Pedro Munhoz | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Pedro Munhoz has shared the octagon with former and future champions, Hall of Famers and rising prospects, and he isn’t bothered by a potential role as the bantamweight’s gatekeeper just weeks away from his 38th birthday.
“The Young Punisher” will make his 22nd walk to the UFC cage this weekend to face Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Edmonton, looking to snap the Canadian’s four-fight winning streak in enemy territory, and said that being put in a position as the one to separate unranked from the elite “does not bother me because this is my work and I love doing this.”
“I know my last five fights had the no-contest with Sean O’Malley, one win and three losses, but this is the UFC,” Munhoz said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “The UFC isn’t an organization where an athlete… I won’t say [protect], but some athletes and even their managers try to promote and find the right fights, and that’s something that’s never happened with me. I always went there inside the shark tank. The UFC likes the way I perform. I still feel the fire to continue competing, and this is something I think about every single day as I felt for my first fight.”
Munhoz entered the UFC in 2014, facing top-ranked Raphael Assuncao in his debut, and has beaten the likes of Cody Garbrandt, Rob Font, Bryan Caraway and Jimmie Rivera throughout his career, and six of his nine UFC losses came against men that have held or competed for UFC titles across three divisions. Munhoz signed a new UFC deal after losing to Marlon Vera, and looks to rebound from a recent decision defeat to Kyler Phillips.
“The goal is always to finish the fight, especially the way I fight, but knowing how experienced I am, I’m always ready for a three-round war,” Munhoz said. “I fought Chris Gutierrez when he was on an eight-fight [unbeaten] streak, a knockout over Frankie Edgar, and I beat him. The fact that my opponent is on a roll doesn’t bother me because I have the experience. I know I’m on the final run of my career but I was never one to pick and choose fights.”
Munhoz admitted, however, he would much rather face big-name opponents than athletes like Zahabi, who would present higher risk with low reward.
“I wanted to rematch with Dominick [Cruz],” Munhoz said. “I almost knocked him out twice in the first round — he said himself he had no recollection of the fight for days —, so I think we could do that rematch. Or even Henry Cejudo, a fellow veteran of the UFC, but the UFC offered me this fight [against Zahabi]. I was training every day in the gym and I love showing I can compete at the highest level against up-and-comers or legends, so I have no problem fighting anyone. I’m game.”
Erin Blanchfield never wants to lose but she did manage to find some perspective after her first setback in the UFC when she fell to Manon Fiorot by decision back in March.
While a win would have almost certainly cemented her as the No. 1 contender in the division, the 25-year-old flyweight prefers that she got her bad night at the office out of the way before she became a champion. Nothing is ideal about losing but Blanchfield learned a lot from that experience and now believes she’s a better fighter because of it.
“It’s something I actually talked to my dad about,” Blanchfield explained when speaking to MMA Fighting. “I was thinking about that after that fight. It sucks to lose but you can always get better and there’s perspective on it. Like I’m so happy I was able to lose then and not lose my title to her. Let’s say I fought for a title and won it and then had lost my title to her or somebody else, that would have sucked more.
“Taking that lesson now while I’m still on the journey to get to the title, I think it’s going to be a lot better than losing a title in that way. I’d rather learn the lessons now so I can be prepared when I’m a champ.”
As far as what went wrong in the Fiorot fight, Blanchfield points to a couple of key issues that led to her struggles during the five-round battle.
In particular, Blanchfield was impressed with how effectively Fiorot used her size and reach advantage, which then led to problems with her grappling after going 0-for-3 on takedowns.
“I think my distance definitely wasn’t gauged great,” Blanchfield said. “I feel like she did a really good job sticking to her plan. She was very disciplined with it and I feel like maybe I didn’t have all the answers at that time. Those are things I’ve really tried to focus on and fix leading up to this fight. I feel like it was a really good experience for me and you’re never going to have the best nights every single time. I feel like it was a bad night, some bad timing, some bad distances. I think those are the things that kind of led to the loss.
