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However, it's been a journey. The rapper recently looked back at the health issues he experienced when he was at his highest weight.
"I think I stay in better shape now because I was in horrible shape in 2018 and '19," he told Men's Health in a video shared Aug. 2. "I never been as heavy as I was in my life until that time. So, I was about 340 pounds, and then I was having all kinda ailments happen."
As Busta explained in a cover story for the magazine, he "never properly" dealt with the passing of his father in 2014 and threw himself into his work. Noting that he was "drinking, smoking, eating bad," the musician further revealed, "I also had a 90 percent blockage in my throat because of polyps on my vocal cords, and my breathing was bad."
In fact, he recalled how his breathing struggles affected him during an "intimate moment" with an ex.
"I was having a really difficult time breathing, so I got up and I walked out of the bedroom so she wouldn't panic seeing me trying to keep myself calm," Busta shared. "I was trying to inhale, and it felt like it wasn't working. I felt like I was having like an asthma attack—but I don't have asthma."
The "Break Ya Neck" artist said he then went to the living room to try to catch his breath.
"That was scaring me so much that it was a mindf--k, because I had to stay calm and make sure she didn't hear me panic or hear me struggle to breathe," he continued. "I'm butt-ass naked in the living room, trying to calm myself down."
Once Busta returned to the bedroom, he added, his ex "said something to me that really f--ked me up."
"She was like, 'Yo, this is not who I fell in love with,'" he remembered. "She didn't know what had happened outside, but she was looking at my body and the weight. She was like, 'You gotta lose this weight. This breathing is scaring me. When I met you, you wasn't like a musclehead, but you, you was slim, you was cut, you had your s--t right. I need you to get back to who I fell in love with.'"
This isn't the only memory that's stuck with him. Busta also noted in his cover story that one of his sons slapped him on the stomach a few days later. In addition, the "Dangerous" star said he passed out in the back of a car in May 2019.
"I was also scared about surgery for the polyps on my vocal cords because my voice is how I feed my family—the voice is the dragon," he told Men's Health. "I ran from the surgery as long as I could, but after that weekend I saw the doctor and he looked at my throat and he said I could die in my sleep. That's when I got surgery and started to get back in shape."
And now, Busta shared that he works out twice a day, focuses on a healthy eating regimen, drinks more water and gets plenty of sleep. In his Men's Health video, the "Touch It" artist said he now weighs 255 pounds.
"I really want everybody to feel happy," Busta added in the clip. "That's the most important thing to the health and the fitness and the wellness." | Men's Health |
A vasectomy is a form of birth control for men. This minimally invasive surgical procedure prevents sperm from entering the semen and then being released during ejaculation.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (opens in new tab) (CDC), a vasectomy is a minor surgery to cut or seal the vas deferens — the tube that connects the testes to the penis. Because sperm cells are produced in the testes, they can no longer be transported into the semen and therefore cannot cause pregnancy.
An estimated 500,000 men have a vasectomy every year in the United States, according to the Cleveland Clinic (opens in new tab). Many men consider having a vasectomy when they are certain they do not want any more children or do not want children at all.
Dr. Hussain Alnajjar (opens in new tab), a consultant urological surgeon at University College London Hospital in the U.K. and honorary associate professor at University College London, said that a vasectomy is the most reliable method for male sterilization. "It should also be regarded as irreversible," he told Live Science in an email. "Vasovasostomy procedure, often referred to as vasectomy reversal, is possible, but it may not always be successful."
How does a vasectomy work?
A vasectomy is a minimally invasive surgery performed by a urologist — a specialist who focuses on anything involving the urinary and reproductive tracts.
The procedure doesn't affect a man's ability to perform sexually or achieve orgasms and it doesn't visibly change semen, said Dr. Paurush Babbar (opens in new tab), a urologist at The Urology Group in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a member of the American Urological Association.
Babbar completed both his undergraduate studies and medical school education at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 2013. He went on to the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, for his urology residency, which he finished in 2019. Babbar is a member of the American Urological Association and board-certified with the American Board of Urology.
There are two common types of vasectomies: conventional and no-scalpel. During a conventional vasectomy, small cuts are made in the scrotum — the bag of skin that protects the testes — in order to reach the vas deferens tubes. In a no-scalpel vasectomy, no cuts are made during the process — instead the doctor makes a small puncture or incision to reach the vas deferens.
A 2014 review in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews found (opens in new tab) no difference in effectiveness between the two approaches. However, no-scalpel vasectomies may result in less bleeding, infection and pain, as well as a shorter operation time compared with the conventional technique.
During both types of procedure, the patient is put under local anesthetic. In a conventional vasectomy, a doctor then cuts the vas deferens, Babbar told Live Science in an email. The procedure takes about 30 minutes. Once the incision in the scrotum has been made, the doctor removes a small piece of the vas deferens tube. The ends are sutured, clipped and sealed by cauterization — a practice of burning a part of the body to remove or close it off. The patient also receives two or three stitches close to the incision, Babbar said.
In a no-scalpel vasectomy, a urologist feels for the vas deferens tube and then holds it in place with a clamp. A tiny hole is then made in the scrotum so the tube can be taken out and cut or tied. Afterwards, the vas deferens tube is put back in place.
While the testes continue to make sperm, they are simply reabsorbed back into the body, in exactly the same way as they would if the man did not have sex, said Adam Watkins (opens in new tab), an associate professor in reproductive and developmental physiology at the University of Nottingham in the U.K.
It usually takes a few months before the patient is completely sterile, Babbar said. "A physician will confirm sterility with a semen sample two to three months after the vasectomy," he said.
Does a vasectomy work?
A vasectomy is a highly effective method of birth control, according to the Mayo Clinic, (opens in new tab) with more than a 99% success rate. However, there's always a small chance that pregnancy can occur, according to the CDC.
Despite its effectiveness, a vasectomy does not work immediately and men should use other forms of contraception until post-vasectomy semen analysis, Alnajjar said. This is usually 12 weeks after the procedure or when 20 ejaculations have been deemed negative for sperm, he said.
A vasectomy carries a small risk of short- and long-term complications, according to a 2021 review published in The World Journal of Men's Health (opens in new tab). Most patients experience swelling, bruising and some discomfort for about two weeks after the procedure. These symptoms tend to go away on their own. However, there is a small risk that some patients may develop scrotum infection, hematoma (bleeding under the skin that looks like a bruise) and sperm granuloma (a lump in the scrotum caused by sperm that leaks out of the vas deferens tube into tissue).
Can a vasectomy be reversed?
Though a vasectomy is considered a permanent procedure, it can be reversed, Watkins told Live Science in an email. However, it is trickier to undo a vasectomy than to perform the initial surgery, he said.
"A vasectomy is a fairly routine and quick procedure. While a reversal procedure can be done, there is no guarantee that it will restore a man's fertility," Watkins said. "As such, a vasectomy should only be undertaken if the person is absolutely sure they do not want to have any, or any more, children."
Alnajjar said that vasectomy reversal is performed by re-joining the previously cut ends of the vas deferens using microscopic sutures.
The chance of success for vasectomy reversal is directly related to the time interval between the vasectomy and its reversal, and the age of the female partner, Alnajjar said. According to the Mayo Clinic (opens in new tab), pregnancy success rates vary from about 30% to 90%, with the lowest rates applying to men who had a vasectomy over 10 years prior.
In addition, a vasectomy reversal procedure lasts longer (around 2 to 3 hours) and is more expensive than a vasectomy, Babbar said.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice. | Men's Health |
Image caption, Matthew Green (left) and Jacob Dimery are spending 24 hours walking the Clifton Suspension BridgeTwo friends are spending a freezing night repeatedly walking over the Clifton Suspension Bridge to raise money for men's health. Jacob Dimery and Matthew Green began their Movember challenge at 8:00 GMT on Wednesday and are due to finish at 8:00 GMT on Thursday. The event launched in 2003 and sees men grow moustaches during November to get sponsorship for male health issues. The money goes towards issues like suicide prevention and cancer research.Over the years the event has grown, with people undertaking a variety of challenges to raise money. Bristolians Jacob and Matt are hoping to raise a total of £2,880, or £1,440 each.On average one man takes his own life every minute, and the 1,440 figure represents the number of minutes in a day. By 14:00 on Wednesday, Jacob and Matt had walked about 38,000 steps, or 19 miles. According to BBC West's calculations, they could have hit 72 miles by the morning. Image source, BBC Image caption, Matt and Jacob are expected to have walked 72 miles by Thursday morningSpeaking at 18:00 Matt said: "Our legs are starting to get a bit sore but we are doing alright.""We had done a couple of challenges before and we felt like this would be our next level, pushing the envelope a little bit more, broadening our horizons and hoping to raise more money for men's mental health, prostate cancer and the Movember charity."Their previous challenges include running a mile every hour for 24 hours, and a double "Murph" - a mile run followed by 100 pullups, 200 push ups and 300 squats repeated twice. Jacob, a nutritionist, was inspired to start raising money for Movember after losing a friend to suicide."Nine years ago I lost a very close friend of mine who I would probably say to this day if we had talked a lot more we wouldn't necessarily had the outcome that did happen," Jacob said."I think we all concluded that men just simply don't talk enough."Matt, who has had his own mental health difficulties, said: "Movember felt like a good thing to keep supporting to help people get to the other side of their struggles."Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected] Internet LinksThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | Men's Health |
"I started to develop insomnia and I fell into a pretty bad depression for a long time" Zac Efron is talking all things physical appearance -- from recent plastic surgery rumors to the unseen cost of getting super lean. In an interview with Men's Health, the "Baywatch" star got candid about the lasting effects of his fitness training while getting in shape for the 2017 film. Though Efron is currently bulking for an upcoming project, he revealed how he's approaching his training differently. "That Baywatch look, I don't know if that's really attainable. There's just too little water in the skin. Like, it's fake; it looks CGI'd," he explained. "And that required Lasix, powerful diuretics, to achieve. So I don't need to do that. I much prefer to have an extra, you know, 2 to 3 percent body fat." ABC/James Van Evers Zac Efron Says Remote Tribe in Papua New Guinea Recognized Him View Story In addition to taking diuretics, pills that help rid your body of salt and water, the 34-year-old was overtraining and eating the same three meals daily. Efron shared he often wouldn't get enough sleep; filming for "Baywatch" would end at midnight, and he would wake up at 4 a.m. the next morning to train. "I started to develop insomnia and I fell into a pretty bad depression for a long time. Something about that experience burned me out," Zac confessed the training process had been particularly devastating for his physical and mental health. "I had a really hard time recentering. Ultimately they chalked it up to taking way too many diuretics for way too long, and it messed something up." At a certain point, Efron said it became "a dream of mine" to not have to stay in shape all the time. Youtube Zac Efron Talks Fatherhood After Playing a Dad in Firestarter View Story "What if I just say, 'F--k it' and let myself go? So I tried it, and I was successful. And for all the reasons I thought it would be incredible, I was just miserable," he continued. "My body would not feel healthy; I just didn't feel alive. I felt bogged down and slow." Efron also addressed his appearance on Bill Nye's Earth Day Special and the social media hubbub around rumors he had gotten plastic surgery back in April 2021. The "Neighbors" star revealed that "Jaw-gate" was the result of an accident he had in his home. Efron had been running around in his home wearing socks when he tripped and hit his jaw on a granite corner of a fountain. When he made impact with the corner, Zac lost consciousness and woke up with his chin bone hanging off his face. Getty Celebrities Reveal Their Weird And Wild Fan Experiences View Story According to the "High School Musical" alum, the altered appearance of his face was the result of his masseter muscles growing after they had compensated for most of the chewing and mobility of his jaw after his injury. Efron told the publication he actually does physical therapy and sees a specialist to mediate the long term after effects of his injury. However, he took a hiatus from the therapy before that Jaw-gate appearance while he lived in Australia during the pandemic. "The masseters just grew," he said of that time period, "They just got really, really big." Though plastic surgery speculation around his jaw was blowing up on Twitter, Efron admitted he didn’t know until his mother called to ask if he had gone under the knife. "If I valued what other people thought of me to the extent that they may think I do," he concluded, "I definitely wouldn’t be able to do this work." | Men's Health |
Have more sex is unlikely to be the advice you expect to receive from your GP.But to judge from the latest studies, an active sex life could be as important as watching your diet, moderating alcohol intake and quitting smoking to boost health.'Granted "improving your health" is not usually at the top of your mind when you're thinking about sex, but immunity, cardiovascular health and depression are just some of the areas where studies suggest that sexual activity might have a benefit,' says Kaye Wellings, a professor of sexual and reproductive health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.Research shows that it can help reduce the risk of heart disease and incontinence. And last year, a study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility showed that sexual activity at least three times a month was linked with a milder Covid-19 infection. The theory is that it primes the body to handle pathogens more effectively. A study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility showed that engaging in sexual activity at least three times a month was linked with a milder Covid-19 infectionThis followed a 2004 study in the journal Psychological Reports which found that intercourse once or twice a week increases levels of immunoglobulin A, part of the antibody response of the immune system that defends us against infection.Another study suggested that orgasms can clear a stuffed-up nose as effectively as a nasal spray, reported the journal Ear, Nose & Throat last year — probably because exercise has also been shown to be a decongestant, as the resulting increase in body temperature loosens mucus while the increase in circulation encourages the flow of nasal discharge.And research from University College London found that women engaging in sexual activity at least monthly had a later menopause than those who weren't sexually active. The researchers suggest that if sexual activity is not detected, the body deprioritises ovulation, triggering the menopause.It can also be good for mental health. A study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine in January found that people who maintained a sexual relationship during lockdown — whether they were living with their partner or not — were 34 per cent less likely to experience depression than those who didn't.In fact, some experts believe sex to be such an important barometer of general health that it should be more widely discussed by doctors with their patients — yet this rarely happens.'As a doctor, you're happy to ask women about their menstrual cycle, yet sexual activity is something we rarely discuss,' says Geoffrey Hackett, a urologist and a professor of men's health at Aston University in Birmingham.'And the issue is even worse with men, yet knowing if a man has regular erections tells me an awful lot about his health.'An inability to get an erection can have a number of causes but may occur as a result of blockages in the arteries supplying the penis, a potential sign of furred arteries elsewhere in the body.Being physically able to have sex also indicates a certain level of fitness. 'We estimate that 20 minutes of sexual activity in a man is the equivalent of walking a mile, and that's a reasonable amount of physical effort if you do it often enough,' says Professor Hackett.When having sex, men burned on average 100 calories and their heart rate rose to as much as 170 beats per minute — this helps strengthen the heart — according to research published in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour in February.Men having sex two to three times a week have a 45 per cent lower risk of a heart attack compared with those having sex once a month or less, reported the American Journal of Cardiology in 2010. Professor Hackett points to the Caerphilly Heart Disease Study, set up in 1979, involving 914 men aged 45 to 59, which found that deaths from heart disease over 20 years were double in men having intercourse once a month compared with those having sex twice a week. A study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine in January found that people who maintained a sexual relationship during lockdown — whether they were living with their partner or not — were 34 per cent less likely to experience depression than those who didn't'I'd suggest men and women aim for some kind of sexual activity twice a week,' he says.The physical exertion is thought to help explain why it might improve immunity — specifically raising levels of immunoglobulin A, which exercise has also been shown to improve.It's not just the exertion — there are specific elements of sexual activity that may improve health, too.A 2016 study from Harvard University, published in the journal European Urology, found that ejaculating more than 20 times per month reduced prostate cancer risk by 20 per cent for men aged 20 to 50 — the theory being that it 'flushes the system', says Professor Hackett.Meanwhile, arousal and orgasm in women have been linked to better pelvic floor strength and reduced incontinence, thought to be linked to muscle contractions.However, it's unclear 'whether regular sexual activity is making people healthier or whether healthy people are more likely to have regular sex', says Professor Wellings.Helping patients with a diagnosis to maintain a sex life is also important.Patients whose sexual health is addressed 'have better quality of life, better pain control and better relationships with their partners and their healthcare team', Dr Narjust Duma, an oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, U.S., recently told the World Conference on Lung Cancer.But Professor Wellings stresses that while regular sex is 'likely to be important, I don't want people thinking that because they don't have sex that often, or don't have a partner to have sexual activity with, they're going to end up sick.'Many of the benefits of sexual activity can be gained in non- sexual ways, including exercise or hugging friends and family.' | Men's Health |
Arnold Schwarzenegger's lookalike son Joseph Baena, 25, flaunts his ripped physique in shirtless new Instagram pictures Published: 00:47 EST, 26 November 2022 | Updated: 01:56 EST, 26 November 2022 Joseph Baena, the lookalike son of legendary bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger, flaunted his ripped physique for Instagram Friday when he posted three shirtless pictures.'Too much turkey,' captioned the 25-year-old fitness influencer.But Baena showed no signs of bloat in his brawny pictures, flexing his muscles and showcasing his incredible abs. Hasta la vista, calories: Joseph Baena, the 25-year-old lookalike son of legendary bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger, flaunted his ripped physique for Instagram Friday when he posted three shirtless picturesThe eliminated Dancing with the Stars contestant – who recently revealed that he was bullied in high school for being overweight – proved that the ballroom did his body some good when he posed on a rooftop gym.Wearing nothing but tiny black gym shorts, Baena curled his left arm and sucked in his stomach, allowing his muscles to do what they do best – bulge. His calves and thighs protruded with bulk and definition while his unassuming expression failed to hide the fact that he is the spitting image of his 75-year-old superstar father in almost every way. The aspiring actor then extended his arms and flattened his stomach, summoning the washboard of his torso for all of Instagram to see. Thankful for fitness: 'Too much turkey,' captioned the fitness influencer. But Baena showed no signs of Thanksgiving Day bloat in his brawny pictures, flexing his muscles and showcasing his incredible abs Bulging Baena: Wearing nothing but tiny black gym shorts, Baena curled his arms over his head and sucked in his stomach, allowing his muscles to do what they do best – bulge'Gees Joe!!' commented Dancing with the Stars champion Emma Slater, 33.'Helleloo,' joked Baena's fellow competitor Shangela, 41. 'Quadzillaaaaa,' wrote one of Joseph's 400,000 Instagram followers. While Joseph currently works as a real estate agent, he has been putting in the footwork to become a working actor like his Terminator dad.In fact, he recently landed his first major role in John Malkovich's upcoming sci-fi film Chariot.Earlier this year, Joseph told Men's Health that he was eventually able to connect with his father over their shared love for bodybuilding and fitness.The pair are often seen pumping iron together in Los Angeles and Baena even dressed up like Arnold's iconic hero Conan the Barbarian for Dancing with the Stars. Bonding over bodybuilding: Joseph told Men's Health earlier this year that he was eventually able to connect with his father over their shared love for bodybuilding and fitnessTo help with Joseph's training, Schwarzenegger ended up giving him a copy of The Encyclopedia Of Modern Bodybuilding, co-authored by the seven-time Mr. Olympia champion and considered by many to be the Bible of bodybuilding.'Even though I could call him anytime, I was too proud,' Joseph confessed of their relationship to Men's Health. His mother is the former California governor's former housekeeper, Mildred Baena, which ultimately contributed to the infamous breakup between Schwarzenegger and his wife of 25 years, Maria Shriver, 67. 'My dad is old school,' said Baena. 'He doesn't believe in handouts. He believes hard work pays off, and so do I.'The up-and-coming action star went on to describe his 'love' for the word 'honor,' and said: 'I'm very prideful in the sense that if I use my dad's contacts or ask him for favors, I wonder what honor is that gonna bring me?' Passing the torch: Father and son are often seen pumping iron together in Los Angeles. To help with Joseph's training, Schwarzenegger ended up giving him a copy of The Encyclopedia Of Modern Bodybuilding, co-authored by the seven-time Mr. Olympia champion and considered by many to be the Bible of bodybuilding Advertisement | Men's Health |
Music | 8/23/2022 1:39 PM PT "I don't want to be alcoholic, red-faced, hunched over, can't move," he says as he shows off his workout routine. Zac Brown is committed to working out while on tour -- and Bruce "The Boss" Springsteen deserves some of the credit for making it happen. The Zac Brown Band frontman showed off his pretty impressive traveling gym in Men's Health, a gym packed with weights, an exercise bike and even a sauna that's all tucked inside a tractor trailer which follows them from state to state. Brown, 44, told the outlet that he was inspired to focus on his fitness while on the road thanks to a conversation he had with Bruce Springsteen. "When I met Springsteen, I said, 'Tell me something that’s helped you to stay feeling good.' He was like, 'Man, you need to sweat for an hour a day. I don't care what you do, doesn't matter. You need to sweat for an hour a day,'" he recalled. "I was like, ‘You're the Boss. Let's do it.'" Andrew Hetherington for Men's Health That's a far cry from Brown's early days in the music business, a time he says simply consisted of drinking "a bottle of Jäger before the show, during the show, and after the show." Brown's goal now: to get in the best shape of his life this year and lean out a bit. "I don't want to lose mass, but I just want to get my body-fat percentage down and be able to push myself so when I'm out doing the activities I love to do, I can do them better," he said, adding that working on his fitness also has some mental benefits as well. "If I go four or five days without working out, everything just seems to be a little darker than it should be," said Brown. Looking ahead, he told the outlet he plans to be "a ripped old dude" and someone who can still scale mountains in his 70s. "I don't want to be alcoholic, red-faced, hunched over, can't move," he added the father of five. "Whatever makes me feel the best so I can be the best for my kids and my people, that's the goal for me." Check out his full Men's Health profile here. Andrew Hetherington for Men's Health | Men's Health |
- T Party claims to help men boost their testosterone levels "naturally and measurably."
- The group was launched by Jeff Tang, who shutdown his startup Athens Research earlier this year.
- It hosts testosterone blood-test "T Parties" with tickets costing from $100 to $400.
Testosterone replacement therapy has become big business, offering treatments such injections, patches, and gels.
But lately, a group of biohackers worried about their "low-T" levels has been testing out a different approach through a startup called T Party.
The support group for men was launched by 26-year-old startup founder Jeff Tang after he shut down his open-source note-taking startup, Athens Research, earlier this year, The Information reported.
In a post on T Party's website from June 28, where Tang announced its launch, he billed it as a "men's health company" that focuses "on solving the problem of declining T levels. Naturally and measurably."
Watch: How a $9 billion startup deceived Silicon Valley
Common symptoms of low testosterone include loss of energy, muscle, libido, and research shows that low levels can also contribute to chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Tang noted in the post that "I am not a doctor or researcher. I am just a guy who likes experimenting with his health and productivity (and unfortunately for you overshares it!)," claiming that he'd raised his own t-levels by improving his health, habits, and environment. He later told Insider in a message on X that his qualifications include "personal experience boosting my T from 790 to 1090 and peer-reviewed research."
—chef jeff (@tangjeff0) April 20, 2023
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Since launching, Tang has hosted a series of "testosterone blood-testing parties, or "T Parties," as he refers to them on the company's website, which have attracted scores of men concerned about their t-levels.
A party in San Francisco last month was sold out, according to the invite. It noted that guests could choose from a selection of blood tests, offered by the health diagnostics company Instalab, ranging from simple testosterone level tests to advanced tests for 63 biomarkers.
In May, Tang held a "T Party" in Colombia where he tested 24 men, according to a post on X. They discussed approaches to "optimizing T naturally, endocrine disrupters, and supplements" over a spread of "home-made kefir, beef patties (heart, spleen, kidney) and pork loin (blood, liver), and delicious Colombian coffee," according to the post.
—chef jeff (@tangjeff0) May 27, 2023
Tang told Insider by X that tickets for T Party events range from $100 to $400, which cover the cost of the blood tests so the "events break even," adding that the events he held abroad were cheaper.
Longevity specialists say that while testosterone is deeply integrated into various aspects of men's health, it's just one piece of a more complex physiological puzzle.
Dr Anant Vinjamoori, chief medical officer of longevity-focused healthcare company, Modern Age, told Insider by email that while T Party's focus on lifestyle approaches alone was "commendable," it might also underserve people when it comes to optimizing testosterone.
He added that T Party's focus on frequent testing may offer "granular insights" but could "introduce noise in the absence of a broader context and could run the risk of suboptimal treatment."
Beyond that, Vinjamoori noted that "a single-minded focus on testosterone might not offer the well-rounded approach needed for optimal health and longevity."
Tang told Insider on X that he's not sure yet about his plans for the company, but T Party's website notes that "we have interest in coaching programs, software solutions, supplements, meal kits, diagnostics tests, and more."
He added that he's also "building a meal prep service for founders interested in performance and longevity."
Tang is also "head chef" at Blueprint Service, a Bay-Area based meal prep service that's preparing food from Bryan Johnson's anti-aging program Blueprint, according to his LinkedIn profile. | Men's Health |
Men's health: Penis length has grown 24% in recent decades. That may not be good news.
Studies of men from around the world show that the length of the erect penis has grown 24% over the last 30 years.
That sounds like it would be good news but it concerns some male fertility experts.
"The million-dollar question is why this would occur," said Dr. Michael Eisenberg, a urologist and male fertility specialist at Stanford Medicine, who led the research, published Tuesday in The World's Journal of Men's Health.
Penile length may not be directly related to fertility, Eisenberg said, but anything that changes the reproductive system is fundamental to human existence and "something we should pay attention to and try to understand why."
What the study showed
Studies have measured penile length dating back at least 80 years, Eisenberg said.
He and his team compiled data from 75 studies conducted between 1942 and 2021, on nearly 56,000 men. They found the average erect penis length increased by 24% over the last 29 years.
The trend was apparent in different regions of the world, he said. "This was not isolated to a specific population."
The average length of the erect penis across all regions and decades was about 5.5 inches, the study found.
Dr. James Hotaling, a urologist and men's infertility specialist at the University of Utah Health, praised the study but said he's not yet convinced that penises are growing longer.
The simplest explanation, he said, is that the method of measurement has changed over the last 30 years – though there's no evidence that has happened.
Why study this?
Eisenberg got interested in the topic because of declining male sperm counts and testosterone levels. He thought research would show that penises are shrinking as these levels fall and men get more obese.
Instead, he found that they're growing and at a pretty fast clip. "It certainly was very surprising," he said.
Hotaling said it's unclear what the clinical impact of this finding might be, but he agreed that it contradicted his expectations. "This would not support the sperm apocalypse."
What might explain it?
Eisenberg thinks the change in length might be explained by earlier puberty. Boys, like girls, have been reaching puberty earlier in recent years. Perhaps, he said, that's giving their bodies a longer time to grow overall.
Hotaling wants more evidence. Sometimes early puberty stunts growth, he said, and it's not clear whether hitting puberty early makes puberty last longer.
It's probable, he said, that chemical exposures could affect penis length, but there's no evidence for that.
"If the findings were the opposite," and penises were shrinking, he said, "everybody would be freaking out."
Hotaling published a paper in 2021 showing that men with infertility have slightly shorter penises on average than men without infertility.
At the time, he thought the same biological factor – technically called testicular dysgenesis syndrome – might be behind both infertility and shorter length. But this study seems to go against that hypothesis.
"I don't have a great explanation for it," he said of the new finding. "I think it merits further investigation."
Hotaling said he hopes the research, whether supported in the future or not, will encourage men who are concerned to talk to their doctor.
"Anything that gets men thinking about their health is good," he said.
