UFC lightweight prospect Paddy Pimblett has revealed his lofty aspirations for the year ahead, and they include a perfect record and a rise to stardom.
Pimblett, a former Cage Warriors featherweight champion, arrived on MMA’s biggest stage last year with a memorable debut performance. After signing months prior, “The Baddy” made his long-awaited first appearance on the UFC Vegas 36 main card in September.
The man looking to stall his rise was Luigi Vendramini. In the opening exchanges, it looked like he was on his way to doing so. The Brazilian landed some hard shots, including a right hand that appeared to stun Pimblett.
However, when the Liverpudlian found his rhythm, the end came shortly after for Vendramini. Delivering on his pre-fight promise, Pimblett secured the first-round knockout, before sending a warning to the rest of the lightweights in his post-fight interview.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXll_-KsgqK/
Pimblett Sees Big Things For Himself In 2022
While Pimblett had hoped to fit his sophomore appearance into 2021, sponsorships and other matters required his attention, delaying his second UFC appearance until this year. And while his next opponent is yet to be announced, “The Baddy” boasts lofty ambitions for 2022.
During an interview with ESPN MMA, Pimblett suggested he’ll be going 3-0 inside the Octagon this year. Not only that, the charismatic 27-year-old believes he will have established himself as the second biggest box office draw in the UFC before the start of 2023.
“I think I’m gonna go 3-0 in the UFC and I’m gonna become the biggest box-office name they’ve got, besides Conor McGregor,” said Pimblett. “Besides him, I’m gonna be the biggest box office name, because he is the name. I know for a fact If I fought him, it would be the most box-offices sold ever, ever. Without a shadow of a doubt. Because people wanna see him get beat and people wanna see him win, and people wanna see me get beat, people wanna see me win.”
Explaining why he believes he’ll reach a level of stardom behind only that of McGregor, Pimblett had a simple answer: because he’s “The Baddy.”
“Cause I’m ‘The Baddy.’ Lad, I’ve got a little saying lately, everyone loves ‘The Baddy,’ everyone lad. It’s boss, it’s a great feeling, to be honest,” claimed Pimblett.
Paddy Pimblett and Jared Gordon appear to be planning a March meeting in London 👀
After his post-fight callout was accepted by Pimblett last year, it appeared Jared Gordon was set to be lined up as the next UFC litmus test for “The Baddy.” While talk of that clash had seemingly died down, recent comments from both men suggest that could be the next fight added to the expected UFC London card.
While a win over an established name like Gordon would do wonders for Pimblett’s standing at 155 pounds, he’ll be needing some more victories to make his 2022 predictions come true.
Can you see Paddy Pimblett’s predictions for his career coming true this year?
Calvin Kattar was one of the few featherweights who did not put his name in the hat to replace Max Holloway to fight Alexander Volkanovski for the belt.
Volkanovski was supposed to defend his belt in a trilogy match against Holloway at UFC 272 in March. Unfortunately, the Hawaiian was forced out of the bout. After that, several featherweights like Giga Chikadze, Korean Zombie, Josh Emmett, and Yair Rodríguez all called for the fight.
For Kattar, however, he didn’t see a reason to call for the fight, especially when he has a scrap coming up.
“Yeah, man, talk is cheap,” Kattar said on BetQL Tapped Out. “I’m trying to go out next week and earn it…Him throwing his name in the hat, it’d be a shame if I went out and ruined his plans, you know?”
Calvin Kattar & Max Holloway (Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Kattar is set to headline UFC Vegas 46 this Saturday against Giga Chikadze in a battle of top-10 featherweights. The winner could very well be in title contention, and that is all Kattar is focused on, not trying to call out the champ for a bout in March.
“All I know is a W gets me that much closer,” Kattar said. “You only get closer off wins. And some of these guys calling for the title shot off losses, it doesn’t really make sense to me. Yeah, it happens every now and then, but go out and win some shit and then talk.”
Calvin Kattar is currently ranked fifth at featherweight and is coming off a beatdown loss to Max Holloway in January last year. The loss dropped him to 22-5 as a pro and he’s 6-3 in the UFC with wins over Shane Burgos, Dan Ige, Jeremy Stephens, Andre Fili, and Ricardo Lamas among others.
Do you think Calvin Kattar will beat Giga Chikadze in the main event of UFC Vegas 46?
Three-time UFC light heavyweight title challenger Alexander Gustafsson has revealed just how much power rising welterweight star Khamzat Chimaev has in his hands.
It’s safe to say that not many prospects are as highly touted and talked about as Chimaev. It’s probably the case that in just four UFC outings, he’s already broken through the prospect status and emerged as legitimate contender at 170 pounds. That’s an incredible feat given he’s fought just once in the past year.
In 2020, “Borz” established his name in emphatic fashion, recording three wins in just 66 days. In the space of just 10, he brutally dominated John Phillips and Rhys McKee on Fight Island. A couple of months later, he slept middleweight veteran Gerald Meerschaert.
After a battle with COVID-19 stalled his rise, Chimaev picked up where he left off when he made his return last October at UFC 267. Against ranked contender Li Jingliang, the Chechen-born Swede re-railed his hype train by choking out “The Leech” inside the opening frame.
THE HYPE IS REAL!!!!!!!!@KChimaev is a baaaaaaad man 😤
The #11-ranked contender’s hype is undoubtedly mostly down to his vicious and controlling wrestling game, which has seen him rag-doll three of his four opponents in the UFC to date. However, Chimaev’s KO of Meerschaert gave a glimpse of his striking abilities, something his teammate Gustafsson believes is just as dangerous as his ground game.
Speaking during a recent interview with ESPN MMA, “The Mauler,” who trains with Chimaev at Stockholm’s Allstars Training Center, suggested “Borz” hits as hard as a 205lber. Proving context to his training partner’s power, Gustafsson revealed Chimaev has actually knocked people out with his jabs in the gym.
“His striking… He hits like a light heavyweight. He hits hard. He’s very explosive. He boxes very fast with his hands, and with speed comes power and good precision,” said Gustafsson. “I’ve seen this guy knock people out with a jab in training. So, you need to keep your guard up when you spar with this guy.”
If Chimaev is as well-rounded as Gustafsson suggests, a claim that’s hard to argue against given what we’ve seen from the Chechen-born Swede in the Octagon so far, it’s certainly a scary prospect for the rest of the welterweight division.
While the rising star’s next opponent is yet to be announced, recent reports suggest he’ll be facing top-five contender Gilbert Burns in what will likely be a title eliminator. That matchup is apparently slated for UFC 273 on April 9. For those who still doubt Chimaev’s title credentials, an impressive performance against “Durinho” should convert them into believers.
Given what we’ve heard from Gustafsson, perhaps Chimaev can knock Burns and Usman out in 2022 and secure his place on the welterweight throne. His teammates are certainly high on him, but it remains to be seen if he can prove them right against the elite at 170 pounds.
Do you think Khamzat Chimaev has what it takes to knock Kamaru Usman out?
The Korean Zombie has been selected to replace Max Holloway as UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski’s next title defense.
Shortly after news broke that Holloway was out of his UFC 272 fight against Volkanovski, people started to wonder what will be next for the champion. Many names were suggested for Volkanovski, with Chan Sung Jung, better known as The Korean Zombie, being one of them.
