The event took place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility. Headlining the card was a clash between Rob Font and Jose Aldo. This fight saw Font seem to be a few steps quicker than Aldo, who was taken down by Font briefly in the first round. Font was also moving forward. Aldo landed a big strike that dropped Font to end the round. Aldo rocked him in the second round with an uppercut. Font was landing his jab at will. In the third round, Aldo defended a takedown and got on top. Aldo started to attack the legs. Aldo dropped him with a knee strike and got on top to start the fourth round. Font had some nasty swelling to his left eye. Aldo looked tired to start the fifth round and they clinched up against the fence. Aldo dropped him in the middle of the round before taking Font’s back. Aldo got the decision win.
The co-main event saw more action between Brad Riddell and Rafael Fiziev.
This fight saw Riddell being hesitant in the first round to throw strikes although he was more willing to do leg kicks. In the second round, they both let their hands go, which resulted in Riddell being busted open on his left temple and a cut under his right eye. The finish came in the third round when Fiziev landed a wheel kick.
Peep the full list of performance bonus winners below.
‘Fight of the Night’: Cheyanne Vlismas vs. Mallory Martin
‘Performance of the Night’: Chris Curtis
‘Performance of the Night’: Clay Guida
‘Performance of the Night’: Jamahal Hill
‘Performance of the Night’: Rafael Fiziev
So many great performances tonight we needed to hand out 4️⃣ POTN bonuses! 💸
Dana White and Floyd Mayweather apparently came to an agreement as covered in the following story from 2019. What the precise nature of the verbal agreement was, to this day, remains worthy of an episode of Unsolved Mysteries. The following article was published on this day two years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.
On This Day Two Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 5, 2019, 6:52 PM]
Dana White has confirmed that he and Floyd Mayweather have reached a verbal agreement.
Last month, Mayweather had the combat sports world buzzing when he teased that something was in the works with the UFC president. “Money” and White had a conversation during an NBA game. Mayweather followed that up by claiming he was coming out of retirement in 2020.
White Claims Verbal Agreement In Place With Mayweather
White appeared on The Jim Rome Show and revealed that he’s hoping to put pen to paper in March (via MMAWeekly).
“It’s true. We sat at the Clippers game. We started talking and we literally got a deal done right there on the court. And if things play out the way things Floyd and I think they will, I will probably sit down with Al Haymon (Mayweather’s manager) in March and get a deal on paper.
“If everything goes our way, Floyd and I would be doing something in October or November (of 2020).”
Mayweather retired from professional boxing with a perfect 50-0 record. He wrapped up his career with a 10th-round TKO victory over former UFC “champ-champ” Conor McGregor. MMA News will keep you up to speed on further updates on the Dana White-Floyd Mayweather talks as they become available.
Jon Jones has engaged in many Twitter feuds over the years: Chael Sonnen, Daniel Cormier, Israel Adesanya, etc., but he has also never shied away from firing back at his collective mass of detractors.
A case can be made that no fighter in UFC history has been as criticized as Jon Jones. It can’t be denied that Jones has given his detractors plenty of fuel over the years, including numerous run-ins with law enforcement and multiple atypical drug tests.
“Let he who was not famous when they did something dumb be glad no one cared,” Jones wrote.
Most recently, Jones criticisms have perhaps been at an all-time high after recent allegations of domestic violence against his fiancée. Jones is set to appear in court on January 31 to answer to these charges.
Someday, Jones intends to put all of these experiences into a book, where he’d have the free space he needs to share all of his thoughts without character limits and with as many quotes he can think of.
Yeah, I’m going to write one hell of a book one day. Been around the block a few times https://t.co/4vfiounpGt
The two fighters met in a bout on Saturday night (December 4) at the UFC Vegas 44 event from Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility.
Font did get a takedown, but it was brief, in the first round. Font kept moving forward while Aldo was looking to counter strike. Aldo landed a big strike that dropped Font to end the round. In the second round, Aldo landed a big time uppercut, but Font came back with combos and the jab. In the third round, Aldo defended a takedown and got on top.
Aldo was landing some serious leg kicks. The start of the fourth round, Aldo dropped him with a knee strike and got on top. In the fifth round, they did some clinch work. Aldo dropped him in the middle of the round before taking Font’s back. Aldo got the decision win.
Peep the highlights of the fight courtesy of the UFC’s official Twitter account:
Font had won his last 5 out of 6 bouts and was on a four-fight winning streak heading into this fight. He ripped off wins over the likes of Sergio Pettis in December 2018 by decision, Ricky Simón via decision in December 2019 and a KO win over Marlon Moraes in December 2020. He most recently beat Cody Garbrandt by decision in May 2021.
Aldo entered this fight with a 4-5 record in his previous nine bouts with two of those losses coming to Max Holloway. He suffered a decision loss to Alexander Volkanovski at the UFC 237 pay-per-view event from the Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil. He dropped a split decision loss to Marlon Moraes at UFC 245. He got TKO’d by Petr Yan for the vacant bantamweight title at the UFC 251 pay-per-view event from Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island aka Fight Island. Aldo then beat Marlon Vera at UFC Vegas 17 in December 2020. In his previous fight, he beat Pedro Munoz by decision at UFC 265.
Brad Riddell vs. Rafael Fiziev was a solid co-headliner with a special finish.
The two fighters met in a bout on Saturday night (December 4) at the UFC Vegas 44 event from Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility..
