As crazy as it might sound, being a professional cage fighter may not be the most challenging thing in the life of Zhalgas Zhumagulov.
Zhumagulov is a Kazakh flyweight who has gone 1-3 in his UFC run thus far, hampering the hype that was surrounding the former Fight Nights Global champion. His most recent fight saw him suffer a TKO at the hands of Manel Kape over the weekend, who is also a highly touted prospect at 125lb.
However, it was his personal life that was the subject of conversation recently when he was speaking on the “Let Me Interrupt You” YouTube channel. Here, the 33-year old explained that, in addition to having 6 children, he is also married to two different women at the same time, a practice that he says is normal in part of the world.
“Yes, I have two wives—two wives and six children,” Zhumagulov said (h/t Low Kick MMA). “In principle, it’s normal. At first, there were challenges but now everything is fine.”
As far as how he divides up his time within his polyamorous relationship, Zhumagulov says that he goes back and forth between the two wives, spending one day with each before going to the next one. This helps to keep everyone happy and maintain his relationships with the pair of women.
”Well, where did I leave from? If I left, for example, from my second wife, I go to the first. If I left the first, I go to the second. A day here, a day there,” Zhumagulov said.
While this is commonplace in the region of the world that Zhalgas Zhumagulov hails from, polygamous relationships are only starting to grow in popularity in the Western world. Perhaps his example will open the eyes to others about the benefits of this type of lifestyle.
UFC bantamweight contender Julianna Peña is planning to use the failures of Amanda Nunes’ past opponents to her advantage at UFC 269.
Peña will meet Nunes for the bantamweight title in the UFC 269 co-main event on Dec. 11. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime for Peña, who has long called for a title shot against Nunes.
Peña presents one of the few remaining new challenges to Nunes, who has virtually cleared out both the bantamweight and featherweight title pictures.
During a recent interview with ESPN, Peña explained how she’s preparing for Nunes by analyzing the mistakes of previous title challengers.
“I think in the beginning, when Amanda started her title reign, I don’t think everyone was taking her quite as serious as maybe they should have,” Peña said. “They didn’t realize at what strength and at what power she was coming. And I think that kind of had a role in it as well as the whole Ronda Rousey-type of thing where you’re already defeated before you get in there with her and you lose in 30 seconds. So I think a combination of those two things is what has made her very successful.”
“Either they’re already mentally defeated before or they weren’t taking her strength quite as serious when they had to face her,” Pena continued. “They didn’t take the intensity quite as serious.”
Julianna Peña Finally Gets Her Shot Against Amanda Nunes
Peña signed with the UFC after defeating Jessica Rakoczy for The Ultimate Fighter: Season 18 championship. She went on a three-fight winning streak which included dominant performances over former UFC title challengers such as Jessica Eye and Cat Zingano.
Peña rebounded from a tough loss to Germaine de Randamie at UFC Fight Island 4 with a submission finish over Sara McMann at UFC 257. Ever since her win over McMann, Pena has been pleading for a shot at Nunes’ title and has gone on quite the tirade of media attacks against the 135-pound champion.
Peña has previously accused Nunes of running from her and avoiding a fight against her to defend her bantamweight title. After all the talk, she’ll finally get her chance to potentially pull off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history at UFC 269.
UFC flyweight contender Kai Kara-France is confident he can upset the odds when he welcomes former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt to 125 pounds at UFC 269.
On December 11, Kara-France will be looking to secure back-to-back wins for the first time since 2019. After building a five-fight winning streak, the New Zealander was signed by the UFC in 2018. Following a perfect 3-0 start to his career on MMA’s biggest stage, which included victories over Elias Garcia, Raulian Paiva, and Mark De La Rose, “Don’t Blink” fell to his first loss at the hands of current champion Brandon Moreno.
What followed was a period of inconsistency. Having rebounded against Tyson Nam in front of a home crowd at UFC Fight Night: Felder vs. Hooker, Kara-France was submitted by Brandon Royval last September. However, the 28-year-old burst back into contention with a memorable knockout against Rogério Bontorin at UFC 259 in March this year.
Kara-France Looks To Spoil Garbrandt’s Flyweight Debut
Garbrandt was considered one of the top men on the roster in 2016. After going 10-0 with nine knockouts, “No Love” faced Dominick Cruz, widely renowned as one of the best bantamweights of all time, for gold at UFC 207. With a five-round masterclass, Garbrandt secured his place on the division’s mountaintop.
Since then, the powerhouse has gone 1-4. Aside from a sole KO against Raphael Assunção, Garbrandt has fallen to losses against TJ Dillashaw, Pedro Munhoz, and Rob Font. He’ll now look to reinvent his career with a move down to 125 pounds.
During an interview with It’s Time For Sports, Kara-France discussed what it’s like preparing to face a name as big as Garbrandt’s. The New Zealander claimed a top opponent has been long overdue.
“It’s cool when the guys that, you know, I took their style and tried to put it into my fight game and now I’ll be standing across the cage from them and getting ready to throw down… I just can’t wait to get in there. I wanna test myself against the best. I’ve been asking the UFC for a high-profile fight, so, they finally gave it to me.”
Kara-France also analysed the matchup. While he described the fight as a fan-favorite stylistic clash, “Don’t Blink” suggested Garbrandt won’t have the speed advantage he’s used to when he faces flyweights. Despite being the underdog heading into his ninth walk to the Octagon, Kara-France offered a warning to bettors looking to back “No Love.”
“I guess if you know, you’re a fight fan, and you watch the UFC, you’ll know this is a great matchup. Just momentum and timing’s everything. A few years ago, Cody was the face of the UFC. He had everything, had the belt, and he was undefeated. He was part of that elite division where they were undefeated all the way until they got a title. But he never really evolved with his style. He just came forward, always swung; that’s like, his default. Whenever he gets hurt or gets clipped, he’ll resort back to swinging, which hasn’t worked out the best for him.
