If anybody can come back from adversity, it’s Dustin Poirier, but that’s not the question Poirier will be confronting in the coming days.
At UFC 269, Dustin Poirier entered the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada as a man with a second chance. Two years ago, Poirier contested for the undisputed lightweight title for the first time, and he lost via rear-naked choke to then-champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Image Credit: Per Haljestam, USA TODAY Sports
In his second attempt at undisputed gold yesterday against Charles Oliveira, he would fall victim to the same hold in the same third round.
During the UFC 269 post-fight press conference, a brave and visibly emotional Poirier was asked about his future. The veteran is unsure what the future holds, but he is certain that if he chooses to be right back challenging for the world title again, he would.
However, he is still unsure if that will happen for reasons that go deeper than his abilities.
“I can do anything I put my mind to,” Poirier told reporters. “I can fight for another belt. I can go on another streak. I can claw, and climb, and get back to wherever I wanna be. It’s just, do I want to? That’s the question I have to look in the mirror and answer. Do I want to do it again? Do I want to go down that road again?
Dustin Poirier (Photo: Chris Unger/Zuffa)
“And that answer will come in the next couple days, next couple weeks. I just need to let this pass and see what’s next for me. But if it’s in my heart and that’s what I wanna do, I’ll be here again fighting for another world title.”
Dustin Poirier has proven time and time again that he can pull himself up by the bootstraps and get right back to work, whether it’s in the middle of a taxing battle or if it’s after a major setback in the form of a loss. Poirier has hinted at retirement earlier this year, but leading up to this fight he sounded much more certain about sticking around.
However, those plans were uttered with the expectation that he would be the undisputed lightweight world champion. Now that he has come up short for the second time, it sounds as though everything hangs in the balance for Dustin Poirier, and fans will have to wait and see what the future holds for this living legend.
You can view Dustin Poirier’s full UFC 269 post-fight press conference scrum below.
UFC superstar Amanda Nunes has spoken out on social media for the first time since her bantamweight title loss to Julianna Peña.
Nunes got off to a strong start against Peña at UFC 269, dropping her with a big right hand just minutes into the fight. However, Peña was able to survive the early onslaught and come out strong in the second round.
After a wild flurry of strikes by both women on the feet, Peña earned a hard takedown and quickly got Nunes’ back with relative ease. Peña secured the stunning victory with a rear-naked choke to pull off the monumental upset.
Just minutes after the loss, Nunes spoke with Joe Rogan about what went wrong against Peña.
“Nothing was surprising at all,” Nunes said in her Octagon interview. “I knew she was going to come forward. Just today, I checked out. I need to work on a couple of things and fix it, get back in the gym, and come back soon. Congratulations to Julianna, she’s a warrior.”
Amanda Nunes Posted A Family Picture Following UFC 269
The day after the loss, Nunes took to Instagram to thank her fans and share a picture with her family and coach.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXY9r6jLBU3/
“Thank you so very much everyone!” Nunes said. “Life goes on.”
Nunes’ loss to Peña was undoubtedly one of the most stunning upsets in combat sports history. Nunes has dominated the competition for years and earned both the bantamweight and featherweight titles, which has defended simultaneously.
Before losing to Peña, Nunes hadn’t lost a fight since her defeat to Cat Zingano at UFC 178. This would be the turning point in her career as she would go on a 12-fight winning streak against some of the best female fighters in the UFC.
An immediate rematch is certainly warranted for Nunes, assuming that she wants to run it back right away with Pena. For now, she’s looking ahead to a bounceback in 2022.
The event took place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.. Headlining the card was a clash between Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier in a lightweight title bout. This fight saw a wild first round that had both fighters get hurt, a brief takedown by Charles, and a lot of striking. The second round was dominated by Charles, who got a takedown, moved to full guard, and rained down elbows for a few minutes. Charles finished the fight with a standing rear-naked choke in the third round to retain the title.
The co-main event saw more action between Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena in a women’s bantamweight title bout.
This fight saw Pena shock the world. In the first round, Nunes looked good and dropped her twice thanks to a leg kick and then a punch. Pena went for a takedown, but was stuffed and Nunes took her down where she even took her back. In the second round, history was made as Pena came out swinging. Nunes pushed forward and they had a very entertaining exchange where both were landing and eating shots. Pena scored a takedown and got the back of a tired Nunes before applying a rear-naked choke for the win.
With there being six fighter performance bonuses, there was no “Fight of the Night” honors. Peep the full list of performance bonus winners below.
Tai Tuivasa
Bruno Silva
Sean O’Malley
Kai Kara-France
Julianna Pena
Charles Oliveira
#UFC269 was so good we had to give out 𝑺𝑰𝑿 POTN bonuses 🤑
UFC 269 featured two title fights that crowned a new queen of the women’s bantamweight division and a current champion proved himself as worthy of holding the title he won earlier this year.
There was a lot to take away from UFC 269, here are some things that stood out.
O’Malley vs. Garbrandt?
During the pre-fight press conference, Sean O’Malley and Cody Garbrandt went after each other, even though they both had their own fights with other people at UFC 269 to worry about. Still, O’Malley seemed to think it would be a good idea for them to square up at the press conference for a future event. Is this something you want to see?
It happens enough these days, bookmakers should start laying odds on what fight will get pulled from a card, and for what reason. After the weigh-ins, the UFC announced that the flyweight bout between Matt Schnell and Alex Perez was canceled due to medical issues with Schnell.
The Savage Gets Back in The Win Column
Gillian Robertson was on a two-fight losing streak going into UFC 269. If that wasn’t enough fuel to pick up a win, her opponent Priscila Cachoeira missed weight and they fought at a catchweight. Robertson scored the first submission and finish of the night to get back in the win column and did it with Cachoeira fighting dirty. Losers never win, and Robertson proved that here. Check out Robertson’s submission finish and doing it while Cahcoeira was poking her in the eye.
France stopped Garbrandt in his tracks for Garbrandt’s flyweight debut, leaving questions for Garbrandt’s future but opening doors for France. With his first-round finish of the former bantamweight champion, France made it known he has his eyes on Brandon Moreno and Deivison Figueredo. Either fight would make a great future match-up for him.
Dominick Cruz
Dominick Cruz, Image Credit: MMA Fighting
Cruz made news for his criticism of Daniel Cormier’s broadcast style on fight week and that may have taken away from the fact that regardless of how anyone handles a mic, Cruz can still manage the cage better. It’s obvious he does just as much homework for fights as he does for his broadcast duties. Cruz fought and won against a very tough Pedro Munhoz to pick up a decisive victory. If there’s a fight to make, maybe he and Jose Aldo could headline a card in 2022.
And New!
Julianna Pena, Image Credit: Chris Unger
A huge underdog, Julianna Peña came in with nothing but heart and a great jab that would hand Nunes the loss that would cost her the title, and crown The Venezuelan Vixen the new bantamweight champion. Peña was a +650 underdog and when the going got tough, Peña’s resolve would be the fuel that won her the title.
And Still!
Charles Oliveira. Image Credit: USA TODAY Sports
Diamonds are tough but “Do Bronx” is tougher as Charles Oliveira proved that he can stand with the tougher, more damaging fighter the likes of Dustin Poirier. Oliveira’s chin was definitely tested in this fight, especially in round one but if there were a physical demonstration of “being like water,” Oliveira definitely did it to Poirier when he scored the submission victory.
There’s obviously more to take away from this event than what is listed here especially with it being the last one of 2021. New challengers for various titles, up-and-coming fighters looking to get in the top 15, and potential rematches to make. The UFC certainly closed their pay-per-view schedule well.
What did you take away from the event? Better yet, what would you like to see in 2022?
Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier lived up to expectations with the lightweight title on the line.
The two fighters met in a title bout on Saturday night (December 11, 2021) at the UFC 269 pay-per-view event from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The first round was madness. Poirier stunned him right out of the gate before they clinched. Charles got a brief takedown before Poirier popped right back to his feet. They had a fun exchange before Poirier dropped him only to let him back up. Charles went for a takedown and got it to start off the second round. Poirier did get back up, but when Charles went for an arm submission, it led to Charles rolling on top in half guard and landed some big elbows. Charles finished the fight with a standing rear-naked choke in the third round to retain the title.
