MMA News

Tag: UFC 310

UFC 310 Updated Card

  • Update Provided On Nick Diaz’s Status Following Concerning Video & Canceled UFC Return

    Update Provided On Nick Diaz’s Status Following Concerning Video & Canceled UFC Return

    Following a surprise announcement last year, fight fans learned that Stockton’s own Nick Diaz was gearing up for another Octagon return that would take place against Vicente Luque. The matchup was initially set for the UFC’s Abu Dhabi event on August 3 before it was pushed back to UFC 310 which took place in Las Vegas last month.

    The last time that Diaz made a comeback was in 2021 where both before and after his loss to Robbie Lawler, there were serious concerns regarding his health. This was the same in the lead up to his bout with Luque which ended up being removed from the card with Luque going on to face and submit Themba Gorimbo in the final PPV card of 2024.

    A video that went viral on social media several days after the news that Diaz would be in action on December 7 prompted further worries as the former welterweight title challenger appeared to be trying to light grass on fire whilst being shirtless at the side of a road. Having not won a fight since 2011, many were critical of him returning in 2021 from a competition point of view alone.

    Following this period of concern, a close friend of Diaz’s gave a promising update about his current situation. His long-time training partner Jake Shields recently stated that this has been a difficult period for both the 41-year old and his loved ones.

    However, Shields is optimistic that things are now on the up for the fan favorite who has been dealing with “some stuff” behind the scenes.

    “He’s doing a lot better,” Shields said on The Overdogs podcast. “I’m not going to get into anything personal with him. But he had some stuff that’s been going on for a little while and he’s finally heading in the right direction. “So, I’m hopeful for Nick because he’s like a brother of mine, one of my best friends.

    “Life’s tough sometimes, ups and downs, and things can happen. Nick was dealing with something, and I think he’s headed in the right direction. I haven’t felt that way in a long time. I finally feel a lot better about that situation. We’ll see, time will tell. I’m so close to him so it’s painful watching you know someone struggle with some things. But I think he’s going to be finally better.”

  • Anthony Smith Considering One More Fight Before Retirement After UFC 310 Setback

    Anthony Smith Considering One More Fight Before Retirement After UFC 310 Setback

    Dominick Reyes continued his resurgence at UFC 310, securing a second consecutive victory with a TKO win over fellow former title challenger Anthony Smith. After the fight, “Lionheart” hinted at the possibility of retirement, a sentiment shared by UFC CEO Dana White, who suggested it might be time for Smith to step away.

    The call for his retirement comes as the veteran light heavyweight has now lost two consecutive fights, including a decision defeat to Roman Dolidze at UFC 303. Despite the speculation, he appears to be reconsidering retirement, indicating his desire to step into the Octagon one more time before calling it quits.

    Smith also faced challenges outside the fight itself following the passing of a friend and coach, leading to his emotional walkout and post-fight remarks at UFC 310.

    Speaking on SiriusXM’s MMA Today show, Smith reflected on the idea of a farewell bout.

    “There’s a circumstance that probably exists where I would do one more,” Smith shared. “It would have to be the perfect scenario — timing, opponent, and situation. I know there’s almost never the perfect sendoff, but having the opportunity to give all the people who supported me a chance to experience fight week knowing it’s the last time would be special.

    “Being able to tell everyone in that process what they’ve meant to me over all these years, like one final fight… Win, lose, or draw, who gives a f*ck? But one final sendoff would be cool, I think,” Smith added.

  • Anthony Smith On Dominick Reyes During UFC 310 Fight: ‘Goddamn, You’re Not That Good’ 

    Anthony Smith On Dominick Reyes During UFC 310 Fight: ‘Goddamn, You’re Not That Good’ 

    UFC 310 was an incredibly difficult night for Anthony Smith who in the featured prelim, suffered a loss to Dominick Reyes. It was clear from the first few seconds of his walk out that this fight would be unlike any other for the former title challenger following the recent loss of his longtime friend and coach, Scott Morton.

    Smith was visibly struggling to keep it together on his walk to the cage which is completely understandable when you consider what he was going through. After being stopped in the second round, he told Joe Rogan in his post-fight interview that in the moment, he thought this would “probably” be the last fight of his career.

    In a recent interview with SiriusXM, Smith spoke openly about his mental state going into that fight and how he wasn’t able to control his emotions despite believing that he would be able to “power through it”. He also gave more context to one of the most alarming moments in the fight where it looked like he was allowing Reyes to repeatedly punch him without defending or throwing anything back.

    Reyes later came out and said that his opponent was asking to be hit and given what was on the line for him, he obliged. “Lionheart” explained why he did this and how he had a huge realization during the fight which could impact whether he decides to return to the Octagon or not.

    “I got impatient,” Smith said. “I just wanted something to f*cking happen. I just forced it. I just got impatient. Nothing was happening. He wasn’t engaging. I’d seen everything. That was the worst part, too. I was in there, and I was like, ‘Goddamn, you’re not that good.’ And then it hit me like, ‘F*ck, maybe I’m not either.’

    “Maybe I’m not either anymore. The left hand wasn’t nearly as fast as I expected it to be. I think I over-predicted how good he was going to be on his feet. He landed a shot here or there, and then at some point where I was like, ‘F*cking hit me or something. I need to f*cking feel something. Give me something here.’”

  • Michael Bisping: Anthony Smith Will Be ‘Embarrassed’ Watching UFC 310 Fight Back, But He Shouldn’t Retire

    Michael Bisping: Anthony Smith Will Be ‘Embarrassed’ Watching UFC 310 Fight Back, But He Shouldn’t Retire

    Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping would like to see his podcast co-host, light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith, continue his active career inside the cage.

    Smith’s latest outing on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage came at last weekend’s UFC 310 pay-per-view, where he competed in the featured preliminary bout opposite a fellow former title challenger in Dominick Reyes.

