Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett is favored over Jared Gordon in the UFC 282 co-main event | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Check out the betting odds for UFC 282, which have Jan Blachowicz as an underdog to Magomed Ankalaev, and Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett favored over Jared Gordon.
It’s fight day for UFC 282, which is going down from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. A vacant light heavyweight title fight sits atop the main card when the #4 ranked 205-pounder, Magomed Ankalaev, faces the former champion, Jan Blachowicz. In the co-main event, the ultra-popular Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett looks stay perfect in the UFC against the always game Jared “Flash” Gordon. Let’s see what the final betting odds are talking about.
As of our midweek betting odds post, we discovered that Blachowicz was a sizable +280 underdog to a -340 Ankalaev, and that a -250 Pimblett was strongly favored over a +210 Gordon. Not much has changed in terms of their straight up moneylines, but we do have a couple of prop bets on deck.
The oddsmakers aren’t expecting the main event to need all five rounds to determine a new light heavyweight champion. The proposition ‘Fight doesn’t go to decision’ holds a strongly favored line of -200, with a +150 comeback on the ‘Fight goes to decision’ option.
Magomed is nearly favored to get a finish as the prop bet ‘Ankalaev wins inside distance’ is posted up at a cost of -110. The flip side of that bet is ‘Not Ankalaev inside distance,’ which is barely favored at -120. As for the former champion, there’s ‘Blachowicz wins inside distance’ available at a large underdog value of +450, with ‘Not Blachowicz inside distance’ massively favored at -750.
Just like the main event, the bookies aren’t foreseeing the Pimblett vs. Gordon matchup making it to the scorecards. Also just like the UFC 282’s marquee matchup, the prop ‘Fight doesn’t go to decision’ is favored at -200, and the ‘Fight goes to decision’ is trending at +155.
The bet for Paddy getting the finish is identical to Ankalaev’s finishing prop against Blachowicz. ‘Pimblett wins inside distance’ is listed at -120, with ‘Not Pimblett inside distance’ slightly favored at -120. Jared is being given less of a chance than Jan at producing a finish as the exotic bet ‘Gordon wins inside distance’ is positioned at +475, with ‘Not Gordon inside distance’ at highly probable odds of -800.
Check out the UFC 282 betting odds, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook:
For an in-depth breakdown of each UFC 282 tilt, check out The MMA Vivisection with Bloody Elbow’s own Zane Simon and Connor Ruebusch. Be sure to subscribe to our Combat Culture YouTube channel to stay up to date with all of our live video content, and our Bloody Elbow Presents YouTube channel to get the best original podcast content in the sport. Also, stay glued to Bloody Elbow for all of your event coverage: including play-by-plays, results, highlights, and more! Happy hunting!
Paddy Pimblett meets Jared Gordon in the UFC 282 co-main event | Photo by Amy Kaplan/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Here are the live results and highlights for the UFC 282 co-main event between Paddy Pimblett and Jared Gordon.
Check back in on this post later on to see what happened in the UFC 282 co-main event, which is going down from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This post will cover the 155-pound bout between Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett and Jared “Flash” Gordon. Pimblett is currently on a hot streak, and has finished his last five foes before ever reaching the final round. Paddy brings a lot of hype with him, and a lot of eyeballs, but it will be his heart and skills that he must lean on tonight.
As for Gordon, he may not be coming off of the heals of consecutive wins, but he has won four of his last five. He also isn’t known for that one-hitter quitter on the feet, but Gordon is always game and is historically someone you have to finish in order to beat.
The early prelims begin at 6:00pm ET/3:00pm, PT, immediately followed by the regular preliminary card. Both broadcasts can be streamed on ESPN+. The PPV main card is slated for 10:00pm ET/7:00pm PT, and can be purchased on ESPN+.
Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson’s broke his hand in his UFC Orlando main event match with Kevin Holland | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Check out this photo of Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson’s broken hand that he sustained in his UFC Orlando main event match with Kevin Holland.
Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson put on a stellar performance last Saturday at UFC Orlando when he defeated Kevin Holland in the main event — after a broken hand snowballed into a corner stoppage in between the fourth and fifth rounds.
Now that Thompson has had some time to be fully examined by a doctor, he just announced some unfortunate news on his social media. The self-deprecating Wonderboy posted a photo of both of his hands, with one appearing to be normal, and the other looking like it belongs to the Nutty Professor.
