Issue 209
September 2024
Ray Klerck jumps into the Fighters Only wayback machine to recap the best of mixed martial arts in September 2024.
Caio Borralho Targets Former Champion Israel Adesanya Next
Sep 02, 2024
Following the biggest win of his career, Caio Borralho now wants a former champion, in his pursuit of UFC gold.
‘The Natural’ defeated Jared Cannonier over five rounds to claim a unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 96 and leapfrogged many in the Middleweight division to claim the number 5 spot in the rankings, taking a huge step closer to title contention.
Immediately after the contest, the 31-year-old called for his shot against the champion, Dricus Du Plessis, but in a recent interview with Inside Fighting, the Brazilian revealed that since speaking to UFC bosses, he now has a new name on his lips, in the form of Israel Adesanya. Borralho is excited at the prospect of facing the former champion and believes if he can find a route to victory against ‘The Last Stylebender’ he will solidify himself as next in line for a shot at the Middleweight strap.
“With all due respect, that as I always say, you know, I really like Izzy, he’s a fucking legend but I think it is my time now, the time to get him. Also I was talking to the guys and they were saying, like ‘I don't know if we are going to give you straight (to) Dricus because I think Dricus has to fight Strickland now.
“I did the call out just because, you know, if some guy get hurt, that is going to fight Dricus and and get hurt (in the build up) or something like that, I am sure my name is going to appear because I already called him out, there’s a story around it, you know. I think was a smart choice but if they say I have one more fight to do, why not with one of the greatest champions of this Middleweight division or one very dominant guy at his time.
“I think it's definitely a good fight for me and yeah, I'm looking forward to this fight, let’s see if he's going to fight this year in December or maybe next year, and I'll be ready for sure.”
The unbeaten Brazilian fully believes that the victory has brought him to the attention of many of the other athletes in the Middleweight division following his career best performance and credits Cannonier with bringing out the best in him
“Yeah, definitely. Like, you know, matter of how people see me. All the fighters sees me, how the fans sees myself, you know, like they definitely see a different guy on this fight. But it wasn't a different guy. It was always the same guy as always but this time I choose to do it, you know, like the opponent brought me this, you know. How good Jared was, that's what brought out how good I am.”
Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan Booked For UFC 308
Sep 02, 2024
‘Bullet’ Shara Magomedov will be back in action on October 26, when he faces Armen Petrosyan at UFC 308.
The Middleweight contest is the latest of a number of bouts that have been added to the Abu Dhabi card, with Ibo Aslan vs Rafael Cerqueira and Mateusz Rebecki vs Myktybek Orolbai also being added in recent days.
Topping the stacked card, Ilia Topuria will look to make his first defence of his Featherweight title against the formidable Max Holloway as Robert Whittake will take on Khamzat Chimaev in the co-main event.
After only managing to make the walk once in his first year with the UFC, Magomedov has made sure his second year with the promotion has been an active one.
After originally being matched against Ihor Potieria and then Joilton Lutterbach, the 30-year-old would have one more opponent change for the UFC’s Saudi Arabia card.
It would ultimately be Antonio Trócoli, who would face Magomedov on the night. The Russian picked up a big with by way of third round knock out, to extend his unbeaten run to 13.
He was then back in action just two months later when he earned a well fought unanimous decision against Michał Oleksiejczuk. The Petrosyan bout will mark as another step up in competition for Bullet, who has made no secret of the fact he wants to work his way to facing ranked opponents in a timely matter.
Petrosyan will make the walk to the UFC octagon for a sixth time when he meets ‘Bullet’ in Abu Dhabi. The Armenian has already faced some stiff opposition since signing with the UFC in 2021, having fought the likes of Christian Leroy Duncan and Caio Borralho.
In his last outing, Petrosyan was handed his second loss under the UFC banner as Rodolfo Vieira submitted him in the first round of their UFC Fight Night bout earlier this year.
Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi Takes Main Event Slot At UFC Edmonton
Sep 05, 2024
Former UFC Flyweight champion Brandon Moreno will return to the cage for first time since his split decision loss to Bradon Royval, when he faces Amir Albazi on November 2.
The Flyweight contest is the new look main event for UFC Edmonton, with a bout between Erin Blanchfield and Rose Namajunas initially looking like it was to serve as the final bout of the night.
There have been several changes made to the Fight Night since the card was initially announced, so UFC CEO Dana White took to social media to announce all changes. He said:
“What's up, Canada? We're coming back for a fight night at Rogers Place on November 2nd. In the main event, former flyweight champ Brandon Moreno is back and will be taking on Amir Albazi. Moreno is the first Mexican born world champion. He has the second most finishes in flyweight history, as well as second most submissions and significant strikes landed in the division.
