MMA News

Category: MMA

  • Stephen Thompson Cites Exhaustion As Reason For Muhammad Loss

    UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson has discussed his latest setback in the Octagon and explained what went wrong on the night.

    In early 2021, Thompson was riding high off back-to-back wins against Vicente Luque and Geoff Neal. As an in-form top-five fighter and one of the few top contenders Kamaru Usman is yet to face, many predicted a title shot down the line.

    “Wonderboy” seemingly had the chance to secure one at UFC 264 against Gilbert Burns. Instead, he was controlled and comfortably beaten on the scorecards. With his motivation unwavering, the 38-year-old hoped to get back on track by fitting in another fight before the close of the year.

    After Belal Muhammad answered his prayers, many expected Thompson to re-enter the win column and stake his claim for a matchup with the champion. But once again, the two-time title challenger failed to keep the fight on the feet and was dominated throughout, falling to yet another unanimous decision.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CXpb8hGoqNF/

    Thompson: “I Got Manhandled For Three Rounds”

    During a recent episode of his podcast, Stephen Thompson addressed his defeat and analyzed what went wrong in the UFC Vegas 45 co-main event.

    While he conceded that he was “manhandled” for the best part of 15 minutes, Thompson suggested a botched rehydration process may have had a part to play. Despite having a good camp, “Wonderboy” admitted he was a lot more tired and exhausted at the start of the fight, something he says he noticed even before entering the Octagon.

    “I lost my fight, got manhandled for three rounds. Yeah man, it was a sucky experience, to be honest with you. Like, you know, I don’t know why this happens but when you know I had a great camp, camp was awesome. I was in the greatest shape of my life, you know. Was in shape, felt strong and then you know things start to kind of get a little weird whenever you’re getting ready to go out you’re in the back kind of warming up and your legs start to feel tingly, that’s not a good sign…Maybe it had something to do with my rehydration; not sure. But I felt exhausted, felt super tired right out of the first round. I didn’t want to say anything to my coaches or anything that my legs were feeling tingly.

    “It was the rehydration, that was just difficult. You know back in the past, it was kind of like an unwritten rule or untalked about thing that before USADA, we were allowed to IVs you know and it was kind of… something we did back in our hotel. Everybody did it. It was such an easier way to get those fluids back and you felt so much better, like, instantly. And now having to do everything orally, it’s difficult, it takes longer, you don’t know if you have drank enough.” (h/t Sportskeeda)

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CXsFZdFKKS4/

    Given his age and losses in 2021, some fans and pundits have suggested Thompson isn’t capable of competing at the highest level anymore. But “Wonderboy” has no plans to hang up his gloves anytime soon.

    Having previously revealed his desire to become the oldest fighter in UFC history, Thompson has now questioned why fans want him to retire. According to the 38-year-old, his body feels better than it did five years ago when he fought Tyron Woodley for the title.

    “I feel like people that do retire, when they sit down on the chair, they just feel like they should retire. Like just, their bodies beat up, aches and pains… When I sit here and I’m sitting down in this chair, I feel great. I feel fine. I feel fine. I feel better than I was five years ago. I just don’t get it.” (h/t Sportskeeda)

    With his motivation to compete as high as ever, we’ll likely be seeing Thompson attempt a resurgence in 2022.

    Do you think Stephen Thompson can still compete at the highest level in the UFC welterweight division?

  • Teddy Atlas: O’Malley Has All The Makings Of A Star

    Boxing royalty Teddy Atlas believes rising UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley has all the makings of a star in combat sports.

    O’Malley has quickly grown into one of the most recognized and talked about names in the world’s premier MMA organization. That’s down to his unique combination of charisma, eccentric appearance, and clear talent once the cage door closes behind him.

    Since a defeat to Marlon Vera briefly stalled his surge up the bantamweight ladder, O’Malley has been back to his best. In three 2021 appearances, “Sugar” secured a trio of finishes and a $50,000 bonus to make each one that bit sweeter. After triumphs over Thomas Almeida and Kris Moutinho, O’Malley made his biggest impact at the final pay-per-view of the year.

    In the main card opener, the Montana native faced the toughest test since his setback against “Chito,” the formerly-ranked Raulian Paiva. Inside the opening round, O’Malley recorded another highlight-reel knockout and had the crowd inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on their feet.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CX14GhFvzUG/

    With his latest Octagon success, O’Malley entered the top 15 at 135 pounds. Now sitting at #12, “The Suga Show” is well and truly on its way in the UFC, something that doesn’t surprise one of the most experienced men in combat sports.

    In an interview with The Schmo, Atlas, a renowned boxing trainer, spoke about O’Malley’s rise in the UFC. According to him, the 27-year-old has all the traits and characteristics of a future star.

    “He’s got all the makings of a star. Obviously the look, the ‘it’ factor when he gets into the ring; he lights it up. He’s charismatic, he’s smart… He’s got that ‘it’ factor. But he can fight, too… With all that stuff going on, O’Malley can fight.

    “We wanna see him tested, of course. But there are special privileges out there, let’s be real. When a guy can bring money in, when a guy can be Conor McGregor, or potentially Conor McGregor, they get a little special privileges, where they can fight, maybe, a little bit of a lighter competition as they’re allowed the build. I think he’s (O’Malley) probably fallen under that category. They wanna use him a little bit, I think, to help the brand again, you know, build UFC like any other brand, like the NFL. Why do they go to Europe? To build the brand.”

    Teddy Atlas Cautions O’Malley Against Davis Callout

    Sean O'Malley, Gervonta Davis
    Sean O’Malley, Gervonta Davis

    O’Malley has often been compared to MMA’s biggest superstar Conor McGregor. After becoming a two-division champion in the UFC, the Irishman ventured to the squared circle to take on the undefeated Floyd Mayweather in the sport’s biggest ‘money’ fight.

    While some distance away from that level of superstardom and success in MMA, some have suggested O’Malley could be a potential crossover sensation in the future. Th comes at a time when the likes of Tyron Woodley, Vitor Belfort, and Anderson Silva have all laced the gloves in recent months.

    UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman has even called for a clash with Canelo Alvarez, a bout that would mark the first boxing P4P vs. UFC P4P contest. While Atlas acknowledged Usman’s improving striking and immense physicality, he believes a fast and slick fighter on the feet like O’Malley would fare better in-between the ropes.

    “Just because he’s (Usman) a strong guy, you gotta be honest, he couldn’t just come in, you know, because he doesn’t have one area where you can say he’s real cute, he’s real elusive. You know who’d have a better shot? In putting him in boxing in a more open way or a more across-the-board way, that he could have some success? O’Malley. Because he’s a bit more like a cutie, you know, where he can be slick. You could put him in with a guy who’s maybe a little slow-footed, a guy that’s not really busy.”

    Despite having aspirations of grandeur in the UFC, O’Malley has discussed a potential future in the ring. He even recently called out former multi-weight world champion Gervonta Davis. Although Atlas sees that callout as perhaps a little extreme, he does believe “Sugar” can find success in boxing.

    “Listen, Davis isn’t necessarily a seek and destroy guy. He likes to counterpunch, he’s a real smart guy, and everything. But you’re (O’Malley) calling out a guy who’s very dangerous. You make one mistake with him, in a new place, that’s obviously a new realm for him, you make one mistake and you’re not surviving. So that’s a tough callout.

    UFC 269: Sean O'Malley vs. Raulian Paiva
    UFC 269: Sean O’Malley vs. Raulian Paiva (Image Credit: Louis Grasse/PxImages)

    “But O’Malley, again, could probably pick more guys, because there’s versatility that he could do well in boxing, than you could with Usman. There’s not one area where you could say Usman was real slick, or he’s got a great jab, or he can fight not he inside, so it’d be more problematic finding a guy, even though Usman has incredible physical abilities.”

    O’Malley’s boxing credentials could be further tested in his next appearance. The rising contender has called out fellow surging striker Adrian Yanez, whilst also leaving the door open to a clash with Rob Font, a contender well known for his jab.

    Whoever O’Malley faces next and in the future, it stands to reason that if he keeps winning, we’ll be seeing him test the waters of the sweet science before his career is out.

    Do you agree with Teddy Atlas? Would Sean O’Malley find more success in the ring than Kamaru Usman?

  • White Shoots Down Paul’s Requests, Offers Wild Counterproposal

    Dana White is still not open to ever doing business with Jake Paul, but he does have quite a different proposal for his nemesis.

