Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has had a rough past few months, but he still has a strong supporter in Khamzat Chimaev.
Jones recently announced that he and his longtime fiancée, Jessie Moses, have split following Jones’ latest arrest back in September. He was accused of battering Moses in a Las Vegas hotel room before headbutting a police vehicle during his arrest.
The battery domestic violence charges were dropped in exchange for Jones paying a small fine for the damage inflicted on the police vehicle. It’s still unclear what fully transpired between Jones and Moses leading up to when local authorities arrived at the scene.
Jones has a lot on his plate at the moment ahead of his anticipated UFC return in 2022. He’s expected to make his heavyweight debut and potentially challenge for the heavyweight title later this year.
“We are with you legend [Jon Jones],” Chimaev said.
Chimaev has risen to stardom following a dominant run in the UFC Octagon. He most recently dismantled Li Jingliang at UFC 267 and has allegedly been in talks to face former title challenger Gilbert Burns later this year.
Jones has been under fire from fans, pundits, and fighting colleagues following his most recent arrest in Las Vegas. UFC President Dana White went as far as saying that Jones has “a lot of demons” outside of competition.
It’s not yet clear how Jones’ recent transgressions could impact his return to the cage, but Chimaev appears to still have faith in the former UFC champion.
Jorge Masvidal claims that the origin of Colby Covington’s outspoken persona did not begin for the reasons his former teammate claims it did.
Prior to his 2017 fight against Demian Maia, Colby Covington was on a four-fight winning streak and had a UFC record of 7-1. Yet, according to Covington, that was not enough for the UFC. He claims the promotion said they were going to cut him despite the fact that he was winning because he was not entertaining enough.
As the story goes, it was this warning that led to the infamous “filthy animals” Octagon interview after he defeated Demian Maia in São Paulo, Brazil.
At the time of this promo, Covington and Masvidal were still teammates and close friends. And Masvidal claims to have direct knowledge that the reason for Covington’s promo had absolutely nothing to do with the UFC putting him on notice.
“The UFC didn’t say that. Colby said that,” Masvidal told ESPN in reference to the true origin of the “bad boy” side of Covington.
Masvidal went on to state that he, not unlike the Brazilian audience, was blindsided by the promo.
“I didn’t know that it was coming. I was like, ‘Man, I don’t know how I feel about that. Because for me to have to diss a whole nation to get my name out there, to me, is like—damn. Especially in Brazil. There’s a lot of kids suffering. There’s a lot of hungry people out there. You’re kinda going too far.”
Masvidal went on to say that he told Colby that what he said was wrong, and Covington did not take the criticism well.
Masvidal: Jędrzejczyk & Nunes Have Both Confronted Covington
During his fallout with American Top Team, Colby Covington did not only target Jorge Masvidal. He has also had words about Dustin Poirier and two female leaders of the gym: Joanna Jędrzejczyk and, allegedly, ex-teammate Amanda Nunes.
Masvidal questions why Covington would speak about Jędrzejczyk and Nunes at all if his aim was just to sell pay-per-views as he claims.
“Why’s he talking about Joanna? Why is he talking about Amanda? Is he gonna fight them? Is he gonna make pay-per-views with them? Because his whole thing is like, <whimpering> ‘UFC was gonna cut me. I need to sell pay-per-views,’” Masvidal said.
Joanna Jędrzejczyk, Colby Covington
“You’re gonna sell pay-per-views when you fight Amanda? Why are you insulting women? Why are you bringing up women and things that you would do to them, this and that? Like, you’re a [MUTED] coward. And then he would see Amanda like, ‘Hey, Amanda, it’s just businesses.’ I’ve seen him myself do that. Same thing with Joanna. Same thing with numerous guys.”
According to Jędrzejczyk, Jorge Masvidal has all of American Top Team on his back when he faces Colby Covington this Saturday at UFC 272. The night will present Masvidal with an opportunity to avenge all the teammates Covington trashed in the past. And no matter what was the origin of Covington’s decision to begin behaving in such an abrasive manner, Masvidal will look to put an end to it once and for all in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
What do you make of Jorge Masvidal’s remarks about Colby Covington’s persona?
After two years of build-up, the “former friends turned bitter rivals” story starring Colby “Chaos” Covington and Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal will reach its climax.
It’s fight week, and we now are limited to five more days of torrid trash talk between former chums Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal. Both fighters are coming off a loss to Kamaru Usman in their latest fight and will be looking to reroute back to the top of the division, beginning with this grudge match.
In the co-main event, Rafael dos Anjos will be competing against Renato Moicano. And in another featured bout, rising featherweight Bryce Mitchell will be tested against proven vet Edson Barboza.
“This isn’t gonna be a baptism. This is gonna be Street Judas’ funeral.” – Colby Covington
Colby Covington, Getty Images
At UFC 272, Colby Covington will look to put an end to Jorge Masvidal as we know him. The Countdown video captures the intensity and the “Chaos” that Covington plans to bring with him into the Octagon when he seeks to close out this dramatic chapter of his career.
“I’m gonna look at him. You know what the [BLEEP] I’m talkin’ about, man. I brought you in, and I’m gonna take your ass out.” – Jorge masvidal
At UFC 272, Jorge Masvidal finally gets the opportunity he’s been craving: to be the man to silence Colby Covington. The Countdown video captures Masvidal explaining why he feels it’s his responsibility to wipe Covington off the MMA map.
