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Category: UFC

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

  • Neil Magny Expected To Face Undefeated Prospect In Return At UFC Fight Night On August 24

    Neil Magny Expected To Face Undefeated Prospect In Return At UFC Fight Night On August 24

    UFC veteran Neil Magny looks set to be tasked with stalling the rise of another highly touted welterweight prospect later this summer.

    Magny, who currently occupies the #12 spot on the ladder at 170 pounds, continues to perform big on mixed martial arts’ grandest stage over a decade on from his Octagon debut.

    “The Haitian Sensation” holds the record for most wins in UFC welterweight history, and his lead in that regard was extended at UFC 297 in Toronto this past January, where he mounted a memorable comeback to upset home favorite Mike Malott.

    That result cemented Magny’s continued presence in the top 15 and pushed back the surge of a promising prospect. And the 36-year-old will need to bring about some déjà vu next month if he’s to continue his momentum.

    Per MMA Junkie’s Danny Segura, Magny has verbally agreed to do battle with the undefeated Michael Morales at the UFC Fight Night scheduled for the Apex in Las Vegas on August 24.

    Magny Looks To Halt Another Charging Prospect Months On From UFC 297 Upset

    Should this bout be made official, Magny will look to secure his first win streak since 2022 by blemishing the perfect professional record of Morales.

    Magny (29-11) recorded back-to-back victories over Geoff Neal and Max Griffin before running into the fast-charging Shavkat Rakhmonov in June 2022. He’s exchanged wins and losses since, getting the better of Daniel Rodriguez, Phil Rowe, and Malott but falling against high-level competition in Gilbert Burns and Ian Garry.

    If “The Haitian Sensation” is to further extend his lead in a number of records and continue proving his longevity inside the Octagon, he’ll have to do what nobody else has done up to this point: beat Morales (16-0). The Ecuadorian has won all four of his UFC fights to date since appearing on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021. The 25-year-old most recently outpointed Australia’s Jake Matthews at UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Craig last November.

    With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at the Apex-held UFC Fight Night on August 24 are as follows:

    • Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Gerald Meerschaert (middleweight)
    • Roman Kopylov vs. Brunno Ferreira (middleweight)
    • Neil Magny vs. Michael Morales (welterweight)
    • Dennis Buzukja vs. Danny Silva (featherweight)
    • Viacheslav Borshchev vs. James Llontop (lightweight)
    • José Medina vs. Zachary Reese (middleweight)
    • Josiane Nunes vs. Jacqueline Cavalcanti (women’s bantamweight)
    Neil Magny & Mike Malott
    Image: Cooper Neill/UFC/Zuffa LLC
  • Jonathan Martinez Calls For Dominick Cruz Sphere Showdown After Taking Issue With His Commentary

    Jonathan Martinez Calls For Dominick Cruz Sphere Showdown After Taking Issue With His Commentary

    Jonathan Martinez has a bone to pick with former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, one that he wants to settle in the unique surroundings of the Sphere this fall.

    Martinez is on the hunt for his next assignment on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage following a disappointing night at the office in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this past May, where he fell to defeat at the hands of the returning José Aldo in the UFC 301 co-main event.

    Having risen into the rankings at 135 pounds courtesy of six straight wins following a knockout loss to Davey Grant, Martinez looked to ride the momentum from victories over Cub Swanson, Said Nurmagomedov, and Adrian Yañez into his showdown with the UFC legend.

    Unfortunately for the #14-ranked contender, he was convincingly outpointed at Jeunesse Arena, and he subsequently had to watch on as Aldo returned to the top 10 spot he had desired.

    A couple of months on, the Factory X standout is looking ahead to his opportunity to bounce back, and he hopes it’ll come against another prominent name in the sport…

    Martinez Was ‘Never A Fan’ Of Cruz

    During an interview with MMA Junkie at UFC X during International Fight Week, Martinez reflected on his setback in South America and named his preferred option moving forward.

    After outlining his desire to join the lineup for the upcoming pay-per-view event at Las Vegas’ Sphere on September 14, Martinez pitched former champion Dominick Cruz as the ideal opponent.

    Explaining that choice, the 30-year-old Californian said he’s been noting some frustrating remarks from “The Dominator” while he’s been commentating over his fights in recent times.

    “I want to be on that (Sphere) card in September,” Martinez said. “I want to be on that card, and I’ve been hearing Dominick Cruz wants to fight on that date, too. Hopefully they give me him. I just hear him every time I fight he’s always saying, ‘I don’t know why they don’t check Jonathan’s kicks.’ Put him in front of me and let him do that and see what happens.”

    While analyzing his defeat to Aldo, Martinez admitted that he was somewhat starstruck by the “King of Rio” on May 4. Suffice to say, he wouldn’t have that issue should he be stood across from Cruz inside the cage down the line…

    “I was never a fan. He was just there to me.”

    The promotion is set to stage its second Mexican Independence Day celebration, titled Riyadh Season Noche UFC, from the Sphere on September 14.

    While nothing major has been announced toward the top of the card to date, the likes of Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez, Yazmin Jauregui, and Edgar Cháirez are among the names with reported matchups for the lineup thus far.

  • Ben Askren Says It Was ‘Clear’ Jiří Procházka Would Get His ‘Ass Kicked’ At UFC 303: ‘If You’re Starting To Worry About Witchcraft…’

    Ben Askren Says It Was ‘Clear’ Jiří Procházka Would Get His ‘Ass Kicked’ At UFC 303: ‘If You’re Starting To Worry About Witchcraft…’

    Former Bellator and ONE Championship titleholder Ben Askren believes Jiří Procházka’s violent setback at UFC 303 was inevitable owing to where his focus was during fight week.

    Procházka had his second attempt at regaining the UFC light heavyweight crown in the main event of the June 29 pay-per-view, which headlined International Fight Week in Las Vegas.

    Having previously had his pursuit of the belt he formerly owned stalled by Alex Pereira at Madison Square Garden last November, “BJP” was targeting redemption against “Poatan” at T-Mobile Arena.

    But the Czech star ultimately fell short once again, this time in a much more convincing and brutal fashion. After being dropped at the end of round one, Procházka was finished for good after being sent back to the canvas by a clean head kick in the second frame.

    While many were backing the challenger’s chances owing to the early success he had against “Poatan” in 2023, one former fighter was expecting the UFC 303 main event to play out as it did after seeing some of Procházka’s pre-fight remarks…

    Askren On Pereira vs. Procházka: ‘If You’re Worrying About Witchcraft, You’re Done’

    During a recent episode of his Funky and the Champ YouTube show alongside Daniel Cormier, Askren gave his take on Procházka’s suggestion that Pereira uses “spiritual things” and “magic” from Shamans to help him defeat his opponents.

    As soon as that reared its head, “Funky” believes it was game over for the challenger.

    “I hate it,” Askren said of Procházka’s focus on “magic” during fight week. “If you start talking like that, that is a clear sign you’re going to get your ass kicked. If you’re starting to worry about witchcraft, no, you’re done. You’re not going to win. I said it, I said, ‘Listen, if he’s worrying about witchcraft, this is going to be over quick. He’s going to get knocked out,’ and that’s what happened.

    “When you get that far, it’s a little too far. I said it, I hate this. I hate the fact he was thinking about this kind of stuff,” Askren continued. “(If you are), it’s probably over for you.”

    A video has subsequently emerged showing Pereira and Procházka embracing one another at the airport post-fight, with the champion clarifying his religion and beliefs to his defeated rival.

    “BJP” also made no mention of that pre-fight narrative in his first statement on social media. Instead, he took full responsibility for the defeat and insisted that he must evolve as a fighter or not compete again.

