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The 2024 lineup features a mix of “who’s who” and “who’s that?” from the world of sports, business, and entertainment.

UFC CEO Dana White will once again speak on behalf of longtime friend and former United States President, Donald Trump, when he takes the stage this Thurs. (July 18) at the 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC). Trump is hoping to defeat current commander-in-chief, Joe Biden, after losing the 2020 election in somewhat messy fashion.

White won’t be the only non-political speaker during this week’s festivities, held at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Expect security to be on high alert after Trump survived an assassination attempt while campaigning last weekend in Pennsylvania — which may wanna rethink that whole “You’ve got a friend” shtick after the debacle in Butler.

Here’s the complete lineup of non-political speakers for the 2024 RNC:

• Matt Brooks, CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition
• Tucker Carlson, commentator
• Savannah Chrisley, TV personality and criminal justice reform advocate
• Franklin Graham, faith leader
• Lee Greenwood, country music singer
• Alina Habba, Trump campaign senior adviser
• Diane Hendricks, owner of ABC Supply
• Tom Homan, former acting ICE director
• Chris Janson, country music singer
• Perry Johnson, businessman
• Charlie Kirk, CEO of TPUSA
• Sean O’Brien, Teamsters president
• Vivek Ramaswamy, businessman
• Amber Rose, rapper and influencer
• David Sacks, CEO of Yammer
• Bob Unanue, CEO of Goya Foods
• Dana White, CEO of UFC
• Steven and Zach Witkoff, businessman

And here’s the rest of the 2024 RNC speakers:

Family members

• Donald Trump Jr.
• Eric Trump
• Co-Chairman and Trump daughter-in-law Lara Trump
• Kimberly Guilfoyle

RNC leadership:

• RNC Chairman Michael Whatley
• COA Chairwoman Anne Hathaway
• Host Committee Chairman Reince Priebus

GOP officials and candidates:

• Senator Katie Britt (R-AL)
• Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR)
• Senator Rick Scott (R-FL)
• Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
• Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO)
• Senator Steve Daines (R-MT), NRSC chairman
• Senator JD Vance (R-OH)
• Senator Tim Scott (R-SC)
• Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
• Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX)
• Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI)
• Senate candidate Kari Lake (R-AZ)
• Senate candidate Jim Banks (R-IN)
• Senate candidate Mike Rogers (R-MI)
• Senate candidate Tim Sheehy (R-MT)
• Senate candidate Sam Brown (R- NV)
• Senate candidate Bernie Moreno (R-OH)
• Senate candidate Dave McCormick (R-PA)
• Senate candidate Hung Cao (R-VA)
• Senate candidate Eric Hovde (R-WI)
• Senate candidate Gov. Jim Justice (WV) & Babydog
• House Speaker Mike Johnson (LA-4)
• House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (LA-1)
• House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (MN-6)
• Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-9), NRCC Chairman
• Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY-21), House GOP Conference Chair
• Rep. Matt Gaetz (FL-1)
• Rep. Michael Waltz (FL-6)
• Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13)
• Rep. Byron Donalds (FL-19)
• Rep. Brian Mast (FL-21)
• Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14)
• Rep. John James (MI-10)
• Rep. Jeff Van Drew (NJ-2)
• Rep. Nancy Mace (SC-1)
• Rep. Ronny Jackson (TX-13)
• Rep. Monica De La Cruz (TX-15)
• Rep. Wesley Hunt (TX-38)
• Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AR)
• Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL)
• Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND)
• Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD)
• Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX)
• Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA)
• Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird
• North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson
• Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, a former Democrat
• East Palestine, Ohio, Mayor Trent Conaway
• Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson
• Former counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway
• Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell
• Peter Navarro, former director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy
• Mike Pompeo, Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
• Former Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley
• Former Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon
• Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich
• Former Rep. Lee Zeldin

“I can’t WAIT to stand up on stage with [Trump] on Thursday and introduce him at the Republican National Convention and tell the WORLD exactly the character of the friend and man I KNOW!!” White told his Instagram followers.

For much more on White’s relationship with Trump click here.

