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  • ‘Remember My Name!’ – The TUF Stuff: The Ultimate Fighter Season 33 Episode 5 Recap

    ‘Remember My Name!’ – The TUF Stuff: The Ultimate Fighter Season 33 Episode 5 Recap

    Welcome, everyone, to the fifth edition of The TUF Stuff!

    Each week, I’ll be guiding you through a recap of this season’s edition of The Ultimate Fighter, providing updates on what happens in each episode — from the drama and storylines out of the Octagon, to the looks into who the competing fighters are, to what goes down inside the cage.

    This season celebrates the 20th anniversary of TUF. That inaugural season from 2005 helped to influence many future MMA fans, media members, and fighters (yours truly included). And now, two more fighters this summer will get the opportunity to call themselves TUF champions when it’s all said and done.

    Last week saw the second welterweight matchup of the season, as Team Cormier’s Jeff Creighton defeated Team Sonnen’s Andreaas Binder, even after a weight disadvantage with Andreaas significantly missing weight.

    Recap of The Ultimate Fighter Season 33 – Episode 5

    Tonight’s matchup at flyweight will see Team Cormier’s Alibi Idiris will take on Team Sonnen’s Furkatbek Yokubov.

    Let’s get into episode five of The Ultimate Fighter!

    TUF House

    Yokubov explains how his Islamnic faith ensures that he remains humble and stays driven, as well as the five times he and other Muslim combatants pray. He adds that while he dislikes having to fight someone he respect like Idiris, things change once the cage door closes.

    Team Cormier Training Session – Brandon Moreno Joins

    Brandon Moreno, an alumnus of season 24 of TUF, joins Team Cormier for their training. Moreno was the 16th ranked fighter of the season — featuring a collection of regional flyweight champions — losing to Alexandre Pantoja. Of course, Moreno would go past his projections and ended up becoming UFC flyweight champion on two occasions.

    Moreno tells the team that it doesn’t matter if they don’t come out on top in the end — it’s all about what they do in training in and after the competition.

    “If you lose, don’t stop working hard,” Moreno tells them. “It’s going to build you as a person and as a human being.”

    Moreno goes into the secrets of his boxing and footwork, as well as how he uses it to set up his wrestling.

    Alibi Idiris Backstory

    Idiris shows Danill a photo of his brother and his children. Idiris explains how hard it is to be away from them as he competes on the show, and how they’ve changed his life.

    Idiris grew up in Kazakhstan, in a small town called Aktobe. He lives with his parents, wife, and children. Idiris says when things get tough in camp or cutting weight, his children give him the motivation to keep going. Idiris explains he is a family-first individual and that they serve as his motivation.

    When not in training, Idiris likes to ride horses.

    Idiris explains that he joined an MMA gym one day and now has been fighting professionally for five years. We see footage of him training at Erkin Kush. Idiris hopes to show that even those who come from a small footage have the opportunities and abilities to do big things.

    Furkatbek Yokubov Fight Prep

    Uzbekistan’s Yokubov is a 15-4 fighter, who fights out of Dubai, who has good power and likes to use it to finish fights.

    We see footage of his quick fight from LFA 196, where he calls himself a high-level striker.

    Sonnen says this fight is interesting because the two have worked out before. Yokubov told him that while Idiris is the better grappler, he is the better striker. Yokubov adds that he’s watched Idiris fight before and knows the mistake he makes in the fight.

    Furkatbek Yokubov Backstory

    We see a photo of Yokubov’s father and daughter. He mentions how hard it is to be without methods to contact them and his wife.

    Yokubov was a kickboxing champion in 2013 before turning to MMA in 2016. Training out of TKMMA Fit, Yokubov says he is on a mission to become TUF champion, and then UFC champion.

    We see photos of his late mother, and Yokubov becomes emotional discussing her and her telling him on her deathbed to continue on and become a champion. Yokubov says he is going to win this fight for his family.

    Alibi Idiris Fight Prep

    Idiris gives a gift of a robe to Cormier, looking to represent himself and his country. Idiris calls him a “Kazakh gangster.” Cormier praises his personality and humility.

    Idiris is a striker who says he “loves knockouts” and is a former Naiza FC champion.

    Cormier tells Idiris that he has great cardio and will be his best weapon in this fight. Cormier calls him “the hardest working fighter” he’s ever coached in his two seasons of TUF.

    “You get a guy like that, with that effort, you’re drawn to him,” Cormier said.

    Idiris says he needs to look to pressure for 10 minutes and will find opportunities where he has “tricks up his sleeve.”

    “I’m going ahead with my dream,” he said.

    The Fight: Alibi Idiris vs. Furkatbek Yokubov

    —–IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED THE EPISODE AND DON’T WANT TO BE SPOILED, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO TURN AWAY NOW.———

    Yokubov and Idiris both weigh in at 126. The fight is on!

    Dana White calls Yokubov a tough striker with a lot of experience and praises Idiris’ striking and wrestling.

    Yokubov smiles and tries to exchange a bit of talk with Idiris, who remains stoic. Idiris attributes Yokubov’s actions and words to nerves.

    Ryan Clark, a former Super Bowl champion and current ESPN commentator, comes in to the Team Cormier locker room to give a pep talk to the team.

    Clark says that moments like the fighters are experiencing only come around so often.

    “When you’re standing across from somebody whose goals directly impact yours, you got to make sure you say, ‘Only one of us can live this dream,’” Clark said.

    Alibi Idiris vs. Furkatbek Yokubov

    Round 1

    Low kick from Idiris to start. Idiris working short kicks early. Yokubov flashes a right. Low kick from Idiris. Combination from Yokubov. Idiris tries to come forward. Spinning kick misses by Idiris. Left hand from Yokubov. Idiris comes forward, urged by Cormier to bring pressure. Body kick by Idiris. Yokubov lands the right hand. Idiris comes forward, but Yokubov grabs a hold of him. He nearly gets Idiris to the fence before Idiris gets away. Left hook from Yokubov. A right hand gets Idiris to stumble back.

    Another body lock battle for control. A left hand sends Idiris down briefly. Right hand from Yokubov. Low kick from Yokubov. Right hand from Yokubov. Right hand from Idiris, but Yokubov lands a knee. Idiris encourages more pressure. Another body lock. Knee from Yokubov lands low. Brief break in the action before time resumes. Idiris scores a takedown. Yokubov quickly gets to his feet, but he’s still pinned against the fence. Knee to the body by Idiris, followed by a trip. Yokubov is harshly warned for grabbing the fence.

    Yokubov gets up but is warned again for grabbing the fence. Idiris trying for a takedown. Idiris gets to the back and starts to land ground-and-pound! Idiris looks for a choke before resuming his punches. Idiris continues to punch and look for a finish. Despite his chase, he doesn’t get the finish.

    Round 2

    Each man lands a job. Yokubov with a one-two. Left hand from Yokubov. Low kick from Yokubov. Idiris with a co,bination. Uppercut from Idiris. Idiris misses a spinning backfist. Right hand from Yokubov. One-two from Idiris. Left hand from Idiris. Knee to the body by Idiris. Right hand from Idiris. Elbow by Idiris. The referee calls a timeout for an eye poke.

    Cormier tells Idiris that Yokubov is breaking. The referee deducts one point for the eye poke.

    Front kick from Idiris. Combination from Yokubov. Knee from Idiris. Cormier yells at Idiris to focus on just winning the round. Yokubov warned for grabbing the cage. Idiris takes Yokubov down anyway and looks for a choke. He searches for an arm-triangle choke. Idiris looks like he’s squeezing. Yokubov says he’s okay. Idiris lets go of the choke and gets into mount again. Punches from Idiris, and the ref warns for back of the head punches. Cormier yells for a choke. Yokubov gets back to his feet but is returned to the mat by Idiris.

    A couple of shots from Idiris before Yokubov gets back to the feet. Idiris misses a high kick. Idiris misses a spinning attack. Combinations from Yokubov. Another body lock, and another takedown scored for Idiris. Idiris hunts for the choke again. Idiris is told by Cormier to go back to top control, and he does so, landing punches in bunches until the horn.