The first round had a slow start with Riddell being various cautious and not throwing a lot of volume although he was landing some leg kicks. However, Riddell did get in a nice combo to end the frame. They started to let their hands go in the second round. Brad had a cut under right eye and was bleeding from his left temple. Riddell got the brief takedown in the third round, but let him back up. Fiziev finished the fight with a wheel kick.
Peep the highlights of the fight courtesy of the UFC’s official Twitter account:
Riddell entered this fight on a six-fight winning streak with his promotional debut going down at the UFC 243 pay-per-view event where he picked up a decision win over Jamie Mullarkey.
Fiziev entered the fight with a pro-MMA record of 10-1 and was riding a four-fight winning streak including his most recent win over Bobby Green by decision at UFC 265.
Let’s see how the fighters reacted to the outcome of this fight:
Michael Bisping is revealing some trade secrets from inside the UFC APEX.
Since last year the UFC has held the majority of the events inside the small UFC APEX Center. The intimate location allowed the UFC to safely hold events throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. With no fans allowed, the first thing many noticed was how quiet it was during the live fights. The question that began to rise was did that quiet have an effect on the outcome of the fight?
Michael Bisping has been cage side for many of these APEX fights and feels that the commentary, his included, could sway the decisions of the judges. He spoke about this on his Believe You Me Podcast.
“So there is a potential for that. However, if the judge was good at his job and had his own opinion and if he had a strong mind, confidence in his pick, confidence in his opinion,” Bisping explained. “If he knew the sport and he was breaking it down then he should ignore us anyway. But I guess we are all human beings. You know what I mean.”
Bisping became a color commentator for the UFC back in 2018 following a long fight career. He is outspoken on the mic and likes to air his opinions. Since the UFC Apex began to house these events some fighters claimed that they could hear the broadcast team and that they made some adjustments accordingly. If the fighters can hear then probably so can everyone else.
“If you are torn between, ‘oh, I’m not sure, it was close, this guy, that guy’. And DC [Daniel Cormier] arguing the takedown and I’m like, ‘Well no, he got back to his feet’. And he hears that, hey listen, judges are human beings,” Bisping continued. “I don’t know, that’s a really interesting question. The judges are kind of far from us. But still I would assume in the early days, now I feel that that’s eradicated. There’s a bit of a crowd, there’s more atmosphere, it is louder.”
Lately, a few fighters have been called out for biased commentary. Among those who were blamed were Daniel Cormier, Paul Felder, and Joe Rogan. As a former fighter, there are bound to be certain feelings towards the other fighters. Either they have fought one another or maybe trained together. In the end, commentators are there to give info during the fight. The judges should be making their own decisions without influence.
Do you think the judges are being influenced by what the commentary team is saying?
The following article was published five years ago, where tonight’s UFC Vegas 44 headliner José Aldo accused McGregor of backing out of a deal they had made prior to their UFC 194 bout. The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 14, 2016, 5:48 PM]
Former UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo recently spoke out about a pre-fight agreement made with UFC officials prior to his title defense against Conor McGregor at UFC 194 and explained how “The Notorious” Irishman broke his word immediately after the fight.
Aldo told Portal Vale Tudo that prior to losing his title to McGregor at the UFC 194 pay-per-view that both he and McGregor agreed to vacate the Featherweight title after the fight — regardless of who won — and move up to the Lightweight division where they were told they would then receive an immediate shot at the UFC Lightweight title.
“I won’t accept another fight if it’s not for the belt. When we signed the contract, the intention was that the winner would fight at lightweight, but we would need to abandon the featherweight belt.”
Aldo continued, explaining that after that, if they wanted to return to the Featherweight division, they would again immediately receive a shot at whoever the champion would be at that point in the weight class.
“That was the plan, that’s what they told us. If we fought at lightweight, win or lose, and then had the opportunity to fight at featherweight again, it would be for the title immediately. I think they gave him too much power and he’s playing now, calling the shots more than the others. I think that’s wrong, no one ever did that.”
In conclusion, Aldo said that it’s not so much that the “piece of sh*t” McGregor broke his word, but it’s a sign that it shows it is McGregor, not Dana White or another UFC executive, that appears to be calling the shots in the UFC lately.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s about money or not at this point, what matters is show who calls the shots, who’s the boss, and not just a piece of s–t talking about things you see. He doesn’t deserve to be where he is. I’ve always respected all the merits, but he had more luck than merits.”
Charles Oliveira looks forward to proving his doubters wrong.
The UFC’s final Pay-per-view of 2021 looks to end the year with a bang. The card features some rising prospects, a welterweight banger, and a women’s bantamweight title fight. In the main event of the evening, Charles Oliveira will try to keep the gold around his waist when he meets #1-ranked, Dustin Poirier.
Poirier has been sitting near the top of the division for the last three years. He holds wins over Justin Gaethje, Max Holloway, Conor McGregor, and Eddie Alvarez in that time. So, for many, it makes sense that with Khabib Nurmagomedov out of the picture, Poirier has a good chance of obtaining the lightweight title. In the meantime, many people also believe that Oliveira has not been receiving his full respect as the undisputed champion.
Charles Oliveira blasts Michael Chandler en route to winning UFC gold Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC
Oddsmakers have the Louisianian as a slight favorite heading into the title fight. Oliveira, though, sees UFC 269 going differently. The submission ace detailed his prediction for the bout in a recent interview with MMA Fighting.
“On [December] 11, we’ll be there to prove who’s best and who’s not the best,” Oliveira said. “There’s not much to say. We’ll only know when we face each other. I trust myself, I believe myself. I think I have way more weapons than him. All you guys that think [he’s No. 1], watch his last fight and watch my last fight, see what I’m good at and what he’s good at, and match it all up to see what happens.
