Khamzat Chimaev wants to become a two-division UFC champion. | Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images
Coach Andreas Michael believes Khamzat Chimaev is destined to become a two-division champion.
Allstar Training Center coach Andreas Michael believes the sky is the limit for Khamzat Chimaev.
The Swede thinks “Borz” is destined for championship success and envisions his prized student winning two UFC titles with back-to-back victories over welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and middleweight kingpin Israel Adesanya.
That’s “in a perfect world,” of course. Still, one that isn’t entirely outside the realm of possibility as Khamzat has demonstrated the ability to win impressively at welterweight and middleweight, with stoppage victories in both weight classes.
“I think that we would like to, me personally – I cannot talk about what Khamzat would like – but I would like to fight the winner of Leon or Usman,” Michael told Submission Radio in a recent interview. “That would be a very tough fight for both guys. (Fight) the winner of that one, and then move up directly. And if (Israel) Adesanya’s still the champion (at middleweight) after he fights (Alex) Pereira, which is a monster that guy, then we would fight the champ there – whoever is the champ there. I believe, in a perfect world for us, that’s how it would look. But you know, fighting is unpredictable.”
Khamzat last fought at UFC 273, where he defeated top-five welterweight Gilbert Burns via unanimous decision. He will return to the Octagon on Sept. 10 when he meets Nate Diaz in the UFC 279 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Francis Ngannou poses for a portrait after his UFC 270 win over Ciryl Gane in January. | Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC
Coach Eric Nicksick gives an update on Francis Ngannou’s recovery and return.
UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is, at the very least, ‘on track’ with his recovery schedule. This bit of update came from his coach Eric Nicksick, who relayed the information to MMA Junkie Radio in a recent interview.
“I think he’s either ahead of schedule or on track, one or the other,” Nicksick said of his prized fighter. “And from what I’ve gathered (from UFC Performance Institute staff), he’s making great strides. He’s back in the gym moving around, hitting pads and stuff.”
The 35-year-old Ngannou underwent successful knee surgery in March for an injury he sustained during his UFC 270 camp in January. He expects to be back in action towards the latter part of the year, as well as a possible showdown with Tyson Fury sometime in early 2023.
Upon his return to the UFC, Ngannou already has potential challengers lined up for him. One of which is the winner of the September 3 showdown between former interim champion Ciryl Gane and Tai Tuivasa. There’s also the long-awaited heavyweight debut of ex-perennial champion Jon Jones, who’s been preparing to officially make the jump for the last two years.
Paddy Pimblett poses on the scale during the UFC London ceremonial weigh-ins. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
UFC president Dana White is ready to make Paddy Pimblett a part of his next PPV event.
Rising lightweight prospect Paddy Pimblett notched his third UFC win this past weekend in London via a second-round submission over Jordan Leavitt. Now 3-0 with the company and a massive hype behind him, the Liverpool native expects to be a pay-per-view attraction for his next fight.
“I know for a fact now I’ll be fighting on pay-per-views with Jon Anik, Joe Rogan, and [Daniel Cormier] commentating,” Pimblett said after his Saturday night win.
As it turns out, Paddy “The Baddy” may be right, at least according to UFC president Dana White. During his media scrum after this week’s season premiere of Contender Series, White had this to say.
“To talk about championship stuff now it’s a little too soon, but he’s got that Conor McGregor vibe,” White said of Pimblett (quotes via MMA Mania). “When he walks, when he’s in the arena, the way that the fans receive him, the way that the media covers him. The way that the people who search for content.
“I think what we do next is we take him to either Boston or New York and he ends up on pay-per-view and then you bring him to Vegas.”
All of Pimblett’s three UFC wins have also earned him Performance of the Night bonuses. The former Cage Warriors FC champion currently holds a record of 19-3.
You don’t have to win with the prettiest strikes, you just gotta win. That’s all.
