

    During a recent YouTube video, Sonnen spoke about what appears to be a number one contenders’ clash at 205 pounds that is set for October 26.

    Not only were fans surprised to see Ankalaev not securing his date with the champion, many were puzzled by the decision to book him against Rakić. Whilst he is a top five contender in the division, he’s coming off of a loss in another title eliminator when he was stopped by Jiří Procházka at UFC 300.

    Sonnen stated that although this could be the final hurdle for Ankalaev to overcome, it can’t be overlooked how big of an opportunity this is for his opponent.

    “Ankalaev, clearly the number one contender, at least according to you guys. And you know what? I do have a little bit of a problem with that. I’s not a huge problem but I do have just a little one,” Sonnen said. “Which is Rakić is that damn good. You got to understand, Rakić did not get a world title fight — well neither did Ankalaev, but Rakić did find himself in the next best thing.

    “He’s in a number one contenders’ match. That is quite literally the next best thing that you could get to a title fight and he found himself there coming off of a loss. As a matter of fact, he found himself there coming off of a stoppage loss. As a matter of fact, finding himself in this spot actually moves him in front of the guy that he suffered the loss to in Procházka,” Sonnen continued. “I’m only telling you this because that’s how good Rakić is and a lot of people have forgot.”

  • Battle Of The Giants: Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira Press Conference Highlights & Faceoff

    Battle Of The Giants: Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira Press Conference Highlights & Faceoff

    The build-up to Francis Ngannou’s long-awaited MMA comeback and PFL debut continued on Thursday, with the heavyweight powerhouse going face-to-face with opponent Renan Ferreira at the Battle of the Giants press conference.

    Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, hasn’t laced the MMA gloves since his lone successful title defense against Ciryl Gane in January 2022. He later departed the organization following a lengthy contractual dispute and found a new home, putting pen to paper on an exclusive MMA deal with the Professional Fighters League in May 2023.

    He’s yet to enter the SmartCage, however, instead using the freedom granted to him by the PFL to complete his long-discussed venture to the sport of boxing. After shocking the world with his performance against then-WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, Ngannou stayed in that realm of combat for a highly anticipated matchup with former two-time unified champ Anthony Joshua.

    A devastating knockout defeat to the Brit in Saudi Arabia this past March has put a stop to his charge in the ring for the time being, and Ngannou’s sights are instead now on the sport in which he made his name once again.

    “The Predator” will be back in the cage on October 19, making his promotional debut in the main event of a PFL Super Fight card opposite Renan Ferreira, the 2023 heavyweight champ inside the SmartCage.

    The card’s co-headliner, meanwhile, sees another major name make their return as Bellator Women’s Featherweight Champion Cris Cyborg gears up for her first MMA outing in over a year. She’ll meet the PFL’s very first two-weight title winner in Larissa Pacheco this fall.

    Those four names were initially all set to appear at the Battle of the Giants press conference on August 22, held at The Anthem in Washington D.C. However, only Ngannou and Ferreira fielded questions from the media, with Pacheco also appearing briefly. It’s unknown why original plans to have Cyborg in attendance fell away.

    Check out a full stream of the presser below via the PFL’s official YouTube channel, followed by all the highlights and faceoffs!

    Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira Press Conference Stream

    Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira Press Conference Highlights

    Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira Press Conference Faceoff

  • PFL CEO Contradicts President’s Rejection Of Muhammad Mokaev: ‘He Could Absolutely Be The Future Face Of Flyweights Within PFL’

    It doesn’t appear that the PFL higher-ups are on the same page when it comes to undefeated flyweight Muhammad Mokaev.

    Prior to the UFC 304 pay-per-view event in Manchester last month, Mokaev appeared to be in prime position to secure a shot at Alexandre Pantoja’s 125-pound gold. Many suggested all that was required was a victory over Manel Kape at the Co-op Live.

    After a dramatic fight week that included him sucker-punching his opponent outside a hotel, “The Punisher” had his hand raised in a three-round fight that certainly underdelivered given the pair’s apparent animosity.

    Mokaev was the subject of plenty of criticism online for his fight style, but the bad news didn’t end there for the 23-year-old, with UFC CEO Dana White surprising many by revealing the promotion wouldn’t be offering the Dagestan-born Brit a new contract.

