UFC has The Rock, ONE Championship gets Russell Crowe.
Not long after it was announced that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson would be starring as Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, Variety reports that Academy Award winner Russell Crowe has signed on for The Beast in Me, alongside Aussie actor Daniel MacPherson.
MacPherson plays a retired cage fighter who makes his ONE Championship return to avenge his brother’s death under the tutelage of veteran trainer Russell Crowe. The plot is so thin you can floss with it, but I suppose these movies are just an excuse to KICK BUTT.
“I am thrilled to be partnering with the star-studded cast and production team behind The Beast In Me,” ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong said in a recent press release. “I am confident ONE is the best platform to help tell their story of grit, perseverance, and determination. We cannot wait to host their entire team in Bangkok at a ONE Friday Fights fight week in January.”
The film will be produced Broken Open Pictures and directed by Tyler Atkins.
Up until very recently, The Sphere was known as a spectacularly shitty movie based on a not-so-shitty book. These days, it refers to the Las Vegas super venue (some might say eyesore) that is revolutionizing the way entertainment is consumed in “Sin City.”
Or maybe it’s a costly tech fad that will close down and get demolished in a couple of years.
Either way, UFC CEO Dana White — no stranger to gambling — is placing a $ 20 million bet on the success of UFC 306, the championship doubleheader on pay-per-view (PPV) this Sat. night (Sept. 14, 2024) with Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili leading the charge.
“Suga” will be putting his bantamweight strap up for grabs.
This weekend’s fight card will also feature the flyweight championship trilogy between current titleholder Alexa Grasso and former champion Valentina Shevchenko, fresh off their duties on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 32. Elsewhere on the card, Brian Ortega completes what could be his last fight at 145 pounds against featherweight phenom Diego Lopes.
Get a complete breakdown of all the UFC 306 odds and betting lines HERE.
135 lbs.: UFC Bantamweight Champion “Suga” Sean O’Malley (18-1, 1 NC) vs. Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (17-4)
Sean O’Malley captured the bantamweight crown from Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 last summer in Boston, then legitimized his reign as 135-pound titleholder by defending the strap against Marlon Vera at UFC 299 back in March. Detractors are quickly running out of reasons to discredit O’Malley as a world-class fighter which is why most of the criticism centers on his flamboyant appearance, his love for ganja, or his extramarital exploits. Inside the cage he’s a deadly sniper, currently holding the division record for striking differential at 4.24. For those unfamiliar with striking differential, it measures significant strikes landed per minute against significant strikes absorbed per minute. Armed with a switch stance, “Suga” also holds the bantamweight record for most post-fight performance bonuses at nine, which includes three “Fight of the Night” honors. His takedown defense is good, but not great, and how well he keeps the challenger at bay will determine his success on fight night.
And perhaps his success in replacing Conor McGregor as the top guy in UFC.
“This is what I wanted, something like this,” O’Malley told reporters at the UFC 306 media day (watch the replay here). “Obviously, we didn’t even know The Sphere was a thing at those times, but I wanted 1-of-1 kind of moments. This was it. Conor’s still got one more big fight in him because it’s a big question mark. I think Conor has one more huge fight. If he goes out there and loses his next fight, it’ll be like six in a row or something. It’s got to die down eventually. Maybe not. That just tests how big of a star he is. But I’d assume he goes out there. If he loses, I’m there. I’m the guy. I’m the No. 1.”
Merab Dvalishvili is a longtime friend and training partner of Sterling and presents a similar style inside the Octagon. His 10-fight win streak includes three former champions in Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan, and Jose Aldo, though you could argue “The Machine” was able to get Cejudo, 38, and Aldo, 37, when they were well past their competitive prime. Similarly, Yan has dropped four of his last six in what is one of the biggest collapses in bantamweight history. As a wrestler, Dvalishvili is more volume than skill, because he ranks No. 1 all-time with takedowns landed at 66 — but does not even crack the Top 10 in takedown accuracy. That’s like a baseball player who leads the league in both homeruns and strikeouts. It’s also worth pointing out that Dvalishvili has just one finish during his 10-fight win streak and that came over Marlon Moraes during “Magic’s” seven-fight losing skid. On paper, “The Machine” is a force to be reckoned with but when you start to deconstruct his individual performances … not that impressive.
Does it matter? Probably not, because the end result is what counts and Dvalishvili knows how to get there.