Peep the highlights of the fight courtesy of the UFC’s official Twitter account:
I know y’all feel a difference in the way the other lightweights bring it. Are they really there to do immense damage? Inflict pain? Bring entertainment? Make you feel something? #ufc269
Poirier went on a six-fight winning streak including back-to-back wins over Conor McGregor – a KO win at UFC 257 and then a doctor stoppage win at UFC 264. Before that, he got a win over Max Holloway by a hard-fought unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 236 to earn a title shot. He lost by submission to UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at the UFC 242 show from The Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. In his previous outing, he got a decision win over Dan Hooker on June 27, 2020.
Entering this fight, Oliveira had been on a hot streak that included nine consecutive victories. In his previous bout, he won the lightweight title when he beat Michael Chandler by TKO at UFC 262. Before that, he got
a decision win over Tony Ferguson at the UFC 256 pay-per-view event. He previously choked out Kevin Lee at the UFC Brasilia event in March 2020, got wins over Jared Gordon by KO at the UFC Sao Paulo event from the Ginásio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and a TKO win over Nik Lentz at the UFC Rochester event from the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York on ESPN+.
Julianna Pena shocked the world when she defeated Amanda Nunes to win the UFC women’s bantamweight title.
The two fighters met in a bout on Saturday night (December 11, 2021) at the UFC 269 pay-per-view event from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In the first round, Nunes dropped her twice – once with a leg kick then a jab. Pena tried to go for a takedown, but that didn’t work. Nunes got a takedown and even had her back at one point. Pena had her in a kimura for a bit, but the round ended. In the second round, Pena came out swinging and they had an unbelievable exchange for a few minutes. Nunes got tired. Pena clinched with her up against the fence before taking her down and locking in the rear-naked choke for the win.
Peep the highlights of the fight courtesy of the UFC’s official Twitter account:
In her previous fight, Nunes retained the featherweight strap over Megan Anderson by first-round submission at UFC 259. Before that, she retained the bantamweight strap over Felicia Spencer at the UFC 250 pay-per-view event got a decision victory over Germaine de Randamie at UFC 245 by decision and another impressive victory at the expense of former champ Holly Holm at the UFC 239 pay-per-view event. Nunes knocked out Cris Cyborg in the first round in the co-headliner of UFC 232 to win the UFC women’s featherweight title on December 29, 2018, at The Forum in Inglewood, California. With that win, Nunes became a two-division champion as she’s the champ of the women’s bantamweight and featherweight divisions.
Pena entered this fight with a 10-4 pro-MMA record and had gone 2-2 in her last four fights to get here. She lost to Valentina Shevchenko by submission in January 2017 before getting a decision win over Nicco Montaño, but dropped a loss to Germaine de Randamie by decision in October 2020. She rebounded with a submission win over Sara McMann.
Let’s see how the fighters reacted to the outcome of this fight:
The UFC 269 post-fight press conference will be live once the action concludes.
In the headliner, Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier will collide in a lightweight title clash. UFC 269’s co-main event will see a clash between Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena in a women’s bantamweight title bout. More action will also be featured on the main card as Geoff Neal shares the Octagon with Santiago Ponzinibbio.
The fighters from both the main and co-main events are expected to attend the post-fight press conference barring any hospital visits. Of course anyone else on the card who has a breakout performance could also attend the presser.
MMA News will be providing live coverage of the UFC Vegas card. Be sure to check back here for the post-fight presser with a tentative start time of 12:15 a.m. ET.
Let us know your big takeaways once the UFC 269 post-fight press conference.
UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier is hoping emulate the success of inspirational champions like Michael Bisping and Robbie Lawler at UFC 269.
Inspirational is certainly an appropriate word to use to describe Poirier’s career. From dropping out in the ninth grade after repeatedly getting into trouble to challenging for gold on MMA’s biggest stage, not many fighters have forged an unlikely path to success like the Lafayette, Louisiana native.
After hitting the form of his life with with victories over Anthony Pettis, Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez, and Max Holloway, Poirier entered a 2019 clash with then-UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov as the interim titleholder. The submission loss felt like a crushing end to his journey to the top. But the story wasn’t to end that night in Abu Dhabi.
Now over two years later, “The Diamond” has recorded a win against Dan Hooker, equaled his score with Conor McGregor by becoming the first man to knock him out, and secured a trilogy victory over the Irishman. Poirier now has his sights back on the title, which he’ll challenge for this weekend in the final pay-per-view main event of the year.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXPwyBlM97F/
Poirier Hopes To Join Illustrious Company
In his way on December 11 will be reigning champion Charles Oliveira. As far as shocking and heart-warming championship wins go, not many fit the term better than “Do Bronx.” In his 28th outing in the UFC, the Brazilian had gold wrapped around his waist for the first time after an incredible comeback against Michael Chandler.
Discussing his fellow veteran’s success at UFC 269 media day on Wednesday, Poirier admitted it felt “special” to see Oliveira reach the top. Citing the triumphs of some other legends, “The Diamond” said his goal on Saturday will be to join the list of inspirational champions who overcame the odds.
“For sure, man. I’ve been watching that guy a long time. We both been in the same waters: ‘45, ’55 for the last decade in the UFC. And there’s a list of guys that when they won the belt was really special. He’s on that list, Bisping’s on that list, Robbie Lawler’s on that list. Underdogs. Of course everybody’s fighting against adversity, but the guy who were counting out a couple times and made it happen. And I’m trying to add my name to that list. That’s the goal here this weekend.”
After a lucrative year of money fights with MMA’s biggest superstar, Poirier will look to close his 2021 with a championship crowning inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. For those rooting for the lightweight with the most inspirational journey to the title, this is a tough duo to choose between.
Are you backing Dustin Poirier to dethrone Charles Oliveira this weekend at UFC 269?
As she prepares to face dominant two-division UFC champion Amanda Nunes, bantamweight contender Julianna Peña has suggested there’s “no such thing as an underdog.”
The oddsmakers and most in the MMA community would certainly have something to say about that, with not many believing Peña has much of a chance at dethroning the “Lioness” this weekend at UFC 269.
Peña, who currently sits at #3 in the 135-pound rankings, has gone 2-2 in her last four appearances. But while defeats to current flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko and inaugural featherweight titleholder Germaine de Randamie have prevented a winning streak from developing, “The Venezuelan Vixen” certainly gave a good effort in both contests. Until making some mistakes, Peña believes she was well on her way to two victories, a theory that’s hard to argue against.
She’ll look to avoid committing similar errors inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night. If she does make them, a killer like Nunes, who is unbeaten since 2014 and has defended the bantamweight title five times, will likely pounce.
During a recent interview with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, Peña gave some insight into her attitude and positive mindset, citing faith and self-belief as the tools behind her immense confidence.
“I have an unwavering amount of faith in God and making sure that I’m doing everything that I need to do in order to get my hand raised. So I did all the work and then I have this unwavering faith and belief in myself. I almost feel like it’s a David vs. Goliath type situation, where all these chips are stacked against me, and I just know that at the end of the day, I have faith in God and I have faith in my abilities and I have faith in my skillset. I think that that strong mentality has carried me through in all of my fights.”
Despite still sitting as a heavy underdog heading into the final pay-per-view of the year, Peña denied that status, saying underdogs don’t exist.
“If you just look at any of the media or anything that the commentators say, no one is ever giving me a fair shake. They’re always considering me an underdog and they’re always counting me out. I was counted out on The Ultimate Fighter, no one thought I was gonna win. I ended up winning a show that was one of the toughest competitions in sports.
“When Amanda fights me, she’s not gonna be thinking, ‘Oh, she’s just some underdog.’ I don’t think that’s gonna be playing through her mind. So it doesn’t matter, there’s no such thing as an underdog. We’re going to go get into a fistfight in a steel cage, and there’s not much more I can say to it other than keep it simple.”
If Peña manages to have her hand raised against the consensus female MMA GOAT, it would represent one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, and everyone loves an underdog (or an existing Peña-approved equivalent).
How do you think Julianna Peña will fare against reigning two-division champion Amanda Nunes at UFC 269?
The final UFC 269 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, December 11, 2021) from Las Vegas, Nevada at the T-Mobile Arena.