“I knew she was a good fighter. I knew she used her length well. She knows how to fight for her body type and her style. She just utilized it well.”
Coming off that loss, Blanchfield moves right back into another huge matchup when she faces Rose Namajunas in a five-round co-main event at the UFC Edmonton card on Saturday. Meanwhile, Fiorot is expected to get a title shot against new champion Valentina Shevchenko sometime in 2025.
Blanchfield expects that Fiorot could potentially give Shevchenko the same kinds of problems she faced against a taller, longer fighter at 125 pounds. Of course, Shevchenko is the champion for a reason but Blanchfield doesn’t count Fiorot out from getting the job done and taking the title.
“I think Manon will do very well,” Blanchfield said. “I think she’s going to be a lot bigger fighter than Valentina. I don’t think Valentina cuts a lot to make [125] and Manon’s a big girl. I think she can definitely use that to her advantage, her height and her length.
“I do think Valentina is the more dynamic fighter. She has more tools than Manon. So I think it’s almost who can utilize what better. Can Manon use her size and her reach and her length to her advantage over Valentina’s more dynamic style.”
Since first arriving in the UFC, Blanchfield always dreamed about facing Shevchenko as one of the fighters she most admired coming up as a prospect in the sport. With hopes of getting back into title contention with a win over Namajunas on Saturday, the New Jersey native knows that fight could definitely still happen.
On the flipside if Fiorot gets the job done against Shevchenko and becomes champion, Blanchfield has just as much motivation to earn her way back to a rematch, perhaps this time with gold on the line.
“I’ve always wanted to fight Valentina,” Blanchfield said. “I’ve been watching her forever. She still has that aura being a great champ even with the whole Alexa [Grasso] trilogy. So I’d love to fight her and then obviously I’d love to fight Manon to get that win back.”
Before any of that can happen, Blanchfield has to get through Namajunas but she couldn’t have envisioned a better scenario to get back to where she wants than landing this particular matchup.
Namajunas is a former UFC champion currently riding a two-fight win streak at flyweight and Blanchfield recognizes that a win should put her right back in title contention again.
“It sucked losing my last fight and that always kind of hurts,” Blanchfield said. “So you always want to get back out there and get that win under your belt. Kind of get yourself feeling the way you’re used to. I’m really grateful I’m still in position to have these very high level fights and high profile fights like another five round fight against Rose.
“I set myself up in that position because of the performances I’ve had in the past. So I really want to continue that and really show out in this one.”
Brandon Moreno | Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Brandon Moreno and Rose Namajunas both know what it’s like to be UFC champion. They’ve done it twice. Is a third run to gold too tall of a climb?
That’s the question both fighters face Saturday as they enter pivotal matchups. Moreno meets Amir Albazi in the UFC Edmonton flyweight main event, with the hopes of holding onto his spot in the division he has reigned over on two occasions. “The Assassin Baby” doesn’t appear to have lost a step despite a pair of red marks on his ledger, as he went five rounds with Brandon Royval and Alexandre Pantoja only to fall just short on the scorecards.
Having lost to Pantoja three times now, Moreno’s best path back to a title shot is to defeat Albazi and hope that Pantoja drops the belt to Kai Asakura at UFC 310. The task at hand is anything but easy.
Albazi is yet to lose in five UFC appearances, though his most recent fight against Kai Kara-France generated some scoring controversy. That was over 500 days ago as Albazi has been sidelined with a litany of health issues. He now has a chance to knock off a former champion and all but sign his name on the dotted line to face the UFC 310 winner.
The co-main event tells a similar story. At 115 pounds, Namajunas emerged as a star, winning the UFC title twice and delivering some of the most incredible finishes in the division’s history. After a disappointing rematch with Carla Esparza, Namajunas decided to move up in weight, and following a loss to Manon Fiorot, she picked up back-to-back wins to put together her first win streak since 2021.