“Stylistically, it’s easy for me because my cardio, my grappling, my style should work against him,” Dvalishvili told reporters at the UFC 306 media day (watch the replay here). “But at the same time, we see what he can do. He can throw something big. It’s a challenge. I can dominate, but he can throw one punch and he can change everything. Every fight is like this. I don’t look at any fights in the UFC as easy. There is no easy fights here. Not always the best fighter wins. We’ve seen it so many times.”
The challenger has the conditioning to spam takedowns for all five rounds and I’m not sure O’Malley — taken down six times by Petr Yan at UFC 280 — has the defense to stop him. I just don’t feel comfortable picking the champion on the slim chance he can land the kill shot before getting double-legged into oblivion.
Prediction: Dvalishvili def. O’Malley by unanimous decision
Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko have not fought since their Noche UFC headliner last Sept. in Las Vegas, a rematch of their UFC 285 showdown that Grasso won by submission. That’s because they were too busy filming TUF 32, which nobody watched, while the rest of the flyweight division was spinning its wheels. Not that I think the average UFC fan can even name the Top 5 at 125 pounds, but it’s still important to keep the line moving. Grasso has looked unstoppable since getting outwrestled by Carla Esparza back in late 2019, to the tune of five straight wins (pre-draw) and I sometimes wonder if this is the same fighter who lost to Felice Herrig at UFC Fight Night 104. Now 31, Grasso is the -135 favorite on the moneyline, which is likely due to Shevchenko’s performances over the last two years.
“I had an injury in the (second) fight, I needed surgery,” Grasso told reporters at the UFC 306 media day (watch the replay here). “It took me like a few months. My hands are my strongest weapon, you know. I love to box and it was really hard, honestly. But right now, it’s fully healed and I’m ready for that. I’m happy my body heals really well. Like I said before, we’re both professional. We’re here to do our job, we love to compete, and we just found that fighting each other is really, really tough and amazing.”
Coming out of her snuff film starring Lauren Murphy, Shevchenko appeared to be invincible. Then Taila Santos took her to a split decision in a five-round scare at UFC 275, followed by the consecutive performances against Grasso. “Bullet” was the second-best bantamweight in the world before dropping to flyweight, with a submission win over former champion Julianna Pena, so it’s hard to know what led to her recent woes. Perhaps it’s her age (36) or the wear-and-tear on her body. Remember, Shevchenko spent more than a decade competing in both Muay Thai and kickboxing before migrating to mixed martial arts (MMA), so there are a lot of miles on those proverbial tires. She needs a dominant performance this weekend in “Sin City” to reestablish herself as the top dog at 125 pounds.
“The concern is to finish the fight,” Shevchenko told reporters at the UFC 306 media day (watch the replay here). “This is No. 1 what’s in my head. It’s like when to seize opportunity, just do what you have to do, 100 percent, finish the fight. Our second fight, everyone could see that I won the fight but they give a draw. A draw in this circumstances I’d say by itself. What should I do, what should I change? I don’t know. I really had to focus on to perform and prepare myself the best way what I can. I can say I had an amazing training camp. I push myself to all that’s impossible limits, and yeah, just ready for the action and it’s going to be amazing event and amazing fight.”
Shevchenko is a world-class striker with good wrestling and solid submissions, but none of those attributes were able to carry her to victory against Grasso the first and second time out and I’m not sure they’ll come into play here, either. It’s possible that Grasso just has “Bullet’s” number (think Holloway-Volkanovski) but I also expect another close fight that may lead to a fourth encounter somewhere down the line, much like it did for Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo.
Prediction: Grasso def. Shevchenko by unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Brian “T-City” Ortega (16-3, 1 NC) vs. Diego Lopes (25-6)
Brian Ortega is already talking about a jump to lightweight, which makes me wonder how much he invested in this fight, psychologically speaking. Competing as a two-time title challenger, “T-City” carries significant name recognition and usually finds himself at or near the top of every UFC fight card. How much stock you put into Ortega as a featherweight contender may depend on how much you value his recent performance against Yair Rodriguez, which could be looked at as an amazing comeback victory for “T-City” — or an embarrassing collapse for “El Pantera.” Getting lit up then finding a way to battle back and win has been a troubling trend throughout Ortega’s career and it may continue at UFC 306 against a younger but more experienced featherweight in Diego Lopes.
