Issue 210
October 2024
Ray Klerck jumps into the Fighters Only wayback machine to recap the best of mixed martial arts in October 2024.
Alex Pereira Is Here To Stay At Light Heavyweight After Brutal Rountree Win
Oct 06, 2024
Alex Pereira continues to reign supreme at the top of the light heavyweight division following UFC 307 and it doesn't look like he plans to move on anytime soon.
"Poatan" was able to stop Khalil Rountree in the fourth round to secure his third title defence in a brutal display of his elite striking skills.
Rountree started the fight well but he was always going to struggle to maintain this due to the damage he was taking and the drain on his cardio that exploding into range was going to have.
Pereira systematically broke down his opponent and in the fourth round, dismantled him with a wide range of ruthless shots.
The undeniable aura of the UFC's boogeyman was in full force after he once again proved to be one of the most exciting athletes in the history of MMA.
In his post-fight interview, the champion put some respect on the name of the #8-ranked contender who was a big underdog in the fight.
"I can say that this was one of the toughest fights. I expected that, I watched a lot of Khalil's fights. He's got experience, he trained at the best spots in Thailand and he showed tonight why he's got so much quality in here."
Pereira also spoke, through a translator, about how it was his intention to let the fight hit the later rounds.
Since he arrived in the UFC, we've seen him lose plenty of rounds but the Brazilian superstar is never too far away from landing the final blow.
"The game plan was to let him tire. I watched a lot of his fights, I studied his fights, I saw that he started decreasing in stamina in the second round and as you know, my stamina only goes up so that's exactly what happened."
Pereira was also asked by Joe Rogan about whether he will be looking to move weight classes in the near future, having shown interest in fighting at both heavyweight and returning to middleweight.
He said that due to the current title picture at 185-pounds and light heavyweight being the best fit for him, he will continue this incredible run at 205 for the time being.
"We saw that Dricus is going to be fighting Sean Strickland, he's a training partner of mine, I don't want to get in his way but I can move up to heavyweight but this division is great. I feel great with this weight cut and this is where I'm at."
Julianna Peña Calls For Nunes Trilogy After UFC 307 Title Win
Oct 07, 2024
Julianna Peña was able to reclaim the bantamweight title in the co-main event of UFC 307 this past weekend in Salt Lake City.
She emerged victorious over Raquel Pennington, winning a split decision following a closely contested five-round bout.
Judging was a major talking point following the event that had four split decisions in total and Peña acknowledged this in her post-fight interview where she was asked whether she believed she had done enough to get the win at the end:
"I wasn't sure, I heard that these judges tonight were doing some crazy stuff so you never want to leave it in the hands of the judges and that's unfortunate that I went to a decision but I'm happy I got the win. Raquel's a very tough opponent and I'm glad that we could finally put it to bed."
The reaction from the crowd inside the Delta Center wasn't one of celebration for the most part despite Peña saying that she was happy to settle this beef with Pennington that has gone on for a long time.
In order to reclaim the title, "The Venezuelan Vixen" had to overcome being dropped in the fourth round.
She won the first three rounds on two of the scorecards to earn the victory with Pennington coming on strong down the stretch.
"Just a loss of focus and that's what I would say. I got dropped, I'm not sure what it was but definitely like you unfocus for a second and it only takes one second to get dropped so definitely need to be a little more focused next time out."
Joe Rogan's final question to Peña was about the top contender in the division, Kayla Harrison, who cemented her status as the next in line by beating Ketlen Vieira earlier in the night.
Despite the UFC showing Harrison on the broadcast, the only reaction they got was one of disappointment from the former PFL star who rolled her eyes at Peña's response.
The new champion didn't acknowledge Harrison but instead called for a trilogy fight with Amanda Nunes.
Nunes had retired after avenging her loss to Peña and when the new champ couldn't make the originally scheduled trilogy bout due to an injury, Nunes went on to fight Irene Aldana instead and laid her gloves down after defending the belt.
