Carla Esparza at UFC 274. | Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Esparza was awaiting results on two MRIs and told she would avoid surgery.
Carla Esparza received some ‘great news’ recently.
The UFC champion was awaiting results on two MRIs for injuries suffered before her fight against Rose Namajunas at UFC 274 this past May. The results were returned, and Esparza has avoided surgery and could return to the Octagon by the end of the year.
“Health update: I just saw my doctor in regards to my 2 MRI results yesterday, and the great news is, no surgeries required on either location,” wrote Esparza. “I simply require a little more time to heal, PRP injections (already scheduled), and a little physical therapy and I should be back to 100% to start camp and fight before this year is done. I have a very tough fight and camp ahead of me, and I look forward to giving it my all.
“In the meantime, look forward to some modified training,” continued Esparza. “Thank you to the [UFC] for being on top of it, and making sure I get back to [100].”
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Waiting for Esparza is Zhang Weili, the No. 2 ranked contender who earned her championship opportunity with a second-round knockout of Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 275 in June. ‘Magnum’ suggested a fight against the ‘Cookie Monster’ at UFC 281 in October, but the champion previously said they would ‘go on her timeline’.
Esparza told Damon Martin of MMA Fighting what her ideal timeline would be for her return.
“Ideally November-December seems fine for me,” said Esparza. “Even if I have to do a little bit of rehab over the next month and not kick up training mode, fight camp style quite yet, at least it will give me time to recover. You talk about my longevity in the sport, and my longevity I would have to say I attribute a lot of that to my willingness to give my injuries recovery time. My rehab, just taking care of my body. You don’t stay in this sport for almost 12, 13 years at the top of it, not caring about maintaining your body and keeping it at optimal performance.”
Esparza is on a six-fight win streak that includes decisions against contenders such as Alexa Grasso, Michelle Waterson and Marina Rodriguez.
Max Holloway lost to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 276 | Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
Max Holloway vowed to rebuild after UFC 276, but a rebuild might not be necessary
After his loss to Alexander Volkanovski, former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway vowed that he and his team would rebuild. With that, the question becomes, what is there to rebuild for the 30-year-old ex-champ?
UFC 276 marked Holloway’s third loss in three fights to the current UFC 145-pound king. The decision loss was the most decisive of the three setbacks. While there might have been some questions about the second fight between Volkanovski and Holloway, the 33-year-old champion stamped “definitive” all over his unanimous decision win in the trilogy bout.
To all the fans do not cry for me Argentina. This is part of life. We need to rebuild and we will. I love you!
— Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) July 3, 2022
Before his three fights with Volkanovski, Holloway was on a 14-0 run at featherweight with 10 of those bouts ending via stoppage. Holloway is the second best fighter at 145 pounds in the UFC. There’s nothing for him to rebuild if he remains at 145 pounds because the odds of him getting a fourth shot at Volkanovski, as long as he is champion, are infinitesimal.
If Holloway stays at featherweight, he will dominate with his combination of volume striking, granite chin, and unyielding will. However, where things could get interesting is if that rebuild is designed for him to pursue a run at 155 pounds.
Holloway made a go at lightweight in 2019 when he fought Dustin Poirier — a former featherweight himself — for the interim UFC title. Holloway didn’t look bad, but his high-volume approach didn’t have the same success at 155 that it has at 145. He simply did not have the power to hang in that matchup with Poirier, who jumped up to 155 in 2015.
If there is a rebuild in the future for Max Holloway, it will be to develop his body and style to suit the rigors of the lightweight division. If he decides his future is at lightweight — and judging from some of his weight cuts, it might be — I expect the UFC will throw Holloway directly into the deep end of the division. With that, Holloway’s best bet is to take some time off and immerse himself in making the move up in the smartest way possible. At 30, Holloway has plenty of time to invest in himself.
There’s also the possibility that Holloway takes all the good will he’s built with fans, fighters and the UFC and goes the “big fights only” route until he decides what he really wants for his future. With that, a rematch between Holloway and Conor McGregor would be a perfect first step into that arena.