The headliner will feature a slugfest with Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier in a lightweight title showdown. Moving things along, Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena will square off in a women’s bantamweight title bout
Rounding out the main card Geoff Neal vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio, Kai Kara-France vs. Cody Garbrandt and Raulian Paiva vs. Sean O’Malley.
According to oddsmakers, Poirier is a -155 favorite over Oliveira, who is a +135 underdog. Other odds for the main card include Pena being a +600 underdog against Nunes, who is a -900 favorite. Here are the full betting odds:
MAIN CARD (PPV, 10 p.m. ET)
Dustin Poirier (-155) vs. Charles Oliveira (+135)
Amanda Nunes (-900) vs. Julianna Pena (+600)
Santiago Ponzinibbio (-125) vs. Geoff Neal (+105)
Cody Garbrandt (-135) vs. Kai Kara-France (+115)
Sean O’Malley (-300) vs. Raulian Paiva (+235)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
Josh Emmett (-165) vs. Dan Ige (+145)
Pedro Munhoz (-120) vs. Dominick Cruz (EVEN)
Augusto Sakai (-110) vs. Tai Tuivasa (-110)
Bruno Silva (-365) vs. Jordan Wright (+280)
Miranda Maverick (-135) vs. Erin Blanchfield (+115)
Andre Muniz (-135) vs. Eryk Anders (+115)
Ryan Hall (-200) vs. Darrick Minner (+170)
Randy Costa (-180) vs. Tony Kelley (+155)
Gillian Robertson (-400) vs. Priscila Cachoeira (+300)
UFC 269 went down tonight (Sat. December 11, 2021) from Las Vegas, Nevada at the T-Mobile Arena and we have the results. The world’s leading mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion compiled an excellent card for fight fans to enjoy.
It’s headlined by a meeting between Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier in a lightweight title bout.
The co-headliner saw Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Peña in a women’s bantamweight title bout. Geoff Neal vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio is in a welterweight fight, Kai Kara-France vs. Cody Garbrandt in a flyweight bout, and Raulian Paiva vs. Sean O’Malley in a bantamweight bout finished out the main card.
O’Malley was using his jabs nicely in the early going. They had a feeling out process and started to trade leg kicks. O’Malley had the range down. O’Malley briefly dropped him with a right hand then dropped him twice after that with combos until the referee called it off.
Kai dropped him with a big right hand and Cody got back up before being dropped again. Cody went for a takedown, but couldn’t keep him down. Cody was circling away to try to recover. Kai stunned him up against the fence then put him down and the referee stepped in.
After having a feeling out process, they picked up the pace. Santiago was throwing various combos while Neal was mixing things up. Ponzinibbio did land a nice punch at the end of the first round. Ponzinibbio came out strong in the second round with his punches. In the middle of the round, Ponzinibbio got a double leg takedown. Neal got back to his feet quickly after. The third round saw Neal clip him with a right hook. Neal wobbled him with a combo, but Ponzinibbio fired back. The judges gave the win to Neal by split decision.
Nunes dropped her early in the first round with a leg kick. Nunes then dropped her with a jab. Nunes got on top and rained down some shots. Peña went for a takedown of her own when she got up. Nunes took her down and got her back. Peña scrambled and went for a kimura, but the round ended.
In the second round, Peña came out swinging and even rocked her. They had a wild exchange about a minute in. Nunes was loading up on her shots and missing. While Peña was landing shots, she was eating them. Peña continued to land and rock Nunes. Peña put her up against the fence and got a takedown then took her back before locking in the rear-naked choke for the win!
Poirier stunned him in the first few seconds of the round. They did some clinch striking. Charles with a knee strike to the body. Charles clinched with him up against the fence and got a brief takedown, but Poirier scrambled to his feet. Dustin rocked him up against the fence with a hook, but Charles kept coming forward. Dustin dropped him with a right punch and got on top briefly before getting back to his feet.
In the second round, Charles worked for a takedown early in the round, but Poirier got up. Poirier shrugged him off and Charles went for an armbar, but Poirier rolled through and Charles got back on top. Charles landed some big elbow shots. In the third round, Charles clinched with him before getting his back and locking in a standing rear-naked choke for the win!
We’ve got a full, comprhensive breakdown of all the storylines headed into tomorrow night’s UFC 269 event along with the final face-offs.
UFC 269 goes down tomorrow night, December 11, 2021, from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The action kicks off at 6:00 PM ET on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass, followed by the ESPN2 prelims at 8:00 PM. The main card begins at 10:00 PM ET on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
We’ve got a preview of the entire card and the storylines attached to each fight below capped off with the face-offs. And be sure to check out our staff predictions for the event right here!
Gillian Robertson vs. Priscilla Cachoeira
Gillian Robertson went 2-0 last year, including an impressive submission victory over Cortney Casey. She is currently 0-2 in 2021, most recently losing to Miranda Maverick via unanimous decision.
Priscilla Cachoeira’s sole fight last year only lasted seconds, with this “Zombie” getting the kill with ease in her 40-second Performance of the Night win against Shana Dobson.
In 2021, Cachoeira advanced to the first winning streak of her UFC career when she defeated Gina Mazany in another TKO victory. Since then, Cachoeira has had some turmoil in her personal life, but this weekend she will need to keep pushing forward as she always does, with nothing else on her mind but getting the kill.
Check out the face-off between these two flyweights below!
The Savage takes on Zombie Girl to kick off #UFC269 tomorrow!
27-year-old Randy Costa has not gone to the judges’ scorecard once in his career. 6-2 as a professional and 2-2 in the UFC, all six of Costa’s wins are by knockout, including this Performance of the Night-winning KO of Journey Newson last year at UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Woodley.
Costa also stunned quite a few people with his TKO victory over Boston Salmon in 2019. Most recently, Costa lost to hot bantamweight prospect Adrian Yanez in July.
Tony Kelley will be competing in the UFC for the third time this year in this bout. He’ll be entering with a 1-1 record and is coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Ali AlQaisi in October. At Legacy FC 57 in 2019, Kelley took part in what some called one of the best fights of MMA in 2016.
You can check out the face-off below to get you ready for tomorrow’s action!
If either of these two submission experts doze at the wheel, even for an instant, they may lose a limb after the smallest accident.
Ryan Hall is a third-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, with arguably the biggest feather in his submission cap coming when he was able to submit fellow black belt BJ Penn in 2018 with a flawlessly executed heel hook. Hall has a UFC record of 4-1 and is coming off his first loss to the undefeated Ilia Topuria via first-round KO.
Darrick Minner has three times as many pro-MMA fights as Hall, with a record of 26-12. Minner’s game plan every time appears to be the same: score the submission. A nearly unimaginable 22 of Minner’s 26 wins have come by submission. You can check out some of his past handiwork here along with another potential highlight tomorrow.
Here’s the final face-off between these two high-level grapplers below.
In July, Miranda Maverick’s five-fight winning streak was snapped by one of the most controversial decisions of the year, arguably in recent history, when Maycee Barber was awarded the split-decision victory over her at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Dillashaw. The 24-year-old has all the time in the world to put that loss behind her, and she has already done so as she prepares to tackle her next task in another youthful prospect in Erin Blanchfield.
22-year-old prospect Erin Blanchfield will enter UFC 269 tomorrow with a record of 7-1. Her only loss as a professional was to another UFC prospect, Tracy Cortez, when Blanchfield was only 19 years old. Since then, she has gone on a four-fight winning streak, including in her UFC debut in September over Sarah Alpar. You can see why she’s so highly touted right here in this background package put together by the UFC, which includes some of her best highlights.
And you can also see the face-offs between these two upstarts down below!
It’s been five years since André Muniz suffered a loss. Since then, he has won seven consecutive fights, including a 3-0 UFC run thus far. Most recently Muniz defeated Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in Souza’s final career bout. This made for back-to-back submission victories over elite grapplers for Muniz, with the prior coming over Bartosz Fabiński last year. 14 of Muniz’s 21 career wins have come by way of submission.
Eryk Anders has rebounded from the disappointment of his illegal knee to Darren Stewart with a legitimate victory over Stewart to redeem himself. Not counting the Stewart No-Contest, Anders has won three of his last four bouts. Anders has done fairly well against high-level grapplers in the past. He defeated jiu-jitsu black belts Gerald Meerschaert and Vinicius Moreira in 2019. We’ll see if he has his hand raised tomorrow against proven submission artist André Muniz.