“The new version of myself is someone who is actually taking his job seriously,” Ortega told reporters at the UFC 306 media day (watch the replay here). “After the Max loss, that was the first time we decided to take it serious. Then, I won (against) ‘Zombie’ and I kind of decided just to be stupid again. It’s something that’s hard to shake out there, my lifestyle. After that, after failing recently and hitting rock bottom, that’s when I decided to say, ‘You know what, bro? Stop self-sabotaging yourself because you’re afraid of what you can become.’ I was more happy to be part of the party. I wasn’t supposed to be here. That was always my mentality.”
Lopes has been a nice surprise to the stagnant 145-pound weight class. Previously known as UFC flyweight champion Alexa Grasso’s jiu jitsu coach, the Brazilian has been able to establish himself as a legitimate threat to the major players in the division Top 10 after racking up four straight wins with three first-round finishes over the last 10 months. His lone defeat in UFC came against No. 6-ranked Movsar Evloev, a bout Lopes accepted on just five days’ notice. In addition, the former “Contender Series” competitor is now sporting double-digit knockout wins, for those detractors who think Lopes is “just a BJJ guy.”
But he is still Grasso’s coach.
“I know Brian is a great fighter. I’m ready for whatever comes up, but the idea is to run back to the locker room, get changed and go back to corner Alexa,” Lopes told reporters at the UFC 306 media day (watch the replay here). “I am ready for a war. I’m ready to go full out, and we do debate this as a team and make decisions according to whatever happens, but yeah we spoke about it. We have a strategy for it. I’m going to fight the No. 3 ranked guy in the division, so it’s just great to hear [compliments from the champion] and that really sets me up in a better position to come up strong.”
Ortega has just one knockout win over the last eight years and that came against the mummified remains of Frankie Edgar. “T-City” has typically relied on his jiu jitsu to bail him out of trouble, a failsafe that won’t be operational against a ground wizard like Lopes. I don’t want to get too carried away and start talking about Lopes like he’s Max Holloway or Alex Volkanovski, I just think he’s on his way up and Ortega is on his way down. We’ll find out for certain this Sat. night in “Sin City.”
Prediction: Lopes def. Ortega by technical knockout
155 lbs.: Esteban “El Gringo” Ribovics (13-1) vs. Daniel “Golden Boy” Zellhuber (15-1)
This is one of those great battles between once-beaten lightweight prospects that almost feels premature, kind of like the time matchmakers booked Arman Tsarukyan against Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Vegas 57. Esteban Ribovics blasted his way to a UFC contract with his “Contender Series” creaming of Thomas Paull back in Aug. 2022, but stumbled out of the gate with a UFC debut loss to “Tajik Tank” Loik Radzhabov. Undaunted, “El Gringo” roared back with consecutive wins over Kamuela Kirk and Terrance McKinney, the latter of which ended by way of brutal, first-round knockout.
Not surprisingly, fans are hyped for this important 155-pound showdown.
“I think there’s hype because he’s a great fighter,” Ribovics told reporters at the UFC 306 media day (watch the replay here). “I respect him a lot. As I said previously, I wish we had the opportunity to fight him further along in my career. Maybe we could have a chance to develop and grow together. But yeah, this is a great fight now. I’m ready for this fight. I think it’s going to be an insane fight and no one wants to miss it. Yeah, I have nothing but respect for him. He’s a great fighter, a great contender, coming up from Mexico. I wish we were going to fight further up, but the opportunity came up now. I’m happy to accept it. I’m happy for this fight.”
Daniel Zellhuber proved himself worthy by knocking around Lucas Almeida on the 2021 edition of “Contender Series” and like Ribovics, got stymied in his Octagon debut after dropping a decision to Trey Ogden. What followed was three straight wins, including his submission finish over Christos Giagos at last year’s Noche UFC card in Las Vegas. The well-balanced “Golden Boy” has more knockouts than submissions — not unlike Ribovics — but has the chops to hang wherever the fight goes. In addition, cardio has not proven to be any kind of issue in his decision wins, should his “El Gringo” contest find its way into the final frame — certainly an option for a slow starter like Zellhuber.