Overall, the Countdown video does a thorough job of telling both sides of the story of how the two became friends, when and why things went sour, and just how eager they are to finally settle matters.
“In my mind, I want to do this forever because I’m a fighter. – Edson Barboza
Edson Barboza, Credit: USA TODAY Sports
UFC iron man Edson Barboza will be entering year 12 of his UFC tenure at UFC 272 when he takes on Bryce Mitchell. The Countdown video captures what makes Barboza such a thrilling, must-see staple of the UFC roster.
“When the fight first starts, it’s basically gonna be like a little simmer. When I get him down, it’s a boil. And when I get him in certain spots, it’s a pressure cook. If I can get him in certain spots where I can pressure-cook him, then that meat’s gonna fall off the bone.” – Bryce Mitchell
Bryce Mitchell (Image Credit: Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
At UFC 272, 27-year-old grappling maestro Bryce Mitchell will try to add the biggest feather in his fresh cap by defeating Edson Barboza. The Countdown video captures the “grappling vs. striker” dynamic of this fight in large part by highlighting Mitchell’s impressive submission skills.
The co-main event between Rafael dos Anjos and Renato Moicano is not featured in the Countdown video due to the last-minute nature of that booking.
UFC 272 takes place this Saturday, March 5, 2022, from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Neva. You can find the full card and viewing information below followed by the UFC 272 Countdown video.
Main Card (Pay-Per-View, 8:00 PM ET)
Jorge Masvidal vs. Colby Covington
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Renato Moicano
Edson Barboza vs. Bryce Mitchell
Kevin Holland vs. Alex Oliveira
Sergey Spivak vs. Greg Hardy
Preliminary Card (ESPN/ESPN+, 6:00 PM ET)
Jamie Mullarkey vs. Jalin Turner
Yan Xiaonan vs. Marina Rodriguez
Nicolae Negumereanu vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
Mariya Agapova vs. Maryna Moroz
Early Preliminary Card (ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass, 4:00 PM ET)
Brian Kelleher vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
Tim Elliott vs. Tagir Ulanbekov
Ludovit Klein vs. Devonte Smith
Dustin Jacoby vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Without further ado, you can check out the UFC 272 Countdown video below!
The UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña admired some of the best female names in MMA during her come-up.
With a professional record of 11 wins and 4 losses and recently defeating one of the greatest women in MMA to obtain the UFC bantamweight title, Julianna Peña is becoming a star in her own right.
Peña took the MMA world by storm when she defeated Amanda Nunes at UFC 269. She started a fierce MMA career back in 2009 and is still going strong. So it is no surprise that the list of women MMA fighters she admires are/were strong competitors.
“There was, the girls that were fighting before me, while I was coming up. Miesha Tate, Cris Cyborg, and Gina Carano. I loved Gina Carano. Those were the ones that I remember too,” Peña told New York Post.
Tate is a former UFC bantamweight champion who owns impressive wins against the likes of Holly Holm and Jessica Eye. In May, the former champion will face Lauren Murphy for a shot back in the winner’s circle after losing the second fight of her 2021 comeback to Ketlen Vieira.
It is also not shocking that Cris Cyborg made the list. Her name goes hand-in-hand with women’s mixed martial arts. The current Bellator bantamweight champion was in the middle of dominating her opponents when Peña was entering the professional MMA scene.
Gina Carano and Cris Cyborg, Photo Credit: Strikeforce
Gina Carano was an unstoppable force until Cyborg put an end to her 7-fight win streak in 2009. It was the only loss and last fight of her MMA career.
“Shayna Baszler, too. I remember buying her shirt and getting her autograph and being a fan of hers. And then I had to fight her on “The Ultimate Fighter.” I was like, ‘I’m fighting someone that I look up to! Someone that I think is really great!’It was so weird to be fighting a legend. That definitely happened,” Peña continued.
Korean Zombie will be fighting for UFC gold for the second time in his career, but this time around, he has much more confidence.
Zombie fought José Aldo at UFC 163 in 2013 when the champ was 22-1 and hadn’t lost since 2005. He was viewed as unbeatable and many weren’t giving Zombie a chance as he was around a +600 underdog which was the biggest he was in his entire career.
Ultimately, it was Aldo winning by fourth-round TKO after Zombie dislocated his shoulder. Now, years later, the fan-favorite spoke about the fight and said it is a good learning experience for him.
“Nine years ago, nobody could beat José Aldo. Nobody even thought about beating him. Nobody entertained (it). And (I’m) so happy that (I’m) fortunate enough to fight him because (I) had the experience now to actually step up and win a title (fight),” Zombie said through his interpreter on The MMA Hour.”
Korean Zombie is set to return to fight Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title in the main event of UFC 273 on April 9. Volkanovski was originally supposed to fight Max Holloway but the Hawaiian was forced out of the bout due to an injury, which allowed Zombie to get the shot. The event also takes place in Jacksonville, Florida.
Korean Zombie (17-6) is currently ranked fourth at featherweight and returned to the win column last time out with a decision win over Dan Ige. In the fight before, he lost a decision to Brian Ortega which snapped his two-fight winning streak and had he won, he likely would’ve gotten a title shot. In his career, Jung holds notable wins over Dustin Poirier, Frankie Edgar, and Dennis Bermudez among others.