"What I'd really like is for Amanda Nunes to quit ducking and come back inside this Octagon and let's settle it. We're one-and-one, that would be the single greatest fight in mixed martial arts history in the bantamweight division that the sport has ever seen. I do not believe that she's done being retired, I want to see her back inside the Octagon so that we can settle the score once and for all."
Khalil Rountree Thanks Alex Pereira In First Post-UFC 307 Statement
Oct 07, 2024
Khalil Rountree was unable to pull off the fairy tale upset at UFC 307 this past weekend in Salt Lake City.
He entered the main event as the #8-ranked contender in the light heavyweight division and was a big underdog against one of the biggest stars in the sport, Alex Pereira.
Rountree was stopped in the forth round but it was his toughness and durability that was praised alongside the expert striking of the defending champion.
"Pereira" was able to break his challenger down over time but he really put it on his opponent in the fourth, doing a lot of damage to Rountree before the finish came.
The champion needed to respond as the fight went down the stretch after a strong start to the contest from the sizable betting underdog.
Rountree landed some shots including a flash knockdown in the second round that showed that he was a dangerous striker that needed to be taken seriously by Pereira.
Similarly to his post-fight interview inside the Octagon, Rountree's first post on social media after the fight was filled with gratitude after having this opportunity.
He thanked the likes of Pereira for bringing the best out of him, the UFC, and his friends and family, signing off on the biggest week of his career to date.
"I didn’t win the title but I grew last night. @alexpoatanpereira thanks for helping me see that I’m ready to take on the world. You showed amazing skill, you brought out a version of me that I needed to experience. You’re the champ for a reason, much respect. But I now know what I am capable of. #saltlakecity you guys were amazing and gave me such a memorable experience. I appreciate all of the positive messages from everyone around the world. @danawhite @espn @espnmma and the entire @ufc staff, thanks for giving me a home, a place to have purpose and providing me with challenges to overcome.
"Big thanks to my wife @miakang, my family (Donny, Dave, P, all of my uncles and aunts, The Pavlica’s, the Ramseys, Everyone) for your unconditional support. Brazil ???????? you guys have a strong champion, be proud. I will take time to heal from this, I’ll be back even better, it’s inevitable. I’m grateful. Never give up on yourself, always fight hard, uplift your communities and find ways to make the most out of life. @deltacenter thanks for hosting us. #ufc307 was a night to remember."
Paddy Pimblett Wins Celebrity Of The Year At The National Diversity Awards
Oct 08, 2024
Several days ago, the National Diversity Awards took place at the Liverpool Cathedral for the 13th edition of the ceremony.
Founded back in 2012, it's purpose is to shine a light on and praise those who have helped to make a positive impact on society in lots of different ways.
Amongst a sea of various categories and thousands of nominees, one of the biggest names in mixed martial arts was included in the final shortlist for Celebrity Of The Year.
Liverpool's own Paddy Pimblett ended up winning the award due to his work that he has done to remove the stigma regarding men's mental health.
"The Baddy" has become a huge name in combat sports in a very short amount of time and he's used this platform to speak about issues that are close to him.
Pimblett has also recently founded The Baddy Foundation, a charity that is focused on men's mental health and providing food for young people.
The website for the foundation, which can be reached here, features the following mission statement from the Scouse star:
"I really want to work on helping disadvantaged kids living off food banks to eat and to help clothe them, have a better quality of life and to help men of my generation understand that it isn't weak to talk and every single one of us has mental battles we have to fight even someone like myself"
The website also features his post-fight interview from his third fight inside the Octagon where he defeated Jordan Leavitt in London.
Pimblett took this opportunity to speak about a friend of his who had recently taken his own life, using his moment in the spotlight to promote change.
"There's a stigma in this world that men can't talk. Listen, if you're a man and you've got weight on your shoulders and you think the only way you can solve it is by killing yourself, please speak to someone. Speak to anyone. People would rather, I know I'd rather me mate cry on my shoulder than go to his funeral next week. So please, let's get rid of this stigma and men, start talking."
