The final UFC Vegas 46 betting odds are in for as this event is quickly approaching for the Las Vegas-based promotion.
The event is here, and it goes down tonight (Saturday, January 15, 2022) from Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility.
Calvin Kattar vs. Giga Chikadze in a featherweight bout will headline the show. In the co-main event, Jake Collier vs. Chase Sherman will take place.
Rounding out the main card is Katlyn Chookagian vs. Jennifer Maia in a women’s flyweight bout, Brandon Royval vs. Rogerio Bontorin in a flyweight fight, Viacheslav Borshchev vs. Dakota Bush in a lightweight bout and Bill Algeo vs. Joanderson Brito in a featherweight bout.
According to oddsmakers, is a – favorite over, who is a + underdog. Other odds for the main card include being a + underdog against, who is a – favorite. Here are the full betting odds:
Giga Chikadze (-235) vs. Calvin Kattar (+190)
Jake Collier (-130) vs. Chase Sherman (+110)
Katlyn Chookagian (-180) vs. Jennifer Maia (+155)
Brandon Royval (-160) vs. Rogerio Bontorin (+140)
Joanderson Brito (-130) vs. Bill Algeo (+110)
Court McGee (-115) vs. Ramiz Brahimaj (-105)
Joseph Holmes (-150) vs. Jamie Pickett (+130)
Brian Kelleher (-305) vs. Kevin Croom (+255)
Viacheslav Borshchev (-180) vs. Dakota Bush (+155)
Demetrious Johnson is set to make his return to competition in a very intriguing way when he takes on ONE Championship Flyweight Muay Thai Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon on March 26.
CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced the fight last year on The MMA Hour after the original ONE X card planned for December 5 2021 was postponed.
The mixed-special-rules fight will have alternating rounds between Muay Thai and MMA. The first and third rounds will be under Muay Thai rules, and the second and fourth rounds will be MMA. This will be a tall test for Johnson, as Jitmuangnon has competed in over 300 professional Muay Thai bouts with a total of 267 wins. The ONE Muay Thai champion is currently on a five-fight winning streak and has held the title since August 2, 2019.
What makes this fight interesting, though, is that Jitmuangnon has never competed in MMA, just as Johnson has never competed in Muay Thai. After losing for the first time in ONE Championship in April to flyweight champion Adriano Moraes, Johnson did express interest in competing in a kickboxing bout, so this unique fight announcement should not come as a total surprise.
Also announced for this card is atomweight champion Angela Lee defending her title against Stamp Fairtex, who has held championships in multiple combat sports. This bout will serve as the main event for the card. Additionally, Adriano Moraes will take on Yuya Wakamatsu in his first flyweight title defense since defeating Demetrious Johnson last year.
Stick with MMA News for further updates on this event, including the broadcast information. Also, be sure to catch our coverage of ONE X on March 26!
Are you excited to see the mixed rules bout between Demetrious Johnson and Rodtang Jitmuangnon on March 26?
Julianna Peña is already sorting out opponents for her championship reign.
It has been just one month since Julianna Peña became UFC bantamweight champion, but she is already making a list of possible opponents. The top name on her dream list is a well-known name, but no longer in the UFC. Peña has a desire to lure Ronda Rousey back from retirement to settle an old score between them.
Peña got her start in the UFC as a member of The Ultimate Fighter Season 18. That season was coached by Rousey and Miesha Tate. Peña was a member of Tate’s team and also a friend of hers. Throughout the season, there was a lot of hatred between the coaches and Peña. Being friendly with Tate, Peña took some of that hate from Rousey as well.
“She really had a tough time getting along with me on The Ultimate Fighter,” Peña told The NY Post. “She didn’t like me at all because I was friends with Miesha Tate. She wasn’t the nicest.”
Rousey has a very successful run as the champion of the bantamweight division but hung up her gloves back in 2016. After a short time with the WWE, Rousey is now out of combat sports and raising a family. That doesn’t stop Peña from calling her out though. She would welcome a shot at that former champ if she ever got the itch to return.
“It would be amazing to pull Ronda Rousey back out of retirement,” She said. “It would be great to have her come back to UFC and fight again.”
Peña is just beginning her run as the 135-pound champion and has already done something Rousey could not, beat Amanda Nunes. Peña is not holding out for Rousey at this time but she is still holding a grudge.
“I don’t know that she’ll recall this because she ended up getting taken out by her entire team,” Peña said. “But when we won ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ and got out of the house, she told me that, ‘You’re gonna give me a tougher fight than Miesha Tate, but when that day comes I’m still gonna kick your ass….’ I kind of said to her, ‘We’ll see.”
Would you like to see Ronda Rousey return to the UFC and face Julianna Peña?
The interesting circumstances between these two fighters and the fact that they used to train together have made this bout the standout on the card. The rest of the main card and prelims are filled with top talent as well. However, there have been two important changes to the event recently.
The other shake-up to the UFC 270 fight card is Charles Jourdain has stepped in to face Ilia Topuria after his original opponent Movsar Evloev fell ill. This news was first reported by Álvaro Gª Colmenero on Twitter. Topuria is currently undefeated as a professional and is now on a three-win streak in the UFC. Jourdain is coming off a win over Andre Ewell just a few weeks ago.
With these last-minute changes, the current UFC 270 fight card is as follows:
Main Card (ESPN+ PPV, 10:00 PM ET)
Heavyweight Francis Ngannou (c) vs. Ciryl Gane (ic)
Flyweight Brandon Moreno (c) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
Bantamweight Cody Stamann vs. Said Nurmagomedov
Featherweight: Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Jourdain
Preliminary Card (ESPN2, ESPN+, 8:00 PM ET)
Middleweight Rodolfo Vieira vs. Wellington Turman
Bantamweight Tony Gravely vs. Saimon Oliveira
Welterweight Bout: Jack Della Maddalena vs. Pete Rodriguez
Welterweight Bout: Michel Pereira vs. Andre Fialho
Early Preliminary Card (ESPN+, UFC Fight Pass, 6:00 PM ET)
Bantamweight Raoni Barcelos vs. Victor Henry
Welterweight Trevin Giles vs. Michael Morales
Lightweight Matt Frevola vs. Genaro Valdez
Women’s Flyweight Kay Hansen vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
Strawweight Bout: Vanessa Demopoulos vs. Silvana Gomez Juarez
Fallon Fox has presented data in an attempt to debunk the claim that transgender female athletes have a physical advantage over cisgender female athletes.
The topic of transgender women competing against cisgender women in sports has been a hot topic in recent months. This includes MMA, where transgender female Alana McLaughlin made her victorious debut last September.
But before McLaughlin, there was Fallon Fox, who was the first transgender MMA athlete to gain media attention during her stint as an active fighter from 2011-2014. Fox went 5-1 in her career, with her sole loss coming to the UFC’s Ashlee Evans-Smith in 2013.
Not unlike McLaughlin, Fox was subject to her fair share of criticism. She particularly had conflict with Joe Rogan and Ronda Rousey in 2014, which coincidentally is the last year she competed.
Eight years later, Fox has taken it upon herself to again speak up on behalf of transgender female athletes competing against cisgender female athletes with a pair of social media posts that share medical information that Fox believes debunks any claims of advantages for transgender women over cisgender women. You can view the posts below.
“New research finds trans women that undergo HRT their hemoglobin levels reduce to the normal F range within just 3–4 months & their Vo2 Max in 4-6 months & their muscle reduces mass 9.4 % in just the first 12 months of T deprivation,” she posted along with an accompanying graph of medical data.
“Trans athlete Isaac Henig is a trans man who has never been on HRT (testosterone), & he just beat trans woman Lia Thomas who has been on HRT for over 2yrs. Also, some cisgender women had faster times than Lia Thomas this time around,” she posted along with an article sharing an anecdotal story to support her argument.
Alana McLaughlin is yet to compete again since her debut victory. In the meantime, like Fox, she, too, is serving as an advocate for transgender individuals, including targeting right-wing politicians for what she considered to be anti-trans legislation.
What are your thoughts on Fallon Fox’s supporting evidence that transgender female athletes are not at an advantage over cisgender female athletes?
UFC middleweight contender Jared Cannonier says upcoming opponent Derek Brunson’s blonde “gimmick” will be irrelevant on fight night next month.
Since back-to-back losses to Ronaldo Souza and Israel Adesanya appeared to suggest he’d slipped to the role of veteran gatekeeper at 185 pounds, Brunson has been in the form of his life. What did his change in fortunes coincide with? A new blonde hairstyle.