Image Credit: Noah K. Murray of USA TODAY Sports
“It’s one of these fights where I don’t need to worry about getting taken down. I know he’s too stubborn to do that. He’ll rather just go out on his shield than play it safe… Stylistically, we’re a great matchup. I come forward, I like to swing and kickbox. I’ve got great cardio. He’s always had the speed advantage at bantamweight, but now coming down to flyweight, he won’t have that speed advantage because we’re all fast… People, if they’re underestimating me, don’t put money on Cody, because you’re gonna lose it.”
Both men will be looking to make their case for a title shot with an impressive performance at UFC 269. In the opening pay-per-view of 2022, Moreno is set to defend his belt in a trilogy bout against Deiveson Figueiredo. While the injured Askar Askarov certainly looks to be at the front of the queue to face the victor, a convincing win for Garbrandt or Kara-France on December 11 could be enough for them to leapfrog the undefeated Russian.
Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC 269, Kai Kara-France or Cody Garbrandt?
Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Blachowicz has expressed his desire to be the man who dethrones reigning titleholder Glover Teixeira.
Blachowicz was one of the most unlikely champions in UFC history. In 2017, a defeat to Patrick Cummins left him 1-4 across a five-fight period. Just as many expected him to be released, the Pole began a remarkable turnaround. In his next 10 appearances, Blachowicz won nine, defeating the likes of Jared Cannonier, Jimi Manuwa, Nikita Krylov, Luke Rockhold, Corey Anderson, and Jacaré Souza.
While many expected veteran Teixeira to be a brief stop-off on the way to a European showdown with the rising Jiří Procházka, that couldn’t have been further from the reality. At UFC 267, the Brazilian became the second oldest UFC champion in history by submitting Blachowicz in the second round.
Having left Abu Dhabi slightly lighter with the absence of the light heavyweight gold, Blachowicz’s attention has now turned to redemption. The Cieszyn native will look to rebound in the coming months, something he’s been used to doing across his seven-year career on MMA’s biggest stage.
“I don’t know if Glover (is) gonna be in the same shape like (when he faced) me. Maybe him. I will keep fingers crossed for him because I would like to take the belt from his hands, you know? And I hope he still will be, you know, he not going to be retired when I get the second chance for the title. I would like to take the belt from him.”
UFC bantamweight Marlon “Chito” Vera has called out top-five contender José Aldo for a five-round rematch following the Brazilian’s victory over Rob Font this past weekend.
The pair first collided on a stacked UFC Vegas 17 card last December. At the time, Aldo was on a three-fight losing skid, having fallen to defeats against Alexander Volkanovski, Marlon Moraes, and Petr Yan. Vera, meanwhile, was riding high after becoming the first man to beat Sean O’Malley four months prior.
Across a competitive three rounds, Aldo had the edge and secured a unanimous decision victory. While he marked his first win at bantamweight, Vera fell short of breaking into contention.
Since their clash, both men have been in exceptional form. After avenging his previous loss to England’s Davey Grant in a Fight of the Night contest earlier this year, Vera faced former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 268 last month. Inside Madison Square Garden, “Chito” recorded a memorable highlight-reel knockout courtesy of a front kick.
For Aldo, two wins in 2021 against top contenders have seen him once again enter the title scene. First was a co-main event triumph over his compatriot Pedro Munhoz at UFC 265 in August. The former featherweight titleholder then extended his streak to three on Saturday with a commanding main event performance against Font, who many had tipped to fight for the title in 2022.
Vera Shoots His Shot
Despite their places in the rankings, which sees Vera narrowly outside the top 10 and Aldo firmly inside the top five, the Ecuadorian wants a second chapter with “Junior.”
Taking to Twitter in the aftermath of Aldo’s latest success, “Chito” challenged the Brazilian to a five-round headliner. As far as ambitious callouts go, this is certainly up there…
Let’s do it again @josealdojunior be a man and take a 5 rounder with me
“Let’s do it again @josealdojunior be a man and take a 5 rounder with me.”
The chance of the rematch happening is slim, at least for now. Aldo firmly has his sights set on reaching the top of the food chain again, something a victory over Vera would not help to achieve.
Georges St-Pierre has given his thoughts on the landscape of the UFC welterweight division.
The state of the UFC welterweight division is far from black and white at the moment. A few different scenarios have been going around lately and with a few fighters injured things could be up in the air for a while longer. One man who ruled the top of the division some time ago has his thoughts on how things should play out, that man is Georges St-Pierre.
St-Pierre is currently retired and has a unique view of the division from the outside. He feels that number one contender Leon Edwards should be next for the title shot. he explained his reasoning behind these thoughts in an interview with BT Sports.
“He deserves the shot. It’s unfortunate for him [that he hasn’t had it yet]. I think it’s because of the way that the Nate Diaz fight ended,” St-Pierre said. “But it happens to everybody, sometimes you get clipped. You don’t see a punch coming, you zig when you should have zagged. He did the perfect fight until that moment.”
Champion Kamaru Usman recently defeated Colby Covington, and will need some time off with family and to heal up. In the meantime, Edwards was scheduled to face Jorge Masvidal, but that fight fell through when Masvidal suffered an injury. This leaves Edwards in a tough place. He could very well wait until Usman is ready and then get that title shot, or he could fight someone else and possibly lose out.
“He deserves a shot, you know. You’re in the fight business, at one point you’re going to take a shot and you might get rocked. He showed incredible heart and I think he is ready for a title shot,” St-Pierre said. “But the UFC runs a business, they make money. Of course, there’s a story with Leon and [Jorge] Masvidal and as a fan, I’m curious to see what was going to happen between them as well.”
Michelle Waterson and Amanda Ribas will finally be sharing the Octagon with one another.
Waterson and Ribas were booked to fight one another at UFC 257 in January on Fight Island but “The Karate Hottie” was forced out of the bout. Since then, Ribas has called her out a few times and now according to MMAFighting, they will fight one another on a Fight Night card on March 26. The location of the event has not been announced.
