Islam Makhachev at the UFC 280 open workouts ahead of his lightweight title fight versus Charles Oliveira. | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Coach Javier Mendez talks Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski.
Coach Javier Mendez is preparing Islam Makhachev for war against Alexander Volkanovski.
The two fighters will go head to head at the blockbuster UFC 284 pay-per-view in Perth, Australia, to determine the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.
Makhachev will be looking to defend his lightweight title for the first time, while Volkanovski will be moving up in weight with the aim of winning a second world title and becoming a simultaneous two-division champion.
Speaking of the upcoming matchup, Mendez, who serves as Makhachev’s coach at American Kickboxing Academy, predicted a win for Makhachev but not by way of stoppage, telling Helen Yee (h/t Sportskeeda), “I expect that at the end of the day Islam Makhachev is going to be pound-for-pound the best fighter in the UFC or in the world. After he beats Alex, which I’m expecting him to do, but not like people are thinking, like any kind of finish. I don’t like that. It’s going to be a five-round war.”
UFC 284: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski is scheduled to take place on February 12 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
Casey O’Neill at weigh-ins for UFC Vegas 29. | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Top ranked flyweights are headed to London.
Casey O’Neill returns.
For her first fight since undergoing surgery on her ACL, ‘King Casey’ is facing Jennifer Maia at UFC 286, the upcoming pay-per-view scheduled for March 18 at the O2 Arena in London. Dama De Ferro MMA was first to report the fight.
Since joining the UFC, Casey is 4-0, having finished three of her past four opponents. In her most recent appearance, the 25-year-old defeated Roxanne Modafferi by split decision at UFC 271 in February.
The undefeated fighter was then paired up against Jessica Eye at UFC 276, but was forced to withdraw after suffering a ‘fully torn ACL’ in training.
Following a loss to reigning UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, Maia returned to the win column with a unanimous decision over the aforementioned Eye at UFC 264. The Brazilian fell short in her next two appearances, losing to Katlyn Chookagian and Manon Fiorot at UFC Vegas 46 and UFC Columbus, respectively.
Maia rebounded with a unanimous decision over Maryna Moroz at UFC Vegas 65 in November.
UFC 286 now has four confirmed fights. The current line-up is as follows:
In this two part series, Bloody Elbow’s Managing Editor, Anton Tabuena flies to Thailand to compete in Muay Thai.
“Hey!”
We’re heading back from the gym when I see a familiar face. It’s the tattooed guy we rented tuk tuks from earlier in the week, cheerfully waving me over.
“I saw you on the posters!” he excitedly yells. “I’ll try to watch on Sunday for you!”
I thank him and marvel at how genuinely nice and supportive the people here have all been whenever they find out I’m competing in Muay Thai. I haven’t really told anyone, but it’s no use hiding anything after posters went up in Bangtao and all over Phuket this week.
“You’re fighting?? Are you sure?” Another guy overhears our conversation and gives me this look of genuine concern. “You’re Filipino? If you’re as good as Manny Pacquiao, I’d be less worried!”
I laugh but before I can respond, he’s already sizing up my skinny frame and inspecting my body.
“Have you been training hard? Okay, I guess this is okay,” he says after suddenly pressing on my abs. He then looks at my thin calves. “This, hmm. Not so much. Thais kick legs a lot!”
The first guy looks almost proud that one of his clients is fighting, while the other just looks legitimately concerned about my well-being.
“I hope you do well, but be very careful of these, okay?” he says while pointing to his elbows and knees.
I laugh and say thanks, before trying to assure them I’ll be okay.
I’m in the back row of a van that the team rented, and we’re on the way to the stadium. It’s officially fight night, but for some reason, that conversation from a few days ago plays back into my head.
“Are you sure?”
It’s wild how even a simple and good intentioned question can push the right buttons and unleash doubts that I didn’t even know I had.
I’m three years older and rustier because of this pandemic, but I figured this impromptu trip was a good excuse to fight again before I get too old.
Is it really, though? Will I react properly after being out for so long? Was it wise to just jump into my first professional fight like this?
No shin guards, no headgear, and a Thai opponent in Thailand. Will my body hold up for that? It barely even held up in training.
Did I spar and drill enough?
Am I even good enough?
“Are you sure?”