Do you think Korean Zombie will win the featherweight championship this time after coming up short against José Aldo 9 years ago?
Israel Adesanya reports he was down to his last few hundred dollars before making a deal with the UFC.
Now a four-time title defending champion and signed to a new major deal with the UFC, surely financial hardship isn’t on the course for Adesanya.
However, before he got his chance with The Ultimate Fighting Championship, Adesanya experienced less than desirable contracts with other fight promotions.
He claims there was only $300 in his bank account at the time. This was mostly due to a company in China breaching their contract with him.
“The company that I was working in China f***** me over cause I had seven fights left in my contract, each fight at that time was like $25,000. And they just stopped giving me fights. I was like ‘what about the contract I need fights’,” said Adesanya, according to Mirror.
He credits MMA clothing line and products site Engage for getting him through the rough patch.
Israel Adesanya
“So, I went to the UFC. Shout out to Engage though, they came in the clutch at that time. This was around my UFC debut at around November 2017. I wouldn’t have rent for either the next week or the week after,” Adesanya continued.
Friends and family also pulled through to help the future champ.
“This is one thing I loved about my parents, they always supported me. I hated going to them and asking ‘can you pay me this’ but I always did. And a friend like Corbin [close friend of Adesanya] as well, who was always in the clutch for me as well. People like that I keep around and I hold them dearly,” The champ explained.
Next Up For Adesanya
Israel Adesanya, Photo Credit: Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
The middleweight champ signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC before his second battle against Robert Whittaker.
Whittaker thought he had the arsenal geared up to defeat Adesanya, but came up short in the decision. At such a close match, and “Bobby Knuckles” claiming to be the only fighter with the potential to take him down, a trilogy may be in store for the future.
Amosov, a native of Kyiv, has been outspoken regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military actions against Ukraine. After months of tension along the Ukraine-Russia border, Russia opted to invade Ukraine and targeting major cities around the country.
In a recent post on his Instagram page, Amosov updated his fans on the situation in Ukraine and his message to his fellow countrymen.
“Greetings, probably, many will think that I ran away, I’m hiding or something like that, but this is not so,” Amosov said. “I took my family to the safe zone. Now I have returned and will defend this country as best I can, with what I can.
“I love this country, our own. Russia came to our house and started a war here, many people are dying – innocents, women and children. We have to defend this country, and we succeed, friends. And we will succeed, because the truth is behind us.
“I would like to address those who subscribed to me from Russia. What is shown to you on TV, you may not watch – this is not true. If I were you, I wouldn’t even watch your news. We are in a real war. I cannot understand those people who do not believe that Russian troops entered Ukraine. I see it with my own eyes, I hear it. Terrible things are happening here. We can do this.” (h/t MMA Junkie)
Amosov isn’t the only notable combat sports star to join forces with the Ukrainian military. Former boxing champions Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko recently announced that they are willing to fight against the Russian attack.
Many MMA fighters have addressed the current situation in Ukraine, including non-Ukrainians. Amosov will look to fight and represent his home country later this year.
What is your reaction to Yaroslav Amosov defending Ukraine?
John McCarthy has come out and said why he understands Luke Rockhold’s callout of Paul Costa for his return fight in the UFC.
Rockhold was scheduled to return to competitive action against Sean Strickland at UFC 268 in November of last year. However, at that time, the former UFC middleweight champion was forced to withdraw as he herniated a disc in his back.
The 37-year-old is now eyeing a return to the Octagon at some point this year, as he chose to call out Costa as a potential opponent.
Photo via Instagram @lukerockhold
McCarthy recently spoke on his podcast with Josh Thomson, where he evaluated Rockhold’s potential return against Costa as being good a matchup for the veteran. (h/t SportsKeeda)
“Yes, Luke at times gets too much into being a standup guy,” McCarthy explained. “Cause he’s slick, he’s a technical fighter. He’s got beautiful kicks, he hides them well, he’s got power on them, but his ground game is what made Luke Rockhold who he was.”
“They don’t give him credit for being as good as he is, and Luke on the ground is good. That dude is phenomenal on the ground. And there’s a huge difference between his ground game and Paulo Costa’s ground game. So, if I look at this fight, I go, this is not a bad fight for him. I understand why he’s calling him out.”
Costa, like Rockhold, is now on a two-fight losing streak following his loss to Marvin Vettori in October of last year. This means a fight between the pair could make sense regarding the landscape of the middleweight division currently.
Both fighters could see themselves reentering the title picture with a victory. However, many are still left wondering whether there is fight left in Rockhold, who would be returning to 185lbs for the first time since his knockout loss to Yoel Romero in 2018. Yet a two-year break might be all that was required for the veteran to rest and recover for a special comeback.
Do you agree with John McCarthy that Paulo Costa is a good matchup for Luke Rockhold?
UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling has made a promise ahead of his unification showdown with rival Petr Yan at UFC 273.
Sterling’s reign atop the 135-pound mountain was forged in controversial fashion at UFC 259 last March. Against Yan, a Russian star who was predicted by many to rule the division for a long time, “Funk Master” emerged with the belt after eating an illegal knee to the head in the fourth round.