“Blonde Brunson” debuted against Edmen Shahbazyan in the UFC Vegas 5 main event in 2020. At that point, the 38-year-old was already on a two-fight win streak, having had his hand raised against both Elias Theodorou and Ian Heinisch. But while Brunson’s career had previously been a tale of beating those below but often falling short against the elite, “Blonde Brunson” was a different beast.
Brunson is now set for the chance to stake his claim for a title shot and a rematch with “The Last Stylebender.” If he’s to do so, he’ll have to get through Jared Cannonier, who boasts championship aspirations of his own. The pair are set to collide on the UFC 271 main card on February 12.
The UFC’s highly ranked middleweight fight between Jared Cannonier (@killagorillamma) and Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) at UFC 270 on Jan. 22 has moved to UFC 271 on Feb. 12, per sources. Same night as Adesanya vs. Whittaker title fight.
Cannonier: Brunson’s Blonde Hair Won’t Stop An Ass-Whooping
While the “Blonde Brunson” gimmick is unbeaten in the Octagon to date and has firmly broken free of the gatekeeper shackles non-blonde Brunson was in three years ago, Cannonier has reminded his upcoming opponent that whatever color hair he has, it won’t change the result.
During a recent interview with LowKick MMA, “The Killa Gorilla” credited Brunson for being able to keep himself relevant with another iteration of himself. However, the former heavyweight and light heavyweight fighter noted it has no relevancy to their fight, which he believes will see the 38-year-old get his “ass whooped.”
“I mean, it’s a gimmick. Good for him. He’s found another gimmick that keeps him relevant for a little while longer,” said Cannonier. “But that shit is irrelevant to me. Those are all antics and that has absolutely fuck all to do with me whooping your ass. So that’s it.”
After a damaging loss to Robert Whittaker at UFC 254 in October 2020, both physically and his surge towards the title, Cannonier rebounded in style when he returned to action in 2021. In a main event contest against perennial contender Kelvin Gastelum, “The Killa Gorilla” returned to to the win column with a comfortable victory on the scorecards.
Sitting at #3 in the division with a 4-1 middleweight record, which includes wins against Anderson Silva and Jack Hermansson, Cannonier will be looking to book a date with Adesanya when he faces Brunson at next month’s pay-per-view.
UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes says that out of his former opponents Derrick Lewis and Francis Ngannou, it’s “The Black Beast” who packs the hardest punch.
Across his 19-fight professional MMA career, Blaydes has only tasted defeat against Ngannou and Lewis. In his UFC debut back in 2016, “Razor” had the first blemish added to his record by “The Predator” in the form of a doctor stoppage.
After going 6-0-1 in his next seven outings, a period that included wins against Aleksei Oleinik, Mark Hunt, and Alistair Overeem, Blaydes had his chance at redemption.
In the main event of a Beijing, China-held UFC Fight Night in 2018, the Illinois native shared the Octagon with Ngannou for the second time. On that occasion, the current UFC Heavyweight Champion got the job done without a doctor, securing a first-round TKO less than a minute into the contest.
Like with his first defeat, Blaydes had no issue rebounding after his second setback. Mounting a four-fight win streak, he defeated former titleholder Junior dos Santos and veteran striker Alexander Volkov. That form granted him a title eliminator against Lewis. But in the UFC Vegas 19 main event, Blaydes was knocked out cold for the first time in his career.
In an exclusive interview with MMA News, Blaydes discussed the immense power of both Ngannou and Lewis, the upcoming UFC 270 main event, his heavyweight GOAT, Jon Jones’ expected heavyweight debut, and his own return to action in 2022.
Blaydes: Lewis Slept Me, Ngannou Didn’t
Ngannou is widely regarded as not only the biggest power puncher in MMA but the hardest hitter on the globe. That claim is even backed up by some numbers. In 2017, the Cameroonian powerhouse set the record for the most powerful recorded punch in history.
That vicious ability to knock everyone and anyone out has been on full display in the UFC. In his five fights since consecutive defeats to Lewis and Stipe Miocic on the scorecards in 2018, Ngannou has knocked out Blaydes, Miocic, dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik, four of whom didn’t even escape the opening round.
But despite that, Blaydes believes the UFC’s power throne is occupied by Lewis, who boasts the most KOs in UFC history. Having felt the power of both top-five heavyweights, “Razor” believes it’s “The Black Beast” who boasts the power edge, citing the fact Lewis was able to sleep him and Ngannou wasn’t as his reasons.
“Well, Derrick. Obviously, I’d never been put to sleep, he put me to sleep. Gonna have to give it to him,” Blaydes told MMA News’ James Lynch. “When we (Blaydes and Ngannou) fought the first time, that was a doctor stoppage, I was not out, but I guess it goes down as a TKO. And then in Beijing, again, he dropped me twice in rapid succession, and then the referee jumped in, but I was aware, I remember everything. When Derrick Lewis knocked me out, I woke up in the ambulance, so there you go. That’s a big difference.”
Blaydes, on the other hand, finds himself in an awkward position. After comfortably defeating Rozenstruik at UFC 266 last September, he cemented his status as a top-five heavyweight.
However, with three of the four names above him booked, the other being Miocic, who will likely either fight for the title or challenge Jones next and having already defeated the two contenders below him, options are limited for the time being.
Targeting an April return to the Octagon, Blaydes will seemingly wait for other fights to play out, and will perhaps challenge the loser of next weekend’s pay-per-view main event.
Who would you like to see Curtis Blaydes enter the cage with next?
Henry Cejudo will have to wait if he wants a title shot upon return.
Dana White hears pleas from fighters all the time. Many times fighters think they deserve a title shot, but White has to be the person to set them straight. This is the case recently with former two-division champion Henry Cejudo.
Cejudo wanted to return from retirement and step in to face Alexander Volkanovski when Max Holloway pulled out. Instead, the UFC went with Chan Sung Jung as the replacement. White has now explained why that was the road taken.
“I can tell you this: The ‘Korean Zombie’ has been here fighting,” White told BT Sport. “This guy’s retired. He’s been off for how many years now, and he wants to come in and fight Alexander Volkanovski? You’ve got guys like the Zombie, Josh Emmett, Giga who’s fighting this weekend. You’ve got these guys that are in here doing it three times a year and working their way up. For Cejudo to retire and then just think he should be able to come in and jump into any weight division and take on the champion, it’s not how it works.”
Cejudo retired from MMA following his last win back in May of 2020. However, since he walked away he has still continued to tease a return. His desire to fight again has been a bit more prevalent recently. Cejudo was interested in a return to bantamweight but has been calling out featherweight champion Volkanovski as well. Cejudo was interested in jumping into the title fight with Volkanovski but has never competed in the UFC featherweight division.
Unlike Cejudo, Jung has been active in the featherweight division and has won three of his last four against top opponents. If Cejudo is serious about a return, the UFC would most likely accept it. However, he might need one fight at 145 pounds against someone in the top five if he is looking for a title shot.
Do you think Cejudo’s résumé could allow for an immediate title shot?
UFC strawweight Cheyanne Vlismas says she is now receiving death threats after her personal issues with husband JP Buys spilled into the public.
As far as big stories go in the first month of 2022, not many would have called this one. And given the personal nature of it, it’s perhaps a shame to see two married UFC fighters clash in the public domain over their collapsing relationship.
@MMAFighting Hiding from what? In a country no one knows where she’s at? Everyone here knows she has been in Batumi Georgia with Roman, the same guy she has been having an affair with behind my back. While still married. https://t.co/0b1BJH9zjR
“Hiding from what? In a country no one knows where she’s at? Everyone here knows she has been in Batumi Georgia with Roman, the same guy she has been having an affair with behind my back. While still married.”
Next, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, who conducted the original interview with Vlismas, has provided Buys with a platform to respond on. In their interview, the South African flyweight accused Vlismas, who he says filed for divorce last month, of creating a false narrative that sought to vilify him.
“When I saw the interview and I listened to the interview, the article, I was like, it’s pretty much unnecessary because somethings is not right, and just the way you go about things. But, that literally got attention drawn to me as if like, she’s running away from me, physically, or something… I’m getting threats for stuff I didn’t even do.”
In her interview, Vlismas also stated she won’t be able to fight in the near future for reasons out of her control, despite the fact she “would love” to return to the Octagon soon. Discussing that statement, Buys suggested the opposite is actually the truth. While he is stuck unable to fight in the US, he says Vlismas can actually compete whenever she wants.