“I feel that the most important thing I’ve been finding is self-confidence,” Zellhuber told reporters at the UFC 306 media day (watch the replay here). “When you get to the UFC and your first fight is a defeat, as is my case, that breaks you mentally a little bit. After I lost that fight, I was struggling with the thoughts about belonging here in the UFC. Now, after a three-fight winning streak, the way I’ve been winning, the way I’ve been evolving in the gym with my training partners, I feel that I’m more dangerous than ever.”
It’s tempting to favor Ribovics based on his aggression, but Zellhuber has a staggering eight-inch reach advantage to complement his three-inch advantage in height. I don’t expect much wrestling in this contest though it remains a factor, it just depends on how long it takes “Golden Boy” — a -230 betting favorite — to find his range and pepper his way to a decision.
Prediction: Zellhuber def. Ribovics by decision
125 lbs.: Ode “Jamaican Sensation” Osbourne (12-7, 1 NC) vs. Ronaldo “Lazy Boy” Rodríguez (16-2)
Ode Osbourne looked to be a promising flyweight prospect when he submitted Armando Villarreal on Dana White’s “Contender Series” back in summer 2019. In addition to his 7-2 (1 NC) record at the time, the “Jamaican Sensation” was also huge for the division, standing 5’7” with a 73-inch reach. Despite showing early promise, Osbourne has performed below expectations over the last couple of years and his UFC record now stands at 4-5 after dropping three of his last four, including consecutive submission losses to Asu Almabaev and Jafel Filho. For tomorrow night’s contest, the 32 year-old flyweight will enter the Octagon as the +130 betting underdog.
“It almost feels like a high school experience where you get invited to the cool party and you’re kind of the nerd and people are like, ‘What’s he doing here?,’” Osbourne told reporters at the UFC 306 media day (watch the replay here). “Everybody has been asking me that, ‘What are the emotions?’ There really isn’t none, honestly. This is my 10th fight in the Octagon. I’ve fought on some great cards. UFC has blessed me with some great opportunities. So I’m pretty used to this personally. In that way there’s no emotions there. I got nothing but love and respect for ‘Lazy Boy’ to be honest. He’s a cool dude.”
Ronaldo Rodriguez was hoping to start his UFC career back in summer 2020 but faltered in his “Contender Series” tryout, losing to Jerome Rivera by way of decision. It took “Lazy Boy” four years and five straight wins on the regional circuit to finally earn a spot on the UFC roster. Rodriguez made the most of it, submitting Denys Bondar as part of the UFC Mexico City lineup back in February. The 25 year-old Mexican is a strong wrestler with aggressive counterattacks and 12 finishes in 15 wins. More importantly, he’s got the momentum that Osbourne is currently lacking.
“I hope he doesn’t think that we’re friends,” Rodriguez told reporters at the UFC 306 media day (watch the replay here). “In the cage I’m going to try to rip his head off. It’s business. I guarantee I’ll put on a show. You know why? Because I have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. I come from nothing. I have everything to gain and that’s why I’m so dangerous. I have nothing to lose. Whoever they put in front of me must be prepared to die.”
Osbourne is now 32 and has looked wholly unimpressive in his last few trips to the Octagon. He certainly has the physical tools to defeat a reckless bulldozer like Rodriguez but is struggling to put it all together. I don’t expect that to change this weekend at The Sphere.
Prediction: Rodriguez def. Osbourne by technical knockout
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 306 fight card right RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPNN/ESPN+at 8 p.m. ET, before the UFC 306 PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 306: “O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 306 fight card and PPV lineup click here.
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Both Sean O’Malley and Henry Cejudo train in Phoenix, Arizona, but the two are neither friends nor team mates. In fact, the two have traded verbal blows fairly often over the years, but the trash talk has yet to result in an actual fight.
Only an extremely abbreviated podcast appearance.
It’s fight week for “Suga,” who squares off versus Merab Dvalishvili in the main event of UFC 306 this weekend (Sat., Sept. 14, 2024) from the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. Though his attention should probably be fully focused on “The Machine,” O’Malley spared a moment of his media time to tell Daniel Cormier his litany of problems with Cejudo.
Sean O’Malley calls Henry Cejudo “a f#cking weasel” and explains his hatred for Cejudo:
“It’s his attitude and he rubs a lot of people wrong. He’s got this big ego and it’s like ‘oh I’m the man of fighting and I’m the pound for pound and teaching Jon Jones how to fight’.… pic.twitter.com/5eUT4XHl9M
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) September 12, 2024
“Henry, he’s gonna be at home streaming this fight illegally because he can’t afford it on his couch, kicking his feet up,” O’Malley told Cormier. “Henry is just a little f—king weasel, and I don’t like that guy … It’s his attitude. He rubs a lot of people wrong. He got this big ego like I’m the man of fighting, and I’m pound-for-pound and teaching Jon Jones how to fight.