Michelle Waterson (18-9) is coming off a decision loss to Marina Rodriguez back in May, which served as the main event of the card. Prior to that, she earned a split decision win over Angela Hill which was also the main event. The victory snapped her two-fight losing skid after dropping a split decision to Carla Esparza and a five-round main event decision loss to Joanna Jędrzejczyk.
Waterson is currently ranked ninth at strawweight and does hold notable wins over Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Paige VanZant, Jessica Penne, and Cortney Casey among others.
Amanda Ribas (11-2) returned to the win column back at UFC 267 as she earned a hard-fought decision win over Virna Jandiroba. In the fight prior, she was knocked out by Marina Rodriguez, who took the fight on short notice after Waterson was forced out of the scrap. The Brazilian is ranked 10th and started her UFC career out 4-0 with wins over Mackenzie Dern, Paige VanZant, Randa Markos, and Emily Whitmire.
Currently, only two fights are official on the March 26 card which sees Jan Blachowicz take on Aleksandar Rakic in the main event at light heavyweight. Sara McMann will also battle Karol Rosa.
Who do you think will win, Michelle Waterson or Amanda Ribas?
Dan Hooker has spoken about the prospect of moving down to a featherweight division currently ruled by teammate Alexander Volkanovski.
Hooker, who began his UFC career at 145 pounds, has seen the initial success he achieved after moving up to lightweight stall. Having followed a 3-3 featherweight stint with a 7-1 start at 155 pounds, which saw “The Hangman” add the names of Gilbert Burns, Al Iaquinta, Paul Felder, and James Vick to his résumé, Hooker’s pursuit for gold hit a roadblock at the top five.
Hooker Not Fazed By Joining Division Ruled By Teammate
The UFC featherweight throne is currently occupied by Volkanovski, a City Kickboxing teammate of Hooker. “The Great” successfully ascended the weight classes’ mountaintop with a victory over Max Holloway in 2019, a feat he repeated in his first title defense seven months later.
Having now brushed aside the challenge of Brian Ortega, Volkanovski, who is riding a 20-fight winning streak, has staked his claim as one of the most dominant active champions in the promotion.
In a recent interview with It’s Time For Sports, Hooker was asked about the possibility of meeting his friend and teammate inside the Octagon if he commits to a featherweight switch. After stating they’d “cross that bridge” when they arrive at it, “The Hangman” suggested having multiple members of the team high up in a division is not a bad scenario.
“It’s like, cross that bridge when it comes to it. That is the same as like, Brad (Riddell) in my division at lightweight. It’s never a bad position to be in. To have your training partners or your group of friends so good at fighting that you might, potentially, have to fight each other to be the best fighter in the world. That’s not the worst situation. But it’s like, I want Volk to win as well and I see him being super successful as well.”
With the ever-changing scope of each division, Hooker also mentioned that his path may never cross with that of Volkanovski, who he predicts will go onto big things in the next few years.
“The landscape of something can change so quickly in this sport. Over the next year you could see Volk doing some incredible things. You could see Volk moving up to lightweight and being a double champ, and then, you know, fighting Conor McGregor and walking away with $20 million or something crazy. That’s what I see for Volk. You can’t beat me. I want him to win as well, I want Brad to win as well, I want my teammates to be successful as well. It’s not like I want to be successful at their expense. I want to be successful but I want to see them do some incredible things as well.”
Before reaching the stage where he enters contention, Hooker will first have to establish himself at 145 pounds and record some wins. In what would be a pretty tough first assignment, “The Hangman” recently revealed a clash with “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung would be at the top of his list of desired fights.
Whoever he ends up facing, there are certainly some exciting matchups for Hooker, with the likes of Calvin Kattar, Giga Chikadze, and Shane Burgos all awaiting him at featherweight.
Would you like to see teammates Dan Hooker and Alexander Volkanovski collide at featherweight?
UFC women’s bantamweight contender Julianna Peña believes people are unfairly writing her off ahead of her title fight with Amanda Nunes at UFC 269 this weekend.
After COVID-19 saw her initial championship challenge postponed, Peña will finally fight for UFC gold for the first time in Las Vegas this Saturday. “The Venezuelan Vixen” will enter the pay-per-view co-main event having gone 2-2 in her last four outings.
Defeats to Valentina Shevchenko and Germaine de Randamie were split with a decision victory over inaugural flyweight champ Nicco Montaño. A third-round submission win against Sara McMann at UFC 257 in January was enough to secure Peña a date with the “Lioness.”
Prior to her loss against the current 125-pound queen, Peña defeated the likes of Jessica Eye and Cat Zingano on her way to a perfect 4-0 start on MMA’s biggest stage. The Ultimate Fighter 18 winner will be looking to add the name of Nunes to an already impressive résumé on December 11.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXIJPMiuOdu/
A victory will certainly be no easy task. Nunes is the consensus Female GOAT and holds both the bantamweight and featherweight titles. Since a 2014 defeat to Zingano, the Brazilian has won 12 straight contests, defended her titles seven times, and beaten names like Shevchenko, Miesha Tate, Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg, Holly Holm, and Raquel Pennington.
With that in mind, it’s unsurprising not many are giving Peña a chance at having her hand raised at UFC 269. But in an interview with TMZ Sports, the number one contender suggested fans and pundits are wrongly “sleeping” on her, and admitted she’s relishing the underdog status.
“I feel like a lot of people are sleeping on me, and they think that I’m a sacrificial lamb. But I definitely think that, you know, I know I’m definitely not a sacrificial lamb, and everybody loves an underdog. So, I’m just ready to get out there and bring something better to the table.”
While many expect another easy ride for Nunes, former two-division title challenger Chael Sonnen shared a similar view as Peña. Although he didn’t predict an upset victory, he did suggest the 32-year-old is a lot more likely to do it than any of the champ’s previous challengers.
Peña Has ‘Never Felt More Prepared’
Image Credit: Esther Lin of MMAFighting.com
In her last two defenses, Nunes successfully retained her 145-pound gold with triumphs over Felicia Spencer and Megan Anderson, the latter of which came via a destructive first-round armbar at UFC 259 in March.