Holloway has a lot to think about in the aftermath of his loss to Volkanovski, but one thing he doesn’t have to concern himself with is if fans will be interested in whatever he decides to do with his career.
Anthony Pettis makes his walk to the cage at PFL 5 on June 24th. | Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images
Former UFC talents appear to be making bank in the Professional Fighters League.
It wasn’t all that long ago that Kayla Harrison was on the free agency market looking to cash in on the celebrity status afforded her by two Olympic gold medals, and a nice, shiny unbeaten 12-0 MMA record. It didn’t hurt her negotiating power that she’d already collected two million-dollar paydays from her time in the Professional Fighters League and the pair of tournament titles that came with it.
For a potentially high priced, high profile contender, a jump over to Bellator or even the UFC seemed highly possible. It was a little bit of a surprise then, when she landed right back where she started, fighting under the PFL banner. However, after a string of events in Georgia, and the release of PFL’s salary info, it’s a whole lot easier to see why the chips fell the way they did.
Alongside former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, Harrison appears to be one of several fighters making some serious ends in the ESPN-based promotion. The longtime ATT talent brought home $ 500,000 for her bout against Kaitlin Young on July 1st. But even that is overshadowed by ‘Showtime’’s PFL deal, Pettis took home a reported $ 750,000 in his loss to Stevie Ray at PFL 5 on June 24th. MMA Junkie has the details from PFL’s 3-event string over the last two months.
As always, concerning MMA salary reports, the data below does not include any sponsor payments, locker room bonuses, side letter agreements between fighters and the PFL, coaching fees, taxes, or other possible financial transactions. These numbers are purely reflective of fighters’ base contracts with the promotion as released by the Georgia State Athletic Commission.
Tony Kelley was knocked out by Adrian Yanez at UFC Austin. | Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Kelley’s contract expired after his latest fight.
Tony Kelley’s UFC run is over.
MMA Fighting reported on Thursday that the bantamweight is out of the promotion after his first-round TKO loss to Adrian Yanez at UFC Austin last month. Kelley (8-3) wasn’t cut mid-contract, rather the UFC opted not to re-sign. A fighter who has never been ranked losing their spot on the roster wouldn’t ordinarily be news, but Kelley attracted negative headlines in the lead-up to his final UFC appearance.
Back in May when Andrea Lee fought Brazil’s Viviane Araujo, Kelley came under fire after he was caught on camera telling Lee between rounds, “That’s what they’re gonna do, they’re dirty f—king Brazilians. They’re gonna f—king cheat like that.” Kelley said those remarks were in reference to a “dirty eye poke” in the opening round and instead of issuing an apology he was quick to blame “cancel culture.”
As for Kelley’s actual fighting career, he split his four fights at 2-2. He lost his debut to Kai Kamaka III while picking up Fight of the Night honors in the process, rebounded with consecutive wins over Ali AlQaisi and Randy Costa, but ran into a buzzsaw against Texas’ Adrian Yanez. With the crowd booing Kelley and supporting their home fighter, Kelley was outstruck and stopped by the rising star. Needless to say, fans and several fighters were pleased with the result. Kelley would later go to social media and push for a rematch. Well the only way that happens is if Yanez gets cut any time soon, which looks unlikely.
Anyway, here’s Yanez’s immediate reaction to the news to wrap this all up.
Michael Chandler goes on to KO Tony Ferguson with a front kick to the face at UFC 274. | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Michael Chandler has his sights set on a title fight with Islam Makhachev.
Former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler is happy to step in and fight Islam Makhachev for the vacant UFC lightweight title if Charles Oliveira wants to ‘sit out’ and wait for Conor McGregor.
Chandler, who was knocked out by Oliveira in 2021, thinks the Brazilian has more than earned his proposed ‘money fight’ with McGregor and understands why ‘Do Bronx’ is reluctant to enter fight negotiations with Makhachev.
That’s why ‘Iron Mike’ has advised Oliveira to ‘wait till Conor comes back’ so he can take care of business against Makhachev.