“Like bro, you’re not that f—king good. Yeah, you won a couple fights but you’re not that f—king good. Talking about going down to 25 because I’m running the division! He’s like, ‘Oh, I wanna fight Sean’ — you don’t wanna fight me. He doesn’t wanna fight me. I’m a nightmare for him. He’s like, ‘Oh I’ll take you down, hold you down.’ Cool, I’ll get up and kill you. You suck, Henry sucks.”
The tricky issue with the “King of Cringe” is that Cejudo is extremely accomplished. An Olympic gold medal and two UFC titles is nothing to scoff at. That said, Cejudo has managed to put his foot into his mouth on more than one occasion outside of the cage as a coach and analyst, and his best years may be behind him after an ill-advised retirement cost him two years of his prime.
Either way, a match up between the two isn’t likely unless “Suga” coughs up his title on Saturday night. Even then, Cejudo recently announced his intention to return to Flyweight, which could also throw a wrench in those theoretical plans.
Maybe an Arizona dojo storm is in order? The beef doesn’t seem likely to end otherwise.
Insomnia
Michael Chandler is sitting in the corner of a dark room, whispering see you at the top to himself repeatedly.
Conor McGregor is at Chickie’s & Pete’s tonight taking shots and doing Eagles chants with fans.
: drewmac_the_barber on Instagram pic.twitter.com/djbsRFbhjd
— On Pattison (@OnPattison) September 13, 2024
This looks like the least pleasant combat sports experience yet.
These girls go hard… Would you take a kick from them?
LowKickChampionship/IG pic.twitter.com/QfX3G0am9u
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) September 11, 2024
These are the dance moves of a man thrilled to leave his construction career behind.
Merab getting told that he’s now a UFC fighter is one of my favourite moments ever pic.twitter.com/oN1g30l8RK
— ᴛʜᴇᴀʀᴛᴏꜰᴡᴀʀ (@TheArtOfWar6) September 11, 2024
Foot sweeps are always awesome, but gigantic foot sweeps are extra cool.
Really great from Chiyoshoma to chain the overarm belt throw (uwatenage) to the rear foot sweep (susoharai) pic.twitter.com/3F5twZHeXi
— Miguel Class (@MigClass) September 12, 2024
Sean O’Malley just earned himself a spot on Dana White’s s—t list.
Suga Sean tells Adin Ross’s chat to stream his upcoming fight, UFC 306 illegally and not buy the pay-per-view pic.twitter.com/Jn5GfmCUgA
— AdinUpdate (@AdinUpdate) September 12, 2024
Did you know Merab and “Suga” debuted one week apart? I did not.
Sean O’Malley got into the UFC from DWCS Merab Dvalishvili got into the UFC from DWLFAF
O’Malley debuted in the UFC on Dec 1, 2017. Merab debuted in the UFC on Dec 9, 2017.
O’Malley has fought 12 times in the UFC. Merab has fought 12 time in the UFC.
Are these odds an indication of Light Heavyweight being terrible, Anthony Smith being terrible, or Welterweight being great?
Roman Dolidze was a betting favorite against a top 10 light heavyweight in his last fight and won
He is now a betting underdog against an unranked welterweight pic.twitter.com/FyOPDfxTu0
— Show Me the Money Podcast (@showmethepod) September 12, 2024
Diego Lopes’ hands look so much sharper nowadays, and Joanderson Brito doesn’t get the credit he deserves.
The Diego Lopes & Joanderson Brito DWCS matchup is a terrific rewatch. Would love to see them run it back in the UFC one day #NocheUFC pic.twitter.com/2FdyDSY3pJ
— Maestro MMA (@mmamaestro_) September 12, 2024
Slips, rips, and KO clips
Impressive turnaround after a nasty spinning kick.
Lindo TKO de Jhonatan Cordeiro! Primero se comio una patada giratoria y despues le mando el bucal a la tribuna de un zurdazo #MetanoiaFC pic.twitter.com/2JvQnLuGSB
— Barrele la pierna (@Barrelelapierna) September 8, 2024
The technique, skill, and toughness of young strikers around the globe is continually mind-blowing.
