Derek Brunson will return to Brazil for a grappling match with Rodolfo Vieira in the main event of ADXC 7, the company announced Friday. The event will take place Nov. 17 in Rio de Janeiro.
Brunson is a veteran of 33 MMA bouts with 24 wins, five of those coming by way of submission. His final UFC victory was a rear-naked choke against Darren Till in 2023. Now under contract with the PFL, the jiu-jitsu black belt fought once in Brazil, defeating Lyoto Machida by first-round knockout in Sao Paulo back in 2017.
Vieira is a decorated jiu-jitsu player with five IBJJF world championships and one ADCC gold medal won throughout his legendary career. Vieira collected nine of his 10 MMA wins by way of submission, tapping his past two opponents in the UFC with arm-triangle chokes.
ADXC 7 will also feature former K-1 HERO’s lightweight champion Gesias Cavalcante, a veteran of 37 MMA fights and multiple grappling matches, taking on Piter Frank, who submitted Rafael Domingos at the UFC Fight Pass Invitational 7 this past May.
Check the current line-up below.
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Shara Magomedov didn’t just improve his UFC record to 4-0 on Saturday, he executed a never-before-seen finish when he knocked out Armen Petrosyan with back-to-back spinning backfists in the UFC 308 main card opener.
It was the biggest moment of Magomedov’s brief run with the promotion and he elaborated on the career-best performance at the evening’s post-fight press conference.
“I used to practice this technique since my career in Muay Thai,” Magomedov said via a Russian translator. “In MMA, I was unable to throw it because I know people are going to wrestle me, but this time I fought a high-level striker and it became a chess match and I was able to surprise him in this chess match.”
Magomedov’s UFC victories now include Petrosyan, Michal Oleksiejczuk, Antonio Trocoli, and Bruno Silva. Overall, he is 15-0, with 12 of those wins coming by way of knockout.
In his post-fight interview, Magomedov declared himself the best striker in the middleweight division and called for a fight with two-time UFC champion Israel Adesanya. According to Magomedov, his pursuit of Adesanya dates back to their kickboxing days.
“I used to chase Israel Adesanya when he fought kickboxing in China and I was fighting kickboxing in China, too,” Magomedov said. “Now that he’s switched to MMA and now that I’m here, I’m ready to capture all the land. I’m ready to fight him and if the possibility presents itself, I’m ready to fight him in Macau, Saudi Arabia, it doesn’t matter.”
“I’m in no rush, I’m not driving in front of the train, you know?” Magomedov later added. “The only way for Israel Adesanya to avoid the fight with me is to retire.”
When the UFC updates its rankings Tuesday, there’s an outside shot the undefeated Magomedov ends up with a number next to his name. If he doesn’t, he has a few names in mind to keep climbing the list should the Adesanya bout fail to materialize.
“Of course, I would like to fight Israel Adesanya to prove that I’m the best striker in the division,” Magomedov said. “Also, I would like to fight Marvin Vettori to prove that my wrestling is good. Those two names really excite me. Besides them, guys like Kevin Holland, Michel Pereira. Our middleweight division is full of predators and sharks, but pirates, there’s only one: it’s me.”
Jon Jones competes in the UFC 309 main event | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
The UFC 309 fight card is almost complete.
UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones squares off against former UFC champion Stipe Miocic in the main event. UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall serves as a backup for the two legends.
The co-main event features former UFC champion Charles Oliveira in a rematch against Michael Chandler, who gave up on his quest to face Conor McGregor. Oliveira defeated Chandler via second-round TKO at UFC 262 on May 15, 2021.
Here is the UFC 309 main card, which is televised exclusively on ESPN+ pay-per-view, below:
Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic
Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler
Viviane Araujo vs. Karine Silva
Bo Nickal vs. Paul Craig
Chris Weidman vs. Eryk Anders
The only fight still to be finalized is the top preliminary bout that was scheduled to feature Mauricio Ruffy, who still needs an opponent. The UFC 309 prelims will possibly feature eight fights.
Rafael dos Anjos turned 40 this past Saturday, but a knee injury suffered during his UFC 308 welterweight bout with Geoff Neal cut his celebration short in Abu Dhabi.
On a three-fight losing skid now and winless for almost two years, the former UFC lightweight champion laments the fact he could have to go under the knife and delay his return to the cage, although he’s still unsure of what was the injury suffered at UFC 308.