    Dominant performance from Idiris, who tells Dana White “Remember my name!” (Belal Muhammad might want to take action for gimmick infringement).

    Winner: Alibi Idiris via unanimous decision after two rounds

    Conclusion

    Cormier notes that Idiris started with struggling taking Yokubov down, which gave Yokubov confidence. White knew Idiris was hurt at one point and Idiris knew he had to get the fight to the ground.

    That’s when Idiris looks to dominate on the ground, and he does, with Sonnen noting something in the ground exchanges drained Yokubov.

    Cormier feels Idiris will be a tough competitor to beat in the competition. Team Cormier, meanwhile, appears to be unbeatable ever since dropping the first fight of the season.

    https://twitter.com/UltimateFighter/status/1937706924650451043

    Idiris feels the victory justifies his hard work and praises his opponent, looking to win for himself, his family, and his county.

    Yokubov says he feels a lot of emotion losing but doesn’t make excuses. He says he will wait for the next opportunity.

    The next fight, at welterweight, will see Team Cormier’s Alex Sanchez taking on Team Sonnen’s Matt Dixon.

    Can Team Sonnen finally break the losing skid?

    Rose Namajunas and Raquel Pennington join Team Cormier for training next week.

    What will happen next week? Join alongside us then!

    Thanks for joining me for another edition of The TUF Stuff!

  • Ilia Topuria’s Dream Booking: “Paddy Smokes Gaethje, Then Fights Me for the Belt”

    Ilia Topuria’s Dream Booking: “Paddy Smokes Gaethje, Then Fights Me for the Belt”

    UFC star Ilia Topuria has once again reiterated his desire to square off with rival Paddy Pimblett at some point in the future.

    On Saturday night, Ilia Topuria will battle Charles Oliveira for the right to become UFC lightweight champion. While there’s a good chance that Oliveira can surprise many and win the gold, a lot of fans and pundits believe that ‘El Matador’ will get the job done. The man himself is so confident, in fact, that he’s already starting to plan for the future.

    One man who we know he doesn’t particularly like is Paddy Pimblett. The two have gone back and forth at one another for years now and if the stars align, Ilia Topuria vs ‘The Baddy’ could quickly become one of the biggest fights in UFC history – and no, that’s not an exaggeration.

    In a recent interview, Ilia Topuria doubled down on wanting to battle Pimblett, suggesting that he needs to face Justin Gaethje next.

    Ilia Topuria wants Paddy Pimblett fight

    ”He’s one fight away from a title shot. He needs actually that fight because it’s going to be even better for our fight if he gets one more win. Then we’re going to have, I think, the biggest fight in the UFC right now at the moment.

    ”Yeah, him versus Justin Gaethje. I think he’s going to beat him easily. Because of the style, it’s not like I don’t like Justin, I’m actually a huge fan of all of his fights. I enjoy a lot watching him fight. He’s those guys that takes a lot of punches and throws a lot of punches, I love to watch him fight, but I think that Paddy could get that win easily because of the style.”

  • Paddy Pimblett’s Future: Michael Chandler Says He Could Be a UFC Champ: “Not Excellent Anywhere – But Good Everywhere”

    Paddy Pimblett’s Future: Michael Chandler Says He Could Be a UFC Champ: “Not Excellent Anywhere – But Good Everywhere”

    UFC star Michael Chandler believes that former rival Paddy Pimblett has the potential to become a UFC world champion one day.

    As we know, back at UFC 314, Paddy Pimblett was able to dominate and finish Michael Chandler in their lightweight encounter. While Chandler has had some great moments inside the cage since joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship, this certainly wasn’t one of them.

    Paddy Pimblett announced to the world that he had arrived and he did so in style. There are still many doubters out there who want to try and put him down, but ‘The Baddy’ refuses to go quietly into the night.

    In a recent interview, Michael Chandler gave his thoughts on Paddy Pimblett’s abilities and his future.

    Michael Chandler backs Paddy Pimblett for big things

    ”Definitely, possibly. I mean, I think he’s better than a lot of us gave him credit for, you know, being in there with him. I wouldn’t say that he’s got this crazy amount of skills or this crazy amount of power. He’s crazy good in any direction, but he’s not excellent anywhere, but he’s good pretty much everywhere. 

    “He’s got a long body, he uses that range, he uses his kicks really well. You know, whether it was me having a bad night or him having a great night, or that is just who he is, it was tough to kind of get the distance, and by the time I got the distance, took the knee, and then that’s fighting for you. You know, we go out there, we lay it on the line, and sometimes bad things happen.”

  • Kai Kara-France on UFC 317: “I Don’t Come Here to Holiday – Vegas Is a War Zone”

    Kai Kara-France on UFC 317: “I Don’t Come Here to Holiday – Vegas Is a War Zone”

    UFC 317 co-main event star Kai Kara-France appears to be ready for war as he prepares to lock horns with Alexandre Pantoja this weekend.

    On Saturday night, Kai Kara-France will challenge for the undisputed UFC flyweight championship. He will attempt to prove that he’s the very best at 125 pounds, and while many are picking against him, being the underdog has never been a problem for KKF. He’s ready and willing to showcase himself for the world to see in what promises to be an electric title fight.

    As we know, Kai Kara-France is part of the City Kickboxing team. He’ll hope that he can join the ranks of Israel Adesanya by earning gold under their umbrella, but it certainly won’t be easy. In a recent interview, he spoke candidly about how he’s feeling heading into fight night.

    Kai Kara-France is ready for UFC 317

    “Landing down, two to ten toes down in Las Vegas—fought here many times before, so it’s a place of business for me. I don’t come here to holiday; I come here to win and to win belts. It’s been a great camp. I feel like I’m coming into my career best, 32 years young, just ready for this—ready to represent my people, my culture, being from Auckland, New Zealand, and being of Māori heritage. I’m expecting a firefight, a dogfight, and yeah, I can’t wait to do what I do best.”

    Buckle up everyone – because this has the potential to be an incredibly fun showdown.

  • UFC 317 Star Ilia Topuria Says Islam’s Move Is About Surviving the Cut: “It’s Not Ducking – It’s Burnout”

    UFC 317 Star Ilia Topuria Says Islam’s Move Is About Surviving the Cut: “It’s Not Ducking – It’s Burnout”

    Ilia Topuria has said that he doesn’t believe Islam Makhachev is ducking him by moving up to the welterweight division.

    This weekend, Ilia Topuria will attempt to become a two-weight world champion when he takes on Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight championship. Islam Makhachev, meanwhile, will try and do the same thing later this year when challenging Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight strap.

    The hope from many was that Ilia Topuria vs Islam Makhachev would be a fight that happens for the UFC lightweight championship. Unfortunately, for now, that hasn’t quite come to fruition.

    In a recent interview, Ilia Topuria responded honestly when discussing whether or not he thinks Islam ducked him.

    Ilia Topuria doesn’t think Islam Makhachev is ducking him

    “I don’t think he’s ducking me, to be honest. I would be lying to you if I told you that he’s ducking me. I think he’s tired of the weight cut. He wants a new challenge. He moved to the welterweight division, failed, and thinks that he has a chance to become a double champion. I think this is all he’s trying to do. 

    ”I think that not a lot of people understand how hard the weight cut is. When you get tired of the weight cut, there’s no name in the world that motivates you to fight. There’s no money in the world—you just want to take care of your health. This is the reason why I switched weight classes, and I think he’s doing the same thing.”

  • Jon Jones’ Legal Issues: Body Camera Video Released, Public Can Now See Alleged Crash and Police Encounter

    Jon Jones’ Legal Issues: Body Camera Video Released, Public Can Now See Alleged Crash and Police Encounter

    Former UFC star Jon Jones is embroiled in yet another controversy – and now, body cam footage has been released in the wake of a recent criminal summons.