Contact Weintraub at [email protected]
Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input. | Men's Health |
Celebrity | 11/16/2022 11:02 AM PT "I've lost friends," The Rock says, "who checked out and, yeah, ended their lives because they didn't want to ask for help. Yeah. So you gotta communicate." Dwayne Johnson has an important message — there's "power and the value" in asking for help. The Rock chatted with Men's Health about his diet, building muscle at 50, and more importantly his belief in vulnerability and honest communication. Flannery Underwood for MEN’S HEALTH After getting through the obligatory talk about the importance of lifting iron, protein intake, and what it took to get into Black Adam shape, the megastar was asked if anything scared him. Johnson admitted he does stay up at night thinking about making the "right moves" but said the way he makes any decision is by remaining "in touch with the simple core things that are important to me." But the conversation then turned to the importance of communication. "I think one of the defining, seminal moments in my life was when I really realized the power and the value of asking for help," Johnson said. "Vulnerability. You know, really kind of checking your ego at the door. As guys, we have a tendency to not ask for help. Ego gets in the way, and we start stuffing things deep down in our guts, which is not a good thing." Getty 12 Famous Men Who Have Gotten Real About Mental Health View Story "I grew up an only child. I was that guy who would stuff things down and not talk about them, and I’d figure it out all by myself," he admitted. "Most of the time I did figure it out all by myself, but also it just took a toll, man, on my soul and on my mental health." He went on to explain, "So these days, I’m a big advocate for asking for help. Also, I’ve lost friends, uh, who checked out and, yeah, ended their lives because they didn’t want to ask for help. Yeah. So you gotta communicate. You gotta ask for help." "There’s no shame in that," Johnson assured. "If you don’t know something, ask. If you don’t know, ask." | Men's Health |
© Provided by ScienceAlert Three generations of men A variety of age-related illnesses – including bone weakness, sexual dysfunction, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease – can be predicted by a single hormone that appears at a steady level in men across the course of their lives, new research reveals. That hormone is INSL3, and it first appears during puberty. From then on, its levels only dip slightly in old age. This consistency and the early age at which it appears makes INSL3 valuable to scientists – and possibly men's health. Someone with lower INSL3 levels at a young age is probably going to have lower levels of the hormone in old age too, the new research shows. If that translates to a greater risk of health complications, as the study suggests may be the case, those health risks could potentially be managed many years earlier. "Understanding why some people are more likely to develop disability and disease as they age is vital so that interventions can be found to ensure people not only live a long life but also a healthy life as they age," says reproductive endocrinologist Ravinder Anand-Ivell from the University of Nottingham in the UK. "Our hormone discovery is an important step in understanding this and will pave the way for not only helping people individually but also helping to ease the care crisis we face as a society." INSL3 is made by the same cells in the testes that produce testosterone; unlike testosterone, INSL3 doesn't fluctuate as men become adults. To monitor the level of INSL3 in the blood, researchers took samples from more than 2,200 men across eight different regional centers in Europe. The men's INSL3 levels stayed steady over time and also varied significantly between individuals, enough to tease apart health risks. Researchers suggest that INSL3 levels in the blood reliably correlate to the number and health of the Leydig cells in the testes – having fewer of these cells and less testosterone has also been linked to numerous health issues in later life. "Now we know the important role this hormone plays in predicting disease and how it varies amongst men, we are turning our attention to finding out what factors have the most influence on the level of INSL3 in the blood," says molecular endocrinologist Richard Ivell from the University of Nottingham. "Preliminary work suggests early life nutrition may play a role, but many other factors such as genetics or exposure to some environmental endocrine disruptors may play a part." Across nine morbidity categories that participants reported in questionnaires, including cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, INSL3 was linked to an increased risk of morbidity in eight of them (only depression wasn't found to have any correlation in this study). But when the researchers adjusted for other hormonal and lifestyle factors, such as BMI and smoking status, most of these associations with INSL3 were lost, except for high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. And testing whether INSL3 levels in blood samples from a subset of men could foreshadow health outcomes roughly four years later, lower hormone levels were associated with seven of the nine comorbidity categories. But again, this was without taking into account other factors. One area the scientists are keen to explore in future studies is how INSL3 relates to sexual health, with its strong association with testosterone, but that wasn't included in detail in this particular piece of research. Future studies should also "focus on longer time periods to determine whether INSL3 measured in younger or middle-aged men… is truly predictive of the later appearance of age-dependent health issue," the researchers conclude. If the link between INSL3 and these health risks is established by further studies, and scientists are able to pinpoint exactly why the link exists, it means preparations can be made much earlier to try and spot – and stop – a variety of age-related health problems from happening. "The holy grail of aging research is to reduce the fitness gap that appears as people age," says Anand-Ivell. The research has been published in Frontiers in Endocrinology. | Men's Health |
Behind Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson’s tough exterior is a more vulnerable side that he’s sharing with fans.The "Black Adam" star gets candid in his new interview with Men's Health for its December cover story. Johnson is opening up about his fears, in addition to why he’ll never compare to celebrities such as George Clooney, Johnny Depp and Will Smith.When asked if anything scares Johnson, he revealed the reoccurring thoughts that cloud his mind.DWAYNE JOHNSON EXPLAINS WHY 'BLACK ADAM' IS AN INSPIRATION; JOKES HE ATE DONUTS TO PREPARE FOR THE ROLE"The thing that keeps me up at night is just how everything shakes out, the things we have planned, the things I can control. Making the right moves, thinking about my family, my babies, all the other stuff that’s going on," Johnson admitted. In Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson's tell-all interview he got candid about what fears he has in life, in addition to why he’ll never compare to celebrities such as George Clooney, Johnny Depp and Will Smith. (Flannery Underwood for Men’s Health)During his interview, the 50-year-old former pro wrestler turned actor also detailed his six-meal-a-day plan and discussed how his father taught him everything he knew about discipline, starting at the young age of five. DWAYNE 'THE ROCK' JOHNSON CONFIRMS PRESIDENTIAL RUN NOW 'OFF THE TABLE' During his interview, the 50-year-old former pro wrestler turned actor detailed his six-meal-a-day plan and discussed how his father taught him everything he knew about discipline, starting at the age of five. (Flannery Underwood for Men’s Health)As Johnson took on his first superhero role as Black Adam in the newest DC film, he spoke out about how he "identified so deeply" with his character and how they both can’t be "put in a box." When asked if anything scares Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, he opened up about the things that keep him up at night. (Flannery Underwood for Men’s Health)Johnson continued to reflect on his 20-year Hollywood career and expressed that when he first rose to fame, he had to cater to a certain elite ideology, as he was compared to some of the biggest celebrities. "You can’t call yourself the Rock. You can’t talk about pro wrestling. You can’t be this big. You can’t work out as much. Change your diet. Lose weight. If you want to be like Will Smith, Johnny Depp, George Clooney, who were the stars at that time, this is how you have to be," he explained. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"The Rock" went on to say he stood his ground and vowed only to be true to himself.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER"Well, I tried that on for a few years, and then finally I said, ‘Man, f--- this. I can’t be like that. I’m not those guys. I could never be those guys. I’m not in a box. Don’t tell me how to be. I’m going to be myself." Stephanie Giang-Paunon is an Entertainment Writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @SGiangPaunon. | Men's Health |
"It really f---ing bothered me, dude. I cried about it." Chris Pratt spent much of his interview with Men's Health reacting to being the "Worst Chris" in Hollywood; or the Internet's belief that he's the lesser of the Chrises when compared to Evans, Hemsworth and Pine. It's a conversation that has been going on for years on social media, with calls for Pratt to be axed from the MCU amid speculation about his religious beliefs and politics, as well as comments some interpreted to be disrespectful to his son Jack and ex-wife Anna Faris. Getty James Gunn Defends Chris Pratt Amid Calls for MCU to Replace Him View Story "You don't ever wanna get caught complaining or anything, 'cause I have so many blessings. I consider everything a blessing truly in my life," he told the publication, before adding, "Why are they coming after me?" "Guardians of the Galaxy" director James Gunn and "Jurassic World" director Colin Trevorrow both defended Pratt in the piece -- with Gunn saying the commentary "absolutely infuriates" him and is based on "stuff that people have literally just made up about him." Pratt, meanwhile, believes it stems from publicly talking about and thanking God during a speech at the MTV Movie & TV Awards -- adding that he gets why talk of religion can be off-putting. "Religion has been oppressive as f--- for a long time. I didn't know that I would kind of become the face of religion when really I'm not a religious person. I think there's a distinction between being religious -- adhering to the customs created by man, oftentimes appropriating the awe reserved for who I believe is a very real God -- and using it to control people, to take money from people, to abuse children, to steal land, to justify hatred," he told Men's Health. "Whatever it is. The evil that's in the heart of every single man has glommed on to the back of religion and come along for the ride." Peggy Sirota for Men's Health He clarified that he "never went to Hillsong" and doesn't know anyone from that church, and told the publication he attends Zoe Church and had his daughter Lyla baptized in a normal Catholic church in Santa Monica. While he said he's learned that Twitter isn't real life, Pratt added that's something his son Jack hasn't learned yet. Jack, Pratt's 9-year-old son with ex-wife Anna Faris, became a public talking point late last year after the actor praised wife Katherine Schwarzenegger on social media for giving him "a gorgeous healthy daughter." Critics took it as a slight against Faris and his son, who faced health problems as a baby after he was born nine weeks premature, leaving him with some physical limitations, including visual impairments. Getty Maria Shriver Defends Son-in-Law Chris Pratt Over Katherine Schwarzenegger Tribute Backlash View Story "I said something like, 'Find someone who looks at you the way my wife looks at me.' And then I gave her some s--- in the thing and said, 'But I love you. I'm so thankful for my wife -- she gave me a beautiful, healthy daughter.' And then a bunch of articles came out and said, 'That's so cringeworthy. I can't believe Chris Pratt would thank her for a healthy daughter when his first child was born premature. That’s such a dig at his ex-wife,'" he recalled of the backlash. "And I'm like, That is fucked up. My son's gonna read that one day. He's nine. And it's etched in digital stone," he continued. "It really f---ing bothered me, dude. I cried about it. I was like, I hate that these blessings in my life are -- to the people close to me -- a real burden." Read Pratt's full profile from the July/August 2022 of Men's Health here. Getty Stars Defend Chris Pratt After Responses to Viral Post Saying He 'Has to Go' View Story | Men's Health |
Chris Hemsworth isn't waiting for ragnarok to make his health a priority.
Since the Thor actor learned he has an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease, he's implemented a variety of lifestyle changes that are supposed to benefit not only his overall health, but also his brain.
"I'm incorporating more solitude into my life," Chris told Men's Health in an interview published Oct. 3. "I've always been pretty consistent with my exercise commitments, but lately I've really felt the importance of taking time for yourself without any outside voice or stimulation and making time for stillness."
And part of that stillness involves a focus on mindfulness.
"I do a lot of meditation and breath work mostly during sauna and ice bath routines," the 40-year-old explained. "For me, my favorite mindfulness work comes from the immersion in physical actives that allow me to be fully present and force me out of me head and into my body, in particular surfing."
Another key component of his routine? Prioritizing sleep and exercise.
"I have a more consistent approach to my sleep," the Extraction star added. "Try to stay off screens an hour before bed and read most nights definitely helps. In addition, focusing on not being attached to every thought and be the observer to the noise when possible , just stepping back from the internal chatter."
Chris first learned of his pre-disposition for Alzheimer's while undergoing genetic testing for his National Geographic docuseries Limitless. And while, according to Men's Health, he was given the option to edit the information out of the series, Chris ultimately decided to keep it in.
After all, he wanted the information to inspire viewers to "either go and get checked or to understand more about brain health and see what they have within their power to change."
Since becoming aware of his heightened risk, Chris has been candid about the ways the knowledge has affected his relationship with his family—namely wife Elsa Patacky and their kids, daughter India Rose, 11, and twin boys Sasha and Tristan, 9.
This especially true when it comes to his work schedule. Last year, the Marvel actor expressed his desire to take a break from acting to be with his kids, a sentiment he echoed in this newest interview.
"It made me think about my kids and how they're growing up and things are changing so dramatically, and I want to sit, I want to soak it in," he reflected to Men's Health. "I don't want to be in a sprint anymore. I want to be right here and appreciate everything that's in front of me."
And from the looks of things, he's doing just that. Keep reading to see some of Chris and his family's cutest moments from over the years. | Men's Health |
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Zac Efron is taking a new approach to fitness.The actor, 34, told Men’s Health magazine that he is no longer interested in maintaining the body he had in 2017 for "Baywatch.""That ‘Baywatch’ look, I don't know if that's really attainable. There's just too little water in the skin," he told the outlet. "Like, it's fake, it looks CGI'd. And that required Lasix, powerful diuretics, to achieve. So, I don't need to do that. I much prefer to have an extra, you know, two to three percent body fat." Zac Efron said his "Baywatch" body led to depression in 2017. (Ture Lillegraven for Men’s Health)Efron told Men's Health he felt depleted and struggled with "bad depression" during the intense training "Baywatch" required. Emerging from the 2020 pandemic, the actor felt he was ready to make a change to how he approached fitness.ZAC EFRON ADMITS HE NEVER WANTS TO GET IN ‘BAYWATCH’ SHAPE EVER AGAIN: ‘IT’S JUST STUPID'"I started to develop insomnia," he added in the magazine's October 2022 cover story. "I fell into a pretty bad depression for a long time. Something about that experience burned me out. I had a really hard time recentering. Ultimately, they chalked it up to taking way too many diuretics for way too long, and it messed something up."The "High School Musical" star made major adjustments to his eating and sleeping habits. Efron had been a vegan for about two years, which was seen on his Netflix show with wellness expert Darin Olien "Down to Earth." Zac Efron is featured in the October 2022 issue of Men's Health. (Ture Lillegraven for Men’s Health)During the pandemic, Efron took a break from acting and moved to Australia."At one point, that was a dream of mine — what it would be like to not have to be in shape all the time," he said. "What if I just say, ‘F--k it,’ and let myself go? So, I tried it, and I was successful. And for all the reasons I thought it would be incredible, I was just miserable. My body would not feel healthy. I just didn’t feel alive. I felt bogged down and slow."CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTERThat’s when Efron took a different approach to his healthy lifestyle. Now the star is an avid foam-roller and enjoys starting his days off with an ice bath."It’s my favorite part of the day. Before is when it’s most miserable, and when you finally just commit and jump in there. From that point forward, you’ve conquered something deep within you — you do not want to get cold," Efron shared. "That’s the simplest philosophy: Anything you don’t want to do, make it a habit." Zac Efron shared that his masseter muscles got "really, really big" after suffering a jaw injury. (Ture Lillegraven for Men’s Health)Efron also addressed "Jaw-gate," when he was accused of getting plastic surgery on his face in 2021.It happened after he shattered his jaw. He hit it on a granite fountain after running through his home in socks and slipping. Zac worked with a specialist and did physical therapy, but he explained that as his jaw healed, "the masseters just grew. They just got really, really big."The masseter muscles are used for clenching the jaw and normally work harmoniously with the other muscles in the face.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPEfron shared with the outlet that he didn’t know about the plastic surgery allegations until he got a phone call from his mom, because he tries not to spend too much time on social media. "If I valued what other people thought of me to the extent that they may think I do," he said, "I definitely wouldn’t be able to do this work."Efron’s latest project, "The Greatest Beer Run Ever," will be in theaters and available for streaming on Apple TV+ Sept. 30. Janelle Ash is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. | Men's Health |
LAS VEGAS – Marlon Vera hasn’t received a contract to fight, but that hasn’t stopped him from preparing as if he’ll be competing for gold before the year is done.
In his next outing, Vera (23-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC) expects to run it back with Sean O’Malley. Although this time, the stakes will be much higher because O’Malley (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) is the newly-crowned UFC bantamweight champion.
At the UFC 30th anniversary Q&A before the Noche UFC ceremonial weigh-ins, Vera was asked if there was any movement on the fight coming to fruition. Vera confirmed he hasn’t received a contract, but also feels O’Malley has changed his tone in recent days.
“As of now, they haven’t said anything yet,” Vera told reporters and fans. “I’m preparing as (if) I am fighting in December. You know, why not? I mean, the guy was talking about fighting and stuff like that. Now he’s backing out. I guess when you’re a champion, you can call the shots, so let’s see what that b*tch want to do.”
“Chito” and O’Malley first met inside the octagon at UFC 252 in August 2020. The fight didn’t make it out of the first round after Vera capitalized on an O’Malley leg injury, and pummeled him on the ground with vicious elbows for a TKO victory.
If they do meet again, Vera feels he won’t need to change much from their first meeting. As long as he maintains his current trajectory of steady improvements, “Chito” feels he will be able to get the job done again to take the title from “Suga.”
“I just keep getting better, keep training, staying in better shape,” Vera said. “Show up a little faster than I was before, (with) better technique than I had before. If I can improve a little bit from what I was in the fight before, that’s all I need to be. He’s a good fighter. He have the belt right now, but make no mistake, I’m going to kick his ass again.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Noche UFC. | MMA |
Lightweight champion Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) will run things back with Charles Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) in the UFC 294 headliner, which takes place Oct. 21 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Makhachev dropped and submitted Oliveira in their first fight at UFC 280 last October, in what was a dominant performance. Featherweight champion Volkanovski gives Makhachev the advantage over the UFC’s all-time leader in submission wins on the ground, but not just if they grappled.
“Who I think is a better MMA grappler? I’m going to point to Islam,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “Jiu-jitsu, we’ll go to Charles. This is going to be pretty controversial: Even if they did a jiu-jitsu match, who do I think will win? I’d still say Islam.
“I think (Oliveira has) got cleaner, crisper sort of submissions and jiu-jitsu moves. But when it comes to actual grappling and control, and dictating where it all goes, I’ve got Islam all day.”
Volkanovski knows first hand how good Makhachev’s grappling is. Although Volkanovski was able to get back to his feet for the most part, he had a hard time dealing with Makhachev’s suffocating pressure throughout their lightweight title fight at UFC 284, where he was edged out in a decision loss.
He still expects Makhachev to be a hard fight for Oliveira.
“I think Charles needs to do a better job of getting back to his feet, pouring the pressure on that way, which could lead to openings, submissions, while he’s building himself back up,” Volkanovski said.
“As Islam is trying to catch him again, maybe leaving his neck vulnerable, then getting him sort of out of position there because on the bottom, you’re not going to get him out of position. Then on the feet is where Charles obviously needs to get Islam for his best bet of winning that fight.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294. | MMA |
Adesanya (24-2 MMA, 13-2 UFC) defends his middleweight title against Strickland (27-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 293 main event at Qudos Bank Arena. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews/ESPN+ and early prelims on ESPN+.
Sanko will make her pay-per-view commentary debut for Saturday’s event. According to BetMGM, Strickland is a big +500 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on the challenger would win $500 profit. Adesanya is a -700 favorite, meaning a $700 bet would be needed on the champion to return $100 profit. But Sanko doesn’t see the fight that lopsided.
“I think Sean knows what he needs to do to win, and I do think that this could be a more competitive fight than a lot of people are giving it credit for,” Sanko told MMA Junkie. “Sean has a particular style that – we often talk about the guys that have really flashy techniques as being hard to emulate in the gym. I would argue that Sean Strickland would be very hard to emulate in the gym. Not a lot of people can keep up that particular style of pace.
“Izzy is a jazz musician. He’s out there bending notes and being extemporaneous with how he expresses himself. Sean Strickland is like thrash metal. He’s in your face, and he’s unrelenting. It may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it can be very effective.”
Strickland already had his shot at an elite kickboxer but was quickly knocked out by former champ Alex Pereira at UFC 276. Strickland has since trained with Pereira, and Sanko said if Strickland can apply pressure cautiously, he could find success against Adesanya.
“So, if Sean can effectively get in there and safely find a way to make this more of a messy fight,” Sanko continued, “get in Izzy’s face like he does everybody, but do it safely unlike he did in the Pereira fight. Maybe drag the fight out a little bit longer.
“Which I think this will be a longer fight actually, unless he gets slept early somehow by Izzy. Mix in the grappling. There are not easy paths to victory for Sean, but there are paths. Sean’s not going to win a kickboxing fight against Israel Adesanya, but Sean could win a fight.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 293. | MMA |
Khamzat Chimaev was simply too much for former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman to handle on short notice.
After losing his original opponent Paulo Costa due to a staph infection, Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) ended up sharing the octagon with Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC), who stepped up on just 10 days’ notice to create a new UFC 294 co-main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Usman competed at middleweight for the first time in his UFC career, but Chimaev’s grappling kept his undefeated record intact with a majority decision win. Official cageside judges submitted scores of 29-27, 29-27 and 28-28.
Chimaev didn’t play around with Usman on the feet for long. After an initial exchange, “Borz” shot in for a takedown, putting Usman’s grappling in a higher weight class to the test. A few seconds later, Chimaev was locked in on Usman’s back, landing punches while looking for openings for a submission.
Usman remained calm, but he spent the entire round fending off submission attempts and defending punches from Chimaev. Usman survived until the horn, but Round 1 was a dominant grappling display from Chimaev.
After a one-sided first round, Chimaev surprisingly opted to slow things down and see how the fight would unfold on the feet. The pace was light for a majority of the round, but Usman began opening up late in the round. That is, before Chimaev decided it was time to shoot in for a well-timed takedown to end the round on the mat.
Final 5 minutes on the way!
— UFC (@ufc) October 21, 2023
Chimaev shot for an early takedown to start the final round, but it wasn’t there. Usman, needing to change the course of the fight, began looking to land powerful strikes. The former 170-pound champ turned up the volume with punching combinations and forward pressure. However, Chimaev stopped his momentum with a takedown midway through the round. Usman worked back up to his feet with less than a minute to go, but couldn’t land a fight-ending blow as they unloaded strikes before the horn.
Khamzat Chimaev takes the majority decision!!
— UFC (@ufc) October 21, 2023
In his first fight of 2023, Chimaev picks up a win over a former champion in his second bout that saw a late opponent change. In his last outing at UFC 279, Chimaev was originally set to face Nate Diaz, but issues on the scale caused a seismic shift in matchups. He ended up facing Kevin Holland, who he submitted midway through Round 1.
Usman has now lost three straight fights. “The Nigerian Nightmare” lost back-to-back title fights against Leon Edwards, and couldn’t get back on track at middleweight against Chimaev.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 294 results include:
- Khamzat Chimaev def. Kamaru Usman via majority decision (29-27, 29-27, 28-28)
- Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker declared no contest (accidental illegal knee) – Round 1, 3:13
- Ikram Aliskerov def. Warlley Alves via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:07
- Said Nurmagomedov def. Muin Gafurov via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:13
- Muhammad Mokaev def. Tim Elliott via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 3, 3:03
- Trevor Peek def. Mohammad Yahya via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 30-27)
- Javid Basharat vs. Victor Henry declared no contest (accidental groin strike by Basharat) – Round 2, 0:15
- Sedriques Dumas def. Abu Azaitar via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Mike Breeden def. Anshul Jubli via knockout (punches) – Round 3, 3:00
- Muhammad Naimov def. Nathaniel Wood via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Viktoriia Dudakova def. Jinh Yu Frey via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Shara Magomedov def. Bruno Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27 30-27)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294. | MMA |
There was talk prior to Israel Adesanya’s title defense on Sept. 9 against Sean Strickland prior to UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia, that Adesanya had caught up with Anderson Silva as the greatest middleweight in MMA history.
Adesanya closed as nearly a 7-1 favorite, but then was drubbed by Strickland in one of the most shocking upsets in UFC history. Strickland won four of the five rounds and totally shut down Adesanya en route to taking his middleweight championship.
That presented a problem when considering where to put the men in the pound-for-pound rankings. Did they both belong in? Just one of them? Neither? There is a case that could be made for all three scenarios
Looking at Adesanya first, he was No. 4 in the previous Yahoo Sports rankings. But he’s lost two of his last three and dating back to 2021, he’s barely above break-even at 4-3. Now, he’s fought the best of the best of the best in that span, but given the sheer volume of worthy challengers, does he even deserve to stay in the rankings.
As for Strickland, he’s now won three in a row, but going back just 14 months, he’s also barely above break-even, at 3-2.
Adesanya had the better track record and I believe he still has more significant wins than Strickland. But losing two of the last three, and getting beaten by a significant margin in the most recent one, comes with a penalty.
He barely held onto his spot, as he landed at No. 10. But there are fighters now outside the Top 10 who with good performances in their fights could oust him.
Strickland didn’t quite make the cut. He wasn’t seriously considered for the Top 10 prior to the Adesanya fight, so he made up a lot of ground with his brilliant performance. But Adesanya has been better for longer and it’s not that long ago that he knocked out Alex Pereira.
So while Strickland beat Adesanya and holds the title, Adesanya held him off for a Top 10 spot by the thinnest of margins based upon his résumé over a long period of time.
Men’s MMA pound-for-pound rankings as of Sept. 11
1. Jon Jones (27-1), UFC heavyweight champion. Previous Ranking: 1.
2. Alexander Volkanovski (25-2), UFC featherweight champion. Previous Ranking: 2.
3. Islam Makhachev (24-1), UFC lightweight champion. Previous Ranking: 3.
4. Leon Edwards (21-3), UFC welterweight champion. Previous Ranking: 5.
5. Khamzat Chimaev (12-0) UFC welterweight/middleweight contender. Previous Ranking: 6.
6. Sean O’Malley (17-1) UFC bantamweight champion. Previous Ranking: NR.
7. Kamaru Usman (20-3), former UFC welterweight champion. Previous Ranking: 8.
8. Charles Oliveira (33-9), former UFC lightweight champion. Previous Ranking: 9.
9. Justin Gaethje (25-4), UFC BMF champion. Previous Ranking: 10.
10. Israel Adesanya (24-3), former UFC middleweight champion. Previous Ranking: 4.
Women’s MMA pound-for-pound rankings as of Sept. 11
1. Julianna Peña (12-5), UFC bantamweight contender. Previous Ranking: 1.
2. Alexa Grasso (16-3), UFC flyweight champion. Previous Ranking: 2.
3. Valentina Shevchenko (23-4), former UFC flyweight champion. Previous Ranking: 3.
4. Zhang Weili (24-3), UFC strawweight champion. Previous Ranking: 4.
5. Erin Blanchfield (11-1), UFC flyweight contender. Previous Ranking: 5.
6. Manon Fiorot (11-1), UFC flyweight contender. Previous Ranking: 6.
7. Tatiana Suarez (10-0), UFC strawweight contender. Previous Ranking: NR.
8. Raquel Pennington (15-8), UFC bantamweight contender. Previous Ranking: 9.
9. Larissa Pacheco (21-4), 2022 PFL lightweight champion. Previous Ranking: 10.
10. Rose Namajunas (11-6), former UFC strawweight champion. Previous Ranking: NR. | MMA |
The UFC’s return to Sydney after nearly six years produced one of the most shocking main event results of the year as the middleweight title changed hands at Qudos Bank Arena.
Sean Strickland (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) closed out UFC 293 with a massive unanimous decision upset of Israel Adesanya (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) to take the belt and force a reset at the top of the middleweight rankings.
For more on the numbers from the title bout, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 293.
* * * *
Event stats
The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $209,000.
Debuting fighters went 2-2 on the card.
UFC 293 drew an announced attendance of 18,168 for a live gate of $6,860,000.
Betting favorites went 9-3 on the card.
Betting favorites fell to 19-13 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:07:07.
Sean Strickland def. Israel Adesanya
Strickland became the 13th undisputed middleweight champion in UFC history.
Strickland improved to 6-2 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in October 2020.
Strickland has earned 10 of his 15 UFC victories by decision.
Adesanya fell to 1-2 in his past three fights.
Adesanya has suffered two of his three career losses by decision.
Adesanya sustained the first knockdown of his UFC career.
Alexander Volkov def. Tai Tuivasa
Alexander Volkov(37-10 MMA, 11-4 UFC) has earned 28 of his 37 career victories by stoppage.
Volkov earned just the fourth Ezekiel choke submission in UFC history. Aleksei Oleinik (twice) and Remco Pardoel also won with the technique.
Tai Tuivasa (15-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) fell to 5-6 in his past 10 fights after starting his career 10-0.
Tuivasa has suffered five of his six career losses by stoppage.
Manel Kape vs. Felipe dos Santos
Kape’s (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at flyweight is tied for the longest active streak in the division.
Dos Santos (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) had his eight-fight unbeaten streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
Justin Tafa def. Austen Lane
Tafa (7-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) has earned all seven of his career victories by knockout.
Austen Lane (12-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has suffered all four of his career losses by knockout.
Tyson Pedro def. Anton Turkalj
Tyson Pedro (10-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) had earned all 10 of his career victories by first-round stoppage.
Pedro has earned all six of his UFC victories by stoppage.
Anton Turkalj (8-3 MMA, 0-3 UFC) has suffered three consecutive losses after starting his career 8-0.
Turkalj has suffered two of his three career losses by stoppage.
Turkalj suffered the first knockout loss of his career.
Carlos Ulberg def. Da Woon Jung
Carlos Ulberg’s (8-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak at light heavyweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Ulberg has earned six of his eight career victories by stoppage.
Ulberg’s four-fight UFC stoppage streak is tied for the fourth-longest among active fighters in the company behind Sergei Pavlovich (six), Jailton Almeida (five) and Shavkat Rakhmonov (five).
Da Woon Jung’s (15-5-1 MMA, 4-3-1 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since November 2021.
Jung has suffered two of his three career stoppage losses by submission.
Jose Mariscal def. Jack Jenkins
Jack Jenkins (12-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has suffered all three of his career losses by stoppage.
Jenkins suffered the first TKO loss of his career.
Jamie Mullarkey def. John Makdessi
John Makdessi (18-9 MMA, 11-9 UFC) has suffered six of his nine career losses by decision.
Nasrat Haqparast def. Landon Quinones
Charlie Radtke def. Blood Diamond
Blood Diamond (3-3 MMA, 0-3 UFC) has suffered three consecutive losses after starting his career 3-0.
Gabriel Miranda def. Shane Young
Kevin Jousset def. Kiefer Crosbie
Kevin Jousset (9-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) earned the first submission victory of his career.
Kiefer Crosbie (10-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has suffered all four of his career losses by stoppage.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 293. | MMA |
There’s only one fighter that would make Tyron Woodley fight in the UFC again.
Woodley, a former UFC welterweight champion, fought out his contract after his fourth-straight loss to Vicente Luque in March 2021, and ended up parting ways with the promotion.
He has since boxed Jake Paul twice, losing their first bout by split decision, then their rematch by knockout. If Woodley were to ever return to the UFC, only former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya would entice him – simply because of a misunderstanding that rubbed him the wrong way.
“The only thing that would get me back to the UFC, the only person I would just want to beat the f*ck out of is Israel Adesanya,” Woodley said on the JAXXON PODCAST with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. “I don’t like him.”
After losing his welterweight title to Kamaru Usman, Woodley expressed interest in a future fight with Adesanya – a callout which was laughed off by “The Stylebender.” But Woodley says his desire to fight Adesanya came early, and it was simply to test himself competitively.
“Because he cap,” Woodley explained. “He was never Israel Adesanya. ‘How do I do this again? I filter myself now … Israel Adesanya.’ I get on the same show, TMZ, they asked me who was next up. I said, ‘I like this Israel kid. He’s kind of different, but he’s got some pizazz. He’s got his own character. He’s flashy, but he’s a good martial artist. I think he’s the next one to watch out for.’ This is when he first started. I already gave you respect.
“Then they asked me who did I want to fight? Whoever is at the top. So you’re at the top, my brother, so salute. I never wanted to fight Nick or Nate (Diaz) or (Michael) Bisping, or Conor (McGregor), or Georges (St-Pierre) because I thought they were weak, easy or they were whack. I thought they was the best. To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best.” | MMA |
Middleweight champion Eblen (13-0 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) defends his title against Edwards (12-2 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) in the main event of Bellator 299, which takes place Sept. 23 at 3Arena in Dublin. The main card will air on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Edwards is enjoying his best career-run after scoring a decisive win over former champ Gegard Mousasi, but undefeated Eblen thinks he’ll be too much for him.
“He’s been training, got a few more fights under his belt, definitely gained some more experience,” Eblen told MMA Junkie Radio. “(He’s) probably made a few adjustments, learned from those losses, probably learned from his wins because the best guys in the world learn from their wins and their losses. I just don’t see him beating me in any circumstance.
“He has gotten better and I have seen a progression in him, but it’s just not relative to the progression I’ve made even since my last fight. I’m going to be too much for him. I’m going to overwhelm him. I’m a different animal when I’m in there and he’s going to feel it.”
Eblen notched his first title defense February when he defeated Anatoly Tokov by unanimous decision in the Bellator 290 co-main event. That’s when he gained confidence that he’ll be a tall order for anyone at 185 pounds.
“I would say since after my Tokov fight – actually, leading up to that fight I started to feel like, ‘Damn, dude – I’m getting good,'” Eblen said. “‘I’m sparring with really high-level guys and doing better than I thought.’ It’s hard to digest sparring when you’re in it, but luckily enough Mike Brown likes to film a lot of my sparring, so I get to watch back and get to learn. I get to see how well I do and sometimes I’m too hard on myself, and I think it’s a good thing though.
“I think it’s the reason why I’m accelerating and getting so much better. Basically, I’m seeing how well I’m doing and how much better I’m getting exponentially, especially in the timeframe I’m doing it in. I truly think I’m the best or one of the best in the world, and I’m here to prove it. I can’t wait to prove it. I’m just going to keep winning fights and getting better.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 299. | MMA |
SYDNEY – Laura Sanko is excited to make her commentary debut for a pay-per-view event at UFC 293.
Sanko will join leading man Jon Anik and former two-division champion Daniel Cormier cageside for Saturday’s event, which takes place at Qudos Bank Arena. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews/ESPN+ and early prelims on ESPN+.
Although it’s been a dream of hers for years, Sanko admits the call came sooner than she expected.
“It feels awesome,” Sanko told MMA Junkie. “You say it’s a long time coming, but to be honest with you it was a big surprise. I’ve known about it for a few months, but when the call did come, it was actually a massive surprise to me.
“I didn’t feel like this particular goal would get checked off probably for a few years, if I’m being honest. So I’m surprised, excited, elated now that’s it here, and I’m just ready to go.”
Sanko has already had a wealth of experience commentating for Invicta FC, LFA, Dana White’s Contender Series and Road to UFC. Although this is her biggest opportunity yet, Sanko revealed her prep won’t change too much.
“I pretty much have my process laid down,” Sanko said. “I really enjoy watching the film. That, to me, is like the story that I get to then re-tell to the audience to the best of my ability, and I love seeing things that played out maybe in past fights get implemented in a new way.
“So, anytime I can see a pattern and then see it again, I kind of geek out about that stuff. Film watching, to me, I love it, but it’s a lot of work. Honestly, I treat Road to UFC, Contender Series, Fight Nights same as a pay-per-view. I don’t think it would be possible for me to prepare more. I just have more things going on.”
UFC 293 is headlined by a middleweight title bout between champion Israel Adesanya and challenger Sean Strickland. Sanko said she geeks out when watching tape on how fighters have evolved and their way of showing it on the night, but don’t expect her to scream in excitement while on the call.
“I learned pretty early on because my husband told me, and these were his words, ‘No one wants to hear a woman scream on television,'” Sanko said with a laugh. “So, if you’ll notice, if you listen closely, I almost never yell at a finish because he’s not wrong.
“No one wants to hear, ‘Oh my God!’ Not that I would say it like that, but the way I save my voice is by waiting for the moment I can come in and contribute to a big moment, but I try not to hit the big moments too hard and that’s the key, but the energy will not be a problem, though.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 293. | MMA |
UFC seems to have figured out the rest of its championship bouts for the year, starting with another crack at finding a light heavyweight champion.