Now, according to MMA reporter Ariel Helwani, the bout is a “done deal” to take place on the April 9th pay-per-view. It was also revealed that Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan II will take place on this same card.
This is a fight that the champion himself pushed for after Holloway withdrew from the bout.
“Let’s do this!! #UFC272” Volkanovski tweeted last week.
Volkanovsk’s canceled defense against Holloway would have been a trilogy fight. His second fight against Holloway came in 2020 and saw him defend his belt for the first time in split-decision fashion.
Volkanovski has since defended his belt again, going five rounds against Brian Ortega for a scorecard victory.
The Korean Zombie made a clear push towards a title fight in 2019, attaining first-round wins over Renato Moicano and Frankie Edgar. That momentum was later stopped by Ortega, who beat him in the main event of a show in 2020.
Zombie has since bounced back with a big win, beating Dan Ige via unanimous decision in June 2021.
Who do you think will win this featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and The Korean Zombie?
Rivals are set to clash in the main event of UFC 272, as Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington have been paired against one another.
The welterweight bout was first reported by Brett Okamoto of ESPN. While contracts have yet to be signed for the fight, it is “nearly finalized,” per the report. Should it be completed, it would headline a pay-per-view card that is set to happen on March 5th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
The matchup marks the first time that either Covington or Masvidal will compete since losing a title fight to current UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman.
Covington was the more recent of the two to meet Usman. He fought the current champ in November, losing a unanimous decision after five rounds of action. That fight was his second time meeting him, with their first bout being a fifth-round stoppage victory for Usman in late 2019.
Masvidal met Usman in both of his more recent bouts. His first fight, a meeting against him in 2020, saw him come in on short notice and lose a decision. Masvidal was knocked out the next time around, as Usman stopped him in the second round of a 2021 bout.
UFC 272 Sees Big Changes
Dustin Poirier, Max Holloway, Image Credit: AFP
UFC was originally planning two title fights for UFC 272, with the top of their featherweight and bantamweight divisions competing. However, after Max Holloway pulled out of his title bout against Alexander Volkanovski and Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan’s rematch also experiencing roadblocks, both belts will now be on the line in April.
For now at least, UFC 272 is a rare card that includes no title fights. This was seen twice in the 2021 schedule. Both times, lightweights Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor met in the main event of numbered cards.
Who do you see winning in a fight between Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington?
UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou has flirted with the idea of boxing against Tyson Fury, but Sean O’Malley doesn’t like his odds.
Ngannou is set to face Ciryl Gane for the unified UFC heavyweight title at UFC 270. It’s been quite the buildup to the fight, featuring his strained relationship with his former coach Fernand Lopez.
After winning his trilogy with Deontay Wilder, Fury is widely expected to face Dillian Whyte next after a mandatory negotiation order. It’s unclear if and when the fight will happen as an official date hasn’t been targeted.
During a recent episode of his podcast, O’Malley explained why he feels Ngannou wouldn’t match up well against Fury.
“Ngannou vs. Fury potential boxing fight. If I’m being real, I’ve seen Ngannou throw [punches] like he doesn’t have a lot of boxing skills,” O’Malley said. “If you see how he throws some of his punches, it’s not like a good one too. It’s not even close [to Fury’s level]. With that being said, he could still catch him. He’s got that much f***ing power. Ngannou’s probably got more power than Wilder I’d say… So if they’re in a boxing ring, Francis is so big and terrifying but Tyson Fury would probably piece him up.”
After the negotiations with Whyte stalled, Fury and Ngannou have gone at it on social media for a potential crossover fight. Ngannou, who has long hinted at a move to boxing, has publicly entertained the idea of fighting Fury.
Ngannou has been at odds with the UFC brass for months over an ongoing contract dispute. While UFC President Dana White has expressed recent optimism regarding a new contract for Ngannou, it’s unclear if a deal will get done with one fight left.
O’Malley is arguably one of the best strikers in MMA today and seems to know what he’s talking about when it comes to the boxing aspect of fighting. Ngannou vs. Fury may or may not happen, but O’Malley certainly thinks that Ngannou should stay away from the potential matchup.
How do you think a Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou matchup would play out?
Mendes signed a multi-fight deal with BKFC despite still being technically under contract with the UFC. Shortly after signing with BKFC, he praised the UFC for allowing him to continue this new chapter in his fight career.
Mendes is expected to face Joshuah Alvarez in a 155-pound bout on Feb. 19 in Hollywood, FL. BKFC has yet to make an official announcement of the booking and Mendes’ opponent for his debut.
Alvarez fell in his BKFC debut last November to Arthur Walcott-Ceesay.
Chad Mendes Makes His Fighting Return After Lengthy Absence
Mendes had a bit of a rocky exit from the UFC after losing multiple featherweight title shots. Following his loss to Frankie Edgar in late 2015, he was served with a two-year USADA suspension after an out-of-competition test found growth hormone in Mendes’ system.
Mendes would eventually return in July 2018 to earn a first-round knockout over Myles Jury. He would then go on to lose to current featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 232.
After his loss to Volkanovski, Mendes announced his retirement from MMA. During a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, he announced his return to fighting in bare-knuckle, with an eventual return to MMA still on the table.
At 36 years old, Mendes still has the opportunity to fight at an elite level. He’ll look to silence the doubters next month in the BKFC ring.
How do you think Chad Mendes will do in bare knuckle?
Giga Chikadze is using some words from the boss as motivation.
This Saturday night, Giga Chikadze will be facing arguably the toughest test yet of his UFC career when he fights Calvin Kattar in the main event of UFC Vegas 46. Coming into this match-up, Chikadze feels he is close to a title shot and, with a win, will surely be campaigning for one. And he will be walking into the Octagon with some motivation he received from UFC President Dana White.
“I even had a quick chat with Dana since I was at the P.I.,” Chikadze told MMA Junkie. “We had some interactions there. He said, ‘You’re right there. Handle your business and then we’ll talk after.’ (I have) even more motivation from that, I guess.”
Chikadze is coming into this bout with Kattar having won every fight he has had in the UFC. He made his promotional debut in Sept. 2019 and has been working his way up to the top. His last three wins were all TKO victories, and each earned him a performance bonus. He is now ranked eighth in the division. And with a victory over Kattar this Saturday, he should find himself ranked in the top five.
“I just want to warn everybody that I have a fight this weekend,” Chikadze said. “I’ll be knocking out people that no one would believe I was going to knock them out – in a minute, in a striking way, in this, in that. I just want them to open their eyes and watch this weekend very well, and after this make a decision. I’m just concentrating to perform the best I’ve ever been.”
Kattar is not an easy opponent for anyone. He is coming off a loss against former champion Max Holloway in a Fight of the Night performance. Prior to that, he had two straight wins over top opponents and is currently sitting in the number five spot in the rankings. This bout between Kattar and Chikadze could hold title implications now that Holloway is out of his title shot against Alexader Volkanovski.
Do you think Giga Chikadze has what it takes to beat Calvin Kattar and fight for a title?
UFC welterweight prospect Michel Pereira will fight at UFC Vegas 46 after all, as Andre Fialho will step up as a fill-in for Muslim Salikhov.