“Strikers took him down way too easily, and you know what happens if I take him down. If he trades on the feet with me, you know I’m hitting hard, brother. It will be fire on the 11th. I have firepower in my hands, I have my jiu-jitsu. I respect him a lot, but I want to remain champion, I want to keep this belt here. I couldn’t care less what others say or criticize. It’s about time I take all that inside my head and look at what people say on Instagram.”
While Poirier is a slight favorite at the time of writing, the money could turn the odds as bets come in the next couple of weeks. Oliveira has had issues with durability and weight cuts in the past but has found his stride the last half of his UFC career. The champion is currently on a nine fight win streak, with eight of those victories coming by submission or knockout.
His last outing saw “Do Bronx” capture UFC gold when he rallied from the brink to knock Michael Chandler unconscious at UFC 262.
Who do you think will win next Saturday between Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira?
On this day two years ago, there was still hope that we’d see Khabib vs. Ferguson, and Ferguson refused to accept that the fight was cursed. The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.
On This Day Two Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 4, 2019, 11:24 AM]
One would be wise not to tell Tony Ferguson that a bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov is cursed.
Ferguson is set to challenge Nurmagomedov for the UFC lightweight title on April 18 in Brooklyn, NY. While fight fans are excited, some feel this bout is cursed. It has been booked several times in the past but never came to fruition due to injuries and illnesses on both sides.
Tony Ferguson Blasts Those Who Say Khabib Fight Is Cursed
Ferguson was a guest on ESPN’s Ariel Helwani MMA Show. During his appearance, “El Cucuy” had some choice words for those who think a bout with “The Eagle” is cursed (via MMAMania.com).
“F*ck no, you can stop right there. Don’t even get the fans going on that sh*t. We’re going to set the pace right now – I want the encouragement,” Ferguson told Ariel Helwani. “F*ck you, don’t watch this sh*t, don’t buy our stuff. Go watch Bellator or some other bullsh*t. Go find some knock-off copy of what he got going on here … this is the OGs, I’m the original genius right here.”
Ferguson was last seen in action back in June at UFC 238. He earned a second-round TKO victory over Donald Cerrone. The victory extended Ferguson’s winning streak to 12. He is scheduled to be Nurmagomedov’s third UFC lightweight title challenger. Nurmagomedov is a perfect 28-0 in his pro MMA career.
Stick with MMANews.com for the latest updates on the UFC 249 card. We’ll keep you up to speed as the card shapes up.
UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman has described arch-rival Colby Covington as the “most complete” opponent he’s ever faced inside the Octagon.
Covington has challenged for Usman’s gold on two occasions. In their first meeting, which took place at UFC 245 in December 2019, “Chaos” took the champ to the limit. Having won the 170-pound title with a win against Tyron Woodley nine months earlier, Usman was defending the belt for the first time. It’s arguable that he hasn’t faced a stiffer test since.
After four rounds of grueling action on the feet, most had the fight level heading into the fifth and final frame. Despite the former interim titleholder’s best efforts, it was Usman who secured a late TKO stoppage.
After seeing off the threat of Gilbert Burns and two challenges from Jorge Masvidal, Usman ran it back with Covington for his fifth title defense earlier this month. In the main event of UFC 268, “The Nigerian Nightmare” once again defeated the #1-ranked contender, this time on the judges’ scorecards.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CV9peNUMBnR/
Usman Can’t Pinpoint A Weakness In Covington’s Game
During a recent appearance on the Full Send Podcast, Usman discussed where Covington ranks among the other contenders and fighters he’s traded leather with. According to the welterweight kingpin, the 33-year-old is the most well-rounded of them all.
“Yeah, I wanna say he was probably the most complete. He was the most complete because he can wrestle, he can strike, he has a good gas tank. Usually everybody else, I could kind of pinpoint something about them that’s like… it might be a weakness that I can exploit and I can push for but, you know, he probably was the most complete.” (h/t Sportskeeda)
Usman’s next step appears to be yet another rematch, this time with Leon Edwards. The Englishman had been set to meet Masvidal at UFC 269 next month. After “Gamebred” withdrew due to injury, “Rocky” announced his intention to wait for a title shot.
The champ has also made his desire to set-up a blockbuster crossover showdown with boxing’s pound-for-pound best Canelo Álvarez known, something Covington laughed off in a recent interview with MMA News. Whichever route he goes down, Usman will certainly be hoping to further cement his place in the GOAT conversation.
What should be next for Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington?
It’s been eight years since Conor McGregor defeated Max Holloway. Much has changed since then, and for the past several years, one thing that has remained the same is talk of a potential rematch between the two. As far back as four years ago, the two former opponens were still trash talking, as they continue to do to this day. The following article is was published on this day four years ago and is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.
On This Day Four Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 4, 2017, 11:51 PM]
Max Holloway doesn’t take too kindly to Conor McGregor’s social media jab.
This past Saturday night (Dec. 2), Holloway successfully defended his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight title against Jose Aldo. “Blessed” earned a third-round TKO victory in the main event of UFC 218.