    If there were a “Rivalry of the Year” MMA award, you’d be remiss not to add Jake Paul vs. Dana White to the nominations list. There may not be a chance of the two ever fighting one another (although Paul has said that may change someday), but the two have traded shots at one another for the better part of 2021.

    Most recently, after Paul knocked out former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley earlier this month, he gloated about embarrassing the entire UFC. He then reiterated his interest in fighting UFC stars, such as Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal. In Masvidal’s case, “Gamebred” expressed optimism that the right financial incentive from Paul’s camp could sway White’s mind.

    Speaking in an appearance on “The FIGHT with Teddy Atlas,” White again shot that possibility down with extreme prejudice (h/t MMA Junkie).

    “No (scenario I’d let Diaz or Masvidal box Paul while under UFC contract),” White said. “You notice how he wants to fight f*cking everybody that’s not in his weight class, guys that are older and all this bullsh*t. Go fight a boxer. Go hump somebody else’s leg, you goofball.”

    Dana White Makes A Proposal To Jake Paul

    With a fight against a UFC-contracted fighter still out of the question, Dana White would then throw out a counterproposal to the YouTuber. Paul, known to conceive of creative bets and proposals of his own, was now on the receiving end of a rather unexpected offer from the UFC boss.

    “I got a challenge for Jake Paul,” White said. “This guy keeps saying that I’m a cokehead. He can randomly cocaine test me for the next 10 years if I can randomly steroid test him for the next two,” White said.

    Jake Paul
    Getty Images

    White is not the first person to throw suspension in Paul’s direction regarding steroid usage. Previous opponent Tyron Woodley also suggested that Paul was entering their initial August fight as a tainted athlete. Additionally, John Fury claimed that Paul had avoided being drug tested ahead of the originally planned bout between Paul and Tommy Fury.

    As for the cokehead claim, Paul has repeatedly thrown that barb out at White, even going so far as dressing up as a coked-out Dana White for Halloween.

    Thus far, Paul has always responded to every mention of his name by Dana White, so we shall see if this time is any different. Should he offer a response to White’s proposal, you can be sure that we will bring you the dirt right here at MMANews.com.

    How do you predict Jake Paul will respond to this proposal from Dana White?

  • Sean O’Malley Names Two UFC Fighters Who Could Out-Box Jake Paul

    UFC bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley thinks a couple of UFC stars could give Jake Paul issues in the boxing ring.

    O’Malley knows a thing or two about boxing, as he’s widely regarded as arguably one of the best boxers in the UFC. He most recently earned a dominant knockout win over Raulian Paiva at UFC 269.

    Paul has attracted the attention of many around the MMA community, especially after his knockout over Tyron Woodley. Paul has managed to keep up the MMA vs. boxing narrative with his fights and callouts.

    During a recent segment of his YouTube podcast, O’Malley tabbed two top UFC welterweights as fighters who could challenge Paul.

    “Masvidal or Kamaru would be the toughest fights for Jake boxing-wise,” O’Malley said.

    After his knockout over Woodley, Paul also called out Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor as two potential opponents. Despite O’Malley’s endorsements of Usman and Masvidal to face Paul, he explained the difficulties of negotiating the potential bouts.

    “Diaz, Masvidal, Kamaru, that can’t even be negotiated,” O’Malley continued. “You cannot negotiate under UFC contract, so those fights will not happen unless Dana really wants to see Jake lose and is very, very confident in one of his fighters, that they can beat him. But even then, I don’t know if he would let them fight. I don’t know. We’ll see what’s next. I don’t think it’ll be anyone on the UFC roster.”

    Sean O’Malley, Jake Paul Planning On Big 2022

    O’Malley has praised Jake and Logan Paul in the past, going as far as to say he’s felt inspired by watching their career transitions. The Paul brothers have managed to take their large following from content creation into the sport of boxing.

    O’Malley and Paul are both on winning streaks to wrap up 2021. Paul is undefeated in his young boxing career, while O’Malley has won three UFC bouts in a row.

    O’Malley and Paul are two of the more polarizing young stars in their respective sports, but that hasn’t stopped the two of them from having mutual respect for one another.

    Do you think Kamaru Usman or Jorge Masvidal would outbox Jake Paul?

  • Michel Prazeres Rips USADA After Being Handed Lengthy Suspension

    UFC veteran welterweight Michel Prazeres has hit back at USADA after handing him a four-year suspension for performance-enhancing drugs.

    Prazeres tested positive for clomiphene and oxandrolone ahead of his previously scheduled fight with Clay Guida earlier this year. The suspension more than likely ends his time with the UFC at 40 years old.

    Prazeres allegedly contemplated retirement shortly after news of the suspension but later backtracked after learning that he can still compete in other countries. It’s unclear if Prazeres will opt to fight for a smaller promotion, including in his native Brazil.

    During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Prazeres gave his side of the story regarding him testing positive for the drugs and his overall experience testing with USADA.

    Michel Prazeres Says He Used The Drugs For Fertility Treatment

    “I told [USADA] everything. I said my wife and I were doing treatment to have another baby,” Prazeres said. “This is not a steroid, this is a medication. They interviewed me, my wife, and my doctor, they took all the receipts and medical records, the exams I’ve done, and these sons of b*tches still do that?

    “I couldn’t give a sh*t [about USADA]. I can fight in Brazil, I can make money in Brazil.”

    Despite Prazeres’ defense, clomiphene and oxandrolone are both considered to be performance enhancers under USADA’s policies. Prazeres has yet to appeal the ruling.

    Prazeres has enjoyed a long tenure in the UFC, making his promotional debut in 2013. To put things in perspective, Prazeres’ second fight in the fight was at UFC 165, which is where former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson had their all-time great first matchup.

    Prazeres’ suspension by USADA is arguably their highest-profile case since former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw in 2019.

    Prazeres earned big wins over the likes of Gilbert Burns and Bartosz Fabinski during his time in the Octagon.

    What is your reaction to Michel Prazeres’ suspension and response?

  • Anthony Smith Questions Allegations Made Against Chael Sonnen

    UFC light heavyweight, Anthony Smith doesn’t buy the recent allegations made against Chael Sonnen.

    Recently, Sonnen was hit with five battery citations after allegedly being a part of a hotel brawl in Las Vegas. TMZ Sports reported that Sonnen was detained but was ultimately not arrested because cops didn’t personally witness the alleged incident. Nevertheless, he still was given five misdemeanor battery citations, and the police are still investigating the incident.

    Since the initial report, there haven’t been many details about Sonnen’s case aside from Brendan Schaub’s version of events, but for Anthony Smith, he doesn’t buy into the idea that Sonnen would suddenly beat up five people in a hotel. Generally speaking, he doesn’t think Sonnen would be that type of person. So until the entire facts come out, “Lionheart” admits it is hard to believe what was reported (h/t Sportskeeda).

    “I do think that it would be really hard for me to believe like Chael Sonnen beat up five people. Listening to the Jon Jones situation, I have never commented on his personal struggles or whatever,” Smith said on Karyn Bryant’s YouTube channel. “But at this point, he has not earned or deserved the benefit of the doubt.

    Chael Sonnen
    Image Credit: Fernando Quiles Jr., MMA News

    “I think at this point in Chael’s life, he’s earned the benefit of the doubt at least. It is just not his nature… I don’t know the full story but Chael is not that type of guy. You can’t even get the dude to look up from his phone half the time. He’s so chill and so calm and you can’t get him riled up easily.”

    Because Sonnen was not arrested, as of right now, there does not appear to be anything major that could come down against the UFC legend. Therefore, as Smith says, it is hard to really form an evidence-based opinion, as there isn’t a ton of details on the case available at the moment.

    Anthony Smith is currently ranked #4 in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. He most recently defeated Ryan Spann in September and is currently awaiting word on his next opponent.

    Do you agree with Anthony Smith that the allegations against Chael Sonnen are hard to believe?

  • Belal Muhammad To Dana White: I’m The Guy You Need To Start Pushing

    UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad believes the UFC and Dana White need to start pushing him over other top-five guys like Leon Edwards.

    Muhammad moved one step closer to the top of the 170-pound mountain this year with victories over a pair of former title challengers. After a disappointing no contest against Edwards in March, which came after Muhammad was the victim of a nasty eye poke, “Remember The Name” bounced back with a comfortable win against veteran Brazilian Demian Maia at UFC 263.