3-0, 17-years-old, and he’s going to become one of the best action-fighters in the sport. https://t.co/t6kGZGNJh5 pic.twitter.com/KoRxy6Fle8
— Benjamin (@AJKFenjoyer) September 8, 2024
Pouya Rahmani is 32 years old with four first-round submission wins.
Another 1st round Pouya W. One of the best HW prospects in the world, without a doubt. I’ve been trying to give you heads up to get on the hype train nice n’ early pic.twitter.com/2dJLrPQxQk
— Fedor’s nephew (@FdrNphw) September 8, 2024
Random Land
Possibly the most important news I’ve ever included in this column.
THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE I STARTED HYPERVENTILATING pic.twitter.com/yBYcOp1U75
— teddy (@starrbelIy) September 9, 2024
Midnight Music: Indie rock, 2014
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.
Combat sports and absurd tattoos are a match made in heaven.
Rayne Wells, 42, surprised the community at BKFC 66’s weigh-ins today (Thurs., Sept. 12, 2024). Taking to the scale, Wells weighed in and hit the 165-pound mark for his bare-knuckle boxing (BKB) match against Almat Jumanov. Wells turned to flex and showed off an unexpected new tattoo of an image that featured BKFC President, David Feldman, and new co-owner, Conor McGregor. Photos of the tattoo and video of the weigh-in can be seen in the embedded player above.
McGregor hasn’t been shy to make his presence felt at BKFC events since he got involved with the promotion in May 2024. To an extent, McGregor has become a face for BKFC, arguably more than Feldman. Yet to return from his broken leg suffered in his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier in July 2021 (watch highlights), McGregor has teased a possible appearance as a competitor in BKFC’s ring.
As for Wells, his fight at BKFC 66 will be his second in the promotion as well as the sport. Unfortunately for Wells, his debut didn’t go his way when he lost via an eight-second knockout to Angel Hernandez in April 2024. Wells is 0-2 in mixed martial arts (MMA) as a professional and 2-4 as an amateur.
Former UFC featherweight champion Germaine De Randamie is out, rising star Jacqueline Cavalcanti is in against Nora Cornolle for the upcoming UFC Paris mixed martial arts (MMA) event on ESPN+, scheduled for Sat., Sept. 28, 2024 at Accor Arena in Paris, France.
“Iron Lady” announced her departure on social media.
“I’m so heartbroken to inform you that I had to pull out of my fight in Paris,” De Randamie wrote on Instagram. “Two weeks ago in training I broke my finger and fractured my foot. The doctors told me I couldn’t train for at least three weeks. Knowing I had only five weeks left, my team and I decided to pull us out, because we didn’t wanna take a risk and put one hell of a dogfight for you guys.”
“I’m especially heartbroken because I’m coming close to the end of my fighting career and wanted to give this to my friends and family who planned to be attending in the arena,” De Randamie continued. “I had a plan but God decided differently this time. I will be back in the gym as soon as the doctor gives me green light. And I truly hope the UFC will give me my fight before the end of the year. Thank you for all your support and kind words. I will be back and do what I have planned to do.”
De Randamie (10-5) is coming off a decision loss to Norma Dumont at UFC Vegas 90.
Cavalcanti (7-1) is 2-0 inside the Octagon after making her UFC debut roughly one year back. Same for Cornolle (8-1), who debuted at the same event — last year’s UFC Paris card in late 2023 — and now stands at 2-0 under the UFC banner.
For the revised UFC Paris fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.
Social media influencer IShowSpeed is on tour in the Philippines and recently booked an impromptu sparring match with boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. Things started off playfully enough, before “Speed” took a few extra liberties with his body shots.
“Pac Man” responded in kind and IShowSpeed was planked in short order.
Pacquiao, now 45, is an eight-division world champion with twelve world titles to his credit. Despite his age and deteriorating skill set, the former Senator is still participating in boxing exhibition bouts, brawling with former K-1 champion Rukiya Anpo at the Super RIZIN 3 event last July in Japan.
“He retired for a minute to run for President of the Philippines, where he took a respectful third place,” MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons told ESPN earlier this year. “And after that he felt that his retirement was due to running for president, and now that [he wasn’t elected], he wants to fight again and feels like he can do it at the highest level.