His post states, “Just received word from the doctor that [I] have broken my 2nd & 3rd metacarpals in my left hand.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (@wonderboymma)
In a positive spin Thompson also mentioned, “Thankfully bones aren’t displaced so no surgery is required.” Not needing surgery should drastically reduce Wonderboy’s recovery, which means he’ll be able to compete again sooner rather than later.
Joking about the fact that both he and Holland came out of their war with broken hands, Thompson concluded his post with, “Not sure when in the fight it happened but I guess @trailblaze2top [Kevin Holland] head is almost as hard as mine #ThickSkulls #SkullConditioning #UFCOrlando.”
If you missed it then you messed up, because the bout was fantastic and earned Fight of the Night honors. Thompson got clipped early on and had to overcome some adversity to survive. There were also rarely seen fan-favorite moments, like when a fighter complies with a gentleman’s agreement to not fight on the floor, by simply standing up and relinquishing their dominant positions. Ultimately, Wonderboy battled back with a varied attack of punches and kicks to overtake the match and secure the victory.
Darren Till after his loss to Derek Brunson at JFC Vegas 36 Sept, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC | Graphic by Bloodyelbow.com
Check out who we are picking for UFC 282.
We are getting ready to close the curtain on 2022, but before we do we have a couple more events on the docket. The last UFC pay per view event is on Saturday, with Jan Blachowicz facing Magomed Ankalaev for the vacant UFC light heavyweight title. UFC 282 also features Paddy Pimblett in the co-main event, he risks his undefeated UFC record versus Jared Gordon.
Outside of those fights there are plenty of intriguing match-ups. We’ve got Darren Till versus the rising Dricus Du Plessis and prospects Bryce Mitchell and Ilia Topuria squaring off. As always, our staffers have looked over the fights and have given their picks and thoughts below. Being that this is a pay-per-view, the staff picks will be split into separate posts with the title fight and the co-main getting their own articles.
So check below for all our picks, excluding those two bouts. Among the key takeaways you’ll notice is that, as a group, we’re pretty scared for Darren Till who seems to be on the downswing meeting a fighter very much going in the opposite direction. Check out what else we’re thinking and please add your own picks in the comment section below.
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Alex Morono
Anton Tabuena: This should be really good and competitive normally — maybe even now — but it’s just hard to pick a guy coming in on extremely short notice. Santiago Ponzinibbio by TKO.
Victor Rodriguez: Morono has made such impressive improvements over time, yet I struggle to see how he deals with the range, pressure, speed and mixups that Santiago has. He can wade in and eat some shots to get the fight to the ground and probably weather that storm, or he can attempt to lull Ponzinibbio to fight at his pace. Doesn’t seem likely, though. Santiago Ponzinibbio by decision.
Tim Bissell: I think Alex Morono is licking his chops here. This is a no pressure match-up for him him that he can roll into and play the spoiler (something he’s done before). He won’t care that Ponzinibbio is higher than him in the rankings or was just a step or two away from title contention a few years ago. I see him going in there, surprising the Argentinian and possibly getting a finish. A big reason behind this pick is also Ponzinibbio’s age (36) and what he went through in 2019-2020. Back to back blood and bone infections almost cost him his career (or worse) and I think, sadly, those years that were taken from him have halted his upward trajectory in the sport. Alex Morono by TKO.
Zane Simon: I love that Morono got this fight. He doesn’t have the look of a top flight guy, but he’s made a habit of coming into every bout with a crafty gameplan. And the result is a lot more wins than fans would guess at first glance. Even against a somewhat faded Ponzinibbio here, if Morono can grab a big highlight victory on PPV, it could do a lot of good in getting him more high-profile bouts. There are a couple problems in his way, however. The first, as a crafty ‘gameplan’ fighter, short notice is probably not going to serve Morono well. The second, even on his best days, Morono just isn’t a great athlete, and his style tends to put him into the teeth of his opponent’s offense to get work done. Against stronger, slicker, faster fighters, that’s meant that even amid success, Morono is there to be controlled and/or finished. Ponzinibbio may have lost a step, but he’s shown he can still be a dedicated, aggressive power striker who gets better as the fight goes on. If Morono’s gonna be there to be hit, I think Ponzinibbio will hit him hard. Santiago Ponzinibbio via KO, round 3.
Anton Tabuena: I’m not sure what to expect with Till these days with his rough streak and recent injuries. For what it’s worth, he at least changed up his training and will get a needed break from facing top five contenders or former champions. That said, Du Plessis is still legit and very good though, so it’s still going to be a tough match up. Till has size and a style that can cause problems to anyone, but I’m just not confident in picking him now. Dricus Du Plessis by Decision.