UFC Vegas 98 Results: Royval & Taira Produce Memorable Flyweight Main Event
Oct 13, 2024
UFC Vegas 98 may have had it's fair share of split decisions but the scorecards were not the biggest talking point this time around.
Despite the judges not coming to a unanimous decision in the final fight of the evening, the main event closed out proceedings in style.
Brandon Royval earned his second consecutive win after going the distance with Tatsuro Taira, handing him the first loss of his pro career.
Taira certainly showed that he belongs at this level but Royval's decision to push for five rounds fights because of the feeling that it suits him better paid off.
He secured the fifth and final round after many had it tied going in but won't get another shot at the title right now after Alexandre Pantoja was announced to be facing Kai Asakura at UFC 310.
The main event earned both men a fight of the night bonus whilst the performances of the night went to Ramazan Temirov and Clayton Carpenter for their two finishes.
Other finishes from Junior Tafa and Grant Dawson were notable highlights whilst the likes of Jun Yong Park, Chidi Njokuani and Themba Gorimbo earned big wins via the scorecards.
Check out the full results listed below:
Main card:
Brandon Royval def. Tatsuro Taira via split decision (47-48 x3)
Jun Yong Park def. Brad Tavares via split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)
Chidi Njokuani def. Jared Gooden via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Grant Dawson def. Rafa Garcia via TKO (strikes) (R2, 1:42)
Daniel Rodriguez def. Alex Morono via split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)
Prelim card:
Ramazan Temirov def. CJ Vergara via TKO (strikes) (R1, 2:50)
Pat Sabatini def. Jonathan Pearce via rear-naked choke submission (R1, 4:06)
Themba Gorimbo def. Niko Price via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Junior Tafa def. Sean Sharaf via TKO (strikes) (R2, 2:15)
Julia Polastri def. Cory McKenna via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Cody Haddon def. Dan Argueta via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Clayton Carpenter def. Lucas Rocha via rear-naked choke technical submission (R2, 2:12)
Four Huge Bouts Including Two Title Fights Announced For UFC 310
Oct 13, 2024
The final UFC PPV card of 2024 is shaping up to be a great night following the announcement of four big match-ups.
Dana White took to social media to announce more details for UFC 310 on December 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and they were worth the wait.
In the main event, Belal Muhammad will look to defend the welterweight title for the first time when he faces the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov.
The #3-ranked contender has finished all 18 of his pro fights, submitting Stephen Thompson, Geoff Neal and Neil Magny in his last three outings.
Muhammad will attempt to do what he does best, take his opponent into deep waters and see whether Rakhmonov is able to match his pace.
The co-main event sees Alexandre Pantoja make the third defence of his flyweight belt when he welcomes Kai Asakura into the Octagon.
Former RIZIN bantamweight champion Asakura signed to the promotion several months ago and as a huge name in his home country of Japan, is going straight to the top of the 125-pound division.
Also announced for the same card is the rescheduled bout between Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov as they meet in a high stakes rematch at heavyweight.
Another big match-up that has been rebooked for December 7 is the Octagon return of Stockton's own Nick Diaz who will be facing Vicente Luque.
The card also features a significant clash in the featherweight division when former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling meets the undefeated Movsar Evloev in another fight that will now take place at UFC 310 after being originally booked for a previous event.
Ilia Topuria's Stunning Custom Shorts Revealed For UFC 308 Title Defence
Oct 19, 2024
Ilia Topuria has been one of the most exciting rising stars in the sport for some time but in 2024, he has taken that to new levels.
Now, ahead of his first featherweight title defence at UFC 304, the 145-pound champion is the latest member of the roster to get his own pair of custom shorts.
On October 26 in Abu Dhabi, Topuria will face BMF titleholder and former featherweight champion Max Holloway in one of the biggest fights of the year.
