UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski has expanded on why he’d like to face the challenge of Movsar Evloev next time out.
Volkanovski returned to the throne at this past weekend’s UFC 314 pay-per-view, commencing a second reign at 145 pounds with a convincing five-round victory over Diego Lopes.
It hasn’t taken long for talk to turn from his performance in Miami to his next opponent, and while some have pushed back on Evloev getting a shot due to his fight style, the champ wants to test himself against the undefeated Russian.
During an interview with Fox Sports upon touching down back in Australia, Volkanovski explained why he’d choose Evloev to be the first hurdle in his newly begun featherweight rule.
“I did mention Movsar. He is undefeated. I like the fact that he’s undefeated,” Volkanovski said. “And still one of the younger generation. … I think for the legacy, that would still mean so much.
“But is that what the fans want? Is that what the UFC wants? I don’t know. I’m going to need to talk to them and we’ll see what happens,” Volkanovski added.
UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov has pinpointed one area of Belal Muhammad’s arsenal that he believes puts the reigning welterweight champion above his peers.
Muhammad has consistently proved his detractors wrong in recent years, mounting an impressive 11-fight unbeaten run en route to the championship at 170 pounds.
Among the helping hands along the way in “Remember the Name’s” corner was Khabib, who has regularly welcomed the Palestinian-American into his team.
During a recent interview with Adam Zubayraev, Khabib laid heavy praise on Muhammad while questioning who has what it takes to unseat him from the welterweight throne.
“I believe it will be very hard to beat Belal,” Khabib said. “If (Della) Maddalena or Shavkat don’t finish him early, Belal is just going to keep pressing. … His endurance is really good. In fact, I think it’s the most underrated aspect in MMA today. Belal’s cardio is the best in this division for sure, and maybe even in all of UFC.”
Jack Della Maddalena will have the first chance to make Muhammad’s reign a short-lived one. Due to an injury to Shavkat Rakhmonov, the Australian has been brought in to challenge the champ at UFC 315 in Montreal next month.
The veteran Brazilian received a stern test in his first foray into the cage as a UFC fighter against ex-interim champ Yair Rodriguez. The Mexican utilized his famed striking arsenal to provide an immediate blow to Pitbull’s ambitions.
But Patricio Pitbull has not appeared too disheartened by the result and is already turning his attention to what could await him down the line.
With that in mind, the 37-year-old recently put his choice of next opponent down to the fans, asking them to vote between Diego Lopes, Dan Ige, Josh Emmett, and Aljamain Sterling.
These are four names many people mentioned in reply to my last tweet. Which one would you like to see me face next? #UFC314#ufc
Should the UFC grant Paddy Pimblett a surprise title shot following his latest triumph, the coach of champion Islam Makhachev would seemingly be supportive of the decision.
Pimblett continued to build momentum in his quest to reach the mountaintop on MMA’s biggest stage, decimating Michael Chandler in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC 314 pay-per-view.
“The Baddy” exited Miami’s Kaseya Center with his undefeated promotional record intact, and he’s since risen to #8 in the official lightweight rankings.
While that’s left plenty of prominent names still ahead of him in the pecking order, the Scouser has been touted for a potential shot at gold next.
During the latest episode of his podcast, the Javier & Mo Show, coach Javier Mendez was asked about the prospect of Makhachev defending his belt against Pimblett sooner rather than later.
“Paddy’s ready to face anybody,” Mendez said. “What he’s done already, his credentials, his winning record in the UFC — and his hype, what he can do, how he can motivate people — if they give him the next title shot, he deserves it. … Is he worthy? Yes. He’s very interesting, and he’s got all of England behind him. … I’m a fan.”
The Australian veteran got the better of Diego Lopes across five rounds to bounce back from consecutive knockout losses to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria, beginning a second reign at 145 pounds in the process.
Attention has already turned to the first defense of his new divisional rule, and Evloev is widely being branded the most deserving of the opportunity.
During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, coach Joe Lopez assessed the Russian’s game and how it stacks up against the strengths of the champ.