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UFC Denver blew the roof off Ball Arena last Saturday night (July 13, 2024) in Denver, Colorado, leaving several fighters feeling the post-fight blues. Among them was Drew Dober, who suffered a third-round technical knockout (TKO) loss at the hands of Jean Silva, to go along with one of the nastiest cuts we have seen in a while (see it again here).

And Da’Mon Blackshear, who was knocked out by Montel Jackson in just 18 seconds (relive it here). But which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now a few days removed from the show?

Tracy Cortez.

Coming into her first-ever headlining fight, Cortez didn’t get the chance to prepare to the fullest after agreeing to replace Maycee Barber on two weeks notice. And doing that against someone like former women’s Strawweight champion, Rose Namajunas, isn’t ideal.

Still, Cortez couldn’t pass up the opportunity because a win would have catapulted her into the Top 5 and her championship fight dreams would’ve gotten that much closer. Unfortunately for the up-and-coming contender, she ran into a grizzled veteran who was at the top of her game come fight night.

For 25 minutes, “Thug Rose” had her way with Cortez, dominating the striking department, which was really no surprise to anyone. But after getting dropped in the first round by a solid shot, what perhaps puzzled Cortez moving forward was the fact that Namajunas won the wrestling department, too. Once that happened, it was game over.

In the end, Namajunas won a clear-cut unanimous decision, while Cortez suffered the first loss of her UFC career, snapping her 11-fight win streak, in the process.

“I took it on two weeks’ notice, unprepared, and gave it all I had,” Cortez said after the loss backstage. “I know if I were to have a full camp, prepared – I mean, my cardio was there – I think I would’ve done a lot better with a good game plan. I think I proved myself I can go five fives, you know. (I’m) looking forward to the next one,” she said.

“No excuses. I know it’s kinda hard for me to get up, but yeah. I was pretty upset that she took me down the way she did. I wanna get right back in there,” she said. “You know, last time I [lost], I went on a killer streak and proved myself again. And I’m not here to prove [to] the world. I’m here to prove myself.”

While the loss was a crushing one for the 30-year old, it will be definitely be a learning experience for her. She headlined her first event, missed weight for the first time (but ultimately hit her mark), and went five full rounds against one of the best fighters in women’s MMA history.

One of the bigger lessons she can take from this is what she needs to improve on. Namajunas is as well-rounded as they come, and her championship pedigree was evident in the fight. As far as what could realistically be next for Cortez, a fight against Viviane Araujo seems appropriate.

Araujo was supposed to face Jasmine Jasdavicious at UFC Denver, but had to withdraw due to an injury. She is coming off a loss at the hands of Natalia Silva, so she is need of a win to get some of her confidence back, as well.

For complete UFC Denver results, coverage and highlights, click HERE.

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In a recent hearing, Judge Richard Boulware stated that a proposed settlement didn’t include enough injunctive relief for fighters.

The UFC could still end up going to court over accusations that it used it’s power as a monopsony in the MMA world to illegally underpay fighters for years.

Yes, this is the same antitrust case that’s been winding its way through courts for nearly a decade. It involves two class action lawsuits: Le (representing fighters from 2010 to 2017), and Johnson (representing fighters from 2017 to 2021). Back in March it was announced that a settlement had been reached between UFC and lawyers representing the fighters worth $ 335 million.

Now it sounds like the judge overseeing the case may reject that settlement and force the case to a jury trial.

The issue lays in how the settlement would be split between the two classes: Le fighters would receive six figure payments, while Johnson fighters would receive a flat fee of $ 3000. With no significant changes in the way UFC does business with its fighters, that’s a bitter pill for them.

“It is difficult for me to understand why, if Johnson were settling separately, that class members would agree to this amount of injunctive relief,” Courthouse News Service quoted Judge Boulware as saying.

Boulware noted that current UFC contract stipulations bar fighters from participating in class action lawsuits, meaning a settlement would mean “they give up, more or less, their ability to bring any claim against UFC in the near future.”

So in a strange twist, fighter lawyers may find themselves being forced to go to trial when it’s clear they’d rather accept a settlement and just walk away.

Judge Boulware has said he’d render a decision on the settlement in the next week.