A subsequent disqualification jumped Sterling from likely defeat to champion status. While the illegal nature of the blow he sustained is undeniable, many doubted, and continue to criticize, Sterling’s reaction to it and failure to continue.
Some, including fellow UFC peers like Darren Till and Henry Cejudo, even mocked the new champ by suggesting he had delivered an acting performance worthy of an Academy Award.
Nominated for an Oscar this year are: Robert de niro Leonardo dicaprio Margot Robbie Aljamain Sterling #UFC259
Having missed out on the ‘Best Actor’ honor to Anthony Hopkins at last April’s Oscars, Sterling is hoping to go one better than public nominee this time around…
Sterling Vows To Outdo Denzel Washington At UFC 273
Once again embracing the jokes and de-legitimization of his championship status, as he often has, the New York native assured fans he’s been hard at work to reach a Denzel Washington-level of performance at UFC 273.
“Well, I’ve been training a lot, a lot of PT. They have these schools out here, these acting schools. I’ve been going to a lot of those, putting in a lot of extra time,” said Sterling. “So you guys are gonna see a much better [Academy-Award-winning] performance this time. And you guys are gonna be shocked, man. Denzel [Washington] really doesn’t have anything on me. I’m telling you right now. Denzel, Training Day, John Q—nothin’.”
Given the ongoing prominent fighter pay debate, there’s perhaps a comparison to be made between Washington’s John Q character and the UFC fighters pushing for better remuneration.
While he’s been more than happy to engage in memes and jokes surrounding his title crowning last year, Sterling will certainly be looking to focus on the task at hand come April 9.
He will no doubt acknowledge himself as the only true champion in the division, but some believe interim titleholder Yan holds that crown. UFC 273 will provide a chance for Sterling to legitimize his reign once and for all. Against a fighter like “No Mercy,” he’ll have a tough task on his hands.
Who do you think will leave UFC 273 as the undisputed bantamweight king, Aljamain Sterling or Petr Yan?
During a Facebook Live gaming stream, UFC legend and WWE star Ronda Rousey explained how judo has been the worst for her body and gave details of her future WWE events.
Rousey’s reign in the UFC put a spotlight on women’s MMA. With brutal armbars, she took down big names before the final bell rang.
She was crowned the UFC bantamweight champion after a victory over Liz Carmouche back in 2013. Every title defense from then on was won by a vicious submission.
Ronda Rousey, Photo Credit: UFC
Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes are the only two fighters to defeat Rousey in her UFC career.
But before she dominated in the octagon, Rousey made incredible strides in the Olympics.
In 2004, she was the youngest athlete to qualify for the Olympics in Athens. The then 17-year-old gained only one win that year. However, she returned to the Summer Games in Beijing four years later and took home the bronze medal.
Ronda Rousey, Photo Credit: Getty Images
Judo has helped the submission artist collect a lot of Ws in her MMA career. But after many years, the Japanese martial art has become her most strenuous activity.
“No, Judo’s definitely the hardest on my joints than MMA or pro wrestling. I was about ready to retire from Judo just because of how bad it was on my knees when I was like in my early 20s. But, what’s it called? — no, I was surprised. Even at the Royal Rumble, I wasn’t even breathing hard at the end of it and in the match the other day [in Saudi Arabia], I wasn’t even, yeah. I’m an athlete, you know? So I’m not talking about breathing hard. I wasn’t feeling like I was — I couldn’t catch my breath or something like that. So no, I feel great and I haven’t been that sore yet, but I got a bunch of live shows coming up,” Rousey explained on her Facebook Live stream (h/t Wrestling Headlines.)
Now the former WWE champion’s schedule has certainly picked up.
“I’m doing SmackDown this Friday and then I’m doing a live show, I think there’s one in Rochester and one in like Ohio, right? I think like the actual SmackDown is in Pennsylvania. It’s something like Pennsylvania, Ohio, I’m gonna do three shows in a row. I don’t have a match on SmackDown but I’ll be doing a match the next two nights in — on the live shows and then the next week, after SmackDown, I’m doing two live shows. I’m doing M.S.G. in New York and then I’m going to Montreal.
“So, in the next two weeks, I’ll be having a bunch of matches. Ask me again then. I think it’s more of like the repetition of doing a bunch of matches in a row that’ll really get to you, start to be sore and the travel. Just constantly being able to sit upright but, we’re lucky enough where we actually get to travel on a bus so, I’ll be able to like lay down and not have to jump on a car or on a train after wrestling which helps,” Rousey continued to say on her live stream.
Rousey’s last performance in the ring was at the Elimination Chamber with Naomi as her tag-team partner. Together, they defeated Charlotte Flair and Sonya Deville.
Fans of the “Baddest Woman on the Planet” will be elated to see the former UFC champion turned WWE superstar in more wrestling matches in the future.
UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal is always ready for a scrap, as evidenced by his nickname “Gamebred.”
But he feels that one particular matchup above all others would’ve been a headache to prepare for.
Masvidal is set to face former friend and former American Top Team teammate Colby Covington in the UFC 272 headliner. It is one of the most anticipated fights of 2022 and a chance for both welterweights to get back into the title shot conversation.
Masvidal has lost back-to-back fights to welterweight champion Kamaru Usman but remains one of the UFC’s biggest stars. His forward-pushing style to go along with his fight-ready personality has made him a household name in the Octagon.