“Hey, Charles, do your thing, bro. Wait till Conor comes back, do your thing, you deserve it,” Chandler said via Instagram (h/t BJPenn.com). “On a couple fight win streak, smashing through everybody,” Chandler said on his Instagram story. “Why don’t you sit out? Wait for Conor to come back, I’ll keep the division warm, I’ll keep the division going. I’ll fight Islam next, I’ll fight Islam next for the title. And then whenever you get your so-called superfight, do your thing, get it out of your system, then you can come back to our division. See you at the top.”
Islam Makhachev vs Michael Chandler for the vacant lightweight title in Abu Dhabi october 22nd sounds like a great idea. Charles Oliveira can go chase that money fight with Conor for however long he wants. He doesn’t have to hold up the rest of the division. #ufc276 #ufc pic.twitter.com/0JaXYQZ5FX
— Elbows Chateau (@ElbowsChateau) July 6, 2022
Oliveira was stripped of the lightweight title after missing weight ahead of his first-round stoppage victory over Justin Gaethje this past May. He has been guaranteed the next title shot but appears unhappy about the prospect of facing Makhachev in Abu Dhabi, opting to fight in Brazil instead. If that doesn’t happen, Oliveira would like to fight Mcgregor, although he is unlikely to sit out for the remainder of the year.
As for Chandler, the 36-year-old is itching to get back in the Octagon following his highlight-reel knockout of Tony Ferguson at UFC 274, where he face-planted ‘El Cucuy’ with a thunderous front kick to the face. He is currently #5 in the UFC lightweight rankings, and likely one more win away from a title shot.
Photo By Antonio Sempere/Europa Press via Getty Images
The UFC heavyweight champion took to social media to share his thoughts on the mistreatment of African migrants and refugees.
Francis Ngannou has had enough when it comes to Western hypocrisy surrounding the treatment of refugees.
The UFC heavyweight champion shared a disturbing set of videos on Instagram of African refugees who were injured or killed recently while trying to seek out a better life in Europe. The incident took place in Ceuta, Spain when 2000 migrants attempted to jump the fence, which resulted in clashes with the authorities. Between 23 and 37 migrants died.
The post was accompanied by an emotional caption in which Ngannou appealed to his fans to understand the plight of refugees like him and to do better.
People of the world, fans, friends, please understand why this is so hard for me to witness. I shared a piece of my story with @joerogan, and with what just happened recently to my people, I can’t stop thinking that just 9 years ago I could’ve been one of these people who tragically lost everything in an attempt to seek a better life for themselves and their families. I am familiar with this exact location,” Ngannou said.
Ngannou was born and raised in Cameroon, where he lived in poverty and worked at a sand quarry from age 10. He eventually migrated to Europe but was jailed for two months in Spain for illegally crossing the border. He eventually ended up in Paris, France, where he lived homeless on the streets before being introduced to Fernand Lopez, who allowed him to sleep and train at his MMA Factory gym for free. The rest is history.
“You have to understand, had I not attempted this very thing myself, you wouldn’t know me. I wouldn’t have been able to become a World Champion. I just happened to be a lucky one. That’s all it was.”
Now UFC heavyweight champion, Ngannou is using his platform to speak up for refugees like himself, while also drawing attention to the hypocrisy and xenophobia of Western media and societies who welcome Ukrainian refugees while shunning others.
“I’m NOT ok that nobody is talking about it,” Ngannou said. “I’m not ok that nobody is blaming these acts on those responsible. I’m not ok that the western media are not reporting it. How can our own leaders see this over and over and don’t stand up for their people? When will we say ENOUGH is ENOUGH? What will it take to stop treating us like this? What have we done that’s so bad to deserve this treatment? Are we not human enough for you? Should we not be existing in the same planet?
“It’s horrible what’s been happening in Ukraine and I love the support the media and people have shown. I support refugees everywhere. But WHY this is less important? WHY does it seem that nobody really cares? Is it because these bodies are not white? What is the problem?”