You can view the face-off between these two middleweights below.
There are some interesting numbers attached to this middleweight bout. For starters, Jordan Wright has 13 fights on his official record (excluding no-contests). All 13 fights ended in a finish. Oh, and by the way, Wright is responsible for 12 of those 13 finishes.
Meanwhile, Bruno Silva has not gone to a decision since 2016. During his current six-fight winning streak, he has put away each of his opponents via KO/TKO. So if you want a fight to bet the under, this might be it.
Here’s the face-off between these two middleweights.
Finishers in the MW division battle it out tomorrow night 🤜🤛
This fight presents an opportunity for Tai Tuivasa to return to the heavyweight rankings when he takes on #11-ranked Augusto Sakai. Tuivasa and Sakai have different wavelengths of momentum right now, with Sakai losing back-to-back fights while Tuivasa has won three straight, matching the winning streak he had when he first debuted in the promotion with the Australian wind on his back.
Despite his consecutive losses to Alistair Overeem and Jairzinho Rozenstruik, the fact remains that Sakai has wins over names like Marcin Tybura, Andrei Arlovski, and Blagoy Ivanov. Meanwhile, ever since a proposed secret, Fight Club-esque challenge to old nemesis Justin Willis got him into AKA, Tuivasa has been nothing but money, cashing in on wins over Stefan Struve, Harry Hunsucker, and Greg Hardy, each by KO/TKO.
Peep out the heavyweight face-off down below.
Heavy hitters look to make a quick night in the office tomorrow 👀
To some, the lead story in this fight would be the commentary of Daniel Cormier after much was made of Dominick Cruz’s criticism from earlier this week. Cormier and Cruz have since publicly hashed it out (sort of), so now fans, Cormier, and Cruz can all focus on the fight!
That fight will come against #8-ranked Pedro Munhoz, who is on a bit of a skid as of late. He has lost three of his last four fights, with the lone win in that stretch coming against Jimmie Rivera, who is no longer in the UFC. Munhoz stated earlier this year that he’s considering joining another UFC 269 competitor, Cody Garbrandt, down at flyweight. A loss here could finalize that career decision.
Following his loss to The Korean Zombie (Chan Sung Jung) this past summer, Dan Ige released a lengthy statement that deeply reflected on the loss. In the same statement, he made the vow to get better. One fight prior to losing to Jung, Ige earned a Performance of the Night bonus for his KO of Gavin Tucker.
The rise of Dan Ige since UFC 2017 has been nothing short of impressive, with the 30-year-old once stringing together six straight wins. At UFC 269, he’ll attempt to start a new one from scratch but will have to do so against Josh Emmett, who is coming fresh off a Fight of the Night scrap against Shane Burgos last June.
Check out the face-offs between these two ranked featherweights below!
Non-stop action is slated in our #UFC269 featured prelim 👊
Cody Garbrandt hasn’t been having very champion-like ever since winning the bantamweight title in 2016. He went on to lose four of his next five fights, three of which coming by KO/TKO. Garbrandt doesn’t need me or anyone else to point out these struggles. That is why he decided to make a change and move down to flyweight.
Still, ready or not, Kai Kara-France has warned the public about putting their money down on the former champion. Indeed, the New Zealender expects to win a second straight fight to build off his Performance of the Night victory over Rogério Bontorin at UFC 259.
Check out the spirited face-off between these two athletes below.
An entertaining clash at flyweight is in store for us tomorrow 🍿👀
Immediately after Santiago Ponzinibbio’s seven-fight winning streak was snapped earlier this year, the Argentenian let it be known that he would remain undeterred on his quest for UFC welterweight gold. He let his actions get that point across very well in his Fight of the Night win over Miguel Baeza in June.
He now sets his sights on Geoff Neal, someone with his back against the wall after two consecutive losses. Neal has already promised fireworks in this welterweight banger, and fans should fully expect just that from these two heavy hitters.
Neal is coming off a DWI arrest that took place mere weeks ago. If he is to get his career back in order, he will need to remain focused on the task at hand from bell to bell.
You can check out the face-off between Neal and Ponzinibbio below.
Julianna Peña would be the first to tell you that this is a fight that has been over five years in the making. Some of the bumps along the way were due to some setbacks on Peña’s end as Nunes continued to build GOAT status fight after the fight. But other hiccups in finalizing this fight, according to lead investigator Julianna Peña, is due to Nunes questionably delaying the fight.
Tomorrow night, the two will finally be locked in the cage together. The expectation from most seems to be that Peña will be just another victimized name on Nunes’ GOAT résumé. MMA legend Chael Sonnen believes Peña more than has what it takes to get the victory and that, for some reason, fans are blind to it. Peña herself has echoed these remarks in stating that people are sleeping on her ahead of this bantamweight title fight.
Whatever happens, Dustin Poirier predicts that fans are in for a treat because both men will be in there going for the finish from the bell to bell. And when all is said and done, Poirier hopes to join the ranks of other inspirational UFC champions that have come before him, including Charles Oliveira.
Check out the final face-off of the evening down below featuring the UFC 269 headliners along with their closing remarks.
To view the full UFC 269 Ceremonial Weigh-in, you can do so right here. And please be sure to keep it locked on MMANews.com tomorrow for full, live coverage of UFC 269!
Amanda Nunes feels well-prepared for the “Venezuelan Vixen.”
Every fight is a different affair. Amanda Nunes knows this going into UFC 269. So, while Nunes does look back on her past camps and opponents before she faces a new challenger, the American Top Team standout also tweaks everything just enough for the fresh challenges that Julianna Peña brings (h/t Bloody Elbow).
“Julianna is an opponent I’ve known ever since the TUF days, which she won. I really know her style. She’s really close with Miesha Tate and they have the same style of fighting, but I think Julianna is even more of a grinder. We used a little bit of my camp for Tate for this Julianna fight, but with a bit more precision.”
Amanda Nunes Smashes Meisha Tate at UFC 200 Image Credit: Rey Del Rio/Getty Images
Staying Grounded As The Champ-Champ
With wins over the likes of Ronda Rousey, Meisha Tate, Cris Cyborg, and Holly Holm, many consider Nunes the best woman fighter to ever grace the Octagon. But the two-division champ doesn’t let her 12-fight win streak go to her head. “The Lioness” knows every opponent who stands across from her in the cage is hungry and ready to take what’s hers.
“I’m really looking forward to it, but at the same time I’m keeping my feet on the ground. I know everyone who walks into that cage will do their best to win. She has nothing to lose. I’m the champion and she’s going to come at me to take my belt. I just need to be really sharp so I can finish the fight at the right moment.”
Peña earned her shot at the champ after submitting another former title challenger in Sarah McMann at UFC 257. Pena and Nunes were expected to clash at UFC 265, but Nunes tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the bout.
The Saturday will be the Nunes’ first trip back to bantamweight in almost two years. The champ spent 2020 and 2021 thus far, defending her featherweight belt against Megan Anderson and Felicia Spencer.
UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier has described which part of his game can also be seen in that of his upcoming opponent and 155-pound champion Charles Oliveira.
Since then, Poirier has been at his best and firmly established himself as one of the greatest lightweights on the planet. After a five-round Fight of the Night win against Dan Hooker, a memorable knockout of Conor McGregor, and a trilogy triumph over the Irishman, the Louisianan has now turned his attention back to title glory.
To achieve it, he’ll have to go through another promotional veteran who boasts a similarly inspirational story in the UFC. After 28 appearances on MMA’s biggest stage, Oliveira had gold wrapped around his waist following an incredible comeback against Michael Chandler earlier this year. He’ll be looking to cement his place on the throne in his first defense this Saturday.
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Poirier Acknowledges The Threat Of “Do Bronx”
Despite his active nine-fight winning streak, which includes successes against Chandler, Tony Ferguson, and Kevin Lee, and his ability to overcome adversity in his championship-winning performance, many have attempted to discredit Oliveira’s reign.
During an appearance on DC & RC, Poirier acknowledged the wide range of skills Oliveira boasts and the threat he’ll pose on Saturday. “The Diamond” also compared his own tendency to finish fights with Oliveira’s, which has seen the Brazilian record the most submission wins in UFC history.