Salikhov pulled out just days before the fight due to an undisclosed illness, as first reported by MMA Fighting. The promotion had been rushing in recent days to find an opponent for Pereira ahead of his originally scheduled co-main event slot.
Fialho is an intriguing welterweight prospect who has won four-straight fights in smaller promotions overseas such as UAE Warriors and XMMA. He last fought in October in a first-round knockout over Stefan Sekulić.
Pereira is arguably one of the most exciting strikers in the welterweight division, with an unusual style and wild techniques. He’s won three fights in a row in an impressive fashion over Niko Price, Khaos Williams, and Zelim Imadaev.
Before his recent stint in UAE Warriors, Fialho had made the rounds in Bellator, PFL, and Legacy. He’s earned wins over former UFC standout James Vick and AJ Matthews.
Fialho should present a tough challenge to Pereira on short notice, as he’s accumulated 11 of his 14 wins by knockout. All four of his consecutive wins have been finished within two rounds.
After his recent wins, Pereira has called out Nate Diaz on numerous occasions, despite not getting a clear response from the Stockton native. Another impressive win over a tough prospect such as Fialho would further propel him into welterweight contention.
Are you excited about Michel Pereira’s return to the Octagon?
Rising UFC bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley has revealed why he expects to fall short of another three-fight year in 2022.
Whilst not matching the years the likes of Charles Oliveira and Kamaru Usman had inside the Octagon in 2021, O’Malley certainly increased his stock and hype with victories over three unranked opponents
Heading into the year, “Sugar” was looking to rebound from his first loss in professional MMA, a setback that came against Marlon “Chito” Vera in August 2020 at UFC 252. In his first appearance of 2021, O’Malley returned to the win column by brutally knocking out the once-highly-touted prospect Thomas Almeida at UFC 260.
Fast forward four months and the 27-year-old was back on a winning streak. After the withdrawal of Louis Smolka, O’Malley was matched up with promotional newcomer Kris Moutinho at UFC 264. On his way to a third-round TKO triumph, the Montana native put in a record-breaking striking performance.
In his third fight of the year, O’Malley recorded his third finish and secured his third post-fight bonus of 2021. At UFC 269, he knocked out formerly ranked bantamweight Raulian Paiva inside the opening round.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXuGuo5Dtff/
O’Malley Says Injury Will Likely Prevent Another 3-Fight Year
Since returning from injury and a USADA suspension in 2020, O’Malley has been an active presence in the division, competing six times since March 2020. However, “Sugar” believes his two-year streak of fitting three fights into both 2020 and 2021 will end in 2022.
During a recent interview with Michael Bisping, O’Malley was seen wearing a cast after injuring his thumb in his last outing against Paiva. Despite being set to get the cast off in the coming days, the #12-ranked bantamweight won’t be rushing back into camp, a level of caution he expects to limit his activity to two appearances in the Octagon across the next 12 months.
“The last two years, I’ve gotten three fights in each year. I think that’s kind of a good pace right now. I’m thinking this year, 2022, I really wanna get three fights in, but I don’t wanna force anything. So, you know, this year might only allow for two, just kind of considering where my thumb’s at right now. It’s not bad, I get the cast off next week, but I don’t wanna push or force any training camps or anything.”
With O’Malley admitting he’s unlikely to make the UFC 272 card in March, “Sugar” expects to wait for the next pay-per-view scheduled for Las Vegas before returning.
With UFC 273 set for New York and rumors that UFC 274 could signal the promotion’s return to Brazil, fans may be waiting until early summer before seeing O’Malley back inside the cage.
Who would you like to see Sean O’Malley face next?
UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler is hoping to test his skills at welterweight, and has thrown his name into the hat to face Nate Diaz.
Since arriving in the Octagon last year, Chandler has grown into both a fan favorite and legitimate contender in the 155-pound division. In just three fights, the former three-time Bellator champion has fought for the title and been involved in a consensus Fight of the Year clash against Justin Gaethje in Madison Square Garden.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXMN_IUlLYp/
Despite now boasting a negative 1-2 record in the UFC, Chandler remains one of the top fighters at 155 pounds, and not many other stars will attract as much attention with their outings as he will in 2022. While he’s currently taking an extended break from the Octagon, he’s also not shied away from interacting with potential next opponents.
Chandler Adds New Name To His List Of Potential Opponents
During an appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, Chandler suggested a potential matchup with Nate Diaz has been flying under the radar. Nevertheless, he believes that clash needs to happen while both men remain in the promotion.
“Nate Diaz, nobody’s ever talked about me and Nate Diaz fighting, but for some reason I’m like, ‘I feel like me and Nate Diaz should probably share the Octagon at some point.’ And obviously… I know his contract is coming to a close, he’s looking at fighting Poirier, that’s the fight he says he wants, but then he called the UFC and the UFC said, ‘Poirier sucks.’ [LAUGHS]. That tweet was genius.”
If the bout does come to fruition, Chandler has no doubts it would mark his debut at welterweight. Discussing whether that could signal a permanent move up to 170 pounds, Chandler admitted he’d like to avoid making the cut to 155 pounds unless it’s to fight for the title or to face McGregor.
“Yeah, we’ll throw Nate Diaz’s name in the hat. And I’d love to fight at 170 instead of 155, I’ll tell you that much. Definitely when I fight Diaz, it’s gonna be at 170, for sure. I’ve been competing in the 150s since I was a senior in high school… That 150-something is not very fun. Health-wise, it’s one of the things that makes it hard in this sport.
“When I got done with this last fight, I said I don’t want to make 155 unless it was Conor or for the title. Obviously I lost that fight, I’m not fighting for the title next, and Conor could be a long shot at this point… We’ll see what happens, I definitely don’t wanna make 155 but I’m a man of my word and I signed a contract at 155 pounds.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWlVrnzpEAr/
It’s clear that Michael Chandler has a lot of options and a lot of ambitions in the UFC. And while he’s taking the necessary time to recover form his last fight, we can expect to see “Iron” back in a big fight, on a big card, and with big implications later this year.
Would you like to see Michael Chandler face Nate Diaz at welterweight?
UPDATE: The rematch will officially take place at UFC 273 on April 9 per a Tuesday report from MMA journalist Ariel Helwani.
***
Aljamain Sterling confirmed reports that his rematch with Petr Yan at UFC 272 may get pushed back to April.
Sterling got the belt via disqualification after Yan landed an illegal knee at UFC 259. The UFC has attempted to put the rematch together on multiple occasions, but injuries and other issues have come to the surface.
Sterling and Yan were supposed to fight at UFC 267 before Sterling pulled out due to lingering health issues. Yan would then fight and beat Cory Sandhagen for the interim bantamweight title.
During a recent post on social media, Sterling confirmed rumors that the Yan rematch may be in jeopardy once again.
“Yes, they’re talking about pushing my fight back to April,” Sterling said. “Not because of me. This is what I was told: [Mocking] ‘Yan isn’t vaccinated so he can’t fight in March’.
“I actually respect his gangster. If this is the real reason, I actually respect his stance. I respect it, but it doesn’t make any sense. And I’m making fun of it because it’s like, is he going to be vaccinated in April? I don’t think so. So what are we doing?
“I just want to know when we’re fighting. It’s about time we get to punch each other in the face. So, hopefully, we can figure this out sooner rather than later, unify these belts and figure out who is really the guy.”