    White cited antics behind the scenes that rubbed Hunter Campbell and the matchmakers the wrong way as the reason behind letting Mokaev go, and it initially appeared that the Professional Fighters League had been put off by that.

    Following the PFL 7 Playoffs card on August 3, company president Ray Sefo was asked whether his promotion was entertaining the idea of pursuing Mokaev’s signature.

    “I’ve spoken to people in the know and, apparently, he’s just a pain in the ass to deal with,” Sefo said. “And so, no, we’re not interested.”

    That sentiment appeared to be backed up by ex-Bellator matchmaker Mike Kogan, who was among those who crossed over to the PFL following the promotion’s acquisition of his former employer.

    Kogan refuted Mokaev’s claims that discussions had been had, insisting that nobody at the PFL had shown “even an oz of interest.”

    But one man does appear interested — the PFL CEO, no less…

    Peter Murray Sees ‘Opportunity’ With Muhammad Mokaev After UFC Exit

    Peter Murray recently spoke with Sherdog ahead of the PFL’s press conference for Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira and final playoff event at The Anthem in Washington D.C. this week.

    The promotion’s CEO discussed his desire to open up more divisions for future PFL seasons, including a flyweight class. And in terms of who could spearhead a 125-pound roster down, Murray pointed to a talent virtually branded persona non grata by his fellow PFL executives.

    “I do think the flyweight category is something we will be getting into in the future,” Murray said. “I know our guys are looking at it. You look at fighters like Muhammad Mokaev; he’s a 13-0 flyweight from Dagestan. This kid has the second-longest winning streak in UFC flyweight history. He was 23-0 as an amateur. When I look at a kid like that, that’s an opportunity.

    “Whether it’s Muhammad coming into the PFL system in one of our franchises, whether that be the global season or Bellator, and others like him, I think it’s a real opportunity — in particular with international talent in the flyweight weight class,” Murray continued. “Muhammad is the real deal; a lot of respect for him.”

    Donn Davis, you got a third answer to the Mokaev question?

    It didn’t take long for Mokaev to take notice of Murray’s positive comments, seemingly enjoying seeing Sefo’s dismissive remarks quickly contradicted.

    • Read More: Aljamain Sterling Calls Out Dana White’s ‘Over The Top Reaction’ To Merab Dvalishvili Publicly Posting Training Cut
  • Recently Retired UFC Vet Suggests Israel Adesanya’s Time May Be Up After UFC 305: ‘Maybe 5 Years Ago That Was An Easy Fight For Him’

    Recently Retired UFC Vet Suggests Israel Adesanya’s Time May Be Up After UFC 305: ‘Maybe 5 Years Ago That Was An Easy Fight For Him’

    Israel Adesanya was unable to recapture the UFC middleweight title at UFC 305, meaning that for the first time in his MMA career, he’s coming off of back-to-back losses.

    “The Last Stylebender” made it clear in his post-fight interview that he’s not leaving the Octagon for good just yet despite his defeat to Dricus Du Plessis in Perth, Australia.

    In fact, even though he did show some weaknesses, there were a lot of positives to take away from his main event display. Up until he was hurt by a big looping shot, it appeared that he was on his way to swinging the contest his way in the fourth round.

    The big question to answer after he put in a good performance but was ultimately defeated is whether Du Plessis was simply the better man on the night, or is Adesanya not as good as he once was?

    Matt Brown Questions Whether Israel Adesanya Is On A Clear Decline

    There were certainly shades of the Adesanya that blew everyone away with his rise up the middleweight ladder and subsequent title reign.

    His accuracy and shot selection was a work of art but his defense did appear to suffer, and he took some big shots from “Stillknocks.” That eventually led to a mistake on the ground which cost him the fight.

    During the latest episode of Fighter vs. Writer on MMA Fighting, UFC veteran Matt Brown weighed in with his thoughts on this past weekend’s title clash.

    Like many, he liked what he saw from the former champion but he did address some concerns over whether at 35, things aren’t getting any easier for “The Last Stylebender.”

    “I’ve had the question, Izzy is 35, he’s got a lot of miles on him from kickboxing and MMA, is his peak just ending? Is that what happened over the weekend? Is his peak just ending? When he fought [Sean] Strickland, maybe he just had an off night, but maybe he’s slowing down too. Maybe five years ago that was an easy fight for him, and he’s just not in peak form anymore.