Victor Rodriguez: Do you trust Darren Till? I don’t. Whether it’s inconsistent performances or time away from fighting due to legal reasons, I can’t see him having the formula to beat an aggressive striker with great accuracy and on a hot streak right now. Sure, Dricus has been knocked out. But that was against goddamned Robocop Soldic, and Darren Till is most certainly not that. No. Absolutely not. I refuse to accept that Till has the tools for this, and worse still, believe that he’s been figured out since the Masvidal fight. Seeing him fall behind against Whittaker and Brunson solidifies this belief for me. MMAMath™ be damned, I’ll take the fresher guy on a five win streak with explosive finishes against the clearly not in his prime striker that doesn’t have the size and reach advantages he had at welterweight right here. Dricus Du Plessis by TKO, round 2.
Tim Bissell: Many of us are asking ‘what’s wrong with Darren Till?’ However, we’ve seen this story too many times now. Fighters peak and they decline. Some do so at breakneck speeds in both directions. Anyone reading this can name a fighter who looked special and then, usually after a tough loss, just seemed to lose their mojo and keep getting beat — sometimes in worse and worse fashion. I think Till may be in that terriroty. And I think it’s very dangerous for him to take a fight with someone who certainly appears to be on the come up. That’s even more dangerous considering how vicious Du Plessis striking has looked at times in the Octagon. I don’t think this one ends well for the Englishman and, if I’m right, I struggle to see a path back to any kind of relevancy in the promotion. Dricus Du Plessis by TKO.
Zane Simon: Till doesn’t have to lose this fight. He really, really doesn’t. He’s a much cleaner striker than Du Plessis. Hell, he might even be a cleaner wrestler & grappler too (as hard as that is to believe). There’s no part of Du Plessis game that doesn’t come with huge defensive lapses and major mistakes in process and positioning. But my god the willpower to win is there driving him on for every second. Coupled with a whole lot of size and power, it makes the South African an only increasingly terrifying proposition to handle as the bout goes on. On the other side, the problem for Till is that so much of what he does successfully in the cage is bluff and bluster. He looks incredibly poised and dangerous on the counter, but most of his success comes when he’s moving forward and leading, which he only does in spots. If Du Plessis isn’t going to give Till time and space to work, is Till going to take the fight away from him? After lots of time off and injuries and rough losses, it’s hard for me to imagine. Dricus Du Plessis via TKO, round 3.
Anton Tabuena: I think Topuria adds yet another grappler to his resume here. He’ll be good enough to survive on the ground, and if he gets any space to work on the feet, he should be the superior striker. Mitchell is tough, but I think Topuria finds a way to get a finish. Ilia Topuria by TKO.
Victor Rodriguez: This could be Mitchell’s ceiling, because he’s not gonna be able to outmuscle Topuria and I frankly don’t think he can hang with him on the feet. But for as… not-smart as he is in other avenues in life, he’s at least a super smart grappler with excellent technique and formulates quick solutions on the fly. Topuria didn’t fall for any of Ryan Hall’s tricks in their brief fight, and Hall’s a much more decorated grappler. Granted, they don’t have the same kind of game with Mitchell having a more wrestling-oriented game overall, but Topuria is evolving and doing amazing work so far. Gonna go with the better athlete that knows when to disengage at the right points. Ilia Topuria by TKO.
Tim Bissell: Ilia Topuria is working on a resume that could one day put him in that all-violence division. Bryce Mitchell, horrific believes and statements aside, has shown he is a talented fighter and grappler, but Topuria has encountered those kinds of fighters before and has been able to find enough space to crack them open. Ilia Topuria by TKO.
Zane Simon: I already have some doubts about my Topuria pick, but seeing Kristen ride with Bryce Mitchell is really making me question things. Topuria is undoubtedly excellent, but he also fights with the kind of unwavering self-belief that means he’ll walk himself right into danger without hesitation over and over again. It’s what got him wins over guys like Ryan Hall and Damon Jackson, but it’s also what nearly got him KO’d by Jai Herbert. Mitchell isn’t any kind of knockout artist, but he is a very thoughtful, opportunistic fighter who tends to take whatever opponents give him and turn it into highly successful offense. If Topuria gives as much to Mitchell to work with as he did Herbert, he may not get a chance to rally back. That said, Topuria has proven to be triple tough so far, and looks like a masterful grappler on the mats. if he can survive there and work his body-head combos, I’ll trust him to find the strikes to turn the tables his way. Just don’t be surprised if he has to rally from adversity once again. Ilia Topuria via TKO, round 2.