It’s no secret that to have any hope of dethroning Nunes, Peña will have to be at the top of her game and hope that the two-division titleholder isn’t at the top of hers. According to the Washington native, she’s done everything she can ahead of the final pay-per-view of the year.
“I am ready. I am in the zone. I have never felt more physically or mentally prepared in my life and it’s my time. It just feels so great to know that I have literally left no stone unturned. I’m ready to go. I’m in the zone… I am more ready than I’ve ever been in my life.”
Whether her preparation will be enough remains to be seen, but Peña certainly has an aura of confidence that not many have seemed to have prior to facing Nunes. That could, of course, be shut down with another dominant performance from the Brazilian, but anything can happen in MMA…
Do you think Julianna Peña has what it takes to dethrone Amanda Nunes?
UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier is looking to test Justin Gaethje’s theory on champion Charles Oliveira’s resolve when he meets the Brazilian at UFC 269.
Oliveira had UFC gold wrapped around his waist for the first time at UFC 262 in May this year. After the great Khabib Nurmagomedov vacated the title, “Do Bronx” faced relative promotional newcomer Michael Chandler for the belt in a memorable main event clash.
Despite looking moments away from defeat in the opening round, Oliveira survived and mounted a remarkable second-frame comeback, emerging victorious via TKO. The result saw Oliveira reach the UFC mountaintop after 26 fights in the promotion. His championship crowning was added to a host of accolades, including the records for most submission wins, most finishes, and highest finishes-per-win percentage in UFC history.
Following his victory over Chandler, one of Oliveira’s lightweight peers wasn’t impressed. Former interim champ Justin Gaethje claimed that even in defeat, “Iron” showed that Oliveira is a “quitter.” That’s despite the fact the Brazilian overcame early adversity to finish Chandler. According to “The Highlight,” Poirier will make the champ quit this Saturday.
“I would love for the fight to reach that point to where we’ll find out (if Oliveira can dig deep) in front of the world. That’s a goal of mine; to get this fight into deep waters and see who really wants it more, who is willing to bleed more, and leave it all out there. Because I know I will. No question about it.
“But going to what Justin said, dude, I’ve said this. I’m saying the same shit over and over again every interview. It feels corny but when a fighter goes out there, our last fight is the most important. He (Oliveira) got hurt, came back second round and showed his championship grit and finished Michael Chandler; a guy that just took Justin to hell. So, if that says anything, you’re as good as your last fight. He’s a world champion.”
Perhaps Gaethje will have his own chance to test Oliveira’s toughness if the reigning champ successfully defends his gold against Poirier. After his victory over Chandler at UFC 268, it stands to reason “The Highlight” will challenge the UFC 269 victor in the first half of 2022.
What do you make of Charles Oliveira’s resolve and toughness?
UFC interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane isn’t worried about Francis Ngannou’s game-changing power ahead of their unification bout.
Gane earned the interim heavyweight title over Derrick Lewis earlier this year at UFC 265, in a dominant performance that led to a TKO finish. He is undefeated in his still relatively young MMA career.
Ngannou earned the heavyweight belt over Stipe Miocic by a vicious knockout at UFC 260. While Gane knows the challenges that Ngannou presents, he isn’t scared about getting hit with a big strike on the feet.
“I think Francis did a lot these last years, and he proved he improved and he’s more intelligent,” Gane said in an interview with BT Sport. “And that’s great. He’s well-rounded now. And I think it’s gonna be more like that. Because he (knows) I can manage the power. I think he knows I can manage the power.”
Ciryl Gane And Francis Ngannou Trained Together At MMA Factory
Gane and Ngannou trained together briefly at MMA Factory in France before Ngannou had an alleged falling out with management and moved stateside. Ngannou now trains at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, NV where he most recently trained with Glory kickboxing champ Rico Verhoeven.
Gane has picked up plenty of eye-opening wins since signing with the UFC in 2019. After winning his UFC debut over Raphael Pessoa, he’s earned wins over the likes of top contenders Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Junior dos Santos and Alexander Volkov.
Gane’s kickboxing, in particular, has impressed, as he showcased in his finish over Lewis for the interim title.
Gane vs. Ngannou is expected to be a back-and-forth war at UFC 270 and could be a perfect way for the UFC to kick-off 2022. While there appears to be some mutual respect between the two heavyweights, former teammates will become sworn enemies inside the Octagon.
What is your prediction for Ciryl Gane vs. Francis Ngannou?
In this week’s installment of The Twitter Adventures of Conor McGregor, The Notorious One takes on an award-winning filmmaker in a debate about Khabib Nurmagomedov’s legacy.
On October 24, 2020, Khabib Nurmagomedov called it a career after advancing his flawless record to 29-0 with a submission victory over Justin Gaethje. Instantly, debates began on where “The Eagle” perched among the greatest fighters to ever do it.
Khabib Nurmagomedov Moments After Winning Final Fight
Sunday, award-winning filmmaker Will Harris recalled a moment when Khabib’s cousin, Umar Nurmagomedov, praised the former lightweight champion as the “greatest” during filming of the Anatomy of a Fighter series. According to Harris, Khabib requested that Umar’s remark be omitted from the film. This, says Harris, just goes to show how humble Khabib is at heart.
However, going back to that October night, one of the millions of people to hear Khabib’s retirement announcement was his old nemesis, Conor McGregor.
McGregor was quick to point out what he believed to be a contradiction to Harris’ implication of Khabib’s humility. Because Khabib did not want such recognition, McGregor argued, then why did he request to be ranked #1 on the pound-for-pound list?
You can view the opening exchanges of the debate in the screenshot below.
At the end of that exchange, McGregor didn’t stop at questioning Khabib’s humility but also questioned his legacy altogether. He would then brand the Dagestani a “fool” by alluding back to comments made earlier this year about Aldo no longer being in his prime or able to fight against elite competition.