The tension between Sterling and Yan has skyrocketed in recent months. Sterling has accused Yan of using performance-enhancing drugs, which Yan has vehemently denied.
Since the time of their first matchup, the UFC’s bantamweight division has grown into arguably the most stacked division in the sport. The title picture is in desperate need of clarity, beginning with the second chapter of Sterling vs. Yan.
As of now, it appears that the fight could likely get pushed back to UFC 273 in April, which is slated to be the promotion’s pay-per-view in Brooklyn, NY. Therefore, fans may have to wait a little longer to see these two rivals go to battle once again.
What is your reaction to the Aljamain Sterling/Petr Yan rematch getting pushed back once again?
Jake Paul has been teasing a transition to MMA, which he recently stated would include training with AKA.
Jake Paul has taken the world of boxing by storm. He burst onto the scene and began to dismantle former UFC fighters one by one. Now, he is teasing a transition to MMA to continue his rise in combat sports.
Recently, he teased that he will be joining the top MMA gym American Kickboxing Academy (AKA). This is the home gym for UFC greats Khabib Nurmagomedov, Daniel Cormier, and Cain Velasquez. Head coach of AKA Javier Mendez addressed this rumor of Paul joining the team in an interview with The Schmo.
“It could happen. But like anybody, we have to go through all the coaches and all the fighters that are here,” Mendez explained. “And anybody that’s a famous athlete like him, they would go through the routine that everybody does. So he would have to get voted by everybody—not everybody. If there’s one person in particular that doesn’t want him here for that particular reason, he can’t be here.”
Although Mendez is impressed with what Paul has been able to do so far in the boxing world, that doesn’t mean he will have the same effect in MMA. AKA has been the home to many top-ranked UFC fighters over the years but the addition of Paul could make some new waves for the gym. Mendez likes the fire Paul has lit for himself so far but says there have yet to be any actual discussions of Paul joining the team.
“First of all, he’s never asked. What he’s done is he’s marketed himself out there beautifully,” Mendez said. “I love the plug he gave us. I think it was a fantastic plug, and I think he is a fantastic person, and I think that he markets himself fantastic. I love what he does. He creates interest. How could you not like a guy who creates interest?”
Although there seems to be some level of interest from both parties, the deal to have Paul join the likes of Nurmagmoedov is far from set. Paul was involved with a public spat with AKA alum Daniel Cormier last year. The animosity between these two could be one thing that prevents the YouTuber from joining the AKA ranks, as everyone at AKA would have to sign off on his membership.
“I sent him a text of encouragement, a heartfelt message. I felt it was the right type of message to send because it was legit,” Mendez said. “And he, in turn, returned the favor by talking about training with us. But the reality is that no matter who you are, it could be the greatest fighter whatever you still have to go through the team to consent to train with us.”
Would you like to see Paul join AKA and begin his MMA career under Mendez and Nurmagomedov?
Khamzat Chimaev was involved in an incident at an MMA event.
According to several reports, Chimaev was sitting in the front row to cheer on one of his teammates. After the ref called the fight off, the Swede then jumped the rails to make his way toward the cage to protest the stoppage.
Security was quick to get Chimaev and intervened, but a small scuffle did happen.
The good news is, no one was hurt in the altercation, and security was able to calm Chimaev down rather quickly.
The 10-0 Khamzat Chimaev is currently the 11th-ranked welterweight and is coming off a submission win over Li Jingliang at UFC 267 in the first round. It was his fourth win inside the Octagon as he also has a one-punch KO win over Gerald Meerschaert and stoppage wins over Rhys McKee and John Phillips in 10 days.
Chimaev does not have his next fight booked, but many are hoping he gets a title shot sometime soon. As it stands, a bout against Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 appears the most likely scenario.
Chimaev has been considered one of the most feared men in the UFC. Dana White has claimed that other welterweights do not want to fight him, while Chael Sonnen believes he’s already psychologically defeated the entire division.
“There’s a lot of ways to beat a guy, but if you can do it psychologically and you never have to get out there,” Sonnen explained on his Beyond the Fight show. “Dan Henderson had a great line one time, which is Dan was in a bar with somebody, and the guy said, ‘Hey, Dan. If I get in some trouble, you know, will you walk over there, beat this guy down for me?’ And Dan simply said, ‘Why do I need to beat him down when I can stare him down?’ And that rule of life doesn’t go away…”
“You can stare a guy down, and he backs down; it is the art of war because the great generals never fire a shot,” Sonnen said. “They don’t need to. They align their troops and make the other people retreat. And if Chimaev is successfully doing that – If less than 20 minutes of action, three double-legs, a rear-naked choke, and a left hook – If that’s going to scare an entire division away in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, then shame on them. Fair play by Chimaev.”
What do you make of Khamzat Chimaev being restrained by security?
Urijah Faber and Cub Swanson may be on a collision course in 2022 as the two veterans look to continue their respective UFC careers.
Faber hasn’t fought in the Octagon in a little over two years since his knockout loss to Petr Yan at UFC 245. It was his second fight back in the cage after retiring in 2016.
Faber hasn’t ruled out continuing his combat sports career alongside his leadership at Team Alpha Male. One name who has been making the rounds is Swanson, who recently hinted at a potential fight with Faber in a throwback matchup.
“Honestly, I know he broke his hand, that might give me enough time to train,” Faber said. “He might drop down to 135 – we were supposed to fight back in 2004, with King of the Cage on short notice for a thousand bucks, I think they were gonna pay him a couple of hundred bucks and me a thousand bucks and that never happened, so Cubby, I’m honored that I’m your dream fight here in this scenario. So we might have to find out who the king of California is, I don’t know.”
Swanson most recently defeated Darren Elkins at UFC Vegas 45 and has won three of his last four bouts. His most recent defeat was to the rising featherweight contender Giga Chikadze, who finished him with a brutal body kick and ground-and-pound strikes.
Swanson first brought up the idea of facing Faber in late 2020, and conversations regarding the matchup have resurfaced in recent weeks.
It’s unclear if Swanson intends on moving down to 135 pounds at this stage in his career, but it has worked out well for fighters such as José Aldo. If Swanson wants to move down to bantamweight, Faber seems like a game opponent who could be ready to fight this year.
Would you be interested in a Urijah Faber vs. Cub Swanson matchup?
Happy New Year, fight fans! To kick off our 20th anniversary, we will be rolling out the MMA News Top 100 UFC fighters of 2021 throughout the month of January as voted on by our panel.
This list is NOT solely based on fights and performances of 2021. Being active in 2021 is what QUALIFIES one to make the list. Instead of only considering performances of the year, we are taking a holistic look at who is the better overall fighter exiting 2021 based on our selected criteria. A full explanation of the criteria can be found below.
1: Career Trajectory/Recent Performances (50%)
Where are the fighters trending right now? How much evidence-backed momentum do they have?
2: Career Success/Body of Work (25%)
Championships, wins, résumé, etc.
3: Likelihood To Be The Betting Favorite In Any Fight In 2021 (25%)
This was determined using past betting history, betting lines during 2021, and the projected odds moving forward as determined by the panel. This category is being used to get a gauge of the talent level the public feels the fighter is/was at.