After the bout, Holloway told the media that McGregor doesn’t want a rematch with him because he’s too busy hoping for a mixed martial arts bout with Paulie Malignaggi. McGregor responded by taking a jab on Twitter:
During a recent appearance on MMAFighting.com‘s “The MMA Hour,” Holloway said he fought hard to restore order in the featherweight division:
“You know, it’s funny. The guy’s funny, I couldn’t help but laugh. I’m on his mind apparently. Like I said, I told you guys, I’m a champion and we just brought order back to the division. I’m trying to think of our division and respect all the other fighters. It took me 10 fights to get the damn interim title shot and then 11 to get an undisputed shot. It’s my duty to make sure everything runs smoothly. I gotta respect our sport, my division and the guys that are fighting in it. That’s what I gotta do. At the end of the day, this guy is gonna keep yapping.”
He went on to say that McGregor’s win against him came at a time where they both were developing fighters.
“This guy has got a win over me when we were kids in a Fight Night show — I think the main event was (Chael) Sonnen and (Mauricio) “Shogun” Rua. I don’t know if the two of them are in the UFC anymore. You know me and him made 12K that night and I think he’s happy to hold onto that. That’s the kind of person he is.”
On this day three years ago, former middleweight champion Michael Bisping predicted how a fight between himself and Israel Adesanya would go. The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.
On This Day Three Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 4, 2018, 12:17 PM]
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight title holder Michael Bisping believes Israel Adesanya would be the perfect match-up for him if he were still fighting.
Adesanya is set to clash with Anderson Silva on Feb. 9. The bout will be a part of the main card of UFC 234. The event is set to take place inside the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia.
Michael Bisping Believes He’d Have An Easy Time Against Israel Adesanya
During a recent edition of his “Believe You Me” podcast, Bisping had quite the take on Adesanya. He believes “The Last Stylebender” would be an easy fight for him (via MMAFighting.com):
“I like Israel Adesanya but I’ll tell you something, if there’s one person if you asked me who I want to fight right now, it would be Israel. When I look at him – listen, he’s good, he’s great, but I’m sorry, I’m not buying it. I’m not saying I’m not impressed. I’m on the hype train. He’s good, he’s beating people. He’s beating the Marvin Vettoris of the world. He had a good win against Derek Brunson but Derek Brunson looked like sh*t. He was terrified. I think I would have an easy time with him. Just saying, just throwing it out there.”
Bisping retired after being knocked out by Kelvin Gastelum in late 2017. While it doesn’t appear that Bisping is hinting at a return, he doesn’t seem fully on board with Adesanya until he faces elite-level competition.
Do you think Israel Adesanya would’ve had a difficult time against Michael Bising?
Dana White says he is now completely rid of COVID-19 a mere five days after testing positive for the virus, and he says he and his entire family has Joe Rogan to thank for it.
The following is what White had to say about his discussion with Rogan and the treatment he was recommended to take:
“I get up, 9 o’clock Monday morning, and I get tested,” White continued. “He said get monoclonal antibodies in you as soon as possible, so I did. By noon, I had the monoclonal antibodies in me. Then he told me to do a NAD drip. I did that right after. The next day – so Sunday at 8 o’clock at night I have no taste or smell. I get up Tuesday getting ready to shave. Cleaning my razor, I could smell the alcohol. My taste and smell were back by the next day by 11 o’clock. Then I took a dose of ivermectin. Then yesterday I did a vitamin drip, and today I’m doing another NAD drip.
“Never felt better. I’m feeling like a million bucks. I’m doing two-a-day workouts for the next 10 days while I have COVID and I’m in quarantine. I got my smell and taste back in less than 24 hours.”
Dana White And Family Now COVID Free
Days later, TMZ caught up with Dana White for an update on his health status. Not only is Dana White now testing negative for COVID, but his entire family is also on the mend after taking Rogan’s advice.
“I’m incredible. Today is Day 5 (since I) tested positive for COVID. And today, this morning at 9 o’clock, I tested negative. Thank you, Dr. Joe Rogan!”
Rogan has been widely criticized for recommending ivermectin be used to treat COVID, with sources such as the FDA and the BBC stating that the drug is not intended for human usage.
The legitimacy of such warnings has been widely disputed, with the doubters often being associated with ring-wing ties. There have been reports as recent as four months ago of ivermectin gaining momentum in places such as Latin America and India. Readers are encouraged to do their own research and form their own opinions on the matter beyond this snapshot overview of the issue.
As far as Dana White is concerned, every time he looks at his family is all the proof he needs about the efficacy of Joe Rogan’s treatment regimen. And if that’s not enough proof, there’s a whole host of others who swear by Rogan’s advice, says White.
“And himself, he did it himself, and like 40 other people that he’s close to he’s done this with,” White said of the number of people Rogan has helped with his advice. “And here’s the reality. In all seriousness, Joe Rogan is a brilliant guy and he talks to the most brilliant people out there. He studies, he does his homework on all this stuff.
“And it’s a fact that this works, and not just me. So me and my wife are both 53 years old. We both did it. My daughter is 15 years old. She did it. My mother-in-law is 80 years old. She did it. When I was sitting here waiting to talk to you, my mother-in-law went strolling by here. She’s on her way over to get a massage. Everybody feels like a million bucks, man.”
What do you make of Dana White’s testimony in favor of Joe Rogan’s medical advice?
Dana White has reacted to Nate Diaz publicly rejecting a fight against undefeated rising star Khamzat Chimaev.
After Khamzat Chimaev advanced his professional record to 10-0 at UFC 267 by manhandling Li Jingliang, White and Borz both set their sights on Nate Diaz as his next opponent. There’s just one problem, Diaz wanted nothing to do with it.