“I think he is a good wrestler, but he’s not a – what would you call him? He’s good at getting people down, but he doesn’t really do much with it once he gets them down. And that’s what I guess makes him boring,” Lopez said. “So he just hangs on to them, and I don’t think he’s going to be able to hang onto Volk. Volk is just so strong, and his scrambling skills, and his jiu-jitsu and wrestling are another level. Volk just picks things up, if you look at the the beginning of the camp, when we break things down, and we see what each person’s really good at.
“So we’ve got Diego. Diego’s got a pretty good guard. The way he switches from armbars to triangles to sweeps, he’s very good at. He’s got a really good repertoire there, and at the beginning with the guys that we had, Volk was getting stuck in there. (But) by the end of the camp, Volk was not having any problems at all in those positions, and I think that’s what Diego felt when Alex took him down – that it’s not a place he wants to be with Alex on top of him because like I said, Alex’s pressure when he’s on top, he feels like a heavyweight on top of you, and then he just doesn’t hang onto you. He’s just looking to land some bombs or an elbow or something on you. So, you don’t want to be on the bottom when Alex is on top.”
UFC lightweight veteran Dustin Poirier has an idea in mind for Paddy Pimblett’s next test inside the Octagon.
Pimblett continued his charge up the 155-pound ladder at this past weekend’s UFC 314 pay-per-view, which he co-headlined against Michael Chandler inside Miami’s Kaseya Center.
“The Baddy” made a statement by laying a devastating beating on “Iron Mike” in the third round to secure a TKO stoppage, extending his undefeated UFC record in the process.
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, Poirier praised Paddy Pimblett’s performance in “The Magic City” and pondered what could come next for him in the stacked lightweight division.
“He’s legit,” Poirier said. “How can I deny him any more? Chandler’s a tough guy. I don’t think Chandler looked great. … I definitely think Chandler didn’t look great, but not taking away from Paddy’s performance. Paddy went out there, dropped the first round, came out confident and hit Chandler with good shots. Then he took him down. Who would’ve have had that on their bingo card that Paddy is going to take down Chandler to the mat like that and get on top of him and dominate him like that. Paddy’s the real deal.
“The guy was a prospect. Now he’s a contender,” Poirier continued. “You have to take him for real now. Not that Chandler wasn’t a big fight, but his next fight has to be a really big one. Like a (Mateusz) Gamrot, Arman (Tsarukyan), (Charles) Oliveira. … For me as a fan, put him in there with Dan Hooker. That would be an incredible fight. That’s a fun fight. The build up is going to be fun. Dan is going to stand and trade with him. Dan has good takedown defense, on the ground. That’s the fight, I think.”
Dan Hooker is coming off a split decision victory over Mateusz Gamrot in Australia last September. He was scheduled to battle Justin Gaethje at UFC 313 last month but had to withdraw due to injury.
Marvin Vettori has recently endured an unimaginable loss.
On Tuesday morning, reports emerged in Italian media revealing the heartbreaking news that Patrick Vettori, the younger brother of former UFC middleweight title challenger Marvin Vettori, sadly passed away in a house fire at his residence in Mezzocorona, Italy.
The fire is believed to have started after Patrick accidentally left a pan on the stove and fell asleep on the couch. Although emergency services were alerted by neighbors, police, and firefighters arrived at scene too late — he had already succumbed to smoke inhalation.
“The Italian Dream” took to Instagram to confirm the unfortunate demise of his 30-year-old brother. In a deeply emotional tribute, Vettori shared a series of poignant childhood photos and penned a heartfelt message for Patrick.
“You were and always will be No. 1 my little brother! You left us leaving an unfillable void, I will love you until my last breath. I don’t think I’ll be the same after today because maybe I never told you but you’ve always been my strength. You were the smartest and smartest of the 2, you were creating a wonderful future for yourself and I can’t get over it.”
“It is said that Jesus calls back the most beautiful souls prematurely to have them with him in heaven and then I hope that you are there with him looking and watching over us with that goodness that has always set you apart. I love you my brother, and even though it won’t be easy to continue life without you, it gives me heart to know that one day I’ll be buried next to you.”