Anton Tabuena: Big(i) boys will swing, and one of them will go down. I expect this to be very heavyweight either way, but I’m going with Jairzinho Rozenstruik by KO.
Victor Rodriguez: I really hate this fight for Chris, because he’s on back to back knockout losses to Blaydes and Lewis. That’s probably the second and third hardest hitting heavyweights in a row, and now he faces a guy that’s arguably the fourth? Woof. Chris undeniably talented, but does he have the capacity to get things to the ground and outhustle Rozie? Possible, yes. But not likely. Jairzinho Rozenstruik by KO, round 3.
Tim Bissell: Both these guys have looked pretty average as of late, albeit against decent opposition. This feels like one of those which could end with a wild exchange in the first round or could drag on and become unwatchable on route to a decision. I kind of feel like we might see the latter on Saturday night. If that happens, I think Daukaus will be the one with the better gas tank and that this will earn him the rounds he needs for a decision. Chris Daukaus by decision.
Zane Simon: The big difference here is that Rozenstruik has a place he can go to, where this fight should be very comfortable for him. When he gets to be in open space and pick out counter shots, he’s an excellent technician and powerful puncher. For Daukaus, his best success has all been found wading in on the front foot and creating chaos. That’s hardly a point to stay and fight comfortably, and as he’s moved up the division it’s cost him badly. If he sits back and doesn’t pressure, he’s the less technical man. If he does rush in, that’s the fight that serves Rozenstruik best. Jairzinho Rozenstruik by KO, round 1.
Anton Tabuena: Not sure why we need minors being signed to fight in the Contender Series and UFC, but here we are. Rosas seems like a good prospect, but I don’t see a generational talent or other worldly athleticism that the world’s biggest promotion just had to rush and get a special license for him to compete as a minor. Seems easy enough to just wait until he’s an adult and give even more time to develop, but maybe that’s just me. Oh well, at least he has already turned 18 for this fight I guess. UFC hasn’t been great historically at slowly building prospects up, so it’ll also be interesting to see how he gets matched up moving forward — if he wins this one, which I think he will. Raul Rosas Jr. by decision.
Victor Rodriguez: The nicest thing I can say about this is that at least they seem like they’re slow-walking the kid. Perrin’s good, and so was Mando Gutierrez, who Rosas beat on Contender Series. Not the same kind of fighter, but still susceptible to being swallowed by the kind of grappling vortex Rosas creates. The kid is for real, folks. Raul Rosas by submission.
Tim Bissell: I don’t think teenagers should be fighting in MMA. I’ve covered brain health extensively for Bloody Elbow. Something I’ve learned is that human brains aren’t fully developed until we are 25 years old. The time leading up to that, especially in teenage years, the brain is going through some wild changes and is extremely malleable. Because of that, blows to the head can have a far nastier ( and long lasting impact) against a young brain than one that is beyond adolescence. Of course, so far Rosas Jr. has shown he is good enough to avoid taking damage, but how long will that last? I think he’ll do what he pleases against Perrin, using his size and creativity, but I just don’t like the precedent that is being set here. Raul Rosas Jr. by submission.
Zane Simon: I’m not a big fan of teens going pro in MMA, and I’m definitely not a fan of them getting thrown into the talent thresher that is the UFC. Bantamweight seems especially like the worst place for it too. That said, Perrin’s a flat footed head-hunting puncher who really only finds his range toe-to-toe in the pocket, where he can get hit just as hard as he’s hitting. Should be a perfect setup for Rosas’ dynamic takedown entries into submission scrambles. Raul Rosas Jr. by Submission, round 1.
Victor Rodriguez: Look, I’ve poked a lot of fun at Glendale Fight Club over the years. I’ve also probably overdone it to a degree. But I regret nothing. Edmen was a bright prospect stuck with a hack coach that got hot-shotted to contender status and flamed out miserably when he met higher level competition. His last three fights? All losses, two of them finishes. I don’t think he’s done, and this could be the step back he needs to build up from and improve. I overall feel real bad for the guy. And not because he’s up against a top 10 or 15 guy, because he’s not. Dalcha is also on a really bad losing skid, but at least he has reliably harder striking and at least has a competent corner. Yes, he’s 2-4 in the UFC, with three straight losses. And yes, I still trust him more than despite Shahbazyan changing his environment and training in Vegas. Dalchia Lungiambula by TKO.