“The fact of the matter is, she says that she can’t fight or earn any money, that’s her choice. That’s her choice that she can’t fight right now for her personal reasons. But from my side, I literally cannot fight, and I literally cannot earn a cent while I’m living in America right now because of my current status. So, I got a fight offer, and I can’t fight, I can’t earn money. That’s why I’m like, she is the one that (says) she’s facing all these tough difficulties, but her life is normally going on? She has money, she’s fighting, she can fight when she wants to, when she’s ready, she can get a house on her name, she has her car, her life is normally going on… I can’t get a house on my name, I can’t get a vehicle on my name, I can’t fight, I can’t earn money. My life is stranded… If we’re speaking about one of the two of us being inactive, it’s this guy.”
Buys further explained that due to the ongoing divorce proceedings, he ended up missing an interview with immigration, which led to the immediate expiry of his application for permanent residency and his work permit, which he initially received through Vlismas.
With that in mind, Buys expects his process of securing another work permit to take up to the whole of this calendar year, meaning he may not return to action in the UFC until the start of 2023.
Vlismas Fires Back At Buys, Says She’s Receiving Death Threats
Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take Vlismas long to respond and continue the back and forth. In a statement on Twitter, which was later deleted, “The War Princess” denied Buys’ cheating allegations and suggested the pair had only married in the first place to secure the South African fighter a visa.
“If there is anything I would like to say it’s I for 1 never cheated on my husband nor would I ever cheat on someone. The fact that I have put my business out here is just mind blowing to me. I will not be saying my side of the story as the relationship I had was MY relationship and it was not a good relationship.
“We only married for a visa and unfortunately things were not how it seemed on media. Things happened this past year that is the reason things ended as it was for (good) reasoning to end… As for what I do after leaving him is also my business. I will not stoop down to the level and bash someone’s name as much as I want to.”
Vlismas, who is 2-1 in the UFC following a victory over Mallory Martin last month, closed out her statement my pleading with Buys to sign the divorce papers and leave her alone.
“Also if I must say if I was a cheater (then) take me off your IG bio, sign my divorce papers don’t take my money and my bonus money that I shed my own blood for and leave me alone and let me move on so I can go back to earning money.” (h/t Bloody Elbow)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYj1TqOrWk1/
Vlismas would then release the following note on her social media page, stating that is receiving death threats and pleading with the public to respect her privacy.
I have been thinking about whether or not I should make this post. I have been getting hundreds of hate and death threats.
I’ve kept quiet about our relationship and not said anything publicly even when I’ve been question and now I’m seeing my name be slandered on social media.
Our relationship became very bad not just lately but for a long time.
I’ve had people turn their back on me in these times especially someone I truly thought cared for me and would help me in these hard times.
I am not able to fight due to paperwork and the fact I need to give part of my money.
I am away as I do feel emotionally empty and scared. Please, understand that!
I am not wanting to make problems I just want to have my papers signed and to be left alone.
I never wanted my business to come out but unfortunately it has been made public. I’m sorry things have come to this point. I just want to move on with my life. I have a lot of things to say but I’m tired from all of this. I don’t need sympathy, I just want peace. I don’t want to fight him or say anything bad about him because I respect our past. I just want to live my life and not need to explain myself anymore or talk about this anymore. Please, I ask for your understanding and to give me time to deal with all of this on my own.
With Vlismas turning her Twitter private and claiming she won’t be releasing another public statement, it seems this topic may now turn back to personal channels.
However, with Buys facing a long journey back towards work eligibility in the US and the ongoing divorce, it wouldn’t be surprising if the latest remarks aren’t the last we’ll hear of Vlismas and Buys’ troubles.
What’s your take on the bitter public feud between JP Buys and Cheyanne Vlismas?
The weigh-in results for UFC Vegas 46 are in, and every fighter made weight, clearing the way for the first UFC card of 2022!
Saturday, January 15, 2022, UFC Vegas 46 will take place inside the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. The weigh-in results have all wrapped up and we’ll have those results to you shortly. But first, here’s a glimpse at the main event in store for fight fans tomorrow night.
Calvin Kattar vs. Giga Chikadze Preview
Calvin Kattar will once again be one of the two lead-off men to kick off the year for the UFC. Last year at UFC on ABC 1, Kattar faced Max Holloway and lost via unanimous decision. Despite the amount of punishment he took in the fight, Kattar says he would love to have a round 6 against “Blessed,” who Kattar believes to be the uncrowned champion of the featherweight division. But before then, he’ll have to deal with a “Ninja” by the name of Giga Chikadze.
Holloway was scheduled to have the opportunity to become re-crowned in a trilogy fight against Alexander Volkanovski, but he had to withdraw from the bout due to injury. Many names volunteered to replace Holloway, perhaps none louder than Chikadze, but Kattar did not join the list because he is eager to earn such opportunities by getting back in the win column following his one-sided loss to Holloway last year.
Calvin Kattar is ranked #5 in the featherweight division and has a professional record of 22-5. He is currently 0-2 in UFC main events, losing to Zabit Magomedsharipov via unanimous decision in 2019. However, both main events against Holloway and Magomedsharipov won Fight of the Night.
Giga Chikadze is currently ranked #8 at featherweight and is 14-2 as an MMA pro. He has won nine consecutive fights, and this will be his second consecutive main event. The last main event was his TKO victory over Edson Barboza last August in what earned him Performance of the Night.
You can catch the final face-off between tomorrow’s headliners below.
A 𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂 featherweight fight is set for your first main event of 2022 🔥@CalvinKattar takes on @Giga_Chikadze 𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐖 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓!
UFC Vegas 46: Kattar vs. Chikadze Weigh-In Results
UFC Vegas 46 kicks off exclusively on ESPN+ at 5PM ET, 2PM PT. The main card will be simulcast on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ starting at 7PM ET, 4PM PT.
You can view the entire weigh-in results and lineup below, courtesy of UFC.com.
UFC Vegas 46 MAIN CARD (7:00 PM ET ESPN/ESPN Deportes/ESPN+)
Main Event – Featherweight Bout: Calvin Kattar (146) vs Giga Chikadze (146)
An audience member had seen enough of an intergender MMA fight and decided to take action.
At a recent Russian MMA event, there was an intergender fight that took place between Russian pornstar and singer Alexander Pistoletov and his opponent, Sasha Mamaha. The event was from a promotion titled “Epic Fighting Championship.” It is unconfirmed if either fighter has competed in an MMA contest before.
In any case, what could already be viewed as a circus of a contest from a matchmaking standpoint became even more chaotic when an audience member rushed into the cage and interfered in the matchup.
According to Twitter user @Matysek88, the individual who interfered was a friend of Mamaha’s. After diving onto Pistoletov and appearing to attempt a rough chokehold on the porn star, the official and security were able to pry him off of Pistoletov and escort him out of the cage.
At that point, the fight was restarted and Pistoletov was able to earn the submission victory.
You can view the entire bedlam for yourself below.
UFC featherweight contender Giga Chikadze isn’t expecting anything less than a title shot if he gets an impressive win over Calvin Kattar.
Chikadze has surged to the top of the featherweight division with seven-straight wins since signing with the UFC in 2019. He most recently earned arguably the most impressive win of his career over former lightweight standout Edson Barboza at UFC Vegas 35.
Following each of his past two wins, Chikadze has called out some of the best fighters in the UFC, including former featherweight king Max Holloway. While he didn’t end up getting a fight with Holloway next, he faces a tough test against another solid contender in Kattar tomorrow night.
During an interview with MMA Junkie, Chikadze made his intentions perfectly clear for his upcoming fight, and where it could put him in the featherweight title picture.
“They’ve been talking about this, and I get it, but this fight already happened twice,” Chikadze said. “So I could pass this and just ask for a title (shot), but I want to fight someone from the top five, and Calvin Kattar’s name came. I think that was the only guy who wasn’t busy, and ‘Zombie’ (Chan Sung Jung) was injured, so I picked Kattar, and now we have him for January.”
“I’ve been saying this for a long time, and people didn’t believe it before,” Chikadze continued. “Now finally they’re starting to believe it. I’m the people’s champ. I can beat anyone in the featherweight division in the world, and I feel it’s time, and it’s time to make it all official.”
Chikadze and Kattar will go to battle in the main event of UFC Vegas 46 in Las Vegas, NV. The winner of the bout could also potentially serve as the backup fighter to Volkanovski/Zombie, which goes down at UFC 273 in April.
Chikadze’s kickboxing has proven to be one of the most dangerous skillsets in the 145-pound division. If he’s able to keep up his positive momentum, he could be holding the title sooner rather than later.
Do you think Giga Chikadze is a future UFC featherweight champion?
UFC featherweight Calvin Kattar is ready to put the ‘best boxer in the UFC’ debate to rest ahead of his matchup with Giga Chikadze.