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Pereira is excited to see Adesanya back in action at UFC 305 and hopes his former rival succeeds in this next phase of his combat sports career.

As Israel Adesanya prepares to mount a comeback in the ‘final chapter’ of his career, he’s receiving some support from an unexpected source: his longtime rival Alex Pereira.

Adesanya and Pereira were rivals in kickboxing, where “Poatan” beat Izzy twice. Then Pereira crossed over into MMA and fought his way into the UFC where he took Adesanya’s middleweight title. Adesanya would regain his belt in the rematch.

Normally that much history would lead to a lot of negative feelings, but Pereira not only expects Adesanya to win his next fight against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305, he’s actively cheering for “The Last Stylebender” to emerge victorious and continue succeeding.

“I don’t think he loses this fight,” Pereira said in a new video on his YouTube channel. “And I hope he wins because he has a very beautiful story and I think he has to continue his story.”

“He’s not so young anymore, he threatened a little about wanting to stop … I think he should continue with his plans. I think he hasn’t completed his plans. If he had completed them, he would have already stopped, so if he’s there, it’s because he has some dream, something to do within the sport within MMA.”

“I’m here, I’m cheering,” he declared. “I’ve already fought with him, I’m not going to say that the guy has to lose. I’m not angry with him, I don’t have any resentment. As I said, if one day it’s possible to train with him, exchanging knowledge.”

Pereira dismissed a lot of Adesanya’s barbs towards him as ‘marketing.’

“The people who really know him who I’ve had contact with speak very highly of him. They say he’s a guy with a good heart. All that hard work and I believe that, you can see that he’s a good person, so that’s why I’m cheering for him. If he doesn’t support me, that’s no longer my problem. But I’m here, I’m cheering for him.”

That’s not the kind of sentiment you usually get out of a fierce competitor like Pereira (and certainly not the sentiment being returned from Adesanya), but the stone-faced “Poatan” continues to surprise us with the depth of his character.

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The names involved may not be recognized by most western audiences, but fight fans might want to start getting familiar with Ryuki Matsuda.

The 18-year-old kickboxer cut his teeth on the amateur circuit in Japan, fighting dozens of times and winning most of those bouts. He turned professional in 2021, quickly racking up an 11-0 professional record before opting to transition into the rules of Muay Thai. His first Muay Thai match came against fellow Japanese kickboxer Issei Ishii and resulted in a draw.

Despite the draw, Matsuda took a major step up the ladder in his second match, challenging Rajadamnern Stadium Bantamweight (118 lbs) champion Khunsueklek (81-7-3) in his second Muay Thai match. The Rajadamnern Stadium Title is one of the most prestigious straps in Muay Thai. Khunsueklek is just 18 years of age himself, but the Thai champion entered his second title defense riding a 41-fight win streak and was ranked highly on pound-for-pound lists.

Matsuda’s movement and power punching proved too much for the more experienced champion, however, resulting in a second-round knockout win for the Japanese talent. It’s a stunning upset win and likely just the beginning of a very decorated combat sports career from the young kickboxer.

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New “Notorious” fight news?!?

We all know by now that Conor McGregor’s highly anticipated return was supposed to go down earlier this month at UFC 303 against Michael Chandler; however, a broken pinky toe ruined it all. Alex Pereira went on to headline the event against Jiri Prochazka, and a violent knockout ensued.

Ever since the McGregor vs. Chandler cancellation, the promotion and UFC CEO Dana White have gone silent, with White saying he will not talk about “Notorious” until he is fully healed.

During UFC Denver last night (Sat., July 13, 2024), McGregor replied to Chandler on Twitter and said he has a new date for their fight.

“I talked to Dana today about our new date, all looking good! 24’ for sure,” McGregor wrote.

McGregor has tweeted many things that have not come true over the years, but it feels like this one could be true. If it is, hopefully, some official news will come out sooner rather than later.

Chandler seems to believe the fight will occur in September. Could it possibly be in the sphere?

Nevertheless, if McGregor is telling the truth – everyone will see his return this year.

In the meantime, check out the crazy timeline of the “McGregor vs. Chandler”-fueled drama right here.

To checkout UFC’s upcoming schedule of events click here.