Tim Bissell: This is an interesting match-up and one that feels tailored to discovering where Edmen Shahbazyan is at. Was it too much too soon with opponents like Derek Brunson and Jack Hermansson or was it proof that Shahbayzan’s ceiling as a fighter is the prelim card. I think he has a well-rounded enough game to get past Dalchia Lungiambula, but I don’t see a path back to the main event for him. Edmen Shahbazyan by decision.
Zane Simon: There are a lot of questions to be answered by Shahbazyan at this point. He got pushed up the division fast, and his fall back down to earth has been a devastating one. The time off and the camp switch both seem like good ideas. It remains to be seen if better coaching can add badly needed depth to his game though. Even with all that, I’m not sure Lungiambula can ask the right questions of Shahbazyan. The longtime Judoka has been trying to add aggression and pace to his game in the UFC. And while he looks like a more dangerous fighter for it, that also means he’s more available to be hit and hurt and finished. Given how tough Shahbazyan is and how great a fast starter he is, I think he can put Lungiambula away early. Edmen Shahbazyan via KO, round 1.
Victor Rodriguez: I’m still tickled by how this got cobbled together. But I also love the action potential and hate that one of them has to lose here. Unless it’s a draw, I’d be fine with that. But I got a soft spot for Curtis blazing his way through a very solid run after having retired twice already. Chris Curtis by decision.
Zane Simon: This should be a fantastic fight. Both Curtis and Buckley are tough as nails and love to keep fights standing. Buckley chooses more targets than Curtis and fights at a higher pace, but also is incredibly predictable in his rhythms and movement. Better honed strikers can often gamble on exactly when Buckley is entering the pocket and meet him with huge shots. That’s great news for Curtis, who is an exceedingly skilled counterpuncher who stays composed deep into fights. If he can’t KO Buckley, it’s worth worrying about matching pace and winning rounds, but I think he’ll have enough big moments to win even despite that. Chris Curtis by decision.
Tim Bissell: Picking Quarantillo here because I think he has more sting to his strikes and that he’ll be able to land enough to made Hernandez fade late in the fight. Billy Quarantillo by TKO.
Zane Simon: It’ll be interesting to see how Hernandez looks at featherweight. When he had the size and athletic advantage at lightweight he often looked like a near-unbeatable buzzsaw. Quarantillo isn’t exactly a physical phenom, so it could be that Hernandez shows up here like he did against Gruetzmacher. That said, Quarantillo is triple tough, and I love the jab he’s added to his offense lately. If he can catch Hernandez on his entries, he can likely start taking the confidence out of the ‘Great Ape’ (why do I hate that nickname so much?) in a hurry. Hernandez has struggled badly when fighters can adjust to his power and tempo, ever since that Cerrone loss. Billy Quarantillo by decision.
Zane Simon: Silva starts hot with takedowns and backtakes and submissions. Brown starts slow and even when he starts to pick things up can still be just out-muscled or out-maneuvered. Erik Silva via submission, round 1.
Zane Simon: This fight will be a 50/50 war for about 2-3 minutes, after which I have to bank on Salvardor’s non-stop intensity and drive. If de Silva could keep his gas tank going for longer, he’d have a real chance at taking this one, but I’m not banking on it after that last showing. Vinicius Salvador via KO, round 1.
Zane Simon: Maybe I shouldn’t pick the short notice guy, but I’m really not very impressed with Saaiman coming off his contender series win. A low paced bantamweight with a sharp kicking game but a serious aversion to takedown defense just doesn’t seem like a thriving recipe for success. Koslow has feasted on can crushing, but he’s an aggressive wrestler who immediately hunts submissions. Think he can pull something spectacular out early here. Steven Koslow via submission, round 1.
Well, we did it. We cursed poor Kevin Holland by picking him unanimously against Stephen Thompson. However, Rafael dos Anjos, Matheus Nicolau, Yazmin Jauregui, Jonathan Pearce, Natan Levy were able to escape the BE curse — so maybe we shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves. That being said, it was a rough one for the staffers. The only winning record came from yours truly (using a crude metric). I went 9-5, being the only person to pick Roman Dolidze and Phillip Rowe. Zane and Dayne both went 7-7, while both Kristen and Stephie had losing records for the first time since I start tracking this.