    As we know, Jon Jones has opted to retire from mixed martial arts. This means that Tom Aspinall is now the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, which is a move that many had seen coming for quite some time. Jon never seemed particularly interested in squaring off with the Englishman and now, instead of doing so, he’s decided to ride off into the sunset.

    Well, sunset may be a stretch. It was soon revealed hours later that Jon Jones has been caught up with the law once again, this time accused of fleeing the scene of an accident. He is scheduled for a bond arraignment on July 24.

    Now, there has been body cam footage released, in which a man that sounds like Jon Jones can be heard talking with an officer.

    Jon Jones’ latest issues

    The individual on the other end can be heard threatening the officer, without ever refusing to confirm whether or not it’s actually Jon Jones on the line. The man himself released a cryptic statement shortly after the story broke, but aside from that, we haven’t heard a whole lot from him.

    We all know that ‘Bones’ has been involved in multiple incidents over the years and if this is the way that he’s going to depart mixed martial arts, it certainly isn’t all that surprising given what we know about his past.

  • Laura Sanko Reveals: Ilia Topuria’s First Solo Training Camp for UFC 317 – Was It All About Logistics, or a Champion’s Independence?

    Laura Sanko has given an illuminating perspective to the narrative centered on Ilia Topuria switching up his training camp arrangement in the lead up to UFC 317. This was touched upon during her podcast One on One, which she co-hosts with Din Thomas, as Sanko said,

    “Speaking of his coaches, though—no longer training under those coaches that he came up with from day one. This is the first time that he’s trained in his own camp. I was researching this, and basically, Ilia had so many sponsor-type obligations that were in and about Madrid that he moved to Madrid. It was just too much for him to do the four-hour back-and-forth type thing.”

    “So he kind of did his own training camp this time without them in it. Again, that leads me to believe that, in his entire career, he took it upon himself to kind of do his own thing. We read a lot into that—‘Oh, I can’t believe he left his coaches.’ But at the end of the day, if they were that instrumental and he was that dependent on them, we’re talking about a world champion.”

    Sanko continued, “He’s flying these guys out to train him if it was that instrumental to him. The reality is, I think that he did a lot of this work on getting good himself. They’re on good terms, too. It certainly wasn’t any sort of bad-blood type of breakup, just logistics.”

    Ilia Topuria and the importance of Climent Club to his MMA career

    Topuria aims to enter rarefied air as he attempts to become a two-division UFC champion this weekend, as he aims to claim the vacant lightweight belt against the former 155-pound titleholder Charles Oliveira. But what is the backstory on Topuria striking out on his own now?

    Ilia Topuria had previously been training with Agustin and Jorge Climent in Alicante, Spain at their facility Climent Club. The former featherweight champion and his brother Aleksandre Topuria have been training under the tutelage of the Climent brothers since both began their journeys in mixed martial arts. As Sanko mentioned above, the change in camp seems to be more of a logistics thing with proximity and outside of the cage projects preventing the kind of work that was once had.

    The Georgian-Spanish fighter has addressed the change in camps, and it seems like there is no negative sentiment at all attached to the split as Ilia Topuria stated [via Bloody Elbow],

    “We thank them for all these years of mutual learning and growth, and they wholeheartedly wish them all the best in all their projects.”

  • Respect Through Violence: Kai Kara-France Says He’ll Show Pantoja Love by Taking His Head

    Kai Kara-France has expressed his respect for Alexandre Pantoja but he aims to become the new UFC flyweight champion this weekend in historic fashion. Kara-France challenges for Pantoja’s 125-pound belt in the co-main event of UFC 317, which goes down on Saturday, June 28th as part of the promotion’s International Fight Week festivities.

    During an interview with Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, the New Zealand native had an anecdote relayed to them that Pantoja gave in a separate interview with Bohn regarding Kara-France as someone who feels like a Mike Tyson figure to him. When asking for the title challenger’s thoughts on that, Kai Kara-France said,

    “It’s definitely an honor to be in the same sentence or to be brought up as the Mike Tyson of the flyweights, but I’m the first Kai Kara-France of the flyweight division. I’ve got my own name to live up to and to write. I said it in my last fight when I fought Steve Erceg—when DC asked me how I have all these knockouts on my record, where does that power come from? I went off the cuff, just speaking my truth, saying it’s because I’m Māori, and that’s my superpower.”

    “That’s something I tap into, something that anchors me, fuels me, and allows me to make sense of everything. There’s no difference in this fight—I just have a stronger connection to why I’m doing this. Nothing but respect to Pantoja, but the way I respect you is by coming for that belt and coming for your head. I know he hasn’t been knocked out in the UFC and hasn’t been stopped—I want to be the first one to do that and make history. That would be an unreal way to get the belt.”

    Kai Kara-France and Alexandre Pantoja’s history with one another

    Kai Kara-France and Alexandre Pantoja have met inside the cage before, albeit in a situation that was technically an exhibition bout. The two flyweight standouts did battle on The Ultimate Fighter back in 2016 during a hugely influential period for the 125-pound division, with the TUF cast for that twenty-fourth season being comprised of flyweight champions from around the world.

    Pantoja would end up securing a unanimous decision victory over Kara-France, and now almost a decade later in this quasi-sequel clash that is not technically a rematch in the traditional sense, the two will test skills again.

  • UFC Rankings Report: Tom Aspinall Moves Up 3 Spots In Men’s Pound-For-Pound, Khamzat Chimaev Joins

    UFC Rankings Report: Tom Aspinall Moves Up 3 Spots In Men’s Pound-For-Pound, Khamzat Chimaev Joins

    The latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the UFC rankings toward contention and others fall away.

    And in the aftermath of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Baku, MMA News has you covered with this week’s complete updates.

    Men’s Pound-For-Pound: With the retirement of Jon Jones, new undisputed UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall moves up three spots to #8. Five men — Ilia Topuria, Dricus Du Plessis, Magomed Ankalaev, Alexander Volkanovski and Jack Della Maddalena each move up one spot, respectively, to #s 3-7.

    Alexander Pantoja, Max Holloway, Belal Muhammad, Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan also all move up to #9-14, respectively. Pantoja shares the No. 9 spot with Alex Pereira. Khamzat Chimaev joins at #15.

    Women’s Pound-for-Pound: No changes.

    Women’s Strawweight: No changes.

    Women’s Flyweight: Jasmine Jasudavicius moves up one spot to #5, sharing the rank with Maycee Barber.

    Women’s Bantamweight: Daria Zhelezniakova joins at #15, replacing Chelsea Chandler.

    Flyweight: Tagir Ulanbekov moves up to #11, swapping places with Joshua Van (#12). Kai Asakura moves up one spot to #14, swapping places with Bruno Silva (#15).

    Bantamweight: Mario Bautista moves up one spot to #8, sharing the rank with Rob Font.

    Featherweight: Brian Ortega moves up one spot to #6, sharing the rank with Arnold Allen.

    Lightweight: Rafael Fiziev moves up to #10, swapping places with Renato Moicano (#11). Grant Dawson moves up one spot to #13, swapping spots with Benoit Saint-Denis (#14).

    Welterweight: Michael Morales moves up one spot to #7, sharing the rank with Joaquin Buckley.

    Middleweight: Abus Magomedov moves up one spot to #14, sharing the rank with Roman Kopylov.

    Light Heavyweight: Khalil Rountree Jr. moves up three spots to #4. Jamahal Hill, meanwhile, moves down two spots to #6. Aleksandar Rakic moves down one spot to #7. Jan Blachowicz stays at #5.

    Heavyweight: Obviously, with the confirmation of Jon Jones’ retirement, he has been removed from the rankings at heavyweight as well. Tom Aspinall becomes the new UFC heavyweight champion. Everyone moves up one spot in the ranks, while Rizvan Kuniev joins the rankings at #15.

    You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.

  • Ilia Topuria Eyes Paddy Pimblett: ‘If He Wins One More, We’ll Finally Settle This in the Octagon’

    Ilia Topuria has a documented history with Paddy Pimblett, and if both men win their next bouts, the former would be interested in fighting the latter thereafter.