“He faces number three ranked Amir Albazi, who is on a six fight win streak. He's incredibly well rounded with four of his last six wins coming by finish. In the co-main event, number three ranked Erin Blanchfield is fighting number five, ranked former champ Rose Namajunas. Blanchfield is only 25 and one of the brightest contenders in the division.
“She has an impressive 14-2 record with wins over Jessica Andrade, Talia Santos and Molly McCann. Rose is a former two time Strawweight champ and is one of the most beloved fighters in the sport and is coming off two back to back main event wins at Flyweight over Amanda Ribas and Tracy Cortez. Also on the card. Heavyweight Derrick ‘The Black Beast’ Lewis is facing undefeated prospect Jhonata Diniz.
“Derrick Lewis is one of the hardest punches in the history of the UFC, with 24 finishes and 23 of those have come by knockout with only one submission. Diniz is 8-0, seven of his eight wins coming by knockout. This should be a fun fight while it lasts. Also on the card are Canadians, Mike Malott Charles Jourdain and Marc Andre Barriault.”
Lewis was originally set to face Alexandr Romanov but the Moldovan will now take on Rodrigo Nascimento in a Heavyweight bout, instead. Elsewhere on the card, there are several other Canadian natives set to feature. Jasmine Jasudavicius will square off against Ariane Da Silva, Aiemann Zahabi will battle it out with Pedro Munhoz, Jamey-Lyn Horth is in a Flyweight contest against Ivana Petrović and Chad Anheligher will meet Cody Gibson.
From Classroom To The Cage: Gemma Auld ‘Pure Buzzing’ Ahead Of Professional Debut
Sep 07, 2024
Professional debuts don’t get much bigger than the one Gemma Auld will experience at PFL Glasgow.
After going 6-0-0 as an amateur, Auld made the decision to join the professional ranks earlier this year and prior to her debut, signed a multi-fight deal with PFL.
However, Auld’s profession is a far cry from her fighting life as the 34-year-old makes her living as a primary school teacher. Life in both the classroom and the cage can be hectic and extremely time consuming but the Higher Level athlete has made some changes to her life in order to manage juggling both jobs to the best of her ability. She said:
“It has been fine. Last year I was working full time the whole time that I was fighting but then I have had the full summer off, basically as my camp was starting, so I have had seven weeks off where I have been able to get into the morning pro sessions.
“Now I am back at work and I have been lucky enough to be able to drop a day and I’ve changed my contract so that I am now four days, so I have a Friday off which makes has been much easier to manage because I have had a bit of a change recently with my gym changing so I have got the travel aspect there to deal with.
“Having a wee bit of extra time off on a Friday has been helping with that. It just means that I am getting a bit of a better rest in over the weekend.
“I did it last year working full time so this year on four days should be a breeze!”
As a proud Scottish native, making her professional debut at the OVO Hyrdo is a dream come true for the Flyweight. Discussing the venue, Auld revealed this is the first time she has allowed friends and family to come and support her. She said:
“I am so excited for it to be at the Hydro! I think I think for me, being on PFL would have been cool enough and the fact it is in Glasgow is pretty cool. Usually, I don’t like anyone coming to watch me like friends or anything like that so this time I have said people can come and watch me which is a bit nerve wracking. I am nervous about that but also excited.
“I am always the same for every fight, I have obviously got the nerves, I am excited but there’s so many changes this time. I have had a change of gym; it is pro and it is PFL. There’s just so much going on, I am just really looking forward to it, to be honest and I can’t wait to fight in the Hydro. Every time someone asks me where the fight is and I say the Hydro, I am pure buzzing!”
Standing opposite Auld on September 28 will be fellow professional debutante, McGuirk. Both women held perfect records at amateur and looked set to potentially meet before they made their decision to join to professional ranks. Auld believes McGuirk is the perfect opponent for her professional debut and is expecting a tough fight.
“Ciara is also undefeated at amateur and it is her pro debut as well so I feel that is kind of perfect. That’s really what I have been looking for, a fight that probably would have been good for me at amateur and so it is ideal for that to be the bout for my pro debut. It is good as well that it is two females coming out of the UK and Ireland getting the opportunity to fight on a big show like PFL so it is class for both of us.
“She’s not fought for quite a while, not too long, but compared to me, so obviously I am not really sure what her style is going to be like but I tend to not really focus on the other person and focus on myself and what I need to work on. She is a solid opponent and that is always what I am looking for.”