Kattar is looking to get back in the featherweight title picture after his disappointing loss to Max Holloway nearly a year ago. He faces a tough task in Chikadze, an exciting Georgian prospect who has skyrocketed into the featherweight fold.
In addition to dominating Kattar, Holloway notably yelled “I’m the best boxer in the UFC!” while bobbing and weaving through his strikes. He would go on to win the fight via unanimous decision.
This sparked the debate of who the best UFC boxer is. Holloway, Sean O’Malley, Conor McGregor, and Petr Yan are just a few of the names who have been thrown into the conversation.
“Everyone’s catching onto that, ‘Who’s the best boxer in the UFC?’ I mean, who really gives a sh*t?” Kattar said. “This is martial arts. Yeah, you can box, but I mean, there’s elbows, there’s knees, there’s everything man. And if you wanna talk about who’s the best boxer, I mean, everyone’s got everyone’s card at some point, so, it’s just musical chairs at this point.”
The winner of the Kattar vs. Chikadze fight could get a featherweight title shot next. Alexander Volkanovski will face Chan Sung Jung (otherwise known as ‘The Korean Zombie’). Many threw their name in the hat when Holloway had to pull out of his trilogy with Volkanovski, but Kattar was not one of them.
Regardless of Kattar’s feelings, it seems that the best UFC boxer debate isn’t going away anytime soon. However, he has the opportunity to throw himself into the conversation with a win over Chikadze at UFC Vegas 46.
UFC women’s strawweight contender Zhang Weili says she has no regrets about her second defeat to Rose Namajunas at UFC 268, and has vowed to come back stronger.
Heading into 2021, Zhang held the 115-pound gold, was riding a 21-fight win streak, boasted a perfect 5-0 UFC record, and already had a successful title defense over the great Joanna Jędrzejczyk under her belt. But while 2020 saw her extend her reign in style in a Fight of the Year contender, last year was less successful for the Chinese star.
At UFC 261, Namajunas provided one of the most memorable moments in the promotion’s history, knocking Zhang out with a first-round head kick in front of the first sold-out crowd in over a year. In doing so, “Thug Rose” became the first woman in UFC history to regain a title.
Seven months later, Zhang had her chance for redemption. In the UFC 268 co-main event, she went five round with the champ inside Madison Square Garden. While many believed “Magnum” did enough to leave the Octagon with the belt back in her possession, Namajunas was awarded the nod on two scorecards.
After her KO loss last April, Zhang was visibly unhappy at the stoppage and seemed reluctant to accept the result. She made a number of comments about the defeat in the following months, including a claim that Namajunas made disparaging comments about her in the build-up in order to turn the fans against the-then strawweight queen, as well as a suggestion that Chris Weidman’s leg break played a part in the result.
However, Zhang’s response to her November setback couldn’t have been more different, despite the incredibly tight nature of it. That positive attitude was clear in a recent interview with People Magazine in China. “Magnum” claimed the defeat has provided her with an opportunity to learn and grow, something she says has built a “new me.”
“Failure is not a bad thing for us. It’s a beginning for us to learn and become stronger. Now I start anew. I’m a new me. A new ‘Beijing Drifter’. I will keep grinding for my dream.”
Despite back-to-back losses, Zhang insists she has no regrets about her UFC 268 performance and is not at a low point in her career. Instead, “Magnum” believes she’s on an upwards surge, and is solely focused on accomplishing her goals when she returns to the Octagon this year.
“I don’t think I’m at a low point right now,” Zhang said. “I think I’m at the point of a final sprint, a point of sprinting upwards.
“There’s no need to regret the past or worry about the future. Just focus on accomplishing every single thing in the present. Eat well when it’s time to eat. Train hard when it’s time to train. Do your best at whatever it is you are doing and the future will not be too bad.” (h/t South China Morning Post)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYNUcz2pBP1/
While her next opponent is yet to be decided, Zhang is seemingly working hard to get back to her best for her next outing. In an exclusive interview with MMA News, Eddie Cha recently revealed Zhang will be returning to the Fight Ready gym in the next few weeks.
When she does begin training again with the likes of Cha and Henry Cejudo, we can expect a fight announcement to come relatively quickly, perhaps in the form of a rematch against Jędrzejczyk.
Do you think Zhang Weili will bounce back to the title in the coming months and years?
Leon Edwards’ wait for a world title shot appears to be coming to an end.
Edwards had expected to be fighting for a world title a long time ago. Now, he has reached a point where he is unbeaten in 10 fights and yet was still booked in another non-title bout, this time in a grudge match against nemesis Jorge Masvidal.
After Masvidal was forced to withdraw from that bout due to a rib injury, that left Edwards without an opponent. Edwards insisted that he would not fight again unless he receives a world title shot.
History has shown that sitting out and waiting for a title shot can be a very risky play, especially as far as Edwards is concerned. Dana White has cautioned fighters against making such a move, with Edwards himself being among them at one point.
In an interview with TSN this week, however, White relented and agreed that Edwards is deserving of a title shot and is next in line for UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman.
“100 percent,” White said when asked if Edwards was next in line for Usman. “That kid’s had a rough run. He deserves it. If you look at it, Colby lost to (Usman) twice, Gilbert lost, Leon’s next. He’s number three.”
White also hinted that one of the reasons for granting Edwards the title shot is because of his willingness to do what he said no one else wanted to do last year: step up and fight Khamzat Chimaev.
“We were in a matchmaking meeting on Tuesday and I’m always like, ‘Nobody wants to fight him, nobody wants to fight him,’” White said. “Leon Edwards signed the bout agreement to fight him and I think he was ranked number three at the time. So I wanted to make that clear, publicly. He absolutely wanted to fight him, signed the bout agreement and then Khamzat got COVID and that was the end of that.
“I’m bringing it up for a reason because I said that and never gave that kid the credit he deserved. He said yes to it, signed the bout agreement, and was ready to roll.”
Leon Edwards first faced Kamaru Usman long before Usman was champion, in a unanimous decision loss in December 2015. In his most recent fight, he defeated Nate Diaz at UFC 263 while Usman successfully defended his title in another rematch—against Colby Covington at UFC 268.
In a YouTube video earlier this month, Tate answered questions surrounding her future in 2022 having fallen to defeat last time out. While she hinted at a drop to flyweight, a move that was later confirmed with the announcement of a May clash with Lauren Murphy, the 35-year-old shut down a potential venture onto OnlyFans, claiming she hadn’t said she was “desperate.”
The comment led to widespread outrage, with many suggesting Tate believed the likes of Paige VanZant, Jéssica Andrade, and Kay Hansen were desperate in their decisions to join the platform or create their own exclusive NSFW sites.
Having been slammed on social media, Tate has now attempted to clarify her stance. In one response to a user who suggested a level of hypocrisy existed in her statements, Tate said her words had been taken out of context.
I was being harassed and responded jokingly, this is being taken way out of context. I support women doing whatever they want to.
“I was being harassed and responded jokingly, this is being taken wa out of context. I support women doing whatever they want to.”
In response to an adult content creator who was “disgusted” by Tate’s remarks, and even suggested she should be “canceled,” the former UFC titleholder claimed her statement was said as a joke and insisted she fully supports all women and their respective career choices.
Ladies this was taken way out of context, I had a some fans harassing me insinuating I needed to start an only fans. I responded jokingly, this was not a statement I made about other women. I appreciate we can all have our own choices and I support women 100%
“Ladies this was taken way out of context, I had a some fans harassing me insinuating I needed to start an only fans. I responded jokingly, this was not a statement I made about other women. I appreciate we can all have our own choices and I support women 100%”
After that response didn’t do much to change the opinion of those she was interacting with, Tate apologized and reminded them that she has friends in the industry, and had simply made a mistake.
That’s fair and I am truly sorry I have friends the industry and I support that 100%. In no way shape or form was it my intention to put anyone down, I am only human I let someone make me mad and what I said to them was not a rep of how I feel about this as a whole
“That’s fair and I am truly sorry I have friends the industry and I support that 100%. In no way shape or form was it my intention to put anyone down, I am only human I let someone make me mad and what I said to them was not a rep of how I feel about this as a whole”
Tate Gets Support From A Friend In The Industry
Fortunately for Tate, she wasn’t a one-woman army. In her corner was pornographic actress and Only Fans account owner Kendra Lust. Backing up her friend, Lust said that while she realizes how the comments look, she knows that Tate didn’t intend to offend.