    The former featherweight champion expressed this during a recent exclusive sit-down interview with the official UFC YouTube channel. Topuria prepares to fight Charles Oliveira in the pursuit of becoming part of the upper echelons in MMA history of fighters who have held belts in more than one weight category. Topuria vs. Oliveira is for the vacant lightweight title and serves as this year’s International Fight Week headliner, with the massive matchup serving as the UFC 317 main event.

    When asked during this referenced interview about who will be next if he gets his ideal outcome against ‘Do Bronx’ this Saturday night, Ilia Topuria said,

    “Hopefully, Paddy. Hopefully, he gets one more fight. He wins that fight, of course, and finally, we can be in the same Octagon together. It seemed like a couple of years ago it was impossible to have that fight. You were fighting at 145, and he was at 155. Now, it’s something that can happen. It started with a real London, now it’s real. It’s just a matter of time. I think it’s going to happen. If you ask me, it’s going to happen.”

    “Do I like the Paddy style? I think people will enjoy that fight because we have a history behind us. We have a reality since a couple of years. So, it’s going to be a great fight and a huge fight. I think everyone’s going to love that fight. Why? Because it’s going to be a real fight. It’s not going to be something like we just have to fight each other. We respect each other, but we have to fight. It’s going to be a real fight.”

    Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett: Former UFC Champ Says Fight Is Inevitable 'Trash Talk, Big Money, and No Love Lost’

    Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett’s rivalry history

    Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett have had a beef with one another over the last few years, with the former Cage Warriors champion making some controversial comments about Georgia, which clearly did not sit well with the proud Georgian/ Spanish fighter Topuria. The issues reached a fever pitch in London at a UFC Fight Night in March 2022 with Pimblett throwing a bottle of hand sanitizer at Topuria during the altercation.

    Since then, the barbs back-and-forth between the two have continued over the years with the two largely being separated by weight class as Pimblett fights in the UFC at lightweight while Topuria has largely been at featherweight with this only being his second UFC bout at lightweight. Now that the two are in the same weight category, a long-awaited clash between the two could potentially even come to fruition by the end of the year if all falls into place.

  • Charles Oliveira’s Chin Questioned by UFC Insider: “He’s Been Dropped by Killers, but Always Gets Up – Is He Really Chinny, or Just Fighting the Best?”

    Charles Oliveira’s Chin Questioned by UFC Insider: “He’s Been Dropped by Killers, but Always Gets Up – Is He Really Chinny, or Just Fighting the Best?”

    Charles Oliveira’s history of getting dropped with strikes has been put under the microscope a bit by a UFC Insider as we’re days away from the Brazilian competing in yet another lightweight title clash. ‘Dro Bronx’ will battle former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria for the vacant 155-pound belt in the headliner of UFC 317, and many are stoked for this international fight week main event offering.

    That includes Din Thomas, who was discussing the marquee matchup alongside his co-host Laura Sanko for their show One on One as we are now immersed in fight week proceedings. When breaking down the machinations of this lightweight title bout with a specific focus on the durability of the former lightweight champion, Thomas said,

    “He’s been knocked down by [Michael] Chandler, [Dustin] Poirier, [Justin] Gaethje, but each time he’s gotten back up. It hasn’t been since, not with Beneil [Dariush], not with the second Chandler fight. I mean, everybody, if you get clipped, is a little chinny, right? Like, these are the best of the best. Took an overhand right, and he dared to stumble. Everybody at that level, you get clipped, you’re going to be—you know, in fact, I’m more willing to say that, you know, to not have a chin like Nate Diaz is the anomaly here.”

    “I think typically, his chin is about standard. It’s just he’s dealing with big punchers in big fights. The problem is, he’s dealing with a guy with the kiss of death. And if he does get knocked out, we’ll say, ‘See, I told you he was chinny.’ But I don’t necessarily believe that he’s like truly chinny in a sense. He’s just, man, he’s dealing with guys that are killers, have killer instinct and one-punch power.”

    Charles Oliveira biopic is in the works

    By Sunday morning, Charles Oliveira could be saying ‘last night was a movie’ (to use the parlance of our times), but there currently is a biopic in the works based on the life of the hugely successful MMA fighter. Eduardo Ferro’s 405 Films acquired the life rights for the film, which documents a journey of overcoming a harsh life in the favelas and overcoming life-threatening health issues to his successes on the Brazilian jiu jitsu circuit as well as his mixed martial arts exploits that saw him capture UFC lightweight gold previously.

    Filming will be done in Las Vegas and Brazil with Charles Oliveira describing 405 Films as ‘the right team to bring the story to life.’

  • Ilia Topuria on Triple Crown Quest: ‘If Islam Wins at Welterweight, I’ll Chase Him—Or He Can Come Down for the Superfight’

    Ilia Topuria on Triple Crown Quest: ‘If Islam Wins at Welterweight, I’ll Chase Him—Or He Can Come Down for the Superfight’

    Ilia Topuria is not opposed to the idea of someday pursuing championship glory in a third weight division. This was expressed by the former featherweight champion during a recent interview with MMA Junkie as Topuria heads in to a vacant lightweight championship bout this weekend. The Georgian-Spanish mixed martial artist will look to enter the rarefied air of two-division champions in UFC history when he aims to take out former 155-pound kingpin Charles Oliveiria in the headliner of UFC 317 on June 28th.

    A fight that many thought would happen for Topuria though, is seemingly off the table with former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev vacating his 155 pound strap to pursue a welterweight title fight against sitting champion Jack Della Maddalena. The unbeaten pro MMA fighter does not think the Islam Makhachev fight has totally faded into the ether, though, as Ilia Topuria said,

    “We’ll see how he does in the welterweight division. If he wins the title and I win the title in the lightweight division, maybe I move up or he comes down and we have the fight that everyone wants to see.”

    Ilia Topuria and the history of fighters pursuing three division title accolades in MMA

    If he gets his desired outcome in the coming days, Ilia Topuria would be in a great position to go on and become a titleholder across three weight categories following a Charles Oliveira victory, and there are some notable examples in mixed martial arts history of fighters who have pursued just that.

    Martin Nguyen tried to do just this under the ONE Championship banner after previously holding titles at lightweight and featherweight. After contending for the lineal ONE bantamweight belt as well as the interim bantamweight strap, Nguyen would fall short of his lofty goal against Bibiano Fernandes and Kevin Belingon, respectively.

    The fighter who many see as the Bellator MMA GOAT, Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire also endeavored to become a three-division titleholder after multiple reigns with that promotion’s featherweight belt and a prior stint as the BMMA lightweight champion. Alas, the Brazilian standout would fall short to Sergio Pettis on points in his bid for Pettis’ bantamweight belt at Bellator 297.

    Anatoly Malykhin stands out as a three-division champion having held titles under the ONE Championship banner from middleweight up to heavyweight, while Juan Archuleta can claim to be a four-division champion while plying his trade with King of the Cage.

  • Top UFC Heavyweight Urges Tom Aspinall To Defend Undisputed Title After Jon Jones’ Retirement

    Tom Aspinall will have a growing line of contenders awaiting a chance to challenge him in his first undisputed title defense.

    The top tier of the UFC heavyweight division had been stuck in limbo for the past two years, with the promotion holding out hope for a long-awaited title unification clash between reigning champion Jon Jones and interim titleholder Aspinall. On paper, it had all the makings of a historic showdown. But the bout never came to fruition, as “Bones” repeatedly dismissed the matchup, arguing that a win over Aspinall wouldn’t meaningfully elevate his already legendary résumé.

    However, this past Saturday, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed that Jones has officially opted to retire from active competition. Consequently, Aspinall has now taken over as the undisputed heavyweight king. White added that the promotion will begin working with the Brit next week to book his first title defense.

    Tom Aspinall will soon look to defend his undisputed title, but identifying the most deserving challenger in the division’s chaotic landscape won’t be easy.