  • UFC 303 Winner Makes Two-Week Turnaround, Faces Drew Dober At UFC Fight Night Denver

    UFC 303 Winner Makes Two-Week Turnaround, Faces Drew Dober At UFC Fight Night Denver

    UFC lightweight veteran Drew Dober will get the chance to fight close to home after one recent victor stepped in on extremely short-notice to meet him on July 13.

    Dober, who trains out of Denver, Colorado, was originally added to the lineup for next weekend’s UFC Fight Night in the ”Mile-High City” against the in-form Mike Davis. Last month, however “Beast Boy” suffered a nasty torn bicep in training.

    Since then, the 155-pound fan favorite has been awaiting news of a replacement to keep him on the card, which is set to be headlined by former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas inside the Ball Arena.

    That came this week, with Brazilian outlet Ag. Fight reporting that Jean Silva will be moving up from featherweight to share the cage with Dober on less than two weeks’ notice.

    Silva was in action just this past weekend at UFC 303, where he got the better of Charles Jourdain in brutal fashion. The Brazilian did miss weight, however, so the decision to subsequently accept a lightweight showdown was perhaps to be expected.

    Silva Targets Two Wins In Two Weeks At Dober’s Expense

    Having already had a strong start to life on MMA’s biggest stage, the July 13 event presents the chance for Silva to significantly increase his stock by recording two victories in just 14 days.

    Silva (13-2) followed his success on Dana White’s Contender Series with a first-round knockout off Westin Wilson in his UFC debut. In Jourdain on June 29, “Lord Assassin” thrived against better competition, dropping the Canadian early on before finishing him in round two with a vicious uppercut.

    While the weight miss for that contest added an asterisk next to the result, the Brazilian 27-year-old has the chance to go someway toward erasing any memory of his indiscretion on the scale in one of the more high-profile bouts slated to go down in Denver next Saturday night.

    Dober (27-13) has long been one of the lightweight division’s perennial entertainers. That was on full display in 2022 when he sat in the rankings off the back of three straight stoppage wins over Terrance McKinney, Rafael Alves, and Bobby Green. Since sleeping “King,” though, Dober has gone 1-2, with a quick finish of Rick Glenn sandwiched between setbacks at the hands of Matt Frevola and Renato Moicano.

    With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at the UFC Fight Night in Denver on July 13 are as follows:

    Main Card:

    • Rose Namajunas vs. Tracy Cortez (women’s flyweight main event)
    • Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Muslim Salikhov (welterweight co-main event)
    • Drew Dober vs. Jean Silva (lightweight)
    • Gabriel Bonfim vs. Ange Loosa (welterweight)
    • Julian Erosa vs. Christian Rodriguez (featherweight)
    • Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Cody Brundage (middleweight)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Viviane Araújo vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius (women’s flyweight)
    • Joshua Van vs. Charles Johnson (flyweight)
    • Luana Santos vs. Mariya Agapova (women’s flyweight)
    • Montel Jackson vs. Da’Mon Blackshear (bantamweight)
    • Josh Fremd vs. Andre Petroski (middleweight)
    Image: Chris Unger/UFC/Zuffa LLC
  • Brian Ortega Makes First Public Statement On UFC 303 Fight Day Cancellation: ‘I Dared To Do Something Crazy…’ 

    Brian Ortega Makes First Public Statement On UFC 303 Fight Day Cancellation: ‘I Dared To Do Something Crazy…’ 

    Two-time UFC featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega has broken his silence on the same-day fight cancellation that saw him not compete at T-Mobile Arena this past weekend.

    After a successful comeback from injury in Mexico this past February, where he avenged his 2022 setback to Yair Rodríguez by way of submission, Ortega began preparing for a divisional switch.

    With opportunities limited at featherweight, “T-City” set his sights on the lightweight shark tank. But when last Saturday’s UFC 303 pay-per-view fell into crisis, Ortega agreed to be one of those saving the day, accepting an extremely late-notice co-main event against Diego Lopes.

    Despite Ortega’s prep for the 155-pound weight class, the bout was set for featherweight. But that changed on weigh-in day when it was revealed that the longtime contender couldn’t get lower than 151 pounds.

    While that left Lopes weighing in at lightweight having already cut down to the originally planned weight, the Mexico-based Brazilian was on the scales again just hours before making the walk after Ortega was forced to withdraw through injury and replaced by Dan Ige.

    Now close to a week on, “T-City” has spoken out and addressed the difficult circumstances that led to his late pullout…

    Ortega Accepted Fight 32 Pounds Above The Limit, Vows To ‘Make This Right’ By Lopes

    In a lengthy statement posted on Instagram, Ortega admitted he “felt off” throughout fight week — something UFC CEO Dana White noted during his appearance at the press conference post-event on Saturday night.

    The featherweight veteran also revealed that he agreed to the short-notice assignment 32 pounds over the featherweight limit, leaving many questioning why he and his team accepted a 145-pound clash.

    “Come fight week I felt off and I didn’t feel right, I thought it was just the residual effects from the cut. I was 178 lb when I accepted this fight on 15 days notice,” Ortega wrote. “Thursday night after 7 straight hours, I could not break 151 lb. Later, I would find out that I was battling a fever and I could not break into the final 5 lbs as my body started to shut down. Rather than risking huge health consequences and possibly calling the fight off, thankfully we were able to move the weight to 155.

    “At weigh ins, I still felt off but I was sure it would go away after I rehydrated and ate Later on that night I still felt off and was suffering from cold sweats and no sleep. Finally, I fell asleep at 6 am Saturday morning and woke up at 1 pm hoping to feel better. I could not keep any food or water down nor could I stand up to use the restroom,” Ortega continued. “I struggled with my own ego, got on a call with Tiki and Hunter, and I made the decision to call off the fight. I dared to do something crazy for the love of fighting, but I got sick and my body gave out on me.”

    Ortega concluded by also making note of the tumultuous two-day period that Lopes went through, culminating in the rising featherweight facing and defeating Ige on just a few hours’ notice.

    “T-City” vowed to “make things right” by the Mexico-based Brazilian.

    “Diego Lopes I can only imagine what went off on your side, you have nothing but my respect and I’ll talk to Hunter and Tiki and make this right by you,” Ortega stated. “To the UFC, Dana, Hunter, and the fans, thank you for having my back.”

    It remains to be seen how Ortega will do that, but perhaps accepting a rescheduled showdown with the 29-year-old at the Sphere-held Noche UFC event on September 14 could be a start.

  • Max Holloway Hits Back At Ilia Topuria Blaming Him For Fight Delay: ‘Guy Is Just Making Things Up At This Stage’

    Max Holloway Hits Back At Ilia Topuria Blaming Him For Fight Delay: ‘Guy Is Just Making Things Up At This Stage’

    If someone is to blame for the lack of a date for their fight, Max Holloway has told UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria that it does not lie at his door.

    Holloway, a former titleholder at 145 pounds, appeared to secure his position as number one contender in the division with his exploits up at lightweight this year.

    Following back-to-back wins over Arnold Allen and “The Korean Zombie” in 2023, “Blessed” returned to 155 pounds to challenge for Justin Gaethje’s symbolic BMF strap at the milestone UFC 300 pay-per-view event this past April.

    After delivering a highlight that is being discussed among the most memorable in UFC history, Holloway outlined his intention to regain the featherweight gold. While Topuria appeared to favor other options, even naming Brian Ortega as a more logical opponent, he’s since vowed to be the first to knock the Hawaiian out.

    That bout is still awaiting official confirmation, however, and “El Matador” claims that personal matters and weight difficulties on the side of Holloway are the cause.

    “It’s not because of me,” Topuria said when asked why the UFC hasn’t announced his first title defense yet. “They called me to say Max Holloway was having family issues, that he was having trouble cutting weight, and that he wanted to fight at a higher weight class. Honestly, I don’t know. I have no idea.”