Not only is there added pressure when switching from amateur to professional, but there is a change too in glove size, time of rounds and ruleset. Auld hasn’t focussed too much on the changes that lie before her but feels they may benefit her come fight night.
“For me, going into PFL, means the only change really are the knees to the head, the gloves and the time length. No elbows in PFL. I think the time length is probably good for me, I think just with having the kind of grappling style, it suits 5 minutes round.
“To be honest, I am not thinking about it as being that different it is more just the change in the camp for me. Having a wee team around me, for strength and conditioning, for nutrition, all of that kind of stuff. That is all new to me. “
Alongside her, Higher Level teammates Kunle Lawal and Lorenzo Parente will also be making their promotional debuts, as well as a host of other athletes from the gym competing on the card. Having a full team working towards the same goal has made camp life much easier, Auld explained:
“I think that makes a huge difference. I think for me, Kunle and Lorenzo, we are all making our PFL debuts on the show, which is really nice for us all to do that together. I am really happy that it is not just me because I would have been probably freaking out about it if it was. Having the other people who are on the show around camp all at the same time is great. We have also got people on Cage Warriors the week before too, that are in camp, plus another amateur so it is a busy time for the gym.
“Everyone has a similar attitude towards fighting and discipline so it has been amazing to be around so many people that are disciplined, have got a great attitude towards fighting and so many highly skilled fighters.
“It has been a great camp and I am looking forward to getting in to the cage.”
UFC Vegas 97: Sean Brady Picks Up Biggest Win Of His Career
Sep 08, 2024
Sean Brady claimed his biggest win to date, in the main event of UFC Vegas 97, as he handed Gilbert Burns his third successive loss.
The Welterweight contest was one of a numerous entertaining bouts as the promotion delivered another solid night of fights at the Apex.
Heading into the contest, Burns admitted he was ready for a 5 round war and he needed to be as the pair battle it out over 25 minutes.
It was Brady’s pressure that proved to be the difference between them, as his unrelenting work rate didn’t allow Burns to deploy his game plan.
Both men have incredible grappling prowess and although Brady established several takedowns, the American had to call upon other areas of his game to secure the victory.
The scorecards read 50-45, 50-45, 49-47 and Brady was the man with his hand raised.
In the co-main event, Natalia Silva also picked up the biggest win of her career with a unanimous decision win against Jessica Andrade.
Although spending most of the bout on the circling on the outside, Silva’s speed and movement proved to be her keys to victory. The win is now Silva’s sixth under the UFC banner and moves her substantially closer to a shot at Flyweight gold.
Steve Garcia moved to 5 straight wins with a third round stoppage over Kyle Nelson. After initially ending up with Nelson on his back, Garcia managed to position his opponent with his back against the cage before cracking down huge elbows and getting the stoppage.
Cory Durden & Matt Schnell threw serious strikes in their first round before Schnell opted to try and take the fight to the floor early in the second but got caught in an Anaconda choke and was forced to tap.
Yanal Ashmouz got himself back to winning ways and earned another valuable 15 minutes inside the cage as he defeated Trevor Peek by unanimous decision in the opening main card bout.
On the preliminary section of the card, Chris Padilla kept his perfect promotional record in tact when a brutal elbow ended his contest with Rongzhu. Isaac Dulgarian collected his second stoppage inside the UFC cage was a second round submission of Brendon Marotte. Jaqueline Amorim made light work of Vanessa Demopoulos, stopping the Greek native three and a half minutes into the fight.
Nathan Fletcher had to show resilience in order to get his hand raised in his promotional debut when he rallied from being hurt early to secure a second round submission against Zygimantas Ramaska.
There were also wins for Andre Petroski, Gabriel Santos and Andre Lima.
UFC Fight Night: Burns vs Brady Results
* Sean Brady defeats Gilbert Burns by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46)
* Natalia Silva defeats Jessica Andrade by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
* Steve Garcia defeats Kyle Nelson by TKO (elbows) at 3:59 of Round 1
* Cody Durden defeats Matt Schnell by submission (anaconda choke) at 0:29 of Round 2
* Yanal Ashmouz defeats Trevor Peek by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
* Chris Padilla defeats Rongzhu by TKO (doctor stoppage) at 4:14 of Round 2
* Isaac Dulgarian defeats Brendon Marotte by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 4:19 of Round 2
* Andre Lima defeats Felipe dos Santos by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28,.29-28)
* Gabriel Santos defeats Yizha by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
* Jaqueline Amorim defeats Vanessa Demopoulos by submission (armbar) at 3:28 of Round 1
* Andre Petroski defeats Dylan Budka by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
* Nathan Fletcher defeats Zygimantas Ramaska by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 1:14 of Round 2
Cage Warriors 176: Omiel Brown & George Hardwick Big Winners At Braehead Arena
Sep 08, 2024
Omiel Brown was crowned the Cage Warriors Welterweight PrizeFighter as George Hardwick defended his Lightweight title in an action packed night at Cage Warriors 176.