“I think it was on my second kick thrown, me and Neal kicked at the same time and I felt a big snap, a big pop behind my knee,” dos Anjos said in a video posted on his social media. “Throughout my whole UFC career, it’s my second time being hospitalized after the fight and it makes me realize how blessed I am. It’s a very tough sport, and going to the hospital only twice in your whole career is a good number.”
Dos Anjos had to undergo post-fight surgery back in August of 2010, when he tapped against Clay Guida after fracturing his jaw. The Brazilian veteran, now 21-15 under the UFC banner and 7-9 since losing his title in 2016, said he’s not ending his career just yet.
“Definitely it was not how I want to celebrate my 40th birthday, it was a tough loss,” dos Anjos wrote on a separate post. “Time to heal up, enjoy the family. I’m not done yet, I’ll be back soon. God bless you all.”
Neal rebounded from back-to-back defeats to Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry with his win over dos Anjos, boosting his octagon record to 8-4 with key stoppage victories over Vicente Luque, Mike Perry and Niko Price. He also owns a decision win over current champion Belal Muhammad from when the two fought in 2019.
Ilia Topuria likely has a familiar foe awaiting him for his second title defense.
After becoming the first person to knock out Max Holloway in a stunning performance to cap off UFC 308 on Saturday, the reigning UFC featherweight champion came face-to-face with the man he beat to win the belt. Alexander Volkanovski made his way into the cage following Topuria’s win and the former opponents shared a few kind words for each other in anticipation of an expected rematch.
While UFC CEO Dana White typically doesn’t like to play matchmaker on the same night of an event, he says it’s almost certain that Volkanovski gets the chance to run it back with Topuria next.
“Listen, Volkanovski’s one of those guys, we’re not going to say no to Volkanovski,” White said at the UFC 308 post-fight press conference. “He’s been that guy for us. Any time we needed him. He was on this run like [Israel] Adesanya, like Alex [Pereira] is on right now, when things don’t go our way, and you’ve got to call a guy, Volkanovski’s always been that guy. He really was.
“I don’t think anybody’s in this room going ‘oh this is ridiculous or crazy’ and who wouldn’t want to see it again?”
Volkanovski hasn’t fought since he suffered a knockout loss to Topuria back in February in the fight that cost him the featherweight title. That actually served as his second consecutive knockout loss after Volkanovski fell to UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in similar fashion after he accepted a short-notice fight with hopes of winning a second title.
Instead, Volkanovski ate a brutal head kick in the first round that ended his night. Four months later, Topuria dished out the same result. Afterwards, Volkanovski was told he could get a rematch when he was ready to compete again and it appears the UFC is following through on that promise.
There’s no timeline when the fight might happen, although Volkanovski was pushing to return at the upcoming UFC 312 card scheduled for Australia in February. Prior to his win on Saturday, Topuria shot down any hope that he would defend his title in enemy territory so it remains to be seen when or where the rematch against Volkanovski happens.
With a perfect 16-0 record that now includes wins over two of the greatest featherweights of all time in Volkanovski and Holloway, Topuria is already entering rarified area when it comes to his career. A second win over Volkanovski would separate Topuria even further from his peers at 145 pounds.
“We were just talking in the back. As you start to clip off legend after legend after legend, you eventually become a legend,” White said about Topuria. “Both guys looked great tonight. Max came in with the right game plan. I think the early calf kicks added up and took their toll later in the fight. Those things are so devastating when people throw them the right way. He couldn’t have fought a better fight.
“[Topuria] took some big shots himself. Has the chin, kept coming forward, incredible performance by both guys. But Topuria did something that nobody’s ever done before.”
Max Holloway was the “BMF” champion. Ilia Topuria knocked him out. So Topuria is the BMF champion now, right?
Apparently it’s not that simple, as Topuria’s incredible knockout of Holloway in the UFC 308 main event only secured Topuria’s featherweight championship. Holloway won the BMF title with a fifth-round KO of Justin Gaethje this past April, but UFC CEO Dana White never stated that Holloway’s title was on the line Saturday. White later told reporters Holloway is still the BMF even after the loss.
None of that stopped Topuria from parading around with two titles after beating Holloway, which “Blessed” was asked about at the evening’s post-fight press conference.