    Following that triumph, Muhammad had his second crack at a top-five opponent, this time in the form of two-time title challenger Stephen Thompson. In the final co-main event of the year, Muhammad broke into the welterweight elite with a dominant performance. After controlling and beating “Wonderboy” for the majority of the contest, the 33-year-old was awarded a unanimous decision on the scorecards.

    Muhammad Thinks He’s “The Guy”

    Now sitting at #5 on the welterweight ladder, Muhammad is unbeaten in seven fights. Since a 2019 defeat to Geoff Neal, the Chicago native has added victories over Lyman Good, Dhiego Lima, Maia, and Edwards to his impressive 20-3 résumé. With that form in mind, Muhammad is likely one impressive victory away over a fellow top-five name from a shot at gold.

    During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Muhammad made his case for a big push towards the title. Addressing UFC President Dana White, “Remember The Name” suggested he’s the contender that “has it all,” something he doesn’t believe #3-ranked Edwards can say about himself.

    “Dana, I know you’re watching this, you’ve got four weeks off to think about this. When you really think about it, there are not a lot of guys out here that are promoting themselves like me. I’m a guy that knows how to talk, I’m a guy who knows how to fight, I’m a guy that can fight the best of the best, be with the best of the best, and talk with the best of the best. I’m that guy that has it all.

    “You guys are out here trying to push the wrong guys. Leon hasn’t said anything witty or cool in the last like, 10 years. Whenever he opens his mouth, something stupid comes out. I’m the guy that you need to start pushing.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CX9OjMzF1eh/

    Muhammad has certainly not been shy to call out other top welterweights since his victory over “Wonderboy” prior to Christmas. As well as calling for a rematch with Edwards and discrediting “Rocky” as a title contender, the 33-year-old has expressed an interest in facing Khamzat Chimaev.

    While it remains to be seen which way the promotion will go, we can expect Muhammad to be opposite a big name the next time he steps into the Octagon.

    Do you agree with Belal Muhammad? Is he the welterweight the UFC needs to be pushing?

  • Manager: Ngannou Wants Two Things From UFC Before Re-Signing

    The manager of UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou has revealed there are two things his client needs if he is to re-sign with MMA’s premier promotion.

    Ngannou ascended the heavyweight mountaintop this year with a brutal knockout of Stipe Miocic. Since falling short of the title for the first time in 2018, “The Predator” has been unstoppable. On his way to title glory, he knocked out Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik, all in the first round.

    Despite winning the belt in March 2021, it’ll have been 10 months since that date when he returns to the Octagon for his first defense. He’ll be doing so in the UFC 270 main event against Ciryl Gane. The Frenchman won the interim title at UFC 265 and will look to dethrone his former teammate on January 22.

    Ngannou’s Manager Believes He’s Been Mistreated

    There’s a lot more riding on the first pay-per-view main event of 2022 than just heavyweight glory. Ngannou has had a public feud with the UFC for months, something which started with the promotion’s decision to introduce interim gold. Beyond that, contractual issues have left the champ’s future unknown as he heads towards the final fight of his active deal.

    Ngannou’s manager, Marquel Martin, recently discussed the current situation during an appearance on Throwing Down with Renee Maquette and Miesha Tate. He pinpointed the first issue as the level of activity for the current titleholder.

    “I think for starters, Francis would love to have more activity. When have you really seen Francis have more than two fights in the last however many years in one year? He’s not as active as other heavyweights. Why? Because of me? Because of him? That’s a lie. [Laughs] That’s just what it is. From taking my manager hat off and just putting a fan hat on, I would love for the UFC to understand what Francis is about and understand his story. I feel like having an interim title was their decision. But was it really valid or warranted? Was it necessary?”

    The original plan was seemingly to have Ngannou defend the title against Derrick Lewis at UFC 265. But when the Cameroonian was unable to make that date due to travel complications in Africa, the promotion’s desire to keep “The Black Beast” on the Houston-held PPV card saw them create an interim strap, a decision that came in spite of Ngannou’s ability to defend the belt a month later in September.

    That move, along with a culmination of frustrations, has left Martin and Ngannou disappointed in the way he’s been portrayed as champion. According to the manager, his client has never been promoted positively by the UFC since losing to Miocic in 2018, representing the second issue that needs resolving before Ngannou re-signs.

    “Again, Francis, their heavyweight champion, the guy who’s been saying yes to all the fights, hasn’t declined fights, hasn’t anything, first UFC heavyweight champion from Africa to ever happen, and then interim champion. So I know Francis was very heartbroken over that because it’s like, ‘Hey, what else do you guys want me to do?’ If you guys look back at Francis’ track record, after he lost to Stipe, tell me when you really feel that Francis has been really promoted in a positive light.”

    The tense relationship between Ngannou’s camp and the UFC has even seen the promotion’s president, Dana White, lash out at the heavyweight’s management team. White suggested “The Predator” doesn’t have the best representation.

    Addressing those comments, Martin slammed the comments as a “false narrative,” and suggested he isn’t the UFC”s favourite person because he simply works to achieve what’s best for his client. In his mind, the real issue is Ngannou not getting the love and appreciation he deserves.

    “You hear this false narrative of representation. No, what does representation look like in your mind, UFC? To say yes to every single thing that you do? Am I supposed to take you out to dinner? Be your best friend? No, I have a fiduciary obligation to my client. And the facts are, OK, if you want to judge me and try to put me out of business for whatever reason and try to bully me publicly, I don’t respond to that. CAA doesn’t respond to that. We know how to do our job. We’re very competent in what we do. 

    “But when it comes to let’s look at the facts of Francis. After Stipe won, where do you really see Francis getting the love that I feel—again, call me biased—but this guy, he’s not in trouble with the law. [Laughs] This guy is one of the finest human beings that you will ever meet. But you don’t hear about his story.

    “You don’t see this world tour and UFC going back to Africa with Francis. We did that. We did that on our own. So as a UFC heavyweight champion, how are you supposed to feel? After three months, what are you supposed to do?” 

    With negotiations appearing to stall, it remains to be seen what a victory or defeat at UFC 270 will mean for Ngannou’s future. If Gane leaves the cage with the undisputed title, perhaps we’ll see the Cameroon native test the waters of other promotions.

    Do you agree with Francis Ngannou’s manager? Is the champ under appreciated by the UFC?

  • Krzysztof Jotko Alleges Alex Pereira Ducked Him Due To Grappling

    UFC middleweight Krzysztof Jotko is still awaiting an opponent for his Octagon return, but he recently accused Alex Pereira of turning him down.

    According to Jotko, an offer was made for him to fight Pereira on the upcoming UFC 271 card in February. However, he alleges that Pereira turned down the fight immediately.

    Jotko most recently defeated Misha Cirkunov via split decision at UFC Vegas 38. Before that, he had won three in a row leading up to a disappointing loss to rising contender Sean Strickland.

    Pereira, arguably the biggest signing by the UFC in 2021, put on a show in his UFC debut. The elite striker overwhelmed Andreas Michailidis en route to a TKO finish at UFC 268.

    Pereira recently agreed to fight with Bruno Silva after the alleged offer to fight Jotko. After the fight was announced, Jotko ripped Pereira on his Twitter page.

    “Look at this clown,” Jotko said. “I agreed to fight you on February 12! And, you out here running scared fighting someone else cause you can’t wrestle. Why you scared?”

    Pereira is widely regarded as one of the best kickboxers in the world, having won multiple titles in Glory Kickboxing before coming to the UFC. He has been criticized by many, including Jotko, for his relative inexperience with grappling.

    After getting word of Jotko’s comments, Pereira didn’t respond kindly, via a recent Instagram post.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CX-DqPtMK1g/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    “I had never heard of that guy, but my manager mentioned him to me and we came to the conclusion that he was a totally unremarkable and uninteresting opponent,” Pereira said. “I want an opponent who can put on a show like me, not a girlfriend, I’m already a married man.”

    Pereira is the only fighter to ever finish the current UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya in any sport. He and Jotko are both vying for a spot in the UFC middleweight rankings.

    While it appears that these two won’t fight next, their recent back-and-forth on social media could create the push for a clash down the line.

    Who would you like to see Krzysztof Jotko fight next?

  • Manager Pleads With The World To Accept BMF Title Is No More

    Manager to the stars, Ali Abdelaziz, is tired of hearing people talk about fighting for the BMF title.