This, according to the Stockton bad boy himself, is due to the fact that Chimaev only has four fights in the UFC and is a “rookie.” Therefore, the suggestion that Diaz, an established veteran of the game, should fight him was considered “disrespectful” by the Californian.
TMZ caught up with Dana White this weekend and asked the UFC President to comment on Diaz’s remarks. Here’s what he had to say.
“Listen, man. Khamzat is a straight murderer. He’s a killer. He’s an absolute savage. And I don’t blame anybody for not wanting to fight Khamzat Chimaev,” White said.
White was then pressed to respond directly to Nate Diaz’s reasoning and if he thought Chimaev’s “rookie” status is the legitimate reason why Diaz is uninterested in the fight. White could not stifle the urge to smile throughout the entirety of the following response.
“What do you think? What do you think? [SMILE GROWS WIDER] Listen, everybody in this business, everybody in this company is here because they belong here. There are no real ‘rookies’ per se here. There are guys with more experience and some guys with some less experience.
Khamzat Chimaev (Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa)
“Khamzat Chimaev is one of those guys that’s willing to fight anybody in multiple weight classes on short notice. He’s doing wrestling matches. If it’s a fight, he’s in, and he wants to fight you. And that’s the reality. I mean, people can spin Khamzat however they want to and I don’t blame ’em.”
Dana White has recently shared how difficult it has been to get Chimaev booked in a fight, stating that no one in the welterweight division wants to fight him. There have been reports of a potential pairing of Chimaev and Burns, and Burns himself said he’d be open to that fight, but there has been zero traction on that bout ever since the initial report.
Why do you think Nate Diaz does not want to fight Khamzat Chimaev? Because it’s “disrespectful” or because he simply wants no part of Borz?
UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler thinks he’s a force to be reckoned with in the division after his recent performances.
Chandler is coming off of his Fight of the Year contender against Justin Gaethje at UFC 268. While Chandler lost the bout by a unanimous decision, he had Gaethje in trouble on multiple occasions during the fight and put on a show for the fans.
Despite the loss, Chandler remains in the thick of things in the lightweight division. He’s also arguably gained the respect of the UFC fanbase for his performances against the likes of Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, and Dan Hooker since signing with the promotion.
During a recent interview on the Bussin With The Boys podcast, Chandler explains why he feels other top contenders don’t want to step up and fight him.
“I know there’s a lot of guys one foot in, one foot out of the violence of the sport. I’m all in,” Chandler said. “I love it, which is not a good thing necessarily. I think it’s a scary thing. I think there’s a lot of guys at the 155 division that doesn’t want to fight me because of that. I think every single fan on the mixed martial arts planet wants to watch me fight now, so you weigh both sides of it.”
Michael Chandler Has Called For A Conor McGregor Fight
While Chandler thinks many lightweights won’t want him, Conor McGregor is a potential fit for his next matchup in the Octagon. The two have cordially gone back and forth in the media for a possible fight between them in the future.
McGregor continues to recover from a nasty leg injury he suffered at UFC 264 earlier this year and is planning a return for some time in mid-2022.
Chandler is coming off of back-to-back losses but has proven himself in many eyes with his performances. He’s anticipating a return for some time early next year.
Who would you like to see Michael Chandler fight next in the Octagon?
Tonight, José Aldo will be headlining UFC Vegas 44 opposite Rob Font, and hopefully he’ll be doing so at 100%. The following is an article about a time his wife accused the UFC of trying to get Aldo to fight arguably the biggest fight of his career while injured. The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 8, 2015, 6:13 PM]
As we draw closer to this Saturday’s UFC 194 pay-per-view featuring the UFC Featherweight Championship unification bout between José Aldo and Conor McGregor, controversy over their originally scheduled fight at UFC 189 is starting to come to light thanks to the wife of the linear UFC 145-pound champion.
Aldo’s wife, Vivianne Pereira, recently spoke with Brazilian media outlet Combate and made the claim that UFC President Dana White called her husband and tried to get him to fight McGregor at UFC 189 as scheduled, despite the fact that he was suffering from a painful rib injury.
“Dana [called], talking about numbers. ‘It’s millions of dollars that you’re losing. You have to fight. You’ve never made this in your life’. [Jose] trying everything, doing everything. They didn’t want to announce it because who else would they put in the fight? They spent millions on the fight. How would they say he broke his rib? They didn’t want to admit they held it back, threw that on us, and we were saying it was broken.”
UFC has since responded to the claims made by Aldo’s wife. A UFC official issued the following statement to MMAFighting.com.
“Jose’s health and safety were always a priority and we worked closely with he and his team to ensure that he had access to the best medical care and consultation after sustaining the injury. We respect and understand that he could not proceed with the fight at UFC 189 due to the injury. Both fighters have now arrived in Las Vegas for this historic event, and we’re excited that UFC 194 is just days away.”
Fans know the rest of the story. Aldo pulled out of the fight on very short notice and top contender Chad Mendes, who was paid by UFC to be on standby in case either fighter had to pull out, stepped in and fought McGregor in an interim title fight. “The Notorious” one went on to knock out Mendes in the second round to set the stage for another Aldo-McGregor show to close out the year.
And we’re almost there!
UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor takes place this Saturday, December 12th from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and will air live on pay-per-view. Make sure to visit MMANews.com on Saturday evening for the absolute best UFC 194 live results on the web!
Former UFC welterweight and middleweight titleholder Georges St-Pierre has suggested Kamaru Usman is “on his way” to achieving GOAT status at 170 pounds.