Ilia Topuria’s feeling good after knocking out the BMF champion #UFC308 pic.twitter.com/h1SpA7a8Kk
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 26, 2024
Ilia Topuria with the BMF title #UFC308 pic.twitter.com/EO9adRPYQG
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 26, 2024
“Could you imagine [lightweight champion] Islam [Makhachev] walking around with two belts after knocking out [featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski]?” Holloway said. “Let that sink in. The belt was in a different weight class for a different reason. I think the fans make it happen, if the UFC really wanted to make it happen they would have put it up, but Dana said what he said, so he’s the boss man.”
Topuria was also asked why he was waltzing around with the BMF title in addition to his UFC title and he wondered why it wasn’t up for grabs in the first place.
“I never understand why they didn’t put the BMF belt on the line,” Topuria said. “It has to be on the line since the first day, but they don’t want to make it official, I’m going to make it official by myself.”
“It’s going to be a little bit weird for them to promote him as a BMF, but is what it is, no problem,” he added. “I’m going to keep it in my house. … Now, I’m the new baddest motherf*cker world champion.”
Prior to fighting Holloway, Topuria suggested he could challenge for titles in multiple divisions, targeting bouts with welterweight champion Belal Muhammad and lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
Holloway was asked if he thought Topuria could get Islam next, but he still sees options at 145 pounds for Topuria.
“I don’t know,” Holloway said. “I saw Dana White talk about it, Dana White said that Ilia got a lot of contenders here, so we see what happens. Certain situations come up for certain fighters because of certain workload that they do, so at the end of the day if he gets it that’s cool, but probably not. He has Volk and Diego [Lopes] ramming down the door right now, so I think they might keep him down there.”
“It’s hard to go against Islam,” Holloway said when asked to evaluate the potential matchup. “His fighting style is a tough one. He likes wrestling, he likes striking now, he’s falling in love with his striking, so it’s hard to win against Islam.”
MMA Fighting has a live stream watch party for Saturday’s UFC 308 event, which takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. In the highly anticipated main event, Ilia Topuria puts the UFC featherweight title on the line for the first time against challenger, and BMF champ Max Holloway.
Join MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, Jed Meshew, and other special guests to watch along with UFC 308 as the main card happens.
In the co-main event, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker battles the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev in a five-round bout.
UFC 308 also includes a battle between ranked featherweights Dan Ige and Lerone Murphy, while Magomed Ankalaev and Aleksandar Rakic compete in a potential No. 1 contender bout in the light heavyweight division.
The main card opens with a 185-pound matchup between Shara Magomedov and Armen Petrosyan.
Watch MMA Fighting’s UFC 308 Watch Party beginning at 1:45 p.m. ET / 10:45 a.m. PT.
The UFC 308 post-fight press conference is the last piece of business to take care of after the action is over in the Octagon, and we have the live video above at MMAFighting.com.
UFC officials will announce the winners of the “Fight of the Night” and the “Performance of the Night” bonuses, and winning fighters will meet the media after their fights.
The UFC 308 post-fight press conference takes place about 30 minutes after the main event ends, meaning it will start around 5 p.m. ET.
Ilia Topuria did what no one has ever done when he put Max Holloway down and out with a vicious knockout to defend his title and cap off the UFC 308 main event.
It was a stunning performance from the reigning featherweight champion as he dealt with some adversity in moments as Holloway kept after him with a nasty lead jab and showing patience in the exchanges. But it was only a matter of time until Topuria found his opening and it was a huge right hand in the third round that wobbled Holloway and sent him stumbling towards the cage.
Topuria immediately seized on the opening as he rushed forward and unloaded a massive left hook that twisted Holloway’s head around and sent him crashing to the canvas. A few more hammer fists followed but the fight was already over as the referee rushed in to rescue Holloway with the end coming at 1:34 in the third round.
so clean. pic.twitter.com/ig1VDuYNKy
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) October 26, 2024
While there was a lot of talk between them beforehand, Topuria paid homage to Holloway in his post-fight interview.
“I don’t know what to say to be honest,” Topuria said following his first title defense. “To beat a legend like Max Holloway, it’s something that I can’t even believe. He inspired me so much in my career. He’s been a great example for the new generation.
“I’ve always said now that I represent the new generation. I hope I’m going to be a small portion of the example for what he’s been for me, for the new generation. All the credit to Max Holloway. He’s the man.”
Prior to the finish, Topuria definitely knew he had a fight on his hand with a back-and-forth battle throughout the first two rounds of the fight.
