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  • UFC Veteran Joe Lauzon On Limbo Status: ‘I Don’t Exactly Know A Valid Way To Get Out Of The Contract…’

    UFC Veteran Joe Lauzon On Limbo Status: ‘I Don’t Exactly Know A Valid Way To Get Out Of The Contract…’

    Joe Lauzon recently opened up about the lingering uncertainty surrounding his UFC career.

    Lauzon is a name that might not resonate with newer MMA fans, but he was once celebrated as one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC lightweight division of his era, holding the third-highest number of post-fight bonuses in the company’s history.

    “J-Lau” has been absent from the Octagon since delivering a first-round TKO victory over Jonathan Pearce in October 2019, a win that ended his three-fight losing streak. In August 2023, Lauzon lobbied for a spot at UFC 292 in Boston, but the promotion declined, signaling that his services were no longer required. Even UFC CEO Dana White publicly urged him to hang up his gloves for good.

    The 40-year-old Massachusetts native has considered himself semi-retired during his five-year hiatus, admitting that he’d only return to active competition if a truly compelling matchup came his way. However, with no such opportunity on the horizon, Lauzon now finds himself at a crossroads…

    Lauzon Still Training While Not Actively Seeking A Fight

    During a recent interview with MMAFightingonSBN, Lauzon opened up about his time away from the Octagon. The seasoned UFC lightweight admitted he’s unsure about the future of his career, yet he remains committed to training regularly despite not actively pursuing any fight opportunities.

    “I’ve been focused more on my gym than I have on training,” Lauzon said. “Everyone’s always asking, like, ‘Oh, are you going to fight again? Are you not going to fight again?’ and my answer is always kind of ambiguous—I don’t really know. I wanted to fight Chase Hooper last summer when they were going to come to Boston, but that didn’t work out; they didn’t want to do that. So, I don’t know. If they came to me with a fight and a matchup that I liked… I’m still training all the time, but I’m not pressing the issue.”

    “J-Lau” also revealed that, despite his inactivity, he’s still under contract with the UFC. However, he admitted that he’s unclear on how to exit the agreement, especially since he’s not actively pursuing a fight.

    “I don’t exactly know a valid way to get out of the contract—not that I’m trying to—but I think that there’s a bunch of reasons it can kind of freeze or get prolonged, right? So I think it’s if you turn down a fight, if you are injured, or if you retire—you know, those things all prolong and extend it, right? So, from my perspective, I’m not really trying to fight anywhere else, so I don’t really care. I’m still in the USADA pool, which is not even annoying, but a little bit annoying.”

    “I still have USADA—or not USADA, but Drug Free Sport—show up, and they test me every once in a while. But otherwise, I mean, I think it’s just extended perpetually, like until whenever. I’m in a weird spot where I don’t really care about actively fighting.

    Lauzon stands as the longest-serving fighter on the current UFC roster. Since his promotional debut at UFC 63 back in 2006, he has stepped into the Octagon 27 times.

    “J-Lau” has faced numerous hurdles in securing fights over the years. He was set to clash with Donald Cerrone on three separate occasions, but the bout was postponed once and canceled twice, all before “Cowboy” eventually called it a career.

  • Kayla Harrison Makes Surprising Prediction For Larissa Pacheco vs. Cris Cyborg: ‘Unless She’s Been Goofing Off…’

    Kayla Harrison Makes Surprising Prediction For Larissa Pacheco vs. Cris Cyborg: ‘Unless She’s Been Goofing Off…’

    Kayla Harrison fighting Cris Cyborg is a fight that has been spoken about for many years, but looks to be completely off the table at this stage.

    The former PFL and Bellator champions could’ve put on one of the biggest fights possible outside of the UFC but with Harrison signing to the MMA leader, it wasn’t possible even with Cyborg joining the PFL in the Bellator acquisition.

    Now, on October 19, Cyborg will fight a PFL champion but it will instead be the only woman to have beaten the former Olympic Judoka during her pro career.

    Larissa Pacheco has won back-to-back PFL tournaments including her shock upset win over the former champ in 2023.

    Though Harrison may now be competing at the top of the UFC’s bantamweight division, she has got some thoughts on this match-up between the two greatest rivals of her career so far.

    Kayla Harrison Picks Larissa Pacheco To Defeat Cris Cyborg, Says Age A Key Factor

    In a recent interview with Inside Fighting, Harrison picked Pacheco to get the better of Cyborg when they clash at PFL: Battle Of The Giants.

    The bout is set to be the co-main event for the debut of the promotion’s PPV Super Fights division, which will see both the winner of this fight and the main event between Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira receive a new Super Fights belt.

    Harrison said that as long as Pacheco hasn’t lost her dedication, after being able to earn a lot of money, she has the edge in this fight.

    “I think Pacheco wins. She’s young, I mean unless she’s been goofing off, you know. Couple mil will do that sometimes. Couple mil in the bank account makes it hard to get out of bed but she’s young, she’s hungry, she keeps getting better, she’s got real power. Cyborg’s at the end of her career.”

    Harrison then elaborated on the idea that in her opinion, Cyborg is in the final stages of her career now at 39 years old, which gives Pacheco an advantage.

    The Brazilian MMA icon made her pro debut back in 2005, whereas Pacheco wouldn’t make hers until seven years after in 2012.

    “Yeah I think she’s a little bit older and I just think that we like we haven’t seen a lot of progress from her like I don’t see her fight IQ growing. I haven’t seen progression really, she fights the same way now that she fought, you know, however long ago so I think Pacheco is gonna win.”

    Read also: Jéssica Andrade Teases Inaugural Women’s BMF Matchup With Retired Legend: ‘I’ve Been Talking To Joanna…’

  • Jon Anik Opens On Emotional Tribute To Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Father: ‘The Only Thing That Even Comes Close…’

    Jon Anik Opens On Emotional Tribute To Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Father: ‘The Only Thing That Even Comes Close…’

    There was a point in time where MMA fans questioned the UFC’s decision to have Jon Anik take over as the lead play-by-play commentator on the broadcasts, only for him to become an integral part of the promotion.

    Anik has been a part of so many incredible moments in the history of the sport but for “Big” John McCarthy, there’s one memory that stands out.

    McCarthy and Josh Thomson were joined by the modern-day voice of the UFC on the latest episode of their Weighing In podcast.

    During their conversation, the veteran referee wanted to highlight how one piece of work from Anik has always stuck with him since he first heard it.

    Anik delivered a tribute to the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov following his passing in 2020 which led to his son, Khabib Nurmagomedov, retiring on top of the sport.

    Jon Anik Reflects On Tribute For Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, Reveals Whether Anything Tops It

    After McCarthy spoke about the level of emotion and heart that the commentator was able to put into this tribute as one of his finest moments on the mic, Anik spoke about the backstory of putting this together.

    When asked if there was anything in his career that tops this, he gave another example of a powerful piece of work like the tribute for Nurmagomedov, that he also gives a lot of credit to his producer at the time to.

    “Yes, I mean the only thing that even comes close and same producer no longer with the UFC, Mike Ricci now actually working for chess.com, and my daughters along with Daniel Cormier’s daughter got to do an Amanda Nunes essay. So it was those three girls doing it so it had nothing to do with me. I don’t know that anything could top that but man, yes, you’re giving me chills when you reference that poem, ‘a father to his son.’

    “I wish I remember what it was but oftentimes when we do an essay for a fighter, I might write it, I might have a ghost writer and then I might edit that script. In this case, it was this poem that was actually picked and I really had to find, and I appreciate you acknowledging the work because I am proud of it. I had to find, sort of a dulcet, melancholy, sad tone that was very, and it was voiced on this exact headset that you’re looking at right now in a hotel room probably like this so finding the right tone and sending that off, hoping that they would put it together in the right way, yes it was special and obviously it was to him [Khabib Nurmagomedov] but Mike Ricci really deserves all the credit.”