Be sure to keep checking back right here at MMANews.com for frequent updates to this list throughout the month of January as we continue to update this list!
Reasoning Behind Ranking: For nearly a full decade, Thiago Santos has served as the unrelenting sledgehammer of the UFC. Santos is tied for the most knockouts in middleweight history. Whenever your name is linked with Anderson Silva’s in terms of in-cage achievements, you’ve done something right in your career. He also is tied for third in the most UFC knockouts overall. These facts were considered when awarded “Marreta” points in the “body of work” category.
Another quasi-achievement for Santos is being the only fighter to officially win a scorecard off of Jon Jones. Many fans credit Dominick Reyes or Alexander Gustafsson for giving Jones his greatest challenge, yet it was Marreta who came the closest to actually handing Jones his first non-DQ defeat. With scorecards of 48-47, 48-47, and 47-48, the fight literally could not have been any closer.
As far as recent success, Santos has not looked quite the same or as deadly since returning from surgery on both knees immediately following that bout against Jones. First, he was defeated by Glover Teixeira via rear-naked choke in November 2020. And last year, Rakić cruised to a unanimous decision victory over the Brazilian. However, his recent performances aren’t all dim, as he defeated countryman Johnny Walker with a unanimous decision victory of his own last October, albeit in a performance that still displayed a somewhat dulled Marreta.
Heading Into 2022: Thiago Santos is currently ranked #5 in the light heavyweight division. He will have a very tall task ahead of him in his next contest, when he faces surging Russian contender Magomed Ankalaev on March 12.
#49: Jared Cannonier
Jared Cannonier, Image Credit: AP Photo/Julio Cortez
Reasoning Behind Ranking: Once lost in the grand shuffle, Jared Cannonier rebuilt and lifted himself to being amongst the middleweight elite. At heavyweight, Cannonier was 1-1 in the UFC. At light heavyweight, he went 2-3. Neither divisional records would hardly net someone a place on our Top 100 list.
Since moving down to middleweight, however, Cannonier has experienced a fresh start, with any past failures almost rendered irrelevant due to the obvious physical and performance differences between the Jared Cannonier of old and the 4-1 Killa Gorilla that has become a problem for the middleweight division.
Cannonier’s only loss in the division came to former champion Robert Whittaker, in what was a competitive fight in which Cannonier was able to take one round off “The Reaper” on each of the judges’ scorecards in a 29-28 unanimous decision loss. In 2021, Cannonier was able to rebound with a unanimous decision victory over Kelvin Gastelum in the main event of a Fight Night event last August.
Heading Into 2022: Jared Cannonier is ranked #3 in the middleweight division. The wide belief is that he is one win away from receiving his first UFC title shot. That one win must come against Derek Brunson at UFC 270 in two weeks.
#48: Giga Chikadze
Giga Chikadze, Image Credit: UFC.com
Reasoning Behind Ranking: Six fights into his professional MMA career, Giga Chikadze appeared on Dana White’s Contender Series looking for a contract in MMA’s premier promotion. When the advanced kickboxer was shut down by the grappling of his opponent and stopped with a rear-naked choke, it looked as though we would never see what could become of the flashy yet precise striker.
Four years later, not only did Chikadze make it to the UFC, but he’s gone 7-0 since his arrival in 2019. In fact, in his most recent victory, he managed to outclass one of the UFC’s most versatile and respected strikers: Edson Barboza.
This finish made for the third straight for Chikadze, joining TKO wins over another UFC vet, Cub Swanson, as well as Jamey Simmons. Meanwhile, there has yet to be a UFC battle that this Ninja hasn’t survived, and no moment has been too big for this dual-sport athlete who eyes featherweight gold.
Heading Into 2022: In order to get that crack at the title in 2022, Chikadze will first need to defeat Calvin Kattar this weekend at UFC Vegas 46. He had hoped to be selected to fight Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 272 on short notice, but instead, as of this writing, it appears that honor will go to the next man on our list.
#47: Chan Sung Jung
The Korean Zombie, Image Credit: USA TODAY
Reasoning Behind Ranking: Whenever Chan Sung Jung competes, he never fails to bring the crowd out of their seats, with lively chants of “Zombie! Zombie! Zombie!” Throughout his 15 years as a pro, he’s managed to do this by ending 14 of his 17 fights before they had a chance to go to the judges.
Some of the names he’s notched onto his résumé include Dustin Poirier, Renato Moicano, and former lightweight champion Frankie “The Answer” Edgar, with each of those victories winning Performance of the Night, with the chants growing louder.
In fact, six of The Korean Zombie’s seven UFC victories have earned him performance bonuses. And in terms of his current career trajectory, he has won three of his last four fights, most recently over Dan Ige last June.
Heading Into 2022: It is unknown what is next for Zombie as he enters the year as the #4-ranked featherweight. However, as alluded to earlier, there are very strong indications that Zombie will be challenging Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 272 as of this writing. Should Jung be able to capture UFC gold after a decade-plus run in the WEC/UFC, those chants will ring louder than ever before.
#46: Michael Chandler
Michael Chandler, Image Credit: Zuffa LLC
Reasoning Behind Ranking: Michael Chandler may still be considered the new kid on the block to many UFC fans, but this Division I All-American has been competing for world championships since 2011 when he captured the Bellator lightweight championship by defeating Eddie Alvarez via rear-naked choke.
Throughout his nine-year Bellator run, Chandler managed to capture the lightweight title on three separate occasions. In addition to his victory over Alvarez, he also holds wins over notable names like Benson Henderson, Brent Primus, and Patricky Pitbull among others.
Once he arrived in the UFC, he instantly showed the world that he could shake up any lightweight division in the world in a single round.
Michael Chandler KOs Hooker, Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Chandler had already paid his dues by his UFC arrival, but his knockout of Dan Hooker at UFC 257 made it clear that he belonged in MMA’s ultimate proving ground. And even though he would lose his next two fights, he did win a round against the current lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, seemingly being within blowing distance of becoming champion himself. He then took part in what was arguably the 2021 Fight of the Year against Justin Gaethje. For these reasons, Chandler earned a spot within the top 50 of our list.
Heading Into 2022: Michael Chandler is ranked #5 at lightweight. There have been strong rumblings of a potential fight against Tony Ferguson being first up for “Iron” Mike, but Chandler has let it be widely known that he would much rather prefer a big fight against Conor McGregor.
#45: Derek Brunson
Curtis Blaydes, Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images
Reasoning Behind Ranking: In Derek Brunson, you are looking at a man whose strength of schedule is comparable to anyone in our sport who has never been champion. He’s shared the Octagon with names like Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, Robert Whittaker, Yoel Romero, Israel Adesanya, and many others. He’s managed to continue fighting the best of the best by having his arm raised far more often than not.
At the moment, Brunson is riding the second five-fight winning streak of his decade-long UFC career, including a dominant, statement victory over one of the names on our list, Darren Till, and wins over middleweights who, at the time, were riding major waves of momentum: Kevin Holland and Edmen Shahbazyan. By now, Blonde Brunson has given everyone plenty of reasons to believe in his rebirth.
Heading Into 2022: In addition to the quality of recent performances, which weighed strongly for Brunson, his career trajectory as a whole is as promising as it’s ever been. If he is able to defeat Jared Cannonier at UFC 270 in two weeks, then Blonde Brunson will almost assuredly have an opportunity to become Gold Brunson.