While details about Patrick Vettori’s personal life remain limited, his Instagram profile offers a glimpse into his professional ventures. He was the owner of a real estate firm called Vettori Homes and the co-founder of Padel Hall, a paddle tennis facility based in Trento.
Chandler had hoped to insert his name back into the championship conversation at 155 pounds months on from a defeat to Charles Oliveira that left him 2-4 in the UFC.
Unfortunately for the ex-Bellator kingpin, Pimblett proved to be a hurdle too tall. The American was soundly beaten en route to a TKO stoppage in round three.
Now, days later, Chandler has addressed the brutal setback on social media, commenting on an image posted by his wife in the aftermath of his latest defeat on MMA’s biggest stage.
Never out of the fight. This picture sums it all up. As long as I’ve got these heartbeats and hands to hold, I’ve already won. pic.twitter.com/q7F1gB4KhD
“Never out of the fight,” Michael Chandler wrote. “This picture sums it all up. As long as I’ve got these heartbeats and hands to hold, I’ve already won.”
It remains to be seen what comes next for the 38-year-old, who is now winless since a 2022 knockout of Tony Ferguson.
Before securing the finish, “Lord” displayed sharp striking and showcased a clear grappling edge, neutralizing the American in nearly every exchange en route to locking in the submission win.
After suffering his second submission defeat in the UFC, “Thug Nasty” took to Instagram to reflect on the loss, admitting he was heartbroken by the outcome but stood by the fact that he left everything he had in the Octagon.
“Thank God, he protected me, Bryce Mitchell said. “I didn’t lose my teeth. I don’t got no broken bones. So I feel good about that. I fought as hard as I possibly could. I couldn’t have fought any harder. I could have fought smarter. I’m going to go make some adjustments but I mean he put me to sleep. I had nothing left to give. I’m happy about that, knowing that I tried my best. But I’ve got to get better. That’s just the lesson learned here, I’ve got to get better.
“I really thought that I was going to win the fight. 100 percent believed it. Because I just never had a fight that big before and I was like wow out of nowhere, this fight just got this much hype. God’s chosen me to win this fight but that wasn’t the case… I’m just going to keep fighting. That’s all I can do,” Mitchell said. “That’s all we can all do. Any time you take a loss, just learn from it and keep fighting. That’s what I’m going to do.”
After a tough night at #UFC314, Bryce Mitchell shared a heartfelt message with his fans:
"Y’all are so amazing. What an honor to entertain you. It’s okay to be disappointed — I’m not offended. It wasn’t a good night for me, but I can honestly say I gave it my all. I encourage… pic.twitter.com/x0w1f39M1y
“Thug Nasty” finds himself on uneven footing, going 2-3 in his last five appearances—each of the three losses coming by way of stoppage. His most recent win came at UFC 310 in December, when he scored a third-round knockout over Kron Gracie amidst an inconsistent run.
Following his TKO win in Miami, Pimblett was asked about a potential future matchup with the former featherweight champion after calling out names like Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, and Arman Tsarukyan.
“To be honest, I forgot about him. I forgot all about him, or I would’ve mentioned him in the cage. … That’s how irrelevant he is. I’m ranked higher than he is at lightweight, so I’d love to welcome him at 155, but apparently, he’s sitting out and waiting for the title shot.”
Pimblett believes his performance against Chandler provides a blueprint for defeating Topuria.
“But what I’ve just done to Chandler, [that’s] the blueprint to beating him. I’ll do the exact same thing to Ilia what I’ve done to Chandler.”
Looking ahead, Pimblett hopes to contend for the lightweight title in 2026, regardless of who holds the belt, be it Islam Makhachev or another fighter.
Pimblett acknowledged how fluid the division came be and mentioned potential scenarios involving Islam Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena.
“I’ve seen stuff where Islam might retire after another defense or two, or if [Jack Della Maddalena] beats Belal Muhammad, he’ll move up and fight for the welterweight belt,” Pimblett explained.
Ultimately, his focus remains on facing whoever the UFC puts in front of him.
“Whoever’s in front of me, that’s who I fight. Whoever the UFC sends me… that’s who I fight next, and that’ll be whoever I fight next.”