    Read also: Coach On Sean O’Malley Not Defending Title Against Umar Nurmagomedov: “If ‘Suga’ Just Faceplants Merab & Drops A ‘Hendo’ Bomb…”

  • Merab Dvalishvili’s Coach On Approach To Avoid Against Sean O’Malley: ‘That’s How We’re Gonna Get Knocked Out’

    Merab Dvalishvili’s Coach On Approach To Avoid Against Sean O’Malley: ‘That’s How We’re Gonna Get Knocked Out’

    Merab Dvalishvili has won ten consecutive UFC fights to find himself as the number one contender in the bantamweight division.

    In many of his signature wins over the likes of Henry Cejudo, José Aldo and Petr Yan, it has been his relentless cardio and grappling game that usually sees him dominate opponents.

    Though the Georgian fighter has shown a willingness to test his striking skills rather than constantly chaining together his takedown attempts, he has been hurt several times whilst standing with other contenders.

    While it is important for Dvalishvili to not be too one dimensional in his upcoming title fight with Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, his coach is also very aware that this is where they have the best chance of winning this fight.

    John Wood Says It’s Important For Merab Dvalishvili To Use His Grappling Skill Set At UFC 306

    O’Malley and Dvalishvili are far too accomplished as overall mixed martial arts to refer to this fight as entirely a striker vs grappler match-up, but it’s clear that they do their best work in the respective ranges.

    This is something that was stressed by John Wood in a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, where he spoke about Dvalishvili’s preparations.

    He isn’t going to be training his fighter to neglect his striking skills but at the same time, he knows that if they aren’t looking to use their grappling whenever they can, they’re making it an easier night for the champion on September 14.

    “I never want to overlook what got Merab to the dance, what brought Merab into this title fight and we have to try to keep those things in check and not lose ourselves. ‘Oh we have to go learn traditional boxing, we have to learn striking, we have to do these things to compete with O’Malley,’ because that’s how we’re going to get knocked out. Merab is a crazy man we just have to make him a technical crazy man.”

    Read also: Coach On Sean O’Malley Not Defending Title Against Umar Nurmagomedov: “If ‘Suga’ Just Faceplants Merab & Drops A ‘Hendo’ Bomb…”

  • Robert Whittaker Explains Why UFC Could Gift Welterweight Title Shot To Former Champion: ‘A Lot Of Balls In His Court’

    Robert Whittaker Explains Why UFC Could Gift Welterweight Title Shot To Former Champion: ‘A Lot Of Balls In His Court’

    Kamaru Usman could be back in the mix at the top of the welterweight division despite the fact that he has lost his last three fights inside the Octagon.

    The former welterweight champion may be without a win since he lost the title in his second fight with Leon Edwards but he has other factors that make him a credible contender.

    Shavkat Rakhmonov may be the clear option on paper but the undefeated finisher doesn’t have the same pedigree and longstanding relationship with the UFC.

    The relationship that Usman has built up with the promotion was on full display at UFC 294, where he stepped in to fight Khamzat Chimaev up a weight class on short notice.

    Robert Whittaker believes that this puts him in a strong position to get the title shot.

    Robert Whittaker Says Kamaru Usman’s UFC 294 Save Puts Him On Good Terms With The UFC

    Whittaker isn’t the first to suggest that Usman may be more likely to get the first shot at Belal Muhammad, it would appear.

    Rakhmonov has already stated that he was offered to fight Muhammad at UFC 307 but the fight didn’t get signed because the champion couldn’t make that turnaround after winning the title at the end of July.

    On a recent episode of his MMArcade Podcast, Whittaker gave his thoughts on whether “The Nigerian Nightmare” will be able to secure this fight after what he has done for the UFC in the past.

    “I think after Usman stepped in to fight Chimaev on a week’s notice, I feel like that’s a lot of balls in his court. I feel like that’s a lot of weight cuz that’s pretty ballsy, it was a pretty good fight. I don’t know, I wouldn’t be terribly upset if he gets a title shot.”

    Whittaker’s co-host on the podcast, Jonny Roses, referenced how after that fight at UFC 294, Dana White went into the Octagon to thank Usman for taking this fight on short notice.

    “The Reaper” responded by saying that though he can see Usman getting a title shot or an eliminator, he doesn’t think the promotion will want to do what is best for Muhammad.

    “It’s hard to say, I can see them giving it to Usman because of that but Usman hasn’t been in for a long time. I could also say I can also see them fighting Shavkat for that reason but I can’t see UFC doing Belal too much of a solid in terms of matching up his hardest opponents together, you know what I mean. I don’t think he’s earned that credit strip yet.”

    Read also: Gilbert Burns Makes Retirement Admission Ahead Of UFC Return: ‘I’m Getting Freaking Old’

  • Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov’s Return Set For UFC 308 In Abu Dhabi

    The surging Sharabutdin Magomedov has his next assignment in the calendar, and it comes on a major card.

    Unbeaten in three UFC fights to date, Magomedov (14-0) has only grown his prominence since arriving on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage in October 2023. After a debut win over Bruno Silva, the Dagestani reeled off victories over Antonio Trócoli and Michał Oleksiejczuk this past summer.

    And Magomedov’s work for 2024 is not complete yet. After emerging victorious in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi thus far into his Octagon tenure, “Bullet” is once again set to make the walk in the Middle East.

    The promotion announced this week that Magomedov will share the cage with Armen Petrosyan (9-3) as part of the stacked UFC 308 lineup in Abu Dhabi on October 26.

    Magomedov Targets Fourth Straight UFC Win At Petrosyan’s Expense

    When he makes the walk at Etihad Arena, Magomedov will look to keep his undefeated professional and UFC records intact.

    The latest man tasked with blemishing the Russian’s slate is Petrosyan, a Muay Thai specialist who has experienced a mixed bag of things in the UFC to date. After earning a contract with a brutal head kick knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021, the Armenian announced his arrival by outpointing the highly regarded Gregory Rodrigues.

    “Superman” has since gone 2-2, losing out to current top-five contender Caio Borralho and most recently Rodolfo Vieira, with consecutive decision wins over AJ Dobson and Christian Leroy Duncan sandwiched between those setbacks.

    He’ll now look to secure what would go down as his biggest win to date at the expense of a name touted by some to quickly rise the ranks at 185 pounds.

    With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 26 are as follows:

    • Ilia Topuria (C) vs. Max Holloway (featherweight championship main event)
    • Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev (middleweight co-main event)
    • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakić (light heavyweight)
    • Lerone Murphy vs. Dan Ige (featherweight)
    • Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov (heavyweight)
    • Geoff Neal vs. Rafael dos Anjos (welterweight)
    • Sharabutdin Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan (middleweight)
    • Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Nursulton Ruziboev (welterweight)
    • Mateusz Rębecki vs. Myktybek Orolbai (lightweight)
    • Marcos Rogério de Lima vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu (heavyweight)
    • Abus Magomedov vs. Brunno Ferreira (middleweight)
    • Ibo Aslan vs. Raffael Cerqueira (light heavyweight)
    Shara Magomedov
    Image: @ufc/X
  • Coach On Sean O’Malley Not Defending Title Against Umar Nurmagomedov: “If ‘Suga’ Just Faceplants Merab & Drops A ‘Hendo’ Bomb…”

    Coach On Sean O’Malley Not Defending Title Against Umar Nurmagomedov: “If ‘Suga’ Just Faceplants Merab & Drops A ‘Hendo’ Bomb…”

    Following his win over Cory Sandhagen at the start of August, Umar Nurmagomedov would appear to be the next in line to challenge for the bantamweight title.

    Sean O’Malley will be defending the belt against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 while Nurmagomedov watches on to see how it plays out.