As the action got started, Topuria actually caught Holloway by surprise with a well-timed takedown but featherweights were quick to get back to the feet. On the restart, Holloway peppered away with a good lead jab and Topuria countered with a nasty calf kick followed by a hard right hand behind it.
Topuria was really loading up with his punches while Holloway showed poise and patience as he continued to operate behind that lead jab. A late flurry allowed Topuria to connect with a solid shot as the fighters stumbled to the floor but the action stalled before the horn sounded to end the round.
While Holloway was still connecting consistently with that same straight punch, Topuria finally started finding a home for his big overhand punches as he dipped inside with no fear of reprisal. He popped Holloway with a hard left and a stiff right as Topuria started gaining some confidence in the exchanges.
Still, Holloway maintained his range and backed out before Topuria could really do the most damage possible with his immense power. In return, Holloway continued chipping away at the champion, which included a heavy right hand that popped Topuria in the jaw.
Almost like he was just biding his time and waiting for the right moment to unleash his true power, Topuria came out aggressive in the third round and he led with those same devastating hooks that put Holloway on notice. As he continued pressing forward, Topuria cracked Holloway with the right hand that spelled the beginning of the end.
With Holloway wobbled, Topuria set up the fight finishing punch as he unleashed the left hand that put the Hawaiian down and out for the first time in his legendary career.
“I caught him with many punches but exactly with that right hand, I felt it,” Topuria said about the knockout. “I just saw it in his face. He started making some steps back. You don’t see that often in Max Holloway. I felt that. My brother told me from the corner keep pushing, keep putting the pressure on him, this is what I did and finally I got the knockout.”
While it obviously wasn’t the result he wanted, Holloway had nothing but praise when addressing Topuria and his performance on Saturday.
“We got ready for everything,” Holloway said. “He just landed a shot and I guess it hurt much more than I thought it did. I felt great until he did it. That’s this sport. Hats off to him.
“No excuses, I feel great. I had a great camp, no injuries. I went out here, did my thing. He was just the better man tonight. He gave me the name ‘bounce back’ so I’ll see you again, my friend.”
In back-to-back fights, Topuria has now knocked out arguably two of the greatest featherweights in UFC history as he cements his own legacy as champion. Following his win, Topuria was greeted by Alexander Volkanovski in the cage, who is presumably next in line for a rematch with hopes that he can reclaim the title.
Topuria appears more than willing to offer him that opportunity and the same goes for Diego Lopes, who weighed in as the backup fighter for UFC 308.
“I want to have both of them,” Topuria said. “I swear to god. We’re going to do it again. [Volkanovski] deserves that. If someone deserve it, it’s him.”
Khamzat Chimaev and Ilia Topuria were both rewarded handsomely for pulling off nigh-impossible feats.
The two headlining bouts of UFC 308 on Saturday produced two of the most shocking finishes in recent memory, with Chimaev submitting Robert Whittaker with a brutal, jaw-breaking submission, and Topuria successfully defending his title in the main event with a third-round knockout of the legendary Max Holloway.
Both fighters were awarded with $ 50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses, UFC CEO Dana White announced at the post-fight press conference.
Chimaev became just the second fighter ever to submit Whittaker and the first since October 2011, before Whittaker was even in the UFC. As for Topuria, he became the first fighter to score a knockout victory over Holloway, a former UFC champion and a veteran of 34 pro bouts.
UFC 308 was an action-packed night and White’s team saw fit to hand out an extra Performance of the Night bonus, this one going to Shara Magomedov, popularly known as “Shara Bullet.”
The undefeated middleweight opened the main card with a thrilling knockout of Armen Petrosyan that saw him throw consecutive spinning backfists to put Petrosyan down for the count.
Fight of the Night went to a preliminary battle between Mateusz Rebecki and Myktybek Orolbai.
Rebecki and Orolbai brutalized each other for three rounds, with Orolbai in particular looking worse for wear as his right eye swelled to a ridiculous size. In the end, Rebecki won a split decision, though both men leave Abu Dhabi with well-deserved bonuses.
One noticeable omission from the bonus list was light heavyweight Ibo Alsan, who needed just 51 seconds to punch out Raffael Cerqueira. Though White said they wouldn’t give out a sixth $ 50,000 bonus, he assured that Aslan would receive a bonus of an undisclosed amount.
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