Masvidal has faced some of the best fighters in UFC history, including Usman and former UFC champion Benson Henderson.
During a recent Q+A session on Rumble, Masvidal pointed to former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre as the toughest hypothetical matchup for him.
“GSP’s one of the best ever. He’s got that fu**ing amazing [ability where] he could wrestle, wrestle, wrestle, or he could strike, he actually had great boxing, you know, very technical. He didn’t have the most power but he would set it up beautifully and get you off your feet.
Georges St-Pierre, Photo Credit: Getty Images
“It’s one of those fights, it’s like a nightmare matchup for me but those are the fights that I wanted… Obviously, I’m going to put the money on me, I’m gonna be going for his chin the whole time with flying knees, hoping I get him to duck into something bad, you know, and make it into a war but GSP’s one of the best ever. I would have loved to be standing in front of the cage across that guy and just fu**inggiving it my all to take his a** out.” (h/t SportsKeeda)
St-Pierre retired following a split decision win over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 but would return to win the middleweight title at UFC 217. He would go back into retirement but has hinted at a potential move to boxing in the future.
As Masvidal pointed out, St-Pierre’s legacy in the sport of MMA is unquestionable. He remains one of the most talked-about fighters in the history of the UFC and is one of the pioneers of the promotion’s rise in popularity.
How do you think Jorge Masvidal would’ve fared against Georges St-Pierre?
Boxing and MMA commentator Teddy Atlas has given a detailed breakdown of what led up to Tai Tuivasa’s knockout of Derrick Lewis at UFC 271.
Tuivasa has been on a roll in the UFC’s heavyweight division over the past year. He has won five straight overall by knockout and has demonstrated the ability to end a fight with a single punch. Tuivasa also earned a post-fight performance check for his finish at UFC 271.
The most stunning moment of Tuivasa’s career to this point was his finish of Lewis at UFC 271. After surviving an early barrage from Lewis, “Bam Bam” found his range on the feet and had Lewis up against the cage. He would land a solid lead elbow that slept Lewis directly after impact.
During a recent segment on his The Fight podcast, Atlas explained what led to Tuivasa’s KO of the Year candidate at UFC 271.
“His toughness got him there, no doubt about it, but his intelligence won it for him,” Atlas said of Tuivasa. “Because what did he do? He made an adjustment. A lot of people might not have noticed, (they just) saw two big guys slugging it out. Not quite. Tuivasa started countering in between the big shots of Lewis—in between his reckless aggression. I’ll say it again: his reckless aggression. And he was catching him in between. And that’s how he hurt him. And then, he goes and hits him with an elbow—a clean elbow—that puts the lights out for Lewis.”
Tuivasa is now a Top-3 heavyweight contender in the UFC following his win over Lewis. He could potentially get a No. 1 contender fight next after just recently catapulting into the rankings.
Francis Ngannou thinks Ciryl Gane had a cherry-picked path to a title shot.
Francis Ngannou is the UFC heavyweight champion. He defended his title successfully against one of the toughest opponents available in Ciryl Gane and has once again proven that he is the best. Ngannou had to prove his skills through a tough road to becoming UFC champ. He lost some, won some more, and worked his way to becoming the “baddest man on the planet.”
Now that Ngannou and Gane have fought and Ngannou came out on top, he is being a little critical of Gane’s path to the title fight.
“You don’t usually get into the UFC and get to fight for the title without fighting a wrestler. That’s the rule. In this case, he seems like he was protected. They were protecting him, and they were just hyping his striking style. This isn’t a striking game. This is a fighting game,” Ngannou said on his YouTube Channel (via MMAWeekly).
Gane has just ten fights on his professional MMA résumé. His only loss so far was the fight with Ngannou. In his UFC career, Gane has faced seven opponents before facing Ngannou, those seven have a combined 171 professional fights, and only a combined 10 submission victories.
As for Gane himself, he holds three submission victories in his career. Ngannou was making the point that the UFC was trying to shed a spotlight on Gane’s striking power, instead of testing him on the ground. However, Gane has proven that he can submit when needed. In fact, his first two wins in the UFC were by submission.
Ngannou showcased a well-rounded game plan in the win. He will be out of competition for an undisclosed amount of time, however, now that he will need to heal up from a lingering knee injury. As for Gane, he could be back in action later this year.
Do you think the UFC tried to steer Gane away from facing wrestlers?
The following article was published on this day five years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Five Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 27, 2017, 10:04 PM]
Khabib Nurmagomedov is not the first person who would spring to mind for many looking for an explanation of romantic comedy plots.
That being said, there are many out there who would agree wholeheartedly with his interpretations. theChive caught up with the Russian fighter ahead of his lightweight interim championship title fight at UFC 209 this coming Saturday, as part of a sponsored media exercise prior to the most anticipated card of 2017 so far.
Nurmagomedov was given a number of plots of popular “chick-flicks” and asked how he felt about each of them. The opportunity to take a jaunt into the world of movie reviews seemed as equally bemusing to Khabib as it must to those who have watched the clip. This, however, is comedy gold.
You can watch the full clip above.
UFC 209 features Nurmagomedov’s fight against Tony Ferguson and is headlined by the welterweight rematch title fight featuring champion Tyron Woodley and contender Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.