“He (Oliveira) does a lot of great things. Throws big power shots, he has a good, clean left hook, a good long cross, big knees, good front kicks, and obviously his jiu-jitsu is dangerous everywhere. He does a lot of good things. He’s a very dangerous fighter.
“That’s the thing, we’re both finishers. We’re not going out there trying to jab and win rounds; circle and jab, and win rounds. We’re trying to finish each other. So the fans are in for a treat when it comes to that.”
Whether we witness a shocking finish or a five-round war, Saturday’s main event is sure to thrill for as long as it lasts, and will likely be the icing on top of a spectacular cake that will be UFC 269. The UFC is certainly closing out the year in style.
Are you backing Dustin Poirier to dethrone Charles Oliveira at UFC 269?
Former UFC Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt says he’s ready to “make a splash” in his flyweight debut at UFC 269 this weekend.
In 2016, Garbrandt was 11-0 as a professional, held the 135-pound title after a remarkable performance against Dominick Cruz, and looked set for a long reign on the throne. Fast forward five years and “No Love” finds himself 1-4 in his last five outings and firmly out of contention in a stacked bantamweight division.
With that in mind, the powerhouse is pursuing success in the fresh pastures of the flyweight weight class. He’ll look to show he has the speed to match the 125lbers and the same power as before when he faces Kai Kara-France this weekend at UFC 269.
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Garbrandt Is Ready To Return To “Flow State”
Garbrandt was originally scheduled to move down last year to challenge for the title against former champion and current top contender Deiveson Figueiredo. After COVID-19 led to the bout’s cancelation, Garbrandt had one last hurrah at bantamweight in the form of a main event loss to Rob Font.
Now, the 30-year-old is ready to make an impact in a new environment. During an appearance at UFC 269 media day on Wednesday, Garbrandt discussed his decision to leave his old stomping ground and commit to a flyweight transition. Describing the switch as “inspired,” Garbrandt showed a newfound confidence in his first 125-pound fight week.
“We’ve been going back and forth on this, it’s been on my mind, I’m a doer. When I say I’m gonna do something, I’m gonna do it… It’s one of the best things I’ve done. I actually texted Dana (White) a couple weeks ago and was like, ‘I wish we would’ve done this a while ago…’ I’m inspired. I’m inspired for what’s about to take place on Saturday night. A new division, end of the year, great card, a good opponent, a worthy adversary; I’ve done everything I need to do to collect this win.”
The main discussion ahead of this weekend has surrounded whether or not Garbrandt’s famed speed and power will transition well to flyweight, a division known for fast-paced action. But “No Love” has zero concerns on that matter, and expects to “make a splash” on December 11.
“I feel like this is probably my more natural weight. I feel like a lot of the bantamweights are much larger. And I feel like that skillset, speed, power; I still have that at the division… I think anybody who steps inside that Octagon you have to respect. I just understand what’s gonna happen on Saturday night, and that’s why I’m excited… to pull from the past, I feel like this Saturday night will be a flow-state No Love… I’m here to make a splash in this division. I’m here to be a world champion. I’m here to be the best.”
Despite high-ranked contenders Askar Askarov and Alexandre Pantoja seemingly in line for future title shots, many, including Garbrandt himself, expect the former bantamweight champ to jump straight into the championship picture with a win this weekend. “No Love” even suggested he’d be willing to serve as backup for the trilogy fight between reigning king Brandon Moreno and Figueiredo at UFC 270 next month.
How do you think Cody Garbrandt’s flyweight debut will play out at UFC 269?
UFC women’s bantamweight contender Julianna Peña has provided some context behind her recent record for those who still doubt her credentials ahead of UFC 269.
In this weekend’s co-main event, Peña will be the sixth woman to attempt to put an end to Nunes’ dominant reign over the 135-pound weight class. If she succeeds, she’ll achieve what the likes of Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko, and Holly Holm failed to do, and hand the “Lioness” her first loss in over seven years.
Peña Claims She Had Shevchenko “Dead In The Water”
But many believe Peña’s willingness to engage in verbal warfare with Nunes is what landed her this opportunity, especially given her 2-2 record across her last four outings. The #3-ranked bantamweight contender has shut down that idea, and recently provided some context behind her last two defeats.
During an appearance at UFC 269 media day on Wednesday, Peña reminded her doubters that her last two setbacks came against the promotion’s inaugural featherweight titleholder Germaine de Randamie and the reigning flyweight queen Shevchenko, who is widely regarded as one of the most dominant champions in the UFC right now. She also claimed she had both “dead in the water” before making mistakes that led to her downfall in each defeat.
“I mean, if you look back any of my previous fights, I’ve only dropped two fights in the last 10 years, and they were to champions. And I was winning. If you go back and you look back at those fights, I’m literally winning them. I have them dead in the water. I made some amateur mistakes that I have been able to clean up, and I’m ready to execute. And I think that the most important thing is to just go out there, and just do my job, and focus on what I can do, and make sure that I execute.”
While “dead in the water” is perhaps a strong term, there’s is certainly some legitimacy behind her claim. In an effort better than most who have fought Shevchenko in recent years, Peña secured the opening round when they met in 2017 before getting caught in a quick second-frame armbar.
Similarly, “The Venezuelan Vixen” appeared to be pulling away with her 2020 clash against de Randamie in the final round, before again falling into a submission. That time, it was a guillotine that marked the end of the contest.
If she’s to have any chance at victory this weekend, Peña will certainly have to be at the top of her game, avoid making the “amateur mistakes” she admits she did in her previous losses, and hope that Nunes isn’t the same brute she’s been in recent defenses.
Do you believe Julianna Peña has what it takes to dethrone Amanda Nunes at UFC 269?
The weigh-in results for UFC 269: Oliveira vs. Poirier are complete, and we’ve got you covered with the intel below.
Tomorrow night, UFC 269 takes place from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. On deck for fight fans are not one but two title fights when Charles Oliveira defends his lightweight championship against Dustin Poirier and Amanda Nunes defends her bantamweight title against Julianna Peña.
In addition to that double-header, Cody Garbrandt makes his flyweight debut against Kai Kara-France, ranked welterweights Geoff Neal and Santiago Ponzinibbio go at it, and “Sugar” Sean O’Malley brings the “The Suga Show” to Las Vegas when he battles Raulian Paiva.
You can check out our staff predictions for each of the above main-card bouts right here.
UFC 269 Weigh-In Results
One fight fell through when Matt Schnell was pulled from his flyweight bout against Alex Perez due to a medical issue. In a women’s flyweight bout, Priscila Cachoeira missed the flyweight limit and has been fined 30% of her fight purse as a result, but her bout against Gillian Robertson will proceed as scheduled.
The UFC hosted a live UFC 269 weigh-in show, which you can view right here. And you can catch the full card for UFC 269 as well as all the viewing information below, courtesy of UFC.com.
MAIN CARD (ESPN+ PPV, 10:00 PM ET)
Main Event – Lightweight Title Bout: Charles Oliveira (155) vs Dustin Poirier (154.5)
Co-Main Event – Women’s Bantamweight Title Bout: Amanda Nunes (134.5) vs Julianna Peña(135)
Welterweight Bout: Geoff Neal (170.5) vs Santiago Ponzinibbio (169.5)
Flyweight Bout: Kai Kara-France (125) vs Cody Garbrandt (126)
Bantamweight Bout: Raulian Paiva (135.5) vs Sean O’Malley (135.5)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, ESPN 2, 10:00 PM)
Featherweight Bout: Josh Emmett (145.5) vs Dan Ige (146)
Bantamweight Bout: Pedro Munhoz (135.5) vs Dominick Cruz (135)
Heavyweight Bout: Augusto Sakai (263.5) vs Tai Tuivasa (264)
Middleweight Bout: Jordan Wright (186) vs Bruno Silva (186)
EARLY PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, UFC Fight Pass, 6:00 PM)
Middleweight Bout: Andre Muniz (185.5) vs Eryk Anders (185.5)
Women’s Flyweight Bout: Miranda Maverick (125) vs Erin Blanchfield (125.5)
Featherweight Bout: Ryan Hall (145.5) vs Darrick Minner (146)
Bantamweight Bout: Randy Costa (134.5) vs Tony Kelley (136)
Women’s Flyweight Bout: Gillian Robertson (125) vs *Priscila Cachoeira (129)
Be sure to keep it locked on MMANews.com tomorrow for full coverage of tomorrow night’s UFC 269 event!