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Last night (Sat., July 13, 2024), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ventured forth to the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado for UFC Denver. Alas, it really felt like the promotion took an Apex event on the road. It didn’t help that both the scheduled main and co-main event bouts were marred by injury, but even at its best, UFC Denver was never a particularly high-profile night of action.

Fortunately, the fighters still delivered the action! Let’s take a look back over at UFC Denver’s best performances and techniques:

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Rose Namajunas At Her Flyweight Best

Rose Namajunas’ previous two Flyweight fights were decent performances, but it didn’t feel like the woman who knocked out Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk. She looked a little flat against Amanda Ribas and lost outright to Manon Fiorot, raising questions about how much “Thug Rose” had to offer at 125-pounds.

Circumstances aside, this victory restores some confidence in Namajunas as a title threat. She was exceptional in the early goings, dancing around Tracy Cortez and repeatedly stinging her with hard punches. Cortez hit a whole lot of air, and Namajunas proved a point further by outwrestling the bigger woman consistently throughout the 25 minute fight. A finish would’ve been nice, but a dominant win over a highly regarded up-and-comer is still a great notch in Namajunas’ cap.

Personally, I think the move is to rebook her opposite Maycee Barber, but it remains to be seen how the wonky Flyweight title picture shakes out. If indeed Valentina Shevchenko doesn’t want to fight Alexa Grasso in the Sphere, Namajunas could slip in as an alternative.

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Jean Silva Is FOR REAL!

A couple weeks ago, Jean Silva highly impressed at UFC 303 by picking apart Charles Jourdain. He turned a veteran striker into a wrestler, then knocked out the durable Featherweight with a slick uppercut off a failed takedown. It was really powerful and composed work from the 27 year old Brazilian, a very notable performance.

Well, he just topped himself in a nearly unbelievable way. Silva stepped up on short-notice to fight at altitude versus Drew Dober, one of the biggest and most experienced men at 155-pounds. In fact, Dober is a hugely prolific knockout artist himself, known for his durability and toughness in a brawl.

All those circumstances add up to an unreasonably tall ask, yet Silva smoked him. He was touching Dober up from the first bell, which isn’t a total shock given that Featherweight speed advantage. What was more surprising was that Silva’s power made a clear impact on the iron chin of Dober, and he was relatively unbothered by the fire coming back his way. That trend largely continued as the rounds wore on, and Silva somehow never really slowed down despite the high pace, short-notice, and altitude.

For most of three rounds, Silva styled on Dober. He tore him up with counter punches and spinning elbows. Dober was saved by the bell at the end of the second, so “Lord Assassin” just finished him a second time by ripping open the cut above his eye further. Right after slicing Dober again, Silva pointed at the cut and told Herb Dean that the fight was over. It took a few seconds for Dean to clue in, but Silva was right on the money for the umpteenth time.

The guy is a problem. He might just have championship potential. It’s too early to be sure, but it’s not too early to say he’s going to knock out a whole bunch of people before his UFC career is up.

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Classic Juicy J

Julian Erosa vs. Christian Rodriguez effectively demonstrated why picking Erosa fights is impossible.

Rodriguez spent most of the fight absolutely torching Erosa in the pocket, where the lanky Featherweight chooses to engage every time. He boxed the veteran up, punished his low hand position with a clean high kick, and was scoring well in just about every exchange. The tricky thing about Erosa, however, is that if you don’t manage to knock him clean out, he remains extremely dangerous.

This time around, the grappling allowed Erosa to change his fortunes. He caught a kick and tipped Rodriguez over, taking his back. It looked bad for “CeeRod,” but he showed his own skill by reversing into guard. He seemed fully in control when Erosa sat up and wrapped up his neck with a closed guard guillotine. That technique isn’t supposed to work in 2024, yet Rodriguez tapped frantically to relieve the crushing pressure on his windpipe!

You can’t ever trust him, but you also can never count out “Juicy J.”

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

A Veteran KO

He wasn’t necessarily winning through ten minutes, but Charles Johnson came into his fight with a lot of smart answers to Joshua Van’s relentless pressure and combination punching.