Below, the debate continues with McGregor listing his supporting points for why Khabib is merely a “good,” not great fighter. Harris then attempts to hold a mirror to McGregor about his own perceived struggles with weight after the Irishman criticized Khabib’s past scale struggles.
In this third and final round, McGregor disputes Harris’ claim that he struggled on the scales himself by pointing out that he never missed weight. He also argued that his transition up a weight class went flawlessly.
Overall, the debate was cordial, especially by Twitter standards, and the two fine gentlemen agreed to disagree on Khabib’s legacy.
Check out the final exchange below:
Conor McGregor is expected to return to competition in early 2022 after suffering a leg injury at UFC 264. His bout against Khabib took place at UFC 229 three years ago, in a contest that saw the Dagestani advance to 27-0 with a submission victory.
Who do you side with in the above debate? Will Harris or Conor McGregor?
The Countdown to UFC 269: Oliveira vs. Poirier has officially begun.
For the last time in 2021, it’s fight week, fight fans! This year’s lineup of pay-per-view fights culminates with the lightweight title bout many believe should have happened back in May to crown the new champion. That fight will now take place Saturday when reigning lightweight champion Charles Oliveira takes on Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier in the UFC 269 main event.
And in the co-main event, the consensus GOAT of women’s mixed martial arts, Amanda Nunes, defends her bantamweight title against Julianna Peña.
The UFC’s countdown video sets the stage for both title fights.
UFC 269: Oliveira vs. Poirier: Countdown
“If this thing gets gritty, if this thing gets bloody, and exhausting, drag ‘em out type of fight–that’s where I’m gonna shine.” – Dustin Poirier
Dustin Poirier has closed out his rivalry with Conor McGregor, at least for the time being, and all that’s left to do now is realize his dream of being the undisputed UFC champion. Dustin Poirier embodies the grind, and in the Countdown video, we are reminded of the dues that have been fully paid to arrive at this opportunity.
“No matter who is on the other side, they will fold and fall.” – Charles Oliveira
Credit: Jason Da Silva-USA TODAY Sports
Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira has proven year after year that he is the definition of “kill or be killed.” In the Countdown video, the UFC chronicles the finishing ability of Oliveira, including the TKO that crowned him as the UFC’s lightweight champion and an immortalized Brazilian hero.
“I’m the one fight that she doesn’t want because she knows that it’s gonna be a long night.” – Julianna Peña
Photo via Instagram @venezuelanvixen
By now, the MMA world should be well aware of how badly Julianna Peña has wanted this fight. In case you forgot, the Countdown video reminds you of that. It also reminds viewers of something that may be lost in all the trash talk: the fact that Peña is a hardened OG of the bantamweight division who can become the first woman to go from Ultimate Fighter to Undisputed Champion.
“I just need one mistake from her. From that moment, I’m gonna capitalize and finish the fight.” – Amanda Nunes
Image Credit: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Amanda Nunes has made one thing clear since her rise to the top of women’s MMA: place anybody in front of her, and the outcome will remain the same. That, of course, would be Nunes having her hand raised. In the Countdown video, Nunes also shares a specific weakness she sees in Peña’s game. Meanwhile, the champ says she is continuing to evolve and get better every single day.
UFC 269 takes place this Saturday, December 11, 2021, from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card for the event also includes appearances by former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt and rising star “Sugar” Sean O’Malley. The entire card is absolutely stacked from top to bottom. You can view the full UFC 269 lineup as well as all the viewing information here.
And without further ado, you can check out the full episode of UFC Countdown: Oliveira vs. Poirier below.
Vlismas alluded to personal challenges, trials, and tribulations leading up to her impressive performance against Martin that took home Fight of the Night. While she wouldn’t get into details regarding some of the issues she went through, she revealed that she tested positive for COVID just weeks before the fight.
Remarkably, Vlismas was able to garner the strength needed to compete as she earned a unanimous decision win on another big stage. She most recently defeated Gloria de Paula in her UFC debut earlier this year.
“I was a COVID patient just two weeks ago,” Vlismas said. “My best friends, my parents didn’t want me to fight. I was throwing up, and I didn’t know if I was going to heal. But I believed in my skills, my team and went on there and executed. My parents thought I was nuts to go out and compete. I couldn’t even breathe at one point, but I told myself that I could do it.”
Cheyanne Vlismas Adds Another Elite Striker At Strawweight
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
The fact that Vlismas was able to get back to training, nonetheless fighting, so soon after testing positive for COVID-19 is pretty remarkable. Many MMA fighters such as Diego Sanchez and Jim Miller have suffered from the virus this year.
Vlismas doesn’t lack confidence entering the Octagon. She’s a potential up-and-coming star at 115 pounds with lightning-fast striking to go with a solid ground game.
Vlismas has the opportunity to face another tough contender for her next Octagon appearance and plans on seizing the moment and making her way up the strawweight ranks.
What were your thoughts on Cheyanne Vlismas’ win at UFC Vegas 44?
Julianna Peña says Amanda Nunes shouldn’t be expecting another comfortable first-round win when they meet in the Octagon.
After defending her featherweight gold at UFC 250 and 259, Nunes will be returning to 135 pounds this Saturday when Peña becomes the latest challenger to the dominant two-division reign of the “Lioness.” Despite going 2-2 in her last four bouts, which includes defeats to Valentina Shevchenko and Germaine de Randamie, Peña secured a title shot after an exchange with the Brazilian on social media following the champ’s last fight.
The #3-ranked women’s bantamweight was last in action at UFC 257. A third-round submission victory over Sara McMann brought her back into the win column and was ultimately enough for her to earn a championship opportunity.
While many have suggested Nunes is set for another short night at the office, similar to her two-minute submission victory over Megan Anderson last time out, Peña sees the fight playing out very differently.
While speaking with Jim Varsallone, “The Venezuelan Vixen” suggested her fight with Nunes will go long and be competitive. The 31-year-old went on to add that she’s preparing for a war against the most dominant woman in MMA history.