UFC president Dana White announced a light heavyweight title fight between former belt-holders Jiří Procházka and Alex Pereira will become the co-main event of UFC 295 on Nov. 11, which is already being headlined by the heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic.
Additionally, UFC 296 on Dec. 16 will see a welterweight title fight between champion Leon Edwards and Colby Covington and a flyweight title fight between champion Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Royval.
🚨 HUGE FIGHT NEWS 🚨
November's #UFC295 co-main event will be @Jiri_BJP vs @AlexPereiraUFC for the vacant light heavyweight title!
AND your #UFC296 headliners will be @Leon_EdwardsMMA vs @ColbyCovMMA, with Alexandre Pantoja vs @BrandonRoyval serving as the co-main! pic.twitter.com/GTD5pnd1BD
— UFC (@ufc) September 21, 2023
UFC 295 will be held at Madison Square Garden, while UFC 296 will be at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Who will win UFC's cursed light heavyweight belt?
The Procházka-Pereira bout will be the third straight time two fighters have faced off for a vacant light heavyweight belt. Since Jones left the division in 2020, there has been a grand total of one successful title defense: Jan Blachowicz holding off Israel Adesanya on March 6, 2021.
Since then, Blachowicz has lost the belt to Glover Teixeira, Teixeira lost it to Procházka and then Procházka was forced to vacate the title due to what White called "the worst shoulder injury in UFC history." Procházka has not fought since June 12, 2022.
Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev fought to a controversial draw in the UFC's first crack at finding a belt-holder after Procházka. Then, Jamahal Hill beat Teixeira and tore his Achilles tendon months later. Now, the UFC is bringing it all back home with Procházka.
Pereira is making a widely expected move to light heavyweight after a pair of fights against Adesanya, whom Pereira stunned for the middleweight belt last year. Adesanya took the title back in April (then lost it this month), leaving Pereira — a very large middleweight — to move up a division.
Colby Covington gets another title shot
Edwards, who has not lost since 2015, defeated longtime welterweight champ Kamaru Usman last year and held off the former No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter for his first title defense in March. His next challenger will be Covington, a guy Usman defeated twice, once by TKO and once by unanimous decision.
Covington has fought only once since his second loss to Usman, a dominant performance against an aging Jorge Masvidal on March 5, 2022. Part of the reason might have been injuries incurred from Masvidal's attack on Covington in Miami later that month, but Covington has been allowed to retain top contender status over the last year-plus without a single fight.
Now, he gets first crack at Edwards.
Alexandre Pantoja's first flyweight title defense is a rematch
Pantoja captured the UFC flyweight belt with a split-decision win over Brandon Moreno. Rather than another title rematch involving Moreno, who faced Deiveson Figueiredo four times for the belt, the UFC set up a rematch against Royval instead.
The 26-5 Pantoja defeated Royval in August 2021 via submission. That was part of back-to-back losses to Royval, with Moreno being the other, but he has since defeated Rogério Bontorin, Matt Schnell and Matheus Nicolau to get his chance against Pantoja. | MMA |
Alexander Volkanovski wanted to get one back against Islam Makhachev on short notice, but things went wrong quickly in his second opportunity to win a second UFC title.
The UFC featherweight champion stepped in on less than two weeks’ notice to replace Charles Oliveira, who could not compete against Islam Makhachev in the UFC 294 main event due to a nasty cut suffered in one of his final sparring sessions. Volkanovski raised his hand and entered with confidence, saying he was looking to finish Makhachev in their lightweight title rematch.
Unfortunately for Volkanovski, he was the one who was stopped in the first round after a powerful head kick found its mark.
Despite the outcome, Volkanovski didn’t waste time saying he wanted to remain active. He’s already eyeing a placement on January’s UFC 297 card for a featherweight title fight against Ilia Topuria. Is that the right play, or should he take some time off after a devastating finish? Was there anything else that stood out about Volkanovski’s performance in Abu Dhabi?
We asked our “Spinning Back Clique” to discuss the biggest takeaway for Volkanovski in this loss. Farah Hannoun, Nolan King, and Brian “Goze” Garcia discuss with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.
You can watch their conversation in the video above, and check out this week’s full episode below on YouTube or in podcast form.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294. | MMA |
LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie is on scene reporting live from Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 61 event.
Dana White’s Contender Series cards see prospects fighting for the opportunity to sign a UFC deal, with UFC president Dana White on hand to make the decisions.
The fifth episode of Season 7 will see 10 fighters compete for their shot at a UFC contract. A light heavyweight bout between Bruno Lopes (11-0) and Brendson Ribeiro (14-5) serves as the featured matchup of the five-bout lineup.
The UFC Apex hosts Tuesday’s card, which streams live on ESPN+ and begins at 8 p.m. ET.
Full results of Dana White’s Contender Series 61 include:
- Bruno Lopes vs. Brendson Ribeiro
- Serhiy Sidey vs. Ramon Taveras
- Dylan Budka vs. Chad Hanekom
- Jean Silva vs. Kevin Vallejos
- Dione Barbosa vs. Rainn Guerrero
Continue reading below for more details about each fight.
Dione Barbosa vs. Rainn Guerrero
Result:
Photos:
Records: Dione Barbosa (3-2), Rainn Guerrero (5-1)
Division: Women’s flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee:
Jean Silva vs. Kevin Vallejos
Result:
Photos:
Records: Jean Silva (19-11-3), Kevin Vallejos (11-0)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee:
Dylan Budka vs. Chad Hanekom
Result:
Photos:
Records: Dylan Budka (3-1), Chad Hanekom (7-2)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee:
Serhiy Sidey vs. Ramon Taveras
Result:
Photos:
Records: Serhiy Sidey (9-1) vs. Ramon Taveras (8-1)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee:
Bruno Lopes vs. Brendson Ribeiro
Result:
Photos:
Records: Bruno Lopes (11-0), Brendson Ribeiro (14-5)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: | MMA |
The former UFC interim lightweight champion returns on the final pay-per-view of 2023, where he takes on British star Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296 in Las Vegas.
Many didn’t think this should’ve been the type of fight for Ferguson (25-9 MMA, 15-7 UFC) next and saw it as the UFC trying to use Ferguson to bolster Pimblett’s (20-3 MMA, 4-0 UFC) status in the promotion.
While there might be some aspect to that, with Pimblett getting one of the most popular names in the division, Schaub actually thinks this was the way to for “El Cucuy.”
“When this first got announced, a close friend of mine texted me saying, ‘It’s not announced yet, but I think they’re doing Tony Ferguson vs. Paddy Pimblett,’ and I go, ‘Finally. Finally, Tony gets a winnable fight,'” Schaub said on his YouTube channel. “… Not that it’s an easy fight, but look at his last seven fights. Bobby Green, he got submitted, that was a tough one. But Nate Diaz, which was short notice, Michael Chandler, (Beneil) Dariush, Charles Oliveira and Justin Gatheje. Before that, it was (Donald) Cerrone, Anthony Pettis, Kevin Lee, (Rafael) Dos Anjos. What? Look at who he’s fighting.”
Schaub thinks that Ferguson, although older and with more damage, is much better than Pimblett from a technical standpoint. He thinks this will be Pimblett’s toughest test in the UFC.
“My question for anybody going, ‘Oh, I see what the UFC is doing with this. It’s clear as day. They’re just feeding this young lion to Tony Ferguson,'” Schaub said. “My question for you guys is: Do you really think Paddy Pimblett won his last fight? Most don’t. He’s probably coming off a loss against Jared Gordon. Before that, the only people Paddy has beat was Jordan Leavitt, (Rodrigo) Vargas. They’re impressive fights, but he’s been hit in all those fights. … What aspect of MMA is Paddy Pimblett better at than Tony Ferguson? Striking? No. Grappling? No. Wrestling? No way.”
Even though Schaub sees Ferguson as a better fighter, he still stayed away from making an early prediction. Schaub mainly refutes the idea that Ferguson is just an easy stepping stone for Pimblett.
“I’m not saying I’m picking Tony to win,” Schaub said. “I’m just saying, this isn’t a terrible fight for Tony. It’s not some weird fight where the UFC is feeding some young lion this old, weathered veteran.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296. | MMA |
Cannonier (17-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) is tabbed as the backup fighter for Saturday’s championship bout between Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland, which headlines the pay-per-view main card at Qudos Bank Arena following prelims on ESPNews/ESPN+ and early prelims on ESPN+.
After learning his services would be needed less than five weeks ago, Cannonier said his focus has been on making weight, which the UFC is putting “a nice pretty penny to put in my bank” to do. The UFC has never actually faced a situation where a backup fighter was needed at the 11th hour, but Cannonier said he’ll be ready for it – and thinks he has a strategic leg up given the fact he’s already fought Adesanya (24-2 MMA, 13-2 UFC) and Strickland (27-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) before.
“It’s pretty much been more of a diet camp than a fight camp,” Cannonier told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. “I’ve fought both competitors before, so I’m not really concerning myself with – I don’t want to say I’m not concerning myself with what I’m going to do in there. I’m not necessarily game-planning for one or the other. I’m ready to go in there and fight both of them. I’m ready to go in there and fight both of them and win.”
If Cannonier ends up not being called upon, he said he will shift focus on getting a marquee matchup at 185 pounds. He thinks there are several options in play for him, and is open to any direction the promotion wants to go.
“I don’t know what’s going to be next for me,” Cannonier said. “Personally, I would like either a title fight or a contender’s match. There’s two fighters that could make a good contender’s match with me: Dricus Du Plessis or Robert Whittaker. Hell, even the winner of (Khamzat) Chimaev and (Paulo) Costa (at UFC 294). I’m ready to fight. I just want to get in there and fight.”
In some instances, a fighter who serves as the backup will be granted an immediate title fight next. That is the case for Colby Covington in the welterweight division after he weighed in as the alternate for Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman at UFC 286 in March, and while Cannonier hasn’t been given any assurances, he certainly wouldn’t turn his nose up at getting the UFC 293 winner.
“I certainly hope that is a shared sentiment, but no one said anything to me,” Cannonier said. “Either way, my ranking speaks for itself. I’m ready to get in there and fight for the title. I’m ready to get in there and win the title. It’s not just talk this time. I feel it in my bones. I feel it in my spirit. I feel it in the cosmos. I’m ready to get in there and do some work. I’m ready to do some damage against anybody. It don’t even have to be the champion. I’m ready to get in there and fight and show the world that I am who I am.”
Assuming Adesanya and Strickland get into the octagon without issue, Cannonier said he expects the champion to retain. He won’t completely rule out the possibility of Strickland winning, but he sees it as unlikely.
“I would say Sean has a tall mountain to climb,” Cannonier said. “Israel is 6-foot-4, pun intended. But I never count anyone out in this sport. He definitely has the skills to make something happen in there. But Izzy has the skills to make it not happen. It’d be hard to bet against Izzy.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 293. | MMA |
Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling might have a salient point about getting an immediate title rematch, but would he even accept it if he was offered?
Speaking from vacation in Bali, Sterling said in a video posted to his YouTube channel Saturday that if Israel Adesanya was to get an immediate rematch following his lopsided title loss to Sean Strickland, he too should receive one following his second-round knockout loss to Sean O’Malley.
Immediately following UFC 293, UFC CEO Dana White said “absolutely” to Adesanya getting an immediate rematch and earlier this week was still on board. White, however, hasn’t been as enthused when speaking about Sterling, with O’Malley talking up a different rematch against Marlon Vera for December.
The way Sterling sees it, his worthiness is no worse than on the same level of Adesanya’s considering the way he lost to Strickland and the fact that he’s dropped two of his past three title fights compared to Sterling having a nine-fight winning streak, including a division record three consecutive title defenses, snapped.
“If we’re gonna talk about giving instant rematches,” Sterling said, “you give a guy who lost two fights in the same title reign – so he won the belt, he lost (to Alex Pereira), beat the guy, and then came back and lost again to another guy. So it’s like, how are you giving him another title shot? And then you tell me that I don’t deserve it? That’s all I’m saying.
“I’m not knocking Izzy. Izzy, if they give you the title shot, brother, take that shit and run. But what I’m saying is, how do you get it and I don’t? If the fans, Dana, whoever can justify that to me and I could be like, ‘All right, I can see the point’ – but I don’t see the point.”
While Sterling’s argument might be strong for the UFC to make him an offer, minutes later in the video he indicated he has “no desire” to fight before the year ends.
“It’s still 2023,” Sterling said. “I have no desire to fight for the rest of this year unless it was a very enticing offer.”
A man in the video interrupted Sterling at that moment.
“Like Sean in December?” he asked.
Sterling continued, “But even that, honestly, it wouldn’t even be unless there was some payday incentive or something else on top of that that would make me be like, ‘All right, I’m gonna chill out on the vacation and stop everything and go back to the gym.’ Dude, this is what life’s all about, man: working hard so you could actually enjoy the fruits of your labor.”
Sterling also has made the case for his good friend and training partner, Merab Dvalishvili, to get a shot at O’Malley instead of him, so what Sterling truly wants to happen is anyone’s guess. | MMA |
Nicolas Dalby took all the boos and hisses Saturday in Sao Paulo and tried to transform them into something positive.
Following his performance bonus-earning win over Gabriel Bonfim at UFC Fight Night 231, Dalby (23-4-1 MMA, 7-3-1 UFC) thanked the Brazilian fans for their passion and enthusiasm despite their hostility toward him.
Dalby explained the decision to offer peace, despite the lack of support prior and during the fight.
“It’s different,” Dalby told reporters at a post-fight news conference. “I’ve talked about this before today. The crowd is so intense and amazing. I’m a bit in awe of how good they are at supporting the Brazilian fighters. I have people standing when I’m getting ready to go into the fight: ‘Yeah, I’m going to kill you,’ and all that crazy stuff. For me, maybe the Brazilian crowds will stop doing it if I fight here because I turn it into positive energy. For me, it doesn’t take away. On the other hand, it kind of makes me want to prove myself even more.”
Perhaps the decision was catalyzed by the moment, too. Dalby picked up his first finish in 12 promotional appearances with a spectacular come-from behind TKO. It was a proud moment for the Danish welterweight that could set him up for a big fight next time around.
“I feel amazing. It’s my first finish in the UFC. Maybe it could’ve come a bit sooner, but I’m so happy about the fight. It’s not ideal to take the damage I did. There’s some things we need to learn from that but that’s what I’ve been doing all my career, learning from the adversity I go through both privately and professionally and then developing from there. … What’s next? Somebody top 15 – hopefully at an event in Copenhagen with me main-eventing.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 231. | MMA |
We want your predictions for UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.
Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).
Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC 294 main card staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC 294 takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view at a special time of 2 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN+.
Make your picks for the fights below.
Shara Magomedov vs. Bruno Silva
Records: Magomedov (11-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Silva (23-9 MMA, 4-3 UFC)
Past five: Magomedov 5-0, Silva 2-3
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.16.23): Magomedov -205 vs. Bruno Silva +170
Victoria Dudakova vs. Jinh Yu Frey
Records: Dudakova (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Frey (11-9 MMA, 2-5 UFC)
Past five: Dudakova 5-0, Frey 2-3
Division: Women’s strawweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.16.23): Dudakova -395, Frey +310
Muhammad Naimov vs. Nathaniel Wood
Records: Naimov (9-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Wood (19-5 MMA, 7-2 UFC)
Past five: Naimov 4-1, Wood 4-1
Division: Featherweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.16.23): Wood -305, Naimov +245
Mike Breeden vs. Anshul Jubli
Records: Breeden (10-6 MMA, 0-3 UFC), Jubli (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Past five: Breeden 2-3, Jubli 5-0
Division: Lightweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.16.23): Jubli -410, Breeden +320
Abu Azaitar vs. Sedriques Dumas
Records: Azaitar (14-3-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), Dumas (8-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
Past five: Azaitar 4-1, Dumas 4-1
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.16.23): Dumas -175, Azaitar +145
Javid Basharat vs. Victor Henry
Records: Basharat (14-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), Henry (23-6 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
Past five: Basharat 5-0, Henry 3-2
Division: Bantamweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.16.23): Basharat -425, Henry +330
Trevor Peek vs. Mohammad Yahya
Records: Peek (8-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), Yahya (12-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Past five: Peek 4-1, Yahya 5-0
Division: Lightweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.16.23): Peek -125, Yahya +105
Tim Elliott vs. Muhammad Mokaev
Records: Elliott (19-12-1 MMA, 8-10 UFC), Mokaev (9-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC)
Past five: Elliott 4-1, Mokaev 5-0
Division: Flyweight
Rankings: Mokaev No. 11
Odds (as of 10.16.23): Mokaev -485, Elliott +370
Muin Gafurov vs. Said Nurmagomedov
Records: Gafurov (18-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC), Nurmagomedov (17-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC)
Past five: Gafurov 3-2, Nurmagomedov 4-1
Division: Bantamweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.16.23): Nurmagomedov -220, Gafurov +180
Ikram Aliskerov vs. Warlley Alves
Records: Aliskerov (14-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Alves (14-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC)
Past five: Aliskerov 5-0, Alves 2-3
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.16.23): Aliskerov -470, Alves +360
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker
Records: Ankalaev (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC), Walker (21-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC)
Past five: Ankalaev 4-0-1, Walker 3-2
Division: Light heavyweight
Rankings: Ankalaev No. 3, Walker No. 9
Odds (as of 10.16.23): Ankalaev -350, Walker +275
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kamaru Usman
Records: Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC), Usman (20-3 MMA, 15-2 UFC)
Past five: Chimaev 5-0, Usman 3-2
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: Usman No. 2 welterweight, Chimaev No. 6 welterweight
Odds (as of 10.16.23): Chimaev -250, Usman +200
Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski
Records: Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC), Volkanovski (26-2 MMA, 13-1 UFC)
Past five: Makhachev 5-0, Volkanovski 4-1
Division: Lightweight
Rankings: Makhachev No. 1 lightweight, No. 6 pound-for-pound; Volkanovski No. 1 featherweight, No. 1 pound-for-pound
Odds (as of 10.16.23): Makhachev -350, Volkanovski +205
UFC 294 fight card (as of Oct. 16, 8 a.m. ET)
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 2 p.m. ET)
- Champ Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski – for lightweight title
- Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kamaru Usman
- Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker
- Ikram Aliskerov vs. Warlley Alves
- Muin Gafurov vs. Said Nurmagomedov
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 10 a.m. ET)
- Tim Elliott vs. Muhammad Mokaev
- Trevor Peek vs. Mohammad Yahya
- Javid Basharat vs. Victor Henry
- Abu Azaitar vs. Sedriques Dumas
- Mike Breeden vs. Anshul Jubli
- Muhammad Naimov vs. Nathaniel Wood
- Victoria Dudakova vs. Jinh Yu Frey
- Shara Magomedov vs. Bruno Silva
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294. | MMA |
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from August 2023. Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Knockout of the Month award for August.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.
Nominees
Nominee: Lucas Brennan def. Weber Almeida at Bellator 298
Lucas Brennan (9-0 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) was less than 90 seconds away from his first professional loss, until he connected with a spectacular home run shot on Weber Almeida (7-2 MMA, 5-2 BMMA).
Brennan was dealing with a tough outing against Almeida, who was up on all three judges’ scorecards going into Round 3. However, with his back against the wall, Brennan landed a knee that immediately put Almeida out cold at 3:32 to seal an incredible comeback.
𝗦𝗸𝘆𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗞𝗢! 😱
A highlight reel knockout and epic comeback all rolled into one. Lucas Brennan, that was insane!
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) August 12, 2023
Nominee: Khalil Rountree def. Chris Daukaus at UFC on ESPN 51
Khalil Rountree (12-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) is on a four-fight winning streak while Chris Daukaus (12-7 MMA, 4-4 UFC) is on a four-fight losing skid after they crossed paths in their light heavyweight bout.
Rountree was tasked with welcoming former heavyweight Daukaus down to 205 pounds for the first time. It was clear Daukaus tasted the power early on, and it wasn’t long before Rountree dropped and stopped him for the TKO less than three minutes in.
— UFC (@ufc) August 13, 2023
Nominee: Renan Ferreira def. Maurice Greene at 2023 PFL Playoffs 2
Renan Ferreira (11-3) took on Maurice Greene (11-9) in a PFL heavyweight semifinal bout. For the first time in his career, the 6-foot-7 Greene was the shorter man in the cage against Ferreira, who is listed as one inch taller.
Ferreira quickly brought the fight to Greene, keeping him on his backfoot, and circling on the outside early. “Problema” landed a few clean combinations throughout the round that put Greene in trouble, but it was a fierce right hand that sent him crashing to the canvas as the round was nearing a close. The follow-up hammerfist put Greene out for the knockout.
— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 19, 2023
Nominee: Sean O'Malley def. Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292
Sean O'Malley (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) achieved what many believe was a long-awaited coronation on Saturday when he claimed the bantamweight title from Aljamain Sterling (23-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC).
In the second round, Sterling rushed in with a left hand, and O’Malley landed a laser of a right counter to send him to the canvas. O’Malley followed up with big hammerfists as Sterling attempted to stay in it, but the referee saw enough and called a stop to the fight.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 20, 2023
Nominee: Max Holloway def. Chan Sung Jung at UFC Fight Night 225
Max Holloway (25-7 MMA, 21-7 UFC) lived up to the lopsided odds in his main event with Chan Sung Jung (17-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC).
Former UFC champ Holloway earned a third-round knockout victory over “The Korean Zombie” in their featherweight main event, countering the aggression of Jung with a massive shot and further elevating his legendary resume in the sport with another recognizable name.
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 26, 2023
The winner
The winner: Max Holloway
One of MMA’s featherweight legends decided to call it a career after going out on his shield in an exciting battle in Singapore.
Former 145-pound champion Holloway met Jung in the main event of UFC Fight Night 225 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in what was an emotional night for both fighters, before and after the bout.
Holloway entered the octagon with a heavy heart with thoughts of the Hawaiian wildfire destruction on his mind, while a potential retirement loomed for Jung. Oddsmakers had Holloway listed as a massive favorite in the contest, and he proved them right by landing a knockout punch 23 seconds into Round 3.
After emotional walkouts for both fighters, it was time for the featherweights to get to action. They respectfully touched gloves in the center and began looking to find the range as the Singapore crowd chanted for “The Korean Zombie.”
Holloway stalked forward offering punches as Jung sent leg kicks the other direction. Jung landed nicely with a punch that appeared to knock Holloway off balance, but as he rushed in to capitalize, he got clipped and wobbled by a counter, foreshadowing the final outcome.
As the round continued, both fighters landed nicely until the final second, but the crowd reactions to Jung’s connections were much louder.
Early in the second as they began to exchange, Holloway caught Jung with a hard right hand that sent him to the canvas. Jung scrambled to get a hold of a leg, but Holloway countered by locking in a D’arce choke. Referee Marc Goddard checked on Jung’s arms at one point to ensure he wasn’t out, but Holloway eventually gave up on the attempt.
The fight returned to the feet where they would trade strikes in heated exchanges for the remainder of the round.
Jung came out on fire in Round 3, immediately looking to create a brawl. While he initially landed clean punches on Holloway, the approach would prove to be a mistake.
Holloway kept his guard up as he weathered the storm and waited for his opportunity to land a counter. Jung left an opening, and Holloway took it by landing a crushing right hand that required no follow-up punches. Jung was out cold on the canvas and the celebration for the former champion began.
Holloway then addressed the chaos that unfolded at the start of Round 3.
“I’m just lucky my right hand landed before his,” Holloway said.
Bisping then spoke with Jung, who removed his gloves and announced his retirement.
A legend of the game!
— UFC (@ufc) August 26, 2023
“I’m going to stop fighting,” Jung said through an interpreter after the fight. “I’ve always aimed to become a champion when I first started the sport. I’m not here to be ranked third, fourth or fifth. I tried my absolute best to prepare for Max Holloway. I really, really believed I could beat him, but I ended up failing.” | MMA |
Ilima-Lei Macfarlane will no longer be fighting for the Bellator gold after missing weight Friday morning. Her good friend Liz Carmouche, who is also her good friend, didn’t hold it against her.
The two friends were set to compete for the Bellator women’s flyweight title on the main card of Bellator 300, but it has since become a one-way title fight after Macfarlane weighed in at 126.6 pounds. Carmouche can retain her title with a win or a draw, but the title will be vacated if Macfarlane emerges victorious in the five-round bout.
Macfarlane, a former champion at flyweight, didn’t hesitate to let her friend know that there would be an issue at the scale. Carmouche did not respond well when her previous opponent DeAnna Bennett missed weight for their Bellator 294 title fight in April. However, in this instance, the bond between two good friends was not going to be broken over numbers on a scale.
“First person I told when I knew I was going to miss weight, and what did she say? She said she loves me, wants me to be healthy, and asked if I wanted to use her sauna,” Macfarlane wrote on Instagram.
Read Macfarlane’s full statement below (via Instagram):
First person I told when I knew I was going to miss weight and what did she say? She said she loves me wants me to be healthy and asked if I wanted to use her sauna 😭. Words can express how much this person means to me or what an absolute gangster she is for still taking this fight despite me fucking it up. We’ve been through hell and back together and can say without a doubt she is my sister wife for life. #boop
After the drama of the official weigh-ins settled, the friendship between Macfarlane and Carmouche was on full display at ceremonial weigh-ins, as the two could hardly hold back smiles and laughter during their final faceoff.
Friends turned foes collide in San Diego. @iamgirlrilla (124.8) looks to make her third successful title defense. Challenger @ilimanator (126.6) misses championship weight meaning that she cannot win the title.
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) October 6, 2023
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 300. | MMA |
SAN DIEGO – Cat Zingano has been here before, and she’s grateful to be here again.
When she steps into cage against women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg on Saturday at Bellator 300, it won’t be Zingano’s first time competing for a major MMA title. At UFC 184, then-undefeated Zingano made the mistake of blitzing bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey with a flying knee after the opening bell. Fourteen seconds later, the fight was over when Rousey locked in a straight armbar for the submission.
That was more than eight years ago in February 2015. A lot has changed for Zingano since then.
“My life was completely different,” Zingano told MMA Junkie and other reporters Wednesday at the Bellator 300 pre-event news conference. “There was really a lot more survival going on at that time. Time is really the benefit to things, finding my rhythm again, just figuring out coaches, figuring out the new normal for me, and getting it dialed in.”
“Dialed in” is how Zingano has looked since leaving the UFC following a freak-eye injury TKO loss to Megan Anderson in December 2018. Zingano made her Bellator debut in September 2020 and has rattled off four consecutive victories – against Gabby Holloway, Olivia Parker, Pam Sorenson, and most recently a battle with Leah McCourt – to earn a second chance at gold.
How her career has played out is how Zingano expected everything to go.
“It feels like my life’s work to get up to another title fight,” Zingano said. “… It’s great to have worked myself back up to this place again. I’ve always believed in myself, definitely put in the work and the time, so it’s natural that it’s here.”
Cyborg, one of the greatest women’s MMA fighters of all time, and Zingano have been on a collision course ever since Zingano joined Bellator, with promotion president Scott Coker saying she was signed with this matchup in mind.
Cyborg (26-2 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) presents a huge challenge for Zingano (14-4 MMA, 4-0 BMMA). She knows that – but there isn’t any aspect of the matchup where she believes she doesn’t pose a threat to the dominant champ.
“Everything,” Zingano said when asked how she presents a danger to Cyborg. “Skill, all the different disciplines, the years of experience, my will, my grit, my speed. Everything.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 300. | MMA |
This week, the UFC travels to France for UFC FN 226.
Elsewhere, many other combat sports events are taking place that feature a number of familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner.
Check out which veterans of the global MMA leader are competing in MMA and kickboxing this week from Sept. 1-3.
Check out the names and details about their bouts below.
Upcoming event information from Tapology.
Last week's results
- Clay Collard: Unanimous decision win vs. Shane Burgos at 2023 PFL Playoffs 3
- Shane Burgos: Unanimous decision loss vs. Clay Collard at 2023 PFL Playoffs 3
- Olivier Aubin-Mercier: TKO win vs. Bruno Miranda at 2023 PFL Playoffs 3
- Ronys Torres: Unanimous decision win vs. Pedro Paulino at Shooto Brasil 119
- Jake Lindsey: Unanimous decision loss vs. Gorjan Slaveski at BKFC 49 (bareknuckle boxing)
- Alex Da Silva: Submission win vs. Bagysh Zharmamatov at UAE Warriors 44
- Seung Guk Choi: Unanimous decision loss vs. Jiniushiyue at Road to UFC
- Zha Yi: Unanimous decision win vs. Sang Won Kim at Road to UFC
- Rong Zhu: Unanimous decision win vs. Sang Uk Kim at Road to UFC
- Jared Vanderaa: Knockout loss vs. Chuck Campbell at Lights Out 10
Michel Prazeres (27-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC)
- Next fight: Sept. 2 vs. Abubakar Vagaev at ACA 162
- Last MMA fight: Unanimous decision win vs. Stefan Negucic at Serbian Battle Championship 44 on Sept. 9, 2022
- Last UFC fight: Submission loss vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC Fight Night 190 on June 26, 2021
- Record since UFC exit: 1-0
Marcin Wrzosek (14-7 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
- Next fight: Sept. 2 vs. Pitor Szeliga at Fame MMA 19 (kickboxing)
- Last MMA fight: Unanimous decision loss vs. Borys Mankowski at KSW 53 on July 11, 2020
- Last UFC fight: Split decision loss vs. Julian Erosa at The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale on Dec. 11, 2015
- Record since UFC exit: 4-4 MMA, 1-0 bareknuckle MMA, 1-1 boxing, 1-1 kickboxing
Luis Henrique (14-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC)
- Next fight: Sept. 2 vs. Alison Vicente at Federacao Fight 16
- Last MMA fight: TKO win vs. Davi Lucas at Lion Fight on June 17, 2023
- Last UFC fight: Unanimous decision loss vs. Ryan Spann at UFC Fight Night 137 on Sept. 22, 2018
- Record since UFC exit: 4-4
Leonardo Morales (12-8 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
- Next fight: Sept. 2 vs. Jose Ferreira at Combate Global
- Last MMA fight: Majority decision loss vs. Jorge Alcala at Tuff-N-Uff 132 on July 14, 2023
- Last UFC fight: Submission loss vs. Jose Alberto Quinonez at UFC Fight Night 68 on June 6, 2015
- Record since UFC exit: 7-5
Kyle Daukaus (12-4 MMA, 2-4 UFC)
- Next fight: Sept. 2 vs. Gregg Ellis at CFFC 124
- Last MMA fight: Submission win vs. Robert Gidron at CFFC 120 on June 16, 2023
- Last UFC fight: TKO loss vs. Eryk Anders at UFC on ESPN 42 on Dec. 3, 2022
- Record since UFC exit: 1-0
Curtis Millender (20-9 MMA, 3-2 UFC)
- Next fight: Sept. 2 vs. Sidiah Parker at UNF 11
- Last MMA fight: Unanimous decision win vs. KB Bhullar at Unified MMA 50 on March 31, 2023
- Last UFC fight: Unanimous decision loss vs. Belal Muhammad at UFC 236 on April 13, 2019
- Record since UFC exit: 3-4 MMA, 3-0 boxing
Teruto Ishihara (13-11-3 MMA, 3-5-1 UFC)
- Next fight: Sept. 2 vs. Bruno Souza at Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat 14
- Last MMA fight: Submission loss vs. Vince Morales at XMMA 6 on May 3, 2023
- Last UFC fight: Submission loss vs. Kyung Ho Kang at UFC 234 on Feb. 9, 2019
- Record since UFC exit: 3-5-1
Bruno Souza (10-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
- Next fight: Sept. 2 vs. Teruto Ishihara at Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat 14
- Last MMA fight (also last UFC bout): Unanimous decision loss vs. Luis Saldana at UFC on ESPN 33 on March 26
- Record since UFC exit: 1-2 karate, 0-0 MMA | MMA |
Volkanovski (26-2 MMA, 13-1 UFC) will step in on less than two weeks’ notice to rematch lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) next Saturday, Oct. 21 in Abu Dhabi.