    “Lionheart” was open during fight week about his recent struggles following the passing of a coach and friend. And the veteran was visibly emotional en route to the Octagon inside T-Mobile Arena, to the point where the commentary team questioned whether he was in the right head space to fight.

    That theory only grew stronger when Smith fell by way of a long-lasting TKO stoppage at the hands of “The Devastator,” which was followed by the defeated contender admitting fans may have seen him in action for the very last time.

    One prominent name who knows the 36-year-old well, however, doesn’t think that’s the case.

    During a recent episode of his Believe You Me podcast, Bisping gave his reaction to Smith’s latest setback, which leaves him 1-3 across his last four bouts.

    Similar to his thoughts on “Lionheart’s” defeat to Khalil Rountree a year ago, “The Count” suggested he was against Smith taking the fight in the first place. With that in mind, the Brit plans to share some advice to the light heavyweight if he chooses to make the walk again — something he’s expecting.

    “I don’t think he should’ve taken that fight, at all,” Bisping said (h/t Bloody Elbow). “But I don’t think he will retire. I think when he watches that back, he’s going to be embarrassed when he watches it, and it’ll inspire him to come back. The world doesn’t deserve to remember him like that.

    “Maybe it was therapeutic in some ways, but I’d like to see him fight again. … This isn’t a sport that you play, and that’s why Dana White says Chris Weidman and Clay Guida need to retire. That s*** will stay with you,” Bisping continued. “If he fights, I’m going to give him a call, and say, ‘If you do this, do it for the right reasons. Train as if you’re training for a world title fight, as if you’re going against Jon Jones. Leave no stone unturned, otherwise if you’re not willing to do that, then don’t even think about it in the first place!’”

    It remains to be seen what comes next for Smith, and if UFC 310 did indeed mark a disappointing farewell.

    Reyes, meanwhile, will look to continue his resurgence at 205 pounds next year. “The Devastator” has now won back-to-back fights since a knockout loss to Ryan Spann in late 2022 left him 0-3 post-fighting Jon Jones.

  • Merab Dvalishvili Gets Support From UFC Veteran For Latest Fan Altercation: ‘Don’t F*ck With Pro Fighters!’

    Merab Dvalishvili Gets Support From UFC Veteran For Latest Fan Altercation: ‘Don’t F*ck With Pro Fighters!’

    UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has been involved in several altercations with fans in recent times. The latest instance came this past weekend at UFC 310 where a video showed him being separated away from a member of the crowd when he was walking to the back with his teammate, Aljamain Sterling.

    Dvalishvili has since shared a video on social media which suggests that the fan was a friend of Umar Nurmagomedov, who he will face at UFC 311 in his first title defense. This additional footage shows how the person grabbed him which kicked off the series of events that led to UFC fighter Dennis Buzukja trading punches with the man.

    Buzukja later explained that the fan had also been trying to antagonize the 135-pound titleholder on their way to the Octagon for Sterling’s contest against Movsar Evloev. One former member of the roster is able to specifically relate to this kind of situation given his own interactions with fans in the past.

    During the walk out for his fight against Demian Maia in Brazil back in 2016, Matt Brown was grabbed and hit by several people in the audience which led to him hitting back.

    In a recent episode of MMA Fighting’s Fighter vs. Writer, Brown reflected on this experience and stood by Dvalishvili for his response to being provoked.

    “I still say these fans, keep to your f*cking self, bro. You don’t f*ck with professional fighters. Most of us are martial artists that are respectful and stuff, but we’re also human beings and we’ll rip your f*cking throat out. Don’t f*ck with us. It’s stupid.

    “You can’t grab a professional. Someone touches me, I’m f*cking them up.”

    Brown also said that in the aftermath of his incident in Brazil, he wasn’t penalized for the altercation and the UFC looked to make changes to stop this kind of thing from happening.

    “I remember Dana [White] changed things after that,” Brown said. “I don’t know what exactly the changes were but basically talking about separating the fans a little bit more, particularly in Brazil, maybe having a little bit better security when guys are walking out. I was right there in touching range, and they were hitting me and pulling my hat off.

    “I’m not just going to sit here and take this, plus I’m completely fired up ready to walk into a fight. You get hit, it’s a natural reaction — you hit someone back.”

  • Aljamain Sterling Admits Questioning Fighting Future After UFC 310 Loss: ‘I Don’t Want To Retire, But…’

    Aljamain Sterling Admits Questioning Fighting Future After UFC 310 Loss: ‘I Don’t Want To Retire, But…’

    Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling finds himself at a crossroads following a loss to Movsar Evloev at UFC 310.

    The defeat marked a turning point after a brief resurgence in his career, fueled by a notable victory over Calvin Kattar at UFC 300 this past April. That win had temporarily revived Sterling’s momentum after losing his bantamweight title to Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 in 2023.

    Now, having had his push for two-division glory stalled, Sterling is openly questioning his future in mixed martial arts.

    Reflecting on his career trajectory during a YouTube video, “Funk Master” expressed uncertainty about whether he has the motivation to “climb the ladder all over again” in pursuit of the belt. Instead, he is contemplating alternative paths, including supporting his teammates or focusing on high-profile, entertaining matchups.

    “Do I continue, or do I just help out the guys and help them get ready for their fights, and maybe just take fun fights? I don’t know,” Sterling said. “I don’t want to retire, but I’ve got to see what the UFC offers and then kind of make a decision from there to see where my positioning is.

    “It’s tough to even talk like this because I’m only 35,” Sterling continued. “I know people think I still look good and everything, but my body hurts.”

    Sterling acknowledged that his training regimen has evolved as his body no longer endures the intensity it once did. He admitted that the grueling schedule of training three times a day may have given him an edge in his prime — one he feels is harder to maintain now.

  • Michael Chiesa Reveals Record He Wants To Break After UFC 310 win

    Michael Chiesa Reveals Record He Wants To Break After UFC 310 win

    Michael Chiesa is riding high after a submission victory over Max Griffin this past Saturday at UFC 310.