    It didn’t take long for Holloway to call those remarks out as false…

    Holloway Drops Sphere Event As Preferred Date After Rejecting Topuria Claims

    Following Topuria’s comments while attending the El Matador film presentation in Madrid, “Blessed” quickly took to social media to accuse the champ of “making thing up” regarding why their fight is yet to come to fruition.

    “Guy is just making things up at this stage,” Holloway wrote. “I been ready.”

    When Topuria responded by inviting Holloway to drop a desired date, the former champ pointed to the upcoming pay-per-view at Las Vegas’ Sphere on September 14.

    “Been talking to them brother. You need to check your numbers. Since you said it the Sphere by toe hold. See you soon.”

  • Case Made For Alex Pereira Not To Defend Title Against Magomed Ankalaev Next: ‘Wouldn’t You Rather Him Lose To The GOAT Jon Jones…’

    Former UFC heavyweight makes the case for ‘Poatan’ to face Jones next.

    UFC 303 was an unmitigated disaster for the promotion from a matchmaking point of view. The postponement of the long-awaited ‘Return of the Mac’ was no doubt a spanner in the works for the MMA leader as they were anticipating the highest gate in UFC history, and the bizarre sequence of events that led to Dan Ige stepping up on a few hours’ notice to fight in the co-main event is certainly something we’ve never seen before.

    From an entertainment perspective, the majority of the undercard failed to deliver. Outside of Payton Talbott’s quickfire knockout win over Yanis Ghemmouri, there really wasn’t a whole lot to get fans out of their seats during the prelims, and although the welterweight main card opener between Ian Machado Garry and Michael “Venom” Page proved an interesting tactical battle, it wasn’t a fight that impressed the fanbase.

    As has been the case time and time again, however, Alex Pereira stepped up to the plate to save the day. His knockout win over Jiri Prochazka in the main event stole all the headlines, just two months after his previous showstopping exploits against Jamahal Hill at UFC 300.  

    The main talking point coming out of last Saturday seems to be concerning who “Poatan” will fight next. Rumours continue to circulate about a potential move up to test the waters in the heavyweight division against either interim champion Tom Aspinall or two-weight world champion Jon Jones. There is also the possibility he will defend the 205lb belt against the consensus challenger Magomed Anakalaev.

    Brendan Schaub Advocates For ‘Poatan’ vs. ‘Bones’ Next

    Speaking on his Extra Thiccc podcast this week, former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub made the case for Pereira to fight Jones next.

    “If you’re the UFC, if you’re gonna risk Alex Pereira, wouldn’t you rather him…wouldn’t you rather him lose to the greatest of all time Jon Jones at heavyweight, and then go, ‘Yeah it’s Jon Jones, he’s going back to light heavyweight’, or you know let’s say it’s competitive, you go, ‘Yeah, he’s gonna fight Tom Aspinall’.”

    “At least you still have options” Schaub continued “because if you give him to Ankalaev and he loses? There’s no heavyweight…we don’t wanna see you at heavyweight. He’s gonna be stuck at light heavyweight. If you give him Aspinall and he loses that…well the mega-fight with Jon’s gone.

    Schaub then urged the UFC matchmakers to make the right decision, keep ‘Poatan’ away from the grappling-heavy Ankalaev – and book him against Jon Jones for the undisputed heavyweight strap after “Bones” is done defending his title against Stipe Miocic [if he beats him, of course].

    “If you’re in the boardroom and you’re Mick Maynard this morning and you’re waking up like, ‘Alright he’s an underdog in all three scenarios…what’s gonna be the biggest fight possible, which is not gonna shoot his balloon down of stardom the most?

    “You do Jon Jones – Alex Pereira in 2025 for the undisputed heavyweight title”.

  • Dricus Du Plessis Matchmakes For Sean Strickland, Shuts Down Desire To Wait For Title Shot: ‘You Can Main Event That Fight On Any Card…’

    UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis is locked in to prepare for his first title defense, which will come at UFC 305 against Israel Adesanya.

    Without looking past the former champion, Du Plessis is still keeping an eye on who else could challenge him for the title in the near future, with it likely coming down to two potential opponents.

    Both Sean Strickland and Robert Whittaker have held the title in the past and they’ve rebounded in recent fights from losses to the current champion.

    After Whittaker stopped Ikram Aliskerov, who was a late-notice replacement for Khamzat Chimaev, and Strickland convincingly defeated Paulo Costa, a fight between them makes a lot of sense to the champion.

    Dricus Du Plessis Says Sean Strickland vs. Robert Whittaker Should & Will Happen Next

    In an interview with Submission Radio following the first press conference for UFC 305, Du Plessis spoke about what he thinks should be next for the middleweight division.

    Strickland has made it very clear that after believing he beat Du Plessis in January and then getting the win over Costa at UFC 302, he wants to sit out in order to wait for his second shot at the title.

    The champion believes that with Strickland and Whittaker both having claims to be the next in line, a number one contender’s match-up should and will take place in the near future.

    “Stillknocks” spoke about this option and why he wants to see his two former opponents meet for the first time inside the Octagon.

    “In my opinion, how I see this playing out, you cannot not do the Whittaker versus Strickland fight. I think that’s the fight that needs to happen. Now I know Strickland when we’re at the presser said Whittaker is nothing but a blitz and it’s an easy fight and now he doesn’t want to take that fight. Let me tell you one thing, Robert Whittaker is no easy fight for anybody. Strickland, also an incredible fighter, and that is just a fight that makes so much sense. That’s a fight on it’s own, you can main event that fight on any card and I honestly think that’s how it’s gonna play out.”

    Read also: ‘This Guy Is Such A Trash Person’ – MMA Fans Annoyed After Sean Strickland Puts A Beating On Navy Seal In Sparring

  • Vicente Luque On How Experience Of Fighting Three UFC Fighters Should Help Him Against Nick Diaz: ‘Throw All Those Into A Blender…’

    Vicente Luque On How Experience Of Fighting Three UFC Fighters Should Help Him Against Nick Diaz: ‘Throw All Those Into A Blender…’

    Vicente Luque recently expressed confidence that his past encounters with three seasoned UFC veterans have equipped him to manage the pressure in his upcoming fight against Nick Diaz.

    Luque is gearing up for a high-stakes showdown against former welterweight title challenger Diaz. This five-round bout will serve as the co-main event at UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi, scheduled for August 3 at the Etihad Arena.


    Luque’s recent career has experienced significant ups and downs. Since April 2022, “The Silent Assassin”, known for his formidable and versatile fighting abilities, has managed to secure only one victory. That triumph came when he defeated Rafael Dos Anjos via unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 74 last August.

    Before his victory, Luque endured consecutive defeats to Belal Muhammad and Geoff Neal. The loss to “Handz of Steel” was particularly significant as it marked the first knockout loss of his career and led to an injury that kept him out of action for almost a year.

    The 32-year-old Brazilian is coming off a second-round knockout defeat against Joaquin Buckley this past March at UFC Fight Night Atlantic City. Despite this setback, Luque remains confident in his ability to turn his fortunes around.

    Drawing on his past victories over several notable opponents, Luque believes that his experience and resilience will be key factors in his bout against the former Strikeforce welterweight champion…

    Luque Trusts Experience To Overcome Diaz Challenge

    During a recent interview with InsideFighting, “The Silent Assassin” was queried about his strategy for facing a high-profile opponent like Diaz.

    Luque acknowledged that the intensity Diaz brings to fights is exceptionally different from that of other opponents. However, he expressed confidence that his victories over veterans like Tyron Woodley, Dos Anjos, and Bryan Barberena will provide him with the edge he needs on August 3.

    “I think he’s a big name. I fought Woodley, I fought RDA, and these guys were big champions. They have big names, but I feel like the energy that Nick brings is different.”