The UFC inked a five-year, $1.5 billion deal with ESPN in 2018 for domestic broadcast rights, commencing in 2019. This agreement was extended by two years in early 2019, incorporating pay-per-view streaming rights.
Speaking at the UFC 314 post-fight press conference, White commented on the situation.
“When the window opens, we’ll obviously start talking to lots of different people and we’ll see what the options are out there. We’ve said this every time: There could be a time when we end up on several different networks like all other sports do. I like ESPN. I’ve said it many times: We had a bit of a rocky start, which is normal in any relationship, but we’re in a great place with ESPN. Whether we re-sign with them or do not, I have nothing but great things to say about my time at ESPN.”
White was also asked about maintaining the current event format, which saw 42 events in 2024.
“I don’t know. It depends on what ESPN or wherever else we go is looking for. Most of the times when you do these deals, you’re catering to what the network needs. Plus, they’ll have other programming, other sports that they’re already committed to at certain times and seasons and whatever it may be. It always changes. It doesn’t matter to me.”
White also commented on a Bloomberg report suggesting the UFC is seeking over $1 billion annually for its new broadcast rights deal, stating, “Sounds good to me.”
With the possibility of the UFC following WWE’s move to Netflix, the question of the pay-per-view model’s future arose.
“We do what works for the network – what do they want to do? Do they want to just put it on their air? Do they want to do pay-per-view? Do they want to put it behind a paywall? I don’t know any of those things. Tuesday, the window opens and we start talking to other networks and we’ll get more into that.”
UFC light heavyweight contender Dominick Reyes enjoyed a fruitful trip to Miami last week, but not quite as much so as he feels was merited.
Reyes was tasked with opening the main card of Saturday’s UFC 314 pay-per-view inside Miami’s Kaseya Center opposite longtime top 10 contender Nikita Krylov.
During an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Reyes reflected on his victory at UFC 314 and addressed the fact that it did not earn him a $50K performance bonus from the promotion.
“It’s definitely upsetting (not to get a bonus),” Dominick Reyes said. “Number 11 vs. number eight. I knocked him out in the first round to jump off the main card of the best card of the year.
“It definitely hurt, but it is what it is. Bottom line, I’m winning, man, we’re moving forward,” Reyes concluded.
Covington questioned the caliber of Pimblett’s UFC opponents, while the Scouser fired back by highlighting the American’s recent string of losses.
Pimblett dismissed Covington as “irrelevant” during an interview with ESPN. “Chaos,” never one to back down from a verbal sparring match, responded through his YouTube channel, offering a scathing assessment of “The Baddy” and his recent competition.
“Paddy wanted to say some sh*t when I was walking by, so I had to confront him. I had to let him know he’s a little bItch boy. The combined losing streak of his last three opponents, look it up, guys, it’s 13 losses in a row. He wants to act like he’s relevant and he’s a star, he’s a f*cking nobody, bro. You’re a nobody. You’ve never headlined an event. You’ve never done anything worthy. You’ve never been a top contender. You’re a f*cking scrub. The only reason people f*cking care about you is because you’re an Ellen Degeneres-looking f*cking scrub and, to be honest, it’s because you’ve got a bowl cut and an English accent, that’s the only reason people want to look at you.”
Covington’s animosity toward Pimblett is evident. Now, he has issued a challenge to the rising star.
“Paddy Pimblett’s a little b*tch. He needs to stop running my name through his mouth to stay relevant. Because he’s just using me to stay relevant because he’s never accomplished anything. He’s never going to get to a title fight. He’s never going to win a title, period. He’s a f*cking irrelevant bum. So when he stops cutting all that weight and cutting chromosomes and he wants to come to a real man’s weight class, and fight a real man, he can get his ass whooped. So he needs to keep my name out of his mouth, otherwise he’s going to end up with my foot in his ass and that’s a fact.”
Alexander Volkanovski’s victory over Diego Lopes at UFC 314 on Saturday night came at a cost, as he potentially sustained a broken hand during the five-round featherweight title bout.