Sometimes you see something so pitiful you can’t even laugh at it. It’s not entirely unfair or uneven, but clearly not something that should be happening, but you wouldn’t suffer any true karmic penalty for laughing – you just can’t. It’s just that absurd.
And that’s where we start the week. Our mainest man Jerry over at Fight Commentary Breakdowns brings us another delusional Kung Fu guy thinking he can hang in a modern setting with no adjustments. Look, I tried to warn you. It’s not worth taking seriously, it simply… exists. Lots of poses and clumsy action with ineffective offense. Must’ve exerted a lot of energy to make that happen, so good for him, I guess.
But there’s more! Another Kung Fu goes in to challenge the MMA guy, and guess what?
He actually puts it on him.
Massive caveat here: as you may have suspected, he doesn’t use much Kung Fu. It’s a battle of who is a worse boxer and the race to the bottom gets hot and heavy quick. Bad punches followed by more bad punches, but a win is a win. Kung Fu got some shine today, kids. All is right with the world again. Or something.
This might have been my second favorite item of the week. African Warriors Fighting Championship has been delivering on the action front, and this one ends with a shocking knockout. Remember, the ruleset here is different due to the fact that kicks are allowed. Even with that, sometimes only one hand is still enough. Confused? Don’t be. Just watch.
Here’s another one that actually had me kind of tickled, seeing as there was a lot of piefacing. Maybe it was a subtle attempt at a Jon Jones special, not sure. Either way, it’s a lot of feints, some close calls with the punches, but my man brings out the Equalizer to Cro Cop his opponent. PRIDE might be dead, but Dambé is so deliciously alive. We’re all better for it.
Ever heard of Enho? He’s been an absolute Sumo darling. Known for being undersized, the plucky competitor is very much about that life when it comes to taking on bigger opponents. Almost always undersized, he’s got a ton of heart and technique to outwork anyone.
And now, courtesy of Chris Sumo, we get a bit of a look at the little guy that could. He’s unfortunately been plagued by injuries and hit some hard times in the ring. Worst of all, it appears he’s suffering one of the worst things that can happen in combat sports – being figured out. But he’s still got that fighting spirit. Chris covers some of his triumphs and recent challenges here:
You see mere mortals competing against each other all the time, but the truly evolved among us take on greater challenges.
SlapFIGHT is back with a Mortal Kombat-style handicap match in which one man takes on two opponents. So much so that one of them is wearing a hat like Raiden’s, which is not a great look. But fine, let’s look past that for now.
Being the god of thunder and lighting sounds cool, but dressing up as him and getting slapped to sleep? Not so much. So after the first of the sacrificial lambs is hauled out back in a wheelbarrow, it’s the other guy’s turn.
And wouldn’t you know it, it turns into a certified duel. Back and forth smacks galore. It’s the nuttiest, and it’s great.
Finally, he’s a collection of tornado kick knockouts. It’s not something you see often, but it’s so pretty to see. I only wish I could look this cool doing… literally anything.
I could win the Mega Millions billion dollar jackpot and still keep doing this, because we all need to face the fact that we’re degenerates that crave this stuff. I’m only half-joking, but you get the picture. And remember – you might think you can fight, but there are many guys like you all over the world.
Drew Dober faces Rafael Alves at UFC 277 | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
What to watch for during the UFC 277 prelims on ABC
The UFC is back in Dallas this weekend for the first time since May 2017. Like that event, this weekend’s pay-per-view fight card features two title fights. In the main event, Julianna Pea defends her bantamweight crown against the woman she defeated in December for that belt, Amanda Nunes. In the evening’s co-main event, former UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno matches up against Kai Kara-France in a bout that will determine the interim 125-pound champion.
UFC 277 takes place at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ABC and early prelims on ESPN+.
Ahead of the July 30 event, I look at the storylines to follow during the four-fight prelim portion of the UFC 277 fight card.