I catch myself and realize that if I need assurances, all I ever need to do is to just look around at the people sitting with me in this van.
I see my brother Paolo, my girlfriend, good friends, and supportive teammates like Alex, who will also be fighting tonight. It’s reassuring looking over to the front row and knowing that the three killers calmly sitting there all have my back.
Kru Beer, Topnoi Kiwram and Piak Mitsatit. These three decorated coaches from Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA are just cracking jokes without a worry in the world, and I suddenly don’t think my opponent is even worth stressing about anymore.
With championships and literally hundreds of wins between them, this trio brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that’s enough to coach even the best UFC stars, let alone some random guy like me.
Instead of worrying about what ifs in the near future, I’m just grateful I got to train with ninjas twice a day and have this all-star lineup in my corner tonight.
I recline my seat, lean back and put my earphones on to keep my head clear. I turn the volume up, and start blasting “Beach House” on repeat.
It’s time for my tried and tested tradition of Carly Rae Jepsen pre-fight jams.
— Anton Tabuena (@antontabuena) August 14, 2022
Yep. It works every time.
Big fight! Big fight! Tonight! Tonight! Bangla Boxing Stadium! Bangla Boxing Stadium!
The speaker blares loudly, constantly repeating a slogan that’ll surely get stuck in my head again. It’s the perfect signal that we have indeed arrived at the venue.
We all exit the van, and I immediately see my face and the Philippine flag on a pair of trucks parked nearby. It’s still weird seeing myself on a fight poster, and there’s a bunch of them all around this venue. Security just waves us through as they already know Topnoi and the other Bangtao Muay Thai coaches.
I go up the flight of stairs to enter the stadium, and I immediately see the huge ring to my left. Its black canvas has “Bangla Stadium” written in white, with the Yokkao logo at the center. Bright lights and blue bleachers surround the ring, giving Phuket’s most popular arena that distinct look it’s been known for.
We go up another set of stairs to the holding area for fighters. It’s still early, but the familiar smell of liniment already fills the air.
I’m so glad we watched fights here at the start of our trip.
Having been here to support other Bangtao fighters before has helped me visualize this very moment in the days prior. It’s paying dividends tonight as well.
Now that I have a decent idea on what to expect, it suddenly doesn’t feel like I’m experiencing too many things for the first time. While that can seem trivial to some, I think that’s the trick to dealing with high stress situations better.
Paolo Tabuena
I fill up a few forms, and look at tonight’s fight card for the first time. Half of it is in Thai, but I can at least understand that I’m fighting third.
“Antan. Philippines. Red Corner. 130 lbs.”
I chuckle at the typo on my name, and figure that there’s really no weigh-ins on these events.
I also notice that my opponent pictured on the poster is now fighting second, and he’s listed to be five pounds heavier. There’s a different name next to mine. So I guess I’m fighting a different guy now?
I don’t really care either way.
This is about me and trying to fight to the best of my ability. The game plan remains the same.
I stretch a little and wonder if I have enough time for my pre-fight power nap. There’s a bunch of metal beds here that seem perfect for it.
“Sit here, you need to get your hands wrapped now,” Kru Beer instead calls me over.
“Isn’t Alex second, and I’m third?” I ask.
“No, you’re second!” Kru Beer responds. “You’re fighting the same opponent.”
“Oh.”
No naps I guess.
I’m marveling at how different the wraps are being done by Kru Beer now compared to my previous fights. I’m trying to keep a mental note of everything he’s doing with the tape and gauze, but I give up halfway. There’s just no way I’ll remember how to do this all by myself.
Kru Beer pounds on my right knuckles as he finishes wrapping them. He asks if it feels good. I wiggle my fingers and tap on my fists, before nodding back. He starts to work on my left hand, and I feel my heart start beating faster.
This is really happening.
Tonight! Tonight! Thai Boxing. Muay Thai. The biggest fight of the month! Tonight! Tonight!
“I saw your opponent. He’s probably just an inch shorter than me,” my brother Paolo tells me. “I already sized him up for you.”
This entire time, we’ve been preparing to fight someone much shorter, planning to use my reach and control distance. After all, with my unusually tall and lanky frame, everyone in my weight will almost surely be wider but much shorter.
“I guess this really happens when there’s no actual weigh-ins,” I tell him. “It’s fine. I sparred with you a lot anyway.”