    The only thing that could potentially stop the undefeated contender from getting his shot is if there is the potential to put on a massive fight between UFC champions.

    O’Malley has spoken in the past about wanting to challenge himself at featherweight and though Dvalishvili presents a very serious threat, “Suga” has big plans.

    The current champion has spoken about wanting to face Nurmagomedov but a super fight against the winner of the featherweight title fight at UFC 308 could be a now-or-never opportunity for O’Malley and the promotion.

    Tim Welch Says Super Fight Could Be Next For Sean O’Malley Under The Right Circumstances

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoNd4U5WNok&t=623s

    In a recent interview with James Lynch for Bodog Canada, O’Malley’s head coach Tim Welch gave his thoughts on Nurmagomedov being the next contender.

    Welch believes that taking on the cousin of the great Khabib Nurmagomedov will be their next challenge unless the main events of UFC 306 and UFC 308 end in emphatic fashion.

    He thinks that the UFC could strike while the iron is hot if both O’Malley and either Ilia Topuria or Max Holloway is able to put in a statement performance before going on to face each other, leaving Nurmagomedov to wait a bit longer for his chance.

    Welch referenced Dan Henderson’s iconic knockout of Michael Bisping at UFC 100 to make the case for this fight being put together if there is enough buzz.

    “I think we’ll see how it goes and if Ilia, maybe if Max knocks out Ilia or Ilia knocks out Max cold and then ‘Suga’ just face plants Merab and drops a ‘Hendo’ bomb on him at the end and it’s just spectacular knock outs, I don’t think Dana and those guys would be opposed to make a super fight.”

    Read also: Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’ 

  • Jéssica Andrade Teases Inaugural Women’s BMF Matchup With Retired Legend: ‘I’ve Been Talking To Joanna…’

    While still in pursuit of another UFC title reign, former strawweight queen Jéssica Andrade is also targeting another type of championship…

    Andrade has been searching for a path back to gold ever since Zhang Weili rendered her rule over the 115-pound weight class short-lived back in 2019. That’s been the case at both strawweight and flyweight, with the Brazilian unsuccessfully challenging for the belt in the latter division against Valentina Shevchenko three years ago.

    “Bate Estaca” remains ranked highly in both weight classes and is coming off back-to-back triumphs at the weight she formerly held the title at. Next, however, she’s tasked with defending her #6 position on the 125-pound ladder.

    Andrade will fight a fellow countrywoman for the third straight time at this weekend’s UFC Fight Night, sharing the cage with fast-charging striking specialist Natália Silva inside the Apex.

    While a victory will no doubt see her remain focused on her goal of title crownings in multiple divisions, she’s also eyeing a piece of hardware that transcends divisional boundaries.

    Andrade Reiterates Call For Women’s BMF Title

    During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Andrade once again had her attention on the possibility of a symbolic BMF strap being introduced for the UFC’s women’s roster.

    After Jorge Masvidal claimed it in a highly anticipated showdown with Nate Diaz five years ago, the BMF title has since been in the hands of Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway, both of whom claimed it by way of violent knockouts.

    Talk of the women getting in on the BMF action has began to pick up this year, and Andrade even believes it could be enough to tempt a UFC Hall of Famer out of retirement.

    “I’ve been talking to Joanna (Jędrzejczyk) and she said she’d come back. If it’s for this belt, she would come back,” Andrade said. “I think that would be a good fight. Joanna, or maybe Angela Hill, who never walks away from a fight and is always there fighting everyone. Or Valentina. Any of those girls would be great, but I think it would be special if it’s Joanna. It would be better.”

    Joanna Jędrzejczyk, a former UFC strawweight champion, called time on her career following a second defeat at the hands of Zhang at the Singapore-held UFC 275 in 2022. While the 37-year-old played her part in one of the greatest-ever fights first time around, “Magnum” recorded a more definitive victory in the rematch, flooring the Polish legend with a spinning backfist.

    Jędrzejczyk has since been honored with an induction into the UFC Hall of Fame, entering the Modern Wing as part of the Class of 2024. But if Andrade is to be believed, a newly created BMF belt could provide enough of a draw for the Pole to reconsider hanging up her gloves.

    Before continuing her push for that belt to be introduced, however, Andrade must handle business this weekend when she has her second Octagon assignment of 2024 thus far.

  • Gilbert Burns Makes Retirement Admission Ahead Of UFC Return: ‘I’m Getting Freaking Old’

    Gilbert Burns Makes Retirement Admission Ahead Of UFC Return: ‘I’m Getting Freaking Old’

    It’s often said that mixed martial arts is a young athlete’s game, and UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns is starting to feel just that.

    At the age of 38 and 22 fights deep into his Octagon tenure, Burns remains highly ranked at #6. And the one-time title challenger isn’t done yet, looking to bounce back from a two-fight skid and revive his hopes of a late-career championship opportunity.

    Having been the victim of a late comeback from Jack Della Maddalena last time out, a result that followed an injury-affected defeat opposite now-champ Belal Muhammad, “Durinho” has been left in desperate need of a rebound.

    And the Brazilian has the chance to achieve that this weekend when he returns to main event a UFC Fight Night at the Apex opposite highly touted grappling specialist Sean Brady.

    As he gears up to share the cage with the American on Saturday night, Burns is under no illusions about which stage of his career the matchup is coming at…

    Burns On Retirement: ‘I Don’t Know How Much Longer…’

    During a recent interview with Grind City Media, Burns looked ahead to his latest assignment on MMA’s biggest stage, which he’s appeared on consistently ever since his debut as an undefeated fighter back in 2014.

    “Durinho” acknowledged that he’s certainly deep into the back end of his active career, the days of which are numbered. But he insisted that sufficient gas remains in the tank, something he plans to prove across the “handful of fights” he has left.

    “I’m getting freaking old,” Burns said. “10 years in the UFC has been very good, but I don’t know how much longer. (I’ve) still got a couple fights left in me, so I’m not here for a long time. I still think I have a couple of good fights left, (but) not a lot. Not two hands full of fights, but (we’ve) still got at least one handful of fights left.”

    One of those remaining bouts gets ticked off this weekend against the 16-1 Brady, who occupies the #8 spot on the welterweight ladder following a kimura submission of Kelvin Gastelum last December.

    With a victory over the Philadelphia native, Burns could earn himself another chance to return to the division’s top five, where perhaps a second shot at title glory won’t be out of reach for the Brazilian veteran.

  • Injured Kade Ruotolo Out Of ONE 168: Denver Title Fight Following Craig Jones Invitational Win

    Injured Kade Ruotolo Out Of ONE 168: Denver Title Fight Following Craig Jones Invitational Win

    ONE Championship’s upcoming return to the United States has taken a major hit.

    After fortifying its status among combat promotions in Asia, ONE began its pursuit of further prominence on US soil by debuting in the region last year. The successful ONE Fight Night 10 card took place at the 1stBankCenter in Broomfield, where Demetrious Johnson, Rodtang Jitmuangnon, and Stamp Fairtex were among the major winners.

    The organization is back in Colorado almost 16 months later, with Denver’s Ball Arena playing host to ONE’s sophomore US event. But when it comes to putting on a stacked lineup for the American audience, not everything has gone to plan this time around.

    ONE 168, set for this Friday, September 6, first lost its strawweight MMA title headliner between champion Xiong Jing Nan and atomweight queen Stamp after the latter tore her meniscus in May.

    And just as fight week gets underway, the upcoming card has taken another huge blow…

    Ruotolo Out Of Musumeci Super Fight, ‘Dealing With Injuries’ After CJI Triumph

    In the absence of Xiong vs. Stamp, another champ vs. champ showdown was cemented as the main event in Jonathan Haggerty vs. Superlek Kiatmoo9. Co-headlining, meanwhile, was slated to be a submission grappling title fight.