UFC veteran Bobby Green now understands what makes Islam Makhachev so formidable after spending a few minutes of Octagon time with him.
Green stepped up on short notice to face Makhachev in the UFC Vegas 49 main event. He filled in for the injured Beneil Dariush just weeks after earning a decisive win over Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 271.
Makhachev has long been seen as the heir apparent to former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. He appears on the verge of a title shot following his first-round TKO finish of Green.
Fighters have seemed to have a different perspective on Makhachev’s skillset after spending time inside the cage with him. During his UFC Vegas 49 post-fight interview with ESPN’s Megan Olivi, Green explained how Makhachev can overwhelm his opposition.
“Yeah, I got it now,” Green said. “So what they do is, they do this little thing where he’s so patient, he’s so strong, and he just goes little, little, little, little, until he gets right where he wants to be, you know? And so, I tried to do some turning over, and as I did it, he went to mount, and he was so strong at holding his mount, so I was like; ‘interesting.’ I tried to turn, and I couldn’t move out of it, and I’m like ‘no one’s been that strong before.’ So, I gotta work on my weight training and get on my muscles to build that strength for this division.”
Green had won back-to-back fights before the loss to Makhachev. He earned a violent knockout of Al Iaquinta at UFC 268 before putting on a boxing clinic against Haqparast.
If Green’s comments are any indication, fighters need to develop a certain type of skill set to challenge a talent of Makhachev’s caliber.
Glover Teixeira vs. Jiří Procházka has been pushed back to UFC 275.
Teixeira was originally lined up to face Procházka at UFC 274 on May 7, but Combate was the first to reveal that the bout will now take place in June. The reason for the change is currently unknown.
The fight will mark Teixeira’s first time attempting to defend the UFC light heavyweight championship. The veteran fighter first earned the belt in October, securing a second-round rear-naked choke submission over Jan Blachowicz.
That victory was his sixth consecutive victory. This winning streak dates back to 2019 and includes two previous main event wins.
Procházka Given Teixeira Fight In Third UFC Appearance
Prochazka is getting a title shot after just two fights in the UFC. The former RIZIN light heavyweight champion made his promotional debut in 2020, finishing Volkan Oezdemir in the second round.
Procházka earned a big win last year, scoring his second victory. He knocked out former title challenger Dominick Reyes in the main event of a “Fight Night” card.
Procházka is known for his explosive striking skills. He is currently on a 12 fight winning streak, with just one of those fights going the distance.
Who do you think will win? Do you have Glover Teixeira retaining, or Jiri Prochazka claiming the belt?
On November 16, 2013, Georges St-Pierre earned what was widely considered to be the narrowest, most hard-earned victory of his career when he defeated Johny Hendricks via split decision at UFC 167. After this bout, GSP walked away from the sport, and it appeared as though we had likely seen the welterweight great compete for the last time in MMA.
As we later found out, St-Pierre would return four years later when he claimed the middleweight title from Michael Bisping. Prior to St-Pierre making the walk again, it was uncertain who he would be facing upon his return. If it were up to Johny Hendricks, there wouldn’t have been another opponent at all.
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
One person who isn’t very excited to see the return of Georges St-Pierre is Johny Hendricks.
Hendricks is fresh off his unanimous decision victory over Hector Lombard last Sunday night (Feb. 19) inside the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was “Bigg Rigg’s” middleweight debut. Hendricks hasn’t made the top 15 in the official Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 185-pound rankings yet, but he may be one win away from changing that.
Upon hearing the news of St-Pierre’s professional mixed martial arts (MMA) return, Hendricks didn’t sound too enthusiastic. Hendricks competed against “Rush” back in Nov. 2013 for the welterweight championship. St-Pierre retained his title by a controversial split decision win. He then went on a hiatus, vacating his title in the process.
Since that time, Hendricks has won the 170-pound title. He has also gone 3-4 in his last seven fights, losing the title to Robbie Lawler in that time.
On today’s (Feb. 27) edition of “The MMA Hour” (via MMAMania.com), Hendricks revealed he doesn’t necessarily agree with St-Pierre’s decision to come back:
“I am (surprised to see him back), I wish he would’ve stayed out. But you know what, a competitor is always going to be a competitor and we’ll see how he comes back. I heard he might be coming to 185, so you know I do (want a piece of him). So like I went through my rough period, and I did something and was able to bounce back. Whenever he went through his rough period, he got out. Yeah, you can train, yeah you could do these things, but has he done enough to where he is going to be able to come back a different fighter?”
An opponent, date, and venue have not been announced for “Rush’s” comeback fight. His coach, Firas Zahabi, hopes his fighter is eyeing big fights with UFC lightweight king Conor McGregor and middleweight title holder Michael Bisping.
Khabib Nurmagomedov says the UFC plans on having top lightweight contender Islam Makhachev fight for the belt at the end of 2022.
Makhachev put on another dominant performance against short-notice replacement Bobby Green at UFC Vegas 49. He was originally supposed to face Beneil Dariush before Dariush withdrew from the bout due to an injury.
Makhachev entered UFC Vegas 49 as the fourth-ranked lightweight contender in the UFC and is assumingly the next man in line for the title shot. UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira will face Justin Gaethje for his latest title defense later this year at UFC 274.