The undefeated knockout artist secured his biggest win to date in February where he stopped Alexander Volkanovski to become the champion.
Coming into his massive clash with Holloway, who is sure to be rocking his floral shorts that he produced one of the best moments of the year in at UFC 300, Topuria has got his own signature garments.
"El Matador" had his new red and gold shorts showcased on social media and they quickly earned a lot of love from the fight fans.
If Topuria was a star before his title win, this has only increased since UFC 298 and these shorts make him look like the real deal.
They obviously have the custom colour scheme and pattern that we have seen from the likes of Alex Pereira, Dricus Du Plessis, Israel Adesanya and Dustin Poirier to name just a few.
Where Topuria's take it to another level is the gold outline of the bull that takes up the majority of one side.
Regardless of the attire worn by both men in the main event later this month, it is sure to be one of the biggest fights of the year based on the recent form of both men.
We don't know how the fight will play out as of yet but we do know that the two elite featherweights will be representing their backgrounds via their custom shorts.
PFL Battle Of The Giants Results: Ngannou Retakes The Throne
Oct 20, 2024
The biggest event in PFL history is in the books with Battle Of The Giants taking place in Riyadh on October 19.
In the main event, Francis Ngannou triumphantly returned to the top of the heavyweight division by stopping Renan Ferreira in the first round.
The former UFC heavyweight champion claimed the Super Fights title by dismantling his opponent with devastating ground and pound in what was an incredibly emotional victory.
Cris Cyborg continued her incredible track record for winning belts everywhere that she goes by adding the Super Fights belt to her unmatched collection.
The all-time great secured the unanimous decision win over Larissa Pacheco by mixing up her offence and securing several takedowns, overcoming some adversity via several cuts.
In the third title fight of the evening, Johnny Eblen retained his Bellator middleweight title in a rematch with Fabian Edwards where his wrestling saw him dominate the majority of the fight.
One of the biggest performances of the night came from Ireland's Paul Hughes who secured the biggest win of his career by defeating AJ McKee via split decision.
Check out the full results below:
Main card:
Francis Ngannou def. Renan Ferreira via KO (R1, 3:32)
Cris Cyborg def. Larissa Pacheco via unanimous decision (49-46 x3)
Johnny Eblen def. Fabian Edwards via unanimous decision (48-47 x3)
Zafar Mohsen def. Husein Kadimagomaev via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Paul Hughes def. AJ McKee via split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)
Prelims:
Raufeon Stots def. Marcos Breno via submission (RNC) (R3, 3:01)
Makkasharip Zaynukov def. Dedrek Sanders via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Ibragim Ibragimov def. Nacho Campos via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Taha Bendaoud def. Tariq Ismail via submission (triangle choke) — R2, 3:51
An Emotional Francis Ngannou Pays Tribute To His Son After PFL Debut
Oct 20, 2024
Francis Ngannou has been able to overcome incredible adversity in his life and career and that was no different in his PFL debut.
For many, returning to MMA after such a long time away to face a dangerous and confident opponent in Renan Ferreira would have been a massive task.
As he showed at PFL's Battle Of The Giants in Riyadh, this was the least of Ngannou's troubles after the year he has been through.
Alongside a tough knockout defeat in boxing to Anthony Joshua, the former UFC heavyweight champion suffered a tragic loss earlier this year when his son unexpectedly passed away.
After stopping Ferreira in the first round by securing a takedown and unleashing some thunderous ground and pound, Ngannou was overcome by emotion in his post-fight interview:
"I don't know, I just can't think about anything than my son, Kobe. I only take this fight because of him, I wanted to fight for him one more time and I'm done, so I don't know. I hope they can remember his name because without Kobe, we wouldn't be here tonight. I wouldn't have fight but thank you everyone for coming."
Ngannou kept his composure on fight week but that doesn't mean that returning to MMA in order to honour his son wasn't an incredibly difficult experience for him:
"It was tough, it's been tough the past, I think not only the training camp was tough but the past two days were very tough, full of emotion. Couldn't do anything without thinking about it. I'm trying to say I was being strong, tell myself everything to keep moving but it's hard man, it's just hard."
