MMA News

Category: UFC

Latest UFC news articles, interviews and more covering the world’s top Mixed Martial Arts promotion.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    But Nurmagomedov evidently isn’t buying it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    UFC 308 Backup Fighter Diego Lopes Predicts Topuria vs. Holloway

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Julianna Pena & Amanda Nunes
    Image: Chris Unger/UFC/Zuffa LLC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    In the Hunt for Fighter of the Year

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

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

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

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

    UFC 308 Card Takes Fight-Week Hit With Nurmagomedov Out

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    UFC 308 Countdown: Full Episode

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfrUF74cDQc
  • Anthony Hernandez Assesses Future Dricus Du Plessis Clash After UFC Fight Night Win

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Fighter of the Year Discussion

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Anthony Hernandez TKOs Michel Pereira

    UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Anthony Hernandez TKOs Michel Pereira

    UFC Fight Night took place tonight from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights! 

    In the main event, ranked middleweights Anthony Hernandez and Michel Pereira clashed. While in the co-main event, Rob Font faced Kyler Phillips in a bantamweight matchup. 

    UFC Fight Night Results: Main Card

    • Middleweight Main Event: Anthony Hernandez def. Michel Pereira via TKO: R5, 2.22
    • Bantamweight Co-Main Event: Rob Font def. Kyler Phillips via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
    • Flyweight: Charles Johnson def. Sumudaerji via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
    • Bantamweight: Cameron Smotherman def. Jake Hadley via unanimous decision (30-26, 29-27×2)
    • Featherweight: Darren Elkins def. Daniel Pineda via unanimous decision (29-28×3)

    Preliminary Card

    • Flyweight: Asu Almabayev def. Matheus Nicolau via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
    • Bantamweight: Jean Matsumoto def. Brad Katona via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
    • Women’s Bantamweight: Joselyne Edwards def. Tamires Vidal via submission: R3, 4.33  
    • Women’s Strawweight: Elise Reed def. Jessica Penne via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
    • Women’s Strawweight: Melissa Martinez def. Alice Ardelean via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
    • Heavyweight: Austen Lane def. Robelis Despaigne via unanimous decision (29-28×3)

    Preliminary Card Highlights

    Joselyne Edwards def. Tamires Vidal

    Joselyne Edwards got the win with a rear-naked choke submission of Tamires Vidal in the third round of their women’s bantamweight bout.

    Main Card Highlights

    Darren Elkins def. Daniel Pineda

    In this featherweight bout, Darren Elkins earned a unanimous decision win against Daniel Pineda.

    Cameron Smotherman def. Jake Hadley

    Cameron Smotherman earned a unanimous decision against Jake Hadley in their bantamweight fight.

    Charles Johnson def. Sumudaerji

    In this featherweight bout, Charles Johnson earned a unanimous decision against Sumudaerji.

    Rob Font def. Kyler Phillips

    In the co-main event, Rob Font earned a unanimous decision against Kyler Phillips.

    Anthony Hernandez def. Michel Pereira

    In the main event, Anthony Hernandez earned a TKO of Michel Pereira in the fifth round.

  • ‘Looked Like A Brand New Fighter’ – Fans React As Rob Font Snaps Losing Skid In UFC Fight Night Co-Headliner

    ‘Looked Like A Brand New Fighter’ – Fans React As Rob Font Snaps Losing Skid In UFC Fight Night Co-Headliner

    Though it’s been a tough go for Rob Font as of late, he looked sharp in the final two rounds of his clash with Kyler Phillips in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Pereira, winning via decision.

    Phillips brought the fight to the ground in less than 20 seconds, with Font offering little in the way of defense as his opponent worked in side control. The longtime contender was finally able to get away from Phillips’ pressure in the final minute of the round. He chased after his own takedown attempt but wasn’t able to secure it.

