As promised, Anthony Smith cut a promo on Alex Pereira in the wake of UFC 303 — though it’s probably not the one fight fans were expecting.

That’s because “Lionheart” was defeated by Roman Dolidze back on June 29 in Las Vegas, shortly before “Poatan” defended his light heavyweight title by stopping Jiri Prochazka in the UFC 303 main event.

As a result, Smith has been booted from the Pereira sweepstakes.

“Alex and I have this very cool relationship,” Smith told co-host Michael Bisping on Believe You Me. “I think it’s very, very cool what we have going on. I lost and he won, he’s the champion, maybe there is nothing there, ever. We’re very … I think just competitive in general, but when we’re in person, I thought it was so cool how we have a lot of respect for each other. Because it’s not awkward in person, it’s really not. It’s a head nod, acknowledgement, we don’t talk or shake hands or anything like that but we have no problem standing right next to each other in a room, doing media together. Not together, but in the same areas at the same time.”

I guess this awkward video featuring Smith and Pereira was taken out of context.

“I think it’s really cool how we have this competitive thing … I don’t even wanna say it’s a negative thing, whatever it is, we kinda go back and forth from time to time. His team has always been so cool to me before, they’ve always been super cool to me,” Smith continued. “It’s unfair of me to speak about him as a fighter and then we get all this riled-up nonsense. I think it would be unfair of me to not say on the flip side how in social situations or when we’re in person, how super respectful he is and how kind his team and coaches and all those people around are. It’s unfair of me to only talk about him only as a competitor, everything’s always cool with us in person.”

That explanation should satisfy all those “stupid” UFC fans.

Smith, currently ranked No. 11 at 205 pounds, was an outspoken critic when it came to Pereira’s title reign, which led to some harsh words from the Brazilian striker. Perhaps that’s water under the bridge after UFC 303, or maybe Smith has finally acknowledged that “Poatan” is here to stay.

Sounds like No. 2-ranked Magomed Ankalaev is happy to pick up where “Lionheart” left off.

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This weekend (Sat., July 13, 2024), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ventures forth to Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., for UFC Denver. Once again, we’re looking at a reasonably good card that got torched by injury. The loss of athletes in both the main- and co-main events hurts, but at least the remaining halves of those match ups — Rose Namajunas and Drew Dober — remain booked against new opposition. All told, 22 athletes are scheduled to compete in the “Mile High City,” and we’ll find out on fight night who took the time to acclimate to the altitude.

Let’s dig into all the main card fights leading up to the co-main event:

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Lightweight: Drew Dober (-105) vs. Jean Silva (-115)

Best Win for Dober? Bobby Green For Silva? Charles Jourdain
Current Streak: Dober lost his last bout, whereas Silva has won two in a row inside the Octagon
X-Factor: Silva fought two weeks ago and is fighting up a weight class
How these two match up: Even disregarding the bout’s status as a last-second booking, this is a banger!

Dober is an all-action Lightweight, a Southpaw kickboxer with proven knockout power and durability. Historically, he’s had difficulty getting held down by superior wrestlers, but Dober has improved that aspect of his game enough to become ranked on at least a couple occasions. Silva, meanwhile, is a power-punching Featherweight who just sparked Charles Jourdain at UFC 303 (watch it). He rebounds quickly here and takes a huge jump up in competition, but it’s also a major opportunity for “Lord Assassin.”

For all but the absolute best Featherweights on the roster, taking on Dober on short-notice seems like a really tall task. He’s one of the largest Lightweights on the roster, which makes the challenge even greater. There’s always a chance that Silva can surprise Dober with his speed early on, but even then, Dober has historically been able to take a big shot and bounce back if necessary.

Most likely, the two throw down, it gets a little chaotic, then Dober’s size, power and preparation all pay off in the form of a Lightweight record-setting knockout win.

Prediction: Dober via knockout

Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Welterweight: Gabriel Bonfim (-395) vs. Ange Loosa (+310)

Best Win for Bonfim? Trevin Giles For Loosa? John Howard
Current Streak: Bonfim lost his last bout, whereas Loosa won two in a row prior to his “No Contest” vs. Bryan Battle
X-Factor: How does Bonfim respond from his first career defeat?
How these two match up: This feels like an opportunity for Bonfim to bounce back.

The Brazilian is just 26 years of age, but has been a professional since 2014. In his trio of UFC fights, Bonfim has demonstrated serious skill on the feet and on the mat, though Nicholas Dalby was able to out-dog him and hand “Marrentinha” his first career defeat. Despite that loss, he should still be considered a quality Welterweight prospect.

Loosa, meanwhile, is four fights deep into his UFC career. He doesn’t have any particularly standout skills, but well-roundedness and a decent athletic base have kept him around thus far. Truthfully, he was getting touched up in his last bout versus Battle, but a controversial eye poke allowed him an out via “No Contest.”

This feels like a layup for Bonfim, who is technically better and more athletic than his opponent. Loosa is not Bonfim; he doesn’t have the ultra high pace or ridiculous toughness. Hell, he has fewer fights than Bonfim overall, so expecting that kind of “veteran win” seems improbable.