Despite the dangers that Ferreira could present Ngannou, the fight itself was relatively straight forward for "The Predator" aside from one triangle attempt.
We haven't seen him since he successfully defended the UFC heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane but the heavyweight king was confident that he'd be able to pick up from where he left off:
"I knew I didn't miss a step, I wasn't worried about it because as soon as I walk in the gym for MMA, I knew that everything was still there. It was just about me being able to manage my emotion, deal with life, not have to mix up stuff, so that's basically what it was about. I've been working and yes, we're here."
UFC 308 Press Conference: Unsigned Fighter Steals The Show By Shooting His Shot
Oct 24, 2024
The stars of UFC 308 this weekend in Abu Dhabi were in attendance for the pre-fight press conference just two days out from fight night.
However, it was a fighter that isn't signed to the UFC who ended up stealing the show after shooting his shot on the mic.
Dorobshokh Nabotov did not have a question for the athletes that will be competing on the main card this Saturday, but he did have one for Dana White.
"I am undefeated elite athlete from Tajikistan, Nabotov Dorobshokh. Nine wins, zero lost. Dana, I don't have question, I come here for fight in short notice. I never had a manager, I did all by myself. Please give me chance Dana, I want to fight in UFC. Please give me, I'm ready."
After White replied, questioning where he was during the Contender Series, the UFC boss beckoned him to come on stage.
Dorobshokh made his way to the stage where he shook hands with White before being directed towards a member of UFC staff.
White has always appreciated fighters who make things happen for themselves and call their own shots so he certainly seemed impressed by what he saw.
As for Nabotov's career to date, he's actually 7-0 rather than the 9-0 that he said during the press conference.
The 25-year old is a former IMAAF European champion in his amateur days and has competed for promotions like ACA and AMC since turning pro.
Though he may not the most notable rising prospect coming out of Asia right now, despite having clear potential, it would be incredible if this moment ends up getting him a shot in the UFC.
The MMA leader is always in need of fighters that will step up to the plate on short notice to save a fight and in Dorobshokh, they've certainly got another.
Ilia Topuria Remains Humble in Victory After Stunning Max Holloway Knockout
Oct 27, 2024
Ilia Topuria may just be the frontrunner for fighter of the year in 2024 following his performance at UFC 308.
After stopping Alexander Volkanovski earlier this year to become the featherweight champion, the new king at 145-pounds faced another huge test in his first defence.
The undefeated titleholder came up against the former champion and current BMF Max Holloway who came into the fight following his incredible display against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300.
In Abu Dhabi, the two men put on a fight that lived up to expectations, going back-and-forth until "El Matador" landed the decisive blow in the third round.
His power was the deciding factor and in victory, Topuria paid tribute to his opponent who was at the top of the sport long before the current champion arrived in the UFC.
"The first thing I want to say is thanks to God. Everything belongs to him, he gives me everything I have in my life so thanks to god," Topuria said in his post-fight interview. "Wow, I don't know what to say to be honest man, I don't know. To beat a legend like Max Holloway, it's something that I can't believe it, you know. I just followed his entire career, he inspired me so much in my career. He's been a great example for the generation and I always have been saying that I represent the new generation and I hope I'm going to be a small portion of the example he has been for me, for the new generation so all the praise to Max Holloway, he's the man."
Topuria has always been extremely confident, claiming before this fight that he would be the first man to knock out Holloway.
It took him some time and he had to continue pushing to eventually get it but Topuria did what he said he would do once again.
"I caught him with many punches but, exactly with that right hand, I felt it. I just saw it in his face. He started making some step backs and you don't see that often in Max Holloway that he makes step back so I felt that. My brother told me from the corner keep pushing, keep putting the pressure on him. This is what I did and finally, I get the knockout."