#44: Curtis Blaydes
Curtis Blaydes, Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images
Reasoning Behind Ranking: Coming in at #44 is one of the more underrated fighters on our list, Curtis Blaydes. Curtis Blaydes is the type of guy who will beat you in a fighting game by tapping the same buttons over and over, no matter what you or those watching have to say about it. But make no mistake, Blaydes is the real deal—a true, authentic martial artist who has fought at the highest levels of MMA’s version of Mortal Kombat.
While Blaydes hasn’t always wowed with his performances, especially in his most recent wins, the fact remains that when he does win, you can count on it being a one-sided victory, which means that each of his 15 victories has either been a finish or a unanimous decision. This, along with the fact that he’s only ever been defeated by the current champion (Francis Ngannou) and the #3-ranked heavyweight (Derrick Lewis) means that Blaydes is one of the strongest fighters in our third category of likelihood to win a fight.
In category #2, which considers body of work, he holds dominant victories over heavyweight legends Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem, and 10 of his 12 UFC wins have been over heavyweights who have been ranked in the UFC. And in terms of recent performances and career trajectory, Blaydes has won five of his last six fights and 9 of his last 11.
Heading Into 2022: Curtis Blaydes still finds himself ranked #4 in the company’s most dangerous division. He is in a bit of a tricky spot, seeing as how he’s already faced so many fighters in the division, including reigning champion Francis Ngannou, who holds two victories over Blaydes. With this in mind, it’s anyone’s guess who will make the one-man cut to be Razor’s next opponent.
#43: Khamzat Chimaev
Khamzat Chimaev, Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Reasoning Behind Ranking: In what is easily the trickiest placement on our list, Khamzat “Borz” Chimaev comes in at #43. Let’s examine how Chimaev ended up here based on the criteria.
First, for category #1, which considers career tajectory and recent performances, those who say Chimaev’s placement is too high will no doubt argue that his recent performances should not be overvalued due to the level of competition they came against. We would counter this by pointing out that Li Jingliang was and still is ranked at welterweight And yet, Khamzat Chimaev effortlessly did this to the man…
We would also like to point out that despite the other three victories coming over unranked opponents, going a total of four fights while only suffering one significant strike has to be worth special consideration. In fact, this incredible statistic also impacts category #2 (achievements/body of work/résumé) because that stat is an achievement no fighter in UFC can say after four fights.
In category #3 (likelihood to win a fight) the eye test and common sense make it clear that the guy is special. The only real question is: How special? The validity and uncertainty of that question along with the lack of notable wins is why Borz could not be ranked higher, although we believe him to be a top-10 talent as we speak.
To further support the strong points awarded to Chimaev in the third category is the following example: Even after only four UFC fights, he was listed as a -210 favorite against Leon Edwards in a hypothetical fight, despite Edwards being the UFC’s #3-ranked welterweight on a 10-fight unbeaten streak.
Heading Into 2022: With four easy smeshings now behind him, Borz is very hungry for more. He has regularly expressed his intentions to eat up his opponents, and next up to the plate may very well be Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 according to the latest reports.
#42: Jéssica Andrade
Jéssica Andrade
Reasoning Behind Ranking: “Borz” isn’t the only fighter on our list who knows about smashing. Our #42-ranked fighter, Jéssica Andrade, has been known to smash, pile drive, and womanhandle her opponents for years. The notable difference between Andrade and Chimaev is that Andrade is a former world champion and holds a victory over someone ranked higher on our list, Rose Namajunas. In fact, Andrade nearly holds two victories over Namajunas, seeing as how their rematch in the summer of 2020 was a split decision.
16 of Andrade’s 22 career wins have been finishes, and she holds big victories over names like Claudia Gadelha, Tecia Torres, and Kaitlyn Chookagian among many others. She is also the only woman in UFC history to have wins in three different weight classes in the UFC. And in terms of recent performances, Andrade has won two of her last three fights, with the loss coming against Valentina Shevchenko, which is difficult to fault anyone for.
Heading Into 2022: Jéssica Andrade is currently ranked #1 in the women’s flyweight division. It is unknown what her next move will be, but a potential trilogy fight against Rose Namajunas this year could make sense if Andrade opts to move back down to strawweight.
#41: Magomed Ankalaev
Magomed Ankalaev
Reasoning Behind Ranking: Magomed Ankalaev is one of the toughest assignments for any light heavyweight in the world right now. Since entering the UFC in 2018, he has shown no holes in his game but has rather been constantly sharpening his well-rounded skill set. And whenever his opponents believe they’ve found a door that leads to victory, Ankalaev puts an end to their elaborate plans.
Even in his sole loss in the promotion, which came in his UFC debut, Ankalaev was dominant for the entirety of his bout against Paul Craig until Craig pulled off a literal last-second submission.
Since then, he has gone on to win his next seven fights without issue, including four finishes, to improve his overall record to 16-1. Most recently, Ankalaev coasted to a victory over former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir at UFC 267. Due to his lengthy streak and impressive performances, Ankalev was awarded heavy points in category #1, especially considering that his career trajectory has him potentially one win away from a title shot.
Heading Into 2022: As mentioned earlier in this installment of the MMA News Top 100 Fighters of 2021, Ankalaev will next have an opportunity to extend his winning steak to eight along with a guaranteed spot within the top 5 in the division if he can get past #5-ranked Thiago Santos. The fact that Ankalaev is favored to do so against a former title challenger is an example of the respect he is given for his likelihood to win fights, which is weighted into our third category.
Entering 2022, this ranking for Ankalaev may be considered on the high end, but at the rate he’s going and with the way he has performed thus far, this number could be much, much higher next year.
Stay tuned to find out who is next on the MMA News Top 100 Fighters Of 2021 in Part 7!
It’s unclear when Cheyanne Vlismas will return to the Octagon, but her soon-to-be ex-husband JP Buys isn’t buying her excuses.
Vlismas is coming off of arguably the best win of her career at UFC Vegas 44 over Mallory Martin. She earned the Fight of the Night performance bonus for her unanimous decision win.
After the victory, Vlismas was vague when asked about her plans to return to the Octagon. During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, she briefly alluded to her whereabouts and reasoning for going overseas. Vlismas revealed that she had to leave the United States due to unspecified personal issues.
“No one knows where I’m at, and I’m actually keeping it that way,” Vlismas said. “A lot of things happened before my fight — and even after my fight—and I decided what’s best is to just escape. I’ve been gone now for two weeks and I love it. I’m overseas and just living my life.”
After the interview aired, Buys issued a harsh response to Vlismas’ comments and claims of being in hiding.
@MMAFighting Hiding from what? In a country no one knows where she’s at? Everyone here knows she has been in Batumi Georgia with Roman, the same guy she has been having an affair with behind my back. While still married. https://t.co/0b1BJH9zjR
“Hiding from what?” Buys tweeted. “In a country no one knows where she’s at? Everyone here knows she has been in Batumi, Georgia with Roman, the same guy she has been having an affair with behind my back. While still married.”
Vlismas has yet to issue a public response to Buys’ tweet.
Vlismas garnered the attention of UFC president Dana White after earning an impressive win on Dana White’s Contender Series. Following her win over Hilarie Rose, she would earn a contract due to her skill set and potential.