    Image: @UFCEurope/X

    Jailton Almeida Puts His Name In The Hat To Face Tom Aspinall Next

    Following the announcement of Tom Aspinall’s elevation to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, Jailton Almeida took to X to declare himself the rightful top contender for the Brit’s first title defense.

    In his post, “Malhadinho” pitched himself as the most deserving contender and dismissed Ciryl Gane as unworthy of a title shot against Aspinall. He pointed out that the Frenchman had already fallen short in two previous championship bouts and argued that his recent win over Alexander Volkov was far from convincing.

    “Congrats champ. You deserve that.Now, let’s make the only fight that makes sense — Aspinall vs. Almeida for the undisputed heavyweight title of the world. Gane ducked you and me before, already fought for the belt and lost twice, and his last win was a robbery,” Jailton Almeida wrote on X.

    The 33-year-old Brazilian went a step further, listing fellow top contenders like Sergei Pavlovich, Curtis Blaydes, and Volkov while pointing out that nearly all of them have already faced Tom Aspinall and failed to get the job done.

    Almeida is riding the momentum of a two-fight win streak, with his most recent outing being a first-round knockout of Serghei Spivac at UFC 311 this past January. Before that, “Malhadinho” had compiled an impressive six-fight run in the Octagon, which was snapped by a TKO loss to Blaydes at UFC 299 in March 2024.

    Image: @malhadinho_ufc/Instagram
  • Daniel Cormier gets real when discussing Jon Jones’ legacy after UFC retirement

    Daniel Cormier gets real when discussing Jon Jones’ legacy after UFC retirement

    UFC legend Daniel Cormier has given his updated thoughts on Jon Jones following the latter’s retirement from mixed martial arts.

    If there’s anyone in the MMA sphere that knows Jon Jones, it’s Daniel Cormier. He fought him on two separate occasions, and the pair had an incredible rivalry that lasted for years. Now, both men have officially hung up their gloves, with Jones following on from DC who made the decision many years ago now.

    Between Jones retiring without fighting Tom Aspinall and his latest legal trouble, there are far more questions than answers right now. In a recent video, Daniel Cormier didn’t hold back when providing his perspective on the matter.

    Daniel Cormier’s latest view on Jon Jones

    “I said ‘If Jon Jones does not fight Tom Aspinall, he quit,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “… He quit. He did not want to fight Tom Aspinall. It’s so surprising. Is he scared? No. But by not fighting Aspinall, he opens the conversation. He lets you – every one of you – question why he doesn’t fight him.

    “… To walk away right now opens the door for people to have the conversation about, ‘Does this affect the legacy?’”

    “I honestly feel like if Tom loses, (Jones) would come back – and that’s crazy to me, because that’s only going to make it worse,” Cormier said.

    Cormier went on to address Jon’s recent legal issues.

    “The saddest thing about this to me is that it’s not surprising,” Cormier said. “I’ve seen him do things over the course of his career that have been very dangerous, and it’s just not smart. I hope that as he goes into the next phase of his career, if it’s over forever, that he fills the void with something positive.”

    “I will go to my grave believing he quit instead of fighting (Aspinall),” Cormier said. “… Jon Jones has got to get this sh*t together, man. … They gave him the money. They agreed to everything. And he still just would not do it.”

    Quotes via MMA Junkie

  • Jon Jones ‘changed his mind’ about fighting Tom Aspinall, says Dana White

    UFC president Dana White has confirmed that Jon Jones changed his mind about fighting Tom Aspinall as fans come to terms with his retirement.

    As we know, Jon Jones has decided to retire from mixed martial arts. While he’s had an incredible career, his heavyweight run certainly left a lot to be desired. The majority of fight fans are of the belief that he should’ve squared off with Aspinall, especially given that the Englishman is the interim champion in the division.

    Either way, though, it doesn’t seem as if we’re going to see Jon Jones in action anytime soon, especially now that Aspinall has been promoted to undisputed champion status. There were plenty of rumors going around regarding how this came about and in a recent interview, Dana White opted to shed a bit of light on the subject.

    Dana White confirms Jon Jones changed his mind about Tom Aspinall fight

    “I saw (Jones’ legal news Sunday). When I saw it today, I thought, ‘Every one is going to think that’s why he retired,’” White told the Mac Life and other reporters Sunday at the Canelo vs. Crawford news conference in New York. “Maybe that is why he retired. Who the hell knows, man. I don’t know. These are all questions you have to ask him. We had the fight done. You saw me talking about it very confidently, that this fight was going to happen, and then he changed his mind.”

    “No, (he’s not ducking Tom Aspinall),” White said. “Jon Jones, I’ve said it a million times, and I’ll say it again: He’s never ducked anybody other than that one goofy time with the Chael Sonnen thing (at UFC 151). He’s never ducked anybody and I think the reality of it is, whatever changed his mind with this fight, you’d have to ask him that. He’s 38 years old, and I don’t know.”

    Quotes via MMA Junkie

  • Rafael Fiziev calls for showdown with Dan Hooker after UFC Baku win

    Rafael Fiziev calls for showdown with Dan Hooker after UFC Baku win

    UFC lightweight star Rafael Fiziev has called for a collision with fellow contender Dan Hooker following his win at UFC Baku.

    After a three-fight losing streak, Rafael Fiziev was in need of a big win at UFC Baku – and he got it. He was able to defeat Ignacio Bahamondes in the co-main event of the evening and in doing so, the 32-year-old proved that he’s still got a lot left in the tank at 155 pounds. He may not be a top title prospect right now but if he can pick up a couple more big wins, then who knows what could be possible.

    Someone who is also hoping to make a charge for the title is none other than Dan Hooker. The veteran has been out of action for quite some time due to injury, and yet despite that, Rafael Fiziev is still pretty interested in meeting him in the middle of the Octagon.

    Rafael Fiziev shows interest in Dan Hooker fight

    “In my mind, first one after this tall guy is Dan Hooker,” Fiziev said at the UFC on ABC 8 post-fight press conference. “He’s another tall guy, and I like fighting against tall guys.”

    “He’s a man. He’s a man. How many crazy fights does he have in there?” Fiziev said. “He deserves one more crazy fight. He has a place now (in the rankings). I don’t believe this place. When I lost to (Mateusz) Gamrot, I didn’t lose that place, really. It was an injury. So this place he now holds, I want to take it back if that’s OK.”

    Quotes via MMA Junkie

  • Javier Mendez: Islam Makhachev Was Never in Khabib’s Shadow He’s the Next All-Time Great

    Javier Mendez: Islam Makhachev Was Never in Khabib’s Shadow He’s the Next All-Time Great

    Islam Makhachev‘s coach Javier Mendez does not believe that he was ever in Khabib Nurmagomedov’s shadow, despite what some may say.

    As we know, Islam Makhachev has carved out a pretty remarkable run for himself as UFC lightweight champion. Now, however, he’s going in pursuit of a second world title, which would truly cement him as one of the all-time greats. For the longest time, he’s been compared to his close friend and training partner Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is a legend in his own right.

    Of course, the two are very different in the way they approach the sport of mixed martial arts, but it’s certainly an interesting debate to have. In a recent interview with Genting Casino – who offer the best Live Casinos, the aforementioned Javier Mendez gave his thoughts on the idea that Islam was ever in Khabib’s shadow.

    Javier Mendez discusses Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov

    “I think he’s already done that [stepped out of Khabib’s shadow] but I had never looked at him as in Khabib’s shadows. I just looked at him as the next great one under his father’s tutelage.

    “I never looked at him [as a protege] following Khabib. He’s just following his father’s game plan of what he wanted from these boys. His father stated on many occasions he wanted Islam to be champion after Khabib was retired.”

    You may or may not be a fan of Islam Makhachev, but one thing is for sure – he’ll go down as one of the greatest lightweights to ever do it when it’s all said and done.