For his next fight, Topuria was joined in the cage by Alexander Volkanovski who is likely due a rematch after the incredible title reign that he left behind.
The two men showed a lot of respect towards one another with Volkanovski congratulating his former foe for his performance.
Topuria responded by saying that he's happy to run it back with "The Great" next time out.
"Right now I don't want to fight with anyone. Thank you brother, you're the man. We're going to do it again, you deserve that. You're the man, he defend his title seven times, I don't know how many times. If someone deserves it, it's him so let's do it brother."
Khamzat Chimaev Calls For The Belt After Ruthless Whittaker Submission
Oct 27, 2024
There were a lot of questions surrounding Khamzat Chimaev heading into the biggest fight of his career at UFC 308.
Would he make it to the fight? Would he be able to recapture the excitement that was once around him and how would he fare against a former champion in Robert Whittaker?
Well, due to his extremely aggressive style, we still don't know the answers to some of those questions because it's so hard for opponents to survive the opening round.
Chimaev quickly dived at Whittaker to initiate his grappling game and after several attempts, he found the submission to record a huge victory and maintain his undefeated record.
When Daniel Cormier entered into the Octagon and said, "I'm here with Khamzat Chimaev," the victor let it be known that he had no doubts about getting his hand raised.
"Of course with me brother, what are you thinking about man. Always with me."
There had been a different aura around Chimaev all throughout fight week and though he still carried a star quality, there wasn't the same kind of menacing coldness.
This was clear in his post-fight interview where he thanked "The Reaper" for getting in the cage with him after their originally scheduled meeting was cancelled earlier this year.
"Yeah man, I go for the belt. That guy is, thanks Rob. I love you my brother, you've been always picture for me. You're legend but respect, he took the fight, he fight with me man. No one wants to fight with me, they all the champions running from me."
Though Chimaev's personality seems a lot warmer, his fighting style is still absolutely ruthless.
After applying the choke across Whittaker's jaw, the former champion quickly tapped, indicating that there was an injury involved in the stoppage.
Chimaev told Cormier that he believed this to be the case with Whittaker later releasing evidence that showed a gruesome amount of damage that was done in such a short time.
"Yeah I feel when his chin is almost broken, I feel something wrong, a click. Then I knew it's on."
Chimaev's final message was clear, he wants the chance to fight for UFC gold.
Former champion Sean Strickland was seemingly being set up for a rematch with Dricus Du Plessis but after that kind of performance, the South African champion may have a new challenger knocking at the door.
"Dana, what's wrong with UFC man? Give me the belt!"
Sergei Pavlovich Returns To Saudi Arabia To Face Jairzinho Rozenstruik On February 1
Oct 29, 2024
The UFC is set to return to Saudi Arabia early next year and it's bringing one of the world's most devastating knockout artists back with it.
In the first fight that has been made official for the card, Sergei Pavlovich will face Jairzinho Rozenstruik on February 1.
The Russian's last Octagon appearance came at the promotion's debut event in Saudi Arabia where he suffered a decisive loss to Alexander Volkov in June.
Now, Pavlovich is out to break the first losing skid of his career by getting redemption at the Kingdom Arena when he faces off with another heavy hitter in Rozenstruik.
"Bigi Boy" has secured consecutive wins inside the Octagon for the first time since his initial streak that came when he signed with the promotion back in 2019.
That streak was brought to an end by Francis Ngannou and he alternated wins and losses for a while before getting two hard fought wins over Shamil Gaziev and Tai Tuivasa.
The #9-ranked contender will be looking to hand Pavlovich, who occupies the #4-position, his third consecutive loss.
He was previously riding a run of six consecutive finishes, including wins over Curtis Blaydes, Tai Tuivasa and Derrick Lewis before he was stopped by Tom Aspinall in their late notice interim title fight last November.
Considering the power that both men bring to the table, they're never too far away from title contention if they can produce a statement performance.
The news was first reported by MMA Mania's Alex Behunin.