Despite the injury, Volkanovski secured a unanimous decision win with scores of 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47, reclaiming the 145-pound belt.
Volkanovski’s coach, Joe Lopez, discussed the potential injury in a recent interview with Submission Radio.
“He might have broke his hand, we still gotta get that X-ray. He did hurt his hand … It was earlier in the fight. Alex didn’t say anything about it [at the time], just at the end he was just saying, ‘I think I busted my hand.’” Lopez also noted the physical toll of the fight, adding, “I can’t remember which round. But yeah, he’s got a bit of a sore foot and just the bumps and bruises after having a five round war with a warrior.”
Lopez credited Diego Lopes for disrupting their initial game plan.
“After that first round, Diego channeled his inner Jose Aldo because man, his hips were on fire. We couldn’t get him back down. He did not wanna go back down there … We wanted to take Diego down or get him against the fence because he is very dangerous. He’s very explosive, and you could see he’s super tough. Alex put some big shots on him, and he he wore them like they were nothing.”
According to UFC newcomer Aaron Pico, Jean Silva’s destruction of Bryce Mitchell is enough to warrant a title shot.
The featherweight gold returned to Alexander Volkanovski at this past weekend’s UFC 314 pay-per-view, which was headlined by a clash for the belt vacated by Ilia Topuria.
To begin a fresh reign on the 145-pound throne, Volkanovski got the better of charging contender Diego Lopes across five rounds in Miami. And though the Australian’s victory is just days old, it hasn’t taken long for focus to turn to what could await him next.
For many, that should be a showdown with the undefeated Movsar Evloev, who has beaten Lopes, Arnold Allen, and Aljamain Sterling consecutively to stake his claim.
During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, however, Pico pointed to another figure in the featherweight top 15 as a more “exciting” option for the UFC and “Alexander the Great.”
“Honestly, I think Jean Silva,” Pico said. “He’s 5-0 in the UFC with five finishes. I wouldn’t be surprised if he got the title shot. He put on a great performance (at UFC 314). The crowd loved him and he’s starting to get a lot of fans. And I think he’s very exciting.
“Movsar is a great fighter, of course. But I think to the fans, it’s very, very boring,” Pico added.
In the Brazilian’s way of a title crowning was Alexander Volkanovski, a legendary former champ looking to regain his place on the throne following back-to-back knockouts at the hands of Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria.
The bout wasn’t without moments of success for Lopes, however. The 30-year-old scored a knockdown in round two before finishing the fight with a late flurry.
And his pedal to the metal approach to the final minute in Miami is exactly how Muhammad thinks the Brazilian should have fought from the start.
Diego Should’ve fought the whole fight like he did that last minute
“Iron Mike” was badly beaten en route to a TKO stoppage in round three. The result has ensured he’s remained winless since 2022 and pushed the former Bellator champion’s UFC record to a disappointing 2-5.
During his appearance at the post-fight press conference, White reacted to Chandler’s latest setback. The UFC chief insisted that regardless of the result, Chandler is in nothing but great fights.
“(Chandler’s) always in the fight,” White said. “Tonight was a big night for Paddy Pimblett. people have been doubting Paddy Pimblett every single fight he fights in. He’s undefeated in the UFC.
“Every time that guy (Chandler) goes in, you know you’re in for a good fight, you know it’s going to be a war, and you don’t know if he’s going to win or lose,” White added.
Michael Chandler will no doubt hope that he can put on a good fight while also having his hand raised when he returns to the cage.
A return date remains up in the air for the former title challenger, who appeared to sustain significant damage at the hands of Pimblett and swiftly returned to the backstage area before the result was read out at UFC 314.
UFC lightweight contender Renato Moicano has acknowledged the impressive nature of longtime rival Paddy Pimblett’s latest triumph inside the cage.
Pimblett recorded the biggest win of his Octagon career to date at this past weekend’s UFC 314 pay-per-view, which he co-headlined inside Miami’s Kaseya Center.
To keep his undefeated UFC record intact and further climb the ladder toward title contention, “The Baddy” was tasked with adding to the woes of a Michael Chandler who entered the event without a win since 2022.