Buys has struggled since earning a contract on DWCS. He’s lost back-to-back fights to Bruno Silva and Montel Jackson and is still looking for his first win with the promotion.
What is your reaction to the JP Buys/Cheyanne Vlismas story?
UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad poked fun at Khamzat Chimaev for allegedly dodging him for a fight in the Octagon.
Muhammad most recently put on arguably the most dominant performance of his career against Stephen Thompson. As the new year begins, he’s potentially one fight away from a welterweight title shot.
Muhammad has been calling out Chimaev for weeks for a bout. Meanwhile, Chimaev has been eagerly waiting for his return to the Octagon after a decisive win at UFC 267 over Li Jingliang.
Muhammad first called out Chimaev following his latest win. During a recent Instagram post, he jokingly aimed at Chimaev.
Chimaev first became a household name after a memorable 2020. He finished the calendar year with three-straight finishes, including two within 10 days.
As for Muhammad, it’s unclear who he’ll face for his first fight of 2022, but he remains interested in a matchup with the rising Chimaev. Depending on how the welterweight title conversation plays out, these two could battle sooner rather than later.
Miesha Tate could drop down a division for her next fight, as she is being set up to face Lauren Murphy at UFC 273.
Reports surfaced Monday that Tate and Murphy could meet at UFC’s April 9th pay-per-view event. The fight has reportedly been verbally agreed upon by both parties, but contracts have not been signed yet. News of the fight was first reported by Damon Martin of MMA Fighting.
The potential fight gives Tate, a former champ at bantamweight, a chance to make her debut down a weight class.
Tate came out of retirement last year, competing for the first time in nearly five years. She won in her return, defeating Marion Reneau in the third round of a July bout. Tate was later booked in a main event bout against Ketlen Vieira. She did not succeed in that appearance, losing via unanimous decision after 25 minutes of action.
All of Tate’s major fights as a pro have come at bantamweight. She was the 135-pound champ in 2016, securing a fifth-round submission win over Holly Holm to take the belt. She dropped the title later that year, as she was submitted by Amanda Nunes at UFC 200. Nunes went on to hold the belt for numerous years before recently dropping it to Julianna Peña.
Murphy Coming Off Title Fight
Lauren Murphy (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
The booking offers Murphy the opportunity to bounce back from a high-profile loss.
Murphy challenged UFC Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko in September, a fight that resulted in a fourth-round finish victory for the champ. The title fight was given to Murphy after a strong climb up the flyweight division, attaining five consecutive wins from 2019 to 2021.
Coincidentally, Murphy is a former bantamweight who made the drop down a weight class after she fought her fourth UFC bout in 2016. She has remained at flyweight since 2017.
How do you think Miesha Tate could do down at flyweight? And what do you think of Tate facing Lauren Murphy?
Alexander Gustafsson says he isn’t done fighting just yet.
Gustafsson has not fought since he suffered a submission loss to Fabricio Werdum in his heavyweight debut back in July of 2020. The loss was his third straight. He was booked to return this past September against Paul Craig, but a week before the event, the Swede was forced out of the bout.
Since then, there has been little talk of Gustafsson’s future, but the three-time title challenger says he will still fight again.
“Let’s see what is going on. We’re talking to the UFC a lot. I wanna fight. I wanna fight early this year, and basically take it from there,” Gustafsson said to ESPN. “I wanna make up for the Werdum fight. I feel like I didn’t really get into that fight… I feel like I need to do stuff, take a fight, and take one fight at a time. I wanna fight early this year to just get in there and have fun. Take one win at a time.”
In his career, Alexander Gustafsson has accomplished a lot as he fought for UFC gold three times. However, he lost twice to Jon Jones and once to Daniel Cormier. Yet, in the first fight against Jones, it was very competitive and some even think the Swede won, the same can be said about the Cormier fight.
He also has beaten top fighters like Glover Teixeira, Jan Blachowicz, Shogun Rua, and Jimi Manuwa among others. Yet, he still thinks he needs to do more in his career, which is why he wants to fight again.
“I’m probably in the middle, in the between somewhere. I’m very happy about my career. But I feel like I’m not done yet, you know? I’m still writing the book. I have to keep going in there and doing my thing,” Gustafsson explained. “That’s what I miss doing… I really miss getting back to the Octagon and fight. That’s what I’m gonna do, basically; go back and do my thing.”
When and who Gustafsson will fight in his return is uncertain, but the Swede is focused on making a return and snapping his losing skid.
Who would you like to see Alexander Gustafsson fight in his return?
UFC heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis believes his convincing defeat to Ciryl Gane at UFC 265 would have played out differently had it not been in Houston.
Having built a four-fight win streak, Lewis secured his number one contender spot at the start of 2021 and was expected to challenge for Francis Ngannou’s title in the third quarter of the year. While victories over Blagoy Ivanov, Ilir Latifi, and Alexei Oleinik brought him back to contention, it was the brutal knockout of Curtis Blaydes at UFC Vegas 19 that cemented his second title shot in the UFC.
Despite the immense disappointment of falling short of title glory for the second time in the UFC, Lewis was quick to bounce back. Just four months later, “The Black Beast” closed out the year in style. In the final main event of 2021, he brutally knocked out rising contender Chris Daukaus inside the opening round. In doing so, he broke the record for the most KOs in UFC history, with Daukaus becoming his 13th victim.
In the aftermath of his rebound victory, Lewis discussed his back and forth year during an appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour. During the interaction, the #3-ranked heavyweight contender looked back on his loss to Gane and suggested there were multiple things he should have done differently inside the Toyota Center.
“I felt embarrassed to fight, that’s all it was. It felt embarrassing, it felt like I should have done a lot more than I did, and just, I was gun-shy the whole fight. I didn’t wanna pull the trigger, and I was too stationary. It’s a lot of stuff, I could go on and on about a lot of things that I should have did different in that fight.”
When asked whether the pressure of fighting in Houston played a part, Lewis suggested he and his coaches believe the result would have been a lot different had the event been held elsewhere.
“I say that all the time (that the fight would have been different outside of Houston), I believe that all the time. My coaches believe that as well. Everyone believes it would have been a lot different if it wasn’t in Houston., where all that stuff was going on,” said Lewis.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYcK_TRpe6J/
Having experienced pressure and expectation like never before at UFC 265, Lewis knows what he wants for the rest of his career: fun and pressure-free fights. That’s exactly what he has lined up for next month.
At UFC 271, “The Black Beast” will face fellow KO artist Tai Tuivasa. With both men providing some of the most hilarious and entertaining moments in the Octagon and “Bam Bam” describing them as the “fun of the division,” this one certainly fulfills the criteria for Lewis.
Do you think the UFC 265 main event would have played out differently if Derrick Lewis didn’t have the pressure of a home crowd?
UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler still thinks a matchup with Dustin Poirier makes a lot of sense if Poirier stays at 155 pounds.
Chandler still has UFC title ambitions despite back-to-back losses to Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje. He remains a big name in the lightweight division and could be back in the title shot conversation if he can get on a winning streak.
Poirier also lost to Oliveira at UFC 269, and both men are in somewhat of an uncertain position in the 155-pound division. Poirier has also alluded to a move to welterweight for the remainder of his career after losing his second title shot to Oliveira.