    “The way he looked against Dricus, I thought he looked really good, but that could have been him still slowing down a little bit. I thought his defense didn’t look as good as it had in the past, which was kind of the unique thing because he relies so much on reactions. He’s not necessarily a hands tight, high guard, really defensive guy in that sense, really technical. He kind of relies on reactions. When those start slowing down, that’s when guys like Dricus start hitting you. That’s when guys like Strickland start hitting you a lot more. If he’s slowing down a little bit, maybe his time is up?”

    It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the career of Adesanya. In terms of the title picture, it would appear a clash of his former opponents is to come, with Du Plessis expected to run it back with former champ Sean Strickland.

  • Henry Cejudo Provides Update On UFC Return Timeline, Teases Major Career Change

    Henry Cejudo Provides Update On UFC Return Timeline, Teases Major Career Change

    Having failed to reconquer one of the divisions he previously ruled over, former two-weight UFC champion Henry Cejudo wants a crack at the other.

    Cejudo simultaneously held both the bantamweight and flyweight titles in 2019, eventually relinquishing the latter in December 2019 and the former following his retirement post-knocking out Dominick Cruz in May 2020.

    “Triple C’s” decision to hang up his gloves was widely questioned, with many predicting an eventual comeback. That came in 2023, but his return to action hasn’t exactly gone to plan.

    Cejudo’s first fight back saw him challenge for the 135-pound throne against Aljamain Sterling. The 37-year-old fell on the wrong side of a narrow and widely debated split decision after five rounds.

    After choosing against an immediate return to retirement, Cejudo moved to 0-2 since ending his time away from the cage at UFC 298 this past February, with Merab Dvalishvili getting the better of him across three rounds.

    Still, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist remains motivated to reach a mountaintop on MMA’s biggest stage once again. Moving forward, however, he looks to be targeting a different peak…

    Cejudo Keen On Flyweight Return: ‘None Of Those Dudes Can Hang With Me’

    During a recent interview with MMA Junkie’s Nolan King, Cejudo provided an update on his current status, revealing that an injury is keeping him sidelined for the time being.

    “Right now, dude, I’ve been icing an injury…for quite some time,” Cejudo said. “I want to make sure that I’m 100 percent on getting back into training. It’s just allowing this injury to freakin’ heal, dude. Father Time is real, dude, I can finally admit it. It’s just little nagging things. But this particular thing, I want to make sure I don’t have to get surgery.

    “If I allow myself to be patient and take my time, allow my injury to recover, then I’m gonna be 100 percent,” Cejudo continued. “Could I fight? I could. But am I gonna do the same thing I did my last fight and fight with a torn groin? I’m not gonna do that no more. I think I’ve learned my lesson.”

    And in terms of his comeback fight, Cejudo suggested that he’s seriously considering adjusting his sights from regaining the bantamweight crown to recapturing the flyweight title.

    “Once I’m ready, there’s a lot of options, man. There could be a potential return at flyweight. These are a lot of things I’m contemplating,” Cejudo stated. “With the bantamweight division getting hot and me kind of coming in, there’s been a lot of talk of potentially me going back down, man. Getting a fight with (Brandon) Moreno and winning the belt once again.

    “I’m gonna be making a commitment to go out there and just do another run, another run at these titles,” Cejudo added. “It’s gonna be a big sacrifice on all of our parts. … I’m committed to getting back to the ‘Triple C’ again. … None of those dudes (at flyweight) can hang with me.”

    Cejudo previously teased another run at 125 pounds during last month’s UFC 304 pay-per-view event. While commenting on Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape’s rivalry and subsequent dud inside the cage, the Olympic gold medalist teased potentially ‘saving’ the division.

    Cejudo went on to note in his conversation with King that should he decide on a flyweight return and get a green light from the UFC, he plans to complete the drop down in weight correctly, taking around six months.

    With that in mind, fans can perhaps expect to be waiting a while before seeing the former ‘champ-champ’ back inside the Octagon.

  • Paddy Pimblett On Dan Hooker’s Upset Win Over Mateusz Gamrot At UFC 305: ‘Could Be A Nice Fight For Me…’

    Paddy Pimblett On Dan Hooker’s Upset Win Over Mateusz Gamrot At UFC 305: ‘Could Be A Nice Fight For Me…’

    One of the clear highlights of the UFC 305 pay-per-view this past weekend was the lightweight contest between Mateusz Gamrot and Dan Hooker.