The ex-Cage Warriors champion has been collecting plenty of plaudits in the aftermath of his performance in “The Magic City,” and that includes from one man whom he’s frequently gone back and forth with.
Paddy pimblett 2024: EASY MONEY ✅ Paddy pimblett 2025: NOT SO EASY ❌
While the aftermath of the April 12 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the featherweight title picture to the welterweight championship conversation.
At UFC 315, set for the Bell Centre on May 10, reigning kingpin Belal Muhammad will open his account for the year in defense of his 170-pound gold. After his crowning against Leon Edwards last July, the first challenge to the Palestinian-American’s reign will come from Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena.
Stakes will also be high in the co-headliner, as two-time flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko looks to defend her belt for the first time since winning it back at the expense of Alexa Grasso in 2024. In her way of a continued reign will be the charging Manon Fiorot.
Aldo, Grasso, Saint Denis Set The Stage For Title Headliners At UFC 315
Before Muhammad and Shevchenko make the walk to put their championships on the line, a number of notable names will take to the Octagon looking to make the most of their position on the major UFC 315 card.
That includes mixed martial arts legend Jose Aldo. After having his record since returning from retirement leveled at 1-1 courtesy of Mario Bautista’s efforts last October, the Brazilian former champ will look to avoid falling to a losing skid by snapping the winning run of home favorite Aiemann Zahabi.
Prior to that, another ex-titleholder in Grasso will be in action. After being thrust off the 125-pound throne by Shevchenko in their trilogy inside the Sphere seven months ago, the Mexican will look to stake her claim for a shot at regaining the gold by handing surging contender Natalia Silva her first defeat in the UFC.
And opening the UFC 315 main card will be “God of War” Benoit Saint Denis. After a difficult 2024 in which he suffered crushing defeats to Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano, the Frenchman must now defend his spot in the lightweight top 15 opposite Spain’s Joel Alvarez.
Those pairings have currently gotten the nod to feature on the main card over the likes of Canada’s own Mike Malott and former strawweight queen Jessica Andrade, who are slated to feature on the prelims.
See below for the UFC 315 lineup, as it stands.
Main Card:
Welterweight Championship: Belal Muhammad (C) vs. Jack Della Maddalena
Women’s Flyweight Championship: Valentina Shevchenko (C) vs. Manon Fiorot
Bantamweight: Jose Aldo vs. Aiemann Zahabi
Women’s Flyweight: Alexa Grasso vs. Natalia Silva
Lightweight: Benoit Saint Denis vs. Joel Alvarez
Preliminary Card (bout order TBA):
Welterweight: Mike Malott vs. Charles Radtke
Women’s Flyweight: Jessica Andrade vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
Light Heavyweight: Modestas Bukauskas vs. Ion Cutelaba
Bantamweight: Brad Katona vs. Bekzat Almakhan
Middleweight: Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Bruno Silva
Light Heavyweight: Navajo Stirling vs. Ivan Erslan
UFC featherweight contender Diego Lopes has vowed to come back stronger after falling short in his first title opportunity.
Having won all five of his subsequent Octagon appearances following a competitive debut defeat to the undefeated Movsar Evloev in 2023, Lopes had his first chance to reach the mountaintop at UFC 314.
Though no doubt disappointed to be leaving Miami without the featherweight gold in his possession, Lopes doesn’t appear too disheartened and is optimistic about what the future holds for him.
“Always with my head held high, a smile on my face,” Diego Lopes wrote on X. “I fell short last night, I failed in a few things. I’ll get back to work, improve, correct the mistakes, and move forward. Thank you all for your support. As I always say, ‘NOTHING HAPPENS.’”
While Lopes looks ahead to his attempt at immediately returning to the winner’s circle, Volkanovski’s second reign is underway. Many have been quick to call for his first defense to come against Evloev later this year.
UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev was a keen observer as two-time opponent Alexander Volkanovski returned to winning ways.
Many had already deemed Volkanovski’s days as a champ and top competitor on MMA’s biggest stage to have been over following consecutive knockout losses to Makhachev and Ilia Topuria.