In what was yet another relatively dominant night for the Scottish athletes in front of a home crowd, the promotion returned to the Braehead Arena after success earlier this year.
Brown’s route to the $50k prize started with a round one stoppage against Henri Lintula. With 30 seconds to go in the opening stanza, the former welterweight title challenger caught the promotional newcomer with a big body shot that clearly hurt Lintula. Brown then followed up with a barrage of punches to get the stoppage.
Bourama Camara booked his spot in the final with a comfortable unanimous decision win against Marko Kisič.
Brown & Camara then met in the final. It’s was a much closer contest than the two had experienced in their semi final bouts, going to war over 15 minutes. It was Brown who took the win by way of split decision.
George Hardwick retained his Lightweight strap with a unanimous decision win against Christian Iorga. Although never particularly looking in any real danger, the long reigning champion was pushed all the way by Iorga, who was one of the biggest surprise packages of the night. Hardwick took all 5 rounds on all three judges score cards with a 50-45, 50-45, 50-45.
The other surprise package of the night was undoubtedly Andrey Augusto. The Brazilian faced ‘The Bad Guy’ Chris Bungard on less than a weeks notice, after Bungard’s initial opponent pulled out.
Agusto’s aggressive wrestling style was too much for ‘The Bad Guy’ and the Brazilian managed to Dulce the Scottish crowed by claiming a unanimous decision win.
However, that was one of only 2 upsets for the Scottish athletes on the card, with 7 of the 9 of the home fighters getting their hands raised.
Some of the most the notable wins for Scottish athletes included Reece McEwan getting back in the column with a second round Rear Naked Choke against Miguel Haro, the surging Sean Clancy Jr.’s first round submission win against Rafael Aronov, Damon Donald’s unanimous decision win after a war with Kallum Parker and Jordan Stronge’s first round stoppage over Wesley Machado.
Demetrious Johnson Announces Retirement At One 168
Sep 09, 2024
Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson has officially announced his retirement from mixed martial arts.
The 38-year-old broke the news at ONE 168: Denver and after taking to the cage for his highly anticipated ‘special announcement’, he said:
“First off, I want to say thank you so much to the fans. You guys have always been amazing to me to live out my dreams and show my passion through martial arts.
“I want to say thank you to all of my teammates from the very beginning, back in 2006-2024. It's been a long journey. Thank you to Matt. Thank you to my wife. Thank you to my children, my mother in law.
“You guys have made me a better person, a better athlete. Thank you to my wife for always encouraging me to pursue my passion, my dreams. Thank you to everybody at ONE Championship, the staff, the competition team, the social media team. All you guys I really appreciate you. Thank you to Chatri for giving me the opportunity to display my martial arts on this platform.
“Like I said last time when I came here to Denver, Colorado, I told you guys, that was potentially my last fight. And I was not lying like I am done. I am done competing in mixed martial arts. And I want to say thank you guys so much for giving me the opportunity.
"Thank you to my dad. He's been in my life for the last eight years. He's been absolutely amazing. To my children, I love you guys. You guys are absolutely amazing. You guys do whatever you want in life as long as you guys are good people. My wife, I love you."
Over his 14 year professional career, Johnson competed 18 times in the UFC before heading to ONE Championship for the twilight of his competing years.
Widely considered the greatest to ever compete, ‘Mighty Mouse’ reigned as UFC champion for an astonishing 6 years. After claiming the title at UFC 152, he went on to defend the strap 11 times.
One of his most memorable wins was his defence against Ray Borg at UFC 216. As he suplexed Borg, Johnson transitioned to one of the slickest armbars in MMA history to force the tap.
After his loss to Henry Cejudo at UFC 227, Johnson joined ONE Championship, in a swap deal that saw Ben Askren move the other way.
After winning his first three fights under the ONE banner, ‘Mighty Mouse’ faced Adriano Moraes for the Bantamweight title. Johnson was stopped for the first time in his career as Moraes finished him in the second round.
He then faced, and beat Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a custom rule contest before avenging his loss to Moraes at ONE Fight Night 1 to earn Bantamweight gold before defending the belt in their trilogy bout.
Paddy Pimblett Donates £25,000 To James' Place Charity
Sep 10, 2024
Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett has made a momentous donation to suicide prevention charity, James’ Place.