    Given Gamrot’s position in the division and recent wins, many expected him to get this victory to take one more step closer to a title shot. However, “The Hangman” had other plans.

    He managed to win a split decision and a top five ranking spot following a great clash between them, which sent the Perth crowd crazy after witnessing the Fight of the Night bonus winner.

    One fellow lightweight contender who had his eye on this clash was Paddy Pimblett. “The Baddy” recently entered the top 15 at 155 pounds with a submission win over King Green at UFC 304.

    He gave his live reaction to the fight on his YouTube channel, where before the first bell sounded, he teed up the idea of meeting either man down the line.

    “I could end up fighting one of these couldn’t I?”

    Paddy Pimblett Agreed With Decision, Tees Up Dan Hooker Encounter In The Future

    Like many, Pimblett agreed that Gamrot was the favorite going in. He did, however, make a point of stating that Hooker shouldn’t have been such a big underdog due to the caliber of opponents he has faced.

    “The Baddy” wasn’t surprised to see “Gamer” get takedowns, but over the course of the fight, he watched as “The Hangman” kept pouring on the pressure with his forward momentum.

    The fight was a close one, which the scorecards and Pimblett’s reaction seconded. But the former Cage Warriors champion did agree that Hooker did enough to get his hand raised.

    While there may be 10 ranking spots between them, “The Baddy” would be open to testing himself against the fan favorite in the future.

    “Fight of the night so far of what I’ve watched. Let’s see the decision anyway. I reckon Hooker, lad, to be honest. 29-28 Gamrot. 29-28 Hooker, upset, Dan Hooker back in the top five,” Pimblett said. “Could be a nice fight for me in the future.”

  • Ilia Topuria Reacts To Max Holloway’s BMF Title Not Being On The Line At UFC 308: ‘When I Beat Him, He Can’t Say He’s A BMF’

    Ilia Topuria Reacts To Max Holloway’s BMF Title Not Being On The Line At UFC 308: ‘When I Beat Him, He Can’t Say He’s A BMF’

    While not officially up for grabs in the UFC 308 main event, Ilia Topuria still believes Max Holloway’s BMF status is at risk of disappearing.

    As has been the case for the past two calendar years, lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev was being lined up to headline the promotion’s annual pay-per-view event in Abu Dhabi in October.

    But with an injury set to keep the Dagestani sidelined until the end of the year or early 2025, the main event spotlight in the Middle East this time around will go to Topuria, the reigning featherweight champion, and all-time great Holloway.

    The pair will do battle for the Georgian-Spaniard’s gold, which he won at the expense of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 this past February. “Blessed,” meanwhile, garnered support for his latest chance to regain the belt by capturing the symbolic BMF strap with an emphatic last-second knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300.

    Putting this matchup together hasn’t appeared to be easy, with both men accusing the other of delaying a booking. On Topuria’s part, he originally suggested that he’d only share the cage with Holloway if the Hawaiian’s BMF belt was also put on the line.

    That wish hasn’t been granted, but “El Matador” claims not to be bothered…

    Topuria On lack Of BMF Stakes At UFC 308: ‘I’m Just Concentrating On My Title Defense’

    During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Topuria looked ahead to his first defense of the featherweight gold this fall.

    The champ confirmed that just his title will be up for grabs come fight night on Oct. 26. But according to Topuria, Holloway will still lose BMF status should “El Matador” deliver the kind of performance he’s expecting in the UFC 308 main event.

    “The BMF title is not going to be on the line,” Topuria said. “To be honest, I don’t care. They took that decision and, at the end of the day, it’s like, when I’m going to beat him, he can’t say he’s a BMF or however they want to call him. I’m just concentrating on my title defense and that’s it. I don’t care about anything else.”

    Topuria will have the chance to make good on his confident pre-fight predictions in close to two months’ time, when his newly started divisional rule meets about as tough a test possible from its first challenger.

  • 2024 PFL 9 Playoffs: Brendan Loughnane vs. Kai Kamaka III Weigh-In Results

    2024 PFL 9 Playoffs: Brendan Loughnane vs. Kai Kamaka III Weigh-In Results

    The 2024 PFL Playoffs continue this Friday with matchups from the featherweight and welterweight divisions. Before the bouts can be made official, all fighters weighed in today.