    The win marked the continuance of a significant turnaround for the veteran, who had previously been on a three-fight losing skid from 2021 to 2023 that raised doubts about his future in the sport. This resurgence began in August when Chiesa submitted Tony Ferguson, and he added another milestone by becoming the first fighter to submit Griffin.

    With his latest victory, “Maverick” now boasts seven rear-naked choke wins in the UFC, just two behind the all-time record of nine held by grappling legend Demian Maia. Reflecting on his accomplishment, Chiesa expressed his determination to surpass the Brazilian’s record.

    “I saw that I tied Kenny Florian with seven rear-naked choke finishes – now I’ve got to chase down the great Demian Maia and try to get past nine,” Chiesa said during the UFC 310 post-fight press conference. “It just created another little goal for me.

    “Obviously, the goal remains the same for me: I want to be the world champion. Otherwise, what’s the point of fighting? If you don’t think you’re the best in the world, if you’re not going to chase the title, what the hell are you doing it for?”

    The night before UFC 310, Chiesa achieved another milestone by earning his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Adding to the significance of the occasion, the event also took place on his birthday. Chiesa described the experience as a career highlight and expressed satisfaction with his performance.

  • Daniel Cormier On ‘Weird’ Muhammad-Rakhmonov UFC 310 Faceoff: ‘I Don’t Think It Served The Purpose That You Want’

    Daniel Cormier On ‘Weird’ Muhammad-Rakhmonov UFC 310 Faceoff: ‘I Don’t Think It Served The Purpose That You Want’

    Daniel Cormier has joined many fight fans in critiquing the staredown between UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310, describing the moment as underwhelming.

    The faceoff took place after Rakhmonov’s victory over Ian Garry, which positioned him as the next contender for Muhammad’s title. The originally planned headliner between “Remember the Name” and “Nomad” was canceled after the champ withdrew due to a toe infection.

    When Muhammad was finally allowed inside the Octagon for the staredown, the interaction remained respectful, which Cormier felt lacked the intensity needed to hype the fight.

    “I’ve got to be honest. It was weird,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “I don’t love faceoffs when you have a translator, especially when Belal, as much as people want to hate him, he’s not a disrespectful guy. So it doesn’t make that moment that you’re looking for when you bring a champion into the ring.”

    Cormier compared the moment to other notable post-fight interactions, highlighting the promotional value that was missing.

    “When (Alexander Volkanovski) came in after (Ilia) Topuria beat Max (Holloway), they shook hands and they left. It was very respectful. But you understood what they were saying. When (Sean) O’Malley was in there, and he was about to fight Aljo (Aljamain Sterling) for the belt, Merab (Dvalishvili) takes the jacket, that makes a memory. This tonight, I don’t think it served the purpose that you want, as a promotion, in regards to what you’re going to do to try to build that fight.”

    While the staredown was meant to ignite anticipation for their potential title fight, Cormier believes the lack of drama or significant engagement may have fallen short of its promotional goal.

  • Chase Hooper On Clay Guida After Dana White’s Retirement Plea Post-UFC 310: ‘Didn’t Feel Like He Was As Hungry…’

    Chase Hooper On Clay Guida After Dana White’s Retirement Plea Post-UFC 310: ‘Didn’t Feel Like He Was As Hungry…’

    At UFC 310, Chase Hooper earned his fourth consecutive win in the lightweight division by beating a veteran of the sport in Clay Guida. His armbar in the first round saw him continue to put together the best run of his career to date whilst collecting a performance of the night bonus in the process.

    As for his opponent, some people (including UFC boss Dana White) believe that it is time for Guida to hang up the gloves. “The Carpenter” has fought 37 times inside the Octagon since making his debut with the promotion all the way back at UFC 64 in 2006. At 43-years old, Guida has lost his last three and his submission loss to Hooper saw him break the promotion’s record for the most losses.

    His 19th defeat saw him clear past Jeremy Stephens and Andrei Arlovski who were previously all tied at 18. In a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Hooper recapped his second win of 2024.

    Hooper also gave his opinion on whether Guida needs to step away at this stage in his career and though he admitted that everyone is different, he did think that there was a certain level of intensity missing from his opponent on Saturday night.

    “It’s one of those things where I honestly didn’t feel like, when we were in there, I didn’t feel like he was as hungry for the competition as I was and I think that’s a big piece. I think, I don’t know, I didn’t feel like he was really in there as much as he could be but I think he’s a guy that needs to get pumped up for the fight. I’ll never tell anybody to retire right, I don’t think that’s my business but, you know, what 37 fights in the UFC? I mean I damn sure won’t be doing that when I’m 42. I’d sail off into the sunset but that’s just me.”

  • Leon Edwards Becomes Latest To Get A Laugh Out Of Security Not Recognizing Belal Muhammad At UFC 310

    Leon Edwards Becomes Latest To Get A Laugh Out Of Security Not Recognizing Belal Muhammad At UFC 310

    UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad made an unexpected attempt to enter the Octagon last Saturday night at UFC 310. He intended to confront Shavkat Rakhmonov, who had just defeated Ian Garry and is now positioned as the next contender for the title.

    However, cageside security initially stopped Muhammad, seemingly failing to recognize him and suspecting he might instigate a disturbance. After clarifying the situation, the 170-pound kingpin was eventually allowed into the cage.

    Security measures at UFC events have been heightened due to past incidents involving fighters storming the Octagon and provoking altercations. Addressing the confusion, Muhammad explained his side of the story during an interview with The Schmo:

    “Yeah, I don’t know, they thought I was gonna do. They thought I was pulling a Merab, like hopping over and going crazy or something like that,” Muhammad said. “No, he called me, bro! If someone calls me into the cage, I’m gonna go in there, right? I don’t think (security) heard it, they didn’t realize what was going on — they thought I was going in to attack him. I’m just like, bro, chill.”

