MMA News

Tag: UFC Apex

  • Bo Nickal Gives Honest Review Of The Apex After UFC Mocked Criticism During Latest Fight Night

    Bo Nickal Gives Honest Review Of The Apex After UFC Mocked Criticism During Latest Fight Night

    The UFC attempted a victory lap of sorts after the latest event at the Apex delivered plenty of highlights, but it would seem the fighters themselves are still less than thrilled by the prospect of competing inside the low-capacity venue.

    The Apex in Las Vegas emerged as a savior during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the building designed as a temporary solution to combat travel restrictions. To the frustration of many fans and pundits, the venue is still being utilized for UFC Fight Nights four years on from the promotion’s return to arenas.

    The UFC and its higher-ups took pride in frequently reminding fans that they were the first sporting organization to resume action after the virus’ outbreak, but they’ve been widely criticized for being the last to return to pre-lockdown conditions.

    And recent comments from UFC executives made it clear that the Apex is not going anywhere, with the promotion favoring the financial benefits that derive from avoiding a full calendar on the road.

    The debate surrounding the Apex recently reared its head again during the broadcast of UFC Vegas 104. After a card branded lackluster on paper delivered a high number of finishes, the UFC’s social media team took the opportunity to mock critics of the Apex.

    During an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, however, middleweight prospect Bo Nickal backed up what many have been saying regarding the Apex experience.

    “I fought twice in the Apex and I would say that the virality of the moment is like a fraction of what it would be with the crowd,” Nickal said. “I think of some big fights in the Apex, Francis-Stipe, Poirier-Hooker…imagine those fights with the crowd.

    “It doesn’t even feel close to the real arena and a real crowd,” Nickal continued. “It feels like you’re just going out there to spar. I think that it affects the competition.”

    The UFC’s next Apex card takes place on April 5, when entertaining featherweights Josh Emmett and Lerone Murphy will do battle in a bout many wish was taking place in front of a full crowd.

    Before that, the promotion is scheduled for returns to England and Mexico. The UFC has visited just two new countries since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, staging cards in Saudi Arabia and France.

  • UFC Omits Francis Ngannou’s Title Win Over Miocic From Top 100 Apex Knockouts

    UFC Omits Francis Ngannou’s Title Win Over Miocic From Top 100 Apex Knockouts

    The UFC’s attempt to erase heavyweight great Francis Ngannou from its history continues.

    The knockout artist departed MMA’s leading promotion at the start of 2023, bringing to an end a lengthy contractual dispute that saw the Cameroonian fail to secure the terms he was after.

    He’s since found them under the PFL banner, where he’s made the most of the freedom granted to him to explore a career in the professional boxing ring and begin a role as chairman for the promotion’s Africa expansion.

    After two blockbuster boxing matchups against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, Ngannou made his long-awaited return to the cage last month in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Headlining the PFL’s latest pay-per-view, “The Predator” became the inaugural Super Fights heavyweight champion by battering Renan Ferreira en route to a first-round TKO.

    The weeks since have seen Dana White attempt to detract from Ngannou. The UFC CEO has claimed that he didn’t like and even wanted to release Ngannou — who went on to win the title and become one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time — following his loss to Derrick Lewis in 2018.

    He’s also insisted that Ngannou is “all about the money,” but simultaneously claimed that he turned down a more lucrative future in the UFC. That’s without mentioning the narrative that he ran from Jon Jones despite calling to fight “Bones” in the same year he defeated Stipe Miocic to capture gold.

    And speaking of his title crowning, it would seem the UFC is doing what it can to erase the memory of it.

    As the promotion prepares to stage the 100th UFC Fight Night to be hosted at the Apex this weekend, it compiled the “top 100 Apex knockouts” in a recent YouTube video. In terms of KOs witnessed there, not many were more brutal and important as Ngannou’s to finish the great Miocic in 2021.

    With that in mind, surely it cracked the top five? Top 10? At the very least the top 50, right?! Okay, but it’s in the top 100, surely?!

    The full video is below, so you can see for yourself which 100 knockouts were apparently better than Ngannou leaving the consensus heavyweight GOAT sleeping on the canvas…

    Ngannou’s omission, which was first highlighted by MMA Orbit’s Logan Offord, is far from the first time that the UFC has been accused of attempting to eliminate the 38-year-old from its history.

    The promotion has previously described Tafon Nchukwi as the first and only Cameroonian fighter in UFC history, of course ignoring Ngannou’s presence in that regard.

    And just this past August, controversy swirled when Israel Adesanya’s comments were edited to take his mention of Ngannou as an African champion alongside him and Kamaru Usman out during the UFC 305 Countdown episode.

    “The Last Stylebender” publicly spoke out against that, leading to White accepting responsibility for what he branded a mishap and call the former two-time middleweight champion to apologize.

    But judging by the recent YouTube video, that incident evidently didn’t do much to alter the ‘avoid mentioning Ngannou’ approach.

  • ‘Leave It Closed’ – MMA Fans React To Report That Renovations Will Pause UFC Apex Events

    ‘Leave It Closed’ – MMA Fans React To Report That Renovations Will Pause UFC Apex Events

    Since its official opening in 2019, the UFC Apex was created to be a state-of-the-art production facility for the MMA promotion. In addition to hosting fights for The Ultimate Fighter and Dana White’s Contender Series, the APEX has been an integral part of the UFC experience, hosting Fight Night events since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The UFC’s events at the Apex, in terms of both card quality and limitations, however, have put a strain on fan enjoyment. But MMA enthusiasts may receive a small break from such cards in the near future.

    According to Caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman on X), the renovations to the Apex that will begin in November mean the facility will not be re-opened until the summer of 2025.

    Ken Hathaway of MMA Junkie followed Caposa’s post up by posting photos of the construction area.

    UFC CEO Dana White confirmed in an interview with TNT Sports that a $25 million renovation will take place, allowing for more people to attend Apex events, as well as upgrades to bathrooms and hospitality features.

    “We’re gonna travel more with the Fight Nights,” White said. “The [UFC] APEX is going under construction here. We’re actually expanding the APEX, and it’s gonna be bigger and better.”

    Fans React To UFC Apex Renovations, Temporary Closing In Near Future

    The August 10 UFC Fight Night event held at the UFC Apex, headlined by Marcin Tybura and Serghei Spivac, was the 95th Fight Night card held at the venue, dubbed the “UFC Vegas” series.

    The upcoming UFC schedule, according to several reports and rumors, will see Fight Night cards at the Apex on August 24, September 7, October 12, October 19, and November 9. The November 9 card (which would be UFC Vegas 100), would serve as the final APEX card before the closing for renovations.

    The UFC additionally has a November 2 Fight Night card, but it is unclear where this card will take place, as well as any Fight Night events held after November 9.

    While it’s assumed the renovations would be completed before the start to the 2025 season of Dana White’s Contender Series, it is unclear what would happen to a 33rd season of The Ultimate Fighter due to the facility’s temporary closure.