    “I think it’s a little bit different, and I don’t know if I would mix the experience that I have from fighting Woodley and RDA with the fight I had with Barberena. It’s kind of that, you know, throw all those into a blender, and you come out with something like Nick, a guy with big, a legend, but he’ll stand there in front of you and try to pressure you.”

    The Brazilian also noted that the five-round matchup will work to his advantage against Diaz, who has been out of the octagon for an extended period of time.

    “It’s gonna be five rounds, not gonna be three rounds. So it’s gonna be nice. I mean, if he can, what I’m gonna bring, and I think he can and I can take what he’s gonna bring, then we’re gonna put on a show for everyone.”

    Diaz returned to active competition after a six-year hiatus, facing off against his former rival Robbie Lawler in a rematch at UFC 266 in September 2021. The 40-year-old Stockton native unexpectedly dropped to the canvas in the third round and chose not to continue, leading the referee to stop the fight.

  • Nate Diaz Doubles Down On Support For Conor McGregor Following UFC 303 Pullout: ‘Lost His Last Fight Because He Went In There Like A G & Was Hurt…’

    When Conor McGregor announced the reason for his long awaited return at UFC 303 being pushed back, he received a lot of negativity.

    “The Notorious” made the call to delay his comeback fight after breaking his toe in training because after being out for so long, he wanted to step back inside the Octagon at 100%.

    A new date has not been provided yet for when he hopes to fight again and whether or not it will still be against Michael Chandler.

    Despite their long-running rivalry with each other that produced two of the most iconic fights in the history of the sport, Nate Diaz has McGregor’s back on this one.

    Nate Diaz Commends Conor McGregor For Making The Decision To Postpone His Comeback

    During an interview with MMA legend Demetrious Johnson on The MightyCast, Diaz said that he actually supports McGregor’s decision to postpone the fight.

    The Stockton fighter believes that this shows the Irishman’s experience and learning over the years – which is something Diaz has also noticed in his own career regarding fighting injured.

    “That’s experience, you know, he was f***** up when he fought his last fight and I’ve been f***** up in hella fights and I don’t want to like to cry about it afterwards ‘cuz your a** shouldn’t have came to fight if you was f***** up, that’s how I think about it.”

    Diaz made a clear distinction between the fact that McGregor didn’t cancel the fight but called for it to be pushed back, and commended him for making that call.

    He reflected on how he found himself in a similar position ahead of his fight with Leon Edwards which was moved to the following month’s event at UFC 263, after he suffered a cut in training that he nearly decided to fight through.

    Diaz also referenced how McGregor’s injury, which was a big reason why he was inactive for so long, came at UFC 264 because he went into the fight already compromised which further supports his decision to delay the return.

    “So now, before you just jump to conclusions and start being like, ‘He’s hurt, f****** p****’ it’s like bro, he lost his last fight because he went in there like a G and he was hurt and he f***** himself up, you know what I’m saying. That being a part of it, he shouldn’t have showed up though but now he knows. So it’s like when people are like, ‘wah’, I’m like why don’t you just shut up and sit down?”

  • Interim UFC Champion Tom Aspinall Reveals He Has Been Waiting Two Years For Son’s Autism Diagnosis: ‘I Want To Put Pressure On The NHS…’

    Being able to build a sizeable platform through the success he has achieved in his career, Tom Aspinall has spoken very openly about an issue that is close to his heart.

    The interim UFC heavyweight champion had one of his three sons diagnosed with autism but getting the specialist help that he needed was a difficult process.

    He revealed on the Happy Hour Podcast that both he and his partner only considered this to be an option after watching a documentary that aired on TV about English comedian Paddy McGuinness and his similar experiences.

    After meeting McGuiness in person shortly after, Aspinall was advised to try and get a diagnosis so that they could correctly identify how best to help his son – but getting this through England’s National Health Service, or NHS, was no easy task.

    Tom Aspinall Speaks Openly On His Struggles With The NHS System And Helping Others

    The NHS, which offers free healthcare in England, has got incredibly long waiting lists and this meant that Aspinall needed to look into other options.

    He spoke about this in depth during the podcast interview, stating that he was lucky to be in a position where he could pay for a private diagnosis rather than having to wait to receive the right assistance.

    “We tried getting it through the NHS and there’s like a three-year waiting list and the amount of progress you can make in the three years is like unbelievable and luckily, I’m in a spot financially where I could like pay privately to get a diagnosis.

    Like even now, we’ve not given up on the original one and this was like two years ago and we’ve still not got an appointment [with the NHS]. He’s been diagnosed now privately but we’ve still not got an appointment.”

    Aspinall then continued about why he wants to speak about this publicly because not every family is going to be in a similar position to him where seeking private help is an option.

    The Brit knows that it may be difficult to create any change by himself but if he’s able to raise awareness for the families that find themselves looking for help and not receiving it, he will continue to speak on the topic.

    “Absolutely wild. So I like speaking about it because I want to like, I mean it’s only little old me but I want to put pressure on the NHS to be like, let’s f****** do something about this because the waiting lists are just ridiculous, like for ADHD and autism, you just almost can’t get a diagnosis and there’s a lot of parents out there who are lost, they don’t know what to do.”

  • Robert Whittaker Has Sympathy For Referees In MMA Despite Bad High-Profile Calls: ‘Nobody Talks About A Ref Doing A Good Job…’ (Exclusive)

    June was a big month for the UFC’s middleweight division with several top contenders in action as the upcoming title fight between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya draws closer.

    Former champion Robert Whittaker could have announced himself as the number one contender had Khamzat Chimaev not withdrawn from their main event in Saudi Arabia.

    Whittaker ended up facing Ikram Aliskerov where he produced a dominant display to earn a first-round finish.

    Earlier in the month, there was controversy in the division after Nassourdine Imavov stopped Jared Cannonier in a call that many believe was made too soon.

    Referee Jason Herzog waved the fight off in the fourth round with fans believing that he stopped the fight too early despite some worrying signs from Cannonier.

    Robert Whittaker Does Not Envy The Thankless Role Of Being A MMA Referee

    In an exclusive interview with MMA News, Whittaker said that he feels some sympathy towards MMA officials for the thankless jobs that they do.

    “The Reaper” didn’t agree with the stoppage of that fight but he also didn’t want to be too negative about the call that Herzog made in this instance.

    He stated that he understands the frustration of being on the wrong end of an early stoppage and having faced Cannonier in the past, knows that there is no quit in him.

    However, Whittaker said that he does not envy the role of the referees, specifically referencing how they never get credit but will always get criticized when a mistake is made.

    “Mate, being a ref’s hard. It’s a hard gig and it’s easy to point the finger at a ref for being trigger happy or pulling a fight too late or pulling a fight too short but man, the reality is their job is so hard. So hard. Nobody talks about a ref doing a good job, they only get hammered when they make a mistake or when it’s not to the liking of the fans. It’s a hard gig and I don’t have an opinion on it.”

    Here are the some of the other topics Whittaker discussed in the exclusive interview that you can watch in the video above:

    • Being upset with the media for misrepresenting his injury issue heading into the Aliskerov fight
    • Reacting to his first KO finish in seven years
    • On refereeing and how he would change judging in MMA
    • Explaining his decision not to weigh in at UFC 305 as the backup fighter
    • Discussing Sean Strickland, Bo Nickal, and Conor McGregor
    • Predicting how a rematch goes against Dricus Du Plessis

    Read More: VIDEO: Israel Adesanya Reacts To Longtime Rival Alex Pereira’s Knockout Of Jiří Procházka At UFC 303

  • Chael Sonnen Tells UFC, Alex Pereira To Avoid Magomed Ankalaev Fight: ‘Dana White’s A Big Gambler, I Don’t Know If He’s That Big…’

    Chael Sonnen Tells UFC, Alex Pereira To Avoid Magomed Ankalaev Fight: ‘Dana White’s A Big Gambler, I Don’t Know If He’s That Big…’

    Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen has some advice for the promotion when it comes to booking Alex Pereira’s next fight.