Former UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz believes that in order to reach the top again, he’ll have to battle his own style, which he believes has become the norm in the division since he brought it to the Octagon over a decade ago.
Cruz is widely regarded as one of the greatest 135lbers of all time. Across a near-17-year career as a professional, “The Dominator” has achieved championship glory in both the WEC and the UFC, beaten the likes of Joseph Benavidez, Urijah Faber, Demetrious Johnson, and TJ Dillashaw, and experienced an eight-year unbeaten run that included 13 straight victories.
Despite going through a number of serious injuries and falling to Henry Cejudo last May after returning for the first time in nearly four years, Cruz’s desire to compete and be the best hasn’t faded away.
After re-entering the win column earlier this year with a decision success against Casey Kenney, the 36-year-old will look to climb further back towards the top when he faces fellow veteran Pedro Munhoz at UFC 269 this weekend.
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Cruz Believes It’s Easier For Opponents To Prepare For His Style Now
During his prime, Cruz was untouchable. Up until a defeat to the then-undefeated Cody Garbrandt in 2016, nobody had cracked the code on how to defeat the Californian since 2008. Like many, the former two-time UFC titleholder put that down to his unique style.
However, Cruz doesn’t believe his techniques are as tough to deal with and as rare as they used to be. During an interview with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, “The Dominator” suggested his style has become “the norm” for most bantamweights in the current landscape, citing Cory Sandhagen as an example.
With that in mind, the #9-ranked contender believes it’s easier for his opponents to prepare for to face him than it ever used to be.
“You’ve gotta think, when I was champion of this division, everything that I was doing, kinda, even in the WEC, I was the first to bring stance switch, hands-down head movement, just a unique, artistic-looking style that people didn’t necessarily understand. That looks like the norm now in my division… Sandhagen fights that way, Demetrious Johnson fights that way, (Kyoji) Horiguchi fights that way; the list could go on of people that fight with their hands down, switching stance, using footwork, utilizing the entire Octagon to move and not be hit, to hit and not be hit, mixing in takedowns; these are all the norm now.
“So, with that being the norm, I don’t stand out so much. I do, but I don’t. My style is still mine, I’m not exactly like anybody, it’s not a linear, conventional style, of course, but it’s not as… there’s more guys to prepare these people that I’m fighting that can move like me for them than ever before because people have watched me be champion. I didn’t lose for a decade. People watched me… that’s just the normal now.”
Cruz will look to show that nobody puts his style on display quite like him when he enters the Octagon during this Saturday’s preliminary card. But Munhoz, a highly-touted contender who’s never quite reached the heights many tipped him to, will represent a stiff test, and will be hoping to bounce back from a defeat to another legend in José Aldo earlier this year.
Do you think Dominick Cruz will have his hand raised tomorrow night at UFC 269 against Pedro Munhoz?
UFC 269 is now one sleep away, and to get you more hype for the event than you already are, we’ve got some staff predictions ready to serve up for ya!
Perhaps the most stacked card of the year from top to bottom will close out the 2021 PPV docket. UFC 269 will be available exclusively on ESPN+ pay-per-view, with the main card beginning at 10:00 PM ET, the ESPN2 preliminary card kicking off at 8:00 PM, and the early preliminary card starting at 6:15 PM.
The main event will see Charles Oliveira defend his lightweight championship for the first time when he takes on fellow UFC veteran Dustin Poirier. The co-main event will feature the consensus greatest women’s mixed martial artist of all time, Amanda Nunes, taking on the fearless Julianna Peña for the women’s bantamweight championship.
Also on the main card, top-15 welterweights Geoff Neal and Santiago Ponzinibbio will go at it, and we’ll also see former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt make his flyweight debut against Kai Kara-France. And kicking off the pay-per-view will be “The Suga Show” when “Sugar” Sean O’Malley faces Raulian Paiva.
UFC 269 Staff Predictions
MMA News is the place to be for all the latest UFC 269 updates. Staff members Clyde Aidoo, Andrew Ravens, Harvey Leonard, and Ed Carbajal have provided predictions for the main card. Here is the full main card lineup for tomorrow night:
Clyde Aidoo: Raulian Paiva is not a “can” by any means. He is on a three-fight winning streak, including a win over another strong prospect in Kyler Phillips. And overall, he is 3-2 in the UFC.
However, even though he isn’t a “can,” he is a great stylistic matchup for O’Malley because he has proven to be very hittable with suspect defense. With O’Malley’s three-inch reach advantage and cleaner boxing skills, this may come down to if Paiva is able to come back like he did against Phillips or if O’Malley will be able to punch ad nauseam as he did against Kris Moutinho. I’m banking on the latter. (Prediction: Sean O’Malley)
Andrew Ravens: Sean is back on track after some setbacks, but now, his next challenge will be a tough one in Paiva, who is riding a three-fight winning streak. Sean has faced and mostly defeated better competition than Paiva, which gives him an edge. I’ll take Sean getting a third-round TKO win. (Prediction: Sean O’Malley)
Harvey Leonard: I see this fight playing out relatively similar to O’Malley’s victory over Moutinho earlier this year, albeit with a better defense on the end of his punches. With his usual high volume, I’d expect “Sugar” to have his way with the Brazilian and use his reach advantage to full effect. While I don’t think it’s as set of a deal as many, and Paiva boasts the counter-striking and jiu-jitsu skills to cause an issue, I believe an upset is unlikely. (Prediction: Sean O’Malley)
Ed Carbajal: This should be an interesting fight. O’Malley’s grappling is underrated because he usually wins by knockout, but we have seen him wear down when fights go long, especially in his last bout against a short-notice Kris Moutinho. Most of Paiva’s wins come by decision, so unless O’Malley’s fame is distracting him from imposing his ectomorph reach on his opponents, it’s hard to pick against him here. (Prediction: Sean O’Malley)
Consensus: 4-0 O’Malley
Kai Kara-France vs. Cody Garbrandt
Kai Kara-France, Cody Garbrandt
Clyde Aidoo: No one really knows what to expect from Garbrandt at flyweight. Will he revert back to a brawl-heavy approach in an attempt to bully smaller opponents? That may actually be the smart move because Kara-France is one of if not the most technical striker in the division, so making the fight dirty could be the right path for Garbrandt. Because it’ll be difficult for Garbrandt to outpoint France, and France hasn’t been knocked out since 2012.
I think Kara-France is going to be tough enough to get to the scorecards here, and in a close fight where one fighter is technically superior, I’m going to lean in that direction. I think Kara-France will be a watered-down version of Rob Font here against “No Love.” (Prediction: Kai Kara-France)
Andrew Ravens: Garbrandt finds himself in a really interesting spot, especially after the UFC just cut ties with Kevin Lee, who had also been struggling over his last few fights. Kai is someone that Garbrandt should beat, but if Cody doesn’t show up in the right mindset, he could lose and then the possibilities are wide open. Garbrandt takes a calculated approach and gets it done in 15 minutes. (Prediction: Cody Garbrandt)
Harvey Leonard: This should be an entertaining standup battle. While I can picture a Munhoz-esque brawl in the pocket resulting in Kara-France finishing Garbrandt, I don’t think there’s a good enough chance of that happening to go against the former champion. This should be a tough flyweight debut, but one in which “No Love” has the skill and power edge to get the job done and advance towards the title. (Prediction: Cody Garbrandt)
Ed Carbajal: Someone is getting knocked out in this fight. Who that will be? Well, we’ll have to tune in, but looking at recent losses and losses via knockout, Garbrandt seems the most vulnerable. Since both men like to pick up wins by knockout, they could forego that and test their grappling skills against one another, but bonuses don’t usually go to decisive grapplers. (Prediction: Kai Kara-France)
Consensus: 2-2 Pick ’em
Geoff Neal vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio
Geoff Neal, Santiago Ponzinibbio (Image Credits: Chris Unger/Alexandre Schneider/Zuffa LLC)
Clyde Aidoo: This may be the closest fight on the main card, if not the entire event, which is saying a lot given how stacked the lineup is. I think this bout is going to come down to which individual is more likely to make a fight-ending mistake. I think that would be Ponzinibbio. Meanwhile, Neal is slicker on the feet and also tougher to put away.