    The tension between Muhammad and Rakhmonov dates back to their originally scheduled matchup in the UFC 310 headliner, which was canceled after Muhammad withdrew due to a toe infection.

    Adding to the drama, Leon Edwards responded to the incident on Instagram with a string of crying-laughing emojis under an ESPN post.

    Muhammad’s surge to the welterweight mountaintop came at the expense of Edwards this past July. “Remember the Name” outpointed “Rocky” across five rounds in the UFC 304 main event, staged in Manchester, England.

    Edwards has vowed to bounce back and regain the gold by the end of 2025. For the time being, though, Muhammad looks set to have his hands full with Rakhmonov before potentially pondering a trilogy with the former champ.

  • Aljamain Sterling’s Teammate On Trading Punches With Fan Who Antagonized Dvalishvili At UFC 310: ‘Hopefully No Charges Pressed…’

    Aljamain Sterling’s Teammate On Trading Punches With Fan Who Antagonized Dvalishvili At UFC 310: ‘Hopefully No Charges Pressed…’

    On his The Weekly Scraps Podcast, Aljamain Sterling looked to recap his recent fight at UFC 310 this past weekend. In his second fight at featherweight, the former bantamweight champion lost a close decision to Movsar Evloev who now occupies the #4-ranking at 145-pounds.

    Though his prelim bout with the undefeated Russian certainly delivered, there was another major talking point regarding Sterling’s team. His long-time training partner and coach, the bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili, got into a heated exchange with a member of the audience inside the T-Mobile Arena.

    A video posted on social media shows that as they were walking to the back after the fight, Dvalishvili had to be separated from this fan only for their other teammate and cornerman, Dennis Buzukja, to trade punches with him before security could break it up. Dvalishvili has since shared a video that claims that the fan is actually a close friend of the likes of Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov, who the champion faces at UFC 311 in January.

    Buzukja, who last fought in the UFC this past August, detailed his side of the story during the podcast.

    “I don’t know if he had touched Merab as we were walking in, but somehow he got Merab’s attention and then Merab went and tapped his shoulder and just gave him the finger and then the guy gave him the finger back or whatever, he got all jumpy.

    “Then as the fight finished and we’re walking back on the other side, this f****** guy comes across the whole crowd and then goes and, you’ve seen the video, he grabs Merab’s arm and then says something to him in, I guess Russian or whatever he said, and Merab started going crazy. Then we got into a little physical altercation, but that was really it. So hopefully no charges pressed and we move on.”

    Buzukja went on to say that he had first got involved in the confrontation to dry and diffuse the situation but that quickly changed once he was assaulted.

    “I went and approached him and I just put his hand down, I was trying to deescalate and tell him, ‘Yo, calm down, bro. Relax.’ Merab was going away, I just wanted to tell him to relax, have some respect. Then he cracked me first, actually, he cracked me with a nice little left hook and then it was just instinct to hit him back. Then security came in, but part of me is like, ‘Should I just drop the bucket and just jump over and start swinging?’ Just go full, f****** degenerate, but I’m glad it didn’t happen that way.”

  • Kai Asakura Doesn’t Lose Confidence After UFC 310 Debut Loss: I’ll ‘Definitely’ Become Champion

    Kai Asakura Doesn’t Lose Confidence After UFC 310 Debut Loss: I’ll ‘Definitely’ Become Champion

    Kai Asakura didn’t get the fairy tale UFC debut that he was hoping for this past weekend in Las Vegas. The former two-time RIZIN bantamweight champion was expecting to face top opposition right away after signing to the UFC but due to the current state of the flyweight division, he went straight into a title shot at the last PPV card of 2024.

    Though Asakura was calm and composed throughout fight week and showed why he is such an exciting addition in the main event of UFC 310, facing the champion, Alexandre Pantoja, proved to be a step too far for him right now. The Brazilian secured his third consecutive title defense after taking his challenger’s back and choking him out in the second round.

    The Japanese star may have come up short but losing to the champion on his debut is only the start of his career in the UFC. With a top 15 ranking now next to his name, the 31-year old can look to build himself back towards the 125-pound gold.

    He’s done this before in RIZIN where despite suffering some substantial defeats, Asakura was able to reclaim the bantamweight title in his final fight before signing to the UFC. The title challenger posted a message on Instagram where he thanked his fans and apologized to them.

    Despite this latest setback, he states that he isn’t discouraged from his dreams of becoming the champion one day.

    “Thank you for all your support. I’m sorry I couldn’t get back with results. Great champions and I was still weak. I didn’t get it this time though I’ll definitely rise up and become a champion. Always have and will keep doing it until I can. I will come back stronger.”

  • Vicente Luque Reveals Only Non-Top 10 Opponent He’ll Accept After UFC 310: ‘I Have An Exception…’ 

    Vicente Luque Reveals Only Non-Top 10 Opponent He’ll Accept After UFC 310: ‘I Have An Exception…’ 

    Following a crucial victory at this past weekend’s pay-per-view, UFC welterweight Vicente Luque’s eyes are on those above him at 170 pounds — unless…

    Luque made the walk at UFC 310 off the back of a 2-3 run across his previous five fights and a difficult knockout loss at the hands of Joaquin Buckley earlier this year. With that, his place in the divisional top 15 was at stake.

    But while Themba Gorimbo entered his short-notice opportunity to rise the ranks with momentum from four straight wins, “The Silent Assassin” showed that he has plenty left in the tank by putting on an emphatic and dominant performance.

    It took the Brazilian-American just 52 seconds to stall the Zimbabwean’s push toward contention, first dropping him on the feet before choking him unconscious with a tight anaconda choke.

    During his post-fight press conference, Luque reflected on his return to the win column inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena and looked ahead to what could await him in the new year.

    After reiterating his title aspirations, the 33-year-old unsurprisingly outlined his intention to face a name high up the welterweight ladder in 2025. But Luque would entertain one name who is far from being in the championship conversation.