    The BMF title was a specially crafted belt designed for and awarded to the winner of the fight between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz. Ultimately, it would be Masvidal who was awarded the novelty belt, with none other than Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson putting it around his waist after their UFC 244 main event was stopped by the doctor.

    Since then, and despite the fact that Dana White has made it clear that this was a one-off situation, there have been countless fighters calling for their crack at the BMF title. Everyone ranging from Leon Edwards to Colby Covington and more has asked for their own opportunity to fight for it.

    One of the more recent people to call for the BMF title was Covington, who spoke in an interview about wanting to see it up for grabs if he is to fight Jorge Masvidal, like both men and many others want.

    “Put that fuckin’ wack-ass BMF belt back on the fuckin’ line. Everybody knows who the real baddest motherfucker in this sport is. It’s Colby ‘Chaos’ Covington. Bring that fuckin’ belt out and lets fuckin’ do this shit: do The Ultimate Fighter whatever, tape for four weeks, six weeks, eight weeks, and run this fight in Miami. It makes sense,” Covington said.

    “Let’s go to American Airlines Arena. We could sell out that arena in seconds. And if we don’t go to American Airlines, we can go right up the street to BB&T Center, which is 30 minutes up the street. I’ll beat his ass in both arenas. We’ll go beat BB&T Center, go up to Broward County; then, go down to Miami-Dade County and beat his ass in American Airlines Arena. Fuckin’ little bitch Jorge.”

    Stop Asking For A BMF Belt, Says Abdelaziz

    One person who is tired of hearing talks of a BMF title is one of the biggest managers in MMA, Ali Abdelaziz. In fact, he issued something of a response to the people who are asking for it, but seemingly Colby Covington in particular.

    Posting to Twitter, Abdelaziz explained that his client, welterweight champ Kamaru Usman, is the lineal BMF champ after knocking out Jorge Masvidal at UFC 261. Therefore, he demands that nobody else asks to fight for this title, as it is no longer relevant.

    “Please stop talking about this BMF belt @USMAN84kg won that belt and he throw it in the garbage already Win some fights and try to win the undisputed UFC title. Good luck with that,” Abdelaziz wrote.

    The fact is the only time that Dana White even showed interest in bringing the BMF title back into circulation was in the event of a rematch between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz. So even though Kamaru Usman might be the lineal titleholder, it is all just talk, as the actual belt does not appear to be going up for grabs anytime soon.

    Do you still acknowledge the existence of the BMF title?

  • The Pulse of MMA: Was One Fighter Merobbed Of 2021 Best Comeback?

    The Pulse of MMA: Fan Reactions To The Sport’s Biggest Stories

    In this installment of The Pulse of MMA, we look at the raw, unfiltered reactions from MMA fans to the UFC’s nominations for Best Comeback of 2021.

    It’s the last week of 2021, which means it’s time to start looking back at the biggest and best moments of the year. Right now, that means taking a peek at the UFC’s nominations for the best comeback of the year.

    After a brief recap of each comeback, you can find the Pulse of MMA letting their collective voice be heard on their thoughts on the final vote tally of the UFC’s poll.

    Charles Oliveira def. Michael Chandler (UFC 262)

    In the first round, Michael Chandler got off to a very hot start after an opening grappling exchange. After Chandler had his back taken by Charles Oliveira and lived to tell about it, he tagged Oliveira on the feet while pushing a frenetic pace on the Brazilian. It looked as though Oliveira might have been on his way out, but the second round gave fans an alternate ending.

    Anthony Hernandez def. Rodolfo Vieira (UFC 258)

    First, to add a little context. Rodolfo Vieira entered this fight as the largest favorite on the card at a wide -410. At the start of the fight, Vieira looked every bit the part of the heavy favorite. He easily slammed Hernandez to the mat in the first round, which looked to be the beginning of the four-time jiu-jitsu world champion putting an early end to the fight.

    After failing to lock in an arm triangle followed by an unsuccessful armbar attempt, Hernandez was stunningly able to scramble back up to his feet and begin to tee off on the muscle-bound Brazilian. Then, in the second round, this happened:

    Julian Marquez def. Maki Pitolo (UFC 258)

    That’s right, back-to-back nominees from UFC 258. In this one, Marquez actually entered as the slight favorite, but you couldn’t tell by the way the fight started. After clearly being down 2-0 on the judges’ scorecards and looking to be well on his way to a loss, Marquez summoned the powers of Miley Cyrus and the Kansas City Chiefs to pull this off in the final round.

    Merab Dvalishvili def. Marlon Moraes (UFC 266)

    Brian Ortega was oh so close to being the nominee from UFC 266 in what would have been an incredible comeback win in the third round of the main event. Instead, Merab Dvalishvili grabs the nom’ from his win over Marlon Moraes.

    MMA fans know that first-round Moraes is one of the most lethal fighters in the sport. And those early powers were nearly enough to make the Brazilian the first man to ever KO the roughhouse Georgian.

    It was a big left hand from Moraes in the 1st round that began the danger for Dvalishvili, which was followed by a ferocious onslaught that dropped the Georgian and had him still on wobbly legs before he was able to somehow scramble back up to his feet. After barely managing to survive, here is what happened in the next round:

    MMA Fans Weigh In

    Finally, here is what the Pulse of MMA had to say about the UFC’s nominations list after Oliveira took home the most votes on the official poll.

    https://twitter.com/Stek02/status/1475218680887840773
    https://twitter.com/Derek_Langston/status/1475195380656713734
    https://twitter.com/HasbullaEliteFC/status/1475202584411582470
    https://twitter.com/UFCZack96/status/1475208479207948288

    What say you, MMA News Family? Was Dvalishvili Merobbed by the “casuals” or was Charles Oliveira the rightful winner?

  • Makhachev Politely Informs Dariush He Is A Stepping Stone To Title Shot

    Islam Makhachev has politely let upcoming opponent Beneil Dariush know that he is being overlooked.

    In two months, two of the best lightweights in the world will compete in what is currently expected to serve as a title-eliminator bout. With UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira virtually a lock to defend against #1 contender Justin Gaethje next, the fight between Makhachev (#4) and Dariush (#3) seems to be a no-brainer for determining who will be next in line.

    Makhachev got his wish when Oliveira submitted Dustin Poirier at UFC 269, as the Dagestani is eager to showcase his sambo skills against Oliveira’s masterful jiu-jitsu. In fact, he is so excited at the prospect of fighting Oliveira that he doesn’t seem to be giving any concern to the possibility of Dariush standing in his way. On the contrary, he believes Dariush is merely lying along the way.

    “@beneildariush I’m sorry bro, but you are on my way.,” the polite Dagestani stated.

    Dariush did not respond to this tweet, but he has already shared some of his own thoughts about the upcoming bout. And from the sounds of it, the 32-year-old is not short on confidence, either. In fact, the jiu-jitsu black belt is more than happy to give Makhachev the grappling-friendly matchup he’s after.

    If Dariush winds up on the losing end of this matchup via finish, then Makhachev will receive a double-bonus if Khabib Nurmagomedov is to be believed. Dariush is unconcerned about such information, however, and has chalked up this claim from Makhachev’s mentor as being just a “drama show.”

    The bout between Makhachev and Dariush goes down on February 26 and will serve as the five-round main event.

    Do you believe Beneil Dariush is a mere footnote in Makhachev’s journey to the UFC lightweight championship?

  • Henry Cejudo: Tyron Woodley Has Made Jake Paul A Star

    Former UFC champion Henry Cejudo believes Tyron Woodley didn’t just lose to Jake Paul but also helped build Paul’s boxing reputation.

    Paul viciously knocked out Woodley in their rematch just days ago, hitting Woodley with a big right hand that dropped him immediately. Paul remains undefeated in his young boxing career after an accomplished time in content creation.

    Paul’s knockout over Woodley is arguably the most impressive of his time in the ring so far. Before the rematch with Woodley, he earned knockouts over former NBA star Nate Robinson and former UFC fighter Ben Askren.

    During a recent podcast episode with The Schmo, Cejudo gave his take on how Woodley’s loss helped grow Paul’s star power.

    “Man, I tell you what. This fight had to be about sleeping until that sixth-round came and it’s unfortunate because Tyron Woodley was actually winning that boring fight,” Cejudo said. “But he happened to just keep those, he just kept that left hand down, and slowly but surely Jake Paul threw that hammer and knocked him out.