Jones, a multiple-time IBJJF world championship medalist and 2019 ADCC runner up, isn’t sold on Sambo as a martial art, and hopes Volkanovski proves how ineffective it is by beating Makhachev.
“It makes him a man that disproved Sambo, and that will trump his legacy in the sport because we’ve wasted another martial art,” Jones told Submission Radio. “Most martial arts were killed in 1993. Somehow, Sambo has limped and lingered on to 2023. So Volkanovski kills Sambo, and we get to stop hearing about this Russian dancer.”
Jones received criticism for claiming that Makhachev doesn’t have good submissions, and thinks their first fight proved it. Makhachev had more than seven minutes of control time on Volkanovski at UFC 284, but wasn’t able to submit him. He won the fight by unanimous decision.
“The last fight, we spent a ton of time on submission defense,” Jones said. “Obviously, that’s a waste of time because as we learned, Islam doesn’t know any submissions. He just holds on to the back for 20 minutes. This time, we’ll probably get out of the body triangle. There was no submission threat at all, so Volk was just chilling, getting energy back, punching him in the head. This time, we’ll get out of that.”
Makhachev’s mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov once infamously sported a t-shirt which read, “If Sambo was easy, it would be called jiu-jitsu,” but Jones explains why he doesn’t think Sambo really exists.
“We’ve heard about catch wrestling. We’ve heard about Sambo. We’ve never seen it work,” Jones said. “If Islam gets a submission, that’s a jiu-jitsu submission. If he gets a takedown, that’s a judo takedown. If he shoots a double-leg, that’s a wrestling move. So for me, where’s Sambo? Sambo is a myth. It doesn’t exist.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294. | MMA |
LAS VEGAS – The UFC welterweight belt is back in circulation, as the promotion booked a 170-pound championship fight for the final pay-per-view of the year.
Champion Leon Edwards (20-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) defends his belt against Colby Covington (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) in the main event of UFC 296, which takes place Dec. 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Although the fight is signed, there are many in the division who don’t think that should’ve been the right choice of challenger, and that includes Joaquin Buckley.
“Oh, it just got booked?” Buckley asked MMA Junkie and other reporters at the UFC Fight Night 229 media day when asked for a prediction for Edwards vs. Covington. “I don’t know, to be honest with you. It don’t make any sense to me. To put some respect on his name, Belal Muhammad should’ve been fighting for the belt, you know.
“Colby Covington, to be honest, I can’t even remember the last fight he had. Who did he fight last? I can’t remember. Regardless, I think Belal Muhammad should’ve definitely been up next to fight for the belt, so I don’t know how that Leon and Colby Covington fight goes. I rather had seen Belal fight for the title.”
Covington last fought in March 2022 when he defeated bitter rival Jorge Masvidal in the main event of UFC 272. Prior to that, he had lost to then-champion Kamaru Usman in a decision back in November 2021. Belal Muhammad, on the other hand, is unbeaten in his past 10 UFC fights.
Buckley (16-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC) returns to the octagon Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 229 at the UFC Apex. He takes on Alex Morono (23-8 MMA, 12-5 UFC) in a welterweight matchup, which streams on ESPN+.
Buckley respects Morono, but he intends to finish him and show that he’s part of a higher class of welterweights.
“He’s got a couple decent wins in the organization,” Buckley said. “He’s done enough to stay in the organization. My biggest thing is to show that there’s levels to this game, even though he’s a veteran, and he’s been around for a minute. I just want to show him it’s a whole different ball game when you’re fighting a person like me at this level.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 229. | MMA |
Dalby (23-4-1 MMA, 7-3-1 UFC) brought a tough and tenacious background of never being finished into the welterweight co-headliner at Ginasio Do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo. He was a sizeable underdog against Bonfim (15-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), who had finished every opponent he’s previously faced in MMA competition.
The fight got off to a hot start for Bonfim, who landed hard shots and controlled the opening frame with dominant grappling. Dalby came out undeterred in the second frame, however, and pressured his opponent with punches, elbows and knees until he badly stunned the Brazilian for the TKO at the 4:33 mark of Round 2.
Check out the replay of Dalby’s thrilling upset below (via X):
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 5, 2023
After his fourth straight win, Dalby asked for a ranked name at 170 pounds, and perhaps even a live event in his native Copenhagen, Denmark.
“When my mind is set to something, nothing can stop me,” Dalby said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “Sean (Shelby), Mick (Maynard), Dana (White), give me a top-15 (opponent).”
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 231 results include:
- Nicolas Dalby def. Gabriel Bonfim via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:23
- Rodrigo Nascimento def. Don’Tale Mayes via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Caio Borralho def. Abus Magomedov via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Elves Brener def. Kaynan Kruschewsky via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:01
- Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos declared majority draw (29-28, 28-28, 28-28)
- Vitor Petrino def. Modestas Bukauskas via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 1:03
- Angela Hill def. Denise Gomes via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Eduarda Moura def. Montserrat Conejo via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 2:14
- Marc Diakiese def. Kaue Fernandes via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 231. | MMA |
Featherweight champion Volkanovski (26-2 MMA, 13-1 UFC) will step in on less than two weeks’ notice to challenge Islam Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) for the lightweight title in Saturday’s headliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view at a special time of 2 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN+.
Volkanovski wanted to immediately run things back after falling short to Makhachev in their first fight at UFC 284 in February. Volkanovski pushed Makhachev to the brink in a unanimous decision loss, but will have much less time to prepare for the rematch.
“I’m interested for this fight for sure, just to see how the dynamic between Makhachev and Volk changes from the first fight,” Whittaker said on his MMArcade Podcast. “Him going in maybe 12 days with nothing to lose, making a ton of money, last minute, late notice, nothing to lose, everything to gain – I think that sort of head space gets him in there almost better than the first time they fought because it frees him up.”
Just like the short-notice nature benefit Nate Diaz against Conor McGregor and Michael Bisping against Luke Rockhold, Whittaker thinks Volkanovski could pull the upset with the odds stacked against him.
“He’s got nothing to lose, everything to gain,” Whittaker said. “I can see that being a bit of a problem for Makhachev. I look at it and I wonder, ‘What does Makhachev do from the first fight to beat Volk? What can Makhachev do differently so that it’s not as close of a fight?’ Because arguably, Volk won (the first fight).”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294. | MMA |
Plan your fight nights ahead with our UFC fight schedule. Included below are all of the UFC's upcoming Fight Night cards and pay-per-events with announced bouts. We'll also include any odds that are posted at BetMGM. Check back often as this list will be updated as new fights are scheduled.
Here are the major scheduled cards the UFC will be staging:
UFC 295: Jiří Procházka vs. Alex Pereira
Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023 - Madison Square Garden in New York, New York
Main card (Start time 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+ PPV)
• Light heavyweight championship: Jiří Procházka (+105) vs. Alex Pereira (-125)
• Interim heavyweight championship: Tom Aspinall (-115) vs. Sergei Pavlovich (-105)
• Women's strawweight: Jessica Andrade (+165) vs. Mackenzie Dern (-200)
• Lightweight: Matt Frevola (+185) vs. Benoit Saint Denis (-225)
• Featherweight: Diego Lopes (+115) vs. Pat Sabatini (-135)
Prelims (Start time 8 p.m. ET, ESPNN/ESPN+)
• Flyweight: Alessandro Costa (+135) vs. Steve Erceg (-165)
• Women's strawweight: Tabatha Ricci (+135) vs. Loopy Godinez (-160)
• Lightweight: Mateusz Rebecki vs. Nurullo Aliev
Early prelims (Start time 6 p.m. ET, ESPNN/ESPN+)
• Lightweight: Nazim Sadykhov (-145) vs. Viacheslav Borshchev (+120)
• Lightweight: Jared Gordon (-175) vs. Mark O. Madsen (+145)
• Bantamweight: John Castaneda (-165) vs. Kyung Ho Kang (+135)
• Flyweight: Joshua Van (-240) vs. Kevin Borjas (+200)
• Featherweight: Dennis Buzukja (+225) vs. Jamall Emmers (-275)
UFC Fight Night: Brendan Allen vs. Paul Craig
Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023 - Apex in Las Vegas
Main card (Start time 5 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
• Middleweight: Brendan Allen vs. Paul Craig
• Welterweight: Michael Morales vs. Jake Matthews
• Lightweight: Chase Hooper vs. Jordan Leavitt
• Bantamweight: Payton Talbott vs. Nick Aguirre
• Women's strawweight: Luana Pinheiro vs. Amanda Ribas
• Welterweight: Jonny Parsons vs. Uros Medic
Prelims (Start time 2 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
• Featherweight: Jonathan Pearce vs. Joanderson Brito
• Bantamweight: Chad Anheliger vs. Jose Johnson
• Middleweight: Cesar Almeida vs. Christian Leroy Duncan
• Heavyweight: Mick Parkin vs. Caio Machado
• Women's bantamweight: Lucie Pudilova vs. Ailin Perez
• Lightweight: Trey Ogden vs. Nikolas Motta
• Flyweight: Charles Johnson vs. Rafael Estevam
UFC Austin: Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan
Saturday, Dec. 2, 20023 - Moody Center in Austin, Texas
Main card (Start time 7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+)
• Lightweight: Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan
• Lightweight: Dan Hooker vs. Bobby Green
• Bantamweight: Rob Font vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
• Welterweight: Sean Brady vs. Kelvin Gastelum
• Middleweight: Punahele Soriano vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
• Light heavyweight: Khalil Rountree Jr. vs. Azamat Murzakanov
Prelims (Start time 4 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
• Lightweight: Clay Guida vs. Joaquim Silva
• Women's bantamweight: Miesha Tate vs. Julia Avila
• Middleweight: Zachary Reese vs. Cody Brundage
• Lightweight: Drakkar Close vs. Joe Solecki
• Featherweight: Steve Garcia vs. Melquizael Costa
• Light heavyweight: Rodolfo Bellato vs. Ihor Potieria
• Middleweight: Wellington Turman vs. Jared Gorden
• Women's flyweight: Veronica Hardy vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth
UFC Shanghai: TBD vs. TBD
Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023 - Shanghai Indoor Stadium in Shanghai, China
Main card (Start time 7 a.m. ET, ESPN+)
Prelims (Start time 4 a.m. ET, ESPN+)
• Lightweight: Rongzhu vs. Shin Haraguchi
• Featherweight: Kaiwen vs. Yizha
• Bantamweight: Xiao Long vs. Changho Lee
• Flyweight: Rei Tsuruya vs. Jiniushiyue
UFC 296: Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington
Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023 - T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
Main card (Start time 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+ PPV)
• Welterweight championship: Leon Edwards (c) vs. Colby Covington
• Flyweight championship: Alexandre Pantoja (c) vs. Brandon Royval
• Welterweight: Stephen Thompson vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
• Lightweight: Paddy Pimblett vs. Tony Ferguson
• Welterweight: Vicente Luque vs. Ian Garry
Prelims (Start time 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+)
• Featherweight: Josh Emmett vs. Giga Chikadze
• Light heavyweight: Alonzo Menifield vs. Dustin Jacoby
• Heavyweight: Martin Buday vs. Shamil Gaziev
• Bantamweight: Cody Garbrandt vs. Brian Kelleher
Early prelims (Start time 6 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
• Women's bantamweight: Irene Aldana vs. Karol Rosa
• Welterweight: Randy Brown vs. Muslim Salikhov
• Flyweight: Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Cody Durden
• Women's flyweight: Casey O'Neill vs. Ariane Lipski
UFC 297: Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis
Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
UFC 298: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria
February 2024 - TBD
UFC 299: Sean O'Malley vs. Chito Vera
March 2024 - TBD | MMA |
The UFC’s efforts to crack down on unethical and illegal insider betting continues.
On Wednesday, the promotion announced its partnership with ProhiBet, which will monitor for potential violations to ensure policy compliance.
“ProhiBet offers a comprehensive solution for monitoring compliance with these regulatory requirements via an encrypted decentralized cross-monitoring and notification platform,” the UFC said in a statement.
Additionally, athletes and their teams received an 11-minute video presentation by U.S. Integrity describing and reinforcing protocols. The video, which MMA Junkie obtained a copy of Wednesday, is titled “2023 UFC Education Course on Sports Betting.” It highlights betting terminology, who classifies as a prohibited bettor, what behaviors are prohibited, and the protocol for reporting an incident.
“An athlete who becomes aware or has knowledge of any incident that constitutes athlete misconduct must immediately notify UFC by contacting the UFC legal department,” the video states. “Failure to report an incident will constitute conduct detrimental to the integrity of UFC and will be subject to sanctions under this UFC Athlete Conduct Policy.
“Additionally, athletes are strongly encouraged to notify UFC by contacting the UFC legal department with information related to facts and circumstances they believe to be suspicious or indicative of integrity concerns regarding any UFC match or event whether originating with insiders or other third parties. Confidentiality concerning any such communications will be maintained by UFC to the extent practical.”
The course comes as the latest in string of memos sent over the past nine months by UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell following an investigation into Glory MMA & Fitness head coach James Krause.
Krause, who is pictured in the presentation, was suspended and banned from coaching UFC fighters after betting lines moved suspiciously for a Nov. 5, 2022 bout involving one of his fighters, Darrick Minner, who also was later suspended.
According to ESPN, an FBI investigation is still ongoing pertaining to Krause, who allegedly ran offshore betting accounts. Additionally, UFC flyweight Jeff Molina, a member of Glory MMA & Fitness, remains suspended for his potential involvement in insider wagering.
“USI also turned over all anonymous tips, including details of the illegal ‘bookie’ operation, to the appropriate authorities who issued subpoenas to all involved individuals,” one presentation slide reads.
Krause isn’t the only one pictured in the presentation. UFC featherweight Dennis Buzukja is also pictured.
“In June 2022, USI identified a fighter who placed a wager on himself to win a Dana White’s Contender Series event,” text below the photo reads. “The fighter placed a wager equal to their entire purse on themselves to win the fight.”
It continues, “While the ethics of betting on yourself can be debated, betting on athletic contests you are associated with or competing in is illegal in many jurisdictions under ‘Prohibited Bettor’ regulations.”
The presentation closes by reiterating a warning that violators will be caught and will likely severely damage their careers.
“U.S. Integrity has ample access to pertinent data sets. Our platform is robust and comprehensive,” it reads. “If something nefarious or malicious were to occur in relation to sports betting, we will find it and we highlight it to the appropriate parties and the relevant contacts.”
“… There’s no sum of money that’s worth it for any impropriety related to sports betting. Reputational harm alone will cost you a career and potentially result in criminal proceedings. It’s not worth it.” | MMA |
Had he been formally offered the matchup in that location, Holland (25-9 MMA, 12-6 UFC) indicated he would’ve taken it – if the promotion paid for taxes. The two welterweight contenders will instead square off one week later, at Saturday’s Noche UFC at T-Mobile Arena.
“Be realistic. Do you think I wouldn’t go somewhere to fight somebody?” Holland said to reporters including MMA Junkie at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “… Bro, my second fight with the UFC was where? Nah, it was in China. Do your homework, my boy. So why wouldn’t I go? If they cover my taxes, I’ll go anywhere. I’m pretty sure if they really wanted me to fight in Australia, they would’ve covered the taxes. I wasn’t asked to fight in Australia. I was asked to fight in Vegas when the fight fell out with Kelvin Gastelum and old boy, and I’m here in Vegas.”
“Old boy keeps crying about not being able to fight in Australia. Motherf*cker, if you were worth somebody coming out to Australia to fight you, they would’ve made sure somebody came to Australia to fight you. You’ve got a Timex sponsorship. Be happy with that and shut the f*ck up. Bam. My bad. See, y’all are getting me in that zone. I’m trying not to go there.”
The semi-fiery answer from Holland was really the only time during his media availability he delved into the trash talk. He declined questions about future fights or title shots, only focused on the task at hand. Even though he’s on a two-fight winning streak, Holland is containing his confidence ahead of Noche UFC.
“I don’t need to do that too much because if I start to think about that too much I start to get a little cocky and big-headed,” Holland said. “It’s best to always feel like you’re coming off a loss, two losses at that. It’s like your back is against the wall and you might get kicked out of the organization. You’re just doing your best to f*cking stay here at all times.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Noche UFC. | MMA |
Former champion Prochazka (29-3-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) meets Alex Pereira (8-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) for the vacant light heavyweight title in the UFC 295 co-headliner Nov. 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Cejudo helped train Prochazka prior to his title fight against Glover Teixeira at UFC 275. Prochazka ended up submitting Teixeira late in Round 5, in what was a back-and-forth barnburner. Cejudo recalls advising Prochazka to be tactical, but Prochazka ended up engaging in a wild brawl.
“I’ve trained Jiri – Jiri’s come out here for a few weeks to train with me,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “Jiri Prochazka, he’s a different style of fighting. There’s a belief in him that makes him dangerous, you know? The fact that he’s a fighter that literally goes off of rhythm – he’s a rhythm fighter. He’s a guy that’s going to go out there and use all the rhythm that he has in order to start getting his striking and his wrestling to eventually look for these MMA finishes.
“When I was speaking to Jiri here, it was almost like, ‘Yeah, I’m just going to go all MMA with Glover.’ I was thinking more like, ‘No, let’s kick his legs, let’s defend his wrestling.’ And he’s like, ‘No, I’m just going to fight him in every position.’ I think looking at Jiri in that perspective, that’s what makes Jiri dangerous. That’s what makes Jiri Prochazka extremely dangerous.”
After dethroning Teixeira, Prochazka wound up relinquishing his belt after undergoing surgery to repair a severe shoulder injury. But with the title now vacant again after champion Jamahal Hill relinquished his belt due to an injury of his own, Prochazka will get an opportunity to reclaim the title he never lost. | MMA |
Week 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series (2023) took place on Tuesday in Las Vegas, and we’re grading the winners from the four-fight card, which streamed on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex.
With a simple but digestible format that has had the MMA fanbase responding, this series has shown to have legs in multiple ways while serving as a crockpot for contenders the UFC matchmakers can use to fill their roster for future events. With that trend in mind, I once again will be taking a look at the winning fighters, regardless of whether or not they won a UFC contract, and grading their performances in regard to their probability of returning to a UFC stage.
Mauricio Ruffy
Weight class: Welterweight
Result: Mauricio Ruffy def. Raimond Magomedaliev via TKO (gound-and-pound) – round 3, 4:45
Grade: A-
Summary: Kicking off the night was a welterweight encounter between [auttotag]Maruicio Ruffy[/autotag] and Raimond Magomedaliev.
Even though I’m a fan of counterstriking and round-three comebacks, I tacked on a minus to Ruffy’s letter grade given the low output he displayed prior to the finish.
Aside from the pace leaving a lot to be desired in the first two frames, I don’t think Ruffy can bank on fighters gassing that badly in a slow-paced three-rounder (which was obviously a bad look on Magomedaliev’s part as well).
But given that the Brazilian was still able to come through as a 2-1 underdog, it’s hard to hate Dana White’s decision to get some more new blood at 170 pounds. Considering the previously mentioned pacing criticisms, I say match Ruffy up with a pressure fighter like Preston Parsons or Billy Goff for his first octagon appearance.
Magomed Gadzhiyasulov
Weight class: Light heavyweight
Result: Magomed Gadzhiyasulov def. Jose Medina via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Grade: C+
Summary: Between gassing himself out and allowing the losing fighter to steal the show, I had a hard time justifying anything higher than a C for Magomed Gadzhiyasulov.
To his credit, Gadzhiyasulov demonstrated some solid athleticism and striking flashes before tiring himself out trying to finish the durable Medina. Gadzhiyasulov also showed that he has some wrestling in his back pocket, but I’m not sure how effective it was once the Dagestani fighter began to tire.
Medina, who is essentially the Bolivian version of Carlos Felipe, did his best to taunt his tiring foe with Diaz-brother-like antics, but couldn’t consistently dictate the action enough to come close to an upset. That said, Medina’s swagger seemed to strangely warm the heart of the UFC president, who – even by this season’s standards – threw a curveball by signing Medina anyway.
Dana White on Jose Medina: pic.twitter.com/7yNchLofgC
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) October 4, 2023
I can’t say I’m surprised by any signings at this point, especially considering how pivotal this series has been when it comes to allowing the company to make its ESPN content quota at record-setting prices.
For Medina’s sake, I hope he debuts at middleweight or lower, while I suspect that Gadzhiyusalov gets matched up with someone like Zac Paunga or Ihor Potiera for his first UFC assignment.
Victor Hugo
Weight class: Bantamweight
Result: Victor Hugo def. Eduardo Torres Caut via submission (kneebar) – round 2, 2:16
Grade: A
Summary: Despite starting to gain favor for his opponent, I couldn’t deny Victor Hugo anything less than an A for his opportunistic submission prowess.
Although I was starting to get partial to the stance-switching swagger of Torres Caut, the Chilean fighter was a bit too eager to clinch and commit leg hooks and reaps opposite a superior submission player in Hugo.
In fact, Hugo showed some solid defense and offensive wrestling in the first round before finding the finish in the second off an over-commitment by Torres Caut.
Hugo appears to be more than UFC-ready between his skills and resume, so seeing White bring him aboard came as no surprise. With that in mind, I wouldn’t be mad if the UFC brass matched him up with the winner of Aori Qileng versus Johnny Munoz Jr.
Rodolfo Bellato
Weight class: Heavyweight
Result: Rodolfo Bellato def. Murtaza Talha via TKO (gound-and-pound) – round 3, 4:45
Grade: A
Summary: Closing out the night strong was Rodolfo Bellato, who earns a well-deserved A for his destruction of Murtaza Talha.
Aside from this being Bellato’s second swing at bat on the Contender Series, the Brazilian was also north of a 2-1 underdog opposite Talha.
Bellato appeared to start somewhat tentatively while working behind a steady dose of calf kicks. However, after these two tied up a couple of times, things started to really pick up in the clinch.
Talha, who looked like a blown-up Dustin Ortiz, found some solid moments of success in the dirty boxing department. That said, it was Bellato’s bodywork and multi-faceted clinch offense that ended up winning the day.
Signing a light heavyweight who can move that well is a no-brainer, as I suspect Bellato to blend into the division nicely given his athleticism and finishing potential. Unless he’s needed for a short-notice fill-in, I suspect we’ll see Bellato paired up with someone like Bogdan Guskov or Nicolae Negumereanu on an international card for his first octagon assignment. | MMA |
Despite the uncertain times for Bellator MMA, the promotion continues to book events.
Wednesday, promotion officials informed MMA Junkie that Bellator 301 will take place Nov. 17 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago with two title fights, a tournament fight, and a grudge rematch already scheduled for the main card. The card was first announced on “The MMA Hour.”
In the main event, Bellator welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov (27-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) defends his title against Jason Jackson (16-4 MMA, 7-1 BMMA). The co-main event features a highly-anticipated bantamweight unification bout between undisputed champion Sergio Pettis (23-5 MMA, 9-5 BMMA) and interim champion Patchy Mix (18-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA).
The Bellator lightweight grand prix rolls on in the featured bout with a semifinal fight between Patricky Freire (25-11 MMA, 16-9 BMMA) and Alexander Shabliy (23-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA). Additionally, a bantamweight grudge match will be run back as Danny Sabtello (14-3 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) gets a home state fight vs. Raufeon Stots (19-2 MMA, 7-1 BMMA).
The full Bellator 301 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)
- Champion Yaroslav Amosov vs. Jason Jackson – for welterweight title
- Champion Patchy Mix vs. interim champion Patchy Mix – for bantamweight title unification
- Patricky Freire vs. Alexander Shabliy
- Danny Sabatello vs. Raufeon Stots
PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 5 p.m. ET)
- Ali Isaev vs. Daniel James
- Tyrell Fortune vs. Marcelo Golm
- Justin Gonzales vs. Timur Khizriev
- Mike Hamel vs. Tim Wilde
- Sumiko Inaba vs. Denise Kielholtz
- Islam Mamedov vs. Killys Mota | MMA |
When one rematch falls, another one rises.
Alexander Volkanovski will step in for Charles Oliveira to face current lightweight champion Islam Makhachev for the 155-pound title at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi. Oliveira, who first fought Makhachev and lost at UFC 280 last year, was severely cut above his eye during training and was forced to pull out of the main event rematch on Oct. 21.
Now, on just 11 days notice, Volkanovski will get in on the rematch action and attempt to take down Makhachev and become a two-division champion. Volkanovski lost in a five-round thriller to Makhachev at UFC 284 in February 2023
Marc Raimondi deep dives into the implications of the main event title change and hits on whether this puts Makhachev or Volkanovski in a more disadvantaged position going into their second bout.
Is it a mistake for Volkanovski to take this fight on 11 days notice?
It's surely a risk. I won't go as far as to say it's a mistake. Volkanovski is supremely confident and has already been there with Makhachev for five rounds. Had this been their first fight, one could imagine Volkanovski hesitating if this kind of opportunity arose. But now he knows what he's in for. He's felt Makhachev's strength, wrestling skill and power. I will say this, though: Volkanovski has a ton of guts for taking this fight without a training camp. If he loses at UFC 294, who knows if he gets another crack at the lightweight title?
Is it a mistake for Makhachev to take this fight on 11 days?
This is an interesting question, because conventional wisdom says the fighter coming in on short notice with no training camp is at a disadvantage. But I've talked to plenty of coaches who say it could be the opposite - the banged-up fighter who's been training for six or eight weeks going against a "fresh" opponent they have not prepared for is the one at a deficit. Ultimately, though, it's not a mistake for Makhachev. He's the bigger man, has already beaten Volkanovski, and though he's been training for a different style of fight, he still has the wrestling and grappling to neutralize anyone.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is back in camp working with Makhachev, believes a new opponent "doesn't matter."
What happens now for Oliviera?
He heals up that cut and waits. Maybe he even gets a title shot next year in Brazil out of this. Who knows? Oliveira is still the No. 1 contender. He has to be concerned that Justin Gaethje, who knocked out Dustin Poirier to win the BMF title in July, is also right there. Oliveira still figures to be next in line, but what if Volkanovski wins and defends the featherweight title before the lightweight one? Could Oliveira have to fight and win again to get another chance at the belt? Anything is possible. The UFC is a fast-moving world.
Why was it Volkanovski and not one of the other lightweight contenders?
It's as simple as Volkanovski represents the biggest possible fight - even bigger than Oliveira, theoretically - and he was available and willing. We at ESPN have Volkanovski ranked No. 1 pound-for-pound in the world. Makhachev is No. 2. As Dana White said Tuesday night, it's maybe the most anticipated rematch in division history. And that covers some ground. Lightweight is a premier division. The UFC did make overtures to others, including Mateusz Gamrot and Dustin Poirier, according to sources, but Volkanovski was the best possible option.
If Volkanovski wins, what's next for 145?
Alexander Volkanovski forces the referee to stop the fight vs. Yair Rodriguez in Round 3 of the UFC 290 main event.
Ilia Topuria is the No. 1 contender. That much is clear. Who Topuria fights and when will be questioned if Volkanovski becomes the UFC lightweight champion. Volkanovski may come out of the Makhachev fight relatively early and want to move back down and defend the featherweight belt in his next fight. Volkanovski told me earlier this year that he's confident he could be a fighting champion in two divisions if it came to that.
The UFC could also pull the trigger on an interim title fight, like they did earlier this year when Volkanovski fought Makhachev for the first time. Topuria vs. Max Holloway for interim gold could be an interesting move. Before the last few days, Volkanovski vs. Topuria at UFC 297 in January was deep in negotiations and likely to happen, per sources.
If Volkanovski loses, what's next for 145?
Volkanovski comes back down at some point and defends the title. The UFC could still end up doing an interim title fight. It'll all come down to timing.
Could Volkanovski make a quick turn and defend the 145-pound belt early in 2024? Potentially, but it seems like it would be a lot to ask. An interim title fight, whether Volkanovski wins or loses, is probably a safe bet at this point. | MMA |
Oliveira was forced out of his title-fight rematch against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) next Saturday, Oct. 21 in Abu Dhabi due to a cut. Makhachev will now defend his belt against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
Bisping understands why Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) opted to withdraw, saying that the risk of competing with nasty gash on his eyebrow could have cost him in the fight.
“If it is a bad cut two, three weeks away, two and a half weeks, yeah listen, you can’t compete like that,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “You can compete with injuries, but a huge cut on the eye, I mean, that’s going to be bad. It’s going to open up straight away and that’s going to be it. Or maybe he even gets out there and the UFC pull him from the fight straight away.”
Volkanovski (26-2 MMA, 13-1 UFC) will step in on less than two weeks’ notice for his title-fight rematch. “The Great” was eager to run things back with Makhachev after pushing him to the brink in their first fight at UFC 284, and will now get that opportunity.
Bisping thinks the lack of time to prepare makes it a tall order for Volkanovski. Makhachev thinks Volkanovski has nothing to lose, but Bisping disagrees.
“The danger here for Volkanovski is that if he does lose, and one has got to imagine, let’s be honest, that Islam’s going to be a huge favorite,” Bisping said. “Not only has he beaten him once, not only is he the bigger guy, but this is on two and a half weeks’ notice.
“Regardless of how professional Volkanovski is – because he is. He’s always training. The man’s an athlete. He takes his job very, very seriously. Still, two and a half weeks, that’s not ideal. But the real risk is that if he loses to Islam twice in a row, then he ain’t going to get another shot. That’s the real risk here. That is what’s at stake.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294. | MMA |
It was late 2006 and Eric Nicksick, in 1997 an all-state wide receiver from Green Valley High School in Henderson, Nevada, was looking to change things in his life. He was a bartender and was not happy where his life was headed. He'd gone to Nevada-Reno to play football, but had gotten kicked off the team. He played two years at Dixie State in St. George, Utah, but suffered a series of concussions and decided to walk away from the game that had been a big part of his life.
His father, Jim Nicksick, was an assistant coach at Green Valley and became the first assistant to be inducted into the Southern Nevada Coaches Association Hall of Fame. His uncle, Dave Castro, was an assistant at Green Valley. Another uncle, Gary Wheeler, was a long-time successful high school basketball coach in Southern Nevada.
And yet another uncle, Mike Nixon, was a head coach for three years and an assistant for decades in the NFL. Coaching, clearly, is in Eric Nicksick's blood.
But in 2006, he wasn't sure he wanted to be a coach when he stumbled upon the yet-to-be opened Xtreme Couture Gym in Las Vegas. The gym wasn't open to the public, but its founder/owner, Randy Couture, was using it to prepare for a heavyweight title fight on March 3, 2007, at UFC 68 against Tim Sylvia.
Nicksick showed up and began to train with veteran fighters there like Couture, Mike Pyle, Jay Hieron and Martin Kampmann. He had no intention of becoming a fighter, or a coach, but he needed something different in his life.