    “2025 is that run for the title, and I want that Miami card. I want top 10, but I have an exception,” Luque said. “If Masvidal really wants to step back in there, and he wants to get it done, I would love to have a battle against him.

    “I want him as an opponent because I know it’s going to be a war,” Luque continued. “I know that the fans are going to enjoy that, and I know that we both can deliver a battle.”

    Masvidal hasn’t competed since a decision defeat to Gilbert Burns at the Miami-held UFC 287 PPV in April 2023. The result, which marked a fourth straight loss for “Gamebred,” was quickly followed by a retirement announcement that many in the community supported.

    But after competing against former Octagon rival Nate Diaz in the boxing ring, the ex-BMF champ has insisted that a UFC return is in store next year.

    It remains to be seen who that MMA comeback will come against, but Luque evidently fancies his chances in what would no doubt be one of the more high-profile bouts in his career.

  • UFC Rankings Report: Kai Asakura Debuts In Flyweight Top 15 After UFC 310 Loss

    UFC Rankings Report: Kai Asakura Debuts In Flyweight Top 15 After UFC 310 Loss

    As always, the latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the ladder toward contention and others fall away.

    And in the aftermath of UFC 310, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.

    Men’s Pound-For-Pound: Alexandre Pantoja emerged victorious from Saturday’s main event, choking out newcomer Kai Asakura to stay flyweight kingpin. As a result, the Brazilian has received a boost up the P4P ladder, now sharing the #9 spot with Leon Edwards. Pantoja’s two-place rise has seen Alexander Volkanovski slip the same distance back to #11.

    Women’s Pound-for-Pound: TBC

    Women’s Strawweight: TBC

    Women’s Flyweight: TBC

    Women’s Bantamweight: TBC

    Flyweight: While unsuccessful in capturing gold on his debut, Asakura has still joined the ranks of contenders with numbers next to their names at 125 pounds. The Japanese star has arrived at #14, with UFC 310 victor Joshua Van also entering at #15. Those debuts have led to Cody Durden, Van’s defeated opponent, and Matt Schnell exiting the UFC rankings.

    Bantamweight: TBC

    Featherweight: Movsar Evloev kept his undefeated record intact on the UF 310 preliminary card, getting past former bantamweight kingpin Aljamain Sterling in a competitive grappling affair. The Russian has now climbed one spot to #4 in the division, demoting Yair Rodríguez to #5.

    Lightweight: TBC

    Welterweight: Shavkat Rakhmonov was among the biggest winners in Las Vegas on Saturday night, as he fought through a torn MCL to outpoint former training partner Ian Garry in the co-main event. The triumph has elevated him above Kamaru Usman to #2 in the UFC rankings ahead of an expected title shot in 2025. The Irishman, meanwhile, has stayed put at #7.

    Middleweight: TBC

    Light Heavyweight: The resurgence of Dominick Reyes continued at UFC 310, where he dominantly put away fellow former title challenger Anthony Smith by way of TKO. “The Devastator” is now up one position to #11, leaving Azamat Murzakanov a place worse off at #11. “Lionheart,” meanwhile, has continued to slip down the pecking order. He;’s now been passed by Bogdan Guskov (#13) and occupies the #14 spot.

    Heavyweight: TBC

    You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.

  • Ian Garry’s Takeaway From Shavkat Rakhmonov Loss: ‘I’m The Scarier Fighter’

    Ian Garry’s Takeaway From Shavkat Rakhmonov Loss: ‘I’m The Scarier Fighter’

    He may not have got the result he wanted at this past weekend’s pay-per-view, but that hasn’t stopped UFC welterweight contender Ian Garry from taking a victory lap of sorts.

    Garry had his record blemished for the first time in his professional career at UFC 310, an event he co-headlined opposite a former training partner and fellow rising star at 170 pounds in Shavkat Rakhmonov.

    Their contest, which came about after the withdrawal of champion Belal Muhammad from his scheduled defense against “Nomad” due to injury, went the distance inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, with the Kazakh emerging with his undefeated résumé intact.

    Despite having his hopes to challenge for “Remember the Name’s” gold next year dented by Rakhmonov, however, Garry appears more enthusiastic and confident about his chances of reaching the top than ever before.

    During an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Garry reflected on his losing performance in “Sin City,” highlighting the difficult circumstances that his first title eliminator in the UFC came in.

    Ultimately, aside from having his hand raised, Garry seemingly doesn’t think the night could have gone much better in terms of proving that his self-belief when it comes to beating everyone in his path on MMA’s biggest stage is well placed.

    “I went in there on short notice against the scariest man in the division and I made him human,” Garry said. “I proved to the world how talented I am against a guy who they thought was unbeatable. … There’s no argument in my mind that when that fight finished, you can’t sit there and say anything else other than I am the scarier fighter.

    “He didn’t beat me anywhere,” Garry continued. “Significant strikes, I won. The grappling exchanges, I was winning; I was defending and shooting down everything he was doing. The gameplan and everything that I had come up (with) and told my team I wanted to do, it worked. It’s a matter of seconds and four to five extra shots, and you’re talking about five rounds in my favor.”

    With those comments in mind, the Irishman will evidently be entering 2025 with even more confidence and expectation for himself. First things first, Garry must return to winning ways, and from there, perhaps another chance to secure an opening shot at gold in his UFC career will await.

    For the time being, though, focus will be on the UFC 310 co-main event winner as Rakhmonov pursues a second official booking opposite Muhammad in the new year.

  • Dominick Reyes Reveals Anthony Smith’s Strange Mid-Fight Request At UFC 310

    Dominick Reyes Reveals Anthony Smith’s Strange Mid-Fight Request At UFC 310

    Dominick Reyes continued his resurgence at UFC 310 on Saturday night, earning a second consecutive victory with a TKO win over fellow former title challenger Anthony Smith.