Leader board (as of Sept 3):
1. Dayne 85-45 (.654)
2. Zane 85-48 (.639)
3. Bissell 83-50 (.624)
4. Kristen 81-41 (.664)
5. Stephie 80-53 (.602)
6. Anton 40-22 (.645)
7. Victor 26-15 (.634)
8. Lewis 12-8 (.600)
9. Chris 11-14 (.440)
Leader board position is based on number of correct picks. Correct pick percentage acts as a tiebreaker.
Paddy Pimblett and Jared Gordon at UFC 282. | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
That would explain why the ‘Baddy’ is so confident in finishing Gordon in the first round.
Paddy Pimblett is very familiar with Jared Gordon.
Ahead of their upcoming fight at UFC 282 on Saturday, the ‘Baddy’ revealed that he and ‘Flash’ rolled together in the Blue Basement at Renzo Gracie Academy over four years ago.
“I’ve rolled with Jared Gordon, you know? In the Blue Basement in 2018,” said Pimblett in a recent interview with Michael Bisping for BT Sport. “…Rolled with him and submitted him twice in five minutes. Guillotine [choke] and triangle [choke]. I don’t think he can remember that. I was a big, fat bastard then. I was about 90 kilos [approximately 198 pounds].
“…I’ve submitted him twice in five minutes when I was fat and out of shape,” continued Pimblett. “And I had a broken hand. That was before I had my surgery. So in the past four-and-a-half years — that was early March 2018. The improvements that I’ve made over the past four-and-a-half-years, they’re ridiculous, lad. And I’m a completely different fighter now.”
When the encounter was revealed during the pre-fight press conference on Thursday, both men had different accounts of what exactly happened. Pimblett repeated his version, saying he had no reason to lie about rolling with Gordon.
But Gordon begged to differ, saying that the only time he and Pimblett had ‘physical contact’ was this week.
“I’ve never rolled with you,” said Gordon. “We never touched each other until I hugged you on Tuesday. I have no reason to talk about this anymore. You’re lying.”
As confident as Pimblett is in submitting Gordon again, the Kill Cliff FC product has only one loss by submission — to Grant Dawson at UFC Vegas 53 this past April — in his professional career. He has since rebounded with a unanimous decision over Leonardo Santos at UFC 278 in August.
UFC 282 goes down on Saturday, December 10, live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Pimblett vs. Gordon serves as the co-headliner.
Terence Crawford v Shawn Porter | Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images
Check out all the ways you can watch Terence Crawford vs. David Avanesyan.
Terence Crawford is action this weekend and he is putting up his WBO welterweight title against the unheralded David Avanesyan (whom he is expected to beat with relative ease). So if you’re a Crawford fan, or you just want to see one of the best fighters of the past decade fight, below are all the ways you can do that (spoiler alert — you’ll need to get on something called BLK Prime).
This isn’t the fight many fans were hoping to see this year. There was excitement back in September when it was reported that Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. had agreed to a welterweight unification bout. However, that fell through.
So now Crawford will take on the European welterweight champion, with many hoping he gets through it unscathed so we get to see Crawford vs. Spence Jr. some time next year.
Also on this card, former UFC, Bellator and Strikeforce champion Cris Cyborg will continue her forays into boxing. She will fight Gabrielle Holloway in the co-main event.
Fight Card
Main card (9 p.m. ET)
Terence Crawford vs. David Avanesyan (ringwalk expected at 11 p.m. ET)
Cris Cyborg vs. Gabrielle Holloway
Arnold Khegai vs. Eduardo Baez
Prelim card (5 p.m. ET)
Jeremiah Milton vs. Dajuan Calloway
Steven Nelson vs. James Ballard
Edel Gomez vs. Joseph Aguilar
Boubacar Sylla vs. Javier Mayoral
Robert Rodriguez vs. Jose Lopez
Tickets
Tickets at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, NE are available here.
Live Stream
Crawford vs. Avanesyan is airing on streaming service BLK Prime.
BLK Prime costs $ 3.99 a month and is available, as an app, on both Android and Apple devices. BLK Prime is also available on AppleTV, Amazon FireTV and Roku TV streaming services.
Crawford vs. Avanesyan is not included with a monthly subscription to BLK Prime. To watch that event, it must be purchased for $ 39.99. Once purchased, it can be viewed online here or on one of the streaming services that carries BLK Prime.
Live news, updates and round-by-round commentary is available here on Bloody Elbow.
Jared Gordon speaks to media following UFC 278 in Salt Lake City. | Photo by Amy Kaplan/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
UFC lightweight Jared Gordon had some thoughts on trash talk ahead of his upcoming bout with Paddy Pimblett.