    Among those raising the prominence of submission grappling in ONE are Kade Ruotolo and Mikey Musumeci. The pair were scheduled to do battle for the former’s lightweight title at ONE 168, with “Darth Rigatoni” moving up three weight classes to take on the challenge.

    But after emerging $1 million richer from the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational last month, Ruotolo is carrying injuries and has been left unable to share the Circle with Musumeci in Denver.

    “Just going to start by saying this year has been a hectic one,” Ruotolo wrote on Facebook. “I am proud for accomplishing my goals this year of competing in gi, nogi and mma. I’m unfortunately dealing with injuries. I know a lot of people, including myself and Mikey were looking forward to the One match in Denver but unfortunately it’s off.

    “Im going to be recovering alongside my brother and hope to get back to the mats asap. Massive thank you to @onechampionships for being the best martial arts platform @yodchatri,” he concluded.

    It’s unclear whether Musumeci will remain on the lineup and receive a replacement opponent. But should he and Ruotolo be off the card, ONE 168 will have lost one of its biggest matchups and both of its big-name US athletes.

  • Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’ 

    Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’ 

    Suffice to say, UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley and his team haven’t sought the aid of Henry Cejudo ahead of their upcoming showdown with Merab Dvalishvili…

    O’Malley is set to make his second defense of the title later this month inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere in Las Vegas, where he’ll headline the second edition of Noche UFC six months on from his five-round beatdown of Marlon “Chito” Vera.

    Next looking to unseat “Sugar” is Dvalishvili, an in-form Georgian who has won 10 straight to earn his long-awaited first opportunity at UFC gold.

    “The Machine’s” path to the top has included memorable performances against the likes of Marlon Moraes and Petr Yan, but he perhaps saved his best for last when he squared off against a former simultaneous two-division champ at UFC 298 this past February. Dvalishvili collided with Cejudo on the main card in Anaheim, further stalling “Triple C’s” pursuit of regaining the belt with a comfortable victory on the scorecards.

    While that left Cejudo with 15 minutes experience of what the Georgian contender brings to the Octagon, O’Malley’s team doesn’t believe he could offer them any advice of value in the lead-up to September 14.

    O’Malley’s Coach Not Interested In Tips From Ex-Dvalishvili Opponent Cejudo

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoNd4U5WNok

    During a recent interview for Bodog Canada, coach Tim Welch looked ahead to his man’s second assignment of 2024, which is currently set to see O’Malley’s challenger make the walk as the favorite.

    But while Welch and co. no doubt have plenty of ways in mind to combat Dvalishvili’s perceived edge in certain realms, picking the brain of an ex-bantamweight and flyweight titleholder, Fight Ready coach, and former opponent of the Georgian’s is not one of them.

    “I don’t know if that (talking to Cejudo) would help,” Welch said. “Everyone I’ve talked to that tried to talk to Henry, even coaches, they have a tough time working with Henry because he thinks he’s god’s gift to this green Earth, and you can’t teach him nothing, and his way is the way. But clearly it’s not, because Merab ragdolled him. So that’s definitely not the guy we want tips from.”

    O’Malley will look to do a better job at stifling Dvalishvili’s offense than Cejudo did come fight night at Las Vegas’ Sphere in less than two weeks’ time.

    The pair’s bantamweight championship clash will top a lineup that also includes another title bout, with flyweight queen Alexa Grasso and all-time great Valentina Shevchenko set to complete their trilogy in the co-main event.

  • ‘It’s Not Good!’ – Chael Sonnen Predicts Tom Aspinall Could Suffer The Same Fate As Ronda Rousey Against Jon Jones

    ‘It’s Not Good!’ – Chael Sonnen Predicts Tom Aspinall Could Suffer The Same Fate As Ronda Rousey Against Jon Jones

    Although Jon Jones will most likely be booked to fight Stipe Miocic next, his rivalry with Tom Aspinall is also heating up on the sidelines. The interim UFC heavyweight champion is eager to unify the belts, requiring him to face the winner of Jones vs. Miocic.

    Aspinall has bagged 15 wins since turning pro in MMA, and all of them have been stoppages via KO or submission. On top of that, he’s finished all but one fight in the UFC in the first round. This explains why fans consider him to be Jones’ real test instead of Miocic, who hasn’t fought since losing to Francis Ngannou in 2021.

    Aspinall has looked unstoppable till now, but Chael Sonnen has concerns about him not being tested enough in the Octagon yet…

    Chael Sonnen Highlights Striking Similarities In Early UFC Careers Of Tom Aspinall And Ronda Rousey

    Sonnen discussed the rivalry between Aspinall and Jones on his YouTube channel recently. He believes that the interim champ bringing up the undisputed kingpin’s past PED usage was bound to rub the latter the wrong way.

    “The American Gangster” then stated that a fight between “Bones” and Aspinall, if it happens, will likely be scheduled for UFC International Fight Week in 2025. It might be hard for Aspinall to get an opponent during this time as the interim champ, and his inactivity would work in favor of the former UFC light heavyweight champion.

    Sonnen also revealed the downside of Aspinall firing through the competition with such ease so far. His rise to the top resembles Ronda Rousey, who had 11 first-round finishes in her pro career, including five in the UFC.

    “I’m not sure you understand that. That is not helpful, that is not a good thing. It looks good and it sounds good, it’s not good! When you find yourself in a fight harder than you’re used to, it’s a problem for everybody. It is the number one reason that Ronda lost to Holly Holm. It was not the right leg kick. It was because the six other girls that Ronda had been in there with checked out collectively in a shorter time than Holly had made it. That was the problem. It’s a problem for everyone. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

    According to the former UFC middleweight title contender, Rousey lost to Holly Holm because she wasn’t used to opponents surviving her initial onslaught. As soon as someone put her to the test, she was overwhelmed and it all came crashing down.

    Sonnen fears that Aspinall might have similar problems if he takes on an opponent as durable and experienced as Jones. For now, though, there is no way to confirm whether we’ll ever see the two meet in the Octagon.

  • ‘Very Specific In Our Training’ – Caio Borralho Breaks Down What Makes Fighting Nerds Special

    ‘Very Specific In Our Training’ – Caio Borralho Breaks Down What Makes Fighting Nerds Special

    Caio Borralho, who recently beat Jared Cannonier to become a top contender in the UFC middleweight division, is a member of Fighting Nerds. The mixed martial arts gym is based in São Paulo, Brazil, and has gained a ton of prominence in MMA circles lately.

    Several members of Fighting Nerds have put up impressive performances recently. For instance, Bruna Brasil defeated Molly McCann at UFC 304, Carlos Prates became the first person to knock out Li Jingliang at UFC 305, and Jean Silva stopped Drew Dober just two weeks after knocking out Charles Jourdain at UFC 303.

    Here’s why Fighting Nerds has the potential to generate multiple UFC champions according to Borralho, one of their most skilled members…

    Caio Borralho Reveals Training Strategies That Have Helped Fighting Nerds Members Excel In The UFC

    Borralho discussed what sets Fighting Nerds apart in an interview on the Inside Fighting YouTube channel recently. He highlighted that the gym focuses a lot on distance control and fighters are expected to break their fights into three stages. The first step is to establish range followed by constant movement to make the opponent miss.

    From the looks of it, Fighting Nerds fighters aim to start their fights relatively slowly. Once they’ve figured out the opponent’s style and striking patterns, they prepare to close distance and aggress which is the third stage.

    Borralho then revealed the rigorous practice that goes into perfecting their striking and distance management. For every opponent, they perform thousands of drills which explains why they’re so calm going into their fights.

    Another important step during training is studying footage. According to “The Natural”, Fighting Nerds coaches compile videos of opponents to understand how they start fights, throw strikes and takedowns, and move around the Octagon. For his latest fight, Borralho studied almost all the right hands thrown by Cannonier.