Following his UFC London win against Jordan Leavitt, Pimblett revealed post-fight that just hours before the weigh ins, he received the horrifying news that one of his friends had taken their own life. The 29-year-old then used the rest of his post-fight in cage interview to urge men to reach out and speak to someone if they are suffering.
The UFC Lightweight has used his ever-growing platform to continually promote and encourage men to not feel emasculated if they are struggling with their mental health and to never be ashamed to ask for help.
The Next Generation star has also started The Baddy Foundation, set up to address food insecurity and mental health issues in collaboration with local partners and nonprofit organizations including schools, food banks and food service providers, hospitals and mental health providers, among many others.
It was announced today that Pimblett had donated £25,000 to James' Place. It was announced today that Pimblett had donated £25,000 to James' Place. The charity offers free treatment to men in suicidal crisis in various cities around the UK. They have helped over 2,300 men to date.
Speaking on his decision to donate such a large sum of money to the James’ Place, Pimblett said:
“I've spent some time talking to the team at James' Place and they are amazing at helping men in suicidal crisis. Receiving news that a friend took his own life because of mental health struggles made me realise I couldn’t stand by and do nothing with the public platform that I’m so lucky to have. The Baddy Foundation is building from the ground up and I’ll continue to help as much as I possibly can with the help of my loyal fans.”
Jane Boland, Clinical Lead at James’ Place revealed the impact Pimblett has already had on not only the charity but the impact he has had on men seeking help when the need it. She said:
“Paddy’s involvement with James’ Place has already had a huge impact, with many men in crisis particularly in Liverpool men actively seeking help because they have heard from Paddy that help is available. This generous donation from The Baddy Foundation will make a life-changing difference to the lives of ten men in Liverpool, helping them to come through their suicidal crisis and find hope for the future, and is a fabulous next step towards our long-term partnership.”
For more information on the treatment James’ Place offer, visit www.jamesplace.org.uk for more information.
Valentina Shevchenko Prepared For 'Amazing Event' And 'Amazing Fight' Against Alexa Grasso At UFC 306
Sep 13, 2024
Valentina Shevchenko is determined to regain the UFC Women’s Flyweight title from Alexa Grasso when the two meet at UFC 306.
The contest will be third time the pair will meet, having previously fought at UFC 285 and on a Fight Night card. The trilogy will take place inside The Sphere, Las Vegas, as the promotion prepare to put on one of the biggest nights in sporting history.
Prior to the bout, Shevchenko sat down with the media to discuss her upcoming contest. When asked what she has changed in her camp in order to ensure she has her hand raised against Grasso for the first time on Saturday night, ‘Bullet’ was quick to point out that believes she won the second fight before discussing the lengths she has went to this time round.
“You know, I can’t say the last two times, I would say it's wrong to say (it) that way because our second fight, everyone could see that I won the fight, but they give a draw. And like (can) you imagine a draw in these circumstances? So, what should I do? What should I change? I don't know.
“I really had to focus on performing and preparing myself the best way that I can and I can say I had an amazing training camp. I pushed myself to all possible limits and impossible limits and yeah, just ready for the action and it's going to be an amazing event and amazing fight.”
The mutual respect is palpable. Having already spent best part of 9 rounds inside the octagon with each other, Shevchenko and Grasso are more familiar with each other than most other opponents. This was further added to whilst they served as opposing coaches on the most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter. Shevchenko explained why she will always have respect for her opponents, before joking about the amount of time herself and Grasso have spent together this year. She said:
“I just know how hard it is to be a martial artist, to train every day and then to step in the Octagon and fight. That is already very respectable.
“Yeah, we spend so much time with Alex. I probably have seen her and her team more than I see my family during this year, and that is funny!”
Shevchenko has been at the forefront of women’s MMA for many years and is one of six female athletes set to compete on Saturday night. As big as the opportunity is to feature on such a historic card, the 36-year-old admitted that now is not the time for reflection, but to continue making waves in the sport.
“It's amazing. For me, it's everything because as I mentioned, it's martial arts, it's my life and I have this opportunity to fight in a historical event. It's not just big, it's huge but right now, it's action still for me, it's not time to pause and reflect on what you did.
“It's not time yet because I'm doing things right now. That's why I'm moving forward and I could say maybe after like five, ten years or whatever. Like, ‘What does it really mean for me?’ But right now, it's like it's pure action for me.”
Two New Title Holders Crowned At UFC 306
Sep 15, 2024
UFC 306 surpassed expectations, with two new champions stealing the show in the main and co-main event.