Right away, Johnson was looking to chip away at his opponent from the Southpaw stance, firing left kicks into the arms often and digging at the lead leg. He switched stances often and in combination, looking to sneak punches through the composed guard of his 22-year-old opponent. In general, variety was a great strength, as Johnson threw round kicks, punches at all angles, spinning strikes, and step-in elbows.

His problem was that Van hits a whole lot harder. The difference in impact was clear, and Johnson’s movement was a little funky. It looked like an MMA fighter trying to copy Muay Thai strategies, which while not a bad idea, will look a little odd compared to a true Nak Muay who has been doing it for decades.

All in all, the underdog “Inner G” kept it close through ten minutes. He turned it up in the final frame, however, really sitting on his punches and exploding forward right away. He clipped Van with a hook then floored him badly with an uppercut follow up, earning the stoppage win.

Johnson may not be a title threat at 125 lbs., but the division needs established names to test talented up-and-comers like Van, and he’s more than qualified. It doesn’t hurt that all of his fights are really fun too! As for Van, he’ll certainly be back and likely better after this learning experience — don’t give up on the young prospect.

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Bantamweight’s Dark Horse?

It’s been clear to anyone paying attention that Montel Jackson is a very dangerous man.

First and foremost, “Quik” is massive for the division, 5’10” and physically strong. His wrestling background means he’s hard to take down, and Jackson takes advantage by unleashing his piston-like punches on anyone willing to step near him. He’s quietly put together an excellent UFC record, winning eight of his last nine after last night’s stoppage win over Da’Mon Blackshear.

As for the win itself … what’s there to say? Jackson sparked his foe in just 18 seconds with a perfect 1-2, timed as Blackshear tried to step forward into his own offense. Jackson is landing knockdowns — and now knockouts — with a scary consistency for the lighter weight classes, and it’s time to get him in the cage with a ranked opponent.

Anyone know what Jonathan Martinez is up to?

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Additional Thoughts

• Luana Santos defeats Mariya Agapova via first-round rear naked choke: This fight wasn’t remotely competitive. Santos floored Agapova very early with a right hand then slammed her to the floor with a massive Judo throw. Almost immediately, she was in mount, threatening an arm triangle. Agapova gave up the back to avoid that strangle, and the rear naked choke sunk in quickly. At 24 years of age, Santos has demonstrated a well-rounded game and won three straight in the Octagon, establishing herself as a serious prospect at 125 lbs.
• Evan Elder defeats Darrius Flowers via second-round arm triangle (HIGHLIGHTS): One of the many short-notice bouts on the card, this one wasn’t particularly surprising. Elder didn’t have an impressive record heading into this fight (1-2 UFC), but he showed a pretty advanced skill set in victory or defeat. Flowers, meanwhile, has a weird mix of skills and no complete MMA game, and he was the man who stepped up to fight at altitude on short-notice! Predictably, it didn’t go well, and Elder was largely able to dominate his foe on the floor en route to the tapout win.

For complete UFC Denver: “Namajunas vs. Cortez” results and play-by-play, click HERE!

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Montel Jackson staked his claim to a bantamweight ranking earlier tonight (Sat., July 13, 2024) at UFC Denver live on ESPN/ESPN+ from inside Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, when the veteran fighter starched Da’Mon Blackshear with an impressive 18-second knockout (punches).

Jackson, who should have entered this fight a much bigger betting favorite than he did, wasted little time getting going on the feet. After about 10 seconds of action, Jackson launched a perfectly-timed left hand that landed flush and instantly put Blackshear out. Jackson still flew in for a collection of heavy insurance shots, but the damage was already done.

Check out the quick knockout below:

Jackson, 32, has now won his last five trips to the Octagon. The bantamweight veteran is 8-2 overall since joining UFC back in 2018. Despite competing in one of the deepest divisions in MMA today Jackson has continued to grow as a complete fighter. He can now add knockout power to his evolving arsenal of skills and could be ranked next week after this win.

For complete UFC Denver results, coverage, and highlights, click HERE.

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UFC Denver goes down on ESPN tonight (Sat., July 13, 2024) with Rose Namajunas taking on Tracey Cortez in the re-worked main event. Checkout all the action here!