But in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 314 pay-per-view in Miami, “Alexander the Great” proved his detractors wrong with a vintage display to get the better of Diego Lopes and capture the vacant 145-pound gold.
Volkanovski has been getting plenty of plaudits in the aftermath of his first win since mid-2023, and among the most prominent to lay praise on the Australian was the lightweight king.
Congrats @alexvolkanovski great comeback! Real champ in sport and life 🏆
“Congrats @alexvolkanovski great comeback! Real champ in sport and life,” Makhachev wrote on X.
Prior to knocking the newly crowned two-time featherweight champ out in their short-notice rematch, Makhachev narrowly emerged victorious from a memorable five-round battle with the Aussie veteran in Perth.
UFC light heavyweight contender Dominick Reyes has some big fights in mind following the latest triumph in his career resurgence this weekend.
Since four straight losses sent Reyes tumbling down the pecking order, the man who pushed Jon Jones to the limit in 2019 has bounced back in a big way.
Following consecutive triumphs over Dustin Jacoby and Anthony Smith, “The Devastator” put his name back into contention at 205 pounds starching Nikita Krylov at this weekend’s UFC 314 pay-per-view.
During a backstage interview with Full Send MMA, Reyes assessed what could lie in his future following a standout performance in Miami.
“(Aleksandar) Rakic would be a great fight,” Dominick Reyes said. “The winner of Khalil (Rountree) and Jamahal Hill. And who doesn’t want to see me rematch Jiri Prochazka? You know, fight one of them, get the title, and then I’ll fight all of them.”
Reyes’ 2021 main event with Prochazka served as the third setback on his losing skid. Their back and forth war at the Apex came to an end when a brutal spinning back elbow rendered the American unconscious.
MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming fight cards.
With events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.
Between Monday, April 7, and Sunday, April 13, a number of fights were made official by the UFC or reported as being in the works by reputable sources.
For those matchups, including main events for the Apex on May 17 and Baku on June 21, check out the list below:
A feud is developing between UFC lightweight Paddy Pimblett and welterweight Colby Covington.
Following his co-main event victory over Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in Miami, Pimblett was unexpectedly confronted by Covington.
Covington criticized the caliber of Pimblett’s opponents, while Pimblett retorted by highlighting Covington’s recent losing streak.
Pimblett later detailed the exchange on ESPN’s post-event show, referring to Covington as a “little maggot” who “only does something when there’s a camera about.”
Paddy Pimblett recounted a prior interaction at Power Slap where Covington allegedly avoided eye contact. In their latest meeting, Pimblett stated he told Covington, “‘Lad, I’ll come and slap you, but you’ll go and ring the police on me like you did with Masvidal, you little grass [snitch].’”
This alludes to Covington’s past altercation with Jorge Masvidal, who attacked him outside a restaurant, leading to Masvidal’s arrest and a misdemeanor battery plea.
Pimblett is firmly focused on a lightweight title opportunity and dismissed Covington during his post-fight press conference.
“He can eat sh*t. He pays supermodels to stand with him, the f*cking bum. He’s a nobody. He’s on a three-fight losing streak or something, he’s irrelevant. He’s trying to use me now to stay relevant because he’s a nobody, he’s a bum. I’d beat Colby Covington for a laugh, but I’ve got bigger fish to fry than that little mushroom.”
The Brazilian great jumped into the deep end against ex-interim titleholder Yair Rodriguez, and the Mexican’s renowned striking game ultimately proved too much for Pitbull on the night.
While Pitbull would appear to have limited time to reach his championship ambitions on MMA’s biggest stage given he’s joined at the age of 37, he remained positive about his goals while making his first public post-fight statement on social media.
Congratulations to @panteraufc, we’ll see each other again. I’m injury free and ready to go at any time @ufc. Thank you to all the fans, I’ll make you all proud, you can count on that. #UFC314
“Congratulations to @panteraufc, we’ll see each other again. I’m injury free and ready to go at any time @ufc,” Pitbull wrote. “Thank you to all the fans, I’ll make you all proud, you can count on that. #UFC314“