I know Miesha she is a friend ❤️ .. i know how she said it came off .. but i know thats not how she meant it. She has supported me always. I believe her 💯 Miesha is one the sweetest that would never intentionally put down other women for there career choices because its adult
“I know Miesha she is a friend .. I know she said it came off .. but I know that’s not how she meant it. She has supported me always. I believe her Miesha is one the sweetest that would never intentionally put down other women for there career choices because its adult”
Tate will hope for this controversy to blow over in the coming weeks as she begins preparation for her flyweight debut. In her attempt to rebound from defeat, she’ll collide with Murphy, whose last outing saw her dominated and finished by 125-pound queen Valentina Shevchenko.
Do you think Miesha Tate’s comments were taken out of context?
Brendan Schaub is coming to Joe Rogan’s defense after a coalition of medical professionals and educators called on Spotify to rein in Rogan’s alleged misinformation.
Recently, a letter was published by over 200 doctors, nurses, professors, and scientists imploring Spotify to create a policy to help tackle misinformation on the streaming platform. The specific material the coalition was referencing is the content disseminated and facilitated by Joe Rogan on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
This comes after a controversial episode with Dr. Robert Malone aired last month, with the doctor being accused of “promoting baseless conspiracy theories” regarding COVID-19.
“This is not only a scientific or medical concern; it is a sociological issue of devastating proportions and Spotify is responsible for allowing this activity to thrive on its platform,” the letter wrote regarding JRE & the Dr. Robert Malone episode.
As of this writing, Spotify has not issued a response to this letter, but Rogan’s good buddy and fellow podcaster/comedian Brendan Schaub has addressed the criticisms Rogan has received. Schaub argues that, unlike other mainstream news outlets, Rogan does not have a hidden agenda.
“It’s like you want to shut this doctor down, which [Anthony] Fauci [Chief Medical Advisor to the President] has done over and over again. But I don’t agree with him. He tries to get them canceled. He’s notoriously known for that.
“But also with this it is like hold on, you want to cancel Rogan and this doctor because they don’t agree with what you’re saying? He is more qualified than you guys are… They don’t like that Rogan is this outliner who destroys all of them combined. So they’re trying to censor that… Joe doesn’t have an agenda. If you watch CNN or Fox, there’s an agenda, plan or narrative that they are pushing. Joe is not. (h/t Sportskeeda).
What do you make of all the criticisms against Joe Rogan, including the letter written by the medical coalition that targeted him?
Francis Ngannou has revealed what was said in his recent conversation with Dana White and also clarified his contract status with the UFC if he defeats Ciryl Gane next weekend.
As we approach the fight week for arguably one of the most anticipated heavyweight showdowns in UFC history, there is somehow a storyline attached to the bout with a public interest level right on par with that of the fight itself: Will this be Francis Ngannou’s final fight in the UFC?
Image Credit: GREG BAKER/AFP/Getty Images
That question goes beyond the natural ponderings that manifest whenever a fighter approaches the final fight on their contract. What makes this situation particularly unique is the fact that Ngannou is still a reigning UFC champion. So the urgency for the UFC to get a deal done would seem immense, lest they permit the possibility of a fighter exiting the promotion while still holding a title.
Surely, it was this realization that helped inspire Dana White to meet with Ngannou for the first time in what Ngannou claims has been nearly four years. White briefly addressed the dinner meeting between the two recently, stating that the talk went well and that Ngannou simply needs to surround himself with better advisors.
“It went pretty well,” Ngannou said about the meeting. “At this point, I’m not upset. I’m kind of chill about everything. And I went to him…we wished each other happy holidays, and I tell him my frustration. I expressed to him how I would like to stay in the UFC, but I don’t feel like the UFC still want me to stay. So I don’t feel (I’ve been) promoted anymore….I mean, maybe I’m wrong about that, but I didn’t see anything compared to what happened to different fighters.”
When asked what Dana White said in response to this observation, Ngannou praised the UFC boss for being quick on his feet.
“He bring up something really fast, and that’s why you know that Dana is very good,” Ngannou said with a smile. “He tell me like, ‘Yeah, we want you. Have you ever wanted to go somewhere and we didn’t take care of you?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, but I think it’s a little more than that.’”
Ngannou Clarifies Contract Status, Won’t Fight Again On Current Deal
PHOTO: MMA JUNKIE
Ngannou did not suggest there was any resolution at the end of their discussion, which means that there remains the question of what happens if he wins next Saturday? Would he be obligated to remain under contract with the promotion indefinitely as a reigning champion? Would he be obligated to fight one more time or until he loses the title?
According to Ngannou, neither of those options is true, but the Cameroonian did provide the two options that he says are present in the contract.
“Contractually, it’s really hard to explain. The UFC contract is very tricky. And they have this string. They can pull the string from anyhow. And that’s why you sign a 40-month contract and you find yourself after four years still dealing with that, even though you have been active and everything. Contractually, that means I have executed the eight fights that was on my contract…
“And the championship clause is (optional) because it says if at the end of this contract you’re a champion, you’re extended for three fights or one year.”
Because Ngannou signed his current deal in December 2017, the one-year extension to his four-year deal would mean he would become a free agent in December of this year without any contractual obligation to fight again in the interim. In fact, Ngannou says that we most certainly would not see him compete again under his current deal, regardless of what happens next Saturday.
“I would not fight for $500,000 or $600,000 anymore,” Ngannou declared. “I mean, it’s over. It’s over.”
How do you predict this contract saga between Francis Ngannou and the UFC will play out?
Happy New Year, fight fans! To kick off our 20th anniversary, we will be rolling out the MMA News Top 100 UFC fighters of 2021 throughout the month of January as voted on by our panel.
This list is NOT solely based on fights and performances of 2021. Being active in 2021 is what QUALIFIES one to make the list. Instead of only considering performances of the year, we are taking a holistic look at who is the better overall fighter exiting 2021 based on our selected criteria. A full explanation of the criteria can be found below.
1: Career Trajectory/Recent Performances (50%)
Where are the fighters trending right now? How much evidence-backed momentum do they have?
2: Career Success/Body of Work (25%)
Championships, wins, résumé, etc.
3: Likelihood To Be The Betting Favorite In Any Fight In 2021 (25%)
This was determined using past betting history, betting lines during 2021, and the projected odds moving forward as determined by the panel. This category is being used to get a gauge of the talent level the public feels the fighter is/was at.
Be sure to keep checking back right here at MMANews.com for frequent updates to this list throughout the month of January as we continue to update this list!
The fact that he ran the WEC/UFC featherweight division for as long as he did—from 2009 to 2015 and through nine successful title defenses—gave him a massive edge over almost everyone on this list in category #2. Much like Dominick Cruz, who appears earlier on this list, any time you have a résumé as extensive as José Aldo’s and you get on a winning streak, you will be provided full respect from our panel.
In 2021, Aldo went 2-0 to extend his winning streak to three. First, he defeated Pedro Munhoz via unanimous decision in August. Then, in his first main event since 2017, Aldo defeated a top-5 bantamweight (at the time) in Rob Font via unanimous decision. With that performance, Aldo put the bantamweight division on notice: ‘You’re next.’
All three of Aldo’s wins came against ranked opponents and none of the fights were close. So given his résumé and recent performances, categories #1 and #2 were both very strong for the Brazilian legend and are the main reasons for his ranking at #20.
Heading Into 2022: Don’t look now, but José Aldo may very well be one fight away from another title shot. He already fought Petr Yan for the championship, but that was three fights ago. That being said, his chances of getting another world title opportunity would probably be greater if he challenges a different champion, such as the current titleholder who will appear shortly on this list.
#19: Justin Gaethje
Justin Gaethje, Image Credit: USA TODAY
Reasoning Behind Ranking: Justin Gaethje will be the first to tell you straight to your face that he is a full-throttle warmonger. No one consistently puts on a show like him; no one promotes violence more ferociously than this “Highlight.” But beyond the performance bonuses and the thrilling clips, he’s also a first-rate competitor.
Gaethje has won five of his last six fights, with the lone loss coming to the unstoppable and damn-near unfair Khabib Nurmagomedov. Aside from that defeat, four out of those five wins were stoppages, and the latest win over Michael Chandler was considered Fight of the Year. Now, to be in a Fight of the Year candidate, that usually means you’ve left yourself wide open to suffering a loss.
This theoretically would impact category #3, his likelihood to win. However, when you’ve won in every non-Khabib fight you’ve had since 2018, you’ve built up enough credit in that area. And if anything, these wars have solidified that he is the most likely to emerge from near-fatal collisions as the sole survivor.