The United Nations states that, as of July 4, more than. 5.2 million refugees from Ukraine have been recorded across Europe, with more than one million in Poland and more than 867,000 in Germany. The EU granted Ukrainians the automatic right to stay and work throughout its 27 member nations for up to three years—a right which was not afforded to refugees from other locations such as Syria or Afghanistan.
The graphic footage posted by Ngannou can be viewed here. Viewers discretion is advised.
Boxer Tommy Fury. | Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images
The search for a replacement opponent is underway.
Jake Paul (5-0, 4 KOs) is in need of a new opponent a month out from his scheduled pay-per-view main event at Madison Square Garden.
The social media star turned professional boxer announced on Wednesday that Tommy Fury (8-0, 4 KOs) is out of their August 6th matchup in New York. Fury currently cannot enter the United States for reasons initially reported as having to do with the family’s ties to Daniel Kinahan, although according to Boxing Scene’s Jake Donovan that is not the case. Whatever the reason is that Fury is barred from traveling to the US, Team Paul had a hard deadline of Wednesday to resolve this and it obviously hasn’t been resolved.
Tommy Fury has since released this statement on Instagram.
I’m gutted and disappointed in regards to the issues I have faced with entry Ito the USA. This is something that myself or my team could have never anticipated happening. This situation has been left with my lawyers as being denied entry to a country is obviously a very serious issue and it needs to subsequently be resolved.
I am confident this fight will happen when this issue gets resolved and we come to a solution. I want to clarify that I will fight in a neutral country that both parties can enter. This can be anytime, any place, anywhere.
So who will Paul box instead? Well it appears that a deal is near for Paul to take on Hasim Rahman Jr (12-1, 6 KOs), son of former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman and a former sparring partner of Jake’s. Rahman Jr is coming off a TKO loss in his last fight and has otherwise beaten a slew of sub-.500 opposition, but he has a name that boxing fans should be familiar with! We’ll know Paul’s replacement opponent on Thursday.
The co-feature for this Showtime PPV is between featherweight champion Amanda Serrano and Brenda Carbajal.
UFC middleweight Darren Till. | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images
Chris Curtis is getting an unexpected but big step up in competition later this month.
There will be no homecoming fight for Darren Till.
ESPN’s Marc Raimondi was first to report that the Englishman had withdrawn from his July 23rd matchup with fellow middleweight contender Jack Hermansson due to an undisclosed injury. Shortly after that news broke, the UFC confirmed that Chris Curtis has agreed to make that trip to London and take on Hermansson.
Till (18-4-1) has dropped four out of his last five, including a submission defeat to Derek Brunson last September. This was due to be his first fight in England since a KO loss to Jorge Masvidal in 2019, but now he’ll have to wait a little longer for his return.
In his place is a man on an absolute tear in Chris Curtis (29-8). He is on an eight-fight winning streak, including three impressive UFC wins over Phil Hawes, Brendan Allen, and most recently Rodolfo Vieira. Not bad for someone who famously retired twice in one night after losing two fights in the 2019 PFL tournament.
Hermansson (22-7) is looking to bounce back from a five-round decision loss to Sean Strickland back in February. ‘The Joker’ has alternated wins and losses over his last five fights, defeating Edmen Shahbazyan and Kelvin Gastelum while falling to Marvin Vettori, Jared Cannonier, and the aforementioned Strickland. The latest UFC rankings have Hermansson at #8 in the middleweight division.
UFC London features a heavyweight main event between rising star Tom Aspinall and Curtis Blaydes.
Alexander Volkanovski puts on a masterclass performance against Max Holloway at UFC 276. | Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
“Like, respectfully, if that’s not the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, then I don’t know who is.”
City Kickboxing head coach Eugene Bareman was at a loss for words following Alexander Volkanovski’s five-round masterclass against Max Holloway at UFC 276.
Bareman was confident Volkanovski would win, but even he was surprised with just how dominant ‘The Great’ was on fight night.
It was a world-class performance. A complete shutout. So it’s no wonder fans are currently debating whether Volkanovski (25-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC), who beat Holloway for a third time at UFC 276, deserves to surpass Kamaru Usman in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings and claim the #1 spot.