    Despite Reyes’ success, the fight was marked by emotional and unusual moments from Smith, who is grappling with the recent loss of one of his coaches and friends.

    Smith entered the Octagon visibly affected, crying throughout his walkout. His emotions carried into the fight, leading to an unusual mid-fight moment that Reyes discussed at the post-fight press conference.

    “When I went into the cage – I haven’t been around Anthony much in my life, for the record – but I could see he was emotional,” Reyes said. “That’s a dangerous man. He’s said it himself: he’s fighting for a friend, and he doesn’t care about the outcome. He just wants to feel something.”

    Reyes described a surprising exchange in the first round when Smith dropped his hands and asked him to punch him.

    After the fight, “Lionheart” hinted at the possibility of retirement, a sentiment echoed by UFC CEO Dana White, who suggested it might be time for Smith to step away. The veteran light heavyweight has now lost two consecutive fights, including a decision defeat to Roman Dolidze at UFC 303.

    “There was a point in the first round when he put his hands down and just said, ‘Punch me in the face,’ and I obliged. That’s my job. My job is to finish you and get you out of there, whether you’re going through something or not. If you’re going to give me free shots, I’m going to hit you. We are professional fighters, and it’s a very dangerous game. God bless Anthony.”

    Reyes, for his part, acknowledged the difficulty Smith is facing but reiterated his own focus.

    “Losing someone is never easy; I’ve lost people this year as well, and it’s terrible. I’m glad he got to come out and be the warrior that he is — this is his outlet,” Reyes said. “My job is to win and give my best performance, and that’s all I was focused on. Whatever you’re going through, when the door closes, it’s wartime.”

    Smith’s future in MMA remains uncertain, but his emotional journey at UFC 310 highlighted the deeply personal battles fighters often face outside the cage.

  • Ciryl Gane Frustrated By Early Toe Injury He Says Impacted UFC 310 Performance

    Ciryl Gane secured a split decision victory over Alexander Volkov at UFC 310, marking his second consecutive win since his title fight loss to Jon Jones. However, the Frenchman expressed dissatisfaction with his performance due to an apparent injury sustained early in the bout.

    In the first round, Gane injured multiple toes on his left foot during his initial teep kick. This inssue significantly impacted his fighting style, limiting his mobility and effectiveness in both striking and grappling exchanges. He elaborated on this during the post-fight press conference.

    “My first teep. You see, this changes a lot of my style because I love to be on my feet and be fast, in and out, land my jab. So I was really focused on it.”

    The toe injury compelled Gane to alter his strategy, opting to grapple more with Volkov. However, the injury hindered his ability to push off his foot, reducing the effectiveness of his grappling techniques.

    “I was frustrated about my fight because of this. I was frustrated because I started my training in July for this fight, and you started your fight like this. Like the first second you land.”

    Looking ahead, Gane expressed a desire to return to action promptly but acknowledged the necessity of allowing his toes to heal fully before resuming training.

    The victory over Volkov was also not without controversy.

    The split decision was met with boos from the crowd, and even UFC CEO Dana White believed Volkov deserved the win. Gane himself appeared uncertain of the outcome, as he began to exit the Octagon in disappointment immediately after the result was announced.

    This fight was a rematch of their 2021 encounter, which Gane won via unanimous decision. Since then, both fighters have experienced different trajectories, with “Bon Gamin” competing for UFC gold three times and “Drago” steadily climbing the rankings.

    Gane’s recent performances, including this contentious win, have sparked discussions among fans and analysts about his standing in the heavyweight division and potential future matchups.

  • Daniel Cormier Reveals Injury Shavkat Rakhmonov Fought Through To Beat Ian Garry At UFC 310

    Daniel Cormier Reveals Injury Shavkat Rakhmonov Fought Through To Beat Ian Garry At UFC 310

    Ian Machado Garry came away from UFC 310 this past weekend with the opinion that even though he suffered his first loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov, it didn’t feel like a setback. The two undefeated welterweights met in the co-main event on Saturday night where at the end of five rounds, the number one contender got his hand raised via a unanimous decision.

    This result saw Rakhmonov’s 100% finishing rate come to an end as he went to the scorecards for the first time in his pro career. His output is largely what won him three of the five rounds on the scorecards as he landed some effective strikes and grappled with Garry without ever really putting him in serious danger.

    In fact, it was the Irishman that had the best moment of the fight after he took his opponent’s back in the fifth round and tried to lock up the rear-naked choke. Garry has received a lot of credit in the aftermath of the fight and rightfully so but new information also points to a reason why Rakhmonov may have looked far more beatable than in the past.

    Daniel Cormier posted his immediate reactions to the fights on his YouTube channel as he reflected on the night’s action whilst still being sat cage-side at the T-Mobile Arena. After saying that he didn’t think Rakhmonov looked at his best on December 7, “DC” states that the Kazakh fighter suffered an injury before the fight which he says may have been a torn MCL.

    Though Garry still deserves praise for his performance, this would also make his opponent’s display more impressive considering what he was potentially fighting through. The severity of the injury may also impact the time frame for his welterweight title fight with Belal Muhammad that was originally set to take place at UFC 310.

    “Shavkat Rakhmonov did not look like himself even though I learned after that he had an injury, I think he might have torn his MCL going into the fight. Granted, with a torn ligament in your knee, you’re not going to look like the killer that you looked like in fights prior.”

    There was also some speculation online that Rakhmonov addressed this during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan but the translator did not relay that information though this isn’t confirmed.

  • ‘New Favorite Callout’ – Fans React As Dooho Choi Uses Earth Image To Pitch Bryce Mitchell Fight After UFC 310

    ‘New Favorite Callout’ – Fans React As Dooho Choi Uses Earth Image To Pitch Bryce Mitchell Fight After UFC 310

    One of the stand out performances from UFC 310 this past weekend came from Dooho Choi in the main card opener. “The Korean Superboy” produced his best performance to date inside the Octagon with a dominant victory against Nate Landwehr.