Gaethje’s career trajectory is also off the charts at the moment, with the American listed as the current #1 contender for the lightweight championship. This strengthens his case in Category #1, our most heavily weighted category.
Altogether, Gaethje’s performance quality, winning percentage, and body of work that includes wins over names like Tony Ferguson, Edson Barboza, and Michael Chandler have him pretty rock solid in all three categories.
Heading Into 2022: As noted, Justin Gaethje is currently the #1 contender and is currently expected to challenge champion Charles Oliveira for the world title this year.
#18: Aljamain Sterling
Aljamain Sterling
Reasoning Behind Ranking: Up next on our list is the reigning, albeit controversial, UFC bantamweight champion, Aljamain “Funk Master” Sterling. What isn’t controversial about this champion is his skill set. Sterling has won six straight fights, five straight by non-DQ. This includes wins over four competitors who have been ranked in the UFC: Cody Stamann, Jimmie Rivera, Pedro Munhoz, and our #29-ranked fighter, Cory Sandhagen.
None of those non-DQ victories were competitive. In fact, in the case of Sandhagen, Sterling was able to submit the #4-ranked bantamweight less than two minutes into their fight and take home Performance of the Night for his troubles. Overall, Sterling’s record is a pretty 20-3, holding a winning percentage that proves “The Funk Master” is always more likely than not to do a victory dance.
Currently in his prime and unbeaten since 2017, Aljamain Sterling’s career trajectory is arguably as high as anyone in the bantamweight division right now. All in all, Sterling checks off all the categorical boxes of our criteria.
Sterling edges out Gaethje for this spot mainly because, in his three losses, he has been finished one time while Gaethje has been finished three times. He also has a longer winning streak than Gaethje at the moment, and he holds a victory over Cory Sandhagen, who is ranked higher on this list than anyone Gaethje has defeated.
Heading Into 2022: Look, Aljamain Sterling loves it when people count him out. He’s proven to be a soldier with a growing attack arsenal that he expects will silence his critics once and for all when he rematches Petr Yan at UFC 273 in April. Those critics, of course, label Sterling as a fake champion after he won the title from Yan via disqualification. The only thing on Sterling’s mind as a competitor coming into 2022 is leaving no doubt about who is the rightful top dog at 135.
#17: Colby Covington
Colby Covington
Reasoning Behind Ranking: As Kamaru Usman and Dana White have both stated in so many words, if ever there was an example of “If __ didn’t exist, he would be world champion,” it may be this man. Across two fights, Covington has demonstrated how narrow the gap is between himself and the UFC’s pound-for-pound #1-ranked fighter.
And outside of this rival, he has completely run through every opponent put in front of him since 2015. This includes lopsided victories over names like Demian Maia and former UFC champions Rafael dos Anjos, Robbie Lawler, and Tyron Woodley. Covington’s nonstop motor, enhanced striking, and suffocating wrestling make him visibly one of the most talented and well-rounded fighters in the entire promotion.
Accordingly, he would almost surely be favorited over any fighter at 170 pounds not named Kamaru Usman, which grants him large credit in category #3, and his résumé which includes the aforementioned victories affirm that he does NOT suck and gives him strong credit in category #2 as well.
Had Covington been more active, he might have found himself ranked even higher than this. That is how talented he has proven himself to be. But with the lack of steady activity recently and not winning a fight since September 2020, the #17 placement is very generous, if anything. But even in terms of recent performances, his latest loss to Usman was not treated as a net negative by our panel due to this performance validating just how close Covington is to being the best in the world.
Heading Into 2022: Colby Covington will finally get his long-requested grudge match against Jorge Masvidal in the main event of UFC 272 in March, and that’s one fight—and buildup—that you won’t want to miss a single second of.
#16: T.J. Dillashaw
T.J. Dillashaw: Getty Images
Reasoning Behind Ranking: In another tricky placement on our list this year, T.J. Dillashaw comes in at a healthy #16 despite only having one fight since 2019.
Beginning with category #1, T.J. Dillashaw remains next in line for the winner of Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan II, which demonstrates his career trajectory is still trending very high. As far as recent performances, he emerged victorious from a classic battle against someone ranked high on our list, Cory Sandhagen, in his return after a two-year layoff. This is the only true “recent” performance from Dillashaw, which is the primary reason he is not ranked higher.
In category #2, though no doubt tainted by the USADA suspension of 2019, the fact remains the following victories occurred without any positive test results and must be fully acknowledged by our panel: prime Renan Barão (2x), Raphael Assunção, John Lineker, and two wins over Cody Garbrandt that were huge statement victories at the time. Furthermore, his championship loss to Dominick Cruz in 2016 was considered by most to be a toss-up that could have gone either way.
In category #3, Dillashaw has established himself as one of the most well-rounded fighters on the UFC roster. He can fight an entire contest on his feet with grace and efficiency, he can outwork his opponent with elite wrestling, and he also has among the highest fight IQs in the game.
Additionally, his victory over Cory Sandhagen helped answer questions on how likely he is to continue winning after his USADA suspension, and it also poses the question: if Dillashaw performed that well after a two-year layoff, how will he look moving forward?
Heading Into 2022: Now that he’s back in the world he loves, the #2-ranked Dillashaw isn’t shedding any tears about his past but looking to continue validating his career by becoming a three-time UFC champion. That may or may not require one more fight after he returns from knee surgery. One likely opponent for Dillashaw if that additional fight is required is the #3-ranked contender and fellow ex-UFC champ, José Aldo.
#15: Glover Teixeira
Glover Teixeira
Reasoning Behind Ranking: Who would have thought two years ago that a 42-year-old Glover Teixeira would be world champion and rank at #15 on the MMA News Top 100 Fighters of 2021 list?? Based on the confidence he’s built on since his winning streak began three years ago, Teixeira’s self-belief was always there. And by taking it day by day, paying the requisite price, and bleeding for it, Teixeira now sits as the king of the UFC’s light heavyweight jungle.
Things haven’t always gone smoothly for Teixeira, but as far as his recent performances go, he has now won six consecutive victories, including the magnum opus of his career: submitting Jan Blachowicz to finally become UFC world champion.
During this career-defining stretch, Teixeira has defeated names like former title challengers Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos, but of course, it was the victory over Blachowicz that earned Teixeira this placement on our list more than anything else.
It’s important to note that in terms of his body of work, this stretch, as remarkable as it has been, is not all that defines Teixeira’s legendary career. He has 33 career wins in total, which also includes wins over the likes of Rashad Evans, Ryan Bader, and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson among many others.
Heading Into 2022: Still an underdog heading into the new year, Teixeira is not expected by the oddsmakers to exit 2022 with the gold he came in with. He’ll have his first chance to prove the doubters wrong again if his anticipated bout against Jiří Procházka goes down this year.
#14: Dustin Poirier
Dustin Poirier, Image Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Reasoning Behind Ranking: When it comes to the respect of our panel, Dustin Poirier is getting paid in full by this placement at #14 of our list despite coming up short in his quest for lightweight gold at UFC 269.
Although this loss was Poirier’s most recent performance, he still came away with many points in Category #1 due to his back-to-back victories over Conor McGregor. Prior to that, he soundly defeated Dan Hooker via unanimous decision.
But what is ironically Dustin Poirier’s strongest category is still perhaps his body of work and résumé, despite failing to become UFC champion in 2021. Since 2017, Poirier’s record stands up against the very best of the best, with the Louisiana native going 8-2 in this stretch, including victories over former champions Anthony Pettis, Eddie Alvarez, Max Holloway, and another fighter who, like Holloway, is prominently featured on this list: Justin Gaethje.
Dustin Poirier has developed a reputation of having the resolve and stubbornness to keep pressing forward even after the most disheartening stumbles. So as someone who has never lost back-to-back fights in his 13-year career, the odds seem likely that he’ll be getting his hand raised once again sometime soon.
Heading Into 2022: The accompanying questions are following this latest bounceback attempt: What division will Poirier return to? And who will be his opponent?
While Poirier has made no secret that he’d love nothing more for the answers to those questions to be a welterweight bout against Nate Diaz, recent stalls in those negotiations leave those questions unanswered until further notice.
#13: Islam Makhachev
Islam Makhachev
Reasoning Behind Ranking: Islam Makhachev does not have the names on his résumé as a Dustin Poirier or even a Justin Gaethje. But he has earned something that neither of them or any other current lightweight has: a reputation of being completely and utterly unstoppable.
In his last three victories, as the levels of competition have increased, so has the degree of dominance: with impressive submissions over Drew Dober, Thiago Moisés, and someone who appears on this list: Dan Hooker. Makhachev holds another victory over someone on this list, Arman Tsarukyan in what won Fight of the Night. To get an idea of just how dominant this guy is, even when he wins Fight of the Night, it’s still a 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 unanimous decision!