  • Khalil Rountree Jr.: ‘Catch Me If You Can!’ On the Hunt for Chuck Liddell’s Huge Knockdown Crown

    Khalil Rountree Jr.: ‘Catch Me If You Can!’ On the Hunt for Chuck Liddell’s Huge Knockdown Crown

    UFC star Khalil Rountree Jr is eager to break the record for most knockdowns in the history of the light heavyweight division after tying the current record of fourteen.

    In the main event of UFC Baku, Khalil Rountree Jr was able to defeat Jamahal Hill – and for long stretches of the contest, he was actually looking pretty dominant. In the process of picking up the win, he managed to tie the record for most knockdowns in light heavyweight history. That total stands at 14, and he is tied with the greats Shogun Rua and Chuck Liddell, both of whom are former champions.

    As you can probably imagine, Khalil Rountree Jr has big plans for his future after such a triumphant victory. After the fight, he made it crystal clear that he’s looking to make even more history by breaking the record and standing at the top of the mountain on his own.

  • “Nobody Likes Jake Paul” Julio César Chávez Jr. on Blockbuster Boxing Match “I Want to Beat Jake Paul for the People”

    “Nobody Likes Jake Paul” Julio César Chávez Jr. on Blockbuster Boxing Match “I Want to Beat Jake Paul for the People”

    Julio César Chávez Jr. is not pulling any punches before he and Jake Paul get to officially fight one another in the coming days. Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show, the former WBC titleholder covered several subjects before his fight with ‘The Problem Child’ next weekend. Julio César Chávez Jr. versus Jake Paul is set to go down on Saturday, June 28th on DAZN pay-per-view from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

    Referencing an open workout that he did ahead of this fight where many on-site were loudly chanting ‘f*** Jake Paul’ in the context of if he feels like the California faithful will be supporting him in a big way against the combat sports disruptor, Chávez Jr. said,

    “I think the people everywhere know it’s with me. Nobody likes Jake Paul… He tried to put down Mike Tyson, who is a legend, and that’s disrespect. That’s why I want to beat Jake, that’s why the people are on my side.”

    Julio César Chávez Jr. names four fighters he has in his crosshairs post-Paul

    Julio César Chávez Jr. has mentioned that he would entertain a rematch with the YouTube personality following next Saturday’s boxing bout but he also has some eyes on big names at both light heavyweight as well as cruiserweight. These names were mentioned during the same referenced Ariel Helwani interview and saw Chávez Jr. call out both Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez as well as Jai Opetaia with both of those pugilists holding seventy-five percent of the major cruiserweight world championships.

    Julio César Chávez Jr. also mentioned light heavyweight greats Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev as in-ring adversaries that he would like to test skills with post-Jake Paul down the line as well. Articulating his vision for what he sees transpiring post-June 28th, Chávez Jr. stated [via Bloody Elbow],

    “I wanna fight a rematch with Jake Paul. A rematch with Jake Paul is a money fight, so that’s why I don’t wanna say no to this thing happening. For real, what I want is to fight the best. I’d love to fight ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez. I’d love to fight a cruiserweight champion. [Jai] Opetaia is a super, super strong guy.”

    “I’m here because I want to fight the best. If Opetaia offered me, if Ramirez offered me, after this fight or another fight, I’m there. I’m ready to fight Bivol at cruiserweight or the other guy, Beterbiev. That’s my goal. They are killers. So, wait until after June 28, and after that, we’ll do another interview and talk about that fight.”

  • Austin Trout Teammate Clarifies BKFC Title Situation

    Austin Trout Teammate Clarifies BKFC Title Situation

    Austin Trout is quietly no longer the BKFC welterweight champion, with a vacant title clash already booked, and one of Trout’s teammates at Main Street Boxing has some insights into this situation. Appearing on Bare Knuckle Bowker, Ike Villanueva discussed multiple topics ahead of his eventual first-round TKO victory over Eric Olsen at BKB 42: Music City Brawl on June 21st.

    Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has announced a vacant welterweight title fight between Gorjan Slaveski and Julian Lane for BKFC Sturgis in August, which has left some fans wanting answers. When Trout’s teammate and former BKB champion was questioned about the situation with BKFC’s welterweight strap, Villanueva said,

    “Yeah, I think Austin; don’t let me fool you, I think Austin got a little hand injury. But I do believe he wants to go down in weight. So we’ll see what happens. I know he wants to go down. He’s been fighting big, but Austin’s one of the best. For the guys in BKFC, man, there’s nobody that can touch him on the boxing standpoint. You see what he does. He’s one of the greatest southpaw defense, and in that big ring, he’s gonna make you look stupid. I mean the guy’s legit, man. Austin Trout, ‘No Doubt’ Trout, man, he’s the real deal.”

    “I’m glad to call him my friend, teammate, and he’s doing great things for BKFC. You’ll hear something real soon coming from him. But like I said, I think he’s dealing with a little hand injury, and he’ll bounce back, man. Like I said, he [will be] the double champ. That interim title don’t mean nothing. Interim champion means temporary champion.”

    Villanueva continued, “Once you get the real champ under that name, then it’s something serious. But there’s nothing to be worried about… I believe that’s the goal he wants to go to [BKFC double champ], and like I said, I’ll let him make that official. But the birds that are chirping, that’s what we’re hearing.”

    Austin Trout and his bare-knuckle boxing speed run

    Austin Trout came into the world of gloveless combat with a decorated boxing resume and has taken over the world of BKFC in lightning quick fashion. After a victory via fourth-round doctor stoppage over former UFC title challenger and TUF season one champion Diego Sanchez, Trout was off to the races.

    His sophomore bout in bare-knuckle boxing saw him defeat then number-one pound-for-pound ranked BKFC fighter Luis Palomino to claim the welterweight belt at BKFC 57. Trout has since gone on to notch masterclass title defenses against Rico Franco and Carlos Trinidad-Snake at BKFC on DAZN 1 and BKFC 71, respectively.

  • Francis Ngannou’s Trainer: No UFC Return, PFL Loyalty Runs Deep After ‘Fumbling the Bag’

    Francis Ngannou’s Trainer: No UFC Return, PFL Loyalty Runs Deep After ‘Fumbling the Bag’

    Francis Ngannou does not have any immediate plans to return to the UFC and seems perfectly happy continuing to ply his trade in the PFL smart cage, according to his coach. During an interview with Online Slots, Dewey Cooper expressed this thought when asked several questions regarding the lineal MMA heavyweight champion.

    There have been some reports as of late that teased a UFC return might be possible per comments from Ngannou’s coach at Xtreme Couture Eric Nicksick. Nicksick has since clarified that those comments were misconstrued a bit, with Dana White and Ngannou himself also seemingly dispelling notions of an octagon return for the former UFC heavyweight champion.

    When touching on the topic himself, Dewey Cooper said,

    “I don’t see any chance of Francis returning to the UFC. The other coaches on our staff may think differently. “I can see him doing a kind of co-promotion thing, maybe a UFC fight, but in conjunction with the PFL. “Because when all this went down and we ‘fumbled the bag’, the PFL had Francis’ back, and one thing about Francis, he appreciates the support he got from PFL.”

    ““He’s not just gonna forget about that when the whole world said he screwed up and he blew it, or that he was afraid to fight someone – which was never the truth. “The PFL came to him and had his back, so as of now he’s still with the PFL, so in order to do anything, the PFL would definitely have to be involved.”

    Francis Ngannou
    Photo by Tim Wheaton

    Francis Ngannou and Dana White barbs throw cold water on possible UFC return

    With UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones retiring from MMA and interim champion Tom Aspinall finally being upgraded to champion outright, but amid a fairly unpopulated landscape at heavyweight, a Francis Ngannou return may be needed more than ever. At the UFC Baku post-event press conference, Dana White announced that Jon Jones elected to retire from the sport of mixed martial arts, but the promotional figurehead also addressed someone else within that UFC heavyweight title lineage.

    When expressing his feelings on Ngannou overall and if the PFL champion could ever return to the UFC fold, White stated [via Bloody Elbow],

    “I’m not a big fan, I would be shocked if Francis ever came back here, on lots of different levels, I’m not a fan and he doesn’t always mean what he says publicly.”