    Pereira further grew his stock and enhanced his legacy on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage this past weekend by knocking out Jiří Procházka in the main event of the UFC 303 pay-per-view in Las Vegas.

    As was the case with his KO of Jamahal Hill at UFC 300, “Poatan” was drafted in to save the day on June 29. That was after the cancellation of Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler left the headline slot open.

    The Brazilian made the most of the opportunity by recording a second win over “BJP,” repeating the feat he achieved at Madison Square Garden in New York City last November.

    While Pereira’s triumph inside the T-Mobile Arena remains the talk of the town, discussion is beginning to turn to what could lie in waiting for the UFC light heavyweight champion, and the leading option appears to be a man long touted as “Poatan’s” toughest challenge at 205 pounds…

    Sonnen: Pereira vs. Ankalaev A Risk ‘Not Worth’ Taking

    Magomed Ankalaev immediately made his voice heard in the aftermath of UFC 303, taking to social media to stake his claim for the next shot and vowing to knock out the reigning champ.

    Like many, Sonnen sees the Dagestani’s ground game as the major threat to Pereira, and for that reason, he thinks the UFC would be wise to pursue other avenues for the Brazilian’s next fight.

    “You’re gonna start hearing about Ankalaev (as Pereira’s next fight),” Sonnen said during a recent interview with Infinity Sports Network. “He’s just the only guy that’s left. The problem there is Ankalaev does have the one skillset — he’s a fighter from Dagestan, which means he has high-level grappling. … And the one style that we haven’t seen Alex dominate or even defeat is that kind of a wrestler.

    “It’s not worth the risk, in my opinion. To take the risk that this guy could get over on your biggest — this guy called Ankalaev…to take the risk of him taking the spot of your biggest star, I don’t know,” Sonnen continued. “Dana White’s a big gambler, man, I don’t know if he’s that big.”

    Ankalaev appeared to solidify his place in the title conversation by viciously stopping Johnny Walker in the first UFC main event of 2024.

    Prior to the no contest with Walker that came beforehand, the Russian reeled off nine straight wins following a shock loss to Paul Craig, a run that included victories over Nikita Kyrlov, Volkan Oezdemir, Thiago Santos, and Anthony Smith.

  • Dricus Du Plessis To Israel Adesanya: ‘I’m Glad You Took Up Golf, Because That’s A Retirement Sport’

    Dricus Du Plessis To Israel Adesanya: ‘I’m Glad You Took Up Golf, Because That’s A Retirement Sport’

    UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis had some strong words for Israel Adesanya when they went face to face for the first time since confirmation of their upcoming fight.

    In a bout that has been a long time in the making, Du Plessis will put his 185-pound gold on the line against the division’s former two-time champ at UFC 305 on August 17.

    The contest in Perth, Australia, will mark Adesanya’s long-awaited return to action almost a year on from his shock setback at the hands of Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in Sydney last September.

    That matchup came about after number one contender “Stillknocks” was unable to make the turnaround after his victory over Robert Whittaker through injury. While that delayed the settling of Du Plessis and Adesanya’s grudge, the South African’s subsequent title crowning in Toronto, Canada, this past January brought it back to the surface.

    And ahead of their showdown at RAC Arena next month, the pair went face to face in Perth this week for an on-sale press conference, where they were joined on stage by UFC 305 flyweight opponents Kai Kara-France and Steve Erceg.

    Du Plessis Uses Golf Jibe To Outline Plan To ‘Retire’ Adesanya

    As expected, the historical and sensitive nature of Du Plessis and Adesanya’s heated rivalry was a topic of conversation on stage, with the latter again commenting on the South African’s claim regarding African champs.

    After reiterating his defense of that controversy from last year, Du Plessis went in a different direction, using Adesanya’s apparent newfound fondness for golf to predict his impending retirement.

    “I’m glad you took up golf, because that’s a retirement sport,” Du Plessis said.

    During the presser, the pair also engaged in one of the lengthiest and most intense faceoffs in recent memory on stage.

    Suffice to say, there will be plenty more of that when the pair cross paths for promotional events during UFC 305 fight week in August, at the end of which Adesanya will hope to emerge with a third middleweight rule underway.

  • Ian Garry Plans Backup Role For Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad At UFC 304: ‘Dan Ige Stepped In…Anything Can Happen’ 

    Ian Garry Plans Backup Role For Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad At UFC 304: ‘Dan Ige Stepped In…Anything Can Happen’ 

    Before looking ahead to his next official booking, UFC welterweight contender Ian Garry has his sights set on a different kind of assignment in Manchester later this month.

    Garry is just days on from his latest victory inside the Octagon, as the Irishman extended his perfect professional record to 15-0 with an eighth triumph since arriving on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage in 2021.

    The result came at the expense of former Bellator standout Michael “Venom” Page, who was narrowly outpointed by “The Future” in the main card opener of this past weekend’s UFC 303 pay-per-view event.

    In the aftermath, Garry has mentioned names such as former champion Kamaru Usman and the highly regarded Shavkat Rakhmonov as potential next opponents en route to the welterweight gold.

    But the Dubliner is also seemingly planning to make the most of the possibility — however slim — that he could compete with gold on the line in just a few weeks’ time…

    Garry Says He’s Offered To Be Backup Fighter For UFC 304 Main Event

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TPKGBU_R3A

    During a backstage interview with Caroline Pearce for TNT Sports post-fight, Garry reflected on his success inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, assessed his next steps, and looked ahead to his division’s upcoming title joust.

    In one of two championship contests set for the promotion’s return to Manchester, England, for UFC 304 on July 27, Leon Edwards will run it back with Belal Muhammad in defense of his 170-pound belt.

    Garry is keen to weigh in as the backup fighter for the headliner, especially after seeing the number of matchups that fell through on the UFC 303 card and the same-day opportunity that arrived at Dan Ige’s doorstep.

    “I told the UFC two months ago, ‘When I win at UFC 303, I want to be the backup (at UFC 304).’ I want to be there just in case anything happens,” Garry said. “Look at this fight card (UFC 303), look at how many fights fell through. Dan Ige stepped in today! You know what I mean? Anything can happen, and I wanna be there just in case.

    “Whether it’s Leon, whether it’s Belal; whoever it is. I respect both of those guys’ skillset and talent. I’m aware how good they are,” Garry continued. “But I know I can go out there against any man on the planet and get my hand raised. So for me, I’m gonna be there (in Manchester). I’ve offered to UFC, Hunter (Campbell), and Dana (White), I will be the guy to stand in and make sure that there is gonna be a welterweight world title fight if anyone pulls out. So for me, that’s next.”

    It remains to be seen whether or not Garry will indeed appear on the scales a day out from UFC 304.

    But having experienced a tumultuous month of late-notice cancellations, perhaps the promotion will take “The Future” up on his offer to ensure the UK fans inside the newly built Co-op Live have a welterweight title fight guaranteed.

  • Li Jingliang Set For Long-Awaited Return At UFC 305 In Perth On August 17

    Li Jingliang Set For Long-Awaited Return At UFC 305 In Perth On August 17

    “The Leech” is back, with fan-favorite welterweight Li Jingliang set to make the walk for the first time in almost two years at UFC 305.

    Jingliang hasn’t appeared inside the Octagon since falling short in a widely debated split decision opposite Daniel Rodriguez on the shaken-up UFC 279 card back in September 2022.

    The Chinese fighter was scheduled to meet Tony Ferguson, but the changes brought about by Khamzat Chimaev’s weight miss saw him face an opponent who weighed in 10 pounds heavier in “D-Rod.”

    That, along with his personality being more and more on display, saw Jingliang’s fanbase increase. Unfortunately, he’s not been able to capitalize on that with a return to the Octagon after suffering a spine injury.