The fact that Makhachev’s recent performances have been increasingly dominant through these nine fights and because he is now right smack dab in his prime at 30 years old, his career trajectory is arguably as high as anyone in the entire promotion who is not currently wearing UFC gold. And there is a very good chance that Makhachev would be the betting favorite over anyone in the division right now. Evidence of this can be found in him being a major -390 favorite over our #26-ranked fighter, Beneil Dariush, despite Dariush being on a monster winning streak himself.
The strength Makhachev carries in Categories 1 and 2 is what has earned him this lofty spot on our list.
Heading Into 2022: Conventional wisdom holds that Islam Makhachev is only one fight away from having the opportunity to join his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov in the hall of UFC lightweight champions. But first, as mentioned, he must get past #3-ranked Beneil Dariush in a fight scheduled for February 26.
#12: Ciryl Gane
Ciryl Gane, Image: UFC.com
Reasoning Behind Ranking: Coming in hot and high on our list at #12 is the undefeated and remarkable Ciryl Gane.
In many ways, Ciryl Gane is ranked somewhere near where Khamzat Chimaev might be if he had four ranked, established, and highly respected names on his résumé like Junior dos Santos, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Alexander Volkov, and Derrick Lewis, with none looking as if they had any business being in the cage with Gane. Meanwhile, this ascending star has no signs of fear or discomfort in front of the cameras and just dazzles like it’s second nature.
Unlike Chimaev, Gane isn’t known to steamroll his opponents in the first round. Instead, he’s able to pick them apart flawlessly over a prolonged stretch in the most dangerous division, which in some ways is even more impressive.
Chimaev comparisons aside, Ciryl Gane has brought an entirely fresh and new style to the heavyweight division that he showcases with smooth ease, as if partaking in a sparring session while his opponents are giving maximum effort.
The quality of Gane’s recent performance and career trajectory cannot be overstated. When you receive a heavyweight title shot after only 10 professional fights, that can only be due to a 10/10 rating on career trajectory and recent-performance quality. Most recently, Gane completely outclasses Derrick Lewis in Lewis’ hometown of Houston to become the interim UFC heavyweight champion.
Despite Islam Makhachev having more wins than Gane, the fact that Gane is undefeated with wins over a much higher level of competition scores Gane a spot above the Dagestani grappler.
And in regards to category #3, Gane’s flawless record joined with the fact that the odds have him dead even with the most feared man in the company and one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, Francis Ngannou, shows just how much respect he’s been given by the public despite his young career.
Heading Into 2022: Next weekend, Ciryl Gane will take part in the first blockbuster fight of 2022 when he faces the aforementioned “Predator” Francis Ngannou in a heavyweight title unification bout at UFC 270 live from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
#11: Robert Whittaker
Robert Whittaker, Credit: USATSI
Reasoning Behind Ranking: Robert Whittaker has shown the world that he can be touched, he can be moved, he can be rocked, he can be shaken,
It looked as though perhaps “The Reaper” might have been turned into a relic after reigning champion Israel Adesanya finished him at UFC 243. But stories of his demise were greatly exaggerated.
Since that loss, Whittaker has earned major points in Category #1 with three straight unanimous decision victories in his recent performances over other premier strikers Darren Till, Jared Cannonier, and Kelvin Gastelum.
Whittaker also hits both categories #2 and #3 with the facts that he is a former world champion and has won an incredible 12 out of his last 13 fights. This is especially noteworthy when considering who he’s faced. We’re talking about a prime Jacare Souza, Yoel Romero (2x), and Derek Brunson, along with the other aforementioned names and many others.
Robert Whittaker is without question worthy of a spot in our top 10. What gives our next fighter the oh-so-slight edge over him is the fact that they are a current titleholder. You can find out who that person is in the conclusion of our list tomorrow, as well as who fills out the rest of the top 10.
Heading Into 2022: Robert Whittaker will have an opportunity to fix that “not a champion” blip when he faces Israel Adesanya in a rematch of their 2019 bout at UFC 271 next month.
Stay tuned to find out who all are in the top 10 of our list in the exciting conclusion of the MMA News Top 100 Fighters of 2021 list tomorrow!
Ranked UFC middleweight Kevin Holland has described the time veteran fan-favorite Nick Diaz “swung” at him because of the shirt he was wearing.
2021 was an unsuccessful year in regards to fighting for both Holland and Diaz. After an incredible five-victory 2020, “Trailblazer” entered it hoping to surge towards title contention. Instead, he fell to two defeats and was knocked unconscious by a clash of heads in his third outing.
Diaz, meanwhile, returned to the Octagon for the first time in nearly seven years. His highly-anticipated comeback saw him re-visit a feud from 2004. In a rematch 17 years in the making, he faced Robbie Lawler on the UFC 266 main card last September.
As surprising as it probably seems, Holland and Diaz do have a history of their own outside the Octagon. But while the clash of names may come as a shock, the scenario is about as classic Nick Diaz as it could be.
After the former Strikeforce and WEC welterweight champion became agitated at the fact “Big Mouth” was apparently wearing “his shirt,” Holland says Diaz swung at him but failed to connect.
“It was funny. I think he was pretty sauced at the time though, so, you know, it’s alright. At the time, I used to be sponsored by this company named Specimen, right. So I had this shirt on from Specimen, and he was like, ‘Hey, that’s my shirt.’ But I had walked past him and I was like, ‘Yo, what’s up, OG?’ I guess he probably thought somebody was coming up to him and fanboying over him, but I was talking to my coach, I call my coach ‘OG.’
“I guess he felt some type of way. And he said something, so I said something back… He said like, that was his shirt, he was like, ‘You got on my fucking shirt,’ and I was like, ‘Bro, this ain’t your fucking shirt, what’re you talking about?’ I was like, ‘Bro, you must be fucked up.’ He was looking at me all crazy… Then, next thing I know, he like, swung at me… Fuck no (did he connect). I’m the type of person you takedown, not the type of person you hit in the face.”
While Diaz’s Future is Uncertain, Holland Will Move Down To WW
After Diaz’s return performance last September, many have called for the Stockton legend to hang up his gloves for good. But while that appears to be the general consensus, some are hoping to see the 38-year-old in action again in 2022. One of those names is Michael Bisping, who recently suggested Diaz should face Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in a clash of veterans.
The future is a lot more certain for Holland. After failing to break into title contention at 185 pounds thanks to the roadblocks of Derek Brunson and Marvin Vettori, and with Kyle Daukaus pre-occupied for the coming months, “Trailblazer” is set to return to welterweight, a division he’s yet to test the waters of in the UFC, but a weight he went 4-1 at before signing with the promotion.
With their career trajectories on firmly different paths, it seems Holland and Diaz’s brief scuffle in 2018 will be the closest we get to the pair squaring off inside the Octagon.
How do you think a fight in the Octagon between Kevin Holland and Nick Diaz would play out?
Three-time UFC light heavyweight title challenger Alexander Gustafsson believes Khamzat Chimaev has all the tools necessary to enter the GOAT debate in the future.
Not many fighters have made as much of an impact in just four fights in the UFC as Chimaev has. After breaking a modern record for the fastest turnaround in-between wins on Fight Island in 2020, which came through dominant victories over John Phillips and Rhys McKee in the space of just 10 days, “Borz” added a third only 56 days after his debut by viciously knocking out middleweight veteran Gerald Meerschaert.
To show just how high the UFC was on him following that, he was set to face top contender Leon Edwards. Due to COVID-19, that bout was booked and canceled three times. After overcoming his rough bout of the virus last year, Chimaev returned to the Octagon at UFC 267 in October.
Bringing his hype train back on track in style, Chimaev controlled, took down, and choked out ranked contender Li Jingliang inside one round in Abu Dhabi. The performance certainly sent a message to those who doubted his championship credentials, a message he’ll look to send again when he returns to action this year.
While some will point out he’s yet to face a top-10 opponent, fans and pundits can only base opinions on what they’ve seen, and that’s a newcomer notching up a perfect 4-0 record, with four first-round finishes, one against an established middleweight name and one over a top-15 welterweight, all while barely being touched at all by his opponents.
In an interview with ESPN MMA, Gustafsson, a teammate of the rising star over at the Allstars Training Center in Stockholm, Sweden, spoke highly of Chimaev. When asked whether his potential is as high as a future place in the GOAT conversation, “The Mauler” said that from what he’s seen in training and in the UFC, the 27-year-old has all the tools to reach that point.