    The #10-ranked contender was able to answer back in the second round, bringing pressure and making the most of his expert-level boxing to trouble Phillips. Font then continued to work over a tired Phillips in the third round with the same approach, going on to earn a unanimous decision win.

    Rob Font Outpoints Kyler Phillips In UFC Fight Night Co-Main Event

    https://twitter.com/Rampage_Calls/status/1847807153198727332
    https://twitter.com/ProchazkaSzn/status/1847809711585874048

    Font lost four of his last five fights entering tonight’s contest. This was his first appearance since the UFC event in Austin last December, where he dropped a decision to Deiveson Figueiredo.

    Phillips, meanwhile, had won six of his seven UFC fights prior to tonight. He defeated Pedro Munhoz earlier this year at UFC 299 to climb to #12 at 135 pounds.

  • Ilia Topuria’s Custom Shorts For UFC 308 Get Rave Reviews

    Ilia Topuria is looking to make a statement when he does battle with Max Holloway at UFC 308 next weekend. But he already appears set to be making one with what he will be wearing to the cage!

    Topuria’s custom-made fight shorts for the event have been revealed in a post on social media by the @ClubDeLasMMA account.

    The shorts are red with the designs in the championship gold that include a bull — a reference to Topuria’s nationality and “El Matador” nickname — the Venum snake, a sun and more.

    The shorts’ appearance on social media brought about significant praise for its look.

    This fight will mark Topuria’s first attempt at defending the UFC featherweight championship. He won the title earlier this year at UFC 298, defeating Alexander Volkanovski.

    Holloway, meanwhile, became interim featherweight champion with a win over Anthony Pettis at UFC 206 before unifying the title with a win over then-champion José Aldo at UFC 212. “Blessed” dropped the title to Volkanovski at UFC 245.

    This fight marks Holloway’s first since his legendary encounter with Justin Gaethje at UFC 300, where he scored a last-second knockout to win the BMF title.

  • Coach Backs Jorge Masvidal’s Comeback Plan: ‘He’s Focused & He’s Ready’

    Jorge Masvidal is preparing for a comeback to the sport that made him a household name. The former title contender, who retired from MMA in April 2023, is currently on a four-fight losing streak in the UFC. His skid began in July 2020 when he lost a decision to Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title at UFC 251. In their rematch at UFC 261 in April 2021, Usman knocked out Masvidal to retain the belt.

    Masvidal then suffered decision losses to Colby Covington at UFC 272 in March 2022 and to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 in April 2023. Most recently, Masvidal stepped into the boxing ring, where he lost via decision to Nate Diaz in July 2023.

    Expectations for the Comeback

    In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, American Top Team coach Mike Brown shared his thoughts on Masvidal’s return to the gym.

    “I was actually surprised when Jorge came back to the gym by how good of shape he was in,” Brown told MMA Junkie. “He was actually in really good shape and had clearly been training, especially his wrestling. He was jumping right in and wrestling with the best guys. He didn’t get out of shape. He’s focused, and he’s ready. He has that itch and wants to do it again. He’s obviously a big star, and there are a lot of matchups I’m sure people want to see. There’s a lot of fights I’d like to see.”

  • Umar Nurmagomedov Rips ‘Bum’ Sean O’Malley Over UFC 306 Performance

    Umar Nurmagomedov Rips ‘Bum’ Sean O’Malley Over UFC 306 Performance

    Umar Nurmagomedov was unimpressed with Sean O’Malley’s performance in his latest fight. O’Malley, one of the UFC’s top stars and a former bantamweight champion, recently suffered a decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306. This defeat snapped O’Malley’s three-fight winning streak, which included capturing and defending the bantamweight title.

    O’Malley was mostly out-grappled in the fight, though he managed to hurt Dvalishvili with a body kick late in the contest. However, according to Nurmagomedov, O’Malley didn’t put forth his best effort.