As much as Namajunas has to prove, Blanchfield is just as motivated, if not more. The 25-year-old blue-chipper dominated her first six UFC opponents before also being foiled by Fiorot. That put a damper on the future champion talks that swirled around her, though she has plenty of time to rebuild that buzz and that mission starts Saturday against a future UFC Hall of Famer.
In other main card action, Canadian representatives Caio Machado, Jasmine Jasudavicius, Marc-Andre Barriault, and Mike Malott look to turn around the country’s recent MMA fortunes.
(Note: A previously scheduled main card bout between Derrick Lewis and Jhonata Diniz has been cancelled due to Lewis being forced to withdraw due to a medical issue. A flyweight bout between Jasudavicius and Ariane da Silva has been elevated to the main card.)
What: UFC Edmonton
Where: Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada
When: Saturday, Nov. 2. The seven-fight preliminary card begins at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN+, followed by a six-fight main card at 8 p.m. ET also on ESPN+.
(Numbers in parentheses indicate standing in MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings and Pound-for-Pound Rankings)
Brandon Moreno (4) vs. Amir Albazi (6)
I scored Brandon Moreno’s past two fights in his favor, so it should come as no surprise that I’m picking him to get off the schneid here. No disrespect to Amir Albazi, who is exactly the kind of strong, well-rounded fighter that will be a factor at 125 for years to come, but Moreno is still on that champion level in my eyes.
This is a tale of two layoffs as well, with Moreno taking slightly longer than usual to return to action and Albazi fighting for the first time in 17 months. While Moreno should be refreshed by taking a mental step back, Albazi has been going through it in his time off having to deal with neck and heart issues. Yikes!
Albazi getting a win would be inspirational, but that’s a lot of ill to overcome on top of figuring out how to get past the refreshed two-time UFC champion standing across from him. If he puts the pressure on Moreno early, that could be key to pulling off this upset and stepping right to the front of the title picture.
Is it terrible to predict another split decision is in the cards for Moreno and Albazi? That’s how tight the race is at the top of this division and how skilled both of these fighters are. If Edmonton does become Splitty City for the main event, then the dice have to roll Moreno’s way sometime. He takes this on points.
Pick: Moreno
Erin Blanchfield (4, P4P-8) vs. Rose Namajunas (9, P4P-10)
One reason I was confident in Rose Namajunas beating Tracy Cortez was the enormous skill and experience gap between them, plus the fact that Cortez didn’t have a considerable size and strength advantage over Namajunas. When Erin Blanchfield steps into the cage with “Thug Rose,” fans will be surprised just how physically imposing Blanchfield is in comparison.
Namajunas’ best bet to win this is the same strategy she’s used to win both her fights at 125 pounds: Stick and move. The former strawweight champion even had moments against Manon Fiorot employing this strategy and when you consider this is a five-round fight, it’s easy to imagine Namajunas outlasting Blanchfield and taking over in the final 10 minutes.
It’s also not difficult to imagine Blanchfield getting her hands on Namajunas early and just hossing her around the octagon. Even against sometimes strawweight Amanda Ribas, Namajunas had trouble stopping takedowns. What’s she going to do to prevent Blanchfield from taking her for a ride?
Namajunas has been in there with the best, so I get that counting her out is foolish, but Blanchfield has all the tools to be an elite fighter someday (if she isn’t already). I think she corrects course with a finish of Namajunas, wearing her down before putting an exclamation point on her performance in the second or third round.
Pick: Blanchfield
Caio Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro
Now is as good a time as any to point out that there are nine Canadians competing on this card, including Vancouver-based Brazilian Caio Machado. When it comes time for Machado to make the walk, there’s a legitimate chance his countrymen could have batted .500 to that point, so it will fall in him to make it a winning night.
As the highest billed Canadian on the card, Machado should soak in those vibes and enjoy a much-needed move to 205 pounds. Machado’s first two UFC fights were against heavyweights flirting with the upper poundage limit of the division, so it made sense to change weight classes.