I don’t see Ponzinibbio prioritizing footwork and elusiveness, which is why one big opening could be costly. I see Neal taking advantage of that or maybe just winning the fight with the heavier firepower and ability to withstand more punishment. (Prediction: Geoff Neal)
Andrew Ravens: These two enter this fight in different positions, as Neal has lost his last two fights while Ponzinibbio had a bump in the road with a loss only to rebound with a decision win. Both are really talented, but with Neal being desperate, I think he pulls out all of the stops to get his hand raised once again and stop the losing streak from continuing with a decision win. (Prediction: Geoff Neal)
Harvey Leonard: This should be yet another intriguing contest on the feet and one that is very tough to call. Despite losing two on the bounce, Neal fell to high-ranked opponents and should be a lot more competitive this weekend. But Ponzinibbio was an elite contender before his layoff, and I’ve not seen anything to suggest that’s changed since he returned. Any fighter can get caught like he did against Jingliang, and to bounce back with a victory over the previously unbeaten Baeza in a FOTY contender was mightily impressive. I expect the Argentine to narrowly outpoint Neal. (Prediction: Santiago Ponzinibbio)
Ed Carbajal: Neal is coming off of two losses and if the news of his November legal troubles is an indicator of his focus, fans will know for sure when he faces Ponzinibbio. Ponzinibbio coming off of a win likely wants to keep that going and will look to test Neal’s resolve. It will boil down to who wants it more. I’m leaning Ponzinibbio here. (Prediction: Santiago Ponzinibbio)
Consensus: 2-2 Pick ’em
Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Peña
Amanda Nunes, Julianna Pena
Clyde Aidoo: Julianna Peña is being criminally underlooked in this fight, and it doesn’t make any sense. On paper, Amanda Nunes has been unstoppable ever since winning the bantamweight title at UFC 200 five years ago. Meanwhile, Peña is only 2-2 in her last four fights.
However, what the paper doesn’t tell you is that styles make fights. Peña is arguably the best wrestler in the division; has never been dropped, broken, or dominated; and most importantly, she gets better as fights progress while Nunes has struggled later in fights in the past. Nunes may very well be the most dangerous first-round fighter in the UFC, but if Peña can weather the storm, which I believe she can, then I see her pulling a Cat Zingano and getting the better of Nunes on the mat. (Prediction: Julianna Peña)
Andrew Ravens: Another title defense for Nunes, and it comes against yet another worthy challenger. Peña is one of the best in the division but doesn’t have a real chance against the champion. Nunes is on a different level from anyone else, and while Peña could shock the world on Saturday night, I, like the rest of the people interested in this fight, don’t see it happening. So I have Nunes going the distance to get the decision win. (Prediction: Amanda Nunes)
Harvey Leonard: While Nunes is still dominating and defending her titles, there’s no logic or sound reasoning to a prediction against her, especially when it’s in favor of a contender who’s 2-2 in her last four outings and who’d likely not have the opportunity had she not brought some trash talk to the table. Is Peña more capable of an upset than Spencer and Anderson were? Perhaps. Is she massively better to the point where can spring an upset? Almost certainly not. (Prediction: Amanda Nunes)
Ed Carbajal: It’s hard to pick against Nunes, who has been so dominant at this point in her career. Still, Peña seems hungry enough to give Nunes a challenge. Details of Nunes positive COVID test from the original booking begs the question of how sick was she? And was it bad enough to affect her preparation? Chances are, she’s probably fine and ready to defend at UFC 269. (Prediction: Amanda Nunes)
Consensus: 3-1 Nunes
Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier
Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira
Clyde Aidoo: Whenever you’re dealing with a submission ace like Charles Oliveira, there is never any real comfort level to pick against him, especially as his striking continues to catch up to his grappling skills year by year, fight by fight.
Nevertheless, I think Poirier has just a little bit more tools in the toolbox and that, more importantly, his fight IQ has fully caught up to his physical gifts to create a more consistent, cage-aware Poirier. No longer the overzealous fighter he was in his past, I think the combination of fight IQ and true grit will truly see Poirier get paid in full to close out UFC’s 2021 PPV year. (Prediction: Dustin Poirier)
Andrew Ravens: Poirier is one of the best fighters in the division, but I think part of the reason that he is being so hyped up and even has the oddsmakers backing him is due to him beating the biggest star in MMA, Conor McGregor, in back-to-back fights. McGregor isn’t the best fighter in the division, so that needs to be factored in.
Whatever Oliveira has done to change his style and go on such an impressive winning streak is what people should focus on. I have Oliveira getting it done by decision to retain. (Prediction: Charles Oliveira)
Harvey Leonard: I firmly believe Oliveira is being massively and unfairly underrated heading into this fight. However, I still believe he may struggle to keep hold of his title this weekend. While ‘Do Bronx’ showed the grit and toughness that many doubted he had to come back against Chandler, I’m not sure a finisher like Poirier will give him the chance to do so.
I find it difficult to believe “The Diamond,” with his pressure and volume, won’t find a way to hurt the champion at some point. When that happens, I think he’ll get the job done. (Prediction: Dustin Poirier)
Ed Carbajal: Both fighters are in their relative prime and both are riding win streaks against some pretty well-established fighters. Still, this might be a battle that is decided by durability. Poirier may hold more losses than Oliviera, but his are not as finish-heavy as Olivera’s are. By that, I mean Oliveira has been finished more than Poirier. Four of his eight losses came by way of knockout, something Poirier is good at. (Prediction: Dustin Poirier)
Consensus: 3-1 Poirier
That’ll do it for our UFC 269 staff picks! What do you think? Do your picks look similar? Let us know in the comments section! Also, you can check out the UFC 269 undercard below.
UFC 269 takes place this Saturday, December 11, from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event, Charles Oliveira will defend the lightweight championship against Dustin Poirier. The co-main event will see the GOAT, Amanda Nunes, taking on the confident Julianna Peña.
Also going down on the main card will be top-15 welterweights Geoff Neal (#12) and Santiago Ponzinibbio (#14) battling it out, as well as former UFC bantamweight champion Cody “No Love” Garbrandt facing Kai Kara France. And the main card will kick off with “The Suga Show” when “Sugar” Sean O’Malley faces Raulian Paiva.
Each of the above fighters was present during Thursday’s pre-fight press conference. Here were some of the most memorable moments and exchanges from the event.
Cody Garbrandt is willing to serve as a backup once his UFC 269 fight is finished.
Cody Garbrandt knows what it is like to have that UFC belt wrapped around his waist. The former bantamweight champion is now looking to add another belt to his mantle. Garbrandt decided to make the drop-down to flyweight and will be making his divisional debut this Saturday at UFC 269. Even though this is s huge moment for him, he can’t help but be ready for another opportunity.
During UFC 269 fight week Garbrandt was asked if he would be willing to be on hand and serve as the backup fighter for the upcoming title bout between champion Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo. This is what he told reporters during a media scrum.
“Oh, 100%. That’s what I told Dana, well not Dana, but I was speaking to some media prior to coming here and I said, ‘Hey, we might, on Monday morning, walk in the office and do some business.’ So if that’s what they want me to do,” Garbrandt explained. “Like I said, first and foremost I’m focused on Kai Kara-France and mauling him on Saturday night, and letting the rest fall into place.”
Garbrandt will be taking on #6-ranked Kai Kara-France at UFC 269. Kara-France has been making his way up the flyweight division since he joined the UFC back in 2018. If Garbrandt can pull out the win against the tough New Zealander, he could find himself in the top five and in a good position to fight for the title very soon. His resume as a former champ will help his case when asking for a title shot and being the backup is a good position to be in.
In the past, Figueiredo has seemed to have trouble making the 125-pound flyweight championship weight limit. If he were to miss weight and Garbrandt was on hand he could get the shot he is looking for. Either way, Garbrandt needs a win on Saturday and to come out to the bout without injury. Moreno and Figueiredo are set to clash for the third time at UFC 270.
Do you think Garbrandt has what it takes to win UFC gold in the flyweight division?
Julianna Peña has some serious goals in her UFC 269 title fight with Amanda Nunes, and getting the belt is secondary.