He and a friend tried to find the gym. A major east-west road in Las Vegas that now makes it easy to get to the gym didn't go all the way through at that point, so they struggled to locate it. But they were persistent and sticking with it changed Nicksick's life.
"We basically stumbled across the place and when we did, there was a practice going on," Nicksick told Yahoo Sports. "Mike Pyle asked me to come in and invited me to practice, which was basically like code for beating the s*** out of me. But he told me after that day, come back if you want to and so I did. I was helping out and helping set the gym up and things like that.
"I was just in need of a different direction at that point. I didn't know what I was going to get there, but I needed a sense of community. I didn't like the direction my life was going and I was getting lazy and complacent."
He kept coming back so often that a few months later when the gym opened, he was member No. 1. And now, he still makes his daily treks there, but does so as its general manager and head coach of the Xtreme Couture fight team.
He helped guide Sean Strickland to the middleweight title Saturday by winning a wide unanimous decision over Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 293, confirming his presence among the game's elite coaches.
MMA Junkie named him its coach of the year in 2020 and Yahoo Sports tabbed him as 2022 coach of the year. But Nicksick truly came into his own by guiding the mercurial Strickland to one of the biggest upsets in the sport's history.
"Eric's just a phenomenal coach and I feel like he could coach any sport and be successful," said Dan Ige, a UFC featherweight who is coached by Nicksick. "If we were to pick up pickle ball, he would study it and teach you how to play pickle ball. If it were badminton or anything, he has that ability to explain things and break it down. He has a really good eye for the sport."
Part of his job is getting his fighters in shape. Another part is improving their fundamentals. Game planning is key, and all of those are areas where he excels. But he's outstanding in that minute between rounds and can make a significant impact on the fight.
Those moments are tense and pressure-packed and a coach needs to not only deliver the right message, but needs to say it the right way. Getting the message correct isn't always easy. Kenny Florian, a former UFC fighter who now does TV analysis for the PFL on ESPN and co-hosts a popular podcast with Jon Anik, gives Nicksick high marks.
"I can't recall a time where he was working a corner and giving advice and I thought to myself, 'Oh wow, I'm not sure I agree with that,'" Florian told Yahoo Sports. "He seems to have a really good ability to communicate with and relate to his fighters, and he has that knack for seemingly always saying the right thing. I haven't been there in his coaching sessions to hear him, but when he's breaking down fights, when he's talking about what his fighters need to do, when you hear him in the corner, it seems like it's almost always pretty on point."
Nicksick pays a great deal of attention to the body language of his fighter's opponent, so much so that he always makes sure to have one of his coaches keeping an eye on the opposite corner. Nicksick said he believes his best attribute as a coach is the advice he's able to deliver between rounds. His idea to assign a coach to the opposite corner paid huge dividends for Strickland on Saturday.
Strickland was clearly up at least 3-1 after four rounds Saturday. But MMA judging is unpredictable and Adesanya was fighting in front of a raucous home crowd, which can impact things.
Adesanya appeared to be a beaten man when he trudged to his corner after the fourth round. It seemed plain to the most casual observer that Strickland simply needed to finish on his feet and he would, however improbably, become the new champion.
Nicksick is shrewd enough to realize that no matter how poorly Adesanya was performing relative to expectations, he became one of the greatest fighters in UFC history by rising up at the most important moments. He needed Strickland to keep the foot on the accelerator.
"I'm big on [observing] body language," Nicksick said.
And so when he heard that Adesanya looked defeated, he got to the corner and knew what he had to say: He told Strickland he thought it was probably two rounds apiece.
"I said 2-2 going into five for two reasons," Nicksick said. "In my heart, I had us up 3-1. In my mind, I wanted to make sure we kept the same amount of pressure. I didn't want Sean to feel we could cakewalk and take our foot off the gas because that does us a disservice in distance. And now, if we're not fighting at the distance I want, we're in kick range where Izzy is most dangerous. I didn't want to put my fighter in a situation where now, we're fighting off our back foot or Izzy starts getting momentum, fighting downhill. I wanted Sean to stay on it.
"No. 2, we were in his hometown and I didn't know how the judges would score it and I wanted to err on the side of caution. And lastly, I wanted [Sean] to put his f***ing foot on [Adesanya's] throat. I wanted him to make a statement. If we would have lost in those five minutes with that theory, I'd have been OK with it."
Strickland did and he got the win, the biggest of his career and clearly the biggest of Nicksick's. He couldn't help but think back to a conversation with Hieron after he had only been at the gym a few months.
Hieron recognized his talent.
"I'll never forget this, but Jay asked me why I was doing this," Nicksick said. "I told him I didn't know but that I wasn't trying to fight but that I really loved the sport. And he said to me, 'I think you have a path to being a very good coach, the way you carry yourself, the way you speak to the team, how you're willing to learn and you don't have a huge ego.' I'll never forget that. And a big reason why I'm here today is because of that talk I had with Jay." | MMA |
The UFC roster is bigger than ever – and it continues to expand.
Fresh faces appear on nearly every card, whether onboarded as short-notice opening fillers, “Dana White’s Contender Series” signees, or rare straight-up additions. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of the hustle and bustle of the mixed martial arts news beat, but here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got you covered.
“Fresh Ink” is your list of fighters added to the UFC roster the previous month and provides background on who they are and where they came from.
Check out the October 2023 list below.
Rodolfo Bellato
Record when signed: 11-2
Signing type: DWCS
Weight class: Light heavyweight
Age: 27
Debut: Dec. 2 vs. Ihor Potieria (20-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night in Austin, Texas
#BellatoToUFC. That’s what happened on DWCS in early October. In what was his second chance to impress the UFC brass, Rodolfo Bellato knocked out Murtaza Talha in a violent battle. Known as a do-or-die fighter, Bellato is an explosive addition to the UFC light heavyweight division with 10 finishes in 11 wins.
Rayanne Dos Santos
Record when signed: 14-6
Signing type: Straight up
Weight class: Strawweight
Age: 28
Debut: TBA
The Invicta FC atomweight champion is moving up in the world. Rayanne dos Santos moves up to strawweight and enters the UFC on a three-fight winning streak. After back-to-back wins over Vitoria Karolina and Katie Saull, Dos Santos clinched gold vs. Jillian DeCoursey by unanimous decision in May.
MMA Fighting was first to report news of Dos Santos’ signing.
Magomed Gadzhiyasulov
Record when signed: 8-0
Signing type: DWCS
Weight class: Light heavyweight
Age: 29
Debut: TBA
Magomed Gadzhiyasulov earned a UFC contract on DWCS with a unanimous decision win over a durable Jose Medina. While he couldn’t put Medina away inside the distance, Bahrain’s Gadzhiyasulov maintained his undefeated record. Prior to his UFC signing, Gadzhiyasulov competed for a variety of promotions including Brave CF and Eagle FC.
Victor Hugo
Record when signed: 24-4
Signing type: DWCS
Weight class: Bantamweight
Age: 30
Debut: Saturday vs. Daniel Marcos (15-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 231 in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Victor Hugo entered DWCS as one of the most experienced fighters in the series’ history, and exited with one of the show’s all-time slickest submissions. The kneebar wowed the UFC brass and propelled him into a quick promotional debut turnaround in his home country vs. surging Daniel Marcos.
Andre Lima
Record when signed: 7-0
Signing type: DWCS
Weight class: Flyweight
Age: 24
Debut: TBA
Andre Lima’s DWCS fight wasn’t particularly action-packed, but Dana White didn’t put the blame on him. After a Lima defeated a gun-shy Rickson Zenidim by unanimous decision, White offered Lima a UFC deal. The win marked only the second time Lima has been to the decision in his undefeated professional career. Five of his seven career wins are by knockout.
Connor Matthews
Record when signed: 7-1
Signing type: DWCS
Weight class: Featherweight
Age: 31
Debut: TBA
The New England Cartel representation in the UFC has multiplied. The third time was the charm for Connor Matthews, who earned a UFC deal from Dana White on DWCS with a unanimous decision win over Jair Farias. Matthews had previously competed on DWCS in 2022 and also fought in front of White during a taping of “Dana White: Lookin for a Fight.”
Brendon Marotte
Also a member of the New England Cartel, Brendon Marotte jumped on a short notice opportunity to make his UFC debut up a weight class on short notice. While the decision resulted in a 20-second TKO loss, Marotte is through the door and will get a second chance at his natural weight class. Marotte has six finishes in eight wins.
Marquel Mederos
Record when signed: 8-1
Signing type: DWCS
Weight class: Lightweight
Age: 26
Debut: TBA
Factory X’s Marquel Mederos thrilled in his DWCS opportunity as he landed a nasty knockout knee vs. Issa Isakov. The strike earned him a UFC contract and extended his winning streak to five. Mederos has six knockouts in eight wins.
Jose Medina
Record when signed: 11-3
Signing type: DWCS
Weight class: Light heavyweight
Age: 32
Debut: TBA
Jose Medina lost a lopsided unanimous decision on DWCS, but he won over the heart of UFC CEO Dana White – and that’s all that really mattered. With his signing, Medina is the first Bolivia-born fighter in promotion history. Though he entered DWCS on a six-fight winning streak, Medina claims to never have had a true MMA coach. That’s something he hopes will change after his UFC signing.
Lucas Rocha
Record when signed: 17-1
Signing type: DWCS
Weight class: Bantamweight
Age: 23
Debut: TBA
At 23 years old, Lucas Rocha already has 18 fights and 17 wins. The 17th was his most important to date as he finished rival Davi Bittencourt with a lights-out knee in Round 2. The win came one week after the two were supposed to fight at flyweight, but the fight was postponed after Rocha missed weight. Whether he debuts in the UFC at bantamweight or flyweight, Rocha will look to extend his winning streak to seven.
Mauricio Ruffy
Record when signed: 9-1
Signing type: DWCS
Weight class: Welterweight
Age: 30
Debut: TBA
The Fighting Nerds continue to invade the UFC. Mauricio Ruffy finished Raimond Magomedaliev with 15 seconds remaining on the clock of their three-round DWCS bout. The win extended his streak to four and elevated him onto the UFC roster, where he joins teammates Caio Borralho, Jean Silva, and Carlos Prates.
Oumar Sy
Record when signed: 9-0
Signing type: Straight up
Weight class: Light heavyweight
Age: 27
Debut: TBA
The UFC has eyed Oumar Sy for a while – and now they have him. A large light heavyweight with brutal knockout power and submission prowess, Sy competed three times under the KSW banner from July 2022 to June 2023. Other stops along his MMA journey included Eagle FC, ARES FC, and OKTAGON.
Ramon Taveras
Record when signed: 9-2
Signing type: DWCS
Weight class: Bantamweight
Age: 29
Debut: Jan. 20 vs. Serhiy Sidey (10-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC 297 at Toronto
Ramon Taveras got two chances on the most recent season of DWCS. After a controversial referee stoppage ended his first opportunity, Taveras was invited back by Dana White. Taveras capitalized on his mulligan when he flattened Cortavious Romious in 29 seconds. Now, Taveras will rematch Serhiy Sidey, the fighter who defeated him in the controversial moment aforementioned.
Puja Tomar
Record when signed: 8-4
Signing type: Straight up
Weight class: Strawweight
Age: 27
Debut: TBA
Puja Tomar has made history. She’s the first India-born woman in UFC history. Tomar enters the UFC on a three-fight winning streak. From 2017-2020, Tomar competed for ONE Championship. She went 1-3 in MMA and 0-1 in muay thai for the promotion. | MMA |
The final quarter of the year is upon us. Things have been hectic -- and newsworthy -- in the sport of MMA in 2023.
From a business perspective, the UFC has merged with WWE to form the publicly traded company TKO, under Endeavor. In the cage, UFC titles have been veritable hot potatoes. There have been 10 title changes in the promotion this year, if you include fighters vacating belts due to retirement or injury.
The UFC has three more pay-per-view cards before the year ends and at least five titles will be on the line. Bellator 300 is a few days away, on Saturday in San Diego, with four title fights. PFL still has to decide its entire slate of 2023 championships in November.
What should fans watch over the next three months before the ball drops, sending us into 2024? ESPN MMA insiders Marc Raimondi, Brett Okamoto, Jeff Wagenheim, Andres Waters and Myron Medcalf glance at the top storylines for the rest of the year.
Raimondi: The future of the UFC heavyweight division
Tom Aspinall finishes Marcin Tybura within the first 90 seconds of the first round of the main event.
The UFC 295 main event is one of the biggest heavyweight title fights ever. In terms of pure achievements, it's the biggest. Jon Jones is the longtime former UFC light heavyweight champion and a man who is unbeaten in 18 straight fights. Dial that back even more: Jones has never truly been beaten -- his only loss came via questionable disqualification. Stipe Miocic, the challenger on Nov. 11 in New York, is a two-time former UFC heavyweight champion with a record four total title defenses. His three straight title defenses are also a UFC heavyweight record.
As if that isn't significant enough -- the light heavyweight GOAT against the heavyweight GOAT -- what happens after the fight is completely in question. Miocic is 41 years old and a full-time firefighter and this will be his first fight since March 2021. There's a solid chance that, win or lose, Miocic will retire after UFC 295. Miocic told me in an interview last week that it was a possibility, but only because he's thought about retirement after every one of his fights, going back to his first UFC bout. We'll see.
Meanwhile, Jones has said on several occasions that this could be it for him. Whether that's a negotiating ploy or not is up for debate. But the fact is, Jones is 36 years old now. He won his first UFC title when he was 23, the youngest to do it. There is nothing Jones has accomplished. His legacy as the greatest MMA fighter is all but set. Even beating Miocic would just be gravy -- another on a list of Jones accomplishments that could barely fit on one of those lengthy drugstore receipts.
So, what would heavyweight look like without Jones and Miocic? The two names that immediately come to mind are Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich. The former is a well-rounded Brit who can finish a fight anywhere. Aspinall is on the verge of being a big star in the United Kingdom and beyond. The latter is a hard-hitting Russian, a modern-day Drago with size and enormous power. Aspinall and Pavlovich seem to be on a collision course, regardless of the result of UFC 295. Whether that's a title eliminator or a flat-out title fight will be determined on Nov. 11. The heavyweight division will be in good hands with them, but it would be cool to see one get a shot at a Jones or Miocic in a potential passing-the-torch fight.
Okamoto: What rematches will the UFC greenlight?
I'm curious how the UFC handles these potential rematches. Rematches can be good for the sport and draw a lot of attention. Any time you have a rematch, you have a built-in storyline. But how many will the UFC sign up for? It can't be a year of rematches.
And if you look at each division, it's rematches galore right now. Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko, trilogy. Sean Strickland vs. Israel Adesanya, rematch. Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira, rematch. Alexander Volkanovski vs. just about any featherweight after Ilia Topuria, rematch. Volkanovski vs. Makhachev, rematch. Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera, rematch. Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval, rematch. Pantoja vs. Brandon Moreno, tetralogy.
There are some great fights in there, for sure. But does the sport need a year in which nearly half of the major UFC pay-per-view events are matchups we've already seen? Depending on what happens in some of these divisions, we could be looking at more potential rematch situations. Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3? Colby Covington vs. Usman 3? Volkanovski vs. Holloway 4? As Dana White likes to say, we'll see how things play out -- but I could see a scenario in which we are debating over the merit of plenty of rematches during the next 12 months.
Waters: What's next for the Bellator men's flyweight division?
Earlier this year, Bellator announced that it would be launching a men's flyweight division with former bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi taking on Rizin's Makoto Takahashi for the new title at Bellator MMA vs. Rizin 2 on July 29. But that didn't go as planned -- just seconds into the match, an accidental eye poke by Horiguchi forced the fight to be ruled a no contest. Leaving Bellator without a champion for its new division on its inaugural night.
There are plenty of questions surrounding the division, but two questions are the most important. The first is obvious: Will there be a rematch for the 125-pound title? Since that fight, the promotion hasn't announced any plans to run it back. Second, and most importantly, who's on the men's flyweight roster? Despite having a fight for the title, Bellator has yet to say anything regarding the fighters it has picked up to fill out this division. It's not an ideal way to introduce a new weight class. Hopefully, we can get some answers sooner rather than later.
Wagenheim: Can we fill some of these championship vacancies, please?
Amanda Nunes leaves her belts and gloves in the Octagon after announcing her retirement from fighting at UFC 289.
The UFC women's featherweight and bantamweight divisions have been without a champion ever since Amanda Nunes retired at UFC 289 in June. A month later, Jamahal Hill announced he was vacating the light heavyweight title after rupturing his Achilles tendon. So now 25% of the weight classes in the sport's leading promotion have vacancies at the top.
The vacancies themselves are not what's concerning. Retirements and, sadly, career-interrupting injuries happen. What matters here is the UFC's urgency -- or lack of urgency -- in filling those essential positions.
The bean counters at the UFC no doubt are more concerned with sorting out the Conor McGregor soap opera, because a "Notorious" return would get a standing ovation from TKO stockholders. But fans deserve better. As fun as it used to be to watch McGregor fight, hasn't the circus surrounding him grown tiresome? Every time McGregor rolls into town, it distracts the sport from what matters: the quest to be the best.
The UFC is working on it at light heavyweight. Jiří Procházka and Alex Pereira will tangle for the belt at UFC 295 in a tantalizing clash of former champions -- Procházka at light heavy, Pereira at middleweight -- who are standup standouts of very different styles. There's nothing on the books, however, for re-establishing supremacy at women's bantamweight and featherweight.
Let's get those divisions topped before the end of the year. There's no need to wait for a matchup as brilliant as Procházka vs. Pereira to emerge. The next Amanda Nunes is not out there. But the UFC's 135- and 145-pound women need someone to chase, and fans deserve more shiny belts to follow.
Medcalf: The UFC women's flyweight division's bright future
Alexa Grasso retains her flyweight title after a split draw with former flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko.
For years, Shevchenko owned the women's flyweight division. At 125 pounds, she had been the mayor, the sheriff and the deputy, as she defended her belt seven times in a row. And then she faced Grasso, the current champion who upset Shevchenko earlier this year and then kept the belt via a controversial draw last month. Grasso's emergence has not only changed the division, but the titleholder and her colleagues could also change the UFC.
The 125-pound women's landscape is no longer dominated by one fighter. Grasso and Shevchenko will eventually meet a third time -- once Shevchenko heals from a hand injury -- but she's not the only threat to Grasso's throne. Erin Blanchfield hasn't lost since February 2019. The jiu-jitsu specialist has four submissions in that run. Who wants to fight her? Manon Fiorot toyed with Rose Namajunas, the former strawweight champ, when they met in September. Fiorot has won her last 11 fights. Who wants to fight her? And a Maycee Barber-Grasso rematch -- Grasso beat Barber via unanimous decision in 2021, Barber's most recent loss -- also makes sense. Plus, Jessica Andrade is always a handful at 115 or 125 pounds.
There are enough fights to turn 125 pounds into the UFC's most competitive and fascinating division in the years ahead, especially with the possibility of a few 115-pound fighters moving up. There has always been talk about Zhang Weili potentially chasing a second belt at 125 pounds. But the return of Tatiana Suarez -- the undefeated fighter who beat Andrade at 115 pounds in August, her second bout after a four-year layoff -- makes things interesting for two divisions. Suarez has fought at 125 pounds and she's a serious contender in both weight classes. Who wants to fight her?
And that's the beauty of the UFC. For years, we just wondered whom Shevchenko would dismiss next. Now, the months and years ahead could feature a gauntlet in the women's flyweight division that boosts the entire UFC. | MMA |
Rosas (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) is still the youngest fighter on the UFC roster. After shining in his debut in December, he succumbed to a one-sided defeat in April for what was the first blemish on his record.
Even though all the naysays pointed to the result as evidence the 18-year-old didn’t belong on this stage so soon, or would never become the champion he’s vocalized he would be, Rosas was never deterred.
So when he entered the cage against Terrence Mitchell (14-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC) on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena, he never had the slightest bit of negativity in his mind about his ability, and that translated with a 54-second TKO finish that earned Performance of the Night honors.
“(I) never had any doubts,” Rosas told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight at Noche UFC. “(I) never had any doubts about my skills. The only thing that loss changed was my record, and tonight I showed that nothing has changed.”
Rosas said he was prepared for everything Mitchell could offer on fight night. It turned out that wasn’t much, because Rosas cracked him with a massive punch early in the fight then showed tremendous killer instinct in swarming until he got the finish.
“My grappling and my timing was on point,” Rosas said. “If it touched the ground, I knew I was going to find the submission. We put in a lot of work. I’ve been working lots of grappling. I was just blessed to show everything. I’ve evolved from the last fight. (I) showed my improvements and I was able to do it tonight.”
Despite still only being a teenager, Rosas is clearly comfortable and confident in his own skin. He knows what he wants from his career, and that’s greatness in every aspect. The road to get there is long, but Rosas has the utmost belief he can be something special.
“I’m different,” Rosas said. “I have the potential to be a superstar and break all these records. I’m just being myself, and I’m blessed that I am the way I am. I know I have potential to become one of the biggest superstars of the company.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Noche UFC. | MMA |
LAS VEGAS – Jhonata Diniz has a stern warning for the UFC heavyweight division.
Brazil’s Diniz (6-0) punched his ticket to the UFC on Tuesday at Dana White’s Contender Series 62 after he knocked out Eduardo Neves (7-2) in the first round at the UFC Apex. The undefeated former kickboxer has finished all his professional fights in the first round and is ready to continue taking people out in the octagon.
“I just have one message to all heavyweights in my division: The bad dreams is coming,” Diniz told reporters during the DWCS 62 post-fight news conference. “I’m the most dangerous heavyweight, and I’m coming to this division.”
Diniz may be inexperienced in MMA, but he has over a decade’s worth of experience competing in kickboxing against the likes of Glory champion Rico Verhoeven and Hesdy Gerges, which has given him confidence as he embarks into his MMA career.
“I don’t care against who, I will fight,” Diniz said. “If they give me a top guy to fight, I will face him because my whole life in kickboxing, I’m fighting tough guys. I don’t care against who I will fight. If the UFC gives me an easy fight, I will do it. If they give me a hard fight, I will also do it. I’m here for work, and I don’t care against who I will fight.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 62. | MMA |
Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) was forced out of his first title defense against Stipe Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) at UFC 295 after sustaining a torn pectoral tendon that requires surgery.
In the meantime, the UFC opted to book an interim title fight between Sergei Pavlovich (17-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and Tom Aspinall (13-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC), which co-headlines the Nov. 11 card at Madison Square Garden in New York. White said Jones needs about eight months to heal, but Sonnen thinks that as long as he’s in the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency drug testing pool, which remains the UFC’s partner until the end of the year, that timeframe is unlikely.
“Jon Jones, don’t forget they took all his needles, all the good stuff, so that’s going to be a very hard recovery at this age,” Sonnen told The MacLife. “This is a guy that’s already sat for three years. This is a guy that hasn’t taken good care of himself. I wish Jon the best. I don’t want to kick him while he’s down. I’m trying to be very realistic about this scenario, and I think Jon can handle the business from me.
“Jon Jones is going to be out eight months in the best-case scenario. That’s going to put him at 37 years old to preserve a fight with what will then be a 42-and-a-half-year-old.”
Sonnen sees Pavlovich vs. Aspinall as the real title fight. With both Jones and Miocic’s recent inactivity, Sonnen says no one will be clamoring to see their fight once it’s rebooked.
“If we get down the road, eight months, which is the best-case scenario – I mean, don’t forget this is a bad shoulder injury,” Sonnen said. “Jon Jones is 36 years old. He’s going to be 37. They took his growth hormone and his testosterone away. This isn’t like the olden days where he can heal himself in record time. If he stays within the USADA pool, if it’s eight months, it’s going to be the full eight months.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295. | MMA |
In the middleweight main event, Adesanya (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) lost his middleweight title to Sean Strickland (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) in an all-time title upset. Israel looked like he was in slow motion,” White told reporters including MMA Junkie after the event. “He looked like he couldn’t get off. He looked like he was really stiff tonight. He looked very slow. … Only Israel knows what’s going on. I’m very curious to see what he says at this press conference tonight.
“There are a million things that could go wrong. Some days you wake up and you’re just not there, man. It’s just not there. He looked bone-dry tonight, standing up really tall. He looked very slow. He looked like he couldn’t get off at all. Even in the fifth round when everybody knew he needed a knockout to win the fight, there was no sense of urgency to try to finish the fight. So I don’t know if he’s hurt or if tonight’s the night.”
Adesanya passed on the usual question-and-answer session during his post-fight news conference and had coach Eugene Bareman stand in his place, so those conclusions will have to be reached at a later date. However, White knows one thing: Strickland deserves a lot of credit for the performance he turned in.
“He came into hostile territory with the whole world talking shit about him, the whole world saying he couldn’t do it,” White said. “A seven-to-one underdog, he came in and almost finished him in the first round and won the championship, won the world title. Everything that we’re talking about right now about how crazy this sport is, when opportunities arise, you jump on them and you take them. You should never turn down fights when you get the call, especially if it’s for a world title.”
Given Adesanya’s standing in the division and the sport’s history, White (who often declines matchmaking questions on the night of the fight) indicated an immediate rematch with Strickland will likely be next.
“I think you do the rematch, absolutely,” White said. “The rematch is interesting. That could be the thing, too. When you think about you’re going into the Pereira fight, such a big fight, and you’ve been in there with this guy so many times, and then you overlook Strickland. You come in and I don’t know. I don’t know the answers to these questions, but Israel does, and I’m looking forward to hearing it.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 293. | MMA |
What mattered most at UFC Fight Night 226 at the Accor Arena in Paris? Here are a few post-fight musings …
* * * *
4
The phenomenal French crowd
Before addressing any individual performances, let’s pay respect to the performance of the crowd inside Accor Arena, who were nothing short of electric from beginning to end over the course of the 11-fight card.
The venue was at close to capacity from the time the first fighters walked to the octagon, and the energy stayed high all the way to the conclusion of the main event. It helped that French fighters thrived throughout the night, and the two most prominent names atop the card came out with their hands raised in convincing fashion.
I don’t want to turn this into a whole thing about the numbers of events still being run from the UFC Apex, but it has to be said. This card was pretty mediocre on paper outside of a couple notable fights, but to the local crowd in there, it was something special. The UFC could create this type of magic every weekend all over the globe if it wanted to put forth the effort, and its unfortunate the shot callers don’t see the value in that, because it makes the sport and event feel so much bigger.
3
Manon Fiorot might be the best at 125 pounds
The UFC women’s flyweight division is more intriguing than it has ever been right now, and Manon Fiorot’s rise to prominence is a big part of that. She remains undefeated inside the octagon after spoiling the divisional debut of former strawweight champ Rose Namajunas, and she is very much on the short-list of title contenders.
It’s fascinating times. We’re less than two weeks out from the title rematch between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko at Noche UFC in Las Vegas, and obviously the direction of the weight class hinges heavily on the result of that fight.
If Grasso repeats the feat and upsets Shevchenko again, it’s a whole new world for the entire weight class. Fiorot (11-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) will be at the forefront of the discussions about who will be next in line for the belt, and it would seemingly be a two-horse race between the Frenchwoman and Erin Blanchfield.
If Shevchenko manages to regain the strap and avenge her loss, however, then things could get more complicated. Would the UFC be keen on doing an immediate trilogy fight between Shevchenko and Grasso, or does the division return to its previous trajectory with Shevchenko running shop and blowing through the contenders? Those are the biggest questions.
I’m eager to see Fiorot get her chance, though. Obviously, her past two wins against Namajunas and Katlyn Chookagian were huge, but you could poke some holes in the performances if you wanted. Grasso, Shevchenko and Blanchfield could pose some serious stylistic challenges for Fiorot, but if she’s able to overcome them, the conversation about who is truly the best women’s flyweight ever will start to evolve.
2
Rose Namajunas' curious fighting future
There were many valid questions about Rose Namajunas’ head space coming into her fight with Fiorot, and many of them still exist after she came out on the wrong end of the scorecards.
Namajunas (11-6 MMA, 9-5 UFC) hadn’t seen action in 16 months after she lost the strawweight title to Carla Esparza in one of the most ridiculed fights in UFC history. She previously admitted that retirement was a serious consideration during her layoff, but she opted to come back with a fresh coat of paint.
A change in weight class was the biggest adjustment for Namajunas, but she wasn’t given an easy introduction with top-ranked contender Fiorot. She suffered a hand injury early in the fight that seemingly affected her quite heavily, but even then, she didn’t seem like the sharpest version of herself outside of some aggressive moments in the third round.
All this leads to speculation about where she goes from here. If Namajunas is losing to Fiorot, how would she fair against the likes of Grasso, Shevchenko and Blanchfield? You’d reckon it would be quite the uphill climb.
Does she return to 115 pounds? Does she call it quits having already achieved so much in the sport? If I could get a feeling of what the inside of her mind was saying, I would offer insight, but I don’t. Namajunas operates in a different mental space than most, so it’s hard to get a read on her path forward.
1
Ciryl Gane holds serve and keeps relevant
Ciryl Gane wasn’t fighting for a UFC title in his main event with Serghei Spivac, but he was fighting for something arguably even more important: His reputation.
The criticism on Gane (12-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) has felt endless since losing to Jon Jones in their vacant title bout in March. He provided little resistance in a fight where many people expected a lot more from him, and that’s followed him over the past six months. He managed to put that moment in the rear-view with a second-round TKO of Spivac, and now he can shift his focus on the future.
This wasn’t the performance or opponent that’s going to put Gane right back to the forefront of the title discussion. However, it did hold his head above water as far as keeping future options open.
We don’t know what’s going to happen after Jones and Stipe Miocic fight for the title at UFC 295 in November. One or both men could potentially retire in the aftermath of that event, which would change the landscape of the division and life significantly for someone like Gane. If he lost this one to Spivac his career would’ve plummeted into desperation mode, but instead, he has new hope.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 226. | MMA |
After a career-long three-fight losing skid, Cutelaba (17-8-1 MMA, 6-7-1 UFC) got a crucial win in April when he stopped Tanner Boser by first-round TKO. “The Hulk” hasn’t put together consecutive wins since 2018, but the light heavyweight matchup with Lins (17-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC), which takes place at the UFC Apex and streams on ESPN+, gives him the chance to change that.
The performance against Boser was good building block for Cutelaba, he said, but the next matchup has even more significance in his mind.
“I’m not happy with where I’m at just yet,” Cutelaba told MMA Junkie and other reporters during Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 229 media day. “I worked a lot on myself in preparation for this fight. I worked on a lot of my thoughts, a lot of my mistakes. A lot on my skills. I’m really very much waiting this fight to see where I’m at and what questions can be answered.”
Cutelaba, 29, thinks the fight against a former heavyweight in Lins will be a good barometer for the state of his career. The 2018 PFL champion brings a three-fight winning streak into UFC Fight Night 229, and Cutelaba said it’s his duty to end that.
“When I was offered this opponent I was really happy about it,” Cutelaba said. “He’s a really good opponent, he’s a really great fighter. He’s a strong fighter. He’s got three victories in a row, so I think he’s a really good level for me just to test myself against a fighter on that level. I think it’s a very good fight for me.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 229. | MMA |
Montserrat Conejo doesn’t think UFC fans have seen what she’s truly capable of in the octagon.
Things haven’t really worked out for the Mexican fighter after making a successful UFC debut in 2021. She made her first official appearance with a unanimous decision win over Cheyanne Vlismas but was then stopped by TKO in subsequent bouts against Amanda Lemos and Jaqueline Amorim.
“Yeah, unfortunately I’m coming off two losses, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to move forward and win,” Conejo told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “My objective is to go out there and win and do the best way I can possibly do.