Paolo is roughly the same height as me but around 15 pounds heavier, so it’s nothing I haven’t really seen before. I sparred with far bigger pros in Bangtao too.
“Yup. You got this,” Paolo says. “His shadowboxing skills didn’t look that sharp either.”
I appreciate how he’s helping me know what to expect in there, but at the same time, I don’t really care much at this point. We knew there could be weight discrepancies or even opponent changes, so in my mind, I’m good to go no matter what they throw at me.
I’m actually more curious on how he got such a detailed scouting report.
“I went to the other side of the arena and literally stood right next to him like this,” Paolo says, demonstrating how he crossed his arms and stood tall, while not actually looking directly at him.
“Seriously?”
I start laughing at the image of him pretending to be some random fan that’s just standing there, casually invading his personal space.
Big fight! Big fight! Tonight! Tonight!
Kru Beer is behind me, helping tie the strings to this metal Thai cup that goes over my underwear. It’s my first time wearing this kind of groin guard for a fight, and it’s every bit as uncomfortable as everyone warned me.
“Like a g-string, but tied tightly right up to your a–hole,” Alex quips.
I put on one more layer of compression shorts on top of it to make sure it doesn’t shift much, and I put on these bright and colorful Bangtao fight shorts over them. I try to tug on the string downwards to make it feel a little more comfortable, but it’s not really helping.
I knock on the metal cup twice. I guess it does feel safer than the normal plastic ones I’ve been used to. At least there’s that.
Yes, just focus on that, and not any possible chafing. Positive thinking, or whatever.
Paolo Tabuena
“Remove your shirt and lie down here,” Piak motions me over, and opens a bottle of Thai liniment. I’m not sure why it dawned on me late, but I finally understand what all these metal beds are for specifically.
“Cover your face with your shirt,” Piak says as all three coaches apply liniment and start massaging my entire body. “I don’t want this to get in your eyes.”
They ask me to turn around, and they start massaging the rest of my body. Everything feels nice and warm from the liniment, but a few sensitive parts are starting to have this burning sensation.
My coaches make me stand to help stretch my legs, but at the same time, I’m lowkey trying to wipe off some of the oil that’s burning my armpits.
Ooof.
Sarama, the traditional Muay Thai music, is playing in the arena.
I look over and Kru Beer has already picked the gloves I’ll be wearing from the set they have for everyone in the Red corner.
These clearly aren’t the pillows I’ve used in my older amateur bouts, and they’re also really soft and broken in.
“People have fought in these already,” I say the moment I put on these red Yokkao boxing gloves. “They’re small too. Nice.”
I can’t wait to hit pads and test these out better before the fight.
Kru Beer laces up my right glove, making sure the knot goes above my wrist, just over where some of the padding starts. He starts taping it when I hear the crowd go crazy.
I don’t really understand what they’re saying, but with the way the ringside announcer is screaming, it seems like the first fight just ended with a shocking knockout. One of those two women I saw earlier must have been finished very early in the first round.
That ended a lot sooner than I expected.
I’m next.
I won’t have time to warm up. I don’t even have my second glove on yet.
Paolo Tabuena
Topnoi quickly starts lacing up my left glove. It’s the same technique, with the knot sliding down the padding up to the exact spot Kru Beer just did for my other glove. He quickly tapes it, and mere seconds later, I’m good to go.
Wraps, liniment, massage, stretching, and now gloves.
The three Bangtao Muay Thai coaches have all been working quickly and in sync with each task, like a Formula One pit crew built for violence. They’ve obviously done this countless times, and I can’t even imagine how I’d handle all these sudden changes if not for them.
I’m really not going to get to warm up, on my pro debut no less.
That thought briefly crosses my mind, but I squash it as quickly as it entered.
It’s done. I can’t waste energy dwelling on the past, when I still have a big task ahead of me.
I’m about to have a Muay Thai fight in Thailand. After these last couple of years, I didn’t even think this would be possible anymore.
I do a really quick mental check of what I’ll need as I’m about to head downstairs for this fight.
“Do you have my outfit?” I ask my girlfriend.
It isn’t just all technique and game plans, I prepared my walkout attire really early too.