    To that statement, ‘The Predator’ would respond to White on his personal X page as Francis Ngannou quipped,

    “Did I say I’m ever coming back?”

  • 3 Hits And 4 Misses From UFC Baku: Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree Jr

    3 Hits And 4 Misses From UFC Baku: Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree Jr

    For the first time in the promotion’s history, the UFC headed to Azerbaijan for a Fight Night event, with their June 21 card taking place at the Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, the country’s capital city.

    In addition to fighters connected with Azerbaijan throughout the card, the main event featured a former UFC light heavyweight champion trying to get back to winning ways against a top-10 contender, as Jamahal Hill took on Khalil Rountree Jr.

    Hill had previously won the light heavyweight title but vacated due to injury. He entered tonight on a pair of losses since then, getting knocked out by Alex Pereira at UFC 300 in an attempt to try and win back the gold and getting stopped by Jiri Prochazka at UFC 311. Rountree, meanwhile, had won five straight before it was snapped at UFC 307 — his most recent fight prior to this card — when he challenged Pereira for the UFC light heavyweight title.

    The co-main event of the evening saw Rafael Fiziev look to snap a three-fight losing skid, as he took on Ignacio Bahamondes, who entered with three straight wins and victories in six of his last seven.

    The main card also featured the return of former interim title challenger Curtis Blaydes, as he took on the UFC debutant Rizvan Kuniev. It also saw a catchweight bout between Tofiq Musayev and Myktybek Orolbai, a lightweight clash featuring Nazim Sadykov and Nikolas Motta and a featherweight battle between Muhammad Naimov and Bogdan Grad.

    Who delivered? Who dropped the ball? Let’s find out with the hits and misses of UFC Baku!

    Miss: Many Decisions, Just Two Post-Fight Bonuses

    I don’t want to sound like one of these people where it’s a big finish or bust. There can be just as great fights that are expert grapple battles as fights that are slugfests. There are fights that can go the distance that are still great fights — sometimes, even better fights than the ones that have a big, quick highlight finish.

    But the problem is, we didn’t get much of that at UFC Baku.

    Only two fights on the whole card ended in decision. The main card, which aired on ABC in America, even started in the middle of the final prelim because of the pacing and the fact no prelim fights had finishes.

    Most of the prelim fights, additionally, didn’t bring the excitement we’ve seen with prelims from other cards. One of the jokes around MMA X/Twitter of the event’s fallout is comparing UFC Baku to an Apex with people in the audience seen leaving the card early.

    I’ll be more blunt and say I think this card was worse than some of the ones we’ve seen in the Apex.

    Even Dana White seemed to agree, awarding all of the bonus money only to Nadim Sadykhov and Nikloas Motta for their exciting clash — and it’s deserved.

    The UFC’s first-ever event in Baku might be an accomplishment; however, the card itself was a major disappointment.

    Miss: Questionable Judging

    And speaking of fights that ended in decision, how is it 2025 and we’re still having talks about judges and atrocious decisions?

    Unfortunately, it seems Baku was hit with a couple of decisions from supposed MMA officials that left MMA fans scratching their heads in confusion, disbelief, and perplexity.

    Azat Maksum put on a heart-filled showing against Tagir Ulanbekov, the 12th-ranked flyweight in the UFC. His reward? Winning only one round on all judge’s card across all three scorecards. A portion of the crowd booed the cards, and even UFC commentary called out the judges for their questionable scoring.

    Then came the main card bout between Curtis Blaydes and Rizvan Kuniev. Blaydes definitely won the first round with his wrestling ability, but Kuniev did some damage over the course of the next two rounds — and some might feel it was more than what Blaydes delivered and should have been given the nod.

    It was a close fight for sure, so feel how you feel. But if we’re going by how many in the online MMA community feel, this was just another blow to their intelligence.

    Unfortunately, I know the answer to this is never, but I’ll keep yelling it: When are we going to start holding MMA officials (referees, judges, etc.) accountable for how they perform in fights, too?

    Hit: Ko Seok-hyun Scores Major Upset In UFC Debut

    Oban Elliott has had quite a bit of attention on him as a rising up-and-comer out of Europe. “The Welsh Gangster” entered UFC Baku 3-0 in the Octagon since his 2023 appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series. And up against Ko Seok-hyun, who was making his UFC debut, most felt this was going to be another strong performance from Elliott.

    Seok-hyun had other plans, however.

    A +370 underdog as of about 12 hours prior to the start of his fight, Seok-hyun landed a hard left hand and then let his judo abilities take over. Seok-hyun took Elliott to the ground and landed with power at will, even opening a cut on Elliott at one point, as he dominated his way into a decision victory.

    Elliott will probably rebound from this, but the focus here should be on a great UFC debut for the man who is dubbed “The Korean Tyson.” It will be fun to see what happens next for him in the Octagon.

    Hit: Nazim Sadykhov And Nikolas Motta Deliver Fight Of The Year Candidate

    As stated earlier, even Dana White agrees, there was one solo major highlight from the UFC Baku card: Nazim Sadykhov and Nikolas Motta beating each other to a bloody pulp until one dropped.

    It was a slugfest that most agreed was one of the most exciting fights in MMA this year, let alone in just the UFC.

    Motta appeared to have Sadykhov hurt in the first, and he landed a barrage of shots that seemed like would put him away for a quick ending to this fight. But Sadykhov held his own and then took advantage of a fatigued Motta, landing a barrage on him.

    The two continued to trade in the second round before one key combination put Motta out cold and brought the crowd alive.

    $100,000 between these two men is more than well deserved. I hope at the end of the year, we can look back on this fight, even if it doesn’t win Fight of the Year honors, and remember how these two gentlemen — in the midst of a card filled with so much bad — brought us eight or so minutes of exciting, wild battle.

    Miss: So Much For Curtis Blaydes Being A Top Heavyweight Contender (And The Concerning State Of UFC’s Heavyweights)

    As I stated earlier, Curtis Blaydes ended up getting a split decision victory after edging out Rizvan Kuniev, a former Eagle FC heavyweight champion who was making his Octagon debut on this card.

    Blaydes had his fair share of shots in addition to controlling the action with his grappling and wrestling abilities, but Kiziev busted up one of his eyes and landed a stunning knee and late flurry in the third — which led plenty to believe Blaydes didn’t deserve the nod.

    You obviously expect a ranked heavyweight contender, in his first fight since falling short in an interim title bout, to beat someone making their Octagon debut. But this was not in the way that’s going to earn Blaydes popularity points with the fans or Dana White.

    Blaydes claimed he suffered an injury early on in the fight — but more than his own performance, it speaks to the state of the heavyweight division (especially in the wake of the breaking news of Jon Jones’ retirement).

    Obviously the UFC’s rankings have to be taken with a grain of salt, but to say that was a performance from a top-five ranked contender is sad. And right now, there’s nothing that screams awesomeness and star power right now at heavyweight outside of new undisputed champion Tom Aspinall. Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane is the best matchup we’ve got at that weight class right now.

    Blaydes’ performance is a reminder that the UFC needs to find an entertaining and talented name for the heavyweight scene outside of Aspinall – STAT.

    Hit: Rafael Fiziev Gets Much Needed Win In Front Of Home Crowd

    Considering his talent, it might be a surprise that Rafael Fiziev hadn’t gotten a win in three years. But the Azerbaijan native, competing in his home country, got a needed showcase with a win over Ignacio Bahamondes in the co-main event.

    After targeting the body in a slow opening round, Fiziev countered Bahamondes’ attempts to get inside, and then, to everyone’s surprise, used takedowns of his own to help with controlling the action. He added in a knockdown of Bahamondes before the end of the round. Fiziev then got the better of the exchanges in an action-filled third round, earning a clean-sweep decision.