“I’m working extremely hard. Both mentally and physically I feel much better, and that’s what’s important. I’m going with a little chip on my shoulder that I’ve been carrying after these two defeats. I’m coming in with that, and it’s given me motivation and that extra push. This is the one.”
Conejo (10-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) returns to the cage Saturday at UFC Fight Night 231, which takes place at Ginasio Do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo. The event streams on ESPN+. Conejo takes on Brazil’s Eduarda Moura (9-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC).
Conejo, 30, represented the Mexican women’s national wrestling team in her younger days. She’s a seven-time national champion. Despite the notable background, Conejo doesn’t believe she’s show it partly due to torn meniscus and other knee injuries. Now healthy, Conejo is determined to return to her roots.
“I feel like I haven’t been able to show what I really do – wrestle,” Conejo said. “I think that’s what it is, being able to return to my base, and that means defending takedowns so I don’t get taken to the ground and also strengthening my attacks on the feet, my striking. I consider myself an aggressive fighter. This last fights, I didn’t feel like the aggressor, so that’s also part of retuning to my roots.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 231. | MMA |
Chael Sonnen argues that, contrary to popular belief, judge Mike Bell might’ve had a good reason for his 10-8 score at Noche UFC.
Judge Bell cost Valentina Shevchenko (23-4-1 MMA, 12-3-1 UFC) the win against flyweight champion Alexa Grasso (16-3-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) when he gave Grasso a 10-8 in Round 5. His scorecard read a draw, resulting in a split draw in this past Saturday’s headlining rematch.
UFC CEO Dana White was outraged by the 10-8 score and plans on booking a trilogy fight between Grasso and Shevchenko. While Sonnen doesn’t agree with the 10-8 round, he gives Bell the benefit of the doubt based on the visual of the final seconds of the fight.
“I have to defend Mike Bell in one regard,” Sonnen said on ESPN’s “DC & RC.” “That fight was eligible for stopping when she (Shevchenko) was being teed off on. I realize title fights don’t get stopped, and she was going to be shown the benefit of the doubt, but if you’re curled up and you’re taking shots, and that’s what Mike Bell saw – maybe he had a vantage point. I would listen to what he has to say.”
White confirmed that the Nevada Athletic Commission will hold a meeting on Wednesday to address 10-8 scoring, and Sonnen sees it as a very positive step.
“This is a big deal, but there is still some room to learn from there,” Sonnen said. “There is a reason perhaps that Mike Bell has – perhaps there was a vantage point. I didn’t get to see this thing live, so I was at the discretion of whatever the camera angle was. I saw Shevchenko win the round, but maybe there was a different way to see it. That’s all that I’m offering.
“As far as what the checks and balances are, they’ve agreed to hold a meeting, they’re going to do that on Wednesday, and while that doesn’t sound like much, that’s the most I’ve ever seen. I’ve never seen a commission step up, step forward, and take any kind of an action. I’ve seen them regulate, bring in fighters, fine them, suspend them, embarrass them, but I’ve never seen them do it with their own personnel. I’ve got to commend them at least to a small degree for even holding this meeting.” | MMA |
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from October 2023: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Submission of the Month award for October.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.
Nominees
Nominee: Victor Hugo def. Eduardo Torres Caut at DWCS 65
Victor Hugo (24-4) is no stranger to winning by submission, but his latest limb manipulation wa his ticket to the UFC.
In the second round of his Dana White’s Contender Series bout, Hugo snatched up Eduardo Torres Caut’s (16-2) right leg and immediately put the limb in danger. After securing the kneebar position, all Hugo needed to do was crank on it. When he did, the tap quickly came to prevent serious damage that could have soon followed.
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 4, 2023
Nominee: Joe Pyfer def. Abdul Razak Alhassan at UFC Fight Night 229
Joe Pyfer (12-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) continued the impressive start to his octagon career on Saturday when he submitted Abdul Razak Alhassan (12-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC).
After speaking extremely confidently about his chances of winning prior to the fight, Pyfer went into the cage and delivered. He went back-and-forth with Alhassan over the first round, then in the second frame got the fight to the ground and put his opponent out cold with an arm-triangle choke.
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 8, 2023
Nominee: Jena Bishop def. Ilara Joanne at Bellator 300
Jena Bishop (6-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) picked up the biggest win of her undefeated career so far, and did it in the perfect spot Ilara Joanne (11-8 MMA, 3-4 BMMA).
Bishop submitted Joanne, from Brazil, with a first-round armbar. With nearly 20 pro fights on her resume, Joanne nearly has as much experience as Joanne’s first five opponents combined, but it didn’t matter as the fight ended swiftly.
The @PechangaArenaSD erupts for Bishop! 👏
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) October 7, 2023
Nominee: Said Nurmagomedov def. Muin Gafurov via guillotine choke at UFC 294
Said Nurmagomedov (18-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) shared the octagon with Muin Gafurov (18-6 MMA, 0-2 UFC) in Abu Dhabi, but the bantamweights didn’t spend much time in the cage together though
Starting things off working on the outside with quick kicks to the legs and head, Nurmagomedov kept Gafurov’s defense on high alert early. The first takedown attempt would be the last, as Nurmagomedov slapped on a slick guillotine choke that Gafurov couldn’t escape, and he was forced to tap out just 73 second after the contest began.
SAID NURMAGOMEDOV IN JUST OVER A MINUTE 🤯
— UFC (@ufc) October 21, 2023
The winner
The winner: Muhammad Mokaev def. Tim Elliott at UFC 294
Muhammad Mokaev beat his first ranked opponent at UFC 294, and did so in impressive fashion.
Mokaev (10-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) fended off Tim Elliott’s (19-13-1 MMA, 8-11 UFC) ground game to score an arm-triangle choke submission of the former title challenger at the 3:03 mark of Round 3.
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 21, 2023
Moments before Mokaev notched the finish, Elliott was warned for a second time for kicking a downed Mokaev, but Elliott protested. Referee Jason Herzog resumed their position against the cage, but Mokaev managed to reverse position and flip Elliott to his back. He then transitioned to an arm triangle choke, forcing Elliott to tap.
Mokaev has now finished four of his five UFC wins. He called out Kai Kara-France, Amir Albazi and Manel Kape in his post-fight octagon interview. | MMA |
Prochazka (29-3-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and Pereira (8-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) will battle for the promotion’s vacant light heavyweight title in the UFC 295 co-headliner Nov. 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York. The belt was relinquished in July by Jamahal Hill, who suffered an Achilles tendon injury in a pickup basketball game.
As he awaits the winner, Hill isn’t sure who he will be fighting upon his return. But, if former champion Prochazka wants to get his hand raised, Hill says he can’t just stand and trade with Pereira.
“I think that one’s a tossup, if I’m being completely honest,” Hill said on the “Believe You Me” podcast. “I think that fight can truly go either way. I think Jiri, the way he strikes – yeah, he has the wild, kind of loose style, but Alex isn’t going for that. He’s not going for the tricks. He’s not going for all the out there (stuff) because he has a specific mission and specific points in places he wants to be when he’s striking and when he’s engaging, and I think Alex is better at getting to those spots than Jiri is.
“But I think physically, Jiri will be the more physical, more physically strong fighter. I think Jiri has more MMA experience. I think if he can use his unorthodox-ness to, instead of trying to strike, to actually get in and mix and be rounded around in mixed martial arts, clinch him up, beat him up in the clinch, drag him to the ground, I think that’d moreso be his best way – making it an all-round mixed martial arts fight.”
Hill doesn’t have a preference on who wins, and sees the two matchups as entertaining scraps. He looks forward to fighting both.
“Honestly, if I had my choice and I had my pick, I would have not gotten hurt,” Hill said. “I would have had them both be in the position that they are and I’d have whooped their ass one by one.” | MMA |
LAS VEGAS – Raul Rosas Jr.’s goal to become the youngest champion in UFC history still remains.
Rosas (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), who’s the youngest fighter on the UFC roster, returns to action this Saturday at Noche UFC, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena. It’s his first fight back since suffering his first professional defeat. Despite the setback, Rosas’ ambitious career goals remain the same.
“Everything I’ve said in the past, all the goals I’ve set in the past, nothing has changed,” Rosas told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s Noche UFC media day. “Everything remains the same. I meant everything. If you bring up something I’ve said in the past, I’ll still admit to it. I still think the same way. Nothing has changed.”
After his appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series and successful UFC debut, Rosas quickly became one of the more popular rising stars on the UFC roster. This may be a double-edged sword given the nature of the fanbase. After his first loss back in April in Miami, he did feel the weight of his popularity.
“I got more love than hate,” Rosas said regarding his first defeat. “Everyone telling me since I lost that they can’t wait to see me come back, so I appreciate that, but of course, there was hate too. I knew this is how the sport is.
“Even if Khabib would come back and lose, the fans would turn their back on him. Every time I would go to a UFC event and saw a star of the show, he lost, everyone would turn their back on him, so we knew since we were little that that’s how the sport is, so it doesn’t really matter.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Noche UFC. | MMA |
Johnny Eblen almost got into a second fight after his successful Bellator title defense, and it was with none other than UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards.
Adrenaline was running and Eblen (14-0 MMA, 10-0 BMMA) began to shout over a knocked-out Edwards (12-3 MMA, 8-3 BMMA), as the two had some bad blood in the lead up to the event. Naturally, Leon didn’t take that kindly, and the two had a confrontation in the cage and had to be separated by security.
“A lot of emotions, bro.” Eblen told reporters during a post-fight news conference. “His brother is a great fighter. I honestly hope he beats Colby (Covington). I f*cking hate Colby. That dude sucks. But yeah, I want to fight him, too.
“He’s one of the best guys in the world, and I want to prove I’m one of the best in the world. You have to fight everybody. He’s not in my weight class, but he might go up to 185 eventually. But I went over after and said, ‘Sorry, my emotions were high.’ I squashed the beef. I don’t have anything wrong with him. I just want to fight the guy.”
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) September 23, 2023
As far as the actual fight with Fabian, Eblen was overall pretty happy with his showing. This was his second title defense since taking the belt away from veteran Gegard Mousasi back at Bellator 282 in June 2022.
“A little bit of a slow start, but I felt I had the advantage in the striking,” Eblen said when asked about his performance. “He was pretty crafty with the get-ups, I was also trying to take him down, but I wasn’t trying to wear my arms out and work my wrestling too much. I was trying to get a feel for the defense he was doing. He was doing a good job, but over time I think he was getting slower and slower and slower, and I would’ve been able to build on it.
“He does a good job coming out of the clinch in short elbows, and that’s how he cut me. I maybe felt a little bit of urgency because I wasn’t sure how bad the cut was. It felt pretty bad, but they didn’t stop it, so I was like, ‘Ok, cool.’ Going into the third round, I felt like I had to turn it up a bit. I was throwing some big shots. I was planning on taking him down, but I ended up finishing him. It is what it is.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 299. | MMA |
Heavyweight fights are often a flip of the coin, but in the upcoming UFC interim heavyweight title fight Jailton Almeida has a favorite.
After the cancellation of the UFC heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Micocic, which was supposed to headline UFC 295 on Nov. 11, the promotion booked an interim title fight pitting Sergei Pavlovich against Tom Aspinall.
Almeida (19-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) thinks Pavlovich is going to win that fight, given that he was supposed to be the backup for Jones-Miocic, and was already training for that date.
“Jon Jones’ injury ones up opportunities, and now we have Tom Aspinall vs. Pavlovich,” Almeida said through an interpreter at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 231 media day. “As far as who I see as the favorite, I think Tom Aspinall didn’t have the mentality that he was going to fight for the belt. Actually, after his fight, he said he wanted Ciryl Gane.
“Meanwhile, Pavlovich is a guy that had his mind focused on fighting for the belt, and he was serving as backup and was doing a full camp. I think I’ll favor Pavlovich. He’s the guy with the full camp, and Aspinall was just training to train. He wasn’t mentally ready for a title fight. He wasn’t thinking about the title.”
Almeida returns to the cage this Saturday to take on Derrick Lewis in the main event of UFC Fight Night 231, which takes place at Ginasio Do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo, and streams on ESPN+.
He believes a win over Lewis (27-11 MMA, 18-9 UFC) could get him a shot at the belt or a title eliminator bout. Almeida also mentioned how he was bummed to hear about Jones’ injury, as he wants that fight in the future.
“I maybe do worry a little about not achieving my dream of fighting against Jon Jones,” Almeida said regarding Jones’ torn pectoral. “I’ve said it in interviews that my dream is to fight Jon Jones.
“However, I’m also happy for the opportunities to fight for the title that get opened up now. Jon Jones is out and now Tom Aspinall is fighting Sergei Pavlovich. If I beat Derrick Lewis on Saturday, I could be next or maybe they make me do one more. There’s a lot going on in the division, but it might open up opportunities.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 231. | MMA |
Covington (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) challenges welterweight champion Leon Edwards (20-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) in the Dec. 16 pay-per-view headliner at T-Mobile Arena.
Lightweight champion Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC), who’s coming off a close title defense against featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284, has hinted at a future welterweight move. He defends his belt in a rematch against Charles Oliveira at UFC 294 on Oct. 21. If Covington dethrones Edwards, he’s not looking at No. 1 contender Belal Muhammad next.
“There’s a lot of big fights after I become undisputed (champion) in December,” Covington told My MMA News. “Conor’s always looming if he wants to come back. I don’t think he’s going to want to fight when he sees the performance I put on. He doesn’t want to get embarrassed in front of the world. He’s a great fighter. He’s done great things – unpredictable. He could do anything at any moment. He’s a dangerous guy, but when he sees what I put on Leon, those guys are going to run from me.
“There’s that little Mongoloid. He’s been talking a little bit saying he wants to come up and fight in a real man’s division because he’s in a little boy’s weight class and I’m talking about Islam Makhachev. He’s fighting in a little man’s weight class. He’s fighting little midgets and he’s barely beating midgets. I mean, split decisions, split draws – it’s just pathetic.”
Edwards is coming off back-to-back wins over Kamaru Usman, but Covington is confident he has the style to beat him.
“It’s a great matchup,” Covington said. “I love fighting southpaws. There’s a reason he’s delaying this matchup. He knows it’s the hardest stylistic fight for him, and for me, it’s just another fight, another big pay-per-view main event. I don’t even remember the last time I fought a f*cking three-round prelim fight like some of these other bums that call out my name.
“I think it’s a great stylistic fight – southpaw to southpaw – and I just don’t think he can keep up with my well-roundedness. He’s going to be guessing the whole time. Am I taking him down? Am I striking? Now I’m a black belt under Sensei Valverde, so my submission skills, my finishing skills, I’m coming to put this dude’s lights out. He ain’t making it 25 minutes come Dec. 16.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296. | MMA |
LAS VEGAS – Miles Johns beat Dan Argueta with a unanimous decision Saturday to close out the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 228 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Johns, who won for the fourth time in five fights.
Dan Argueta vs. Miles Johns
Result: Miles Johns def. Dan Argueta via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Updated records: Johns (14-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC), Dan Argueta (9-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
Key stats: The stats were close across the board, but Johns had slight advantages in striking and control time.
Johns on the fight's key moment
“I felt like when, when things got a little tough, I was sticking to the game plan and the longer that I stuck to the game plan that we had, the more it started working. When he was getting a little bit tired, when he was starting to just have to go for broke and just come at me, I just stuck to my guns. I knew what I needed to do. I knew I needed an inside leg kick, use the jab, step to the left, eyes below eyes. And when I just stuck to that, it started working and paying off more and more.”
Johns on digging deep
“I’m just proud of the fight, just to perform, just getting through that struggle. Dan’s a tough dude. He’s a pain in the butt to fight. He just was coming forward, coming forward. I was really confident in my corner. … It’s been a long road to get here, and I felt like with some of the ups and downs I’ve had in my career in the past, I needed a fight like that – an action-packed fight that took some grit, that took some heart, that I was just going to go and remind myself who I am.”
Johns on what he wants next
“I want to get back as soon as possible. I’ve got to sleep tonight and make sure that my shoulder and everything is still good because I’m coming from that injury, but it feels good right now and I’m excited to get back. I’m ready to string some wins together. I want to get that momentum building. I want to keep it rolling. I’m not one to call people out, but Aiemann Zahabi is a name that I’ve been looking at. He’s coming off of three wins, two big knockouts, and I know he said he wanted to stay active. Everybody else in the division, or that I’ve seen, that I’ve had my eye on, has a fight. He’s the only one that doesn’t. But if not that, Sean Shelby does a great job. He’s great at his job. You know, and whatever he sends me, it always seems like the perfect test for me at the time.”
To hear more from Johns, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 228. | MMA |
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the co-main event for UFC 294.
UFC 294 takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view at a special time of 2 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN+.
Khamzat Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC)
Staple info:
- Height: 6’2″ Age: 29 Weight: 185 lbs. Reach: 75″
- Last fight: Submission win over Kevin Holland (Sept. 10, 2022)
- Camp: ADMA Academy (Dubai)
- Stance/striking style: Switch-stance/kickboxing
- Risk management: Fair
Supplemental info:
+ National champion in freestyle wrestling (SE)
^ Won multiple years and weight divisions
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt
+ Amateur MMA accolades
+ 7 KO victories
+ 5 submission victories
+ 8 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Aggressive pace and pressure
+ Steadily improving striking and footwork
^ Solid jab from both stances
+ Favors front kicks from open stance
+ Superb wrestling ability
^ Offensively and defensively
+ Excellent transitional grappling
^ Good positional awareness and punishing process
Kamaru Usman (20-3 MMA, 15-2 UFC)
Staple info:
- Height: 6’0″ Age: 36 Weight: 185 lbs. Reach: 76″
- Last fight: Decision loss to Leon Edwards (March 18, 2023)
- Camp: ONX Labs/Kill Cliff FC (Florida)
- Stance/striking style: Switch-stance/kickboxing
- Risk management: Good
Supplemental info:
+ Former UFC welterweight champion
+ NCAA Division-II national champ
+ 3x NCAA All-American
+ 9 KO victories
+ 1 submission win
+ 3 first-round finishes
+ Consistent pace and pressure
+ Solid feints and footwork
+ Improved overall striking
^ Jabs, bodywork, etc.
+ Strong inside the clinch
+ Excellent takedown ability
^ In the open or against the fence
+ Superb top game and control
^ Rides and transitions intelligently
+/- Fighting on 11 days notice
Point of interest: Striking on short notice
Despite coming from a wrestling base, Chimaev appears to be comfortable striking from both stances. The Chechen fighter can fire off snappy jabs from either side, which, in turn, help him follow up with power shots.
Unless his opponent carries a decent grappling pedigree, Chimaev usually wastes little time extending striking exchanges before looking to change his level and wrestle. However, in recent outings, we’ve seen Chimaev play a bit more with open-stance looks on the feet.
Whether he’s throwing his favored front kick or looking to line up a wicked right hand, Chimaev seems to be gaining a taste for open-stance affairs. That said, Chimaev’s skills don’t exactly shine through in the defensive department, so the 29-year-old will need to make sure he’s respecting what’s coming back at him this Saturday.
Enter Usman.
Akin to Chimaev, Usman is also a wrestler who has developed a knack for striking from both stances.
Whether he is feinting forward or shifting his stance in combination, Usman will persistently corral his opposition toward the cage, attacking them with impunity whenever they step near it. The 36-year-old is also smart about shifting away from his opponent’s power side when advancing, all while throwing corralling hooks that help him close space.
Usman has obviously been focusing a lot more on his jab and lead-hand work in recent years, showing a sharp acumen from both stances. From offensively flowing off of his jab to using it in a checking manner, Usman is good about keeping his feet underneath him for maximum functionality.
Between the short-notice nature of this fight and Chimaev’s noted aggression, I would not be shocked to see Usman take more of a backfoot approach this weekend.
Point of interest: Winning the wrestling
Considering the crux of each fighter’s game, winning the wrestling will remain paramount for both parties.
Wrestling since the age of five, Chimaev has seemingly adapted to the grappling arts like second nature. From a lightning-fast shot to incredible wherewithal within the clinch, Chimaev seems to have it all from a wrestling perspective.
The 29-year-old displays a lot of the freestyle (and even Greco) looks that you would associate with his part of the world, yet also demonstrates a lot of the positional rides that traditionally come easier to American folkstyle wrestlers. And when Chimaev took the back of Li Jingliang at UFC 267, the Chechen fighter showed off some very competent jiu-jitsu to close to show via rear-naked choke.
Rewatching Khamzat Chimaev’s first amateur MMA fight and totally forgot about the makeshift playpen full of children cage-side who ended up getting a front row seat for this finish (*note the youngest girl cheering): pic.twitter.com/2XT9d0IWul
— Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) October 1, 2020
From early in his regional career to his more recent battle with Gilbert Burns, Chimaev has shown solid submission and wrestling defense in multiple scenarios. Whether someone is looking for Chimaev’s legs or attempting to re-guard, the product from the Allstars Training Center typically gives his opposition very little to work with – all while staying busy with offense of his own.
That said, I’m not sure how much Usman will be shooting on Chimaev given the lack of preparation that 11 days notice presents.
Usman does, however, offer rock-solid takedown defense and crafty clinch tactics that Chimaev will need to be aware of.
— Miguel Class (@MigClass) March 14, 2023
From hips that are hardwired to sprawl at the drop of a dime to sneaky clinch tie-ups that involve Jon Jones-like wrist feeds, Usman has all the on-paper tools to possibly stymie a large part of Chimaev’s efforts.
And if Usman is able to end up on top in a scramble, he bears an impressive intelligence in transition that could help him in this matchup.
Demonstrating excellent positional awareness, Usman always seems to make high-percentage choices whether he is passing or punching. Using suffocating wrestling rides that stymie everything from posts to submission attempts, Usman will seamlessly hit his transitions while steaming his opposition underneath him.
That said, Chimaev does not appear to be someone who will settle for the bottom easily.
Point of interest: Odds and opinions
The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the younger fighter, listing Chimaev -320 and Usman +235 via FanDuel.
If Usman was given a full camp to properly prepare for this challenge, then I’d probably take a flier on the former welterweight champion to have a successful middleweight debut.
But between the elephant in the room that is 11 days’ notice to the speculative health of Usman’s knees, it’s hard to be confident in “The Nigerian Nightmare” in this spot.
Even if Usman’s healthy enough to sustain his stellar takedown defense rating, I can’t help but see Chimaev’s uppercuts and front teeps wreaking havoc on his 36-year-old foe given his history with those strikes.
Don’t get me wrong: I believe that Chimaev is cruising for an eventual bruising, but I don’t think it comes here. | MMA |
LAS VEGAS — Rafael Fiziev has turned into one of the UFC’s most exciting fighters. He’s Justin Gaethje Light, if you will.
Fiziev is one of the sport’s finest strikers, and entered his fight with Gaethje at UFC 286 on March 18 having won a post-fight bonus in his previous five fights. It was a no-brainer he’d increase that to six against Gaethje, and he won Fight of the Night despite dropping a majority decision victory.
He was proud of how he fought — he fought on even terms most of the way with one of the sport’s finest finishers — but he wasn’t pleased with the way he reacted to the crowd.
The crowd at the packed O2 Arena in London was so into the fight that Fiziev engaged more and more. His style played into Gaethje’s hands and Gaethje pulled away down the stretch to win.
“I followed my fire and I followed the screaming [fans] inside the arena,” Fiziev told Yahoo Sports. “Whenever I tried to do something, I could hear the screaming of the fans. They wanted more and more and I wanted more and more to show them, and I just followed my fire. It’s something I learned from, for sure.”
Fiziev, who is ranked No. 6 at lightweight, will face No. 7 Mateusz Gamrot on Saturday at Apex in the main event of UFC Vegas 79. While there won’t be the kind of crowd there that there was in London to urge him on, Fiziev is confident he’ll be different the next time he’s in that situation.
He admitted that in his 2021 fight against Bobby Green in Houston that he also was influenced by the crowd’s roars, but he pulled that fight out.
When his eagerness to put on a show cost him a win, he knew it was time to learn a lesson.
“None of us goes in there and thinks we’re going to allow that to happen,” he said of being influenced by the crowd. “But the [adrenaline] is going and everyone is screaming and your competitiveness kicks in and you wind up falling into that trap. My style, I’m always going to have exciting fights, but I have to fight my fight. And that’s why experience is beneficial, because I learned from that [Gaethje] fight how to deal with it.”
Gamrot is unlikely to want to stand toe-to-toe in the pocket with Fiziev and throw hands. He’s one of the best wrestlers and grapplers in the division and likely will try to get the fight to the floor.
Fiziev has faced that kind of a fighter all of his life. He said he began doing MMA when he was 13 or 14 and even then, his opponents looked to put him on his back.
Gamrot averages 4.54 takedowns per 15 minutes and only has a takedown accuracy of 31 percent, so it’s obvious he spends a lot of time trying to get the fight to the floor. Fiziev is not known for his wrestling, but his takedown defense is 90 percent.
“He’s got great wrestling, that’s obvious,” Fiziev said. “He’s going to try to do what almost everyone I’ve ever fought tries to do: Take me down. I understand this. I am prepared for this kind of an attack. But I’ve fought against this for so long, I understand it.
“He’s one of the best wrestlers at lightweight, but I truly believe … that I can stop him from [taking me down]. And I know if I can stop him on Saturday, I can stop everybody in the division in this direction.”
So he’s prepared to do what he has to do to keep the fight standing. Given he’s won three Fight of the Night and three Performance of the Night bonuses in his last six outings, he’s proven to be good at taking the fight where he wants it to be.
But it was something of a coming out party against Gaethje. Gaethje was the known commodity, ‘The Human Highlight,’ and Fiziev put on a great show against him.
He lost, but fans who didn’t realize how good he was at striking got a first-hand look. And at the end of the day, that means money. Last week at Noche UFC, Gaethje appeared on the video board and a huge roar went up among the 18,766 fans in attendance at T-Mobile Arena. His history of epic fights has made him one of the most popular fighters in the sport.
That’s the way Fiziev is trending, and ultimately, it means money.
“I think about that and I know what that means,” Fiziev said. “I want people to remember me. Think about the ‘Korean Zombie,’ and look at that crowd in his last fight. He was never a champion, but the crowd loved him because of the way he fought.
“That is one of my goals. I want to stay around a long time and have people loving my fights and talking about them that way. And I think I’m going in the right direction to [do that].”
It’s especially true if he can continue to keep his fights primarily standing. Everyone loves a slugfest and few deliver better in that regard than Rafael Fiziev. | MMA |
The Brazilian strawweight didn’t beat her opponent Talita Alencar, but she also didn’t lose to her. The two fought to a draw in one of the more exciting fights of the night. This made Luciano (5-1-1) feel unsure of whether she was going to get a contract with the UFC. Fortunately for her, she was offered a contract, while White passed on Alencar (4-0-1).
“It’s surprising, right,” Luciano said through an interpreter at the DWCS 63 post-fight press conference. “I didn’t know what was going to happen there. I mean, Talita Alencar is a great athlete, and she came to impose her game, and then it was my turn to show her what I’m about, and I think that’s what made a difference.
“You don’t come out with a win, but you conquer the hearts of people, and that’s why I think I was able to get what I got.”
Luciano lost the first two rounds of the fight after getting taken down and controlled by the jiu-jitsu standout. However, in the third, Luciano put on a beating on a tired Alencar, enough to make it a 10-8 round.
“It was part of the strategy, actually,” Luciano said. “Listening closely to my corner, we knew that she could get tired of this, and they said this plenty of times. It’s not jiu-jitsu, it’s MMA. When I saw my opportunity, I was able to put my game, and you could see she was getting tired. I went for it. I really feel I could’ve knocked her out, but it didn’t happen. So now, that’s an opportunity to get better, so let’s go.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Dana White’s Contender Series 63. | MMA |
LAS VEGAS – Tracy Cortez beat Jasmine Jasudavicius with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at Noche UFC at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Cortez, who stayed unbeaten in the UFC in her return from a 16-month layoff.
Tracy Cortez vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
Result: <Tracy Cortez def. Jasmine Jasudavicius via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Updated records: Cortez (11-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC), Jasudavicius (9-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC)
Key stats: Jasudavicius landed a pair of takedowns, had three minutes of control time, and only narrowly lost the striking battle, but only picked up one round from the three judges.
Cortez on the fight's key moment
“I feel really good. I’m in good spirits – happy to be here, happy to come back and have that performance that I did. I really showcased my hands a lot more, showed my evolution, how I’ve evolved and grown. That was the game plan. We knew that she was going to fight the way that she did. With my team, it was just getting me comfortable in there. Every week, we made sure we had new looks. We had new girls coming in, from world muay Thai fighters to Bellator fighters, wrestlers. They were coming in, just giving me different looks, making sure that I was comfortable, and coming here today, it gave me that confidence.”
Cortez on her spot on the prelims
“You know, (it bothered me) a little bit (to be so low on the prelims). I was a little salty, like, ‘Come on, man. I know I have a big fan base coming in to watch me and support me.’ But it’s OK – much respect (to the UFC). There’s a lot of athletes here that are consistent. I’m very accountable and I know that I haven’t been too consistent. Hopefully you guys will see a change in that. As time goes by, you will see me move up.”
Cortez on what she wants next
“This is something I’m going to have to talk to my coaches about, but I’m healthy. I’m good. If we can get something in December, January, that would be ideal. I know that I don’t want to just fight to fight. I’ve been in the UFC long enough. I’m undefeated in the UFC. I’m going to celebrate this win and after that, behind me and on to the next. But I do want to make a title run – absolutely.”
To hear more from Cortez, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Noche UFC. | MMA |
Week 4 of Dana White’s Contender Series (2023) took place Tuesday in Las Vegas, and we’re grading the winners from the five fight card, which streamed on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex.
With a simple but digestible format that has had the MMA fanbase responding, this series has shown to have legs in multiple ways while serving as a crockpot for contenders the UFC matchmakers can use for future events. With that trend in mind, I once again will be taking a look at the winning fighters, regardless of whether or not they won a UFC contract, and grading their performances in regard to their probability of returning to a UFC stage.
Bolaji Oki
Weight class: Lightweight
Result: Bolaji Oki def. Dylan Salvador via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:46
Grade: A+
Summary: Setting a strong tone for the night was a one-round barnburner between Bolaji Oki and Dylan Salvador.
I was familiar with Salvador and his striking background heading into this match – which is probably why I came away so impressed with Oki.
Not intimidated by his opponent’s pedigree, Oki did exactly what he needed to do to a fighter who is used to the pacing of a muay Thai/kickboxing bout by pressing the action immediately.
Oki utilized his cross beautifully by both doubling up on it and variating it to the body, which interrupted the kicks and striking rhythms of Salvador. Once Oki attached a solid left hook to the liver, Salvador clearly felt winded and backed up to the cage (crumbling soon after).
Between this being a body-shot stoppage to Oki being a near 2-1 underdog, I couldn’t help but give Oki the ever-elusive A+ for pulling off the upset in impressive fashion. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him paired up with someone like Yanal Ashmouz or Anshul Jubli for his first UFC assignment.
Thomas Peterson
Weight class: Heavyweight
Result: Thomas Peterson def. Chandler Cole via submission (Americana) – round 2, 1:08
Grade: B+
Summary: Despite doing basically everything he could’ve done as a fighter in his position, I still couldn’t quite get to an A when grading Thomas Peterson’s winning performance opposite Chandler Cole.
Don’t get me wrong: Peterson showed serviceable southpaw striking on the feet, as well as a fluid enough takedown and top game to stand out in the heavyweight division.