It was widely acknowledged that Merab Dvalishvili's heavy grappling style would either help or hinder him against the former champion, Sean O'Malley, and it turned out to be his key to success as he defeated 'Suga' by way of unanimous decision.
The 33-year-old outworked O'Malley over the 25 minute affair, with the three judges scoring the bout 49-46,48-47,48-47.
The co-main event saw Valentina Shenchenko regain the Flyweight belt against Alexa Grasso.
On her path to victory, 'Bullet' showed her elite level and outworked Grasso over all 5 rounds. In what was an incredibly dominant performance, Shevchenko never looked in trouble and cruised to the victory.
Diego Lopes picked up the biggest win of his career as he beat Brian Ortega by way of unanimous decision. The Brazilian came flying out of the gates, as he does so often, and hurt Ortega early in the contest. The former title challenger managed to stay in the contest until the final bell but Lopes always had the upper hand throughout and, with the win, secured himself as one of the biggest prospects at 145lbs.
Esteban Ribovics defeated Daniel Zellhuber in what was another incredibly close fight on the main card. Both men leaving everything inside the octagon and winning fight of the night. They delivered one of the best contests in recent history, with the pair going to war over the three rounds. Opening the main card in style, Ronaldo Rodriguez and Ode Osbourne battled it out in a back and forth affair. It was Rodriguez who was crowned the victor.
The preliminary section of the card set the tone for the night with all contests delivering in a big way. There were big wins for Norma Dumont, Ignacio Bahamondes, Ketlen Souza, Joshua Van and Raul Rousas Jr.
Charles Oliveira vs Michael Chandler Booked For UFC 309
Sep 16, 2024
Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler will meet in the co-main event of UFC 309, with both men looking to secure the next shot at the Lightweight title.
The bout will feature on the promotion's stacked return to New York City, with a heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic topping the bill.
The Lightweight clash will see Chandler and Oliveira meet once more, having originally fought back in 2021, with 'Da Bronx' claiming the Lightweight strap with a second round stoppage.
For Chandler, the bout will see he him back in action for the first time since 2022. 'Iron' had been biding his time and waiting for a showdown against Conor McGregor, following the pair serving as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter.
The bout was booked June of this year but McGregor had to withdraw from the contest due to a toe injury. Having waited for almost two years for the bout to come to fruition, Chandler has moved on from pursuing a fight against 'The Notorious' and will now look to put himself at the top of the tree at 155lbs.
Oliveira has spent the last four years fighting the best of the best at Lightweight and will be keen to get himself back in the win column following a split decision loss to Arman Tsarukyan last time out.
After winning the belt against Chandler at UFC 262, the Brazilian went on the successfully defend the title against Dustin Poirier before losing the title to the scales when he faced Justin Gaethje. After stopping Gaethje, he then faced Islam Makhachev at UFC 280 for the vacant title. 'Da Bronx' dropped the title to the current champion when he was forced to tap after being caught in an arm triangle in the second round.
He then returned to the octagon 8 months later against Beneil Dariush and stopped the 35-year-old with a performance of the night first round TKO win.
At the time of writing, it is not clear when McGregor will return to the cage, or who it will be against.
Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic To Headline UFC 309
Sep 16, 2024
Jon Jones will make his big return to the UFC octagon when he faces Stipe Miocic at UFC 309.
The Heavyweight contest will go down on November 16, at Madison Square Garden, as the promotion head back to New York City.
The clash was initially booked November 11 2023 but Jones was forced to withdraw from the contest after suffering a nasty pectoral injury.
Now, almost a year to the date of when their first encounter should have been, Jones will look to defend his his Heavyweight strap for the first time.
After an incredible run at Light Heavyweight, which saw him fight the best of the best at 205lbs, 'Bones' made the move to Heavyweight last year, after three year away from competition, and claimed the Heavyweight belt with a first round submission win against Ciryl Gane.
With Tom Aspinall currently holding the interim strap, it is likely that if Jones defeats Miocic, himself and Aspinall will meet in the near future to unify the division.
For Miocic, UFC 309 will be the first time he enters the cage since 2021, when he was brutally defeated by Francis Ngannou at UFC 260. After winning the title back in 2016, Miocic remained at the top of the division for several years, defending his title three times in his first reign as Heavyweight king.
He then suffered his first defeat in four years when he came up against Daniel Cormier at UFC 226 but immediately avenged the loss in the rematch, and further cemented himself as one of the best to do it at Heavyweight when he handed Cormier a unanimous decision loss in their trilogy bout.