For Bareman, the answer is obvious.
“Oh man, I’m lost for words, man,” Bareman told Submission Radio. “Like, it’s just… the team, me, Joe, Alex, the coaches, we talked about a masterclass, about just cementing, solidifying every round and just being convincing. S***, I didn’t know he’d be that convincing. I didn’t know that. As much as I’ve gotten to know Alex over the years, the guy could still have a performance like that and still leave me gob-smacked. I’m like, wow. Just when you think he’s good and he’s at his best, he finds another level. And just, what a masterclass. Like, respectfully, if that’s not the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, then I don’t know who is.”
“He’s the best on the planet. He was the best after the first fight with Max. Max was the best, and then we beat him. And then people still didn’t – there was still some doubters. And then the second fight was close, but we still won. And then there was still some doubters. I was never in doubt. I knew Alex was the better fighter from the start. I didn’t think we had to have the second fight. I definitely didn’t think we needed the third fight to prove that. Now, it’s not important to me, it’s not important to me, but it does get important to Alex and it does get important to the team. Recognize what he is. He’s the best featherweight in the world. He’s the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world right now. And if you can’t see that, if you can’t see that, then I’m not gonna insult you, then you need to learn more about his sport and understand this sport better and just get into the sport more. But that’s what I would like for people to walk away from this performance with. That’s the best fighter on the planet at this very moment.”
Volkanovski is now 3-0 against Holloway in title fights, having previously beat ‘Blessed’ to win the featherweight title in 2019 and then again in 2020 to defend the belt. He is currently #2 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings.
Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Luke Rockhold has “incorporated” weed and mushrooms into his training camp.
After over three years away from competition, Luke Rockhold is looking to return against Paulo Costa at UFC 278. As the former UFC and Strikeforce champion revealed, he has changed things up and has now “incorporated” almost daily use of marijuana and mushrooms into his training camp.
He explained his reasoning to Submission Radio, while smoking a nice and hefty joint.
“It’s been lately [after training]. I kind of use marijuana to kind of isolate, and I don’t get any need or want to go do other things, you know what I mean?” Rockhold said. “It just kind of isolates me, hyper focuses me on my goal and be on a one-track mind. And then I tried some mushrooms, and it enhances my focus within that space. So, that’s great. It’s like, boom, branches me out. It hyper-focuses me in on weed, for training, and then you take the mushrooms to expand your thought processes within that space.
“[I’m taking mushrooms] four days a week. I don’t know. Every day? I don’t know. I take them when I run. You use them post training. I use them for cardiovascular kind of focused training, I’d say. That’s my thing. You know, you just really analyze, digest what you’re doing, and it gives you perspective, a lot of perspective on your training.”
“This is the first [training camp] I’ve really incorporated [them]. No, I used it a little bit in the past, but never like this.”
Rockhold admitted that he was dealing with issues with alcohol during his years away from competing. Apart from the far healthier alternatives in weed and mushrooms, he’s also trying out new hobbies like art and sculpting to keep himself busy while not in the gym.
“I was definitely getting carried away, with my quote unquote ‘retirement’ or what you want to call it,” Rockhold admitted. “I was getting carried away. I was drinking too much and losing sight of what I really wanted.
“We just liked to have fun, you what I mean? We like to live life to the fullest, and sometimes it gets a little, you know, you got a little overboard,” he said. “I’m an extremist. So, I like to have too much fun. But I know how to pull back. I’ve always had that ability, to pull things back and to focus on what really matters. Experiences in life, you’ve always gotta experience them all. But [I’m] still good, you know? I had to pull it back in, and now I’m using it in a different way. The old way, and better than ever.”
“Just focused on what I want and getting everything done in life. It’s good. It’s cool shit. You gotta be cool as fuck, right? You gotta be Cool Hand Luke.”
Before his hiatus, Rockhold fought just once a year and badly lost in three of his last four bouts against former champions and title contenders like Jan Blachowicz, Michael Bisping and Yoel Romero.
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