    “The fight was boring, the knockout was great. I mean, talk about a complete face plant by Tyron Woodley. Jake Paul, whether we hate him or love him, the dude has taken this by storm and if you really think about it man, Tyron Woodley is making this dude into a star. Made him into a star because of the simple fact that he beat a former UFC champion.” (h/t EssentiallySports)

    This isn’t the first time that Cejudo has appeared to take a jab at Woodley. He most recently gave Woodley the title of the second-most cringy MMA fighter behind himself.

    It’s Unclear What Could Be Next For Tyron Woodley’s Career

    Despite the loss to Paul, Woodley seemed optimistic about his fighting future. Leading up to the rematch, Woodley had made his plans clear that he wants to have multiple MMA and boxing fights in 2022.

    Woodley had been rumored to be in fight camp to take on former UFC fighter Dan Hardy in the new year before the Paul rematch came up. That could be a possible matchup for his return to the ring.

    As for Paul, his stock continues to grow in the sport, and one could make the argument that Woodley is directly responsible for making that happen.

    Do you agree with Henry Cejudo’s comments about Tyron Woodley?

  • Sean Strickland: If I Had A Gay Son, Then I Have Failed As A Man

    Sean Strickland has turned in his unfiltered remark for the day, this time the controversial middleweight addressed the topic of homosexuality.

    Strickland has made headlines on several occasions throughout the course of 2021. In June, a heated altercation with a training partner was captured on video. His words then began to attract attention as well when, in the same week as the aforementioned incident, he threatened to smack his trolls in front of their children.

    Two months later, he became an advocate for pornography and masturbation as a tool to strengthen one’s jab.

    However, it wasn’t until he expressed a desire to be the first fighter to kill a man inside the Octagon that he became a controversial figure and his comments began to carry some degree of seriousness.

    Since then, he’s spoken out against trans-fighter Alana McLaughlin, recorded a quasi-road-rage incident, and even opened up about his Neo-Nazi childhood background. Whatever you make of Strickland, he has no doubt become arguably the most untempered fighter on the UFC roster.

    That being said, the following tweet from Strickland may or may not come as a surprise when responding to a fan’s colorful question about whether the welterweight would rather have a homosexual son or a promiscuous daughter.

    “If I had a gay son I would think I failed as a man to create such weakness….. If I had a whore for a daughter I’d think she just wanted to be like her dad lol!”

    He also offered these follow-up remarks moments later.

    “LISTEN gay men are great, i support them and their choices. freedom! Gay guys have it made. Most gay guys I know are always happy. They all just get to hang with buddies all day and have sex.. us straight men, we’re fucked… we gotta do some serious work to get laid. Not fair”

    It is unclear if Strickland was merely offering some of his eccentric humor or if he was being earnest with these remarks. There are two things that are for certain, however. Many people will consider his words, especially the initial tweet, to be homophobic in any context. Meanwhile, many others will consider that interpretation to be an example of “cancel culture.”

    In any event, when he’s not chopping it up with Twitter followers in questionable Q&A sessions, Strickland is always in the gym, readying for his next battle. His first bout in 2022 is slated to be against Jack Hermansson on February 5.

    What are your thoughts on Sean Strickland’s remarks?

  • Ciryl Gane Would Like ‘Big Challenge’ Of Boxing Fury, Wilder, & Joshua

    Ciryl Gane is known for his kickboxing and technical striking, and he is hoping he can get the chance to test that against boxing best.

    Gane is the current UFC interim heavyweight champion and is set to face Francis Ngannou at UFC 270 for the undisputed heavyweight title. It’s an intriguing matchup given they are former teammates, but it almost didn’t happen as the Frenchman reveals he nearly took up boxing instead of MMA.

    “When I did the choice to start into MMA, it was fifty-fifty with the boxing… I did some training with some guys in the gym in boxing and I tried a little bit in the MMA Factory. But I did my choice with the MMA Factory because it was easy. It was really close to my house,” Gane said to Sherdog. “Fernand Lopez was a friend of a dad of my best friend so that’s why I did this choice. But why not… I feel comfortable with the boxing style. I like to have the big gloves and see everything. You can play a little bit more, for me, you can play a little but more with the boxing style.”

    Ciryl Gane
    Ciryl Gane (Image Credit: Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)

    Given he almost took up boxing, Ciryl Gane admits he still wants to test himself against the best at heavyweight. With that, the Frenchman says he’d love to box Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder to test himself.

    “All the guys at the top. It will be a big challenge, this is real. I must train a lot for this kind of guy but when you look at the top you have Anthony Joshua, Fury, Wilder. You have a lot of guys just below, on the top ten. So yes, why not. One day I’m gonna try. One day,” Gane said.

    Although Gane wants to box the big three, it seems unlikely that will ever happen. However, we did see Conor McGregor box Floyd Mayweather which people also said would never happen. Yet, UFC fighters calling out boxers is nothing new as even Ngannou has called out the heavyweight champs, while lately, Kamaru Usman has been angling for a fight with Canelo Alvarez.

    How do you think Ciryl Gane would do against Fury, Joshua, and Wilder?

  • Brendan Schaub Reflects On His UFC Departure

    Brendan Schaub is taking a walk down memory lane in reminiscing about his retirement from MMA.

    Brendan Schaub is known more now for talking about fights than actually being in them, but back in his days with the UFC, he was on top of his game. Now that it has been seven years since he retired from the sport of mixed martial arts, Schaub is giving some insight on his departure from the UFC and how it all went down.

    “I don’t know when these guys are gonna realise – this is a business. It is a cutthroat business. Professional sports? It is cut-f***ing-throat,” Schaub said on the Below the Belt podcast (via Sportskeeda). UFC, NBA, MLB, it’s all like this, man. A lot are like this, unless you’re a big time dude, tip of the spear guy that was winning a million fights for them and making them all this money. When I retired, and I’d say I did pretty well in the UFC, when I retired I got an email that said ‘cool, just so you know if you ever come back we still own your ass’. It’s like, cool man, yeah, that’s all I got.”

    Ex-UFC star Brendan Schaub saves three children from car crash
    Brendan Schaub, Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

    This topic of the UFC parting ways with an email began most recently when longtime UFC fighter Kevin Lee was released from the organization. Lee stated that he was notified of his release by email. Schaub’s experience was years ago, but it seems the UFC is still practicing these impersonal procedures.

    Unlike Lee, Schaub had retired from the UFC, not been released. He fought in the promotion from 2009 to 2014. At that time, he was a staple of the heavyweight division and has faced some of the best fighters in that division, including Andrei Arlovski, Mirko Cro Cop, and Matt Mitrione. Schab has gone on to be very successful outside the Octagon and attributes these other skills as allowing him to be alright not returning to fighting.

    “In fighting, you can’t have one foot in and one foot out, or else you’re going to get really hurt,” Schaub said. “My heart wasn’t into it and I’d always wanted to do stand-up,” says Schaub. “It was never hard for me to walk away from fighting because it was very obvious what I should be doing. Most guys when they’re done, they don’t know where to put their energy, so I’m super fortunate.”

    It is seen more now that current fighters will begin finding another outlet and business opportunities while still actively fighting. Schaub and other fighters turned commentators/personalities show that there is a way to keep close to the sport after fighting is over.

    Are you surprised by the way Brendan Schaub’s relationship with the UFC ended?

  • Francis Ngannou Cries Foul On Ciryl Gane Sparring Footage

    UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou thinks footage of his past sparring with Ciryl Gane was made to make his opponent look promising.

    Ngannou will make his first heavyweight title defense against Gane at UFC 270 in the first UFC pay-per-view of 2022. The fight will take place nearly a year after Ngannou earned the belt over Stipe Miocic at UFC 260.

    Ngannou and Gane briefly trained together at MMA Factory in France, as the two were looking to build their respective brands in the UFC heavyweight division. While Ngannou has claimed that he and Gane weren’t exactly close, they had mutual respect for one another during their sessions in the gym.

    After Gane defeated Derrick Lewis for the interim title at UFC 265, sparring footage of him and Ngannou went viral on social media. During a recent segment on his YouTube channel, Ngannou explained his side of the story regarding the clips.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q7T9KqzD7w

    “When I saw that footage, my first reaction was laughing. Because I know exactly what happened at those training sessions,” Ngannou said. “But this is the thing. When they want to like, do some highlight, they always choose the part of the video that they use. And they have a lot of videos like that because, at the time, they were filming our training session to promote him, his fight, and everything. So, there was a lot of footage from those few training sessions. But a lot of them never came out and would never come out. And I know for a fact that they will never come out.