I’m predicting tapout win No. 13 for Bonfim.

Prediction: Bonfim via submission

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Featherweight: Christian Rodriguez (-205) vs. Julian Erosa (+170)

Best Win for Rodriguez? Raul Rosas Jr. For Erosa? Hakeem Dawodu
Current Streak: Rodriguez has won four in a row, while Erosa won his last bout
X-Factor: Erosa is wildly inconsistent
How these two match up: Expect violence.

The third time was the charm for “Juicy J,” who failed to carve out a spot on UFC’s roster until his third stint in the promotion. He did make up for lost time, however, picking up some of the best wins of his entire career almost immediately and establishing himself as a very fun Featherweight action fighter. His defense, unfortunately, remains a weakness.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, has established himself as a quality prospect. At 26 years of age, “CeeRod” has the composure and well-rounded skills of a much more experienced athlete, and he’s made it a habit to outlast his opponents. That said, this is just his second fight at 145 pounds. since being forced up a weight class following two failed Bantamweight cuts.

This is a difficult match up to predict because we haven’t seen Rodriguez fight anyone quite like Erosa … though admittedly few fight like “Juicy J.” His recent wins have seen him shucking off takedowns and beating up opponents when they tire, but that’s not Erosa’s game at all. Instead, Erosa will be looking to awkwardly pick him apart and make use of his massive height and reach advantages.

Most likely, this one stays on the feet. Rodriguez is the sharper boxer and should have a speed advantage, but the length and craftiness of Erosa remains a significant concern. Rodriguez isn’t much of a knockout artist either, which is historically the way to defeat Erosa.

I think it’s more of a coin toss than the odds indicate, but I’ll still side with the up-and-comer.

Prediction: Rodriguez via decision

Photo by Al Powers/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Middleweight: Cody Brundage (+130) vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan (-155)

Best Win for Brundage? Tresean Gore For Alhassan? Niko Price
Current Streak: Both men lost their last bout
X-Factor: Both tend to win or lose quickly
How these two match up: There’s little chance this one makes it to the judges.

Both athletes are very much finish-or-be-finished fighters, though they go about it in different ways. Brundage is a skilled wrestler who doesn’t like to wait around, pushing the pedal through the floor via heavy overhand swings, big slams, and choke attempts. Alhassan, conversely, is a Judoka who prefers to throw massive bombs, which either knock his opponent senseless or fatigue him badly.

Neither man is particularly defensively savvy here, so it really feels like a question of who lands first whether we’re talking punches or takedowns. Likely, Alhassan is too strong for Brundage to ragdoll to the floor quickly. In that case, he’s stuck on the feet while “Judo Thunder” is at his most powerful, and I’ve never got the feeling that Brundage particularly likes getting hit.

In that case, it won’t take long.

Prediction: Alhassan via knockout

‘X-Factor’ Picks for 2024: 26-17 (2)

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Denver fight card right here, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance on ESPN (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Denver: “Namajunas vs. Cortez” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

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Mike Perry is set to box Jake Paul on July 20th, and he’ll face the largest “Problem Child” anyone’s ever had to face in the ring.

The 230 pound Paul was adding on weight in preparation for a heavyweight fight against Mike Tyson. That’s been delayed until November, and now “Platinum” will be the one dealing with all of Jake’s extra muscle when they compete at cruiserweight for eight rounds.

In a new interview with FightHub TV, Perry was asked about Paul’s size increase and whether he suspected the YouTuber turned boxer was on the secret juice.

“When I sparred him a couple years ago, I was 180 and he was 195, maybe 205,” Perry replied. “I think he was about to fight Ben Askren [at 190], I don’t think he was really cutting weight at the time. And so to put on 25 pounds, I don’t know how someone does it without a cheat code.”

“It doesn’t matter to me,” he added. “I could just be saying that just to mess with him. He does look flubbery.”

Perry confirmed that there was no special drug testing regiment in place for the bout.

“I haven’t been tested yet,” he said. “I assume that the Florida Commission will test us all on fight week or they might test me a couple of times. Maybe after weigh ins or something like that, I’m sure that they will have a test on fight night when I go to walk in the fight.”

That’s generally the extent of most commission’s drug testing and you have to be a real dope to get caught when you know you’re getting tested on fight day.

Since “Platinum” doesn’t seem to care one bit, perhaps we should leave speculation where it belongs: on body building forums or the More Plates More Dates discord.

Insomnia

Alex Pereira has officially conquered combat sports and is now just completing side quests.

Gotta keep your athlete calm!

I would pay real money to see Georges St. Pierre debate Johnny Walker about dinosaurs and their doom.

Jon Jones in a cyber truck — what could possibly go wrong?!?

Craig Jones and Luke Rockhold are embracing Turkish wrestling culture and a whole lot more.

On a more wholesome note: Robert Whittaker and his kid with a rough slide landing.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Chilling along the ropes with hands low isn’t a great idea.

Just about 17 years ago:

This is the kind of aggression you love to see in response to a low kick.

Random Land

These lads are lucky that the monkeys bought the bluff.

Midnight Music: Doom, 1970

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

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Rose Namajunas hopes for at least one more Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title run.