“A couple days ago, when we meet with Dana, we was talking about, ‘Hey, what’s next?’” Nurmagomedov said of Makhachev. “He’s like, ‘Hey, you have to fight with Bobby Green first. I’m like, ‘Dana, it’s not like—they’re not same level.’ Of course, we don’t underestimate him, but if Islam catch him, it’s finished, you know?
Islam Makhachev, Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
“And he (said) ‘I’m really focused on Islam fight winner of Charles [Oliveira] vs. Justin Gaethje, end of this year.’ Dana (said) they gonna make very big show in Abu Dhabi end of this year. And I think it is this place Islam gonna compete, fight for the title.”
Makhachev has been seen as the heir apparent to Nurmagomedov for years. He is on a 10-fight winning streak and has soared to the top of the lightweight division’s title picture.
Entering UFC Vegas 49, Makhachev had earned three-straight submission wins in 2021 over Thiago Moisés, Drew Dober, and Dan Hooker. A loss to Adriano Martins at UFC 192 is the lone blemish on his otherwise stellar record.
Makhachev, Nurmagomedov, and the other Dagestani fighters are seen as heroes in Abu Dhabi. If Makhachev earns a title shot on Fight Island, it would arguably make the biggest stage of his career that much bigger.
Do you think Islam Makhachev will earn the lightweight title in 2022?
The following article was published on this day five years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Five Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 27, 2017, 11:56 AM]
“Cowboy” is currently enjoying a break from the octagon following his second round, TKO loss to Jorge Masvidal at UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña in January.
Cerrone was enjoying a four-fight win streak at welterweight, which included three “Performance of the Night” awards prior to Masvidal derailing his success following his jump from lightweight.
“Cowboy” is just as renowned for his activity inside the cage as he is for his fighting skills. For example, the fan-favorite fought and beat Benson Henderson on the Conor McGregor v Denis Siver card just 15 days following his defeat over Miles Jury at UFC 182, and fans are keen to see the former WEC title challenger take a break to readjust himself prior to a return to the octagon.
Those calls appear to have been heeded by “Cowboy”, as he recently spoke with TMZ Sports to discuss his downtime at Daytona 500. Cerrone discusses why the UFC is scarier than NASCAR and gives his insight into “topless festivities” and “crazy redneck chicks lying around naked”.
There is winding down, and then there is winding down “Cowboy” style…
Islam Makhachev is expecting a title fight next, but he doesn’t mind a pit stop with one enticing pickup along his route.
With 10 consecutive victories now under his belt after defeating Bobby Green at UFC Vegas 49, Islam Makhachev is done waiting. Just as he has been saying for several months now, Makhachev believes the only fight that makes sense for him at this juncture is a world title fight against the winner of the upcoming Charles Oliveira (c) vs. Justin Gaethje lightweight championship bout.
At the UFC Vegas 49 post-fight presser, Makhachev was asked about where McGregor fits into the title picture. Although Makhachev finds McGregor to be irrelevant, the Dagestani did express interest in fighting The Notorious One to make him earn the title shot he’s been asking for.
“Honestly, I don’t remember when this guy beat someone,” Makhachev said. “He have to come back, beat someone, and … let’s go, why not? I’m gonna smash him like easy. Bobby Green is gonna be hard for me more than for him (McGregor).”
Makhachev is currently ranked #4 in the lightweight division. With Dustin Poirier (#2) just receiving a title shot at UFC 269, Justin Gaethje (#1) being up next, and Beneil Dariush (#3) being injured with no timetable to return, there is a clear path for Makhachev to get the next shot. Meanwhile, McGregor is unranked and, to Makhachev’s point, has not won a fight at 155 lbs. since 2016.
Nevertheless, Makhachev does not appear to be exempt from the “Red Panty Night” guest list sign-up, where everyone seems to want an invite to the party. The fact that McGregor has a deep history with Makhachev’s mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, is probably just as much of an incentive for Makhachev to take this fight as the payday.
You’ll want to stay tuned to see what lies in store for Makhachev, McGregor, and the rest of the lightweight division in 2022. And the best place to be for all the latest news and updates is right here at MMANews.com.
Do you think a fight between Conor McGregor and Islam Makhachev would make sense right now?
The event took place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility. Headlining the card was a clash between Islam Makhachev and Bobby Green. This fight was exactly what everyone thought it was going to be, a one-sided beatdown and Green was the victim.
Islam took him down about two minutes into the first round before going through some positions until getting back mount where he rained down strikes to get the TKO. Green took the fight on short notice so he should get a nice payday for his efforts.
The co-main event saw more action between Wellington Turman and Misha Cirkunov.
This was a wild fight as in the first round, Turman took his back while standing. Misha got him off his back before getting into full guard and unloading with strikes. He later got his back and went for a rear-naked choke then a d’arce choke, but both failed. Moving along to the second round, Turman was taken down, but locked in an armbar out of nowhere for the win.
Peep the full list of performance bonus winners below.
Performance of the Night: Arman Tsarukyan and Wellington Turman
Fight of the Night: Priscila Cachoeira vs. Ji Yeon Kim
Were the right choices made for the UFC Vegas 49 bonuses?
MMA News is providing ongoing coverage of UFC Vegas 49. We’ve got you covered with live results, video highlights, and post-fight tidbits.