Strategically speaking, I’d like to see Machado utilize his grappling, which was a weakness of Brendson Ribeiro’s in his most recent fight. You can tell Machado loves to show off his striking, but Riberio has plenty of spark in those gloves and if Machado wants to avoid a hometown letdown, he should consider mixing the martial arts.
This could be a mucky fight from start to finish, so let’s hope it doesn’t drag on too long. Machado, feel free to club and then sub to end this one early.
Pick: Machado
Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
With respect to my fellow Canadian, I’ve seen Marc-Andre Barriault slip on one too many banana peels to pick him with any confidence.
Barriault is a good fighter, we can say that in fairness, but somehow his combination of physical gifts and sharp coaching hasn’t led to consistent results. He has a favorable matchup here in Stoltzfus, a solid grappler who rarely goes to the cards, for better or worse.
This should be a showcase for Barriault, right? I just see too many ways for him to catch a weird loss though. Stoltzfus’ grappling proves to be too much. Stoltzfus wins a tight decision after a sloppy striking battle. Barriault slips on a Rogers ad on the mat and bumps his head. I don’t know. It’s a Barriault fight.
Stoltzfus by submission.
Pick: Stoltzfus.
Mike Malott vs. Trevin Giles
Now this is a squash match booking I can get behind.
Mike Malott shouldn’t be judged too harshly for his loss to Neil Magny, though it exposed glaring holes in his ability to finish a fight strong. He was handling Magny for almost three rounds before a total collapse led to Magny finishing him with just 15 seconds remaining in the contest. There’s no shame in losing to Magny, a fighter with far more high-level experience than Malott, but it did present a hypothetical ceiling for the Canadian welterweight.
Don’t overthink this one, though. Malott never goes the distance and all six of Giles’ UFC losses are by knockout or submission. He’s a hard-working fighter with some legit wins on his résumé (remember when he beat Roman Dolidze?), but his defensive shortcomings will rear their head at the worst time on Saturday.
It’s a 50-50 proposition how Malott ends this, so I’ll go with him utilizing his striking to score an impressive finish.
Think you can figure out which UFC fighter we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out.
We’re back for another day of the SB Nation UFC in-5 daily trivia game, and we’re switching to a system of a new article each day for the game.
We tried using a single article for the game, updated with the latest game each day, but it was creating a bit of an unwieldy experience in the comments. So, we’ll have the current day’s game plus the previous three days in each new article. That way, you can catch up if you miss a day.
Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game!
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Play the game
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Today’s UFC in-5 game
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The goal of the game is to guess the correct random UFC fighter player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED FIGHTERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. It will be a mix of well-known players and some “that guys” that we haven’t thought of in some time. The game will appear in slot #3 of the MMA Fighting layout each morning, with occasional movement later in the day.
After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media.
After a wild UFC 308 event this past weekend, the UFC returns to the Great White North with some high-stakes mixed martial arts action, and in the main event, two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno looks to get back on track against surging contender Amir Albazi. Could Moreno punch his ticket to another championship opportunity with a win?
Ahead of UFC Edmonton, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and José Youngs preview Saturday’s card, the main event between Moreno and Albazi, where either guy can go with a win, and how disastrous a loss could be. Additionally, topics include the five-round flyweight co-main event between Erin Blanchfield and former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas, Derrick Lewis returning against the hard-hitting Jhonata Diniz, other standout matchups, and much more.
Catch the UFC Edmonton preview show above. An audio-only version of the show can be found below and on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
Derrick Lewis is no longer competing at UFC Edmonton.
The heavyweight was forced out of his scheduled fight against Jhonata Diniz with the bout now scrapped from the card set to take place Saturday night at Rogers Place.
Lewis was forced out of the contest due to a non-weight cut related medical issue, per UFC officials.
While Lewis did step to the scale at the official weigh-ins Friday morning, he wasn’t at the ceremonial weigh-ins later on, which raised suspicions about his readiness for the fight. A few hours later, UFC officials confirmed that Lewis was pulled from the event and his fight with Diniz was cancelled.