    Now, as first reported by UFC Weibo and confirmed by Eurosport Nederland’s Marcel Dorff, “The Leech” is finally ready to make his comeback at the upcoming UFC 305 pay-per-view in Perth, Australia, on August 17, where he’s slated to face the charging Carlos Prates.

    Jingliang Out For Bounce-Back Win Against Prates At UFC 305

    When Jingliang and Prates do battle Down Under, the former will be looking to return to winning ways at the expense of the fast-rising Brazilian.

    Jingliang (19-8) has exchanged victories and losses since moving to a three-fight win streak in 2019. While he fell to defeats at the hands of Khamzat Chimaev and Rodriguez, he sandwiched brutal knockouts of Santiago Ponzinibbio and Muslim Salikhov between them.

    If he’s to continue that trend of bouncing back, the Chinese 36-year-old must blemish the UFC record of Prates (19-6). After an emphatic performance on Dana White’s Contender Series to earn a spot on the roster, “The Nightmare” has enhanced his stock with consecutive first-round knockouts of Trevin Giles and Charles Radtke to announce his arrival.

    With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at UFC 305 in Perth on August 17 are as follows:

    • Dricus Du Plessis (C) vs. Israel Adesanya (middleweight championship main event)
    • Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg (flyweight)
    • Tai Tuivasa vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (heavyweight)
    • Joshua Culibao vs. Ricardo Ramos (featherweight)
    • Li Jingliang vs. Carlos Prates (welterweight)
    • Casey O’Neill vs. Tereza Bledá (women’s flyweight)
    • Jacob Malkoun vs. Gerald Meerschaert (middleweight)
    • Junior Tafa vs. Valter Walker (heavyweight)
    • Jack Jenkins vs. Gavin Tucker (featherweight)
    • Tom Nolan vs. Alex Reyes (lightweight)
    Image: DWCS/Zuffa LLC
  • Nate Diaz Recalls Negotiations With UFC For First Conor McGregor Fight: ‘I Might Not Be Educated, But I’m Not Stupid…’

    Nate Diaz Recalls Negotiations With UFC For First Conor McGregor Fight: ‘I Might Not Be Educated, But I’m Not Stupid…’

    Nate Diaz recently looked back on how his first fight with Conor McGregor came together, and the discussions he had to ensure he was adequately compensated for the short-notice assignment.

    Diaz has long been a fan favorite in the sport of mixed martial arts, but his star well and truly grew to astronomical levels when he shared the Octagon with McGregor in Las Vegas at UFC 196 eight years ago.

    Diaz answered the call on just 11 days’ notice, replacing the injured Rafael dos Anjos to face the then-featherweight titleholder in a welterweight bout.

    Against the odds, the Stockton native handed McGregor his first professional defeat since 2010 and first setback on MMA’s biggest stage, countering the Dubliner’s tired takedown attempt in round two with some brutal ground-and-pound, which set up the shocking rear-naked choke submission finish.

    As well as the victory, a Fight of the Night bonus, and a Performance of the Night bonus, Diaz exited T-Mobile Arena with his heftiest pay check to date. But the figure on it was apparently a far cry from what the UFC first proposed…

    Diaz Says UFC Tried Offering ‘Pennies’ For McGregor 1

    During a recent interview with UFC legend and current ONE Championship titleholder Demetrious Johnson, Diaz looked back on his first showdown with McGregor and discussed the short-notice bout coming together.

    When discussing the financial implications that many expect to come with fighting McGregor, Diaz confirmed that UFC 196 marked his highest pay up to that point in his career.

    But that was seemingly something he had to work for behind closed doors, outlining the offer originally slid across his desk by the UFC compared to what he ultimately managed to secure.

    “At the time, it was (the biggest pay check I’d received). But they were trying to give me pennies for that too,” Diaz said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, right. I know what I’m doing here. I’ve been through it.’ I’d already been into it with the organization about that. So they called me and they were like, ‘Hey, while you’re going to do this, we’re going to give you a million dollars.’ I was like, ‘Hey, you’re gonna give me more than that.’

    “So I got like five times more than that because of that. I knew the game by then and I was like, ‘F*ck that,’” Diaz continued. “Remember when I was telling you about how if I fight every two months, I could be rich. That basic math attitude kind of f*cking times 10, times 100, over and over again. So I knew what it was with the whole money in the business and sh*t. I might not be educated but I’m not stupid.”

    Both men have had some major paydays since. For Diaz, that’s currently in the realm of boxing.

    After fighting out his contract with the UFC in a submission win over Tony Ferguson, the Stockton star went on to share the ring with YouTuber-turned-pugilist Jake Paul last August.

    Having kept his stock high in defeat against “The Problem Child,” Diaz is next set to revisit his rivalry with Jorge Masvidal, which was forged inside the Octagon at UFC 244 back in 2019.

    Although his current focus is on boxing and his match with “Gamebred” this weekend, Diaz has been firm in insisting that the final chapter in his storied feud with McGregor is not yet written.

    With their series sat level at one win apiece, a trilogy could be in store down the line.

  • Michel Pereira Reveals UFC Return At The Sphere On September 14

    The lineup for what is expected to be a blockbuster UFC pay-per-view at Las Vegas’ Sphere is expected to come together soon, and it appears one of the first names added to the card is the electrifying Michel Pereira.

    The event — originally titled UFC 306 but now set as “Riyadh Season Noche UFC” — will be the promotion’s second celebration of Mexican Independence Day. While the first at T-Mobile Arena was a successful occasion last September, the mixed martial arts leader is looking to go above and beyond this time around.

    On September 14, live sporting action will go down inside the Sphere for the very first time. Ever since confirming the venue for the second instalment of Noche UFC, Dana White has promised fireworks in an unforgettable night.

    And when it comes to that level of excitement, you could do worse than having Michel Pereira making the walk…

    Pereira & ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez Set For Sphere Showcase

    The promotion has been tight-lipped thus far when it comes to which athletes will make the walk inside the Sphere, but Pereira appears to have let slip his inclusion.

    In a post on Instagram, the #13-ranked middleweight uploaded an image of his in-game character on UFC 5 facing off with the man directly below him on the 185-pound ladder, Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez.

    In the caption, “Demolidor” revealed that he’s set to share the Octagon with the fan favorite on September 14.

    “HERE WE GOOOO !! September 14th the Sphere Las Vegas will be LIT,” Pereira wrote, translated from Portuguese. “And Carrapato Hernandez is going to meet the Revestrés and Smoke Mix!! Michel Pereira x Anthony Hernandez!! HERE WE GO!!

    Pereira (31-11, 2 NC) was most recently in action on home soil at UFC 301, where he thrilled the Rio de Janeiro crowd with a 54-second finish of Ihor Potieria. The result marked the Brazilian’s third straight win since returning to middleweight, with all three equalling just 3 minutes and one second of Octagon time.

    Hernandez (12-2, 1 NC), meanwhile, has risen into the top 15 courtesy of five consecutive wins since a loss to Kevin Holland in 2020. That run started with a memorable submission of Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Rodolfo Vieira and most recently saw “Fluffy” force a tap from Roman Kopylov at UFC 298 in Anaheim this past February.

  • UFC 305 On-Sale Press Conference Highlights: Dricus Du Plessis & Israel Adesanya Have Tense Faceoff In Perth

    UFC 305 On-Sale Press Conference Highlights: Dricus Du Plessis & Israel Adesanya Have Tense Faceoff In Perth

    The top fighters confirmed to be in action at UFC 305 on August 17 took to the stage for an on-sale press conference in the event’s host city this week.

    Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion will return to Perth next month for the first time since last February. On that occasion, the RAC Arena played host to local favorite Alexander Volkanovski’s competitive lightweight title challenge against Islam Makhachev.