“Manny is an all-time great and he feels like he still has a lot of fight left in him and he still wants to compete at the highest level. And this fight [vs. Conor Benn] was presented to him by Eddie Hearn, and he agreed. Ball is in Eddie Hearn’s court. Pacquiao is ready to go.”
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UFC veteran James Vick (13-6) has taken a lot of damage in the latter stage of his career.
Vick began his UFC career with a lot of success. An Ultimate Fighter (TUF) veteran, the Texan won nine of his first ten bouts inside the Octagon to advance up the Lightweight ladder. He actually entered his main event bout versus Justin Gaethje as the favorite, but that’s about where it all fell apart for “The Texecutioner.”
Starting with Gaethje, Vick would lose four straight, including three defeats by knockout. Another knockout loss on the regional scene sent him to the Karate Combat promotion, where the 37 year old has fought three times. In his most recent bout for Karate Combat, Vick was knocked cold by flashy UFC veteran Rafael Alves via jumping switch kick.
It was a nasty knockout that went viral over summer, but the seriousness hasn’t been discussed until now. In a recent episode of the Jaxxon podcast, Karate Combat President Asim Zaidi spoke about how scary the knockout was and how Vick was put into a medically induced coma in the aftermath.
James Vick was out for a couple of days??? pic.twitter.com/JnX3sWhhJo
— (@YazkoMotashobi) September 10, 2024
Discussing the knockout, Zaidi explained, “I was there live, and it was such a successful event. [the knockout] ruined my whole mood. I just couldn’t be happy after that. [He was unconscious] for a couple of days. They put him in a self-induced coma. And he had a respiratory [machine] to make sure he stays breathing.
“I went to him when he woke up, and he’s like, ‘What did he catch me with?’ Switch kick, and he’s like ‘Oh man, I want to get back in there’ … Thank God he’s okay man. But, I can’t morally want to do that. I’m not gonna put him back in there.”
Vick retired from MMA after a 2021 regional loss that saw him break his orbital. Hopefully, he takes the hint from Zaidi and stops competing in combat sports, because the aftermath sounds like one of the scariest high-profile knockouts in recent years.
Insomnia
Canelo fans getting weird.
Canelo Alvarez reacts to a fan asking him to get his wife pregnant at the Grand Arrivals ahead of his fight vs Edgar Berlanga on Saturday night…
[ @PremierBoxing] pic.twitter.com/lrHmNrUTeJ
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) September 11, 2024
The idea of Kevin Lee fighting and losing to some mediocre unknown with a 9-3 record on Contenders Series depresses me greatly.
Kevin Lee says that he’s willing to fight on Dana White’s Contender Series to get back in the UFC again pic.twitter.com/yw5c4hqAYf
— Anik & Florian Podcast (@AnikFlorianPod) September 11, 2024
One Championship will do anything EXCEPT book MMA fights.
ONE Championship will be involved in a new sports film called “The Beast in Me” starring Russell Crowe and Daniel MacPherson.
“In the film, MacPherson plays an out-of-work former MMA fighter who suffers a personal tragedy involving his brother. With the help of a veteran… pic.twitter.com/sKsAp4gQSP
— COMBAT SPORTS TODAY (@CSTodayNews) September 11, 2024
Speaking of One, LinkedIn posting is the absolute worst kind.
Who should Colby Covington face in his alleged November return to action?
Colby Covington had his fight date leaked for UFC 309 in November in a now deleted Instagram post from a bar in Floria. pic.twitter.com/TGiYpzucl3
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) September 11, 2024
I have a really hard time seeing Charles Jourdain having success at 135-pounds, and Victor Henry seems like a difficult match up to start with … so maybe the Canadian proves me wrong on two accounts!
Charles Jourdain will fight Victor Henry at #UFCEdmonton on November 2nd. (first rep. @aaronbronsteter) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFC2024 #BW pic.twitter.com/mrXUJ1W3fE
— Marcel Dorff (@BigMarcel24) September 11, 2024
Song Yadong vs. Henry Cejudo sounds like an obvious banger booking IF “Triple C” stays at Bantamweight.
Song Yadong calls out Henry Cejudo for #UFCMacau pic.twitter.com/jvB5FNLVb4
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) September 11, 2024
Slips, rips, and KO clips
For whatever reason, referee didn’t want to stop this one.