“You can predict everything. You can predict the sky’s gonna be pink tomorrow. But at the end of the day, you’re not gonna know until you make it to that point. And when it’s all said and done, then, you’ll be able to say oh, this, this, and look like Nostradamus.
Photo via Instagram @venezuelanvixen
“But at the end of the day, I’m not guaranteeing anything other than she is not gonna be in some fight where it’s gonna go a minute and it’s gonna be this gigantic blowout. Absolutely not. It’s going to be a very long night for both of us, and I’m expecting a long, tough, grueling fight. And that’s what I’m preparing for. I’m preparing for war,” said Peña.
Nunes’ latest title defense won’t be the only championship fight on the UFC 269 card. Her clash with Peña will be followed by a lightweight championship clash between Charles Oliveira (c) and Dustin Poirier in the PPV’s main event.
Do you think Julianna Peña has what it takes to dethrone Amanda Nunes at UFC 269?
UFC lightweight Rafael Fiziev earned a highlight knockout over Brad Riddell at UFC Vegas 44, but he felt conflicted after beating his longtime friend.
Fiziev and Riddell are former training partners at Tiger Muay Thai gym in Thailand. While the two agreed to remain friends regardless of the outcome at UFC Vegas 44, Fiziev and Riddell knew their matchup would be a bit unorthodox and uncomfortable.
Fiziev said earlier on UFC Vegas 44 media day that he didn’t anticipate a lot of difference with fighting Riddell as opposed to his past opponents such as Bobby Green. But after securing a vicious head kick knockout over Riddell, he felt mixed emotions about his performance.
“I feel uncomfortable when I started,” Fiziev admitted in the post-fight press conference. “Not too much. I understand this is a real fight. Maybe he would knock me out, but it’s still a little bit uncomfortable.”
Fiziev showed some remorse despite earning arguably the biggest win of his young UFC career.
“I don’t know if I’m sad or I’m happy because it’s not so good when your friend’s like that,” Fiziev continued. “Of course, I’m happy and sad, and happy. I don’t know.”
Rafael Fiziev Has Been On A Roll Since Joining The UFC
With the victory over Riddell, Fiziev has now won five fights in a row since joining the UFC in 2019. After a tough loss to Magomed Mustafaev in 2019, he’s earned dominant wins over the likes of Marc Diakiese, Green, and Renato Carneiro.
Fiziev’s win over Riddell will more than likely propel him further up the lightweight rankings. However, he is still dealing with the emotions of competing against his good friend on the sport’s highest stage.
Who would you like to see Rafael Fiziev fight next?
UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington isn’t backing down from calling Brazilians “filthy animals” four years after his comments.
Covington most recently fell to UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 268 in an epic title rematch two years in the making. His journey to the top of the welterweight division has been impressive, but not without controversy outside of the Octagon.
Following his 2017 win over Demian Maia in Brazil, he cut quite the blistering promo and infamously called the country “a dump” and the people “filthy animals”. This was followed by immediate backlash and nearly resulted in all-out chaos as Covington attempted to leave the country.
During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Covington spoke about when his hate of Brazil started and accused Rafael dos Anjos of doping ahead of their bout in 2018.
“Yeah, definitely after the RDA (Rafael dos Anjos) fight,” Covington said. “When I was fighting him in his prime and he was at his absolute best. He was on all Brazilian vitamins. He was juiced up, hungry to defend his country, Brazil.”
“You know those people are filthy animals,” Covington continued. “I called that place a dump because it was a dump. I didn’t enjoy my experience. There, they treated me like shit. They yelled mean things at me said I was gonna die.”
Covington has most recently picked a fight with his former teammate and close friend, Jorge Masvidal. The two top welterweights could be on a collision course as fans have clamored not only for a fight between the two but also for both men to coach the next season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Covington’s rise to one of the UFC’s most polarizing figures seemed to begin with his comments about Brazil and has catapulted him to a pay-per-view star. A matchup with Masvidal could be the next chapter in his controversial journey to the top of the UFC ranks.
What do you think should be next for Colby Covington?
Former UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen thinks Brock Lesnar, like his old rival Anderson Silva, absolutely sucks.
Sonnen has never been one to hold back his thoughts on MMA fighters and the latest headlines around the sport. He’s transitioned nicely from a decorated fighting career to a career in the booth, hosting multiple ESPN shows and his own podcast.
Sonnen, like Lesnar, knows a thing or two about promotion. Lesnar is one of the biggest stars in professional wrestling and has played the role of a heel well in both the WWE and the UFC.
But aside from his marketing skills, Sonnen doesn’t think that Lesnar amounted to much inside the Octagon. During a recent segment on his Beyond the Fight YouTube show, Sonnen said Lesnar’s success in the UFC was mostly due to his sheer size and physical gifts.
“Nobody else talks about it,” Sonnen said. “I bring it up to try to prove a point. When you have Francis Ngannou who’s 260 pounds of steel and you put him in with Stipe Miocic who’s 230 pounds, there are 30 pounds the right way disadvantage to Stipe. Brock Lesnar does not enjoy my company. I’ve been around Brock and he’s been a gentleman. But I can tell he’d rather be anywhere else but me.
Brock Lesnar
“But one point that I make about Brock, it’s not meant to (slight) him. Brock was not a very good wrestler. That’s true. Brock never had Olympic aspirations. Brock was 265 pounds of steel. In the NCAA finals, he took on someone who weighed 220 pounds. There is a 45-pound weight discrepancy. It’s a fair point by me and it irritates Brock. But I’m right. I am right when I say it about Francis.”
Chael Sonnen, Brock Lesnar Are Both Former NCAA Wrestling Stars
Lesnar exceeded the expectations of many fans when he earned the UFC’s heavyweight title upon signing with the promotion. In what was seen as a sideshow originally, Lesnar developed into one of the biggest stars in the UFC in the late 2000s.
Sonnen and Lesnar were both standout wrestling during their times in the UFC, and going all the way back to their times competing on the NCAA level. Lesnar earned the 2000 NCAA heavyweight wrestling title at Minnesota, while Sonnen enjoyed moderate success in the Pac-10 conference at Oregon.