    His boxing was incredibly effective early on and after implementing his grappling, Choi was able to shut Landwehr out before capping off his performance with a TKO finish in the third round from the crucifix position. Having earned back-to-back wins inside the Octagon in 2024 for the first time since 2016, the Korean stand out is well and truly back in the mix at 145-pounds.

    In his post-fight interview, Choi called out a fellow featherweight who would be competing in the very next bout on the card. After Bryce Mitchell finished Kron Gracie to return to the win column, the 33-year old posted the following message on Instagram, making reference to Mitchell’s opinions on the earth being flat.

    Fight fans reacted on social media to this creative callout that went above and beyond the usual post-fight interview question that was poised by Joe Rogan at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

    “my new favourite ufc call out, Doo Hoo Choi calls out Bruce Mitchell”

    “Not gonna lie s*** kinda looking flat”

    “What a splendid callout….”

    “I hope they make this fight next.”

    “Should’ve posted a picture of a seat belt”

    “Doo Ho by whatever he wants”

  • Themba Gorimbo Recalls Waking Up After Being Choked Out By Vicente Luque At UFC 310: ‘Where Am I?!’

    Themba Gorimbo Recalls Waking Up After Being Choked Out By Vicente Luque At UFC 310: ‘Where Am I?!’

    Themba Gorimbo appears to be in good spirits following the second loss of his UFC career this past weekend in Las Vegas. After Nick Diaz withdrew from his fight with Vicente Luque at UFC 310, the Brazilian needed a new opponent for his second fight of 2024.

    Gorimbo stepped up and looked to earn the biggest win of his career whilst extending his current winning streak inside the Octagon to five. Instead, the welterweight staple was able to produce the fastest finish on the card where after dropping his opponent, Luque locked up an anaconda choke to get the submission victory inside the opening minute of their prelim bout.

    The 33-year old contender from Zimbabwe has since posted his reaction to the fight on social media where he has been able to take the positives from this latest setback. Alongside a video on Instagram, he wrote the following caption:

    “My little dream story, it’s crazy life sometimes you the nail man. 2024 was and a good year for my career 3-1 in ufc in 10 months that was something to be thankful for. Busiest year of my career. Learn and grow from this.”

    In the video, Gorimbo details what the experience was like of being choked out and waking up inside the Octagon with no recollection of what had just happened.

    “One of the craziest things that happen in my career was Yesterday man. Woke up from like a little dream land, boom, open my eyes, see a black guy and a white guy. I’m like, ‘Damn! Where am I?’ and they were like, ‘The fight is over Themba’, the black guy said. The white guy said ‘Stay down’, I guess he was the doctor. I’m like, ‘Hold up, let me up, where am I?’ and then I’m like ‘Oh coach, is the fight done? Damn!’. Yeah man, one of the craziest moments of my career. It’s funny what happened, it happens man. Honestly like, I worked hard. My entire career I’ve always worked hard. For this fight camp, I worked hard. There’s things that I can fix, there’s things definitely that needs to be adjusted. Some healing need to be done… No excuse. Luque caught me with a good one. That was so cool man, still in dream land now.”

  • Shavkat Rakhmonov Reacts To Losing 100 Percent Finish Rate At UFC 310: ‘Ian Had Great Preparation’

    Shavkat Rakhmonov Reacts To Losing 100 Percent Finish Rate At UFC 310: ‘Ian Had Great Preparation’

    In the co-main event of UFC 310, Shavkat Rakhmonov remained undefeated as he became the first man to defeat Ian Machado Garry in a welterweight title eliminator. The five-round contest was also the first time that “Nomad” has been to the scorecards in his pro career.

    Coming into December 7 off of a six-fight win streak inside the Octagon, Rakhmonov has earned five submissions and one knockout during his time in the promotion. Despite him still winning three of the five rounds on all three scorecards, Garry was able to keep himself out of danger for the majority of the 25-minutes to make it competitive.

    The Irishman may not have come away with the win but in his toughest fight to date on short notice, he proved that he belongs at the elite level and to some, he showed that the boogeyman of the division isn’t unbeatable. In his post-fight press conference, Rakhmonov said that though he’s disappointed to have not got the finish for the first time, he gave credit to his opponent for this.

    “Who doesn’t want to finish fights? I did everything in my power to do so, but Ian had a great preparation, but I believe next fight I will continue my finishing streak.”

    Rakhmonov also agreed with Garry’s sentiment that this won’t be the last time that the two former training partners at Kill Cliff FC will meet inside the Octagon. For now, they will go their separate ways as the 19-0 contender moves on to his title fight with Belal Muhammad which was set to take place this past weekend until the champion withdrew several weeks ago.

    “We’re going to keep winning and if he keeps winning, we’re going to meet again.”

  • Merab Dvalishvili Gives His Side Of Fan Altercation At UFC 310: ‘Deliberate Provocation From Umar’s Team!’

    Merab Dvalishvili Gives His Side Of Fan Altercation At UFC 310: ‘Deliberate Provocation From Umar’s Team!’

    At UFC 310, Merab Dvalishvili appeared to get into a heated confrontation with a fan in the audience whilst he was walking out with his teammate, Aljamain Sterling. The video posted on social media sees the UFC bantamweight champion getting pulled away by security as another member of the corner traded punches with the fan.

    Dana White said in his post-fight press conference that he tried his best to keep Dvalishvili separate from Umar Nurmagomedov and his team but he can’t help “The Machine” fighting with fans. In a recent post on his X account, the champion looked to give his account of what happened.

    Dvalishvili shared a video of the encounter with a voiceover that claims that the fan wasn’t just a regular ticket buyer who insulted him but is in fact a friend of the likes of Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. The video shows what started the whole thing with the fan tapping Merab as he walks past him, talking to him whilst recording on his phone.