It’s an unfortunate turn of events for Lewis, who was looking to build on a win over Rodrigo Nascimento back in May as he extended his record for most knockouts in UFC history with 15 overall.
Meanwhile, Diniz misses out on the chance to face an established veteran and former title challenger in Lewis after starting out his UFC career with two straight wins while amassing a perfect 8-0 record overall.
The UFC Edmonton card now moves forward with 13 total bouts. A flyweight bout between Canada’s Jasmine Jasudavicius and Ariane da Silva is expected to take the vacant spot on the main card.
MVP will compete in the Polaris 30 main event Saturday afternoon. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
MMA Fighting has Polaris 30 results live for the Condit vs. MVP fight card, a live blog of the anticipated main event, and more from Fairfield Halls in London, England.
In the main event, UFC veteran Carlos Condit and UFC welterweight star MVP, otherwise known as Michael “Venom” Page will clash in a middleweight contest. Condit, who retired after a loss at UFC 264 in July 2021, is a former WEC champion with a 32-14 career.
MVP lost via unanimous decision to Ian Machado Garry in his last UFC outing at UFC 303 this past June. He has won three of his past five UFC fights.
Brandon Moreno and Amir Albazi square off for the UFC Edmonton main event Saturday. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
MMA Fighting has UFC Edmonton results for the Moreno vs. Albazi fight card, a live blog of the top 2 fights, and more from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada, on Saturday.
In the main event, two-time UFC champion Brandon Moreno and Amir Albazi clash in a flyweight contest. Moreno is coming off of consecutive close split-decision losses, while Albazi looks to improve his UFC record to 6-0 as he returns from a lengthy layoff.
The latest edition of the MMA Fighting Global Rankings has Moreno ranked No. 4, two spots ahead of Albazi at No. 6.
In the co-main event, two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas continues her surge up the flyweight ranks as she takes on Erin Blanchfield. “Thug Rose” has won two straight fights heading into her matchup with the talented Blanchfield, who is coming off just the second loss of her young career.
Brandon Moreno | Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Fresh on the heels of UFC 308, UFC Edmonton takes place this Saturday with a double-header of 125-pound action. In the co-main event, Erin Blanchfield takes on Rose Namajunas in a five-round women’s flyweight contest, while in the main event former men’s flyweight champion Brandon Moreno returns to action against Amir Albazi.
On top of those matchups, there are 12 more fights on Saturday night, so let’s dive right into the breakdowns.
All odds are courtesy of our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Single Plays
Brandon Moreno (-172)
Money has been coming in on Moreno all week and frankly, I see why. Though Moreno is currently on a two-fight losing streak, both were split decisions that many people believe he got a bad deal on. In a different universe, Moreno could easily still be the flyweight champion.
On the other side of things, Albazi has been out of action for nearly 18 months and Moreno is by far the best opponent he’s ever faced. Moreno is going to keep a high work rate, scramble out of takedowns, and put Albazi to a test he’s never seen. Ultimately, I think Albazi is a good but not great fighter, and so I like a bet on Moreno.
Erin Blanchfield (-140)
It’s no secret that I’ve been extremely high on Blanchfield since she joined the UFC, and even after suffering her first UFC defeat earlier this year, I’m still high on her.
Simply put, Blanchfield is very young and very raw, but she’s climbed as high as she has do to sheer physicality. Against a hoss like Manon Fiorot, Blanchfield finally found the limits of that physicality, but Namajunas is another kettle of fish. The former strawweight champion is obviously extremely skilled, but she’s undersized in this weight class and has never been a strong wrestler. I expect Blanchfield to have an easy time of things.
Pedro Munhoz (-102)
There are bets I like and then there are bets I like. This is the latter.
Munhoz takes on Aiemann Zahabi on the prelims this weekend and I think this is a y’all must’ve forgot moment. Sure Munhoz has only won two of his past nine fights, but look at the level of competition? Almost everyone Munhoz lost to is an elite fighter who either held a belt or fought for one. And while Munhoz lost, he was very competitive in those losses.