She throws it over to my brother Paolo, who helps me wear this bright yellow and orange kimono, with a pattern of white triangles all over. I laugh as I see a puzzled reaction from Kru Beer, who’s seemingly wondering why I’d even want to wear such a thing.
It’s from this anime called Demon Slayer. It’s Zenitsu’s kimono, a character that’s hilarious for being scared all the time, when he can literally destroy people in his sleep without even knowing it.
I’m sure there’s a metaphor here somewhere about facing your fears or being better than you give yourself credit for, but in reality, I just thought it’d be a silly inside joke.
Fighters on big events walk out wearing boxing robes, looking all serious and intimidating. I thought it’d be funny to go out there wearing an anime kimono instead.
I’m not sure if anyone in this arena will even get the reference, but this is my moment and I’m going to have fun with this.
Sophie Reyes
I head down the stairs and make my walk as the music plays. There’s a crowd around me, but there’s only one thing that catches my eyes. All the way through the ropes, on the other side of the ring, I see my opponent for the very first time.
It looks like he really got here much earlier than I did.
I open my arms wide and bounce around a few times as I slowly approach the red corner.
I’m going to take my time and enjoy this moment.
Continued on Part 2.
Previous ‘From Writing to Fighting’ editions: [ Opening Round | Second Round ] [ Brothers in Arms | Millennial Medals ] [ Coaching a Colleague | Preparing for Pressure ] [ Colleagues Competing | Bloody Debut ]
About the author: Anton Tabuena is the Managing Editor for Bloody Elbow. He’s been covering MMA and combat sports since 2009, and has also fought in MMA, Muay Thai and kickboxing. (full bio)
Episode 217 discussion: Dana White caught on video slapping his wife, Phil Baroni arrested in Mexico for murder of girlfriend, Jake Paul signs with PFL
Welcome to The Level Change Podcast, our combat sports themed variety show hosted by Stephie Haynes and Victor Rodriguez, and for this special Holiday Edition, the return of Mookie Alexander. The show features the news of the week, fight card breakdowns and analysis, a roundup of regional promotions’ cards and fights; and whatever else we decide is important enough or entertaining enough to bring to your ears.
June M. Williams
EPISODE 217
Dana White caught on video slapping his wife – 2:09 https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2023/1/2/23536448/video-dana-white-wife-anne-exchange-slaps-cabo-nye-never-excuse-mma-news
Phil Baroni arrested for murder of girlfriend in Mexico – 25:10 https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2023/1/4/23538001/report-ufc-pride-fighter-phil-baroni-suspect-arrested-murder-mexico-domestic-violence-crime-news
Jake Paul signs with PFL – 34:23 https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2023/1/5/23540451/ufc-pfl-mma-boxing-news-report-media-youtube-jake-paul-nate-diaz-fight
Bolsonaro flees Brazil, living at Jose Aldo’s home – 42:01 https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2023/1/2/23536332/report-former-brazil-president-jair-bolsonaro-flees-living-ufc-jose-aldo-florida-mma-news
Follow our Twitter accounts: Stephie Haynes and Victor Rodriguez and our show account The Level Change Podcast. If you enjoy our variety of shows, give us a shout out in the comments here on Bloody Elbow, and give us a “like”, share & subscribe on your BE Presents Podcast platform of choice:SoundCloud, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, OverCast, Player FM, & Amazon Music– For previous episodes, check out our playlists on any of our BE Presents channels.
If you enjoy our variety of shows, please give us a shout out in the comments here on Bloody Elbow, and give us a “like”, share & subscribe on your BE Presents Podcast platform of choice: YouTube, SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeartRadio, Spotify, TuneIn, OverCast, PocketCasts, Castro, Castbox, Player FM, Podcast Republic,Podcast Index: Click on the RSS feed icon, & on the following apps search for ‘Bloody Elbow Presents’: Downcast, PodCruncher, iCatcher!, Castaway 2, BeyondPod (Android), & more in the App Store!For previous episodes, check out our playlists on any of our BE Presents channels.
Jon Jones is the former UFC light heavyweight champion. | Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Jon Jones has his sights set on winning another UFC title in 2023.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has made it clear that he has his sights set on becoming a champion once again in 2023.
Jones made the decision to relinquish his light heavyweight title in 2020 following a controversial unanimous decision win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247.