    “If we get a guy like Cannonier, like the right hand, like all right hands, almost like a lot of right video with just like big right hands of Cannonier. All his setting ups, you know, all his patterns and all this stuff. So, all take downs, all cage work that the guys do, how he behave himself in the cage work and then there’s like five six minutes of video only with cage work, you know. So, we’re very specific in our training. We have a very close approach when it comes about training and study, you know. And I think that help us a lot and I think this is it you know. We’re bunch of nerds you know!”

    All in all, Fighting Nerds members make sure to know everything about their opponent before even stepping into the Octagon. Most of the gym’s fighters are gradually climbing the ranks in their respective divisions, and it’ll be interesting to observe how quickly they can generate a champion with this approach.

  • ‘Everybody Suffers’ – Frank Mir Explains How UFL Could Get Past The Conor McGregor Effect Seen In The UFC

    ‘Everybody Suffers’ – Frank Mir Explains How UFL Could Get Past The Conor McGregor Effect Seen In The UFC

    MMA teams led by former UFC champions Frank Mir and Henry Cejudo will go toe to toe at the United Fight League 5 on August 30, 2024, at The Gila River Wild Horse Pass Casino in Arizona. The sold-out event will be streamed on Kick and Rumble for free as well.

    Mir and Cejudo coach UFL’s Team Las Vegas and Team Phoenix, respectively. Although the fighting rules are the same, the state-inspired teams and the team-based scoring system in the promotion are like a breath of fresh air in MMA. It is also the first and only combat sports league to provide health insurance to fighters.

    Here’s how the UFL aims to set a new standard for combat sports promotions through its newly introduced scoring system…

    Frank Mir Explains How Relying On Stars Like Conor McGregor Produces Inconsistent Results For The UFC

    Mir appeared on the talkSPORT MMA YouTube channel to discuss UFL 5’s format and innovative scoring system. Including Las Vegas and Phoenix, UFL will have a total of eight teams with Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson confirmed to lead Team Florida and Southern California, respectively.

    Here’s how teams will score points at UFL 5:

    • Finishing a fight in the first round grants 4 points in a standard bout and 6 points in the main event.
    • Finishing a fight in the second round grants 3 points in a standard bout and 5 points in the main event.
    • Finishing a fight in the third round grants 2 points in a standard bout and 4 points in the main event.
    • Finishing a main event fight in the fourth round grants 3 points.
    • Finishing a main event fight in the fifth round grants 2 points.
    • A decision win grants 1 point in a standard bout as well as the main event.

    In case there’s a tie after all the fights, the team with the least cage time will get the nod, bragging rights, and $50,000.

    As per Mir, this is how the UFL aims to tackle the problem of being overly dependent on a limited number of stars. He claimed that the UFC benefitted heavily from Conor McGregor but the promotion will always produce fewer numbers when he isn’t fighting.

    “It made sense to me because I was like, you know, it sucks because when fighters come and go. You know, he’s like, Conor is a phenomenal example. Conor moved the needle like no other fighter, but when he’s not on the card, or he’s not part of there, everybody suffers. He doesn’t know, not as many people are going to view the fights because he’s not fighting. And so, I was like, how can we get around that. And I always watch college wrestling and seen how, here in the States, you can have a guy from Iowa, you know, wrestling Penn State, Minnesota, and Ohio, and all these powerhouses of wrestling that have long traditions and they have, you know, a car stadium, it fills up 60,000 people.”

    The two-time UFC heavyweight champ also stated how this isn’t an issue in wrestling. For instance, team-based college wrestling events in the United States attract thousands of viewers constantly despite the absence of huge names. Mir believes that a team-based setting helps them build loyal fans who care more about a team’s progress instead of just wanting to see one fighter.

    It is too early to predict how commercially successful UFL’s new format will be in the long run. For now, fans can enjoy Team Phoenix vs. Team Las Vegas which features a bantamweight championship main event bout between Hunter Azure and Vince Morales.

    ALSO READ: Shavkat Rakhmonov Trusts UFC’s Meritocracy To Prevent Conor McGregor Title Shot Hijack, Reveals Belal Muhammad Turned Down UFC 307 Date

  • Former UFC Heavyweight Champ Joins Quinton Jackson In Favoring Jon Jones Against Tom Aspinall: ‘GOAT Of Our Sport!’

    Former UFC Heavyweight Champ Joins Quinton Jackson In Favoring Jon Jones Against Tom Aspinall: ‘GOAT Of Our Sport!’

    The UFC heavyweight division has been a hot topic in MMA circles lately. Dana White is adamant about booking current champ Jon Jones against Stipe Miocic in 2024. On the flip side, fans seem more interested in seeing “Bones” take on Tom Aspinall who defended his interim belt against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 via first-round TKO.

    Jones has yet to defend his UFC heavyweight championship since beating Ciryl Gane for it in March 2023. A shoulder injury forced him out of action for almost a year, and the delay in his return has led to many opposing Miocic getting a title shot despite not fighting in over three years.

    Although there’s no guarantee that it will happen, Frank Mir has picked Jones to beat Aspinall if they ever fight in the UFC…

    Frank Mir Believes Jon Jones Has A 90% Chance Of Beating Tom Aspinall In The UFC Heavyweight Division

    Mir discussed a potential fight between Jones and Aspinall on the talkSPORT MMA YouTube channel recently. He acknowledged that the English heavyweight is quite skilled but just doesn’t see him beating the UFC light heavyweight GOAT in the next 12 months.

    “Jon’s the GOAT of our sport right now. I get that Tom, and I totally don’t blame him. I would do everything if I was Tom Aspinall. I would do everything I possibly could, maybe show up at his house, get him pissed enough to take that fight because that could just catapult his career.”

    The former UFC heavyweight champ believes that Aspinall won’t be able to submit or even take down Jones due to the latter’s superior wrestling. He backed this claim by mentioning Jones’ two wins over Daniel Cormier, arguably one of the best wrestlers to ever fight in the UFC.

    “If you said, put my money down on it. If they fought this year or fought within 12 months from now, from what I know training with Jon, from what I’ve seen from Tom, I think Jon has about a 70 to 80, 90% chance of winning the fight.”

    “If Tom closes distance, he’s never submitting Jon. And, Jon outwrestles him absolutely. They had a take down contest, he can’t take Jon down one time, zero. Absolutely zero. Jon’s wrestling is unreal. If Jon had gone a different path in life, and maybe had not problem in school, he would have absolutely been the Olympic world champion at wrestling, you know. That’s just the part of me. He outwrestled Cormier, you know what I mean? Cormier’s accolades in wrestling are through the roof.”

    Mir added that Aspinall’s explosive and fast striking, especially for a heavyweight, could be his only way to victory against Jones. He remembered the likes of Vitor Belfort and Dominick Reyes who had success against “Bones” due to their speed advantage in striking exchanges.

    Interestingly, former rival Quinton “Rampage” Jackson also favored Jones to win against Aspinall for similar reasons in a recent interview with Inside Fighting. The former UFC light heavyweight kingpin praised the interim UFC heavyweight champ’s skills but doesn’t think it’ll be enough for him to unify the title against the current undisputed champion.

  • UFC Fighter Francis Marshall Opens Up About Career As Fire Fighter: ‘You’re Going Into Someone’s House On The Worst Day Of Their Life!’ (Exclusive)

    UFC Fighter Francis Marshall Opens Up About Career As Fire Fighter: ‘You’re Going Into Someone’s House On The Worst Day Of Their Life!’ (Exclusive)

    Francis Marshall is living the dream of being a UFC fighter after competing four times inside the Octagon as a member of the lightweight roster.

    His latest appearance saw him bounce back from consecutive defeats by besting Dennis Buzukja on short notice this past weekend at the UFC Apex.

    Though Marshall is focused on keeping this dream going by continuing to pick up wins and evolve as a martial artist, he does have another pursuit and passion.