    The video also shows several Instagram posts from Nurmagomedov, who will face Dvalishvili for the 135-pound title at UFC 311, from later that day of him and Makhachev being with and seemingly eating dinner with the fan. The same clip also shows older photos of the “fan” alongside Khabib Nurmagomedov and the rest of the team, disputing the idea that Merab got into it with a member of the public who claims that Dvalishvili said something disrespectful about Shavkat Rakhmonov.

    The Georgian has had several encounters with fans who provoked him in the past and at the press conference for the UFC’s upcoming PPV card in January, it was clear that the champion felt disrespected by Nurmagomedov and his team.

    “More lies, disrespect, and deliberate provocations from Umar’s team. Here’s the real story …”

  • Ian Garry Feels He ‘Won’ Against Shavkat Rakhmonov At UFC 310: ‘Very Happy With My Performance’

    Ian Garry Feels He ‘Won’ Against Shavkat Rakhmonov At UFC 310: ‘Very Happy With My Performance’

    UFC welterweight contender Ian Garry emerged from this past weekend’s pay-per-view pleased with his efforts.

    Rakhmonov appeared in the Octagon for the third time this year on Saturday night, co-headlining the UFC 310 event opposite Shavkat Rakhmonov inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

    The Irishman was originally set to feature in 2024’s final UFC fight next weekend in Tampa, but the withdrawal of champion Belal Muhammad from his scheduled defense on Dec. 7 saw “The Future” agree to a short-notice showdown with a fellow undefeated contender in “Nomad.”

    And the pair fought out the kind of competitive battle many had anticipated from two former training partners who had never tasted defeat on the professional stage. Ultimately, one man’s ‘0’ had to go.

    Unfortunately for Garry, he was the one who exited the cage with a blemished record, having fallen on the wrong side of three 48-47 scorecards in “Sin City.” With that, Rakhmonov has successfully defended his spot as next in line for a crack at Muhammad’s gold.

    While that’s dealt a setback for Garry, he seems far from downbeat in the aftermath of his loss.

    During his post-fight press conference, Garry explained why he sees UFC 310 as a victorious night in his career.

    “I’m humble in victory and in defeat and always have been, and I do not feel like I lost today,” Garry said. “My hand might not have been raised, but I came out and I fought a giant, I came out and I fought the boogeyman, and I showed that he’s f*cking human. I went out there on three weeks’ notice and I saved this event. I saved this card against the scariest man in the division and I went out there and I stopped almost everything.

    “I showed that I can hang with the single best in the division and I proved tonight that I can absolutely be a champion,” Garry continued. “He won by opinion, and that’s okay, I can live with that, and I’m very happy with my performance tonight.”

    Having maintained immense confidence in his abilities and future rise to top spot at 170 pounds, Garry will no doubt look to continue his development in 2025 and bounce back to winning ways.

  • VIDEO: Dana White Tells Alexander Volkov The Judges ‘F*cked’ Him In Cageside Interaction At UFC 310

    VIDEO: Dana White Tells Alexander Volkov The Judges ‘F*cked’ Him In Cageside Interaction At UFC 310

    UFC CEO Dana White offered words of support to Alexander Volkov after the heavyweight contender was controversially beaten by Ciryl Gane at this past weekend’s pay-per-view.

    Volkov returned at UFC 310 on Saturday night for his second outing of the year, having extended his winning run to four straight fights with an upset win over Sergei Pavlovich in Saudi Arabia this past June. That result put the Russian up to #3 in the rankings and earned him a shot at avenging his 2021 main event loss to Gane.

    In the eyes of many, “Drago” did enough to do just that inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. But while judge Eric Colón agreed, Adalaide Byrd and Junichiro Kamijo shocked plenty by submitting scorecards in favor of the Frenchman.

    Among those who disagreed with the result in an arena filled with boos after the result was the UFC CEO, who engaged in discourse with a clearly baffled and distraught Volkov as he exited the cage.

    The moment was captured and posted by ESPN MMA on X.

    White told the Russian he was “f*cked” by the judges and that the promotion would try to do right by him.

    The result marked Gane’s second victory over the Russian, coming three years on from a more convincing five-round decision over the former Bellator champion. “Bon Gamin” has now won back-to-back fights since a crushing defeat to Jon Jones in March 2023.

  • Dana White On Merab Dvalishvili After UFC 310 Fan Clash: ‘He’s My Mini-Sean Strickland — Without The Mouth’

    Dana White On Merab Dvalishvili After UFC 310 Fan Clash: ‘He’s My Mini-Sean Strickland — Without The Mouth’

    Fight fans — and even UFC CEO Dana White — are drawing comparisons between former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland and current bantamweight kingpin Merab Dvalishvili, albeit with a twist.

    Dvalishvili is being dubbed the “mini-Strickland,” but “without the mouth,” according to White.

    The Georgian is set to make his first title defense against undefeated contender Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 on Jan. 18, 2025. However, his antics outside the octagon are grabbing the headlines.

    At UFC 310 on Saturday night, Dvalishvili was involved in an altercation with a fan after cornering Aljamain Sterling for his bout against Movsar Evloev. Security stepped in to separate “The Machine” from the fan, but the situation escalated when the fan began exchanging punches with another member of Sterling’s coaching team, UFC featherweight Dennis Buzukja.

    Addressing the incident during the UFC 310 post-fight press conference, White expressed both exasperation and resignation.

    “He’s my mini-Strickland — without the mouth,” White said of Dvalishvili. “What do you do? Let him buy the pay-per-view, I guess. You can’t keep fighting with f*cking fans. You can do it, but it’s going to cost you a lot of money. I say it all the time: we’re in the f*cking fight business. This happens. We’ve got to deal with it.”

    This isn’t Dvalishvili’s first clash with fans. In August, he confronted a heckler during the Craig Jones Invitational in Las Vegas, climbing into the audience to address the situation.

    At the UFC 311 on-sale press conference this week, White admitted he had to keep an eye on Dvalishvili after noticing another fan taunting him from the crowd.