Lesnar and Sonnen are both retired from MMA, despite rumors that Lesnar was interested in a potential return to compete for the UFC heavyweight title. Sonnen left the fight game after his loss to Lyoto Machida at Bellator 222 in 2019.
UFC lightweight Clay Guida feels now is the perfect time to get a rematch against Nate Diaz after his improbable win at UFC Vegas 44.
It was looking to be a disastrous night for Guida against Leonardo Santos after he got caught with some hard strikes on the feet and got dropped early in the fight. After somehow surviving some big blows to the head, he was able to grapple his way out of trouble and survive through the first round.
Santos appeared to be gassed out entering Round 2, and Guida took advantage of the opportunity and sunk in a rear-naked choke for the comeback win. It snapped a recent skid of losses in three of his previous four fights.
“We just wanna stay on the gas pedal, stay active, and there’s still one dude out there with our name on him,” Guida said. “I beat him once, I’ll give him another chance. Nate Diaz, I know you’re out there. You can’t run, you can’t hide. I know you’re gonna turn the fight down, you probably won’t even know we want to fight you again. But if you ever want to do it again, buddy, I’ll give you a shot. Let me know.”
Clay Guida Earned A Close Win Over Nate Diaz At UFC 94
Guida has been a mainstay in the UFC’s lightweight division since he made his UFC debut back in 2006 at UFC 64. Coincidentally, his first UFC loss came against Din Thomas in 2007, and Thomas was part of the broadcast crew for his UFC Vegas 44 victory.
Guida has fought most of the top names that have come through the lightweight division; including Diego Sanchez, Anthony Pettis, and Rafael dos Anjos. Despite his long career in the promotion, he has yet to fight for a title.
Since their first fight, Diaz has emerged as a top star in the UFC and has recently focused on a run at welterweight. He most recently fell to Leon Edwards earlier this year at UFC 263.
It’s unclear whether or not Guida still has it in him to make another title run, but Diaz is still searching for an opponent for his UFC return. A throwback matchup between Guida and Diaz could be the fight to make if both sides want to make it happen.
Would you be interested in seeing Clay Guida vs. Nate Diaz 2?
UFC bantamweight contender Julianna Peña pleaded to Dana White for a shot at Amanda Nunes, and she’ll get her chance at UFC 269.
Peña will face Nunes in her first shot at the UFC bantamweight title after years in the promotion. She most recently defeated Sara McMann by submission at UFC 257.
White gave Peña a shot in the UFC after she earned a dominant victory over Jessica Rakoczy on The Ultimate Fighter: Season 18.
Peña hasn’t mince words when it comes to her thoughts about her chances against Nunes in the UFC 269 co-main event. During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, White praised Peña for her confidence and approach to the upcoming title fight.
“I love that about Julianna Peña,” White said. “She’s a savage. She is an absolute lunatic. She got in a fistfight with a bouncer in a bar, OK? She got into a full-blown fistfight with a bouncer in a bar, and the bouncer called the police. Let’s put it that way. [LAUGHS] Julianna is a fighter, and there’s no doubt in my mind that she’s gonna come in and go to war with Amanda Nunes. How that turns out, we will see (on) Saturday.”
Julianna Peña Is Looking To Prove To Dana White That She Can Win
Pena has gone off on Nunes in a series of recent interviews leading up to her fight with Nunes. The two top bantamweights were originally scheduled to fight at UFC 265, but Nunes withdrew from the bout on short notice. Pena has said that Nunes can’t claim the status of the women’s MMA GOAT without fighting her.
White has been very vocal when it comes to Nunes’ dominance inside the octagon. He’s called Nunes the undisputed female GOAT and has said that other fighters such as Kayla Harrison and Cris “Cyborg” Justino don’t belong in the same discussion as her.
What are your predictions for Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Peña at UFC 269?
Former UFC featherweight champion José Aldo will stop at nothing for another shot at the bantamweight title before his career is over.
Aldo earned arguably the biggest win since moving down to bantamweight over Rob Font at UFC Vegas 44. Despite some early struggles in the fight, he controlled the pace on the feet throughout and battered Font badly as the bout went on.
Aldo’s kickboxing was in full force on Saturday night, as he landed hard combinations to all targets. In rounds 4 and 5, he knocked down and nearly finished the fight twice before Font was somehow able to recover and survive.
Following the win, Aldo took to Instagram to thank his fans and look ahead to what’s next in his illustrious career.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXGBvzmrGLl/
“Thank you to my fans, thank you Brazil!” Aldo posted. “My team and my family! I’m after my dream, I want to be the champion of the [division] and no one will stop me!”
José Aldo Could Get TJ Dillashaw Or A Title Shot Next
Entering UFC Vegas 44, Aldo earned back-to-back impressive wins over Marlon Vera and Pedro Munhoz. After dropping his first two bantamweight outings to Petr Yan and Marlon Moraes, he’s rebounded nicely and appears more comfortable with the weight cut to 135 pounds.
Aldo called out former bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw following his win, and the timing could make a lot of sense for both men to fight. Yan will face Aljamain Sterling in a title rematch next unless it falls through once again.
Regardless of who Aldo ends up competing against next, the fact he’s able to still compete amongst the elite in the UFC is incredible.
UFC middleweight contender Darren Till sent a powerful message to troubled youth in his community in light of a recent tragedy in Liverpool.
Professional athletes often take the opportunity to use their platforms to improve their locale, and Till is no different. Nine years after suffering a brutal stabbing, he took the time to encourage children to turn to outlets such as MMA instead of a life of crime.
“9 years ago today I was stabbed twice in the back of my ribs,” Till posted on Instagram. “The great city of Liverpool has recently been shook up by the tragic death of the young and beautiful Ava White. Put down the knives, kids and ask ur mums and dads to take you or take yourselves down to the local gyms. Best thing you will ever do is step foot into a gym with a nice healthy environment and a good mentor in and out of the gym. You won’t regret it.”