Alex Morono vs Matthew Semelsberger
In May 2021, Alex Morono, who was coming off a loss to Anthony Pettis, raised his hand to face Donald Cerrone on short notice. That decision seemed like a bit of a gamble for Morono, who entered the contest as a +175 underdog to the favored Cerrone, who was -210. Morono’s bet on himself paid off as he ended the fight at 4:40 of the first round via TKO. Morono earned his first “Performance of the Night” bonus with the win. Morono’s fellow fighters admired his work. UFC commentators Daniel Cormier and Dominick Cruz described the win as the best of Morono’s career while their cohort that night, Jon Anik, called the win a “monumental career-altering win.” It wasn’t.
Instead of moving Morono up the ranks and giving him the opportunity to face bigger named and tougher opponents, the UFC matchmakers shrugged and matched him up against David Zawada and Mickey Gall. He beat both those men via decision and his reward for that winning streak? A fight against a younger and lower ranked opponent in Matthew Semelsberger.
If Semelsberger follows the pattern he’s established over his five previous UFC outings, he’s due for a knockout win in under 20 seconds. Semelsberger began his UFC career with a decision win over Carlton Minus. He then knocked out Jason Witt in 16 seconds. He followed that with a decision loss to Khaos Williams, but then got back in the win column with a 15-second KO of Martin Sano Jr. In March, Semelsberger once again went the distance, defeating A.J. Fletcher via unanimous decision.
While this matchup does nothing for Morono, who has been with the UFC since 2016, it could mark the next step in the progression of Semelsberger, who joined the promotion in 2020. In his loss to Williams, Semelsberger ceded control of the action to his opponent and he paid the price. Morono is the type of veteran fighter who, along with his wily coaches from Fortis MMA, will use the knowledge they have of an opponent to exploit the weaknesses of that foe. This fight will go a long way toward informing the UFC and its fans if Semelsberger has what it takes to face and defeat top-20 fighters in the UFC welterweight division.
Drew Dober vs. Rafael Alves
Here’s a fun fact. Drew Dober has fought in three decades. He’s had two-fight losing skids in each of those decades. His run of two straight losses in the current decade ended in March when he scored a first-round TKO win over Terrance McKinney, ending the winning streak of the younger fighter at five-straight. All of which had been first round finishes. Another thing to mention, just in case you were wondering, the two losses Dober had before the McKinney fight came to Brad Riddell and Islam Makhachev, which is to say, he is not a fighter to take lightly.
It seems as if the UFC is eager to put Rafael Alves to the test. The 31-year-old scored an impressive win in his last outing, putting Marc Diakiese away in the first round. He looked sharp in that contest, displaying a potent combination of power, skill and fight IQ in getting that win. A win against someone as respected as Dober could pave the way for Alves to face strong competition in his next outing.
Dober is more than a 2-1 favorite in this matchup, but something to keep in mind is that Diakiese was also a heavy favorite over Alves.
Don’Tale Mayes vs. Hamdy Abdelwahab
Don’Tale Mayes is on a two-fight winning streak and coming off a TKO win over Josh Parisian. For a big man, he’s not afraid to work his takedowns and pursue ground control. At heavyweight, that is a relatively safe path to victory as most of the fighters in the division are much more likely to have a striking background and somewhat porous takedown defense. Mayes went 6-for-8 in takedowns in his most recent outing and finished the fight via ground strikes.
The UFC had Mayes booked opposite Justin Tafa at UFC 277, but Tafa withdrew from the fight. With that, the UFC has Mayes facing Hamdy Abdelwahab on the UFC 277 prelims. This fight is high-risk and low reward for Mayes, as Abdelwahab is just 3-0 in MMA and making his UFC debut.
First Round Management represents Hamdy Abdelwahab. He is 3-0 as a pro MMA fighter and 2-0 in bare knuckle boxing. All of Abdelwahab pro fighting experience has come in the past year and each of his fights have been in a Jorge Masvidal (who FRM also represents) promotion (Gamebred Fighting Championship and IKON FC). A member of the 2016 Egyptian Greco-Roman wrestling team, Alin Alexuc-Ciurariu, who finished in fifth place, eliminated Abdelwahab in the round of 16.