    The event will occur at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. In the main event, former PFL Featherweight Champion Brendan Loughnane takes on Kai Kamaka III to determine who will advance to the finals.

    All fighters successfully weighed in except Eric Alequin, who was unable to do the weight cut for his welterweight matchup against Luca Poclit. The fight is officially canceled for tomorrow’s card.

    After missing the 2023 PFL Championships last year, Loughnane has been on a mission to become a two-time tournament winner. His last victory was an impressive TKO win due to a doctor stoppage against Justin Gonzales at PFL 6 on June 28.

    DraftKings currently has the former champion as the favorite to win on Friday. However, Kamaka III is a tough opponent to defeat. The former Bellator featherweight is on a five-fight win streak and has the ability to pull off the upset.

    Elsewhere on the card, Shamil Musaev will face Murad Ramazanov in a welterweight rematch. They fought each other at PFL 6 in a close fight until the second round. Musaev was able to get a TKO victory after landing a devasting left hook and a barrage of punches. Ramazanov faces the challenge of avenging his loss, but he did have moments of success, including getting a takedown. After their first fight, both welterweights will try to adapt and implement a game plan to move forward to the championships final.

    The PFL 9 preliminary card will kick off the event at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT on ESPN+. The main card will air on ESPN and stream on ESPN+ at 10 PM ET/ 7 PM PT.

    2024 PFL 9 Playoffs: Brendan Loughnane vs. Kai Kamaka III Weigh-In Results

    (Fight Card Is Subject To Change)

    Main Card (ESPN & ESPN+):

    • Featherweight Semifinal: Brendan Loughnane (146 lbs) vs. Kai Kamaka III (145.6 lbs)
    • Welterweight Semifinal: Magomed Umalatov (170.6 lbs) vs. Neiman Gracie (170 lbs)
    • Featherweight Semifinal: Gabriel Braga (146 lbs) vs. Timur Khizriev (145.8 lbs)
    • Welterweight Semifinal: Shamil Musaev (170.2 lbs) vs. Murad Ramazanov (171 lbs)

    Preliminary Card (ESPN+):

    • Welterweight: Ray Cooper III (171 lbs) vs. Mukhamed Berkhamov (170.5 lbs)
    • Featherweight: Tyler Diamond (146.6 lbs) vs. Enrique Barzola (145.4 lbs)
    • Featherweight: Jesse Stirn (145.6 lbs) vs. Jose Perez (145.3 lbs)
    • Heavyweight: Maxwell Djantou Nana (263.8 lbs) vs. Kent Mafileo (248 lbs)
    • Welterweight: Shido Boris Esperanca (170.8 lbs) vs. Tyler Hill (171 lbs)
  • Aljamain Sterling Calls Out Dana White’s ‘Over The Top Reaction’ To Merab Dvalishvili Publicly Posting Training Cut

    Aljamain Sterling Calls Out Dana White’s ‘Over The Top Reaction’ To Merab Dvalishvili Publicly Posting Training Cut

    Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling doesn’t believe Dana White had an appropriate reaction to Merab Dvalishvili’s recent cut.

    Dvalishvili, who is set to challenge current 135-pound kingpin Sean O’Malley for the title in the main event of Noche UFC/UFC 306 at the Sphere next month, was scolded by White this week after he posted a video online showing a facial laceration.

    The Georgian uploaded a number of videos of the cut he suffered 25 days out from his first championship opportunity, raising slight concern in the community about his status for the September 14 card.

    “The Machine” has since clarified that nothing will prevent him from making the walk to do battle with “Sugar” in Las Vegas, but that doesn’t mean everyone thinks the decision to publicly display the cut was smart.

    Chief among them was the UFC CEO, who slammed Dvalishvili during the press conference following Tuesday’s episode of Dana White’s Contender Series.

    “The whole world knows about Merab’s cut. He posted it. Our guys are so dumb, it’s next-level unbelievable,” White said. “All the stuff I talk about boxing, what I will give boxing, is when something happens in a camp, man, let me tell you what, it does not leak. Our guys can’t f*cking wait to throw it up on social media.