Now Munhoz gets Zahabi who is a big step back in competition, and who, frankly, I’ve never been sold on. Munhoz is going to outwork Zahabi in every phase on Saturday and so I love this action.
Jack Shore (+215)
Speaking of y’all must’ve forgot, where did the Jack Shore love go? Shore faces Youssef Zalal on the prelims and he’s one of the bigger underdogs on the card?
Sure, Shore lost two of his previous three fights, but the most recent one was not his fault; a cavernous gash opened up on his leg and the doctor called the fight. And Shore was competitive with Joanderson Brito before that happened.
Meanwhile, Zalal has already been cut from the UFC once and while he’s been lights out since returning, I’m still not sold on a big ceiling for the kid. His defensive wrestling is too poor and Shore can take advantage.
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Prop Bets
Derrick Lewis by KO/TKO (+210)
Come on, y’all! We’re out here to have fun.
Lewis takes on former Glory kickboxer Jhonata Diniz on the main card Saturday and who really knows what to expect from this one. If it stays standing, Diniz certainly has the advantage but the UFC’s all-time leader in knockouts isn’t a pushover on the feet by any means. Moreover, Lewis also has a clear edge if he can get Diniz to the ground, where “The Black Beast” has nasty ground and pound. If this loses I won’t be surprised, but feels worth a stab given the price.
Mike Malott by KO/TKO or Submission (-140)
The last time we saw Malott he was well on his way to a UFC ranking until suffering one of the most stunning collapses I’ve ever witness. After putting the boots to Neil Magny for nearly 14 minutes, Malott simply imploded in the final minute of the bout and Magny pulled off a miracle comeback. Will Malott learn from that disaster? We’re about to find out.
Trevin Giles is a good-but-not-great fighter who is game enough to test Malott but defensively liable enough to get got. In fact, all six of his career losses have been by finish, which lines up nicely against Malott, who has only ever won via finish.
Wrap Up
We broke even at UFC 308 as our belief in the uncrackable chin of Max Holloway proved to be misguided. Hopefully we can do a little better this week as I feel really good about these bets and the lines are pretty tight. I guess we’ll see.
Until next week, enjoy the fights, good luck, and gamble responsibly!
All information in this article is provided to readers of MMA Fighting for entertainment, news, and amusement purposes only. It is the responsibility of the reader to learn and abide by online gambling laws in their region before placing any online sports betting wagers.
The Ultimate Fighter 32 champion Ryan Loder | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
The Ultimate Fighter, the UFC’s long-running reality television show competition, returns for its 33rd season.
Officials announced via a press release Friday that casting for TUF 33 is scheduled to run from Nov. 4 to Dec. 18, with producers and scouts on the lookout for fighters in the welterweight and flyweight divisions. Coaches for the upcoming season are yet to be determined, as is the date for the season premiere.
According to the release, “casting for TUF 33 will be remote with no physical tryouts” and decisions are expected to be made no later than January.
The most recent season of TUF saw flyweight stars Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko coaching teams comprised of middleweights and featherweights. American Ryan Loder won the middleweight tournament, while Brazil’s Mairon Santos was the champion at 145 pounds.
Grasso and Shevchenko later met in a trilogy bout with Grasso’s flyweight title on the line at UFC 306 this past September. Shevchenko won by unanimous decision to become a two-time UFC champion.
Premiering in 2005, TUF has often been credited by UFC CEO Dana White as having helped to bolster interest in the promotion, particularly the thrilling TUF 1 finale bout between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar, which is widely regarded as one of the most important fights in UFC history.
Other standouts to emerge from seasons of TUF include Nate Diaz, Michael Bisping, Tony Ferguson, T.J. Dillashaw, Robert Whittaker, Carla Esparza, Rose Namajunas, Julianna Peña, and many others, though the program has been supplanted somewhat by Dana White’s Contender Series, which serves a similar purpose as a prospect showcase.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images 
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images 
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