Peña is looking to accomplish what man believe to be an insurmountable task when she faces off against Nunes in the co-main event of this weekend’s UFC 269. She hopes to be the first person to get a win over the champ-champ since 2014, ending her 12-fight unbeaten streak.
This is the first opportunity Peña has had at getting a UFC title, and while that may be intimidating to some, it is not even the primary focus that she has heading into the fight.
Speaking to ESPN, she explained that she is more focused on performing at her best and doing the things that she believes will lead to her fighting her best fight, with the title being a secondary factor in her focus.
“If I get a belt at the end of the night, that’s cute. But at the end of the day, it’s about challenging myself, and taking this opportunity, and seizing the moment. And no one’s gonna hand you anything in this life. You gotta go out there and get it. And that’s my job, and it’s my opportunity. And I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself. I feel like I got everything to gain, nothing to lose, and the pressure is mostly on her,“ Peña said.
“But for the most part, I just have to stick to the task at hand, focus on the level of intensity that I’m bringing, and realize that I’m a serial killer. And on that night, my heart is black, I don’t have a heart, and I’m going in there to kill or be killed.”
This is certainly an admirable mindset from Julianna Peña as she prepares for what is undoubtedly the biggest fight of her MMA career. Of course, she has a lofty test ahead of her and will be going up against one of the best to ever do it in Amanda Nunes, but it seems clear that the Venezuelan Vixen is prepared to give it her all.
Bantamweight star Sean O’Malley has disputed the idea that he chooses his fights and has been avoiding ranked opponents in the UFC.
Despite becoming one of the most recognizable names in MMA’s premier promotion, O’Malley is yet to enter the Octagon with a top-15 name. Since returning from a USADA suspension in 2020, which came after he built a 2-0 record in the UFC, “Sugar” has been impressive, albeit against opposition outside the rankings.
As well as highlight-reel knockouts of veteran Eddie Wineland and once highly-touted prospect Thomas Almeida, O’Malley has secured TKO wins against José Alberto Quiñónez and, most recently, Kris Mountinho. While a first-round loss to Marlon Vera last year briefly stalled his rise and blemished his record, O’Malley has re-railed his hype train in emphatic fashion since.
The 27-year-old will hope to record his third success of 2021 and move closer to the top of the division this weekend when he faces the formerly-ranked Raulian Paiva. The pair will open a stacked UFC 269 main card inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.
During an appearance at UFC 269 media day on Wednesday, O’Malley seemed to walk back those claims. Citing his callouts of former champion Dominick Cruz and Cody Garbrandt, and top-10 contender Pedro Munhoz, the Montana native disputed the narrative he’s avoiding ranked foes. He even suggested that if he had control over who he enters the cage with, he’d be facing a top contender next.
“I do remember saying that (I wouldn’t fight ranked opponents yet). I feel like that was quite a bit of fights ago that I wanted to make more when I fought. But I’ve also called out Cody Garbrandt, Pedro Munhoz, Dominick Cruz, I’ve called out the ranked guys. So it’s not necessarily I wanna get paid more to fight ranked guys. At this point, it’s just like, you know, I’ve called them out. I just haven’t got those fights. I don’t pick my fights, clearly. If I picked my fights, I’d be fighting one of those guys.
“They offered me Paiva, who was ranked #15, I didn’t know that at the time, until after I accepted and they said, ‘Oh, he’s ranked,’ and then couple days later he wasn’t. I think the idea that I just pick my fights is a little bit… it’s not exactly true. They offered me Paiva, I said, ‘Yes.’ Does that mean I pick my fights? I don’t know, I didn’t say, ‘Hey, I wanna fight Paiva.’ The whole , ‘I pick my fights and I’m not gonna fight someone tough until I get paid,’ is not necessarily true.”
Before turning his attention to a potential big-name opponent in 2022, O’Malley will first have to get past the challenge presented by the in-form Paiva. The Brazilian will carry a three-fight win streak into this weekend’s event, and will be looking to steal the show by upsetting the odds at the final pay-per-view of the year.
Who would you like to see Sean O’Malley face in 2022 if he defeats Raulian Paiva this weekend at UFC 269?
UFC lightweight contender Justin Gaethje believes reigning 155-pound champion Charles Oliveira will have to finish Dustin Poirier early in order to keep hold of the title at UFC 269.
The opening challenge to his reign will come from Poirier, widely considered the be the greatest lightweight on the planet right now. Riding two victories over Conor McGregor into Saturday’s headliner, “The Diamond” will be looking to secure his place on the 155-pound throne at the second time of trying.
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Gaethje Backs Poirier’s “Heart And Will”
The narrative heading into the second lightweight championship main event of 2021 has largely centered around the idea that Poirier is the “uncrowned champion” of the division, and that Oliveira has a tough night ahead of him. That’s a sentiment that’s consistently been shared by top contender Gaethje.
Repeating his doubts about the Brazilian’s grit and toughness, Gaethje suggested Oliveira has to finish Poirier before the third round to have any chance at victory. Should the fight reach the championship rounds, a depth “Do Bronx” has never dived to, the #2-ranked contender believes the Louisianan will have his hand raised.
“If they get into some grappling situations, I think Poirier can get finished in the first two or two-and-a-half rounds. But I think after that, most fights come down to heart and will. There is something special about Poirier when it comes down to that department you know. He has made all the money but it’s very special when you find someone who is not here just for the money and he is one of those guys. So I don’t see him losing in the heart and will department of this fight.” (h/t Sportskeeda)
Oliveira has consistently maintained that he’s being underrated and unfairly written off ahead of UFC 269, both in terms of his ability to beat Poirier and his willingness to engage in a five-round war. On December 11, he’ll have the chance to prove Gaethje and a sizable chunk of the combat sports community wrong.
Do you agree with Justin Gaethje? Does Charles Oliveira need to finish Dustin Poirier early at UFC 269 in order to keep hold of the lightweight title?
Just because Dominick Cruz does commentary with Daniel Cormier does not mean he likes his broadcast partner’s style.
In addition to his career inside the Octagon, Cruz has made a name for himself as a well-established commentator, albeit with a mixed review amongst fans. While some appreciate his extremely technical breakdowns, others feel that he can be a bit confrontational in the booth, oftentimes being seen having miniature arguments with the other commentators during events.
One of the people that he seems to take regular issue with during broadcasts is fellow former champion Daniel Cormier. Speaking to media ahead of his return to action at UFC 269, in which Cormier will be commentating his fight with Pedro Munhoz, Cruz explained that while he loves DC as a person, he could do without his commentary.
“I watch (Jon) Anik do so much homework leading up to a fight. Like, people have no idea how much homework he has to do to be prepared for that, and the most kudos, for me, goes to him. He leads us in the broadcast with how he talks. When it comes to DC, I usually mute it,” Cruz said with a chuckle.
Dominick Cruz, Daniel Cormier, Image Credit: USA TODAY Sports
“I love DC, he’s my friend, but to me, from my experience, he doesn’t do the homework. He wants to get in and out, get the job done, make his money. I think he cares about us, but it’s just different. He doesn’t do the preparation from my experience. He might now. I’m hoping that he watches some film this time, on me, so he knows what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. But I’m not going to hold my breath on that, for sure.”
That being said, Dominick Cruz knows that he is not perfect when it comes to his work as a commentator, even though he works hard to be. However, he says it all comes down to how each person looks at things, and he does not take things personally, whether other commentators and fighters agree with him or not.
“Honestly, I’m never perfect. There’s a roster of, I don’t know, 400-600 fighters, and not everybody is going to agree with what I say either. It’s all perspective in there. And DC, he’s a gifted athlete. I think (Michael) Bisping does a lot of homework. I think he watches a lot of film. I think there are certain people that watch the film, and I count that because I do the film study. The reason I do the film study is it’s bigger than me,” Cruz said.
“I really don’t call or text any of them, because they’re just doing their job. They’re seeing it how they see it, it’s their interpretation. It doesn’t make it fact, and I know they’re doing the best they can, honestly.”
It certainly seems like Dominick Cruz is simply giving his honest assessment of how he thinks Daniel Cormier does as a commentator and is not coming from a place of a personal beef. That said, it will be interesting to see if Cormier gives his response to these comments while working commentary for UFC 269 .
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