    After the pair of losses to Justin Gaethje, sandwiched between with an injury he suffered against Mateusz Gamrot, Fiziev is ready to take part in another lightweight contenders’ battle. Depending how future fights play out, perhaps someone in the lower part of the top-10 could be a next opponent – names that include Beneil Dariush and Renato Moicano, as well as a possible rematch with Gamrot.

    Miss: A Lackluster Main Event, The Downfall Of Jamahal Hill

    The UFC Baku main event between Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr wasn’t just boring, it wasn’t even competitive. Rountree used his leg-kick-based offense and his distance work to completely take out Hill, putting on a one-sided beating in a clear decision victory.

    The fault here shouldn’t lie on Rountree. As he stated after the fight, he was fighting his fight and clearly did more damage to the former champ. This was a solid victory for Rountree — and as others have mentioned, a fight between him and Jiri Prochazka sounds so appetizing with their styles.

    The miss here lies on Hill.

    Firstly, what is his corner doing lying to him and saying the fight is close? By the time round three ended, it was clear Rountree was up three rounds and Hill needed a finish. He could’ve fought differently had it not been for his corner telling him to fight for a decision win — a major blunder by championship-level cornermen. It’s such a blunder, in fact, I have to question their competence — which I shouldn’t be doing for the cornermen of a fighter who was just the welterweight champion a year ago.

    And then for Hill to put on the showing he did and then try to talk trash after the fight about how boring it was? Let me remind him that it takes two to tango. Rountree fought a fight that got his butt whooped, and Hill did nothing about it.

    I understand Hill is pretty much embracing the heel role with his trash talk and confidence-based predictions about his fights. It’s one thing to do this when you’re winning. It’s another thing to do this when you have gotten whooped three straight times and are on a three-fight losing skid.

    This needs to be a wake-up call for Hill. Another loss and we can say he is on a downfall — if you don’t want to say he’s reached his peak and is on the fall already.

    Just a cherry on top of a bad, bad show.

  • Now-Retired Jon Jones Facing New Misdemeanor Charge

    Now-Retired Jon Jones Facing New Misdemeanor Charge

    Jon Jones may now be retired from active MMA competition, but the former two-division UFC champion’s legal issues have not stopped it seems.

    According to court records, charges were filed against Jones on June 17 for leaving the scene of an accident that took place back on February 24. MMA Fighting obtained the official court record.

    Per the Albuquerque Journal, a police officer investigating a traffic crash found a woman in the front passenger seat “exhibiting signs of significant intoxication and lacking clothing from the waist down.”

    The woman claimed Jones was the driver of the vehicle but fled the scene on foot. She then reportedly called Jones, and when a police aide spoke to the man on the phone believed to be him, he “appeared to be heavily intoxicated and made statements implying his capacity to employ lethal force through third parties.”

    When a police officer received similar threatening statements from Jones, backup was requested. The man never confirmed if he was Jones when directly asked by officers.

    Jon Jones Charged After Leaving Scene Of February Car Accident

    The woman later told police that she drank and consumed mushrooms at Jones’ residence before needing to change her clothes. Then, “her next recollection was being at the scene of a traffic accident.” The woman claimed Jones was the last person she remembered driving the vehicle.

    A few days after the incident, Jones was interviewed by police and claimed that the intoxicated woman had left his house earlier in the day and called him after getting into the accident. Jones claimed the person the woman handed the phone to “immediately opened the conversations with unprofessional language, which led him to doubt the legitimacy of the individual’s claim.”

    There is no word on why the official charge came four months after the incident.

    Jones is scheduled to appear in court on July 24 for a bond arraignment.

    Of course, this is far from Jones’ first run-in with the law. Jones has faced multiple DWI charges throughout his career, as well as abuse charges. There is also the infamous 2015 hit-and-run Jones had that resulted in him being stripped of the UFC light heavyweight championship.

  • BREAKING: Jon Jones Officially Retired, Tom Aspinall Named UFC Heavyweight Champion

    BREAKING: Jon Jones Officially Retired, Tom Aspinall Named UFC Heavyweight Champion

    All this time waiting, and the Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall fight will not come to pass.

    At the UFC Baku Post-Fight Press Conference, UFC CEO and President Dana White officially declared the status of Jon Jones as “retired,” officially ending Jones’ two-year run as the UFC heavyweight champion.

    As a result, the UFC head honcho has announced, Tom Aspinall, who was the interim UFC heavyweight champion, will now be elevated to undisputed champion.

    “Jon Jones called us last night and retired,” White said. “Jon Jones is officially retired. Tom Aspinall is the heavyweight champion of the UFC.”

    Tom Aspinall Named New Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion Following Jon Jones Retirement

    Since Aspinall’s interim title win, talks have circulated around a potential undisputed title fight between Jones and Aspinall — with those talks intensifying after Jones’ win over Miocic. Constant debates were had over if Jones would actually take up the fight.

    While there had been moments of hope — for instance, White claiming the fight was nearly signed — there had been plenty of moments that showed the fight might not happen. Instances included Aspinall’s “duck” callout earlier in the year at UFC London, as well as Aspinall’s father berating Jones and his team about dragging out negotiations.

    Just a couple of days ago, Jones appeared on the Full Send Podcast and stated that he is at a point where he doesn’t care about fighting.

    “I am retired,” Jones said. “Right now, I could really care less about fighting. I’ve been doing it all my life at a very high level. When the itch comes back, if it comes back, then I’ll do it with my whole heart, and I’ll do it to the best of my abilities.”

    Jones had been heavyweight champion since submitting Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 — which marked his first fight in the UFC after vacating the UFC light heavyweight championship — a division that Jones dominated throughout the 2010s — three years prior.

    Jones only made one defense of the championship, defeating former champion Stipe Miocic in the main event of UFC 309 this past November. The two had been scheduled to meet at UFC 295 the previous year, also at Madison Square Garden, before a torn pec put Jones on the shelf.

    It was at that UFC 295 card where Aspinall defeated Sergei Pavlovich to become interim heavyweight champion. He defended the interim title in a rare feat at UFC 304, scoring a first-round finish of Curtis Blaydes.

  • ‘Give Me Rountree vs. Prochazka All Day Next’ – Jiri Prochazka, Magomed Ankalaev, & Other Fighters & Fans Fans React To Khalil Rountree Jr. Putting On Striking Clinic To Easily Beat Jamahal Hill At UFC Baku

    ‘Give Me Rountree vs. Prochazka All Day Next’ – Jiri Prochazka, Magomed Ankalaev, & Other Fighters & Fans Fans React To Khalil Rountree Jr. Putting On Striking Clinic To Easily Beat Jamahal Hill At UFC Baku

    Khalil Rountree Jr.’s leg kicks have always been his key to success, and he continues to show why he is a legit contender in the light heavyweight division with a major, dominant victory over former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill in the main event of UFC Baku.

    After a very quiet opening round that saw plenty of leg kicks from each man, Rountree started to open up more in the second round. Rountree continued with the leg kicks, one of his specialties, and he notably damaged up one of Hill’s legs before starting to target the other. Hill’s movement was seemingly compromised by the middle of this second.

    The third round had the familiar slow pace, but Rountree continued to pound away with the leg kicks. But Rountree scored the biggest moment of the night with a left hand that briefly sat Hill down. He followed that up that doing it again in the round’s dying seconds, this time with a big right hand.

    Rountree continued his cerebral approach in the fourth, slowly chopping away at Hill outside of a body shot that stumbled Hill back. The fight’s pace went the same for the fifth round, as Rountree swept two judges’ scorecards in a clear, one-sided decision.

    Khalil Rountree Jr. Scores One-Sided Decision Over Jamahal Hill

    https://twitter.com/WhyGarth/status/1936547490997682451

    Rountree Jr. has now won six of his last seven. This was his first fight since coming up short in a light heavyweight title fight against Alex Pereira at UFC 307.

    Hill has now lost three straight since vacating the UFC light heavyweight title due to injury. This skid has also included a title fight loss against Pereira at UFC 300 and a loss to Jiri Prochazka at UFC 311 in January.