Throughout his career, “Bones” has established himself as one of the most dominant UFC champions of all time, successfully defending his light heavyweight title a record eleven times, with notable victories over Daniel Cormier, Alexander Gustafsson, and Lyoto Machida.
Jones was formerly considered the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, but has slipped down the rankings during his hiatus. However, he recently took to Twitter to announce his desire to win another world title and reclaim his #1 spot in the P4P rankings.
“#Champion2023,” Jones wrote yesterday.
#Champion2023
— BONY (@JonnyBones) January 4, 2023
Jones is expected to return to the UFC at heavyweight, targeting a super-fight with heavy-hitting knockout artist and current champion Francis Ngannou. The bout, which would mark Jones’ heavyweight debut, has not been made official.
Stephen A. Smith in attendance at UFC Fight Night: VanZant vs. Ostovich in 2019. | Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
The ESPN pundit spoke about Dana White slapping his wife on First Take.
Dana White, President and CEO of the UFC and Dana White’s Power Slap League, was caught on camera slapping his wife in the face during a New Year’s Eve event at a nightclub in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
That footage was circulated by TMZ and paired with a video from White himself, where he admitted hitting his wife and announced that there are no excuses for his actions.
TMZ also ran a statement from White’s wife, in which she cited alcohol as the reason behind the incident.
The UFC’s broadcast partner ESPN has been mostly silent regarding this issue, directing Bloody Elbow’s own Trent Reinsmith to the UFC for comment. The UFC has released no comment and has instead directed everyone to White’s statement on TMZ.
The lack of coverage of this incident by ESPN has lead to questions from veteran pundit Dan Le Batard (who worked there up until 2021).
A current ESPN voice did decide to speak about the issue. Stephen A. Smith mentioned White, briefly, on his First Take show yesterday. During that segment Smith laid out what he thinks should come next for White.
“You do not put your hands on a woman if you’re a man,” said Smith (ht Sportskeeda). “Dana White knows that. He has spoken out against men who have put their hands on women before and whatever punishment you would exact in these circumstances to somebody else is what he should apply to himself.”
If Smith is hoping for White to discipline himself the same way he disciplines fighters who are involved in domestic violence situations, then he’s probably going to get exactly what he wants.
The UFC has dealt with domestic violence among fighters on a case by case basis. Fighters who are not very well known are often shown the door (Michael Graves, Will Chope, Luis Pena, etc.).
However, fighters who are well known, and ranked highly in the organization, often get a pass.
White signed former NFL player Greg Hardy to the promotion after he was convicted of attacking his girlfriend. That conviction was thrown out after Hardy appealed for a jury trial and his alleged victim refused to co-operated with prosecutors after reaching a civil settlement with Hardy.
The late Anthony Johnson was also repeatedly signed by the UFC despite a past domestic violence conviction. Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is also expected to fight for the UFC in the near future despite his domestic violence charge in 2021. Jones’ charge was dismissed in a plea deal, after it became clear that his alleged victim would not co-operate with prosecutors.
If White is left to decide his fate alone, then it’s likely he will view his importance to the company as justification for no further action.
It remains to be seen if ESPN, Endeavour or Warner Media will share that view.
About the author: Tim Bissell is a writer, editor and deputy site manager for Bloody Elbow. He has covered combat sports since 2015. Tim covers news and events and has also written longform and investigative pieces. (full bio)
Support for survivors of domestic violence can be found from the following organizations:
If you or someone you know needs help regarding alcohol abuse, support can be found at the following sources:
USA – The Recovery Village – 833 554 1487
Canada – Wellness Together – 1-866-585-0445
UK – Drinkline – 0300 123 1110
Support for survivors of domestic violence can be found from the following organizations:
USA – The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Perhaps to the shock of no one, Dillon Danis pulled out of his boxing match against KSI at the very last minute. The YouTuber’s manager speculated that it was simply due to Danis being “under-prepared.”
Danis has done far more clout chasing than actual fighting, with the 29-year-old not competing since he submitted a 3-3 journeyman almost three years ago. With his lack of actual competition and rather unappealing online persona, Danis naturally got a lot of flack for pulling out of another bout.
Interestingly enough, he was trashed by boxers, MMA fighters, grapplers and YouTubers alike for this latest blunder.