Love it or hate it, a big part of the game in combat sports is ‘trash talk’. With title dreams, PPV paydays, and sponsorship opportunities on the line, it’s not just about how thrilling a performance an athlete can put on—but on how well they can sell themselves in the lead up. Nobody’s going to splash out big money on a fighter fans don’t get excited to watch.
With the success that Conor McGregor, Chael Sonnen, Israel Adesanya, and other notably brash talents have had over the years, the UFC is awash in fighters who talk a big game. This Saturday in Las Vegas, NV, lightweight Jared Gordon is facing off against one of those men. Liverpool’s Paddy Pimblett has a rabid hometown fan following and has already carved out a reputation as a thrilling finisher in the UFC and a live wire on the microphone.
“I really like Jared, you know what I mean? We’ve got a mutual respect for each other,” Pimblett admitted during a UFC 282 media event. “I think he’s an amazing human being—what he’s come back through, throughout his life. He’s turned his life around. He’s such an inspirational motivational person.”
“One thing that did piss me off was he said I’m a quitter. I’ve never quit. I’ve been choked unconscious and went five rounds twice against two steroid abusers, when I went into both of them fights injured.
“He’s the quitter. He tapped to a choke, recently, what wasn’t even fully on. That wasn’t even a proper rear naked choke—against an opponent who was absolutely dogshit. So, you know?”
Despite that touch of animosity, overall Pimblett and Gordon have mostly kept things civil. In part that may be down to Gordon’s feelings on trash talk in general. In a recent interview with MMA Fighting ‘Flash’ gave his on the subject and how he thinks some fighters take it too far. Especially, as Gordon noted, fighters who haven’t seen as much of the harsher side of life outside of their fighting careers.
“Some of the things I hear people say, like, I would stab you for that—or I know someone that would stab you for saying those things,” Gordon admitted.
“Certain things, I don’t want to fight you in a ‘legal fight’ for saying certain things. Like, when you’re not looking, I want to stab you in your back. That’s where I’m from. I’ve heard people call each other ‘motherless dogs’ and say ‘suck my you-know-what.’ And that’s something, that where I’m from, it’s something you get really hurt for—or maybe killed.
“In jail, if you call someone a bitch or tell them to suck your [dick], those are killing words. When I hear certain things—we’re not gangsters, we’re all professional athletes. We’re on the main stage, we’re in the UFC.”
Gordon may not have been directing any those messages at ‘The Baddy’ ahead of their clash at UFC 282, but he did single out another notable name he seems to feel has crossed the line a few times: Irish superstar Conor McGregor.
“I get it—crap talk; build up the fight, say what you’ve got to say. But certain things should be left unsaid,” Gordon explained. “That’s just how I grew up and where I’m from. You can tell Conor’s never really been in jail. You can tell. He might have did a couple of hours in Brooklyn when he threw the dolly at the [bus], but he never went to main jail or a real prison.
“You can just tell by the way he talks and by the way some other guys talk. It’s like I can tell you’ve never been certain places because if you were in certain places, you would hold yourself in a different way, carry yourself in a different way. Because you would be worried about someone trying to hurt you, someone trying to kill you.”
UFC 282 goes down this Saturday, December 10th at the T-Mobile Arena. Alongside the lightweight co-main event, the card is expected to be headlined by a bout between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev for the vacant light heavyweight title.
Paddy Pimblett prepares to take on Jordan Leavitt at a UFC Fight Night event in London, England on July 23, 2022. | Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
“People still aren’t taking me for real. No one respects me, and it does piss me off.
Paddy Pimblett is tired of not being taken seriously in the UFC.
The Liverpudlian, who is 3-0 in the Octagon since making his promotional debut in 2021, is on a mission to prove that he’s every bit as legit as the UFC hype machine has led people to believe.
He takes on Florida’s Jared Gordon in this Saturday’s UFC 282 co-main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, marking his first UFC PPV appearance to date.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the lightweight matchup, 27-year-old Pimblett promised to prove that he belongs in the UFC and deserves to be recognized as a legitimate contender, planning to dispose of Gordon convincingly on Saturday.
“They’re not [taking me serious],” Pimblett said at the UFC 282 media day (h/t MMA Fighting). “It’s cheeky. People still aren’t taking me for real. No one respects me, and it does piss me off. But I’ve just got to get on with that. People just don’t respect the come up. Simple as.
“This is going to be my breakout performance. People are going to see the improvements that I’ve made over the last 15 months since I signed with the UFC. You’re going to see.”