There have been several other bouts confirmed for the card including a Lightweight co-main event between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler, an intriguing Middleweight bout between top prospect Bo Nickal and the ever-dangerous Paul Craig. The card will also see former world champion Chris Weidman face Eryk Anders.
Dana White Reflects On 'Absolutely Amazing' UFC 306
Sep 17, 2024
UFC CEO Dana White was left delighted with the end result of UFC 306, following the promotion’s hugely successful show at The Sphere.
Heading into the blockbuster card, White had made no secret of the fact he wanted the event to go down as one of the best in sporting history. Post fight, he heaped praise on the team that brought the whole evening together. Speaking to the media he said:
“Literally the whole thing was seamless. It went perfect. We didn't have a lot of time to rehearse. That was our big, you know, worry coming in here but they nailed it. The team absolutely nailed it. I saw it first, (when) it was like 50% resolution. Then I was in here the other day; Thursday was our first full rehearsal.
“Thursday was our first full rehearsal for that show, so, the team killed. It was absolutely amazing.”
In the main event of the night, Merab Dvalishvili was crowned the new UFC Bantamweight world champion as he outworked and defeated Sean O’Malley by way of unanimous decision. ‘Suga’ is known for his flashy style but it seemed to be missing from his game throughout the contest. White admitted he too felt the former champion was off the pace. He said:
“He looked flat. He didn't look sharp. He didn't look crisp until the last round. He hurt him with that body shot. He knew he hurt him with the body shot and he kept going and trying to finish but yeah. I mean, I looked at the punch stats and there was like six in a couple of the rounds.”
The co-main event saw Valentina Shevchenko shut out Alexa Grasso and reclaim the Flyweight title. Although it was a technical affair, the manner in which ‘Bullet’ got her hand raised was not the most fan friendly. White joked that the way the fights play out are out of his control, no matter how much he has put into the production.
“You can put on $20 million worth of production, but you can't control the fights. They're going to be what they are. So I cannot let that drive me crazy.”
The surging Diego Lopes picked up the biggest win of his career, so far, with a unanimous decision win over Brian Ortega. His explosive starts to contests continued at The Sphere when Lopes hurt Ortega extremely early on. The UFC CEO was surprised that the Brazilian opted to take the fight to the floor but was impressed with the performance nevertheless.
“(What was) fascinating to me was he hurt him, drops him right out the gates and then jumps on top of him instead of having him stand back up and trying to finish him, almost like he wanted to submit him or something, you know? I don't know if that was the case, but I think he made the fight a lot tougher than it had to be for him.
“I think a lot of people were sleeping on him because of the Ige fight and yeah, he definitely put that behind him.”
Simeon Powell: 'I Am Just Going To Get Better' After Bellator Champions Series London Win
Sep 17, 2024
Simeon Powell is excited to see what the future holds after his hard fought co-main event win at Bellator Champions Season: London.
The GB Top Team prospect got back to winning ways against the vastly more experienced Rafael Xavier. After being hurt early in the fight, Powell managed to turn things around and claim a razor close split decision win.
For any athlete, their next bout back after suffering a loss is vitally important and it looked as though things were heading from bad to worse for Powell, after he was dropped in the opening round of the contest. Speaking to the media post-fight, the 25-year-old discussed what was going through his mind as he hit the mat. He said:
“(I was thinking) It's not over. It's not over. This game is a game of inches. One step in the wrong place and get caught, but today I showed my heart. Today I showed what I was about. I mean, sometimes it's one of those days, you know, it's sports at the end of the day.”
The tension was palpable inside the OVO Wembley Arena as it was announced that the judges were split, ahead of the official decision. Although relieved to have his hand raised, Powell admitted he was unsure how the bout would have been scored. He said:
“It was a massive relief. Like, obviously the first round, he got that round. Of course, he dropped me but I knew it wasn't over. Second round, I knew for sure I won. Third round, I had to dig deep. I don't want to get into excuses, but there was sh*t. I just had to dig deep...
“I though I had won, but I wasn't sure. I wouldn't be mad if they gave it to him, if I'm truly honest, because I know what I'm about.”
Reflecting on his career up until this point, ‘Smooth’ acknowledged that he still has a long way to go but was happy that he managed to show more facets of his game over the 15 minutes against Xavier.
“I'm him. I can get dropped. I can get hurt. I think I've shown a lot in my short career. I've shown that I can get dropped, I can come back, I can knock people out quick.
“I've shown a lot in my short career and I'm just going to get better... I'm 25! Look at the division, all the champions are 38, 40, I’m 25. I've got years of growth in this game, I'm going to be back.”
Powell has had to learn on the job. Only 11 fights into his career, he has already received monumental backing from the PFL and is relishing the opportunity to grow at a rapid rate.