It’s just hard to get a good idea of Peterson’s potential ceiling given the quality of opposition he was against (with all due respect). Still, I don’t blame the UFC president for bringing Peterson aboard given the lack of grappling threats north of 205 pounds.
I say match him up with his British doppelganger, Mick Parkin, for an action-filled affair.
Timothy Cuamba
Weight class: Featherweight
Result: Timothy Cuamba def. Mateo Vogel via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Grade: B
Summary: Despite Timothy Cuamba being a fighter who carries a lot of Las Vegas support, I can’t say that I disagreed with Dana White in this spot.
Aside from the fact that Cuamba is still incredibly young, I didn’t like how he both let off the bodywork and the gas overall in regard to his output.
Although I have no issue with Cuamba winning two rounds to one, many (including myself) thought that Mateo Vogel had a solid argument to win on the cards due to the Canadian’s consistent leg kicks in the second frame.
Thankfully for Cuamba, he avoided that costly lesson marking up his resume and will live to fight another day. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Cuamba called up on short notice (for hopefully a better contract) on a future UFC card due to his clear skills and athletic potential.
Marcos Silva
Weight class: Middleweight
Result: Marcos Silva def. Yousri Belgaroui via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Grade: B
Summary: Even though this ended up being sloppier than a steak at Truffonis, I couldn’t help but award Marcos Silva a B for doing what he had to do to come through as an underdog opposite Yousri Belgaroui.
An accoladed kickboxer who fought the likes of Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya, it’s safe to say that there were a lot of eyes on Belgaroui.
The former Glory kickboxer actually demonstrated solid takedown defense and clinch fundamentals up against the fence, but he was unable to string together more than one meaningful strike at a time (which left little room for error inside of the smaller cage). And by the end of the first round, Silva was already picking up steam, seemingly sensing a potential momentum shift.
Silva was able to clearly outwork Belgaroui for the rest of the contest, but it wasn’t enough to get Dana White to recruit the Chute Boxe Diego Lima product.
That said, if I were a betting man (which I am), I’d be willing to wager that Silva will get the call to fill in for a short-notice spot somewhere within the next three months given the way the UFC keeps their relentless schedule running these days.
Carlos Prates
Weight class: Welterweight
Result: Carlos Prates def. Mitch Ramirez via TKO (punch) – round 2, 1:14
Grade: A+
Summary: Closing out the night was an impressive performance from Carlos Prates, who took out an ultra-tough Mitch Ramirez.
Even though Prates wooed us with a fully-fledged muay Thai arsenal from multiple ranges, the Brazilian’s ability to effortlessly land long, lethal left-hands reminded me of former UFC featherweight, Kevin Souza.
The UFC president used Anderson Silva as his comparison, and I don’t blame him given the 70 percent accuracy that Prates was working with in that first round.
From mixing straight to circular to his consistent building off the bodywork, Prates was able to push all of the right buttons to get me to pull out another A+ on this card. I agree with White in regard to Prates being UFC-ready, so don’t be surprised to see him thrown on the upcoming Sao Paulo card against someone like Gabe Green or Adam Fugitt. | MMA |
Three champions put their titles on the line at Bellator 300 on Saturday. Three champions dominated.
The event at Pechanga Arena in San Diego showed off some high-level command from two champs and a little workmanlike mastery from the third. Lightweight champ Usman Nurmagomedov did the improbable in the main event, outshining a legend, women's featherweight titlist Cris Cyborg, who'd just put on a thrashing in the co-main. And Liz Carmouche, while not an entertainer in her women's flyweight title defense, got an emotionally challenging job done with unemotional efficiency.
As for the "300" part attached to the fight card, that's a nice, big number, showing Bellator has persevered since its founding 14 years ago. The promotion has delivered some big moments, as well as some bizarre ones. But was this a milestone for the company or a roadside marker indicating the end is right up ahead? Reports and rumors have been swirling that Bellator is on the verge of being bought by the PFL, putting the promotion's future in doubt. At this point, the only event scheduled is next month's Bellator 301. Is that the last we'll see of Bellator?
Jeff Wagenheim and Brett Okamoto offer some thoughts on all things Bellator -- what happened Saturday night at Bellator 300 and what it means for the fighters' futures, as well as what might happen in Bellator's near future and what it means for the fight promotion.
Nurmagomedov is a top-10 lightweight in all of MMA
Wagenheim: Let me begin by pointing out that my sorting of the top 10 is totally unofficial, ESPN-wise, since it's Brett, not I, who decides on our divisional rankings. But I do have an opinion -- surprise, surprise, longtime readers -- and in my view Nurmagomedov has shown himself worthy of a spot.
Which spot, though? I'm leaning toward the lower end of the rankings, based on the 25-year-old's lightweight title defense at Bellator 300 and other recent performances. Nurmagomedov is undefeated, just like his cousin Khabib was. Usman has been dominant, just like Khabib. But the level of competition matters. Whereas Khabib Nurmagomedov finished his career with whuppings of Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor, Usman Nurmagomedov's last three wins have come against up-and-down Brent Primus, one-step-in-the-retirement-home Benson Henderson and Patricky "The Lesser Pitbull" Freire. This is not the most definitive measuring stick.
I'd love to see Nurmagomedov face a stiffer test, one that disrupts his flow state. Saturday's fight against Primus seemed to be unfolding in slow motion for Nurmagomedov, who gracefully dodged practically everything thrown his way by maintaining a pace and a distance where he could strike and not get struck back. It was a safe, winning strategy, and the champ showed poise and command. But it felt like he was coasting. We need to see him pushed and see him push back.
Nurmagomedov is slated to next fight in the final of the Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix against the winner of the Nov. 17 semifinal between Freire and Alexander Shabliy. We've already seen how the champ matches up with "Pitbull," but Shabliy, winner of eight in a row and 15 of his last 16, might give his fellow Russian a run.
Perhaps down the road, we'll see Nurmagomedov in with the other (and better) "Pitbull," Patricio, or dynamic AJ McKee. Or maybe we can measure him against ESPN's No. 1 lightweight and arguably the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, UFC champ Islam Makhachev. They tussle all the time as training partners at American Kickboxing Academy in California. Oh, to be a fly on the wall at one of their sparring sessions. That might be all we need to form a more precise opinion of where Nurmagomedov belongs in the top 10.
How do Cyborg and Carmouche measure up as champs pushing 40?
Wagenheim: Cyborg and Carmouche scored finishes at Bellator 301. But that is where the comparison ends.
Actually, that's where the comparison of their current state as fighters ends. In the big picture of women's MMA history, both have been key participants in seminal moments. When Cyborg knocked out Gina Carano -- the sport's first crossover star -- in a 2009 Strikeforce women's featherweight title bout, it was the first time a women's fight headlined a major MMA event. And in 2013, Carmouche fought in the first women's bout in UFC history, falling to Ronda Rousey by -- what else -- armbar submission. But Carmouche nearly finished "Rowdy Ronda" early in that fight after gaining back control, and boy would that have changed the story of women's MMA.
Beyond those breakthroughs, the two women's paths diverge. Carmouche has had a few nice moments over the years, while Cyborg has authored a legendary career. And at Bellator 300, Cyborg showed she is not slowing down. Actually, she is slowing down -- but in a good way. Instead of charging out of her corner on Saturday with the old Cyborg blitz, which won her some highlight-reel quick finishes earlier in her career, Cyborg showed poise in walking down Cat Zingano on the way to a TKO late in the first round. She took Zingano apart more methodically than explosively.
Cyborg is 38 years old, and speed is the first thing to go for a fighter. So, her newfound patience will serve her well. It might be the thing that keeps her near the top of the women's game for years.
If the Bellator sale to the PFL goes through, Cyborg will work for the same company as Kayla Harrison and Larissa Pacheco. Fights against those would be two of the biggest in women's MMA, true legacy enhancers for whoever gets her hand raised.
As for Carmouche, she is not on Cyborg's level -- now or ever -- but she showed on Saturday that she remains strong and smart four months away from turning 40. Fighting longtime friend and former training partner Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, Carmouche didn't let loose with anything resembling fury but gradually broke down the former champ with leg kicks. And while that low engagement annoyed the crowd, it ensured that the champ would not get caught by a desperate shot. It was a sustainable strategy for Carmouche.
But who knows what the future will hold for Carmouche? If the Bellator sale happens and fighters are assimilated into the PFL, would there be a home for the women who fight at flyweight? Stay tuned.
What are the most interesting fights at Bellator 301?
Okamoto: A couple of weeks ago, in a Five Rounds segment, I wrote that Bellator's bantamweight title fight between Sergio Pettis and Patchy Mix is the most underrated fight for the rest of the year. I challenge anyone to argue any differently.
Pettis is on a six-fight win streak, with his last two coming against tough competition in Patricio "Pitbull" Freire and Kyoji Horiguchi. Before that, he faced Juan Archuleta, who is no easy task, either. Pettis is ESPN's No. 7-ranked bantamweight, with a case to be in the top 5. And that's the most stacked division in the sport right now, particularly at the top. Mix might be one of the most underrated fighters in the world right now. He's a guy who finishes fights at 135 pounds and he is bringing a ton of momentum into this title fight. This is just a world-class matchup in a division that's on fire right now -- especially in the UFC. If you added these two to the UFC's roster, on top of what's already going, it would be the strongest division the UFC has had in years.
The rest of the Bellator 301 card is very good as well. AJ McKee will continue his new run at lightweight. Ukrainian welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov is a worthy headliner. But for me, this card is mainly about the 135-pound title fight, which I consider one of the top fights on the MMA calendar.
Will there be a Bellator 302?
Okamoto: To be determined. Rumors of Bellator MMA's demise (or its absorption by PFL) have been swirling for the better part of this year. Showtime's long-term interest in combat sports, in general, would seem to be on its deathbed. If Bellator does hold another event past Bellator 301, it would likely occur in December, although no fights are officially booked at this time. One industry member probably put it best to me in a text message: "It's up in the air."
For the sport, it would be great to see Bellator continue to exist on its own, but from a business perspective, this move would probably be well overdue for Showtime -- and its parent company, Viacom. Bellator has some world-class fighters under contract, but as a whole, the promotion has lacked direction and enthusiasm for quite some time now. There have been advanced talks of a PFL acquisition, and that is the outcome I anticipate at the moment.
Bellator president Scott Coker's comment over the weekend that "these things take time" was probably the most accurate, insightful update he could provide. The interest and desire are there to combine companies, but all of the sorting out of details takes time. How much time, we'll see. But Bellator's days do seem numbered. | MMA |
Volkanovski, champion at 145 pounds, is moving up a weight class to fight UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev again on just 11 days notice in the main event of UFC 294 on Oct. 21. This came about after Makhachev’s original opponent Charles Oliveira was forced to withdraw from the matchup due to injury.
On top of moving up a weight class and fighting a champion on short notice, Volkanovski will also be traveling to Abu Dhabi, which has historically been a supportive region for Makhachev.
Yet, Adesanya is confident that not only will Volkanovski get his hand raised, but also stop Makhachev.
“I felt Volk beat him in the first time, I thought so, the first time,” Adesanya told The Rock. “As the fight progressed, you can see Volkanovski grow more confident and be like, ‘This is the way he’s supposed to beat me, right? Come on.’ This time, short notice, Volk has nothing to lose. He’s been in the gym. He’s ready.
“I feel like he’s going to stop him on this one. But again, this is me, I’m biased. If I could bet, which I’m not allowed to, if I could, I know who I’m putting my money on.”
Volkanovski underwent arm surgery in mid-July and at the time was given six weeks of rehab. This was of course after Volkanovski’s TKO win over Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290 in Las Vegas. It was his first fight since losing a close, unanimous decision to Makhachev in February at UFC 284.
On the other hand, Makhachev has yet to fight since defeating Volkanovski in their first meeting in Australia at UFC 284. He won the title in October 2022 by submitting Charles Oliveira, and has yet to defend against an established title contender in the weight class. | MMA |
In a card populated by fouls and controversial regulatory decision-making, perhaps the most bizarre moment of UFC 294 took place during the featured light heavyweight bout between Johnny Walker and Magomed Ankalaev.
After kick-filled exchanges on the feet, Ankalaev (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) got Walker (21-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) to the canvas at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. As the struggle for position and footing played out, Ankalaev kneed his grounded opponent in the head. A timeout was called.
The bout was called off by referee Rich Mitchell at 3:13 of Round 1 at the advice of the cageside physician, who already was part of a separate controversial moment earlier in the event. That’s when all hell broke loose.
Walker shoved referee Rich Mitchell and signaled for the bout to continue as more commission and promotion officials entered the fight surface. Anakalev was game, and he, too, moved toward Walker.
That’s when UFC CEO Dana White entered the fray and attempted to calm his fighters in an expletive-filled manner. Eventually, things simmered down enough for the official decision reading, which was not well-received by those in attendance.
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 21, 2023
It’s unclear if a rematch will result from Saturday’s controversy, but Ankalaev vs. Walker was an important fight for the light heavyweight division. Ankalaev hadn’t competed since a vacant title fight draw with Jan Blachowicz at UFC 282 in December. Walker looked to extend a three-fight winning streak to four.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 294 results include:
- Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker declared no contest (accidental illegal knee) – Round 1, 3:13
- Ikram Aliskerov def. Warlley Alves via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:07
- Said Nurmagomedov def. Muin Gafurov via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:13
- Muhammad Mokaev def. Tim Elliott via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 3, 3:03
- Trevor Peek def. Mohammad Yahya via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 30-27)
- Javid Basharat vs. Victor Henry declared no contest (accidental groin strike by Basharat) – Round 2, 0:15
- Sedriques Dumas def. Abu Azaitar via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Mike Breeden def. Anshul Jubli via knockout (punches) – Round 3, 3:00
- Muhammad Naimov def. Nathaniel Wood via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Viktoriia Dudakova def. Jinh Yu Frey via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Shara Magomedov def. Bruno Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27 30-27)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294. | MMA |
LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie is on scene reporting live from Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 66 event.
Dana White’s Contender Series cards see prospects fighting for the opportunity to sign a UFC deal, with promotion CEO Dana White on hand to make the decisions at the UFC Apex.
Full results of Dana White’s Contender Series 66 include:
- Cortavious Romious vs. Ramon Taveras
- Andre Lima vs. Rickson Thai Zenidim Bueno
- Jair Farias vs. Connor Matthews
- Torrez Finney vs. Yuri Panferov
- Marquel Mederos def. Issa Isakov via knockout (knee) – Round 1, 4:09
- Lucas Rocha def. Davi Bittencourt via knockout (knee) – Round 2, 0:18
Continue reading below for more details about each fight.
Davi Bittencourt vs. Lucas Rocha
Round 1 – These two do not like each other, from what I understand. Rocha missed weight last week and the bout was pushed back – and up a weight class. But here we are. Bittencourt tries a running kick upon the fight’s start. Rocha eats a combination but then clips Bittencourt, who drops down. They grapple. Bittencourt takes Rocha’s back. Eventually Rocha works up against the fence. Bittencourt shoots again and gets Rocha’s back again. Rocha gets up. They separate. Bittencourt lands a spinning back kick to the body and shoots for another takedown. He was too far out and it was too telegraphed to secure initially, but he sticks with it and drags Rocha down along the fence. Rocha pops up. Bittencourt leans against him along the fence. Bittencourt tosses Rocha to the canvas and lands on the back again. Once agian, Rocha rises up. They separate. Bittencourt shoots again. Rocha sees it coming and tries to hop over the back. Bittencourt reverses the reversal and is again leaning on Rocha’s back. Rocha works up and Bittencourt hops onto his back. This time, unlike the others, Bittencourt has the body lock in. He tries a rear-naked choke. Rocha escapes. Standing, Bittencourt lands a punching combination to a kneeling Rocha. Things get wild as Rocha tries a “Showtime” kick right before the horn. 10-9 Bittencourt.
Round 2 – They trade calf kicks and jabs. Bittencourt shoots. Rocha stuffs. Bittencourt rushes in with a punch and Rocha knees him in the head. OH! Bittencourt facesplants unconscious. What timing! Referee Mike Beltran dives right in. That was violent.
Result: Lucas Rocha def. Davi Bittencourt via knockout (knee) – Round 2, 0:18
Photos:
Records: Davi Bittencourt (14-4), Lucas Rocha (17-1)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mike Beltran
Issa Isakov vs. Marquel Mederos
Round 1 – Isakov shoots early and ties Mederos against the cage. He elevates Mederos, who stays on the feet. Great balance. Isakov still has a hold, though. After a lengthy struggle, Mederos breaks the grasp of Isakov and goes on the offensive. Mederos slings some leather at Isakov, who looks a bit uncomfortable with the aggression coming toward him. Mederos lands a hard leg kick and whiffs on a big combination. Another Mederos leg kick lands. Isakov feints a lot, but he doesn’t have much lateral movement. Mederos lands another kick and stuns Isakov with a punch. In the stand-up, Isakov’s back has been against the fence for over a minute know. That’s never a good sign. Mederos digs the body with a big teep kick. There’s about one minute left. Mederos’ range is so good. He’s in and out. Isakov ducks down and eats a big Mederos knee. Isakov is out! Two knee knockouts in a row. The night of the knee is upon us, it seems.
Result: Marquel Mederos def. Issa Isakov via knockout (knee) – Round 1, 4:09
Photos:
Records: Issa Isakov (10-3), Marquel Mederos (8-1)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Herb Dean
Torrez Finney vs. Yuri Panferov
Round 1 – Man, Finney is… uniquely built. He’s an absolute fire hydrant. He’s giving up five inches in height but somehow has a multi-inch reach advantage. Panferov is from “Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight.” Anyway, they touch gloves. Panferov tags Finney with a nice combination. Finney shoots for a takedown and elevates Panferov over his head. Panferov is all the way elevated and Finney runs across the cage with him, then comes to a stop. Finney drops Panferov to the canvas but it wasn’t with as much power as it seemed at the beginning. Panferov lands some good elbows from the bottom and gets to his feet against the fence. Finney still has hold of a leg. Panferov breaks the grip and lands a combination that puts Finney on roller-skates. Finney gets tagged against and desperately shoots. Finney elevates Panferov again and dumps him. Panferov works for a kimura from the bottom but gives up his grip. Panferov works back up. On the break, Panferov tags Finney with another combination. Finney again shoots and gets a takedown. His mouth guard falls out. Referee Mike Beltran briefly calls timeout. Finney gets his mouthpiece back in and action resumes. Finney is in half guard. The round ends. 10-9 Panferov on damage.
Result:
Photos:
Records: Torrez Finney (6-0), Yuri Panferov (6-0)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mike Beltran
Jair Farias vs. Connor Matthews
Result:
Photos:
Records: Jair Farias (10-0), Connor Matthews (6-1)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee:
Andre Lima vs. Rickson Zenidim
Result:
Photos:
Records: Andre Lima (6-0), Rickson Zenidim (14-1)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee:
Cortavious Romious vs. Ramon Taveras
Result:
Photos:
Records: Cortavious Romious (7-1), Ramon Taveras (8-2)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: | MMA |
The UFC's next pay-per-view main event fell apart Tuesday, only for the promotion to put together arguably an even bigger fight.
Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira is injured and out of the UFC lightweight title main event at UFC 294 on Oct. 21 in Abu Dhabi, UFC president Dana White confirmed Tuesday night in a news conference after Dana White's Contender Series.
White said it took "one phone call" to get Volkanovski to agree to the fight.
"The Volkanovski crew, him and Israel [Adesanya], these guys are absolute studs, man," White said.
White said Oliveira sustained a cut on his eyebrow in his final round of sparring Monday night. He and his team were supposed to fly to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for the fight next week. Obviously, the cut was serious enough that it needed stitches and forced Oliveira from the bout.
Makhachev and Volkanovski fought back in February at UFC 284 with Makhachev winning a close unanimous decision in one of the best fights of this or any other year. ESPN has Volkanovski ranked as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, with Makhachev ranked No. 2.
"This is how we do it, brother," White said. "One fight falls out and we end up making a fight -- it's one of the most anticipated rematches ever in that weight class."
Makhachev (24-1) has won 12 straight fights and has one title defense. The 31-year-old Dagestan native is the longtime training partner of undefeated all-time great Khabib Nurmagomedov, the retired former UFC lightweight champion.
Volkanovski (26-2) rebounded from the Makhachev loss to beat Yair Rodriguez via third-round TKO in a featherweight title fight at UFC 290 in July. The 35-year-old Australian has five successful title defenses and six featherweight title fight wins, the second most in division history. | MMA |
Giagos (20-11 MMA, 6-7 UFC) started the fight strong by rocking Zellhuber (13-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) with some heavy punches. He looked in control through the first round of the lightweight bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but it didn’t last.
Zellhuber composed himself, started using his lengthy strikes effectively, and stopped takedown attempts until Giagos left his neck available for an anaconda choke at the 3:26 mark of Round 2.
Check out the replay of the finish below (via X):
— UFC (@ufc) September 17, 2023
Zellhuber’s victory sent the crowd into frenzy, and he celebrated with them in the aftermath of the fight giving an enthusiastic post-fight interview.
“It was a very tough fight. Bro, he hit harder than a motherf*cker,” Zellhuber said in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. “The first time he hit me I was like, ‘Oh sh*t.’ I knew he was about to shoot, and I just took the opportunity (to get the submission).”
Up-to-the-minute Noche UFC results include:
- Daniel Zellhuber def. Christos Giagos via submission (anaconda choke) – Round 2, 3:26
- Kyle Nelson def. Fernando Padilla via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Loopy Godinez def. Elise Reed via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:38
- Roman Kopylov def. Josh Fremd via TKO (body punch) – Round 2, 4:44
- Edgar Chairez vs. Daniel Lacerda declared no contest (referee stoppage overturned) – Round 1, 3:47
- Tracy Cortez def. Jasmine Jasudavicius via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Charlie Campbell def. Alex Reyes via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:38
- Josefine Knutsson def. Marnic Mann via unanimous decision (30-24, 30-25, 30-27)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Noche UFC. | MMA |
Diego Lopes is not trying to get ahead of himself, but he does want to throw certain things out in the universe.
The UFC featherweight returns to the cage Nov. 11 at UFC 295, and he has a tough test in Pat Sabatini. Yet, despite having a date and opponent on the horizon, Lopes (22-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is not afraid to mention other names he’d like to face as he makes his way to the UFC featherweight title. He’s by no means underestimating Sabatini (18-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC), but he wants to let the world know he’s interested in fighting Bryce Mitchell down the line.
“I have a few names in the rankings that I want to fight,” Lopes told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “One of them, and I’ll mention him because I love that matchup, and that’s what I want, the toughest fights: A fight against Bryce Mitchell for me would be very good, and it would motivate me a lot. He’s a fighter that has good wrestling and jiu-jitsu. I want those type of fights. I want fights that bring out the best in me.”
Lopes is coming off a first-round submission win over Gavin Tucker in August. It was his first win in the octagon, as he had lost a decision to Movsar Evloev in his UFC debut – a fight he accepted the week of the event.
The Lobo Gym fighter hopes to get in the rankings with a win at UFC 295 and begin to target the ranked names like Mitchell.
“I plan to win my fight on Nov. 11 and hopefully get in the rankings,” Lopes explained. “I already checked the guys who are in the top 15, and a lot of these fighters are coming off losses. I’m not wishing bad on them, but maybe I can take someone’s spot in the rankings. Then, next year, do at least three fights minimum and against good, quality contenders and then towards the end of 2024 or early 2025 be considered as a title contender. That’s my plan.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295. | MMA |
Dustin Jacoby is always concentrated on the task at hand, but sometimes the focus is directed inward.
The mental side of the fight game has been a focus of Jacoby (19-7-1 MMA, 7-4-1 UFC) in recent fights, particularly in the wake of a successful attempt to snap a two-fight losing skid, which he did in August when he finished Kennedy Nzechukwu in 88 seconds.
“The last fight with Kennedy, I just felt no pressure, man,” Jacoby recently told MMA Junkie Radio. “I just felt like, ‘Go out there and have fun. Go out there and enjoy the moment. Enjoy the crowd. Enjoy the opportunity. Enjoy the experience.’ The fight could not have went any better. I was just in a really good mental zone for that camp and for that fight night. I told my coach right after, ‘If I can find that same zone every single time, I feel like I could be unbeatable.’
“That’s all it really is, is a mind state, a state of mind. Every fight is different. You try to reenact these things and recreate these moments but you can’t. Every moment is different. You’ve just got to go with the flow and prepare and hope for the best. I think that’s what I did in my last fight vs. Kennedy and it really showed. It was one of my best performances and it was a great night.”
In a profession largely determined by wins and losses, Jacoby admits it’s difficult to stay in the moment and focus on the process rather than results. But he knows when he does just that is usually when the best outcomes flourish.
In order to understand that mindset more, Jacoby modeled his composure after one of the most violent and exciting fighters in UFC history.
“You know what fired me up for that fight, too?” Jacoby questioned. “The week before, Justin Gaethje had fought in Salt Lake City. It was a big pay-per-view card in Salt Lake City. I remember just thinking of those fighters, and Gaethje, in particular. He goes out there and just owns the moment. It doesn’t matter what else is going on. It doesn’t matter how you feel or if you had a bad camp or you just didn’t get enough sleep the night before. None of that matters. All that matters is the 15 minutes you get the opportunity to go out there and showcase your skills. I completely just let everything go and I think that was it.”
Jacoby, 35, returns on Dec. 16 at UFC 296 when he battles Alonzo Menifield (14-3-1 MMA, 7-3-1 UFC) in an attempt to transform a standalone win into a two-fight streak. With his newfound mental solidity, Jacoby is confident and has top 10 aspirations in mind.
“I’m coming off a big win, but I’m still of that mindset that my back is against the wall,” Jacoby said. “I need to win this fight. I need to get back and keep my ranking at No. 14 and go into 2024 with that top 10 mindset, the mentality of getting into the top 10 and seeing what the opportunities (are) and what they may be.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296. | MMA |
LAS VEGAS – Jack Della Maddalena doesn’t deny his DMs and comments on social media weren’t kind after his July win over UFC newcomer Bassil Hafez, but he’s honestly OK with that.
Following a UFC 290 cancellation, Della Maddalena (15-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) was rebooked vs. Hafez (8-4-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and squeaked by with a split decision victory. The lack of dominance became the subject of critique, but Della Maddalena embraces the negativity – because he agrees with it.
“I think it’s fair play,” Della Maddalena told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a Noche UFC pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “This is sport for the fans. I think they have the right to their opinion. It didn’t really bother me. I felt like it wasn’t a good performance, so fair play. … It’s hard to shut them up. I feel like they’re always going to be talking. I don’t really mind. It doesn’t really bother me. I think it’s just the way the sport is.”
Della Maddalena will have the opportunity to prove what he’s capable of Saturday when he battles Kevin Holland (25-9 MMA, 12-6 UFC) in a co-main event bout at T-Mobile Arena.
Holland rides high off a quick submission of Michael Chiesa at UFC 291 in July, though Della Maddalena wasn’t overly impressed by that performance. Regardless, Della Maddalena sees Holland as a tricky puzzle to figure out. The stakes, however, make the matchup worth it.
“I don’t know what to expect. I don’t really care,” Della Maddalena said. “I’m coming to fight. Whatever happens leading up to it happens. There’s definitely going be a time for fighting, so I’m just waiting for that. … I think a good win over Kevin Holland will get me in a nice spot to fight one of the top contenders.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Noche UFC. | MMA |
Former UFC and WEC champion Anthony Pettis sees positives and negatives to the dissolution of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) program.
USADA announced Wednesday that its anti-doping program agreement with UFC will expire at the end of the year. It hasn’t been announced if a new partner will be put in place or what the future of UFC drug testing holds, and Pettis has mixed thoughts on the situation.
As someone who was part of the UFC roster prior to USADA’s introduction in 2015, competed inside the octagon for most of its duration, and has now had fights in other promotions during his post-UFC run, Pettis has experienced it all.
Pettis thinks performance-enhancing drug use in the UFC was far more prevalent prior to USADA than it is today, but he thinks it reached that point by asking too much of the athletes.
“I think most fighters are going to like it (going away),” Pettis told MMA Junkie moments after USADA’s announcement. “There’s so much stuff that you’ve got to do to be part of that program. It kept the sport fair. Dudes are getting drug tested the night of the fight, before the fight, the week of the fight. There’s ways to do it, I think, to keep it fair. As the fighter, we had to update our whereabouts. We’re fighters – we’re traveling, moving around, training at different gyms. If you didn’t update your whereabouts (you got suspended). Little things like that I just think there’s a better way to do it. USADA, they’re a great company. I have no bad things to do say against USADA. But I think there’s other ways to do it. They’re not the only person who can do it.
“There’s just so many ways around it. You announce that you retire, USADA stops coming to your door. That’s a flaw right there. These guys are like, ‘I’m retired, I’m going to fight next year.’ I think where the sport was at when they first came in, they cleaned it up big time. The guys that I think were juicing, they had to figure something out.”
Pettis thinks the circumstances around the termination of the program is what could ultimately create the most angst among fighters. The looming return of Conor McGregor has become a hot-button issue over the past year, because before stepping back in the octagon, the policy stated he needed to submit two clean drug tests over a six-month period after re-joining the testing pool.
There is an amendment to the policy that would allow the UFC to wave the testing period and McGregor could become immediately eligible to fight, and USADA claimed clashing views over that point caused “untenable” friction between the two sides that contributed to failed negotiations on extending the agreement.
Pettis said it’s hard to ignore McGregor’s influence over how everything came to a head.
“A lot of fighters are going to be pissed off because it was about Conor McGregor,” Pettis said. “If it wasn’t about Conor McGregor and UFC was like, ‘Yo, as a business it just doesn’t make sense for us to use this company, we’re going to use a different company.’ I think it would go differently. But with Conor’s face on it and the Dana White privilege, people are going to get behind that. But when it comes down to it, it’s a business. And people want to see Conor fight.”
Although Pettis doesn’t fight under the UFC banner anymore, his preference is for the sport as a whole to be clean. It’s an impossible task, in his opinion, because no matter the degree of regulation, he thinks there are always avenues to cheating, and those determined enough will find them.
“I was fighting in the wild, Wild West days where drug tests wasn’t random,” Pettis said. “Unless you were fighting for a title shot, you probably wouldn’t even get a drug test. I’ve had both ways. The USADA way, it definitely makes me feel a little more safe that like, ‘The guy I’m fighting isn’t on some sh*t.’ If they want to get around it, there’s ways to get around it. There’s tricks and stuff that these guys have. When money is involved – you know.” | MMA |
Charles Oliveira only needed one win to get back into a championship fight.
The fan-favorite Brazilian stopped Beneil Dariush back at UFC 289 in June, ending an impressive winning streak from Dariush. Entering the co-main event bout unbeaten in his past eight bouts, Dariush’s run lasted almost four years. Oliveira stopped Dariush with strikes in the very first round of their contest.
You can watch the video of Oliveira’s win above.
Oliveira returns on Oct. 21 in the main event of UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi. He takes on Islam Makhachev, the man who took the lightweight belt away from him last October.
Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) has fought once since the Makhachev fight, that being the Dariush fight at UFC 289.
Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) has also only one fight since defeating Oliveira. He outpointed Alexander Volkanovski in a close decision back in February at UFC 284, completing his first title defense.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294. | MMA |
While many have speculated on what a potential Strickland-Chimaev fight could look like, Nicksick already has a good idea. Nicksick, head coach at Xtreme Couture, has seen Strickland and Chimaev train together under his watchful eye, and he liked what he saw.