The most vocal of Pimblett’s critics claim the 27-year-old is being handpicked easy opponents to build his UFC brand, with two of his previous opponents (Luigi Vendramini and Kazula Vargas) being cut from the promotion after losing to him.
Clapping back at the critics, Pimblett defended his level of competition in the UFC by focusing on the unique threats each fighter posed, especially Vendramini.
“Every one of my past opponents, people will be like, ‘He’s not good, he’s not good,’” Pimblett said. “I personally think my best opponent was my debut, Luigi Vendramini. He gets a bad rap. The only fights that he lost, he lost a majority decision to Fares Ziam. He lost his debut at welterweight, and then I beat him but that’s me. People say because he got cut. Yeah, [Kazula] Vargas wasn’t the best, he wasn’t.”
“Jordan Leavitt’s very good. No one had ever finished him. Everyone was talking about Claudio Puelles. He’s f****** s*** as well. He couldn’t finish him but everyone was saying he would beat me and I went and finished Leavitt on one of my worst nights. When I teamed up with a lot of s*** going on behind the scenes, and I still finished him in the second round. I’m disappointed in that performance just like I was with the Vargas one. I don’t think I’ve put a good performance in since my debut and that wasn’t even that good.”
Pimblett will look to extend his winning streak to 4-0 when he takes on Gordon this Saturday at UFC 284, featuring a main event between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev for the vacant light heavyweight championship.
Alex Pereira and his corner, including Glover Texeira at UFC 281. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
The former UFC light heavyweight champion would rather avoid sharing a card with his teammate and pupil.
There is a reason why Glover Texeira would avoid being on the same card as Alex Pereira.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion and the current UFC middleweight champion are teammates, training together in Connecticut where Texeira operates his own gym. Given their relationship, Texeira and Pereira have often helped each other prepare for upcoming fights.
Texeira was in the corner of Pereira at UFC 281, where he dethroned Israel Adesanya by fifth-round TKO this past November. And ‘Po Atan’ stayed in the United States to corner his teammate for his upcoming rematch against Jiří Procházka at UFC 282 in December before it was canceled after ‘Denisa’ suffered an injury.
Though they have shared a few experiences in the UFC, there is one that Texeira is not keen on sharing. In an interview with Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, the Brazilian explained why he wants to avoid fighting on the same card as Pereira.
“That’s a little bit too much,” said Texeira. “I like to be there for him and same thing, he likes to be there for me. That’s why he didn’t fly to Brazil because of this fight. He was trying to go back to Brazil right away, but then he’s like, ‘ You know, I’m going to wait for your fight,’ and then he waited around and [the cancellation] happened. We’re there for each other, but if it happens, it happens. It would be a beautiful thing. We’d deal with any situation.”
As far as his next fight is concerned, Texeira expects to challenge the winner of Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev, who are vying for the now-vacant title.
Texeira has not fought since losing to Procházka by submission in their ‘Fight of the Year’ contender at UFC 275 in June.
Conor McGregor breaks his leg against Dustin Poirier in their trilogy bout at UFC 264. | Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Anthony Smith reveals his pick for a potential fourth fight between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor.
Anthony Smith thinks Conor McGregor would be wise to avoid a fourth fight with Dustin Poirier.
McGregor is 1-2 to Poirier in their trilogy series, with both fighters agreeing to a fourth fight after they got into an entertaining back-and-forth on social media earlier this week.
Smith admits he would watch the fight just for the pre-fight buildup but thinks McGregor would lose again based on his last two outings at UFC 254 and UFC 264 where he lost to Poirier both times via stoppage, breaking his leg in the trilogy.
“I don’t want to pull back the curtain too far here Mike. But, we all know the price tag that probably comes with a Conor McGregor fight. So you can say all you want, ‘Oh, I don’t want it.’ I love Dustin Poirier. I love everything he stands for, Dustin’s full of sh*t. He’s going to take that paycheck any chance he gets, and I’m here to watch it. I’ll buy it, and I’ll put money in his pocket. I’m here for it, just for the buildup,” Smith told co-host Michael Bisping during a recent episode of Believe You Me (h/t Low Kick MMA).
Poirier was recently hospitalized for a staph infection which he posted photos of on social media. The former two-time UFC lightweight title challenger was prescribed antibiotics, which he claims are working. Poirier is expected to be released from hospital later today.
McGregor, meanwhile, is still recovering from the injury TKO loss he suffered to Poirier last July. He is expected to return to the UFC next year, possibly at welterweight.
File under: Bloodyelbow.com | Leave a comment »