    “It’s about to make him look better and make me look bad, to prove that he’s the man.” (h/t Bloody Elbow)

    Ngannou and Gane have had quite the buildup to their heavyweight clash. Ngannou appeared to snub Gane of a greeting backstage at UFC 268, which Ngannou later claimed was mostly due to his animosity for coach Fernand Lopez.

    Gane has also downplayed Ngannou’s power in recent interviews, saying that he intends to manage his way through the champion’s barrage.

    In the current times of social media becoming more prominent, leaked sparring footage is becoming more plentiful. Regardless, fans will make up their mind on the matchup when Ngannou and Gane go to battle at UFC 270.

    Do you think it was fair for the Francis Ngannou/Ciryl Gane sparring footage to be released?

  • The Pulse of MMA: Fans Hijack The UFC’s Best Submissions Of 2021 List

    The Pulse of MMA: Fan Reactions To The Sport’s Biggest Stories

    In this installment of The Pulse of MMA, we look at the raw, unfiltered reactions from MMA fans to the UFC’s nominations for Best Submission of 2021.

    It’s the last week of 2021, which means it’s time to start looking back at the biggest and best moments of the year. Right now, that means taking a peek at the UFC’s nominations for the best submission of the year.

    You can expect everyone and their grandpappy to break out their year-end lists over the next few days. But naturally, the UFC’s lists stand apart from the rest given that, well, it’s their promotion.

    So on behalf of the UFC, we at MMA News present to you their nominations for best submission of 2021! After a brief recap of each submission, you can find the video showcasing all the action followed by the Pulse of MMA letting their collective voice be heard on their thoughts on the nominations list. And as you will find out, public opinion was, in large part, not in accord with the UFC’s thinking.

    Vicente Luque Submits Tyron Woodley via D’Arce choke (UFC 260)

    During what was an action-packed first round, Tyron Woodley brought the fight to Vicente Luque. No longer gun-shy and tentative, Woodley took a more proactive approach. Though he had some success in the beginning, eventually, Luque got the better of the stand-up exchanges, culminating with a barrage of strikes that had “The Chosen One” on wobbly legs before ultimately being dropped by a looping left hook by the Brazilian, which led to the D’Arce.

    UFC 260 results: Vicente Luque submits Tyron Woodley with D'arce choke in crazy opening round - MMA Fighting
    Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

    Brandon Moreno Submits Deiveson Figueiredo via Rear-Naked Choke (UFC 263)

    Brandon Moreno came into UFC 263 as an underdog, but he exited as a champion. Heading into the third round, Moreno was up on two out of the three scorecards, with the third judge having it one round apiece. The judges would be taken out of the equation when he secured the rear-naked choke after peppering Figueiredo with a couple of left hands while applying a full body lock.

    Brandon Moreno Chokes Deiveson Figueiredo UFC 263

    Glover Teixeira def. Jan Blachowicz via Rear-Naked Choke (UFC 267)

    Coming into the fight, it was well known what was Glover Teixeira’s path to victory when he challenged Jan Blachowicz for the light heavyweight championship at UFC 267. The second-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt would be well served to get the fight to the mat and do what he had done in three of his previous five fights: get the submission. And that’s exactly what happened.

    After getting the takedown in the second frame, Teixeira effortlessly passed Blachowicz’s guard into mount, prompting the Pole to give up his back, which is the last thing you want to do against Teixeira. Within seconds, the 42-year-old had secured the light heavyweight prize as well as his place in UFC history.

    UFC 267 results: Glover Teixeira completes fairytale run to gold against Jan Blachowicz as Khamzat Chimaev stars | The Independent
    Glover Teixeira, Jan Blachowicz

    Khamzat Chimaev def. Li Jingliang via Rear-Naked Choke (UFC 267)

    Khamzat Smesh.

    Khamzat Chimaev
    Khamzat Chimaev (Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa)

    UFC’s Best Submissions of 2021 Video

    You can check out each of the above submissions for yourself in the video below!

    MMA Fans Weigh In

    Finally, here is what the Pulse of MMA had to say about the UFC’s nominations list:

    https://twitter.com/YingHulian/status/1474832939737395201
    https://twitter.com/sean_jockstrap/status/1474960295718232066

    What do YOU think was the best submission of 2021?

  • Weidman Says Woodley’s Legacy Is Tarnished After KO Loss To Jake Paul

    Chris Weidman believes Tyron Woodley’s legacy took a massive hit when he suffered a vicious KO loss to Jake Paul earlier this month.

    In August, Woodley dropped a split decision to the former Disney actor and YouTuber. Although the former UFC champ lost, it wasn’t an embarrassing defeat. But in the rematch, he was brutally knocked out. For Weidman, he believes that hurts Woodley’s legacy in a major way.

    “Damn, Tyron Woodley is going to have to live with that. It seems like they’re just comparing him to Ben Askren now,” Weidman said on his YouTube channel. “He’s not going to get another chance, like that’s it. I don’t know who he’s going to fight that we give him the draw and excitement that he would need to like elevate him back… I think his legacy has definitely been tarnished, which sucks to say.”

    Jake Paul, Tyron Woodley
    Jake Paul, Tyron Woodley, Credit: AP Photo

    Weidman is not the first UFC fighter to say this KO loss hurts Woodley’s legacy. Overall, Woodley has now lost his last six fights, four in MMA and two in boxing. Coming off back-to-back losses to Jake Paul could also hurt his marketing power in free agency. But the good news is that Paul seems like he wants Woodley to box a different opponent on his next undercard.

    Although the KO loss is difficult to deal with, Tyron Woodley had made it clear he will fight again. As for Paul, Chris Weidman hopes the YouTuber-turned-boxer faces his former rival, Anderson Silva, next.

    “I would love to see him fight Anderson Silva. He’s calling out all these fighters with UFC contracts. I don’t think he’s really–none of those are really going to happen at this point. The UFC would have to get behind it almost like a Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather type match.

    “But unless you’re drawing in $500 million like the Mayweather and Conor McGregor fights were doing, the UFC’s not doing that because they want to split it. They would split it, but if it’s not that type of money, they’re not doing it. So (we’re) wasting our time even talking about (Nate) Diaz, (Jorge) Masvidal and (Kamaru) Usman,” Weidman concluded.

    Do you agree with Chris Weidman that Tyron Woodley tarnished his legacy?

    H/T to Sportskeeda on the transcribed quotes

  • Aljamain Sterling Accuses Petr Yan Of PED Usage

    Aljamain Sterling’s perception of Petr Yan as a cheater doesn’t stop at illegal knees.

    Aljamain Sterling’s bantamweight championship win at UFC 259 will be tough to top on the “most controversial title wins in UFC history” list for a long time yet. With Sterling being the benefactor of Yan’s miscue, he has been the subject of most of the attention and scrutiny for the way he won the title. However, the fact remains that it was Yan who broke the rules by landing an illegal knee to a downed opponent.

    Petr Yan, Aljamain Sterling
    Petr Yan, Aljamain Sterling. Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

    Because of Yan’s title-costing blunder, Sterling has repeatedly branded Yan as a “cheater” since their unresolved battle. After a holiday-season exchange initiated by a Christmas message from The Funkmaster, Yan responded to Sterling, calling him a “whiner” and his “bitch.”

    Shortly after Yan’s retort, Sterling then added another charge to his indictment of Yan as a cheater: the crime of PED usage.

    “Yea fuck that Alga guy. He sucks. Aljo, on the other hand- yea, he can’t wait to fuck you up. Dirty rat,” Sterling posted with a syringe emoji.

    When one fan indicated that Sterling’s physique is more suspicious than Yan’s and that the champion is oversized for his weight class, Sterling issued this response:

    “All natural work. I get fat. I have normal veins. And I get in peak shape and lose it after a few days of eating bad. Glass these some milk and cookies.”

    Dr. Funkmaster would then turn his attention over to USADA and their uselessness on stamping out PED usage.

    “You think the USADA team are flying Americans over there to test their athletes? Lol give me a break. Shits a complete joke. They got a Dr. hiding here in the states, from airing their dirty Olympic doping laundry. No one is outing their athletes without concern for their life,” Sterling said in response to a supporter of his crusade.