    Nurmagomedov’s Criticism

    “He’s a bum, brother. He’s a bum,” Nurmagomedov told Submission Radio. “He didn’t do what he had to. He was running. If you’re a champion, you can’t enter the cage and fight like that. He left the fight without even getting tired—he left the cage fresh. What are you doing, man? You need to go all out, do everything you can to defend your title, but instead, you were running, scared, and Merab played with you.”

    Nurmagomedov continued, “He kissed you. He played. Remember when he didn’t even wait for the round to finish and just walked away? That’s like saying, ‘I can do whatever I want with you.’ Merab toyed with him, and I don’t know how O’Malley can talk after that.”

    Although O’Malley has expressed interest in a rematch with Dvalishvili, Nurmagomedov doesn’t see the UFC taking that route.

  • Alex Pereira Slams The Door Shut On Jake Paul Boxing Match

    Alex Pereira Slams The Door Shut On Jake Paul Boxing Match

    UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira has closed the door on the possibility of fighting Jake Paul.

    Pereira, fresh off his third title defense after finishing Khalil Rountree in round four of their UFC 307 headliner, revealed that he plans to take time off, with a projected return around March.

    While “Poatan” had previously shown some interest in a potential boxing match against Paul — who is set to fight Mike Tyson next month — he made it clear that this fight is not in the cards. In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani for Uncrowned, the Brazilian suggested that Paul wouldn’t be calling him out if it weren’t for his UFC contract.

    “I’m going to be honest, of course boxing interests me,” Pereira said when asked about a future boxing match with Paul. “But he knows that I’m under contract with the UFC, and I can’t just leave. I think that’s why he calls [me out] and says all of that.”

    “If the UFC were a league that allowed everyone to fight everywhere, he wouldn’t be saying that,” Pereira added.

  • Belal Muhammad Claims Competitive Edge Over Shavkat Rakhmonov

    Belal Muhammad Claims Competitive Edge Over Shavkat Rakhmonov

    Belal Muhammad recently weighed in on why he believes he has the upper hand against Shavkat Rakhmonov in their upcoming clash.

    Muhammad is poised to defend his welterweight title against Rakhmonov in the main event of UFC 310, scheduled for December 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    “Remember the Name” is riding a wave of confidence after decisively dethroning former champion Leon Edwards with a unanimous decision victory at UFC 304 in July. In a bold move, he chose “Nomad,” who is regarded as one of the most daunting competitors in the 170-pound division, as his opponent for his first title defense.

    Despite his impressive 11-fight unbeaten streak and championship status, Muhammad opened up as a significant underdog against Rakhmonov on the betting line. However, the 36-year-old Chicago native believes that Rakhmonov has yet to face a fighter quite like him.

    During a recent interview with Submission Radio, “Remember the Name” acknowledged Rakhmonov’s ascent through the ranks but confidently asserted that he is far tougher. Muhammad emphasized that he plans to apply unprecedented pressure and test Rakhmonov’s limits, pushing him to his breaking point.

    “But I think that the difference between me and everybody he’s faced is I’m not gonna go in there intimidated,” Muhammad said. “I’ve fought in every style; I’ve fought everybody — the best of the best. I’ve been with the biggest names, and for myself, I’ve gotten over all those humps. He hasn’t gotten over that hump yet. A lot of the guys he’s fought go in there intimidated, already seeing him, and you can just see in a lot of these guys they’ll just fall or they’ll break right away for him.

    “Now you’re going against somebody that’s tougher; you’re going against somebody that’s not gonna fall; you’re going against somebody that’s gonna stand right there in front of your face the whole time. Then what do you do? How do you react? He hasn’t had to face that type of fighter in the UFC yet; he hasn’t had those types of wars yet.”

    “Nomad” remains unbeaten in his professional career, boasting an impressive 100 percent finish rate. With a UFC record of 6-0, he is riding a wave of momentum after securing a second-round submission victory against former title challenger Stephen Thompson at UFC 296 in December 2023.