    The 25-year-old doesn’t carry the nickname “Fire” just because that’s what he always looks to bring when stepping inside the cage.

    Alongside his MMA career, Marshall works as a firefighter, though for obvious reasons, that’s currently on hold because of his fight career.

    Francis Marshall Talks About The Rewarding Nature Of Being A Fire Fighter

    In a recent interview with MMA News, Marshall spoke about his love for being a firefighter where getting to help others is incredibly rewarding for him.

    Competing as a professional athlete has become a career option for him at this stage in his life so his other job has had to be left in the background for the time being.

    That being said, it isn’t something that he plans on leaving behind for good depending on what happens during his MMA journey.

    The 155-pound fighter said that being there for others in their most desperate time of need isn’t something he takes for granted, even if he’s competing at the highest level in MMA.

    “Right now, I’m on the leave of absence from work so I’m training full-time. I got to see where my future goes. Obviously, I would love to fight forever and then see what happens after that but I mean, it’s a great career. It’s a great job, it’s great to help people like that. It was always like, you’re going to someone’s house on the worst day of their life like nobody wants that. So you kind of go there with the respect of that, with the courtesy, like you don’t wanna ruin their day anymore than it is. You’re going there to help so whatever that homeowner or that resident needs in that time, that’s what we’re kinda there for.”

    Read also: Undefeated UFC Contender Targets Michael ‘Venom’ Page Having Emulated Him In The Past: “I Know The Way To Knock The Guy Out”

  • Former Khalil Rountree Training Partner Predicts First-Round Knockout For ‘Guy Of The Moment’ Alex Pereira

    Former Khalil Rountree Training Partner Predicts First-Round Knockout For ‘Guy Of The Moment’ Alex Pereira

    The main event of UFC 307 is sure to be an exciting contest while it lasts as knockout artists compete for the light heavyweight title in Salt Lake City.

    Many were surprised to see Khalil Rountree get the next shot at Alex Pereira’s title but in some ways, the match-up speaks for itself.

    A lot is going to be made from now up to October 5 about Rountree’s comments regarding his willingness to stand and strike with the former GLORY kickboxer.

    Despite rating his skills as a fighter and his conduct as a person, a former training partner of his isn’t sure that he can hang in there against “Poatan”.

    Carlos Prates Can’t See How Khalil Rountree Will Compete With Alex Pereira On The Feet

    In a recent interview with Sherdog.com, breakout welterweight Carlos Prates gave his thoughts on the main event clash at 205 pounds.

    As someone who has spent some time in the company of Rountree, he was able to give an educated prediction for this fight.

    Prates, like many, simply doesn’t believe that Rountree will be able to have success when striking with Pereira, even if he has been very effective on the feet.

    The 170-pounder picked out Magomed Ankalaev, who many expected would be next for the title shot, as the only fighter that might be able to cause Pereira some problems, likely due to his grappling game.

    “To be honest, I train before with Khalil Rountree. He’s a nice guy, he’s a good fighter but I don’t think he can fight with ‘Poatan’. ‘Poatan’ is a different level of striking. I also see an interview of Khalil, he saying he have no plans to try take down so I think he, the first round, ‘Poatan’ gonna knock him out and that’s it. In light heavyweight, maybe Ankalaev can fight good against him but that’s it. Other guys, I don’t think they win the fight against ‘Poatan’. now ‘Poatan’ is the guy of the moment, the guy of the UFC right now.”

    Read also: Khalil Rountree Receives Lighter Sentence After Self-Reporting PED Usage

  • UFC Contender Targets Michael ‘Venom’ Page Having Emulated Him In The Past: “I Know The Way To Knock The Guy Out”

    UFC Contender Targets Michael ‘Venom’ Page Having Emulated Him In The Past: “I Know The Way To Knock The Guy Out”

    Carlos Prates has been a fantastic edition to the UFC roster since earning his contract via the last season of the Contender Series.

    The Fighting Nerds athlete has gone 3-0 inside the Octagon, stopping all three opponents with devastating finishes.

    His latest win over Li Jingliang at UFC 305 set him up well for an even bigger name next time out, and given the fact that he has put on a show with each appearance, a ranked opponent isn’t out of the question.

    When looking at the fighters that occupy the ranking sports from 15-10, one name in particular stands out to Prates.

    Carlos Prates Reveals That He Emulated Michael Page For ‘MVP’s Only Knockout Loss

    In a recent interview with Sherdog.com, Prates gave his thoughts on all of the potential ranked opponents that he could be matched with in the near future.

    He revealed an interesting story from his earlier career when arriving at the name of one of the division’s most talented strikers.

    Michael “Venom” Page is an incredibly difficult opponent to train for because you don’t find people that have his unique style combined with size and reach, very easily.

    Prates said that he has been a stand in for “MVP” when he was training alongside Douglas Lima, who fought Page twice in Bellator.

    In their first meeting, Lima would hand the Brit his first defeat at Bellator, via a ruthless second-round knockout.

    Prates believes that after being a part of the camp for this fight, he has the secret to become the second man to stop Page.

    “Michael Page would be a really good fight. I would like to fight him, it would be a great bonus again. You know the first time he lost to Douglas Lima? I was a sparring partner of Douglas. I was doing like MVP and Douglas was doing his game. He, Douglas and his coach, came to Thailand and we trained all together… So it’s kinda I know the way to knock the guy out.”

    Read also: Shavkat Rakhmonov Trusts UFC’s Meritocracy To Prevent Conor McGregor Title Shot Hijack, Reveals Belal Muhammad Turned Down UFC 307 Date

  • Caio Borralho Makes Convincing Argument To Fight Israel Adesanya Next: ‘So Dominant In His Prime…’

    Caio Borralho Makes Convincing Argument To Fight Israel Adesanya Next: ‘So Dominant In His Prime…’

    Following his biggest win to date this past weekend, Caio Borralho finds himself in the top five of the UFC’s middleweight division.

    The Contender Series alum capitalized on his first main event opportunity by beating Jared Cannonier to inject some new blood into the mix at 185-pounds.

    Though he would like to be in the title picture already, it appears likely that Borralho will need one more big win in order to really solidify his case, due to Sean Strickland being in line to challenge Dricus Du Plessis next.

    The Brazilian has now targeted the next best thing to fighting for the belt and that means facing off with the division’s biggest name.

    Caio Borralho Says Fighting Israel Adesanya Means He Gets To Face A Legend

    For the first time in a long time, Israel Adesanya’s next outing inside the Octagon will not be in a UFC title fight.

    “The Last Stylebender” said after his defeat at UFC 305 that he isn’t going anywhere just yet, meaning that he will go back to joining the list of contenders.

    In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Borralho made a strong case for why he should be next for the former champion.

    When you look at the other top fights in the rankings right now, Adesanya has already faced many of them aside from Brendan Allen and Nassourdine Imavov, who are already matched up with one another as the #5 contender pointed out.

    Borralho said that he wants this fight next because it would be a big moment for his own legacy to face someone that has represented the very best of the weight class for such a long time.

    “Let’s see, I want to fight him [Adesanya]. I think it will be a good fight on my resume and if the UFC wants me to do one more fight before I go to the belt, I think this is the fight to make. Why not fight a guy that is a legend of this sport and that was so dominant in his prime, so definitely a guy that I want to face just because nothing personal but just because it makes sense right now for him and it makes sense for me too.”

    Borralho then went on to explain how Adesanya has fought all the other names in the top 8 of the division, except Imavov and Allen – who are going to fight one another.

    Hence, the only realistic fight for Adesanya is the Brazilian, and Borralho is only too happy to oblige.