Darren Till Continues To Inspire Others In His Hometown
Till has become quite the fan-favorite since making his UFC debut back in 2015. He’s well-known for his comedic social media presence but also takes the time to engage with his fans and leave an impact in his community.
Hundreds of Liverpool residents gathered in the city this weekend for a vigil for stabbing victim Ava White, a 12-year-old schoolgirl. The investigation into the tragic incident is ongoing.
Till is looking to get back in the win column in the Octagon after losing four of his last five fights overall. He most recently fell to Derek Brunson at UFC Vegas 36 by submission, later alleging that he had suffered a devastating knee injury just weeks before the fight.
It’s unclear as to when Till will return to fighting as he continues to get his health in order, but he’s currently using the time off to make a positive impact in his city.
Gaethje and Chandler went hard and took just as much damage as they gave. Both men were transported to the hospital following the fight. Now a month removed, Chandler is reflecting back on the war.
“I don’t want to fight that way ever again, but 95% of the fight was just a good ol’ fashioned passionate scrap, you know?” Chandler explained on the Bussin’ With The Boys Youtube channel. “5% of it was a little bit of, ‘Dude, what are you doing, man?’ Of course, I’ve gotten criticism like, ‘Hey, if you would have been a little more tactical and not try to put on a show, you would have won the fight.”
“But truthfully, I’m not just saying this. This sounds like something a loser of a fight would say,” Chandler said. “But it’s very genuine when I say it was the first time in my career Mike Beltran, the referee, grabbed my wrist, and it was that moment when I was about to get my hand raised or keep it down while my opponent got his hand raised or kept it down. And at that moment, when he grabbed my wrist, I was like, ‘Oh, shoot. There’s gonna be a winner and a loser right now.’ First time in my life.’”
The Pulse of MMA: Fan Reactions To The Sport’s Biggest Stories
In this installment of The Pulse of MMA, we look at the raw, unfiltered reactions from MMA fans to the result of UFC Vegas 44’s main event between José Aldo and Rob Font.
José Aldo def. Rob Font via Unanimous Decision At UFC Vegas 44
Last night at UFC Vegas 44, José Aldo picked up his third consecutive victory when he defeated Rob Font via unanimous decision. Font brought the fight to him but Aldo stood strong and struck back with more firepower behind his shots. You can check out the official scorecards from the bout below.
Judges Derek Cleary and Junichiro Kamijo gave all five rounds to Aldo while Sal D’Amato gave the third to Font. If you missed the action, you can catch our highlights from yesterday’s event right here.
After the bout in the Octagon interview, Aldo reiterated what he said leading into the bout, which is that he would fancy a fight against T.J. Dillashaw next. With Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling on a collision course to settle their unfinished business, Dillashaw is unbooked and should be ready to return from knee surgery in early 2022.
Aldo’s peers have reacted to his win over Font last night, but what about the Pulse of MMA? Check out the raw, unfiltered reactions of what fans had to say about the UFC Vegas 44 main event below!
Font vs Aldo was such a good scrap, had me on the edge of my seat! #UFCVegas44
Jose "King Of Rio" Aldo ran this town tonight. Fantastic performance, FOTY contender. Rob Font brought many great ideas and gutted through a hellacious fight. But Jose Aldo was not going to be denied tonight #UFCVegas44
To drop 10lbs to a new weight class to the deepest division in MMA and get unanimous decision wins over Marlon Vera, Pedro Munhoz and Rob Font (5×5) all while 17 years into your MMA career, 13 years at the highest level in the sport.
@josealdojunior is beating top 5 bantamweights after being in the fight game for more than 10 years! Let that sink in…. Most older fighters move up due to cutting weight becoming harder when u get older.. what a god damn legend you are @josealdojunior. #legend
Names like Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, and Don Frye were among the first fighters to wear both hats, followed by Lesnarmania that ran wild through the UFC, and more recent crossover examples like Bobby Lashley and Jake Hager.
There has particularly been a surge of MMA talent dappling in rasslin’ world as of late, with several fighters over at American Top Team appearing regularly on AEW. This includes former UFC heavyweight champions Junior dos Santos and Andrei Arlovski, who have made their in-ring pro wrestling debuts with the promotion recently.
Image Credit: AEW
Michael Bisping has taken notice of the ATT invasion of AEW, and he may just want to throw his name in the ring as well (h/t PWTorch).
“Hey, never say never, but I do know that professional wrestling, whilst it is a performance, it is very tough on the body” said Bisping on Radican Worldwide. “My body went through the wringer in the UFC, but hey listen… give me a call, give me a call. There you go. It looks like a lot of fun and I’m so happy to see Junior dos Santos and other members of the American Top Team making a successful transition into something else after fighting.”
One essential ingredient to making it in the rasslin’ business is knowing how to work a microphone. This is one thing Bisping has never struggled at. Whether it’s tearing his opponents down a peg before a fight with his trash talk or crushing it in the commentating booth or podcast studio, Bisping has always had a way with words.
That being said, if the 42-year-old former UFC champion decides to take up another post-retirement project, pro wrestling could certainly be a viable option.
“As a former athlete myself, a fighter, a lot of fighters or athletes struggle with what they are going to do post-fight career,” said Bisping. “I’m always happy to see someone else thriving and that’s why for myself when I was professional athlete I was always terrified as to what I was going to do afterwards, so things like this I’m forever grateful for. I’m truly passionate about my acting career.
“Obviously, I still got a long long way to go, but I study hard and do everything I can to be the best version of myself that I can. Fortunately, I got a few roles lined up for next year and so far so good, but yeah if AEW needed a one-eyed Brit, give me a call.”
If Bisping doesn’t want all that wear and tear on his body but still wants to leave his mark in professional wrestling, he could always just stick to the smack talk as a heel manager. And if things turn violent, “The Count” would be more than capable of taking care of himself in a very real way, believe you me.
Do you think Michael Bisping would be a good fit in the world of professional wrestling?