    This time around, the venue will mark the location for the long-awaited comeback of another standout from the Oceanic region, former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.

    Having not competed since his second reign came to a sudden end at the hands of Sean Strickland in Sydney last September, “The Last Stylebender” will look to return to the throne at the expense of rival Dricus Du Plessis, who unseated Strickland at UFC 297 in Toronto this past January.

    Also on the lineup is a teammate of Adesanya’s in Kai Kara-France. With concussion issues keeping him out of a fight close to home 10 months ago and leaving him without Octagon action since a narrow loss to Amir Albazi last May, “Don’t Blink” will look to reinsert his name into the title conversation at flyweight.

    He likely won’t have the backing of the crowd on August 17, however, as he goes up against Perth’s own Steve Erceg. The contest will mark “Astroboy’s” first since falling short of Alexandre Pantoja’s 125-pound gold at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro a couple of months ago.

    With Fight Club Pre-Sale starting on Tuesday, the promotion hosted a press conference in Perth, where Du Plessis, Adesanya, Kara-France, and Erceg all had mics in hand.

    See below for a full replay of the presser, followed by all the highlights and one of the longest, most intense faceoffs in recent memory between the two UFC 305 headliners.

    UFC 305 Press Conference Replay

    UFC 305 Press Conference Highlights

    UFC 305 Press Conference Faceoff

  • ’10-7 Diego Lopes’ – Fans React After Lopes & Movsar Evloev Trade Barbs Over UFC 303 Fight On X

    ’10-7 Diego Lopes’ – Fans React After Lopes & Movsar Evloev Trade Barbs Over UFC 303 Fight On X

    UFC featherweight contenders Diego Lopes and Movsar Evloev recently exchanged heated words on X, much to the MMA community’s amusement, adding fuel to the already unclear matchmaking situation in the division.

    Lopes navigated a tumultuous lead-up to his short-notice fight at UFC 303 last Saturday. Despite the chaos, the highly regarded featherweight contender extended his winning streak, triumphing over Dan Ige, who accepted the bout just a few hours before the showdown.

    With Brian Ortega unable to compete, Lopes chose to remain on the card and face Ige, who resides near the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and heroically stepped up when the UFC needed him most.

    Lopes had his fair share of success with both striking and grappling throughout the first two rounds of their fight. However, Ige mounted a fierce comeback in the final round, pushing the Brazilian to his limits. Despite this, Lopes secured the victory, with all three judges unanimously scoring the bout 29-28 in his favor.

    Following Lopes’ triumph, Evloev took to X to propose a rematch against his former opponent at Noche UFC (UFC 306), slated for September 14 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. The undefeated Russian’s challenge came out of apparent frustration with Aljamain Sterling’s reluctance to schedule a fight.

    “Hey, @Diegolopesmma, I wanna give you a rematch at the Sphere because @funkmasterMMA is running for his life, and this time, I’m gonna finish you.”

    Lopes swiftly fired back at Evloev, accusing him of ignoring his previous callout for a rematch.

    “Have you finally realized that the way the UFC pays attention to you is by mentioning my name? Or are you afraid that tomorrow morning I’ll be in your place in the rankings? It took you 3 months to get back to me. Sit back and watch the big guys do the work.”

    Lopes’ Apparent Rejection of Evloev’s Offer Sparks Fan Reactions

    https://twitter.com/ajtafoya92/status/1808165527849738696
    https://twitter.com/AlexJ_Daugherty/status/1808085268060151904
    https://twitter.com/CovertBetsMMA/status/1808117727673929904

    The two fighters first clashed at UFC 288 in May 2023, where Lopes made his promotional debut on less than a week’s notice. Although he was a fresh face up against a top-ranked opponent, Lopes delivered an impressive performance, narrowly losing a decision in a bout that earned Fight of the Night honors.

    Following their initial bout, Lopes has been nearly unstoppable in the UFC, amassing a four-fight win streak. In contrast, Evloev has only competed once, securing a unanimous decision victory over Arnold Allen in January.

    Only time will tell if this duo gets the chance to settle their score. However, Lopes has already laid down the gauntlet, expressing his desire to either fight with Ortega or challenge former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski at the UFC’s highly anticipated event in September.

  • Daniel Cormier On State Of The UFC LHW Division Now Compared To Five Years Ago: ‘How Long Can Alex Pereira Reign…’

    UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier has underscored the remarkable transformation within the UFC light heavyweight division, emphasizing the stark contrast between its current state and that of just half a decade ago.

    For years, the UFC light heavyweight belt was held by some of the sport’s most iconic figures, such as Jon Jones, Chuck Liddell, and Cormier. However, none of them experienced the rapid ascent within the division like the reigning champion, Alex Pereira.

    “Poatan” successfully defended his title twice in as many months, most recently delivering a stunning second-round head kick knockout against former rival Jiri Prochazka in the main event of UFC 303 last weekend.

    In just 13 professional MMA bouts and nine UFC appearances, Pereira has crafted an extraordinary legacy. He became the ninth fighter in UFC history to hold championships in two divisions. Remarkably, he is the first to capture titles in both the light heavyweight and middleweight divisions within a mere two-year span.

    With years of fighting experience and his own status as a two-division UFC champion, Cormier possesses an intimate understanding of the fighters and the current dynamics of the 205-pound division.

    “DC” observes that the landscape has dramatically shifted in the past five years, especially due to Pereira’s dominance and exceptional striking prowess…

    Cormier Highlights Dramatic Change in Current LHW Fighting Styles

    During a recent episode of ESPN’s Good Guy / Bad Guy with Chael Sonnen, Cormier delved into the current state of the light heavyweight division, with “Poatan” reigning as champion and his challengers on the horizon.

    They discussed Magomed Ankalaev’s recent challenge to Pereira, where the undefeated Dagestani intriguingly promised not to rely on wrestling in their potential title fight.

    “DC” pointed out that five or six years ago, the top fighters in the division primarily had wrestling or grappling backgrounds. In contrast, the present-day contenders are increasingly reliant on striking skills.

    “Look at this weight  class right now, Chael, I see no wrestlers.” Cormier said. “I don’t see any wrestlers all the way to #10. #6 guy in the world is Nikita Krylov.”

    The former Olympian further assessed the prospects of dethroning Pereira, considering the challengers’ fighting styles.

    “If nobody wrestles this guy, Chael, how long can Alex Pereira reign at top of the division? Because it feels if you’re forced to stand with him and strike with him, you really have no chance.”

  • Dan Ige Reveals He Didn’t Even Know Weight Class For Short-Notice UFC 303 Fight: ‘The Only Thing I Read Was Numbers…’

    Dan Ige stepped in on four hours’ notice to fight Diego Lopes in the co-main event of UFC 303. The fight was a fairly entertaining affair, with Lopes securing the first two and Ige bouncing back in the third.

    On June 13, 2024, Ortega vs. Lopes was announced as the co-main event for UFC 303. Just before the weigh-ins, the bout was shifted to lightweight from featherweight.

    Things took another turn as Ortega pulled out due to illness on fight night. This is when Ige agreed to fight Lopes at a catchweight of 165 pounds – only he didn’t even know that that was the weight limit for the fight.

    Dan Ige Reveals How He Happened To Be On Weight To Fight Diego Lopes At UFC 303

    Ige recently appeared on the Michael Bisping YouTube channel and discussed his initial reaction to fighting on four hours’ notice. His first thought was to eat for energy and get hydrated.

    “I was in the kitchen, just grabbing things, like what am I doing? What do I do with my hands? I was just like, I gotta eat, I gotta fuel. I’m like, starting to grab things. I’m like, what do I, what do I need? I start hydrating because I was like, if I’m gonna fight, need to be hydrated.”