Absolutely no one is surprised by Dillion Danis
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) January 4, 2023
I’m so pissed, @dillondanis you’re such a bitch. You’re literally a good for nothing cockroach. I was hoping to see you get battered
— Deji (@Deji) January 4, 2023
I knew he would pull out
— Swarmz (@Swarmz__) January 4, 2023
dillon danis pulling out of the fight a week before after hyping the entire fight, getting in ksi’s head & getting all the clout / attention has to be the funniest thing so far in 2023
— Bryce Hall (@BryceHall) January 4, 2023
Gordon Ryan has offered Dillon Danis a new job after he pulled out of his fight pic.twitter.com/rXf4HqMv1n
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) January 4, 2023
I New @dillondanis would bitch out from now this guy should be known as Dildo Danis pic.twitter.com/2CqucDlXKK
— Michael Venom Page (@Michaelpage247) January 4, 2023
Dillon Danis parents are gonna be so mad he can’t pay his half of the rent this month
— Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) January 4, 2023
In the most predictable news ever!!!! https://t.co/uCziSwXssI
— Funky (@Benaskren) January 4, 2023
Can someone ask @dillondanis for my @BellatorMMA belt back? ♀️ https://t.co/fVG1wvl1zH
— CrisCyborg.Com (@criscyborg) January 4, 2023
100000% Danis couldn’t make weight he’s fat af, plus the videos he’s posting of training he’s god awful with his hands. being a mental midget he got cold feet and pulled out
— Jesse Ronson (@Ronsoff) January 4, 2023
Dear @dillondanis you are an absolute poser!!! I may have never been the best fighter but at least myself and others actually took a risk. Your internet persona is trash and you should disappear!
— ike vallie-flagg (@IKEVF) January 4, 2023
Danis is a BJJ blackbelt that rose to fame being a grappling training partner of Conor McGregor several years ago. He is officially 2-0 in MMA, but has been inactive for years, with Bellator CEO Scott Coker also expressing frustration in trying to get him to compete and honor his contract.
BJJ star Gordon Ryan previously described Danis as ‘an absolute master at managing to stay relevant without actually doing anything.’
Phil Baroni enters the cage for a bout with ONE FC in 2011. | Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images
Baroni has been accused of killing his girlfriend at the Jardin San Pancho Hotel in Bahia de Banderas, Mexico.
The Tribuna de la Bahia reports that a man matching the description of former UFC & PRIDE talent Phil Baroni has been arrested on suspicion of murder in the town of San Francisco, Nayarit, in the Bahia de Banderas region of Mexico. Posts to his social media accounts appear to confirm that Baroni had been living in the area recently. The suspect was arrested at the Jardin San Pancho Hotel where he had been living with his girlfriend.
According to Tribuna de la Bahia, the killing stemmed from an argument after the woman admitted to her partner that she had had an affair. The suspect is said to have told officers that he demanded she take a shower. When she refused, he apparently threw her into the shower stall, where she struck her head both on the wall and again on the floor. Police are reported to have observed numerous injuries to the face, arms, torso, and legs of the victim as well.
The suspect, a 46-year-old American, apparently claimed that the woman was still lucid after the altercation, when he helped her to bed, stripped off her clothes, and put a sheet over her to keep her warm. He then reportedly told police that he went out to get cigarettes and beer, at the woman’s prompting, but found her unresponsive when he returned. He then reportedly contacted local authorities and surrendered himself to officers at the scene.
The victim has yet to be officially identified. No word yet on whether or not official charges against the suspect have been made.
While numerous outlets have reported Phil Baroni as the suspect in question, the original report from Tribuna de la Bahia only identified the man as a 46-year-old New York native named “Phillips.” Photographs from the scene bear a strong resemblance to Baroni, including an identifiable tattoo on the suspects left ring finger.
An update from the outlet has subsequently identified “Phill Baroni” as the suspect in question. However, that story only cites “national and international sports media” as the source of the identification. Bloody Elbow has reached out to local authorities, but did not hear back by the time of publication.
UPDATE: According to the Associated Press, state officials from Nayarit, Mexico have since confirmed and identified the suspect as former MMA fighter Phil Baroni. An initial hearing in the case is reportedly set for Monday.