Islam Makhachev vs. Bobby Green was a one-sided beat down.
The two fighters met in a bout on Saturday night (February 26, 2022) at the UFC Vegas 49 event from Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility.
It didn’t last long as Islam took him down then went through various positions – side mount, full mount, and back mount, before raining down some big shots to get the TKO win in the first round.
Peep the highlights of the fight courtesy of the UFC’s official Twitter account:
It’s weird to say that I still want to see Islam fight Dariush. 10 fights in a row is hard deny but damn man, I just wanna see Islam fight Top 5 before a title shot. Am I wrong for being so heavy in the merit system? He is the truth I just want to see top level vs top level first
Makhachev entered this fight with a 20-1 pro-MMA record and seven-fight winning streak. During this winning streak, he had two submissions, one KO, and four decision wins. His previous fights saw him beat Drew Dober at UFC 253 and a submission win over Thiago Moises at UFC Vegas 31.
Green green entered this fight by going 3-2 in his previous five and on a two-fight winning streak. His past two fights saw him score a TKO win over Al Iaquinta at UFC 268 and Nasrat Haqparast by unanimous decision at UFC 271.
MMA News is providing ongoing coverage of UFC Vegas 49. We’ve got you covered with live results, video highlights, and post-fight tidbits.
Wellington Turman vs. Misha Cirkunov was a solid co-main event fight.
The two fighters met in a bout on Saturday night (February 26, 2022) at the UFC Vegas 49 event from Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility.
The first round was wild as Turman took his back while standing and they stayed there for a little bit before Misha shook him off before unloading with strikes then getting into full guard. He later tried to go for a rear-naked choke and d’arce choke, but couldn’t get either of them. In the second round, it all ended with Turman getting the armbar win.
Peep the highlights of the fight courtesy of the UFC’s official Twitter account:
Turman made a name for himself after racking up a 15-2 pro-MMA record after fighting for several promotions.He earned a UFC contract when he beat Marcio Alexandre Jr. back in April by rear-naked choke under the Future FC banner. Turman lost to Karl Roberson by decision at the UFC Sacramento event from the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. He then beat Markus Perez by decision only to lose to Andrew Sanchez and Bruno Silva. In his previous fight, he edged out Sam Alvey in August 2021.
Cirkunov entered this fight with a 15-7 pro-MMA record and had gone 3-2 in his past five fights. He lost his previous two fights to Ryan Spann by TKO in March and Krzysztof Jotko by decision in October.
MMA News is providing ongoing coverage of UFC Vegas 49. We’ve got you covered with live results, video highlights, and post-fight tidbits.
Islam Makhachev is still expecting to share the Octagon with Beneil Dariush at some point.
Islam Makhachev is knocking on the door of a UFC title shot. The young up-and-coming fighter has been making waves in the UFC lightweight division for several years now. Coming up under the tutelage of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev is one of the most hyped fighters at 155 pounds at the moment. He will be fighting in the main event of tonight’s UFC Vegas 49 card against Bobby Green.
Green is a last-minute stand-in; however, as Makhachev’s original opponent, Beneil Dariush was forced out of the bout with an injury recently. Dariush is sitting in the number three spot in the lightweight division rankings. Makhachev was hoping that defeating Dariush would put him even closer to a possible fight with champion Charles Oliveira. Now, with the unranked Green as his next opponent, Makhachev’s title aspirations could be in jeopardy.
Makhachev is disappointed in Dariush’s withdrawal from the fight, but he expects this chapter to be finished at a later date.
“I’m a little bit sad because Beneil injured,” Makhachev told Daniel Cormier and Ryan Clark on the DC & RC show. “I really believe we gonna fight again, maybe next year or maybe this year. I heard he have like very bad injuries. He broke his (leg). But Beneil is one of the best in the world. That’s why I really believe we’re gonna fight.”
The extent of Dariush’s injuries will require him to be out of competition for a bit. He recently updated his condition to let fans know that he may not be requiring surgery, and his timetable for a return is unknown at this time.
Do you think that Islam Makhachev can still receive a title shot with a victory over Bobby Green at UFC Vegas 49 on Saturday night?
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 26, 2017, 10:58 PM]
Headline: Oscar De La Hoya: ‘Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather is a Disrespect to Boxing’
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
Oscar De La Hoya is not a fan of the Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather talks.
The boxing Hall of Famer and current promoter through Golden Boy Promotions has heard ramblings of a mega-fight between “Notorious” and “Money.” De La Hoya certainly knows a thing or two about the sweet science. He has won multiple world championships in the sport of boxing.
De La Hoya doesn’t have much faith in McGregor’s chances in a boxing match with Mayweather. At the same time, he doesn’t believe Mayweather would fare any better in a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) contest against the current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight titleholder.
Canelo Alvarez, who fights under Golden Boy Promotions, has had some beef with McGregor. He recently said a boxing match-up between McGregor and Mayweather is a “joke” for the sport of boxing.
“Well I do. It’s a disrespect to boxing because they’re two different sports. I mean look, put Floyd and McGregor in the ring and Floyd will box his ears off. Put Floyd in the Octagon and McGregor will submit him by twisting his toe or something. You know what I’m saying? It’s a whole different sport.”