    “One week vs months and years of cheating aint shit. You keep you gains man. It’s cool tho. I’m use to competing against these athletes. These fighters been cheating for years since the beginning days. They still are, and it’s something you understand but still get pissed about,” Sterling continued.

    Sterling would then respond to additional criticism by invoking T.J. Dillashaw’s name as an example of USADA’s ineffectiveness both in general and as it directly relates to Petr Yan.

    “Lol call me what you want Bubba. They said the same about TJ Dillashaw. NYSAC caught him that dirty rat. NOT USADA. Don’t worry. I’m still getting back in there against the rat. Calm your tits.”

    It should be noted that Petr Yan has never failed a drug test in his athletic career. It is unclear what precisely Sterling is basing his accusations on. Then again, perhaps this is merely a tool for promoting their upcoming fight.

    That fight is expected to take place in early 2022 now that Sterling has fully recovered from lingering issues following his neck surgery from earlier this year. UFC President Dana White has confirmed that this unification bout is the fight to make after Yan defeated Cory Sandhagen at UFC 267 to become the interim bantamweight champion.

    What do you make of Aljamain Sterling’s PED accusations lobbed at Petr Yan?

  • Matt Brown Open To UFC Homecoming In Ohio Vs. Kevin Holland

    UFC veteran Matt Brown wants to fight in front of his hometown fans on the upcoming Columbus, OH card and is open to a matchup with Kevin Holland.

    Brown was originally slated to face Bryan Barberena on one of the final UFC cards of 2021 but pulled out after testing positive for COVID-19. While he didn’t experience any severe symptoms, he was sick enough to the point where fighting wasn’t a realistic option.

    Brown is now fully recovered from the virus and is planning on his return to the Octagon. The 40-year-old Brown is looking to earn a second-straight win after knocking out Dhiego Lima earlier this year.

    Brown wants to check another item off his bucket list by fighting on the upcoming Fight Night card on March 26 in Columbus. During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, he tabbed Holland as a potential opponent for his return.

    “[Kevin] Holland is a tough guy with a good name,” Brown said. “That would be a great fight or anybody else. I’m not really too picky. I don’t really pick and choose. I say put a guy in the cage with me and tell me where to be and I’ll be there.

    “If he wants to fight, we’ll fight. If they give me the call, I’m down. Let’s make it happen, Columbus, March 26. Let’s go.”

    Kevin Holland Responds To Matt Brown’s Callout

    After mixed results at middleweight, Holland has turned his attention to a cut down to welterweight for the foreseeable future. He most recently competed against Kyle Daukaus in October in a fight that was controversially ruled a no-contest after a head clash.

    Holland heard about Brown’s comments and conveyed his interest in the possible matchup.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CX8jDtfLez2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    “I was thinking February 5th,” Holland said in an Instagram post. “Two big mouths on one card. Definitely a respectful callout, OG.”

    Holland and Brown are both appearing to be chomping at the bit for a return to the Octagon. With the two fan-favorites currently unbooked, there does not seem to be anything standing in the way from this fight becoming a reality.

    What do you think about a possible Matt Brown vs. Kevin Holland fight?

  • Khabib Describes Why Dustin Poirier Won’t Be The Same Fighter Again

    Former UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov believes we witnessed Dustin Poirier’s competitive fire go out following his loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 269.

    Poirier’s inspirational journey to the top first fell short of championship glory at the hands of Khabib in 2019. A third-round submission in Abu Dhabi sent ‘The Diamond’ back to the drawing board. Like he’s done so often in his career, Poirier bounced back. He did so courtesy of a five-round victory over Dan Hooker and back-to-back triumphs over Conor McGregor in 2021.

    Having found himself back opposite the champion at UFC 269, this time in the form of Brazilian veteran Oliveira, many expected Poirier to close out the year with his first undisputed crowning. Instead, the favorite fell yet again to a third-round rear-naked choke.

    Khabib Thinks We’ve Seen The Last Of A Hungry Poirier

    While Poirier’s loss to Khabib undoubtedly stung, his second title loss certainly hurt a lot more. That was clear in the aftermath of the result, with the former interim titleholder admitting a lack of motivation and suggesting he may never compete at lightweight again.

    Having seen his post-fight attitude and disappointment, Khabib, who retired as champion following UFC 254 in 2020, believes we’ve seen the last of a motivated and hungry Poirier.

    At a recent press conference, the Dagestani, who’d predicted the challenger would dethrone Oliveira, was asked what went wrong for Poirier at the final pay-per-view of the year. In response, Khabib described the inevitable decline fighters experience.

    “I think every person has resources. You know, I think when a man starts a new business, in the beginning he is on fire. He is moving forward, his business is developing. But after comes a time when he goes out. He wants to withdraw money and to start a new business. And this is life… You launch a business. In the beginning, you think you are going to do it all life. But then comes a time you go out a little bit, you want to invest to other business.

    Amazon.com : Poirier's Louisiana Style Hot Sauce - Single Bottle : Grocery & Gourmet Food

    “The same thing could happen with a fighter. There is a fire, a hunger, when you want it very much. Then comes a time when you still want it but not so hard. It happens when the fire went out, but there are still numbers in a contract. You think, ‘Wait, I can earn this money in a fight.’ The fighters have such moments.”

    Having seen Poirier’s fire dim following UFC 269, Khabib believes he’ll never be able to find the motivation that brought him to the top again. But the former champion also described it as a natural process, something which will inevitably happen to new top lightweights like Beneil Dariush and Islam Makhachev.

    “After the fight, he said he needs to think, does he need it at all? If such thoughts came to his mind, it means he will win, but he will win and lose. He will not go to the end when it will be necessary. Sometimes, you look at the athlete and see how fast he changes. I say it to my close friends. While there is a time you should stay active and keep fighting. If this switch clicks once, he will never go back. I think his switch clicked.

    “The time comes. There was Frankie Edgar, Benson Henderson, Pettis, before me. Then Conor… No one stayed, everyone left. Now it is Charles Oliveira’s time. Charles came. Now it is the time of Islam, Beneil, Justin (Gaethje), Charles Oliveira. They will fight now, then they will leave too. Others will come. No one can control this and no one will be able to stop this. Time runs (out). I think everything is simple. Charles Oliveira was better; choked and left. Later, another one will come and (beat) him. He will go out, then we will talk about another one. It is such a carousel that will never be stopped.” (Transcribed by Fighting Flashback)

    Khabib’s take is seemingly something Dustin Poirier himself agrees with on at least some level. Following his latest setback, he admitted he wasn’t sure what was next and suggested no potential matchup excited him.

    While a clash with Nate Diaz seemed to change that, failed negotiations appear to have left ‘The Diamond’ back in limbo at the moment. We shall await to see his next step in 2022.

    Do you agree with Khabib? Has Dustin Poirier’s competitive fire gone out?

  • Sean O’Malley Still Loves Joe Rogan, But…

    Newly-ranked bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley has criticized comments Joe Rogan made on commentary during his UFC 269 victory over Raulian Paiva.

    O’Malley closed out a strong year for “The Suga Show” last weekend at the final pay-per-view of 2021. Having rebounded from his first loss in MMA to Marlon Vera with back-to-back finishes over Thomas Almeida and Kris Moutinho, the 27-year-old aimed to make it three from three against Brazil’s Paiva.

    Towards the end of the opening round, O’Malley had the crowd at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on their feet after recording yet another knockout finish. A brutal combination against the cage slumped Paiva and forced the referee to step in. The victory ensured O’Malley’s path to the top remained on track and saw him enter the rankings at #13 in the latest update.

    Although in high spirits in the aftermath of his latest triumph, O’Malley did take aim at color commentator Daniel Cormier, something that seems to be a weekly occurrence at the moment, with Dominick Cruz and Alexander Volkanovski also recently expressing their disdain at the former two-division UFC champion’s mic work.

    But O’Malley has now set his sights on another man at the desk, renowned podcast host, stand-up comedian, and combat sports enthusiast Joe Rogan.

    O’Malley Encourages Rogan To “Form A Knowledgeable Opinion”

    Sean O'Malley Octagon Interview | UFC 264 | UFC
    Sean O’Malley, Joe Rogan

    While Rogan is no longer as present in UFC coverage as he used to be, now only covering the US-based pay-per-views (unless he has a hunting trip, of course), many still see his voice as an integral part of big events and he remains a popular figure. That’s the case for O’Malley, who signs off his post-fight interviews with the veteran broadcaster by saying, “I fucking love you Joe Rogan.”