    Read also: MMA Analyst Believes Israel Adesanya Following ‘The Khabib Model’ Might Have Led To Dricus Du Plessis Loss

  • UFC Middleweight On Brendan Allen – Marvin Vettori Casino Bust Up: ‘Talk Some S**t To The Wrong Person They’ll Punch You In The Mouth’ [Exclusive]

    UFC Middleweight On Brendan Allen – Marvin Vettori Casino Bust Up: ‘Talk Some S**t To The Wrong Person They’ll Punch You In The Mouth’ [Exclusive]

    After a lot of tension between the two men due to their history where they were set to meet inside the Octagon, UFC middleweights Brendan Allen and Marvin Vettori were involved in a brawl several weeks ago.

    Sources reported that the Italian fighter had gotten into an altercation with UFC fighter Tuco Tokkos which Allen then intervened in, whilst they were in attendance at a PFL event.

    The fight, which was captured on video, shows Allen going at “The Italian Dream” as both men traded blows.

    They have exchanged comments on social media and in interviews multiple times before so this beef certainly didn’t come out of nowhere.

    Zach Reese Says Online Trash Talking Isn’t For Him

    In a recent interview with MMA News, UFC middleweight Zach Reese gave his thoughts on the viral brawl between Vettori and Allen.

    The 30-year-old has got back-to-back wins in the 185-pound weight class.

    Reese believes that whilst he understands that trash-talking is a big part of the sport today, it’s not something that he likes to partake in.

    “Savage” has no problem saying what he thinks but he isn’t going to say anything that he can’t physically back up in person, as opposed to making comments from the other side of a screen.

    “I don’t believe in jumping, I think that’s what’s gone down the world is that people won’t have one-on-one fist fights anymore and you know dude, if you talk s*** on the internet, I think talking s*** on the internet’s lame as f*** to be honest man. I don’t even know the whole backstory on that or who started it or whatever but there’s something in me as like a man, it’s just I don’t like the idea of talking s*** on the internet dude, it’s kind of weird. I know it’s kind of the name of the game in MMA and it gets the fans excited and stuff but yeah, if you talk crap to somebody man then you better be willing to face the consequences or say it to their face. Talk some s*** to the wrong person, they’ll punch you in the mouth.”

    Read also: Khamzat Chimaev’s Former ‘Main Sparring Partner’ Caio Borralho Warns Robert Whittaker: ‘I Didn’t See Any Other Guy In My Life…’

  • Shavkat Rakhmonov Trusts UFC’s Meritocracy To Prevent Conor McGregor Title Shot Hijack, Reveals Belal Muhammad Turned Down UFC 307 Date

    Shavkat Rakhmonov Trusts UFC’s Meritocracy To Prevent Conor McGregor Title Shot Hijack, Reveals Belal Muhammad Turned Down UFC 307 Date

    Shavkat Rakhmonov hasn’t put a foot wrong during his ascent up the welterweight ladder towards a title shot.

    With a undefeated record and all of his wins coming via finish, the 170-pound contender appears to be set up to challenge Belal Muhammad for the belt next time out. unless something unexpected occurs.

    The UFC has been known to temporarily swerve the rankings if it means putting something big together and when you’re talking big in MMA, there’s no one larger than Conor McGregor.

    Despite there being no rescheduled date for his welterweight return against Michael Chandler, “The Notorious” returning with a win could completely change the top of the weight class.

    Rakhmonov spoke in a recent interview with MMA Fighting about how he believes the promotion will do right by him even in the instance that “The Mac” is back in the mix.

    “He’s been getting ready to fight a long time but wasn’t able to do that yet so in my head, I don’t even think about him winning this one fight in three years is going to do something. I understand he’s a big star but in my head, I don’t see it being possible. I believe UFC is the best and the most fair organization so I believe they’re gonna do everything right.”

    Shavkat Rakhmonov Reveals That Belal Muhammad Turned Down UFC 307 Title Fight

    Though there has been some debate over whether Rakhmonov will definitely be the next title challenger for Muhammad, the contender answered this question all by himself.

    He revealed during the same interview that he has already been offered the title shot but it didn’t come to fruition due to the champion not being able to make a 70-day turnaround to fight at elevation in Salt Lake City, Utah.

    Alex Pereira will be headlining UFC 307 instead, which always seemed to be an optimistic target for Muhammad after he won the belt at the end of July.

    “Yeah, actually I had already been offered to fight Belal and I accepted the fight against Belal but unfortunately, he declined to fight me due to the timing issues, he wasn’t ready to defend his belt on that time. So, we’ll see what’s gonna happen and when he’s gonna be ready so I will be able to fight him. Before he became a champion and after he won the belt, he said he’s gonna be an active champion and he will defend his belt more often but at the moment, he isn’t backing up what he said so let’s see what’s going to happen, when he’s going to be ready to fight me.”

    Read also: Khalil Rountree Says He Would Fire His Coaches If They Insisted He Grapple Alex Pereira

  • Khalil Rountree Says He Would Fire His Coaches If They Insisted He Grapple Alex Pereira

    Khalil Rountree Says He Would Fire His Coaches If They Insisted He Grapple Alex Pereira

    Khalil Rountree has made it pretty clear that if he’s going to leave UFC 307 on October 5 with the light heavyweight title, and he’s going to do it with his striking skills.

    The title challenger is a very skilled and dangerous stand-up fighter who has finished four of the five wins on his current streak.

    However, standing with most opponents and standing with Alex Pereira are two extremely different prospects.

    The current 205-pound champion and former GLORY kickboxing legend is one of the best strikers that we have seen inside the Octagon, meaning that if there’s a best path to victory against him, it’s to avoid the striking range altogether.

    Rountree wouldn’t even consider this as a potential backup plan because it’s not who he is as a fighter.

    Khalil Rountree Says Coaches Asking Him To Grapple Would Show Lack Of Confidence

    In a recent interview with former middleweight champion Michael Bisping on his YouTube channel, “The Count” posed a question to Rountree about his strategy for this fight.

    Bisping asked what his thoughts would be if his coach were to come to the title challenger and suggest that for this fight, they implement a grappling-focused game plan because it’s the weaker part of Pereira’s game.

    Rountree responded by saying that even just this idea would make him have serious doubts in his coaches because of how much time they have spent working on his striking.

    Whilst he may be able to grapple when he needs to, this would mean completely going against what it is that he does best. which would show a lack of faith in his ability to get the job done.

    “If it were my coach, I’d say maybe I need to look for another coach man. Yeah I mean, it doesn’t make sense, I’m not a wrestler. Yes, I’m a mixed martial artist, I’m able to do a lot of different things.

    “My grappling’s good, my wrestling’s decent but that’s just not me, that’s not my instinct and so like why would I put myself in harm’s way to try to secure this victory when that’s just not me, that’s just not my style.

    “So it would just show me that if my coach were telling me, ‘Hey this is the way’, I’d be like man, who are you coaching because this has never been the game plan so why at the height of my career would we switch everything that we’ve ever done to secure some victory? Like where is your belief in what I do? So it would make me question my coaches if anything.”

    Read also: Khalil Rountree Receives Lighter Sentence After Self-Reporting PED Usage

  • Khamzat Chimaev’s Former ‘Main Sparring Partner’ Caio Borralho Warns Robert Whittaker: ‘I Didn’t See Any Other Guy In My Life…’

    Khamzat Chimaev’s Former ‘Main Sparring Partner’ Caio Borralho Warns Robert Whittaker: ‘I Didn’t See Any Other Guy In My Life…’

    Khamzat Chimaev is set to return to action at UFC 308 where his fight with former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has been rescheduled for the co-main event.

    Despite the fact that he debuted in the UFC four years ago, it still feels like there are so many unanswered questions surrounding the undefeated contender.

    Chimaev has an element of mystery and myth that still surrounds him, largely thanks to the stories you will hear from the fighters that have trained alongside him.

    One of those athletes is the #5-ranked middleweight Caio Borralho who got some work in with Chimaev two years ago.