Top Bantamweight Prospects Set To Meet At Cage Warriors 180
Sep 18, 2024
A Bantamweight banger has been added to Cage Warriors return to the English capital with Weslley Maia set to meet Alexander Loof on November 15th.
The pair of hard hitters will lock horns at Cage Warriors 180, on a card that is set to see two title fights; with Bantamweight king Liam Gittins facing PrizeFighter winner Shirzad Qadrian and Andy Clamp hoping to make the first defence of his Light Heavyweight strap in a contest against former Middleweight champion James Webb.
Both Maia and Loof will be sorely disappointed in the fact they are not facing Gittins, with both men having competed in the Bantamweight PrizeFighter tournament earlier this year. After becoming the first man to defeat Qadrian, last year, Maia was drawn against ‘The Lion’ in the opening round of the tournament. As the two met for the second time, it was Qadrian who would control the contest and grind out a unanimous decision win.
This then led to ‘The Lion’ facing Loof in the final. Heading into the tournament, it was widely believed that the Swedishman would walk away as the PrizeFighter winner but Qadrian had other ideas. After a close three rounds, two of the judges scored the contest in favour of Qadrian and Loof was handed only the second loss of his career.
Prior to the tournament, Loof had spent most of his professional career on FCR. He decided to make the move to Bantamweight following his 2023 Cage Warriors Fight Of The Year against Luke Riley. Although he lost, Loof left fans desperate to see him back in the yellow gloves.
In contrast, Maia has spent a large majority of his career under the Cage Warriors banner. Competing seven times, he holds a promotional record of 3-4. Arguably his biggest win to date came away from the Cage Warriors cage, when he handed top Manchester prospect Lewis McGrillen his first defeat in a showcase bout at the 2023 PFL European championship finals.
Prior to the Cage Warriors 180 bout being announced, the promotion revealed both men had penned new multi-fight deals.
Paul Hughes Details Big Career Plans Ahead Of AJ McKee Bout
Sep 19, 2024
Paul Hughes has revealed the big plans he has in mind for his immediate career, ahead of his Battle Of The Giants showdown against AJ McKee.
The 27-year-old will make his first walk to the Smart Cage on October 19 against, what is largely considered to be, his toughest opponent to date.
After a blistering start to his professional career, picking up 6 finishes in his first 6 contests, Hughes suffered his first, and only, defeat before returning to wining ways with three decision wins. Since his last decision victory, Hughes has finished every opponent in emphatic style. When asked, by MMAJunkie, what had changed and how he had returned to the form that fans are so used to seeing him in, he said:
“I think for my world title fights, which were the ones that ended up in decisions, obviously fighting (a) very, very high level opponent, it's obviously hard to finish these guys. But sometimes I was coming into them fights and I wasn't at my best in terms of I wasn't physically 100% going into some of them. That may have played a factor, whereas my last few fights I really haven't had many issues.
“So that could be part of it, I'm not too sure, but all I know is I'm going for the finish every single time.”
The McKee fight will mark Hughes’ third in the space of six months. ‘Big News’ revealed that one of the big factors he considered when signing with the PFL, was regularly competition. Although he is not 100% sure as to what is next in line, the Irishman is keen to keep competing at a ferocious rate.
“For this fight, I may have some time to the next fight. If I'm doing the season next year, it begins in April, so that's a lot of time.
“But in terms of this year, you know, I signed with the PFL. One of the reasons that I done that was I knew they were going to keep me active. That's what I wanted (in) this part of my career, I'm coming into my prime. I've just recently, as of three fights ago, moved up a weight class, so I'm not worried about big weight cuts.
“I'm worried about getting in there and competing as much as I possibly can and making as much money as I possibly can. So I'm in a great place.”
Since the PFL’s acquisition of Bellator, fans have witnessed athletes switch between the two promotions. When asked if he would rather explore the PFL Season or compete for a Bellator title, Hughes said he wants the most exciting fights, no matter which banner the bouts are under. However, a bout against the current Bellator Lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov is certainly catching Hughes’ attention.
“Look, I mean, right now, what is the most exciting to me is definitely fighting Usman. I mean, that's Russia versus Ireland number 2. It's an Irishman versus Nurmagomedov. Obviously, there's got to be storyline there as well with AJ supposed to be the next guy up, but whenever I beat him, then it's got to be me next.
"Usman is a guy I've called a couple of times on social media. I was going to call him right after my debut with Bellator, but he had just got booked that week. He's definitely someone that I've kept my eye on and whenever I beat AJ, then we'll see what happens.”