With every appearance in the Octagon, Usman is further establishing his reign over the welterweight roster and cementing his status as one of the greatest to have ever fought in the UFC. At 15-0 on MMA’s biggest stage, “The Nigerian Nightmare” boasts the most consecutive wins in the 170-pound division, is just one victory away from equaling Anderson Silva’s tally, and is two more triumphs from leveling Jon Jones’ overall UFC streak record.
Since dethroning Tyron Woodley at UFC 235 in 2019, Usman has defended the gold five times, twice against Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington, and once versus Gilbert Burns. After marking his third win of the year by seeing off the challenge of “Chaos” for the second time, many, including UFC President Dana White, believe the champ has secured top spot in the welterweight GOAT debate.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWnrtPUgfRg/
Has St-Pierre Been Dethroned?
The consensus best-ever at 170 pounds has long been Georges St-Pierre. The UFC Hall of Famer is a two-time champ, having won the belt from Matt Hughes in 2007 and regained it against Matt Serra in a 2008 unification clash. Across an incredible nine title defenses during his second reign, “Rush” saw off the challenges of stars like BJ Penn, Thiago Alves, Dan Hardy, Carlos Condit, and Nick Diaz.
Despite his incredible accomplishments, which also transcended over to middleweight, GSP has seemingly come to terms with the possibility of Usman surpassing his legacy in the weight class.
During a recent episode of SPORF’s Hot Takes, the Canadian was shown a tweet in which the user suggested “The Nigerian Nightmare” has what it takes to be the welterweight GOAT. In response, St-Pierre admitted the current champ is “on his way.”
“Well he’s on his way. Rome was not built in a week. It took years. So, same thing with Kamaru Usman. He’s on his way. He’s doing fantastic and I’m a big fan of him. I truly believe, right now, he’s probably the best fighter right now, and probably the best active fighter in the UFC. He’s doing very well. Only the future will tell us.”
While St-Pierre continues to push away talk of a return to the Octagon, Usman will be analyzing the current welterweight landscape in preparation for his next challenger. Most believe the champ will run it back with Leon Edwards next. “Rocky” is unbeaten in 10 fights since a loss to Usman.
With Vicente Luque, Khamzat Chimaev, and Sean Brady all looking to rise up and earn a shot at the king, Usman could get close to St Pierre’s title-defense record if he can continue his dominance in the cage.
Do you think Kamaru Usman can surpass Georges St-Pierre to become the welterweight GOAT?
The final UFC Vegas 44 betting odds are in for as this event is quickly approaching for the Las Vegas-based promotion.
The event is here, and it goes down tonight (Saturday, December 4, 2021) from Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility.
Rob Font vs. Jose Aldo will headline the show. In the co-main event, Brad Riddell vs. Rafael Fiziev. Rounding out the main card is Clay Guida vs. Leonardo Santos, Jimmy Crute vs. Jamahal Hill, Brendan Allen vs. Chris Curtis and Alex Morono vs. Mickey Gall.
According to oddsmakers, Font is a -150 favorite over Aldo, who is a +130 underdog. Other odds for the main card include Riddell being a +105 underdog against Fiziev, who is a -125 favorite. Here are the full betting odds:
MAIN CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET)
Rob Font (-150) vs. Jose Aldo (+130)
Rafael Fiziev (-125) vs. Brad Riddell (+105)
Leonardo Santos (-190) vs. Clay Guida (+160)
Jimmy Crute (-190) vs. Jamahal Hill (+160)
Brendan Allen (-365) vs. Chris Curtis (+280)
Alex Morono (-220) vs. Mickey Gall (+180)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)
Dusko Todorovic (-160) vs. Maki Pitolo (+140)
Manel Kape (-250) vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov (+200)
Jake Matthews (-190) vs. Jeremiah Wells (+160)
Cheyanne Buys (-190) vs. Mallory Martin (+160)
Alonzo Menifield (-170) vs. William Knight (+150)
Chris Gruetzemacher (-115) vs. Claudio Puelles (-105)
The UFC Vegas 44 post-fight press conference will be live once the action concludes.
In the headliner, Rob Font and Jose Aldo will collide in a bantamweight clash. UFC Vegas 44’s co-main event will see a clash between Brad Riddell and Rafael Fiziev. action will also be featured on the main card as Leonardo Santos shares the Octagon with Clay Guida.
The fighters from both the main and co-main events are expected to attend the post-fight press conference barring any hospital visits. Of course anyone else on the card who has a breakout performance could also attend the presser.
MMA News will be providing live coverage of the UFC Vegas 44 card. Be sure to check back here for the post-fight presser with a tentative start time of 12:15 p.m. ET.
Let us know your big takeaways once the UFC Vegas 44 post-fight press conference.
Israel Adesanya is looking to branch out from fighting into anime.
The UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya seems almost unstoppable inside the Octagon. He has not lost a fight in his own division since he began fighting professionally. His only MMA career blemish was to Jan Blachowicz at light heavyweight. With so much dominance, what could be left for Adesanya? Well, he is now looking for success outside the UFC, in voiceover work specifically.
Adesanya will be lending his voice to a Netflix anime character from the series Baki Hanma. Adesanya is known for his interest in anime. He is constantly seen using the poses of his favorite characters and dressing in the styles from his favorite show. He spoke out a bit about how he feels about anime in general and how he feels he has brought the fanbase to the sport of MMA.
“I feel like I’ve played a part in the rise of anime in sports over the last few years,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel (via MMA Junkie). “I feel like I have because I express myself authentically. …Those who knew about anime, they were like, ‘Damn, this a real ninja.’ It’s what every anime fan tries to emulate.”