    While the love is still there, it’s seemingly been joined by some heavy frustration. Speaking on a recent episode of his TimboSugarShow podcast, O’Malley slammed the commentary team for pushing a narrative that suggested he is susceptible to leg kicks.

    “They said, ‘I don’t know why, when you’re going to fight Sean, you don’t throw more leg kicks. He clearly had a problem in the Chito fight with the leg kicks.’ I fight Thomas Almeida, who’s a fucking good kickboxer, who tried kicking my legs… I countered, he landed a couple, I did a couple good things with the leg kicks. Kris Moutinho, who probably kicked my legs more than Thomas, still kicked my legs.”

    The idea that O’Malley can be heavily damaged by low kicks came after he suffered a few injuries whilst in the Octagon, including one that led to the only blemish on his record to date. Against “Chito” Vera in 2020, a kick appeared to connect with O’Malley’s peroneal nerve, essentially giving him a case of ‘drop foot’.

    Prior to that, O’Malley suffered an injury towards the end of his decision victory over Andre Soukhamthath, leading to the infamous post-fight interview that saw Rogan speak to “Sugar” while he was being tended to on the mat.

    Joe Rogan Interviews Injured Sean O'Malley on His Back in Octagon at UFC 222 | MMAWeekly.com
    Joe Rogan, Sean O’Malley

    Despite maintaining the love he has for the UFC mainstay, O’Malley suggested Rogan hadn’t watched his defeat to Vera enough to form a “knowledgeable opinion.”

    “You can just say anything on the mic. Everyone knows how much I fucking love Joe Rogan. I say it after my fights… He might have watched that Chito fight one time while he was sitting there and then his opinion is what he saw right there. But dude, he got one kick that hit my nerve… He did land a couple of good leg kicks after that, but I was on one leg and I still pieced him up. If you’re gonna commentate and bring up that fight, every single time I fight, go watch it and form a knowledgeable opinion about it.” (h/t Sportskeeda)

    O’Malley’s claim is fairly similar to Cruz’s remarks about “DC.” The former two-time bantamweight titleholder accused Cormier of not watching enough tape and doing enough research to be able to call fights correctly.

    But unlike that case, which saw many in the community agree with “The Dominator,” the narrative that O’Malley can be compromised by heavy leg kicks has been pretty prevalent, especially since his setback last year.

    Was Joe Rogan wrong to suggest Sean O’Malley is susceptible to leg kicks?

  • Archives: Shields Vows To Prove Boxers Can Succeed In MMA (2020)

    On this day one year ago, we ran a story about Claressa Shields’ insistence that she will be the individual to prove that boxers can succeed in MMA. One year later, her record sits at 1-1, with Shields losing her most recent bout to Abigail Montes at the 2021 PFL Championships in October.

    Although it cannot be denied that Shields suffered a setback and has much work to do before she can be successful in her mission, she has let it be known that she will not be deterred by her first defeat.

    Here is a look back at Shields’ mindset before she ever stepped foot into an MMA cage in this story published one year ago. The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 26, 2020, 10:54 AM]

    Headline: Claressa Shields Vows To Prove Boxers Can Succeed In MMA

    PFL newcomer and boxing world champion Claressa Shields is eager to prove that boxers can indeed be successful in MMA.

    Some would say that there is a common perception that boxers do not have what it takes to be successful at the highest level of MMA. Case in point, just ask anybody what Floyd Mayweather’s chances would have been against Conor McGregor in an MMA bout. Whether a casual fan or a hardcore MMA aficionado, odds are you would get a response of McGregor being at least a -1000 favorite after the person scoffed at the very question.

    This belief is further perpetuated by the precedent of one James Toney, a former boxing heavyweight champion who attempted to cross over into MMA, only to get submitted in the first round of his lone MMA fight. This has served as a precautionary tale for boxers ever since.

    But now, there’s Claressa Shields, an Olympic boxing gold medalist who is venturing into MMA full time in the Professional Fighters League. Shields feels that it goes beyond a perception that boxers can’t cut it in MMA but that it is a full-blown myth, one that she cannot wait to burst.

    “Listen, I’m excited and I’m just ready to prove everybody wrong,” Shields told MMA Fighting. “Not everybody but all the doubters. It seems like everybody keeps saying like ‘oh anybody that’s come from boxing can’t be successful in MMA.’

    “Like they say look at James Toney, and I kind of laugh cause James Toney was 42 years old. I’m 25. He was also 42 years old and he went in there, I don’t know how long he prepared but he fought against one of the best guys that they had. It’s not that I wouldn’t do that, but I’m preparing. I’m taking it one step at a time.”

    It is true that James Toney’s submission loss came to a UFC Hall of Famer (Randy Couture) and that he was indeed 42 years old at the time. Claressa Shields, on the other hand, is only 25 years of age and is arguably the best female boxer in the world. And most importantly, unlike Toney, Shields is fully invested in putting in the work to becoming a complete mixed martial artist.

    “I’m not an egotistic person,” Shields said. “I am the best woman’s fighter in the world. There is no other woman fighter in boxing that can beat me in boxing, for sure. But going over to a whole other sport and saying that, it’s just not true now. I have to work my way up from the bottom and learn and train and drill.”

    Claressa Shields plans to begin her mythbusting expedition around May or June of 2021 in a non-tournament fight in the PFL.

    Do you believe there is a myth that boxers can’t cut it in MMA and that Claressa Shields will debunk it?

  • Beneil Dariush: Title Shot Snub Is “Annoying” & “Not Fair”

    UFC lightweight contender Beneil Dariush has admitted it’s frustrating not to be granted a title shot despite his impressive run in the division.

    Since 2018, Dariush has been on fire. After a majority draw against Evan Dunham and defeats to Edson Barboza and Alexander Hernandez left him 0-2-1 in three fights, the Iranian-born American found the form of his life, building a seven-fight win streak that started against Thiago Moisés at UFC Fight Night 139.

    Further victories over Drew Dober and Frank Camacho, and highlight-reel knockouts of Drakkar Klose and Scott Holtzman, brought Dariush into the top 15, before decision triumphs against Brazilian veteran Diego Ferreira and former interim champ Tony Ferguson cemented his place in the top five and title contention.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CPAMPz8hHVt/

    Following his win against “El Cucuy” at UFC 262 earlier this year, many expected Dariush to be top of the queue for a championship opportunity. Instead, the 32-year-old found himself unable to find a high-ranked opponent for December whilst Dustin Poirier challenged for the title, and seemingly leapfrogged by Justin Gaethje after his memorable success against Chandler last month at UFC 268.

    The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai black belt will now have to get through surging Dagestani contender Islam Makhachev to secure a date with the titleholder. In an interview with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, Dariush admitted the “businessman” in him was disappointed and frustrated at the snub. However, the Makhachev booking has got him roaring again.

    “The thing is, as a business man, for sure it bothers me. Like, it’s annoying. I did everything I needed to do to get this title shot. It’s not fair. But man, I’m not that much of a businessman. That part of me, it was like, a little bit of a scratch, but the dog in me when I hear like, ‘Makhachev, this guy, the guy, this is the best guy,’ when I hear about this, that part of me is like, ‘Let’s go!’ I’ve got fire in me, man. I’m training all the time but when I heard Makhachev, I was like, ‘Let’s go, man’. I’m, stoked on this.”

    Dariush Expects Title Shot With Makhachev Win

    While Gaethje apparently set for the next shot, Dariush will turn his attention to an equally in-form contender. The 32-year-old will meet fellow top-five lightweight star Makhachev in the main event of a UFC Fight Night on February 26.

    Having missed out on a long-awaited title shot to this point, Dariush believes a victory over the highly-touted Dagestani will be enough to book his place opposite the titleholder later in the year.

    “I think so, that’s what it seems like, right? I just don’t see who would be, If I win this fight, like, who am I gonna fight next? Am I gonna fight Chandler? Is he gonna get another chance at the title? I don’t understand who else is there. Or like, do I have to fight Poirier? Who is there? Do I have to fight Charles (Oliveira)? We’ll see. I feel like I’m gonna be number one contender, yeah.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CWyQIc0twjW/

    Do you expect the winner of Beneil Dariush vs. Islam Makhachev to fight for the title later in 2022?