    Caio Borralho Reflects On Experience Training With Khamzat Chimaev In Sweden

    Borralho had two main takeaways from the time that he spent training with Chimaev in the past, as he detailed in a recent interview with Submission Radio.

    His first major talking point was about the level of wrestling that his fellow middleweight contender brings to the table and how Whittaker will need to be working with the right training partners in order to prepare himself for this.

    “I already training with him, spent some time in Sweden with him for his training camp against Nate Diaz, the fight that never happened. I was there training with him every day, was my main sparring partner for this camp and I think it’s a very tough fight for Whittaker ‘cuz Khamzat has very great wrestling and there’s one thing about Khamzat that people don’t realize too much. They don’t know what kind of level to expect from him. Like they know by seeing but when feel it, think it’s a little bit different. This kind of level of wrestling, of grappling, I think the best wrestler in the division is Khamzat and we saw how he dominated Kamaru Usman, that’s a great, great wrestler.”

    Along with his wrestling pedigree, the other major characteristic of Chimaev’s approach to MMA has been his intense work ethic.

    Borralho gave some insight into this by detailing one particular session where “Borz” continued to work after completing the sparring session for the day.

    “He trains a lot, like I didn’t see any other guy in my life that trains as much as he trains. Maybe that’s why sometimes he like kills his body and doesn’t make it to the fight but definitely a guy that over train everyone in the room. There was a time that we did like five rounds sparring and after sparring, he did like three or four rounds of pads and then after that, he did like a 30-minute run and I was like, ‘What the f*** is this guy doing?’”

    Read also: MMA Analyst Believes Israel Adesanya Following ‘The Khabib Model’ Might Have Led To Dricus Du Plessis Loss

  • MMA Analyst Believes Israel Adesanya Following ‘The Khabib Model’ Might Have Led To Dricus Du Plessis Loss

    MMA Analyst Believes Israel Adesanya Following ‘The Khabib Model’ Might Have Led To Dricus Du Plessis Loss

    Israel Adesanya failed to reclaim the UFC middleweight championship from Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305. He lost the belt to Sean Strickland in a huge upset and for the first time in his pro MMA career, he has two consecutive losses on his record.

    Like Kamaru Usman at welterweight and Alexander Volkanovski at featherweight, Adesanya lost his title after a dominant run in the middleweight division. He beat top contenders like Paulo Costa, Yoel Romero, Marvin Vettori, Robert Whittaker, and Jared Cannonier without much trouble.

    While fans ponder what’s next for him, MMA analyst Luke Thomas shared his two cents on the decline of “The Last Stylebender”…

    Luke Thomas Blames Israel Adesanya’s One-Dimensional Style For His Loss To Dricus Du Plessis At UFC 305

    Thomas discussed why Adesanya’s dominant reign ended abruptly on his YouTube channel recently. He responded to a fan asking whether Izzy never developed his skills in accordance with other fighters in the middleweight division.

    He pointed out two ways for champions to dominate their weight class. They can rely on a well-rounded style like Islam Makhachev who possesses dangerous wrestling alongside accurate boxing and kicks. Or, they can master one facet of their game like Khabib Nurmagomedov who was an unstoppable force due to his wrestling despite never having a commendable standup.

    “You can be dominant in the UFC via two different models. One is, you are sort of well-rounded but you’ve got one ace in the hole. And you know, you can play the levels a little bit if you have to, but you kind of lean on your strengths. And that’s a common skill set like Islam is kind of like that, right? Or you can go a little bit more like Khabib where, you know, you can get by on the other stuff as long as you might need to for a couple of minutes. But you’ve got one skill set and it’s way better than everybody else and you just lord that over somebody like the Khabib model. Izzy was kind of always on that second model.”

    According to Thomas, Izzy’s dominance at middleweight was similar to Nurmagomedov’s. He had decent takedown defense but outscored all his opponents on the feet. His wins over Whittaker and Alex Pereira exemplify this perfectly.

    The combat sports analyst also highlighted that Adesanya never submitted an opponent in the UFC and most of his wins came in a similar fashion. He used this to explain why the former UFC middleweight kingpin couldn’t sustain his dominance like José Aldo, who’s still winning fights after making his promotional debut in 2011.

    “He got pretty far but could you argue, had there been a little more development and weaponization of the ground game or a bare minimum like submissions, you know, had he got taken down and have to spend time constantly fighting or if his wrestling had gotten really good, what could that have done like Jose Aldo.”

    Although Thomas brought up a couple of notable holes in Adesanya’s game, he called him the second-best middleweight of all time without a doubt. So, even though “The Last Stylebender” has struggled to beat the new generation of middleweights lately, one can’t deny that his striking prowess was enough to make him an all-time great.

  • ‘This Is Really Unfair!’ – Chael Sonnen Sticks Up For Jon Jones & Stipe Miocic As Dana White Defends Heavyweight Matchup

    ‘This Is Really Unfair!’ – Chael Sonnen Sticks Up For Jon Jones & Stipe Miocic As Dana White Defends Heavyweight Matchup

    MMA fans worldwide are currently divided over Jon Jones defending the UFC heavyweight championship against Stipe Miocic next. This is primarily because Jones hasn’t fought since March 2023 and in the meantime, Tom Aspinall has solidified his claim on the undisputed title by winning and defending the interim heavyweight belt.

    To add fuel to the fire, Dana White has missed no opportunity to call Jones the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world lately. He regularly shares this opinion on social media and even argued with the media for over 10 minutes about it recently.

    Chael Sonnen has sided with White on the matter and has explained why fans shouldn’t complain about the imminent Jones vs. Miocic matchup…

    Chael Sonnen Explains Why Dana White Won’t Cancel Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic For UFC Heavyweight Title

    Sonnen reacted to White defending Jones vs. Miocic in a DWCS press conference on his official YouTube channel recently. The former UFC title contender reminded viewers that this match was booked before Aspinall knocked out Sergei Pavlovich in less than 90 seconds.

    Sonnen remembered when “Bones” agreed to fight Miocic soon after his flawless win over Ciryl Gane. He pointed out that fans didn’t necessarily oppose the booking. However, things turned complex when the champ had to pull out due to a shoulder injury. He’s been out of action for over 18 months now, and the UFC still not confirming a date for his return is a bone of contention among many.

    “This is really unfair, what you’re doing to Jon Jones. This is really unfair, what you’re doing to Stipe. It’s unfair that Dana White had to answer this question. So, let me take your short-term memories, down memory lane.”

    Aspinall has been constantly calling out Jones as well since defending the interim UFC heavyweight championship against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304. Yet again, he emerged victorious via knockout in the first and believes that he should now get the chance to unify the belts once and for all.

    As per “The American Gangster”, White is correct in not disrespecting Miocic by taking away arguably his final shot at the title. The former UFC heavyweight champ hasn’t lost a fight or sustained an injury, due to which Sonnen believes that he still deserves to fight Jones.

    “It’s the same fight with the same guys. They haven’t done anything different. Stipe has not slowed down. Stipe has not lost. He hasn’t done anything in front of you that’s any different. And I mean, I will just tell you, like, in this sport, you’re not wrong. Fans going to do what fans want. I understand it, but I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything quite to this degree in an attempt to get Aspinall in there with Jon.”

    “It turned nasty against Stipe. That’s the part that’s incorrect. As soon as Stipe falls on his face. As soon as he slips on a banana peal. Go ahead and go after him, that’s fair game, that’s this sport. That hasn’t happened. Stipe has not done that. Stipe has not done anything like that. As a matter of fact, he got a little bit longer to train and this is a consummate professional. He would’ve used that time very wisely.

    Despite the backlash, it is safe to assume that the UFC will book Jones vs. Miocic sometime in 2024. It is also worth noting that Aspinall is guaranteed to be the backup fighter for this title match.