“I got offered to play a character in the series and I had to jump on it,” Adesanya said. “For me, voiceover work is my sh*t. I’m good at different accents, different tones, different languages, different vibes. I’m a man of the people. …This was my first dip. My foot in the door, if you will, in voiceover work, and yeah, I had fun.”
It is important for UFC fighters to have a “side hustle.” Many other champions have been seen branching out and starting businesses in different fields. With an ever-growing discussion about fighter pay and longevity, Adesanya adding to his skills set outside of MMA is a plus.
What do you think of Israel Adesanya’s foray into the world of anime voice acting?
Now, in a recent installment of “The Triple C & Schmo Show,” Cejudo is doubling down on that commitment, going so far as stating that Jon Jones and Fight Ready are synonymous as long as they are working together.
“He knew that there was a lot of room for improvement for him, even though him being the GOAT,” Cejudo said. “We’re bringing new techniques, we’re bringing structure, we’re bringing a whole other level of how is it that we kind of run our program. It’s all dedicated towards somebody like Jon. He is the team. The team is built around him, so I think he sees the great things that we’re doing out here.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWMvjZ0lS8C/
Henry Cejudo says that even though he considers Jon Jones to be the GOAT, he still has much to learn. And the more time he spends at Fight Ready, the more apparent it becomes to everyone that this is a great fit. All in all, as long as Jones is ready to learn, Cejudo and the Fight Ready crew are ready to continue dispensing guidance and learning material whenever he wants it.
“The champ is welcome,” Cejudo said. “When you’re the champ, when you’re the GOAT, you really can do whatever it is that you want to do. But one thing that I do feel like he would have at Fight Ready is just structure, and I think that’s the reason why he loves coming out here – because of the people, the team, the professionalism that we have out here. My job is to dissect him. My job is to dissect his fundamentals. My job is to pinpoint all the minor little things he’s missing – because he is missing a lot of things, but he’s such a student.”
Jon Jones is expected to make his heavyweight debut in 2022 but first must appear in court to answer for battery domestic violence and vehicle charges on January 31, 2022.
Former referee and current broadcaster John McCarthy believes UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou could depart the promotion if he’s beaten by interim titleholder Ciryl Gane at UFC 270.
Ngannou has been fighting on MMA’s biggest stage since 2015. After failing to capture gold in his first title shot, “The Predator” fought his way back to the top with a destructive tear through Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. In a rematch with Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 earlier this year, Ngannou secured his place on the throne with another brutal knockout.
Meanwhile, another name to come out of Paris’ renowned MMA Factory gym made his way up the heavyweight ladder. Since a transition to MMA from Muay Thai in 2018, Gane has made it to the UFC, defeated the likes of dos Santos, Rozenstruik, and Alexander Volkov, main evented three cards, and won the interim title.
The two former teammates are now set to collide in a blockbuster unification bout in the main event of UFC 270 on January 22.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CVYuAm1h47d/
McCarthy Says All Isn’t Well between Ngannou & The UFC
Despite currently occupying the top step in the heavyweight division, Ngannou’s reign hasn’t been without frustration. Despite only winning the belt in March, an interim strap was created just five months later. The decision to do so came despite the champ’s willingness to defend his newly won title a month later in September. That led to UFC President Dana White clashing with Ngannou’s manager.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast, John McCarthy discussed Ngannou’s gripes with the Dana White-led organization. Given the champ’s fractured relationship with the UFC, the 59-year-old wouldn’t be surprised to see him choose to leave if he fails to hold onto his title in January.
“If we’re gonna take a look and say, realistically, what is someone that could jump right (to another promotion), I’m telling you right now – Francis Ngannou. That’s the guy that can make the jump. That’s the guy that could leave his promotion. If he does not beat Ciryl Gane, I see him leaving the UFC and going elsewhere because he’s not happy with the way he’s been treated. I do think that that could be a possibility if you see Ciryl Gane taking that belt away from him.” (h/t Sportskeeda)
Having built a reputation as one of the biggest names in the sport and one of the most renowned knockout artists in the world, it would certainly be a surprise to see “The Predator” part ways with MMA’s premier promotion.
However, the champ’s disdain for the way he’s been treated is clear, and he may well choose to pursue greener pastures if “Bon Gamin” takes his gold next year.
Do you agree with John McCarthy? Could you see Francis Ngannou leaving the UFC if Ciryl Gane defeats him at UFC 270?
UFC lightweight contender Beneil Dariush has responded to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s claim that Islam Makhachev will receive a “double bonus” if he finishes him.
Both men will enter the five-rounder riding lengthy winning streaks. For the Iranian-born American, victories over names like Drew Dober, Drakkar Klose, Diego Ferreira, and Tony Ferguson have seen him have his hand raised in seven straight fights. Makhachev, meanwhile, got past Arman Tsarukyan, Thiago Moisés, and Dan Hooker on his way to nine consecutive triumphs.
Dariush Says The “Double Bonus” Is In His Contract As Well
According to Dariush, Khabib’s comments were simply an attempt to add a little drama to the matchup, as he boasts the same bonus in his own contract. During an interview with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, the 32-year-old confirmed that Makhachev isn’t receiving anything special or unheard of.