    “It’s a small cut. It’s no big deal. But obviously, it needed to be posted,” White continued. “Why the f*ck would you want him to know that? It is next-level stupid. Some of these guys are so stupid it’s mind-boggling. It’s unbelievable.”

    Those comments, however, didn’t sit well with one of Dvalishvili’s closest friends and teammates, and somebody who’s had his own fair share of back and forth with White in the past…

    Sterling Defends Teammate Dvalishvili From White’s Wrath

    When it comes to rocky relationships between fighter and higher-ups, not many have had public disagreements with the likes of White quite like Sterling.

    The now-featherweight contender has taken issue with comments regarding his desire not to fight Dvalishvili while he was bantamweight champ, as well as what he saw as pressure to accept a quick turnaround to fight O’Malley last August.

    Suffice to say, “Funk Master” has never been one to shy away from speaking out against things said by the UFC CEO. And that trend continued this week, with Sterling leaping to the defense of Dvalishvili following White’s scathing reaction to the post detailing the Georgian’s laceration in training.

    “Everyone is making a much bigger deal over ‘the little cut’, even the boss. Merab shares his stories of training camp, the good, the bad, the ugly, and ppl LOVE him for it. There’s nothing ‘stupid’ about it, period,” Sterling wrote. “He’s training, and will show up Sept 14, like he always does. Is this about betting lines?? Is it about a fight cancelation?? Respectfully, this reaction was a bit over the top IMHO.”

    Dvalishvili has since shown his return to the training room on social media, as he gears up for the chance to bring O’Malley’s reign to an end and avenge his teammate’s knockout loss to the striking specialist in Boston last year.

  • UFC Confirms Bantamweight Veteran Arrested On Kidnapping, Assault Charges Has Been Released

    UFC Confirms Bantamweight Veteran Arrested On Kidnapping, Assault Charges Has Been Released

    Longtime UFC bantamweight Casey Kenney has been released from the promotion following his arrest on kidnapping and assault charges.

    Kenney, a former LFA interim flyweight and bantamweight champion, debuted on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage with a win over Ray Borg in 2019. He went on to compete a further seven times in the Octagon, facing the likes of Merab Dvalishvili.

    The 33-year-old hasn’t competed since 2021, a year in which he suffered consecutive split decision losses to Dominick Cruz and Song Yadong.

    Three years on, that losing skid has been confirmed as the final chapter of Kenney’s UFC career, with the organization confirming to MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin that the 135-pound vet has been released amid troubling allegations of domestic abuse.

    Ex-UFC Fighter Kenney Accused Of ‘Repeatedly Striking, Slapping, Biting, Headbutting, Choking’ Partner

    Kenney was arrested on Saturday, August 16, on a number of charges stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident.

    Per MMA Fighting, the veteran fighter was taken into custody by Phoenix Police Fugitive Apprehension Detectives and booked on charges of kidnapping, aggravated assault (strangulation), and assault.

    According to Maricopa County court records, Kenny is facing six charges in total, the most serious of which is a class 2 felony for kidnapping. If convicted, the Indiana native is facing up to 12.5 years in prison.

    Reports of an incident involving Kenney first arose when the alleged victim’s mother accused the fighter of domestic violence in a post on Instagram.

    MMA Fighting’s report includes a probable cause statement obtained from Maricopa County court records, detailing some harrowing accusations being leveled against the now-former UFC fighter.

    “Between the dates of 7-21-2024 at approximately 11:00 p.m. and 7-22-24 at approximately 12:14 a.m. while at the single family residence located at [address redacted], [suspect] Casey Kenney committed kidnapping, aggravated assault by strangulation and assault against [victim] Jasmine Mendez by repeatedly striking, slapping, biting, headbutting and choking [victim] Jasmine for several hours resulting in abrasions to Jasmine’s lip and discoloration to Jasmine’s arms and petechiae to Jasmine’s neck. 

    “Furthermore, during the 13 hours at Casey Kenney’s residence, Jasmine was incapable of escaping the residence due to Casey routinely grabbing hold of Jasmine and holding her in place during her attempts while threatening to cause more physical harm. Casey Kenney advised Jasmine Mendez that if anyone shows up he will shoot them and if her mother shows up he will shoot her in the head. Jasmine Mendez stated she desires prosecution in this matter at this time.”

    Kenny has since been released from police custody. His case now has a status conference scheduled for August 22 and a preliminary hearing four days later.