Upset in Pula. Randy Mboyo takes short notice fight and wins via first-round TKO against local hero Erik Pletikos at #FNC19. pic.twitter.com/npbz9SklQu
— Adrian Szymański (@adrians_mma) September 7, 2024
Every right hand thrown in this clip was crisp and right down the middle.
Brian Ortega is ready to stay busy and do so in a higher-weight class if necessary.
Everyone was looking forward to the intriguing stylistic clash between Ortega and the rising Mexican contender, Diego Lopes, at UFC 303 in June 2024. Unfortunately, an illness prevented the two-time title challenger from making the walk and led to an unprecedented short-notice replacement from their fellow contender, Dan Ige.
The fight has been rebooked and will take place on an arguably bigger and better inside the Las Vegas Sphere at Noche UFC’s UFC 306 this weekend (Sat., Sept. 14, 2024). Despite the pivotal 145-pound match up still on tap, Ortega’s intentions to move up in weight haven’t wavered.
“1000 percent [Lightweight is the goal],” Ortega said at UFC 306 media day. “Because you got [Ilia] Topuria and Max [Holloway] fighting in October then after that you have whatever date they decide on next year to fight. So, it’s like a line to fight for the belt, and depending on how this fight goes this weekend it’s gonna determine whether the fans believe that I deserve another shot or not. Either or, my goal is to stay busy and if there’s nothing for me in the Featherweight division then I’ll move up.”
Lopes, 29, defeated Ige via a unanimous decision at UFC 303 in replacement of Ortega at UFC 303. “T-City” last fought when he earned a third round arm triangle choke in his rematch with Yair Rodriguez at UFC Mexico in February 2024 (watch highlights).
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 306 fight card right RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPNN/ESPN+at 8 p.m. ET, before the UFC 306 PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 306: “O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 306 fight card and PPV lineup click here.
Photo By Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images
Conor McGregor is already back to “heavy training.”
That’s according to SBG Ireland head coach John Kavanagh, who is advising “Notorious” while the former two-division champion peddles Forged Irish Stout to overseas breweries. Part of those preparations include video swaps for expert review and analysis.
Doesn’t get any heavier than that.
“We’re already in heavy training, although we’re training remotely together at the moment, he’s stateside on I believe a Forged Irish Stout tour,” Kavanagh told Lucky Block. “He’s visiting a couple of breweries over there and partners, etcetera, but we’re still sending each other training videos, training plans.”
Let’s hope part of the plan is avoiding another leg break.
McGregor was pushing for a December return after recovering from a devastating pinky toe injury, but UFC CEO Dana White does not expect to see “Notorious” back inside the cage until some point in early 2025, right when this new deal takes effect.
“He’s got some training partners over there and the footage I’m getting back, he shared some of it recently, he’s looking very sharp to me,” Kavanagh continued. “If the date was in December, it would be a green light for me anyway.”
Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Sports Spectacular
UFC CEO Dana White wants to be recognized for his films, worlds, and acts at The Sphere.
The Las Vegas venue will host the UFC 306 pay-per-view (PPV) event this Sat. night (Sept. 14, 2024), topped by the bantamweight title fight pitting champion Sean O’Malley against top contender Merab Dvalishvili. But with a production price tag of nearly $ 20 million, the promotion will need a big night at the box office to break even.
Which could prove challenging after slashing ticket prices.
“You know me, I love to break records,” White told reporters at this week’s “Contender Series” press gathering (video here). “This is going to be the biggest gate we’ve ever done in the history of the company, and the most pre-buys on PPV ever, too. People have been buying the event the week before the week before the event. My goal with this thing is to be nominated for an Oscar, an Emmy, and a Grammy. So yes, there will be a documentary.”
Hopefully it’s a step above this widely-panned effort.
Some of the names helping White and Co. craft the UFC 306 cinematic “worlds” include filmmaker and musician Carlos Lopez Estrada, along with 14-time Emmy award winner Glenn Weiss. This weekend’s “Noche UFC” fight card (see it here) was crafted as a “love letter” to Mexican fight fans, including crosstown rival Canelo Alvarez.
Not surprisingly, UFC at The Sphere will be “one and done.”
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 306 fight card right RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPNN/ESPN+at 8 p.m. ET, before the UFC 306 PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 306: “O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 306 fight card and PPV lineup click here.
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