Abdelwahab has finished all his fights via knockout. I expect Mayes to put his wrestling to the test early and often.
It was a bit of a surprise to see someone as green as Abdelwahab open as a betting favorite over a fighter who has four UFC fights under his belt, but that happened here. However, those odds didn’t last and oddsmakers installed Mayes as the favorite the day after opening odds were announced.
Drakkar Klose vs. Rafa Garcia
Drakkar Klose went more than two years between fights thanks to an injury he sustained when Jeremy Stephens decided that being a knucklehead was more important than actually stepping into the octagon on fight night. Klose returned to action in April and got a second-round TKO win over Brandon Jenkins. That fight, in which Klose was a monster favorite, seemed to answer most — if not all — questions about Klose’s ability to compete inside the octagon after what could have been a career-ending injury.
The UFC originally booked Klose opposite Diego Ferreira at UFC 277, but that fight fell through. That was a letdown. Despite his three-fight losing skid, Ferreira represented a step up in competition for Klose. A win against Ferreira could have launched Klose into the next level of competition in the lightweight division. Instead, Klose is more than a 2-1 favorite over his replacement opponent, Rafa Garcia. With that, a win at UFC 277 likely puts Klose in a holding pattern.
Rafa Garcia was a perfect 12-0 when he joined the UFC in 2021 after he won and defended the Combate Americas lightweight title. He went 0-2 in his first UFC bouts, but he is coming into this his matchup against Klose on a two-fight winning streak. This fight is far more important and pivotal for the career of Garcia than it is for Klose.
Dana White says critics of the match up “can go to the movies that night.”
Pundits, including fighters like Leon Edwards and Dan Hardy, have started to speak out about the way Nate Diaz’s contract situation and final opponent was booked.
Dana White has since responded to both fighters, and defended their decision to book Diaz against Khamzat Chimaev after months of being locked in a contract dispute.
“I love when fighters, or other people, or anybody else, gives us advice on this incredibly successful business that we’ve built,” White told Yahoo Sports. “It cracks me up.”
For what it’s worth, the criticism was never really about UFC’s bottom line, as it’s clear that propping up a young guy like Chimaev before a disgruntled superstar leaves could only help the UFC in the long run. White did put the blame on these long negotiations on Diaz though.
“So, I’m looking at [matching Diaz with] Francis Ngannou or Khamzat Chimaev, and a couple of other ones that were not good, either. I’m going to take Khamzat,” White said.
“I can tell you this: Leon Edwards, Dan Hardy and anybody else who is out there yapping has never dealt with the Diaz brothers. It’s a very unique experience. It takes a very long f—ing time. We got through it and here we are. It’s a very popular fight that people want to see, that people like and everybody’s getting what they want. Dan Hardy and Leon Edwards don’t have to watch it. They can go to the movies that night.”
Check out the second episode of Embedded for UFC 277.
UFC 277 is almost here, and as usual, Embedded is here as well. The show that gives you an inside look at the marquee contestants on PPVs has issued the first episode for this weekend’s big show in Dallas, and it serves as a brief introduction to the fighters at the top of the card.
We start off with Amanda Nune playing with her kid in the fighter hotel, as per usual. Their baby gets more Embedded exposure than 98% of fighters. She says she feels like she should feel, which isn’t the same as last time.
Kai-Kara France arrives with his team. He wants to win over Texas just like he won over Ohio and bring home a third belt for his gym.
We head over to the PI in Vegas, where Brandon Moreno is doing fight simulation. He’s working with Marcelo Rojo.
Back to Chicago at Julianna Pena’s house. She does some zoom media with Paul Felder. She respects Nunes’ resume, but she will be ready for anything.
Back to Dallas, and Nunes is at the zoo. They’re checking out the elephants and giraffes. Kiddo is most excited about the lions.