Meanwhile, Chandler has hinted at a possible matchup with Conor McGregor in 2022, although it’s unclear if the UFC will go through with it.
“That’s what I wanted to do when I came into the UFC,” Chandler said. “I wanted to fight all the top guys. Poirier was actually one of the guys that we asked for, and he declined at the very beginning, which I have no problem with that. He was at the top of the division and I was the guy from outside the UFC coming in.
“So he’s always been a name on the list. He’s a guy that I respect. A guy that I admire inside the sport of mixed martial arts. A guy who I would love to compete against.”
Chandler has recently taken back comments in which he referred to Poirier as a “quitter” following his UFC 269 defeat. After getting off to a good start against Oliveira, Poirier was submitted with a standing rear-naked choke in Round 3.
Chandler and Poirier are still fighting for championships, and a matchup between them would certainly make sense at lightweight. However, Poirier’s reluctance to commit to a future at 155 pounds may take the matchup out of the conversation.
Who do you want to see Michael Chandler and Dustin Poirier fight next?
Kevin Holland has announced that he will be taking on Alex Oliveira at UFC 272.
A clash of UFC stars will be added to the upcoming UFC 272 fight card when Kevin Holland takes on Alex Oliveira. News of the bout was first leaked by Holland himself on his OnlyFans page. He stated that he has signed a contract to take on Oliveira at the event that takes place on March 5 in Las Vegas.
Holland followed up an amazing five-win 2020 with a less-than-stellar 2021. In his last three fights, he has lost two and had his most recent bout end in a no contest. That last outing was against Kyle Daukaus was the no contest that came from an accidental head clash. That bout was supposed to be run back, but Holland was forced out with an injury.
Looking to turn his losing streak around and pick up where he left off in 2020, Holland will look to take down Oliveira, who is a veteran of the sport. Oliveira is a fan favorite and well known by his nickname “Cowboy.” He is also riding a losing streak and has only won two fights in the last three years.
Holland will be moving down to welterweight for this bout after a tough go of it lately at 185 pounds. He is currently ranked 14 in the middleweight rankings, and Oliveira is unranked at this time. Both of these men are known for putting on exciting fights and both can end the fight at any point. This is a very fun matchup added to an already stacked card.
Here is the updated UFC 272 lineup. UFC Featherweight Champion Alex Volkanovski may also be replacing a short-notice replacement for Max Holloway, with The Korean Zombie currently the frontrunner to step in.
UFC Bantamweight Championship Bout: Aljamain Sterling (c) vs. Petr Yan
Edson Barboza vs. Bryce Mitchell
Kevin Holland vs. Alex Oliveira
Jessica Eye vs. Manon Fiorot
Mariya Agapova vs. Maryna Moroz
Dustin Jacoby vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Tim Elliott vs. Tagir Ulanbekov
Marina Rodriguez vs. Yan Xiaonan
Who do you think will win at UFC 272, Kevin Holland or Alex Oliveira?
Cheyenne Vlismas’s journey back to the UFC might be delayed.
Cheyenne Vlismas is hoping to get herself back in the UFC Octagon soon, but she has hit some roadblocks in front of her. As a rising star in the UFC strawweight division, Vlismas is in a prime position to stay active and take on tougher opponents in the division. However, she is uncertain what lies ahead of her due to personal reasons. She recently sat down with MMA Fighting to discuss some of her hurdles.
“Unfortunately, I would love to fight again [and] soon, but because of reasons beyond belief, I cannot fight, and I cannot make any more money until I finalize some things in my life, and I don’t know when that will be,” Vlismas told MMA Fighting. “I’m trying to make that soon, but I don’t have an answer. I’m hoping by summer. I’m praying by summer. That’s what I’m gonna shoot for.
“As far as 2022, you’ll see me, but I have no answers. And honestly, it makes me want to cry how I have no answers for anything.”
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Vlismas’ last outing in the UFC was in December. She defeated Mallory Martin in a Fight of the Night bout putting her at two wins in a row now. The road to get to that fight was a tough one for Vlismas. She came down with COVID during her training camp. Her positive diagnosis kept her out of one fight, but she eagerly decided to step on short notice to face Martin and came out victorious. Now, the rising contender is off the grid.
“No one knows where I’m at, and I’m actually keeping it that way,” Vlismas added. “A lot of things happened before my fight – and even after my fight – and I decided what’s best is to just escape. I’ve been gone now for two weeks and I love it. I’m overseas and just living my life.”
Vlismas burst onto the UFC scene as a winner on The Contender Series. She secured a win on episode 30 and fought her way into the UFC. She has only lost one bout so far since joining the organization and has hopes of moving up the rankings.
Vlismas has been somewhat cryptic about her personal troubles along the way but did mention that she was having money issues leading up to her last fight. She has since dropped her married name of “Buys” and has gone back to using “Vlismas.”
Now, she is explaining that the people closest to her would like to see her on the sidelines for a while.
“If it was [up to] me, I would love to fight, but I am told I cannot,” Vlismas revealed. “I was actually not even supposed to fight in my last fight. I was asked not to by some high-up people. They told me, ‘Please do not take this fight.’ Even my family didn’t want me to fight, one, for being sick, and two, for other reasons I can’t speak about. No one wanted me to fight at all, so the fact I got to finish off 2021 with a fight, and winning, and proving to people just that little [more] like I did it, more for myself, it was a good feeling.”
Do you think Cheyanne Vlismas will be a title contender at 115 pounds one day?
Former UFC bantamweight champion Holly Holm appears to be flirting with a potential return to boxing.
Holm hasn’t competed since October 2020, when she earned a dominant win over Irene Aldana. Before that, she had earned a decision win over Raquel Pennington at UFC 246.
Holm was supposed to face Norma Dumont in a featherweight bout last year but had to withdraw after suffering a knee injury in training. She was replaced on just days’ notice by Aspen Ladd, who would go on to lose to Dumont decisively.
Despite being right in the thick of things in the UFC title picture at bantamweight and featherweight, Holm isn’t ruling out a return to her roots in the boxing ring. During a recent interview with FightHype.com, she described her possible motivation for returning to the ‘sweet science.’
“I miss boxing,” Holm said. “it’s always going to be a part of my heart and so you never know. You know maybe I will go back and a lot of these people are going also. A lot of fighters are trying to go back and forth and nobody is doing it successfully.
“Not a lot of people can do it successfully but I can. I know I can, I know I can go back to boxing and still be a champion.” (h/t EssentiallySports)
Holly Holm Earned Multiple World Titles In Boxing
Before making the full-time transition to MMA, Holm had been regarded as arguably the top female boxer in the world. She successfully defended her belts a total of 16 times in three different weight classes.
After retaining her IBA and WBF light-welterweight titles, Holm went on a run to the UFC bantamweight belt. She would go on to eventually pull off one of the greatest upsets in UFC history over Ronda Rousey at UFC 193.
It’s unclear when Holm will eventually return to the Octagon, but it appears that all options are on the table for her combat sports career. She still seems intent on challenging for the UFC title once again.
How do you think Holly Holm would fare against some of the top female boxers today?
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68750277/1230757758.0.jpg)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22828134/1235057679.jpg)