“I love Khamzat. He’s great,” Nicksick told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “He’s a guy that, when he was in the gym, he worked so hard, and I thought he was a good teammate. He made the room better. Those guys had amazing rounds. Those two pushed one another.
“Unfortunate this is the business: You might have to fight your friends down the line. I hope that these guys put on a good show and sell the fight well. At the end of the day, it’s not my decision. It’s the promotion’s decision. I think you can make an argument for Dricus (Du Plessis). Obviously, Izzy (Israel Adesanya) is going to take some time off. You can make the argument that Khamzat should fight (Paulo) Costa after that last performance, or you throw him in there now, strike while the iron is hot and not lose that ability to fight Sean. But I’m excited for Khamzat. I think he’s the guy that deserves that title fight. I’m looking forward to that matchup.”
Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) fought this past Saturday, defeating former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in the co-main event of UFC 294. UFC CEO Dana White had labeled the matchup as a title eliminator leading up to the event.
Strickland (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) also fought somewhat recently. He competed last month at UFC 293 where he pulled off a big upset, outpointing Israel Adesanya to win the middleweight title.
Nicksick said he already got word from the UFC confirming Khamzat is next. He expects that fight to go down in early 2024.
“Yeah, (first quarter of 2024), I think so,” Nicksick said. “Depending on if Khamzat is the opponent and he has a broken hand or anything like that, which we still don’t know. Depending on their schedule, what it looks like travel wise. I got a text from those guys, the UFC, right after the fight saying just let me know when you guys want it, and we’ll be ready.” | MMA |
LAS VEGAS – Montserrat Rendon beat Tamires Vidal with a split decision Saturday to open up the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 228 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Rendon, who stayed unbeaten with her third split decision win in four fights.
Montserrat Rendon vs. Tamires Vidal
Result: Montserrat Rendon def. Tamires Vidal via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Updated records: Rendon (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Vidal (7-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
Key stats: Rendon had nearly 5 minutes of control time, landed three takedowns and outstruck Vidal, but settled for a split call.
Rendon on the fight's key moment
“Well, I knew she was going to be a very tough opponent. Yes, she was tough, as I expected. But I also knew she was a little desperate. I was waiting for the moment when I was a little (lacking concentration) in the fight. I knew it was my time to take advantage of her. That’s what I did. I was waiting for her to get tired, for her to give up.”
Rendon on judge Chris Leben's dissenting scorecard
“I didn’t know (Leben was judging). The truth is, I think it’s important that the people who have been in the cage (are judges). I find it very interesting and I think it’s actually pretty cool that (he’s a judge). It’s someone who’s got that sensibility of having been there to bring that outlook. I have the utmost respect for the judges. It does happen when you let things get to the judges. That’s why we keep working at. The fact that (Leben’s) score was the other way – you don’t want to leave it to the judges because it could always happen.”
Rendon on what she wants next
“(I have) no one in mind – whatever comes my way. I just want to recover my leg. I just want to go back to the gym. I want to go back to actually continue to train out there, go back to the gym as soon as possible, and whatever the UFC puts in front of me, I’m ready for it.”
To hear more from Rendon, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 228. | MMA |
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main card for UFC Fight Night 228.
UFC Fight Night 228 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event streams on ESPN+.
Last event’s results: 3-1-1
Overall picks for UFC main cards in 2023: 96-70-5
Welcome to MMA Junkie’s Quick Picks and Prognostications, where I’ll be giving brief, fight-day breakdowns for UFC main cards.
With that in mind, I hope these write-ups don’t come off as curt or dismissive, as my goal here is to offer quick picks and analysis in a digestible format. All odds listed are provided by FanDuel.
If you’d like more detailed analysis from me, then feel free to check out my weekly show, The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.
So, without further ado…
Charles Jourdain (-144) vs. Ricardo Ramos (+118)
Despite public money trickling in on Jourdain, I find myself being drawn to the underdog in Ramos.
Jourdain’s volume and propensity to mix in body shots will likely pay real dividends on a fighter like Ramos, but I believe that the Brazilian’s wrestling and grappling edge is a factor that’s hard to overlook considering that this fight will be contested inside of the smaller octagon.
For that reason, I’ll take a flier on Ramos and his potential improvements to edge out the scorecards via superior grappling.
Bryan Battle (-188) vs. A.J. Fletcher (+152)
Despite not disagreeing with Battle being the odds-on favorite, I believe that this will be an ugly fight that ends up competitive regardless of the result.
For that reason, I’ll semi-reluctantly side with Fletcher to capitalize on the chaos of the small cage by scoring a surprising club-and-sub by the second round.
Marina Rodriguez (-325) vs. Michelle Waterson Gomez (+250)
Serving as strawweight filler is a rematch that nobody asked for between Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson Gomez.
I’m not sure if the UFC’s relentless slew of cards is finally taking a toll on their matchmakers’ memory, but it’s hard to see why these two are being pitted together despite getting a fairly definitive result not too long ago.
Considering that my prediction for Rodriguez to win in round three almost came to fruition last time around, I’ll roll with the Brazilian again here.
Unless Waterson Gomez can steal two rounds via successful takedowns and backpacking, then Rodriguez’s muay Thai maelstrom should produce a finish by Round 3.
Bryce Mitchell (-210) vs. Dan Ige (+168)
My admitted bias toward Ige and his team aside, I have a hard time justifying Mitchell as a 2-1 favorite in this spot.
Don’t get me wrong: Mitchell is the more known grappling product and this fight will be taking place in the smaller cage, so anyone backing him here is well within their right.
I just believe that Ige is the more proven and prepared fighter who is not getting enough credit for the counter-grappling improvements he’s shown in recent fights.
Not only does Ige possess the power to put Mitchell away on the feet, but I also believe he can produce enough damage to edge out the scorecards if this goes the distance.
It’ll likely be another sweaty affair where we’re arguing about grappling control vs. striking moments, but I’ll side with the Hawaiian to take the judge’s scores out of the equation by scoring a knockout in Round 2.
Rafael Fiziev (-162) vs. Mateusz Gamrot (+132)
As stated in my in-depth breakdown, I suspect that this matchup favors the underdog from a stylistic perspective.
Aside from the fact that the smaller octagon often favors the superior submission grappler, I can’t ignore the fact that – outside of an aging Rafael dos Anjos who is reliant on the same takedown against the cage – we haven’t seen Fiziev have to meaningfully answer the scenarios that Gamrot will be attempting to enforce.
Sure, Fiziev may have been able to finish dos Anjos in the fifth round, but the native of Azerbaijan was surrendering takedowns and showing signs of flaggings prior to that point (as Fiziev’s stamina has been a reoccurring question throughout his MMA career).
I don’t know if it’s the fact that Fiziev has a more attractive style or that Gamrot should arguably be 0-3 in the last few outings, but I believe that the wrong man is favored given the stylistic evidence.
Although a competitive decision is the most likely result, I’ll take Gamrot to score a sneaky submission by the fourth round. | MMA |
ABU DHABI – Muhammad Mokaev wants UFC gold around his waist as soon as possible, and he’s willing to go to any length to achieve that.
Mokaev, a rising flyweight contender, is hoping the UFC uses him as a backup for the upcoming flyweight title bout between champion Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Royval on Dec. 16 in the UFC 296 co-main event in Las Vegas.
“I’m ready,” Mokaev told reporters at the UFC 296 post-fight press conference. “I’ve never missed weight – even in my debut against Cody Durden I made championship weight. I can make it. If they want, I can be backup – whatever fight they want.”
It was his fifth consecutive victory since entering the UFC in 2022.
“Amazing emotions,” Mokaev said of his win over Elliott. “I feel very happy. I still don’t believe I’ve put my full performance yet. They tried to bully me. They don’t try to fight me with fight IQ. These guys think, ‘OK, this young, overhyped, fifth time overhyped inside the UFC octagon …’ They don’t work smart. That’s why I just have to grind them out.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294. | MMA |
Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) meets Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the UFC 294 co-main event on Oct. 21 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Burns gave undefeated Chimaev his toughest test to date when he pushed him to the brink in their barnburner at UFC 273 last year. Although Costa is a lot bigger than Burns, “Durinho” says he doesn’t possess some of the necessary attributes that he has.
“He’s a big guy, but I don’t think he has the heart that I have,” Burns told Middle Easy. “I don’t think he has the jiu-jitsu that I have. He doesn’t have the get-ups that I have. He doesn’t have the submission threat that I have that makes Khamzat not want to grapple.
“He’s a very strong and big guy, but if I had to guess – and I don’t like both of these guys, a double knockout would be the best result – but it’s a 50-50 fight. If Khamzat is able to take him down, it’ll be a hard night for Costa. If Costa is able to defend the takedown, it’ll be a hard night for Khamzat.”
According to BetMGM, Costa is a +260 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on “Borrachinha” would win $260 profit. Chimaev is a -350 favorite, meaning a $350 bet would be needed on the unbeaten fighter to return $100 profit.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294. | MMA |
Showtime will soon be done with combat sports.
In an internal memo issued Tuesday, Showtime president and CEO Chris McCarthy informed employees the network will end its boxing and MMA content at the end of 2023 in an effort to “dedicate a larger percentage of (its) resources toward premium scripted series that drive subscribers.”
Bellator was not explicitly mentioned in the memo. A person close to the situation told MMA Junkie on Tuesday they believe a sale will occur in the near future, which has been rumored for months. Showtime’s announcement to its employees was first reported by Yahoo Sports.
Bellator president Scott Coker confirmed in June that business discussions between the promotion and rival PFL were ongoing, but he’s largely remained mum on further updates since then. He spoke at length after Bellator 300 but didn’t offer much.
PFL founder Donn Davis and president Ray Sefo have teased a potential absorption, although they, too, haven’t offered any details.
Check out the full memo from McCarthy below, which MMA Junkie has acquired.
“As we continue to dedicate a larger percentage of our resources toward premium scripted series that drive subscribers for us in both Pay TV and SVOD, SHOWTIME will not be moving forward with boxing or other content produced by the SHOWTIME Sports and Event Programming Team. The company’s decision isn’t a reflection of the work the team and our partners have done, rather a reality of the world evolving and our shifting content priorities.
“For nearly 40 years, Stephen Espinoza and his team have created and delivered premium storytelling, thoughtful analysis and outstanding live production including the biggest combat sports events in history. We are deeply grateful to Stephen and the entire team whose collective contributions have helped establish SHOWTIME as the premium brand it is today.
“Under Stephen’s leadership, they have done a terrific job establishing SHOWTIME as the #1 destination for boxing around the world televising nearly 750 live boxing events and 2,000 bouts. Boxing and SHOWTIME have often been synonymous, and we are grateful for their hard work and dedication.
“While I’ve only had a few months to get to know and work with Stephen, I can easily say he is one of the most creative, strategic thinkers who deeply cares about his team, the brand, and the sports he champions. I am very thankful to him and the entire group as they have very dutifully helped us navigate this difficult transition.
“Stephen and the team will be here through December to oversee the remaining events on the 2023 boxing slate as we honor all our obligations through the end of the year.
“Please join me in thanking them.”
Questions have arisen about the scheduled Bellator 301 event Nov. 17 in Chicago, but there has been increasing confidence the event will go on as planned.
The card is headlined by welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov (27-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) vs. Jason Jackson (16-4 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) and bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis (23-5 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) vs. interim titleholder Patchy Mix (18-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA). | MMA |
Makhachev outlasted Volkanovski after five hard rounds February in Perth to retain his lightweight title. Makhachev complained about having less time to rehydrate in Australia, due to the official weigh-ins being later in the afternoon – as opposed to the usual early morning. That prompted Volkanovski’s teammate Dan Hooker to accuse Makhachev of using intravenous (IV) therapy to replenish after weigh-ins, which is an illegal practice.
Now Makhachev will run things back with Volkanovski (26-2 MMA, 13-1 UFC) in his adopted home country in Abu Dhabi in Saturday’s UFC 294 headliner at Etihad Arena, and expects all the advantages to be on his side this time around.
“He needs all the advantages he can get,” Volkanovski said during Thursday’s press conference. “That’s all he thinks about. I don’t need none of that. I’ve got these (hands) – that’s all I worry about. I rely on my skills – not crowds, not nothing.”
Makhachev fired back, and isn’t buying Volkanovski’s motive for the rematch.
“Everybody knows what you need: just money,” Makhachev said. “That’s it. … You have to say thanks to me. I can choose any other opponent. We have (Mateusz) Gamrot, we have (Dustin) Poirier, everybody ready for this fight for the belt, but I give you second time chance. Say thank you – that’s it.”
When asked how he’s going to deal with a stronger and better conditioned Makhachev now that he’ll have more time to rehydrate, Volkanovski was left baffled.
“Are you telling me him rehydrating for 30 something hours isn’t enough?” Volkanovski said. “He’s going to be stronger with 40 hours? Is that really what we’re relying on over here? You don’t back your skills? I don’t get it.”
Makhachev smirked, and insisted that time will tell.
“Be patient,” Makhachev said. “I’ll show you my power and everything Saturday night. … You don’t need to recover.”
You can watch their full exchange in the video above.
UFC 294 takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view at a special time of 2 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294. | MMA |
The UFC Fight Night 231 main card is even shorter than anticipated due to a last-minute cancellation.
Following the conclusion of the prelims Saturday at Ginasio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo, UFC commentator Brendan Fitzgerald broke news on the broadcast the fight between Armen Petrosyan and Rodolfo Vieira had been canceled. The main card, headlined by Jailton Almeida vs. Derrick Lewis, continues with five fights.
The reason is an illness with Petrosyan (8-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC), revealed Fitzgerald. The cancellation marks the card’s third since the start of official weigh-ins Friday morning local time.
Neither Vieira (9-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) or Petrosyan have commented publicly on the matter at the time of publication, but Petrosyan’s manager said his client became ill at the arena.
Unfortunately our client Armen Petrosyan caught a virus or something back stage and has to pull out of his fight tonight in UFC São Paulo. UFC said they will look to get him back in right away as soon as he is cleared.
— Brian Butler-Au (@BrianButler_Au) November 5, 2023
With the cancellation, the UFC Sao Paulo lineup includes:
- Jailton Almeida vs. Derrick Lewis
- Gabriel Bonfim vs. Nicolas Dalby
- Rodrigo Nascimento vs. Don’Tale Mayes
- Caio Borralho vs. Abus Magomedov
- Elves Brenner vs. Kaynan Kruschewsky
- Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos ends in majority draw (29-28, 28-28, 28-28)
- Vitor Petrino def. Modestas Bukauskas via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 1:03
- Angela Hill def. Denise Gomes via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Eduarda Moura def. Montserrat Conejo via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 2:14
- Marc Diakiese def. Kaue Fernandes via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 231. | MMA |
Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) defends his heavyweight title against Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) in the UFC 295 headliner Nov. 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Having fought Miocic twice – losing their first title bout by unanimous decision in 2018 then avenging his loss by knockout in March 2021, Ngannou knows first hand that Miocic is not to be underestimated.
“I put 50-50 on that fight,” Ngannou said during Tuesday’s open workout media scrum in Las Vegas. “I fought Stipe twice, and I know Stipe is pretty good. I know he doesn’t look like it, but I know how tough he is, I know how good he is. I know very well.”
After knocking Miocic out in their rematch then defending his UFC heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane, Ngannou was gearing towards a fight with Jones until he opted to part ways with the UFC.
Jones submitted Gane to capture the vacant UFC heavyweight title, and with Ngannou now a PFL fighter, facing Jones is unlikely. But Ngannou is OK with that.
“I don’t feel like I need, I feel like I want,” Ngannou said on fighting Jones. “I want – it’s not a need.”
Ngannou makes his professional boxing debut in a non-title, 10-round bout against WBC heavyweight champ Tyson Fury Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295. | MMA |
Mateusz Gamrot was looking good to begin with, so the fact arguably the biggest win of his career will have an asterisk next to it seems a little unfair.
Gamrot (23-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) got the victory over Rafael Fiziev (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in a crucial lightweight fight when Fiziev threw a right kick that landed on Gamrot’s elbow. But right after the kick hit, Fiziev winced and dropped to the canvas. The broadcast speculation watching doctors work on Gamrot’s left leg – not the right foot – was he injured his knee while planting to throw the kick.
The TKO finish came at the 2:03 mark of the second round and gave Gamrot, a slight underdog coming into the fight, his second straight win. Then Gamrot said he’s ready for a top-five opponent before he’s ready for a title shot – and called out former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, who is fighting champ Islam Makhachev in a month at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.
The fight was competitive up to that point, though it seemed clear Gamrot was getting the better of things. He landed a takedown and had a minute of control time. But because of the injury, Fiziev never got a chance to get started – and now has dropped back-to-back fights after a six-fight winning streak. He was helped out of the cage before the official result was read.
— UFC (@ufc) September 24, 2023
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 24, 2023
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 228 results include:
- Mateusz Gamrot def. Rafael Fiziev via TKO (injury) – Round 2, 2:03
- Bryce Mitchell def. Dan Ige via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Marina Rodriguez def. Michelle Waterson-Gomez via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 2:42
- Bryan Battle def. A.J. Fletcher via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:32
- Charles Jourdain vs. Ricardo Ramos via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 3:12
- Miles Johns def. Dan Argueta via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Miles Johns def. Dan Argueta via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Tim Means def. Andre Fialho via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 1:15
- Cody Brundage def. Jacob Malkoun via disqualification (illegal strike) – Round 1, 4:15
- Mohammed Usman def. Jake Collier via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Mizuki Inoue def. Hannah Goldy via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Montserrat Rendon def. Tamires Vidal via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 228. | MMA |
Loopy Godinez is hoping to never see Sam Hughes as a name for a potential future opponent.
After two canceled bouts against Hughes, Godinez (10-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) feels that Hughes is trying to avoid fighting her, and she no longer wants to deal with the issues and stress that come with fight cancelations.
Godinez was scheduled to fight Hughes on Sept. 16 at Noche UFC, but the fight fell through from Hughes’ side due to undisclosed reasons, something the Mexican fighter was not happy with.
“Yeah, well that morning I woke up and saw the message, ‘Opponent is out, but we got Elise Reed,’ and we take it,” Godinez told MMA Junkie Radio, recalling the moment she found out Hughes was out. “It was right away. But yeah, I had a fight right away.
“When I got offered Sam, I was like, ‘Oh, I hope she doesn’t pull out because she did pull out before on me for my second UFC fight because of some COVID (related thing) with her coach or something like that. But I know she doesn’t want to fight me. I just know. So I was worried that she was going to pull out because I’m here, and I’m doing my full camp in Mexico and of course I’m looking forward to fight, to getting there, and showing my improvements and everything, and of course she pulled out. It sucks, but lucky the UFC and my management, they had this opponent for me, so that’s great.”
Godinez got a replacement opponent for the event in Elise Reed. She’s happy that she didn’t have to wait long before getting a new name after Hughes withdrew from the card.
Yet, moving forward, Godinez hopes the UFC doesn’t book her in future fights against Hughes as she believes she’ll pull out again.
“I did tell my manager, Jason (House), ‘You know what, she doesn’t want to fight me. Just tell that to the UFC,'” Godinez said. “There is no point in doing full camps if you don’t want to fight. That’s just a waste of time.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Noche UFC. | MMA |
Lightweight champion Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) retained his title this past Saturday at UFC 294 when he knocked out Alexander Volkanovski with a first-round head kick.
Makhachev was originally scheduled to rematch Charles Oliveira, and top contender Mateusz Gamrot weighed in as a backup for UFC 294. But despite multiple options for the champ, Cormier believes Makhachev should welcome McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) back to the octagon for his next title defense.
“I think Islam should fight Conor McGregor next,” Cormier said on his ESPN show “DC & RC.” “You have to listen: It’s built in. It’s the biggest money fight the UFC could make. And why not? You have Islam Makhachev, who looks to be a guy that’s going to be a dominant champion. In order to have that dominant champion go to the next level of superstardom, you need a guy that can elevate him. The guy that can elevate him to that level is Conor McGregor.
“Because look at what beating Conor McGregor did for Dustin Poirier, look at what it did for Khabib Nurmagomedov. And we’re not even talking about all the other levels at which this just makes sense. You have Islam fighting Conor after the issues Conor has had with Khabib and everything else. You have Islam fighting Conor, the biggest star in mixed martial arts coming back to the UFC. It makes sense. It makes all the sense in the world.”
McGregor is currently slated to face Michael Chandler after the pair coached against each other on Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter” earlier this year. But Cormier argues that not only would a fight against McGregor elevate Makhachev’s brand, it would possibly put the sport’s biggest star back on the throne if he could pull off the big upset.
“This is why it’s a no-lose situation: Because what if Conor wins? What if Conor wins and Conor beats the unbeatable Islam Makhachev?” Cormier said. “It doesn’t mess anything up because now you got your biggest star back in the pole position as champion. But if Islam wins, now you have another Khabib Nurmagomedov in terms of star power. Come on, how can you not see this?”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294. | MMA |
Kelvin Gastelum is eager to prove doubters wrong in his return to 170 pounds – including the higher-ups in the UFC.
Gastelum (18-8 MMA, 12-8 UFC) meets Sean Brady (15-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in a welterweight bout at UFC Fight Night on Dec. 2, which does not yet have an announced date or location.
Gastelum hasn’t competed at welterweight since January 2015, when he missed weight by a whopping nine pounds in his split decision loss to Tyron Woodley. He also missed weight by almost two pounds in his win over Nico Musoke in June 2014, but Gastelum vows that his weight mishaps are behind him.
“I know there’s people doubting me, there’s people doubting that I’m going to make the weight,” Gastelum said on his YouTube channel. “I think even some of the bosses are doubting me. I’m going to prove everybody wrong, I’ll tell you that. I’m working with the UFC nutritionists. They’re giving me plans, and I’m going to follow it to a ‘T.’
“I have no doubt I’m going to make the weight on Dec. 1, and I’m going to look incredible. I’m going to look shredded. I know there’s a lot of you guys doubting me that I can do this, but I’m going to do it.”
Gastelum was scheduled to face Shavkat Rakhmonov at Noche UFC earlier this month but withdrew due to injury. Before he was forced out, Rakhmonov was poking fun at Gastelum’s weight, and the former interim title challenger would have loved the opportunity to fight him.
— Shavkat “Nomad” Rakhmonov (@Rakhmonov1994) September 22, 2023
He gets Brady instead, who he still views as a formidable opponent.
“Sean Brady is no pushover, either,” Gastelum said. “Before he fought Belal (Muhammad), he was undefeated and I think he had several knockouts along with that undefeated status. So this is no pushover by any means.” | MMA |
The first thought upon hearing the news that an injury forced Jon Jones out of his heavyweight title defense against Stipe Miocic on Nov. 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York in the main event of UFC 295 was that it likely meant we'd already seen the last we would ever see of the greatest fighter ever in the Octagon.
Jones is 36 and has been making noises about retirement for a while. A win over Miocic, widely regarded as the greatest heavyweight in UFC history, at "The World's Most Famous Arena" would have been a great stage to exit from.
It just didn't seem right to see the sport's GOAT go out getting injured while attempting to execute a takedown in sparring that he'd done literally thousands of times before.
Hunter Campbell, the UFC's chief business officer and one of the few people to have spoken to Jones since the injury that forced the cancellation of his bout with Miocic, doesn't believe the injury will mean the end of Jones as an active fighter.
He's actually bullish on it.
"I'm extremely optimistic that he'll fight again," Campbell told Yahoo Sports.
The UFC bumped the light heavyweight title bout between Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira from the co-main to the main event, and added a fascinating bout between Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich for the interim heavyweight title as the new co-main.
UFC CEO Dana White in a video released late Tuesday announcing Jones' injury estimated Jones would be out eight months. Dr. David Abbasi, an orthopedic surgeon in Delray Beach, Florida, who frequently treats MMA fighters among other athletes, said without having examined Jones, he believed White's estimate of a return to competition in eight months is conservative.
"Usually, these guys are good to go closer to four-to-six months, so maybe they're just long-shooting it and then if he comes back earlier, it's a bonus," Abbasi told Yahoo Sports on Wednesday. Abbasi has a video of himself performing the exact surgery on his YouTube channel that Jones will have. It is graphic but it shows him pulling the muscle across and reattaching it.
He said it's not a difficult surgery and doesn't expect Jones to have any issues coming out of it and returning safely to competition.
"I expect a full recovery," Abbasi said. "This is not that uncommon of an injury. It's one NFL guys get. [Former All-Pro defensive lineman] J.J. Watt had it. If the surgery's done well, with good technique, and it heals properly, [any lingering issues] would hopefully be a non-issue."
Now, since Campbell believes Jones will return and Abbasi believes he'll be as good as ever following the surgery, the issue turns to Miocic. Miocic didn't come back simply to fight for the heavyweight title again. He hasn't fought since losing his belt to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 in Las Vegas on March 27, 2021. He's already been out 30 months, and the fact that he didn't step in to face either Aspinall or Pavlovich for the interim belt is a strong signal about his intentions.
For him, it's Jon Jones or bust.
So, using Abbasi's six-month timeline for a return to competition for Jones, that would put it at late April. So it would be fair to assume the UFC could rebook Jones and Miocic for anywhere in that period after late April. But with International Fight Week looming in July, one of the big annual events on the UFC calendar, the promotion could opt to put the fight together for July. That would have Miocic out of action for over 40 months at that point.
So Campbell's point that he's not sure what will occur following UFC 295 other than that Jones will compete again is valid.
The Apsinall-Pavlovich winner will be an exceptional opponent for Jones. But so, too, would Miocic. And Jones-Miocic would be the two OGs going at it with everything on the line, with the winner still available to face the Aspinall-Pavlovich winner.
This remains a fluid situation, but the best news to come out of a clearly bad situation is that it seems highly likely, if not certain, that Jon Jones will return to fight again. | MMA |
Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) hasn’t competed since losing his heavyweight title to Ngannou in a knockout loss in March 2021. Ngannou was able to avenge his loss to Miocic after getting battered in their first title fight in January 2018.
But with Ngannou now signed with PFL after parting ways with the UFC, Miocic knows a rubber match is highly unlikely.
“It definitely sucks. I definitely wanted that trilogy,” Miocic said in an interview with the New York Post. “But unfortunately, that’s the way the cookie crumbles. Listen, he’s on to bigger and better things.”
Ngannou makes his professional boxing debut in a non-title, 10-round bout against WBC heavyweight champ Tyson Fury Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Having fought Ngannou twice, Miocic knows just how devastating “The Predator’s” power is.
“On paper, Tyson Fury is one of the best boxers of all time, amazing at what he does. But Francis hits really hard,” Miocic said. “It’s a fight. Anything can happen. I wish him nothing but the best. I hope he shocks the world.”
Meanwhile, former two-time champ Miocic challenges heavyweight champion Jon Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) in the UFC 295 headliner Nov. 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295. | MMA |
LAS VEGAS – Charlie Campbell beat Alex Reyes with a first-round TKO Saturday on the preliminary card at Noche UFC at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Campbell, whose quick stoppage in his UFC debut picked up a $50,000 performance bonus.
Charlie Campbell vs. Alex Reyes
Result: Charlie Campbell def. Alex Reyes via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:38
Updated records: Campbell (8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Reyes (13-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Key stats: Campbell has six of his eight wins by knockout, including finishes in five straight victories.
Campbell on the fight's key moment
“(The right hand) wasn’t part of the plan. The plan was to stay patient – small bites. The fight is three five-minute rounds. I’ve just got to touch a guy once. I don’t need to do it in 10 seconds. I used to think that way before I got KO’d. It changed my mentality. I was doing so great in that Contender Series fight. It was a shame, but I’ve made it a positive. I’ve made it a positive, what happened to me. Now I’m patient going into every performance and it’s all good. If someone tries to press me, I’ve got other stuff up my sleeve waiting for them, too.”
Campbell on his potential
“I’m just getting started in this game. That was my 10th pro fight. I’m 8-2 now. I’m the best in the world. I’m the best in the world. It’s kind of hard for someone to make a claim like that who has two losses, that’s been KO’d. But it’s all about what you do next. It’s all about how you look the next time you’re out there. I’m the best in the world. It’s how I feel from morning till night. That performance is just another showcase.”
Campbell on what he wants next
“I’m willing to fight as often as I’m capable. I want to be healthy, and that’s just it: As long as I’m healthy, I’m active.”
To hear more from Campbell, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Noche UFC.a | MMA |
Algeo (18-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC) called out Quarantillo amongst other names after defeating Alexander Hernandez (14-7 MMA, 6-6 UFC) in this past Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 229 main card opener at the UFC Apex.
Quarantillo (18-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC) was quick to respond, suggesting December for a potential fight.
“I’m downnnnnn… didn’t take much damage down for December? @ElSenorPerfecto.”
I’m downnnnnn… didn’t take much damage down for December? @ElSenorPerfecto
— Billy Quarantillo (@BillyQMMA) October 7, 2023
“Tell him to shut the f*ck up,” Algeo told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “We’ll fight when we need to. I think he’s fighting Nate Landwehr – I thought I saw that, or at least they’re chirping at each other.
“We were supposed to fight before, so that’s why this fight makes sense. We both fought Alexander Hernandez. He finished him before I did, but I landed a lot more strikes because I also fought double the amount of time, but whatever. We’ll fight at some point.”
Algeo has now won four of his past five, but isn’t concerned with his placement in the featherweight division. He just wants to continue putting on entertaining fights and cashing in extra paychecks.
“Just keeps me moving up the chain,” Algeo said. “It just cements my job as a UFC fighter. As long as I can keep having good fights and keep making money, I’m happy. I don’t really care about numbers too much or belts or anything like that.
“I’m just here to provide for my family, my future kids, and just continue to make a name for myself, grow my student base, grow my fanbase, and just really prove to myself the things I’m working on are working. Stay at it. Let’s go.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 229. | MMA |
The Battle of the Baddest, as Saturday's main event on ESPN+ PPV is being billed, pits two of the world's top-ranked heavyweights against each other in an exhibition match with no real title on the line. Unfortunately for former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, the glorified sparring session against WBC champion Tyson Fury will be in a boxing ring and not in a cage.
Ngannou will make his boxing debut Saturday at Boulevard Hall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as a +800 underdog against Fury, who is a -1400 favorite at BetMGM.
Fury has beaten every man he's faced and holds an impressive 33-0-1 record with 24 knockouts. Ngannou, who is currently signed to the PFL after vacating his UFC heavyweight belt in January, is 17-3 in MMA with 12 knockouts. But as we've seen with the majority of these crossover fights, Ngannou's MMA experience will hardly come into play inside the squared circle.
But fight fans have come to expect the unexpected in combat sports and Saturday's bout has a chance, albeit minuscule, to provide one of the biggest upsets in boxing history if Ngannou is somehow able to KO Fury.
Follow Yahoo Sports for all the latest news, results and highlights from the main card.
Tyson Fury-Francis Ngannou live updates
Tyson Fury-Francis Ngannou main card odds, results, highlights
Heavyweight: Tyson Fury (-1400) vs. Francis Ngannou (+800)
Heavyweight: Fabio Wardley (-275) vs. David Adeleye (+225)
Heavyweight: Joseph Parker (-900) vs. Simon Kean (+550)
Heavyweight: Arslanbek Makhmudov (-5000) vs. Junior Anthony Wright (+1200)
Heavyweight: Moses Itauma (-5000) vs. Istvan Bernath (+1200) | MMA |
Subsets and Splits