“I don’t know if I feel like I’m in competition with him (Khabib), but I feel like, maybe, he’s trying to do a little bit of a drama show. Like when he talks about contracts and how Islam is getting a bonus to finish me and stuff like that. You know, I feel like he’s throwing a little digs in there, which, in reality, I think is funny… I was gonna joke, I was like, ‘Man, I’m gonna call Ali (Abdelaziz) and tell him, listen Ali, give me Khabib’s number, I wanna make this guy my manager because I don’t understand why he’s getting bonuses.’
“But I’m just kidding. In reality, I get the same thing. I have the same thing in my contract… I have that double bonus in my contract. Yeah, yeah, I have the same assurances… It has nothing to do with the name of the fighter, it’s just in your contract. So, you know, drama show, everywhere you go it’s a little bit of a drama show. But at least the way Khabib does it, it’s not like, personal. So I don’t mind it, I actually appreciate it.”
While he knows he’ll be receiving the same double bonus as Makhachev if he finishes the Dagestani, Dariush isn’t so sure he has the same assurances when it comes to a title shot. Despite a victory over Makhachev, on paper, making him the clear top contender, the 32-year-old recognizes that the promotion will do whatever is best for business.
“I don’t know about if I’m going to get a title shot. Listen, with me, just because the way I am, you never know when I’m gonna get this title shot. And I don’t think it’s because Dana (White) or Sean (Shelby) don’t like me, I think they like me, but like, they’re businessmen. They have to make the right choice for their business; what’s gonna sell more pay-per-view, what’s gonna get more eyes on the fights, and I recognize that… If I continue doing what I’m doing inside that Octagon, I’m eventually gonna get the eyes and the people to open up their pocketbooks and pay for that pay-per-view.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CW3c3wapzgR/
Should Beneil Dariush receive a title shot if he halts the charge of Islam Makhachev in February 2022?
Top-10 middleweights Jack Hermansson and Sean Strickland are set to collide in the main event of the February 5 UFC Fight Night event.
The news of this middleweight clash was first reported by ESPN on Friday. The bout has been verbally agreed to by both parties and contracts should be signed shortly.
Both Hermansson and Strickland are coming off wins. Hermansson (#6) defeated Edmen Shahbazyan via unanimous decision in May but has had mixed results in his most recent fights, going 2-2 in his last four bouts. Hermansson has also kept himself busy by engaging in a wrestling matchup with welterweight Khamzat Chimaev.
The last time Hermansson main-evented a UFC card, he took home Fight of the Night against Marvin Vettori. Hermansson came out on the losing end of that contest and will certainly look to have a different outcome as he returns to the main event spotlight in February.
Sean Strickland (#7) has been searching for a new opponent ever since his bout with Luke Rockhold fell apart. Strickland and Rockhold were engaged in some very heated trash talk that was expected to culminate at UFC 268 in November. Unfortunately, Rockhold had to withdraw from the bout.
Every fighter has made weight ahead of UFC Vegas 44, including the event’s headliners, Rob Font and José Aldo.
UFC Vegas 44 takes place Saturday, December 4, 2021, from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event, Rob Font (#4) will battle José Aldo (#5). Font has candidly stated that he does not believe a win here would be enough for him to earn a title shot, yet he still expects that his jab and other tools in his arsenal will be enough to get the job done nonetheless.
In the co-main event, Rafael Fiziev will take on Brad Riddell. MMA News caught up with Fiziev prior to tomorrow’s battle. One of the things Fiziev had to say ahead of tomorrow’s contest is he views this fight as a must-win if he is to secure a strong new UFC contract. If he is victorious, he would have handed Riddell his first loss in the UFC.
Also competing on tomorrow’s card is ranked lightweights Jimmy Crute and Jamahal Hill. Hill told MMA News that he is moving on from the brutal outcome of his previous bout against Paul Craig. Tomorrow, the world will witness how the promising young light heavyweight rebounds.
The main card for UFC Vegas 44 begins at 10:00 PM ET, with the preliminary bouts starting at 7:00 PM. The entire card will be available on ESPN, ESPN+, and ESPN Deportes.
You can find the full weigh-in results below, courtesy of UFC.com, and you check out the video of today’s weigh-ins here, courtesy of MMA Weekly.
UFC Vegas 44 Weigh-In Results
Main Card
Main Event – Bantamweight Bout: Rob Font (134) vs Jose Aldo (136)
Co-Main Event – Lightweight Bout: Brad Riddell (155.5) vs Rafael Fiziev (155.5)
Light Heavyweight Bout: Jimmy Crute (205.5) vs Jamahal Hill (205)
Lightweight Bout: Clay Guida (155) vs Leonardo Santos (156)
Middleweight Bout: Brendan Allen (185.5) vs Chris Curtis (185)
Welterweight Bout: Alex Morono (170.5) vs Mickey Gall (170.5)
Preliminary Card
Middleweight Bout: Maki Pitolo (184.5) vs Dusko Todorovic (185.5)
Flyweight Bout: Manel Kape (125.5) vs Zhalgas Zhumagulov (125.5)
Welterweight Bout: Bryan Barberena (170.5) vs Darian Weeks (170)
Welterweight Bout: Jake Matthews (170) vs Jeremiah Wells (170.5)
Strawweight Bout: Cheyanne Vlismas (115.5) vs Mallory Martin (115)
Light Heavyweight Bout: Alonzo Menifield (205.5) vs William Knight (206)
Lightweight Bout: Claudio Puelles (155) vs Chris Gruetzemacher (156)
Bantamweight Bout: Louis Smolka (135.5) vs Vince Morales (135.5)
Be sure to visit MMANews.com tomorrow full for coverage of UFC Vegas 44, including all the highlights and results from the event!