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is in Mile High City this weekend (Sat., June 15, 2024) with UFC Denver mixed martial arts (MMA) event. The event will be streamed LIVE on ESPN and ESPN+. The main event sees former UFC champion Rose Namajunas taking on late replacement, Tracy Cortez, in the Flyweight division. I hope the local fans got a good deal on tickets for this one because there aren’t any household names beyond the former two-time women’s Strawweight champion. Indeed, UFC Denver’s co-main is Santiago Ponzinibbio versus Muslim Salikhov at Welterweight, while Drew Dober locks horns with “Fighting Nerd” Jean Silva (who flattened Charles Jourdain two weeks ago at UFC 303) one fight prior.

The “Prelims” card is headlined by Joshua Van vs. Charles Johnson in the Flyweight division. This portion of the card also has Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Fatima Kline (another late replacement).

UFC DENVER START TIME, DATE

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Denver card below, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which begin at 7 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card (also on ESPN/ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET. You can bet on all the UFC Denver action with our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook right here.

Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps, and post-fight analysis following “Namajunas vs. Cortez”. Without further delay, see below for the updated UFC Denver results. (Note: This will go from the top down; therefore, look to the top of the stream for the newest update).

UFC DENVER ‘NAMAJUNAS VS. CORTEZ’ QUICK RESULTS

125 lbs.: Rose Namajunas vs. Tracy Cortez
170 lbs.: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Muslim Salikhov
155 lbs.: Drew Dober vs. Jean Silva
170 lbs.: Gabriel Bonfim vs. Ange Loosa
145 lbs.: Julian Erosa vs. Christian Rodriguez
185 lbs: Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Cody Brundage
125 lbs.: Joshua Van vs. Charles Johnson
125 lbs.: Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Fatima Kline
135 lbs.: Montel Jackson vs. Da’Mon Blackshear
125 lbs.: Luana Santos vs. Mariya Agapova
185 lbs.: Josh Fremd vs. Andre Petroski
170 lbs.: Evan Elder vs. Darius Flowers

UFC DENVER ‘NAMAJUNAS VS. CORTEZ’ PLAY-BY-PLAY

Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Denver news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

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Alex Pereira has become one of the most feared strikers in all of mixed martial arts (MMA), but is the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion truly a pound-for-pound best?

It’s difficult to say. While Pereira has captured spectacular wins over the likes of Israel Adesanya, Jiri Prochazka, and Jamahal Hill, he has done it by utilizing his world-class striking skills. Pereira came into UFC as one of the most skilled kickboxers of his era so he’s not really blazing new trails inside of the Octagon.

That said, does it really matter if Pereira is winning fights by using his biggest strengths? Does he need to show more wrinkles to his game to really standout among the rest of his peers?

According to former UFC welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, Pereira may need to show more than just knockout ability on the feet to claim a P4P ranking. Remember, Usman is one of the best welterweight fighters of all-time and a truly well-rounded athlete. He knows what it takes in this sport to stand out and forge everlasting greatness.

“When we talk pound-for-pound, let’s not forget, pound-for-pound is a hypothetical,” said Usman during a recent episode of his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast. “That means, do you possess the highest level of striking, of wrestling, of kickboxing, of grappling, of jiu-jitsu? That’s what that means. Which means if you were put in flyweight or if you were put in welterweight or if you were put in heavyweight, your style would transfer all throughout those divisions, and you will be able to be victorious and still be No. 1.

“That’s all that means. Yes, you can stand and knock everybody out – guys who aren’t moving, guys who aren’t shooting on you, guys who aren’t testing your grappling. But that doesn’t mean you are No. 1 pound-for-pound. So, don’t be upset about that. Don’t be butt hurt about it. If anything, show me you’re pound-for-pound. Go out there, take the next guy down, get on top, full mount, switch up, armbar on top. That lets me know, ‘Oh, sh*t. OK.’”

Pereira is undoubtedly one of the best knockout finishers in the sport today, but does he need to showcase more grappling, wrestling, and expanded technique in the cage to be considered a true P4P fighter?

Let’s discuss!

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