    Amidst these worries, “50k” admits to not even checking the weight mentioned on the contract before signing it. He claims to be more intrigued by the paycheck and the opportunity to do something unprecedented.

    “I didn’t even know I had to weigh in Bisping. I didn’t know how this was working. They told me, they’re like, what do you weigh? I was like, I was 164-165 this morning, somewhere along those lines. So, they sent me the contract, it said 165 for the bout agreement, I didn’t read. Only thing I read was numbers because I was like sweet, the money’s in there, we’re good.”

    Ige then revealed he wasn’t expecting to weigh in officially for the fight. However, his concerns regarding missing weight and its impact on his purse were cleared as he stepped on the scale at 164.5 lbs.

    The new UFC 303 co-main event was announced as soon as the short-notice fighter made weight, and the rest is history.

    Read More: Ian Garry Frustrated At Getting Another Decision

  • Jamahal Hill All Praise For ‘Evolved’ Alex Pereira After UFC 303 Performance: ‘Beautiful Adjustments, Bro!’

    Jamahal Hill was sure to have a close eye on the main event of UFC 303 this past weekend when the light heavyweight title was on the line.

    “Sweet Dreams” was unsuccessful in reclaiming the title at UFC 300 after he was stopped by Alex Pereira in the main event.

    Saturday night saw “Poatan” secure another title defense, this time in a rematch with former champion Jiří Procházka where he beat him even more impressively than the first time around.

    Hill broke the fight down in a video on his YouTube channel where despite his hunger to avenge his loss and take back the title, he gave lots of credit to his former opponent.

    Jamahal Hill Says Alex Pereira Looked Better Than Ever At UFC 303

    In his breakdown of the fight, Hill spoke about a few things that he noticed from Pereira that were different to his previous fights inside the UFC.

    Heading into this highly anticipated rematch, a lot was said about how Procházka was winning the first fight against “Poatan” until he was caught by his opponent’s lethal left hook.

    Hill pointed out how Pereira was able to take control of the fight much earlier on this occasion and dominate the contest until it was over, unlike many of his other fights.

    “Great main event, absolutely dominant performance by Alex from start to finish. I believe this is honestly probably the first that I’ve seen where Alex came out and won the fight from start until he got the finish. He didn’t have to come back and, it was still some adversity, Jiří still presented his challenges in it but he adapted and he made good adjustments.”

    Hill also spoke about the technique that Pereira used to set up his left hook that once again spelled the beginning of the end for Procházka.

    Having been on the end of an advancing, lunging left hook from the champion in April, Hill analyzed how his former foe made the adjustment in order to land the strike as a counter whilst moving away from his opponent, different to what he did back at UFC 295.

    “The adjustment that I seen that Alex made from that was the check hook. More so before, you see him in come like he steps in with that hook and he tries to land it leaning in and throwing his power forward. This time we seen him implement it from more of a defensive and a counteractive manner in this particular fighting sequence.

    “The first hook that he landed on Jiří, he hit him and you could see the eyes roll, you could see him get dazed a little bit. From there, he landed another one that kind of wobbled him, that kind of shook the legs a little bit and then he landed the one at the end of the round that put him out, that put him on his back. It’s beautiful adjustments bro, beautiful adjustments. He looked evolved, he looked like he’s taking more steps and getting better as a fighter.”

  • ‘This Guy Is Such A Trash Person’ – MMA Fans Annoyed After Sean Strickland Puts A Beating On Navy Seal In Sparring

    ‘This Guy Is Such A Trash Person’ – MMA Fans Annoyed After Sean Strickland Puts A Beating On Navy Seal In Sparring

    It’s another day in the world of MMA and that means another controversial sparring video from the former UFC middleweight champion, Sean Strickland.

    Strickland is best defined by his lack of any filter and his love of sparring which, in turn, is why he has been so successful at 185 pounds.

    However, despite being one of the best middleweights in the world, he rarely holds safety in the training room as a priority.

    The latest video of Strickland getting some work in sees him fighting a former Navy Seal and the term ‘fighting’ is used incredibly loosely here.

    In a short clip, he appears to wear down his sparring partner early on and from that point on, continues to toy with him and hit him repeatedly, as his opponent stands still against the cage.

    With blood coming from his nose, the trained soldier who clearly has no right being in there with Strickland, repeatedly falls to the floor only for the former middleweight champ to tell him to get back up to his feet again.

    MMA Fans React To Sean Strickland Putting A Beating On A Navy Seal

    MMA fans reacted on social media to the latest video of Strickland beating someone up for seemingly his own enjoyment.

    Of course, the sparring partner would have surely known what he was in for given the reputation of the man that he would be standing across the cage from.

    Strickland posted on social media before the video was published online where he said that despite his dislike of Navy Seals, the guy earned his respect.

    “This guy is such a trash person”

    “Strickland when they fight back”

    “Sean good at dominating non pros lol”

    “It’s almost like they are completely different skill sets.”

    “Other guy was barely fighting back. Why doesn’t Sean do this to professional fighters??”

    “What’s the point of this ?”

    “How did bro do worse than Sneako?”

    “why would anyone actually think they could do this?”

    https://twitter.com/silversteinmma/status/1807976673834320303

    Read also: VIDEO: Israel Adesanya Reacts To Longtime Rival Alex Pereira’s Knockout Of Jiří Procházka At UFC 303

  • Colby Covington Claims Nick Diaz Ducked Him But Will Not ‘Put Down The Diaz Brothers & Talk S**t About Them’

    MMA legend Nick Diaz is set to return to the Octagon on August 3 when he faces Vicente Luque in Abu Dhabi.

    It has been three years since the Stockton original last competed in the UFC and that, in turn, was a comeback from a six-year hiatus.

    Before his fight with Robbie Lawler at UFC 266, Diaz was reportedly offered several opponents before the decision was made to run back his first clash with Lawler.

    Colby Covington revealed in a recent interview with Submission Radio that he was one of the names in contention for a fight with Diaz – which would have surely been chaotic to say the least.

    Colby Covington Says Nick Diaz ‘Ducked’ The Fight But He Has Nothing Bad To Say About Him

    During the interview, Covington spoke about how there were talks of him facing off with Diaz back in 2021, with Madison Square Garden as a potential destination.

    The former three-time UFC welterweight title challenger said that he understands why the UFC hasn’t attempted to revisit this fight after Diaz turned this option down.

    “Unfortunately, he hasn’t been offered to me in about three years. The last time Hunter had called me with Nick Diaz’s name across my desk was when they offered me to him in Madison Square Garden about three years ago so, he turned down the fight, he didn’t want the fight so I think the UFC just knows that they can’t match that up.

    “I mean, that’s the biggest mismatch in UFC history to give me a guy like Nick Diaz so it wouldn’t be doing the company any justice to put some guy that’s over the hill and past his prime versus the guy that’s in his prime and the best welterweight on earth right now, Colby Covington.

    Covington also said that despite this and some comments that the Diaz brothers have made over the years, he has no hard feelings towards them after this fight didn’t come together.

    He said that he even shared a moment with the elder Diaz following one of his fights where the leader of the “Nick Diaz Army” was very complimentary of his skills and career.

    Covington states that despite Diaz being “scared” to fight him, he has nothing negative to say about one of MMA’s most iconic siblings.

    “He knew at that time that I was the best welterweight on earth. He came up to me one time when I fought, after UFC Sacramento, and he’s like, ‘Yeah you’re the future of this division’ and showed me a lot of respect so I’m not going to put down the Diaz brothers and talk s*** about them.

    “They’ve said some things about me but they’ve done great things in this sport and I’m not going to sit down and say anything bad about them but he did dodge the fight. He was scared to fight me and that’s facts, that’s truth.”

    Read also: Colby Covington Reacts To Ian Garry’s Latest Victory At UFC 303: ‘Anybody Could Be 15-0 Fighting 15 Bums’