And that’s it! UFC 277 goes own this Saturday night in Dallas.
UFC veteran Cub Swanson after his win over Darren Elkins. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Swanson will take on Jonathan Martinez.
Cub Swanson has spent an overwhelming majority of his career at featherweight, but for his next fight, he’s venturing into new territory.
The 38-year-old Swanson announced on his Instagram account that he is going to compete at bantamweight. Jonathan Martinez will welcome Swanson to arguably the deepest division in the UFC.
“After 15 years in the Featherweight division I’ve decided to take my talents to 135 lbs,” Swanson wrote. Why??? I simply needed a new challenge in my life. October 15th I’ll be facing Jonathan Martinez in my Bantamweight debut.”
Swanson (28-12) is coming off an impressive first-round TKO win over the notoriously durable Darren Elkins at UFC Vegas 45 last December. He’s won three of his last four fights, with that one defeat coming against top-10 contender Giga Chikadze. After the Elkins win, Swanson signed a new contract to remain on the UFC roster.
Martinez (16-4) is quietly on a three-fight winning streak, with decisions over Vince Morales, Alejandro Perez, and Zviad Lazishvili. Perhaps his most notable to win to date came at featherweight against former UFC bantamweight contender Thomas Almeida, whom Martinez bested by decision.
No main event has been announced for the UFC’s October 15th card.
Episode 175 discussion: UFC London recap, Michael Chandler teases fight with Dustin Poirier, Chris Wade goes off on PFL’s fighter pay, more
Welcome to ‘The Mookie & Crookie Show’, a spinoff of ‘The Level Change Podcast’ that goes a little more in-depth on major combat sports news, as well as takes a humorous look at the crazy world of combat sports social media. The show is hosted by Mookie Alexander and Stephie Haynes and airs every Tuesday. We provide you with a summary of the topics discussed or questions asked, complete with the timestamps for when each interview or special segment begins. As always, we hope you enjoy listening to the show as much as we enjoyed recording it.
June M. Williams
EPISODE 175
UFC London sucked except for Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann – 6:25
NEWS ROUNDUP
Michael Chandler teases fight with Dustin Poirier is next – 22:05
ACA president stops a tournament bout mid-fight due to double timidity
🔥 #ACA141: Четвертьфинальный бой Гран-при в легком весе между Рашидом Магомедовым и Али Баговым был остановлен перед началом 5-го раунда основателем лиги Майрбеком Хасиевым. Причина – излишняя пассивность. Оба бойца дисквалифицированы, бой получил статус не состоявшегося. pic.twitter.com/GN8djw3Fg9
Follow our Twitter accounts: Stephie Haynes, Mookie Alexander, and our show account Mookie & Crookie Show. 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 of the show, check out our playlists on any of our BE Presents channels.
Even Nate Diaz’s former opponent is now rooting for him.
There haven’t been many fans of the Nate Diaz vs Khamzat Chimaev booking, with people seeing it as retaliation or a rough send off for the long disgruntled star’s final UFC bout.
Leon Edwards, who is Diaz’s most recent opponent, believes that the Stockton native deserves better, seeing that he already made the UFC a lot of money through the years.
“If I had to put money on it I’d probably go Khamzat – but I’d love Nate to get it done,” Edwards said on a media scrum in London. (Transcript via MMA Junkie). “He’s done so much for the company and I wish they gave him a veteran, a nice fight to bow out to.
“To give an up-and-coming guy that’s had four or five fights in the UFC, and a wrestler guy as well – I think they f—ked up. They should’ve gave him a better fight. But I would love Nate to get it done. But as I said, if I’m a betting man I’d probably go with Khamzat.”
Edwards beat Diaz last year, but maintains a healthy respect for his former foe that he also grew up watching.
“You can’t not like Nate,” Edwards said. “I wish him well in his career and whatever he wishes to do next, Jake Paul or wherever he decides to go.”
June M. Williams 
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