A former Hammer House disciple, Baroni started his combat sports career with toughman boxing contests while still a wrestler at Central Michigan University. He made his UFC debut in 2001, in just his second pro MMA bout, defeating Curtis Stout via unanimous decision. He competed seven more times in the Octagon, before leaving the UFC on a string of losses in 2005. After a run in PRIDE, Strikeforce and several smaller regional promotions, he returned to the UFC in 2009 for bouts with Amir Sadollah and Brad Tavares. He last competed in 2019 at Rebel FC 9 in Shanghai, China, losing via first round submission.
Dillon Danis has pulled out of his boxing match with KSI | Photo by Hans Gutknecht/Digital First Media/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images
Dillon Danis has pulled out of his boxing match with KSI that is scheduled to happen next week.
Dillon Danis has officially pulled out of his boxing match with KSI that was scheduled to happen on January 14th at Wembley Arena in London, England. Fear not, though, as fellow social media mogul FaZe Temper has stepped up on short notice to compete against KSI.
A member of KSI’s management team, Mams Taylor, has unveiled some of their believed circumstances surrounding Danis dropping out of the fight. As first transcribed by mmafighting.com, Taylor suggested that Danis bowing out was due to a severe lack of preparation.
Taylor explained, “The real reason is, from what they said to me, is that he’s under-prepared.”
“He has no coach. He might be struggling with weight even though there’s no rehydration. He has not been able to find a team that’s going to support him to bring him into the fight and obviously he’s got some other issues I think.”
Taylor also expressed his disappointment that Dillon didn’t share the same level of respect, “It’s very sad and unfortunate because he didn’t reciprocate the respect that we’ve given him. He’s clearly embarrassed that he’s in this position and – look, who knows what he’s going to come out with and say, but I’m disappointed because I never thought that someone who cares about his reputation as much as he does or what people think of him, I didn’t think that this would be something despite many people saying the opposite, that he’s not going to show up to the fight. They were right.”
Here’s the clip from Misfits Boxing’s YouTube’s channel where Mams Taylor explains what happened:
Despite Danis exiting stage right, KSI has taken to social media to inform his fans that the show must got on, and that he will still be fighting on January 14th. A replacement opponent has been selected in the form of fellow social media star, FaZe Temper. If you can remember, Temper competed against some guy named “Overtflow” on the third Misfits Boxing event — so we are very much still living in the realm of celebrity boxing.
The show must go on. I’m still fighting January 14th
— ksi (@KSI) January 4, 2023
Sidemen vs Faze. January 14th pic.twitter.com/889Hz1hc0Y
— ksi (@KSI) January 4, 2023
This event will air on Saturday January 14th, 2023 on DAZN PPV.
Belal Muhammad defeats Sean Brady by way of TKO at UFC 280. | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Matt Brown thinks Belal Muhammad is the man to beat at welterweight.
UFC veteran Matt Brown thinks Belal Muhammad is the one to watch at welterweight, touting “Remember the Name” as the “biggest threat” in the division.
Speaking on a recent episode of “The Fighter vs. The Writer”, Brown said that he would back Muhammad to defeat both Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev, but is “50/50” on his chances against former champ Kamaru Usman.
“If you want to talk about biggest threat to [Kamaru] Usman, I’m going with Belal Muhammad,” Brown said. “I think Belal Muhammad is probably the biggest threat to all of these guys. I think Usman beats Leon and the champ at the end of the year is either Belal or Usman.”
“Belal and Gilbert [Burns] are very similar body types, the way they throw punches and stuff but Belal keeps a much higher pace and stays a little bit more disciplined in his approach,” he added. “I think Belal beats Khamzat and I’m 50-50 on him beating Usman. That’s a really, really close fight that I think goes to a decision and is probably a really tough call for the judges.”
Aside from a controversial No Contest against Edwards at UFC Vegas 21, Muhammad is undefeated in his last eight fights, amassing impressive victories over Stephen Thompson, Vicente Luque, and Sean Brady. The No. 4-ranked welterweight recently called for a rematch with Leon Edwards for the welterweight title, but was turned down and labeled a “bum” by Edwards.
Shut up you bum you ain’t getting a title shot https://t.co/6ytbyYFZdd
— Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) December 7, 2022
Muhammad would like to fight at UFC 286 on March 18, where “Rocky” is anticipated to defend his welterweight title against “The Nigerian Nightmare” in the main event.
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