“That’s the level of potential (possible GOAT status), one hundred percent. He does all the things that if you do it right from the start, if he keeps doing what he’s doing now, he will be one of those guys one day, I’m one hundred percent sure of it. It is crazy when you say it, because Kamaru Usman is pound-for-pound the best guy out there right now, and I love the guy, but I’ve been sparring with so many guys, at heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, I’ve been sparring welterweights, this guy (Chimaev) just puts guys away on the mat, in the training sessions. This guy hits (with) too much precision, too much power.”
Gustafsson Believes Chimaev Would Put Usman To Sleep
If Chimaev is to break into the group of contenders for that throne, which includes stars like Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, and Khabib Nurmagomedov, he’ll certainly have to reach the top of the welterweight mountain in the coming months or years. If he’s to do that, he’ll likely have to go through Kamaru Usman.
While that seems a daunting task and one many may not give the Chechen-born Swede a massive chance of accomplishing, Gustafsson believes Chimaev would put “The Nigerian Nightmare” to sleep.
“I think he’d put Kamaru Usman to sleep, honestly. I think if he just touches his chin, it’s a big chance that Kamaru Usman goes to sleep. I like Kamaru Usman, he’s a great champ and he’s just like, been breaking records. It’s a pleasure to see him fight. He’s very good, technical, I love his jab and his wrestling. You can see why he’s top.
“But I just can’t see him taking Khamzat’s punches. I can’t see him taking his combinations. When it comes to wrestling… It would probably be one of the biggest fights in UFC history when it comes to that part. To see the technical side of the fight. I love Usman as a champ, but I think (Khamzat) would put him to sleep.”
Given Burns’ place in the division, it stands to reason that clash will be a title eliminator. If “Borz” emerges victorious, we could be seeing him opposite Usman before the year is out.
Do you think Khamzat Chimaev can find enough success in the UFC to join the GOAT debate?
A United Kingdom newspaper had a photo of Hasbulla in their section of local kids enjoying the snow.
The local paper asked the citizens to send pictures of kids enjoying the snow, and one person sent in a photo of Hasbulla. The newspaper obviously did not know who it was and published it with the caption, “Hasbullah, seven, had never experienced snow before last week.”
The user who sent in the photo of Hasbulla tweeted the screenshot of his e-mail to the newspaper where he wrote, “Wee Hasbullah aged 7 on the Gleniffer Braes with Paisley/Glasgow in the background. This is the first time he has actually seen snow!”
Hasbulla became famous in 2021 as his faceoff with Abdu Rozik went viral. Ever since then, the world became enamored with him, and he even got the attention of the UFC. Dana White had a meeting with Hasbulla while he was in attendance at UFC 267, and he was inside the Octagon with Khabib Nurmagomedov after Islam Makhachev submitted Dan Hooker.
White also knows how big of a star Hasbulla is, as he says a video he posted about him is the most-watched on his Instagram.
“You know I posted that video of him saying, ‘Dana I’m coming to UFC Abu Dhabi,’ and then I said, ‘I’m on the plane can’t wait to meet you in Abu Dhabi?” On Instagram, I have 6.7 million followers, right? 6.4 million people watched that video on Instagram. It’s the biggest thing that I’ve ever posted. It’s insane,” White said to Barstool.
White also says there is a chance Hasbulla fights inside the Octagon against Rozik, which would be one of the most anticipated fights ever.
“I love the kid. Is there more than a zero percent chance [that he fights in the UFC]? Yes!”
What do you make of the newspaper being trolled to post a photo of Hasbulla?
Javier Mendez is confident that both of his pupils in Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev would beat Charles Oliveira with ease.
Oliveira is the current UFC lightweight champion and defended his belt for the first time in December with a submission win over Dustin Poirier. He is now likely to face Justin Gaethje sometime in the spring or summer. And should he win that, a bout against the winner of Makhachev-Beneil Dariush will be next.
Although Oliveira has looked dominant since he became the champ, American Kickboxing head coach Javier Mendez believes the former champ Nurmagomedov as well as Makhachev would be able to defeat the Brazilian.
“I know they both would beat Charles, in my opinion… Stylistically wise, Islam could strike, he can kick. Khabib wasn’t a great kicker,” Mendez said on his YouTube channel. “Khabib would have to go straight to the grappling with Charles and probably dominate him there. As a matter of fact, I know he would. I know Khabib would dominate him there. And I kind of feel, my personal opinion, as great as Charles is, I think Islam would dominate him there too.”
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Of course, Nurmagomedov is retired and doesn’t seem too interested in ever returning to the Octagon again. However, there is a very real chance Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira fight in 2022 so we can see if the Dagestani fighter would really beat the Brazilian and become the new champion.
In order for him to even get the title shot, he will need to defeat Dariush in the main event of a Fight Night card on February 26. This is easier said than done, as Dariush has been on an incredible run. However, Mendez believes it is only a matter of time before Makhachev does what his longtime friend and teammate did: become the undisputed UFC lightweight champion.
Do you think Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov would beat Charles Oliveira?
UFC featherweight contender Giga Chikadze is looking to prove that he’s not just an elite striker but also a well-rounded mixed martial artist.
Chikadze faces arguably the toughest test of his UFC career against Calvin Kattar at UFC Vegas 46. While Kattar is coming off of a tough loss to Max Holloway last year, he’s still regarded as one of the toughest brawlers in the featherweight division.
Chikadze knocked out the always-dangerous Edson Barboza in his last Octagon appearance but also showcased an improved grappling skillset in the win. He nearly had Barboza in trouble on the ground before transitioning back to his striking base.
“I feel like he’s going to mix it up with a bit of the wrestling,” Chikadze said. “I think that’s going to be his plan because he is from a wrestling background. Then he has some nice boxing techniques. Either he’s going to box with me, or he’s gonna wrestle with me.
“Honestly, I really want to show the people how great my ground game became. I want to submit people eventually, very soon, and start submitting people. But because Calvin Kattar has never been knocked out, it gives me a little bit more motivation to finish him with striking.”
Chikadze later explained why he moved away from his grappling in his last victory over Barboza.
“Last time I really had the chance to finish Edson with submission, but like I said, I had to prove that I’m the best striker and this was the reason why I let it go. This time? I said that I’m the best boxer in the UFC too, so probably I’m gonna still go more to the strikes. But if I get a chance like I did with Edson, this time I’m not going to let it go.”
Chikadze could be one win away from a featherweight title shot after going back-and-forth on social media with Alexander Volkanovski. If he’s able to continue to improve his overall game, he could be an unstoppable force at 145 pounds for years to come.
What is your prediction for Giga Chikadze vs. Calvin Kattar?
Ciryl Gane is looking to beat the “game” of the UFC.
Recently, we had a UFC champion in Charles Oliveira crowned after a long, hard-fought road in the UFC. Ciryl Gane is not like that. He has only seven fights in the UFC, but he has made them all count.
Now, he is getting ready to fight for his first undisputed UFC title against a familiar foe, his former training partner and the reigning heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. Gane is aware that this fight with Ngannou is the most important of his career, and the way he is looking at it could win him the “game” of the UFC in a way.
“For me, yes it’s (Ngannou fight) different than Derrick Lewis (at UFC 265), not because it’s Francis, but because it’s the champion, you see,” Gane explained on The MMA Hour. “And the champion is a really great fighter, with a lot of strength. I like to say that this is the ‘final boss’ (like in my) video games [LAUGHS]. It looks a little bit like that. So yes, this time, like every time, if I make a mistake, it’s gonna be okay, if I will make a mistake. If I lose, I’m really okay with that. Like every fight in my career it was like that, but this time I want to do the last step, you see, that’s why it’s a little bit different.”
If Gane is feeling pressure heading into UFC 270, he is hiding it well. He has already proven that he is one of the best heavyweights in the sport as he is now holding the interim belt. He and his coach Fernand Lopez are very familiar with Ngannou and his fighting style. They all trained together for some time before Ngannou left. Lopez has spoken numerously about how they know Ngannou’s tendencies and are ready for his fighting style.
Gane has yet to lose in his career. He burst onto the UFC scene just three years ago and has been turning heads ever since. If he can beat Ngannou and claim the heavyweight strap, that will not be the end of this “game.” In fact, Gane could find himself in a “murderers row” of fighters waiting to try their hand at the new boss. Waiting in the wings for the champion come Jan. 23 are former champion Stipe Miocic and former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Who do you think will win and become the UFC’s “final boss” at heavyweight on Jan. 22, Francis Ngannou or Ciryl Gane?