UFC heads back to Denver, Colorado, and features an important Flyweight match up atop the billing as Namajunas looks to maintain her No. 6 spot in the rankings against the rising contender, Tracy Cortez, this weekend (Sat., July 13, 2024). Although the opponent isn’t who Namajunas was originally set to battle, she expects big possibilities to follow.

“I’d say I’m right in that title contention talks [with a win],” Namajunas told MMA Junkie. “God willing, I’m healthy, I’m in shape and I’m ready to go with a win and whatever opportunities they want to give me. I could see myself fighting for the belt really soon. It’s just a matter of doing my job and fighting to the best of my abilities. Anything’s possible.”

Namajunas, 32, made history as the youngest female champion in UFC history when she won the Strawweight title against Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 217 in November 2017. She had a second stint with the title in 2021 when she defeated the current champion of the division, Zhang Weili, twice.

Ideally for “Thug,” she’ll be able to achieve one of her longtime goals before she hangs up the gloves. It all starts with the first hometown appearance of her 18-fight career (12-6).

“When I first started my career in the UFC, that was my vision that I had in mind. It wasn’t super solid, but I definitely wanted to become champion,” Namajunas said. “And then, somewhere in the back of my mind, I thought to become champion in two divisions, as well.

“But that was so far in the distance, I wasn’t sure if I could make that happen,” she concluded. “But now I know that I can.”

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Michael Chandler can’t seem to make up his mind.

One day “Iron” appears resolute in his decision to wait for Conor McGregor to make his “Notorious” return. Other days, the former Bellator lightweight champion is soliciting high-profile showdowns with “BMF” baddies like Max Holloway.

Or perhaps former UFC welterweight Nate Diaz.

Luring Diaz back to UFC could take “millions and millions” of dollars.

“The new ‘Where’s Waldo’ — the Mac Daddy had a great run though,” Chandler told Twitter fans who expect McGregor to retire. “Instill fear … let him pull out of the fight and embarrass himself [and I’ll] be known as the guy who retired McGregor without ever throwing a punch.”

McGregor, 35, was expected to fight Chandler atop the UFC 303 fight card last month in Las Vegas, but was forced to withdraw after breaking his pinky toe. A definitive timeline for his “Notorious” return has yet to be determined.

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If the UFC wants Nate Diaz to fight under their banner again, they’re going to have to open up their wallets and pay him like the star he is, says coach Cesar Gracie.

After a disappointing outing against Jake Paul, Nate Diaz redeemed himself last weekend with an impressive win over Jorge Masvidal. The two UFC legends boxed it out over 10 rounds and threw nearly 1400 punches during that time. Two judges thought Diaz’s punches and ring control were slightly more effective, earning him the majority decision.

And with that win, Diaz is back in a position to make a ton of money in his free agent era.

Unfortunately, two of the guys he’s voiced an interest in fighting are under UFC contract. The Stockton fighter has unfinished business with Conor McGregor and welterweight champ Leon Edwards. In a new interview with Submission radio, Diaz’s coach Cesar Gracie discussed those possibilities.

“I think a trilogy probably makes a lot of sense for both of those guys,” Gracie said of Diaz vs. McGregor 3. “You know Chandler and McGregor is a good fight too. But I mean, just the history of Nate and McGregor, I think it’d be the bigger fan fight if they had a trilogy. And in my opinion, that’s what I’m thinking.”

“Nate doesn’t look like he’s really lost any steps lately. With McGregor, he’s been out of it for a while and he hasn’t had a win in a long time. I would have to favor Nate on that one. His toughness, and he’s been in the game. And you know it’s not good when guys come out and stay out that long from the game. It’s hard for them. And I think whether McGregor fights Chandler or someone else, I think he’s going to have a lot of trouble getting back to his peak performance.”

As for Leon Edwards, Cesar believes Nate already showed the world he has the tools to beat “Rocky.”

“Edwards is at the top of his game for sure,” he said. “And the thing with Nate is he just always has the tools to beat you. Edwards landed some absolutely devastating shots in their fight. I saw kicks, I saw punches, and he won some of the rounds. But if we’re going to be perfectly honest, if there was another round left, I think all the fans realized that Edwards was about to get knocked out in that fight.”

Gracie suggested the only way to win a fight against Diaz was to avoid fighting him and eke out a decision.

“If you want to point fight him, yeah, you could maybe beat him,” Cesar said. “But if you really go to knock him out, that’s when you can get in trouble. So it depends on what it was we would see that night.”

It’s all a bit academic at this point with Diaz outside of the UFC. If the promotion wants him back, they’re gonna have to back up a few trucks full of money to get him. There’s no more denying his ability to move the needle after 18,040 people turned up for the Masvidal fight in Anaheim.

“Millions and millions of dollars, whatever they’re paying their highest people,” Gracie said. “Nate is such an icon of the sport. He’s fought and deserves the things he’s gotten. He had to get everything the hard way. He brings star power with him. The event last night was sold out. It was. And it was on Nate Diaz over there.”

“No one would have gone to that show without Nate Diaz. It was so huge.”

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Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Ilia Topuria put on one of the year’s best performances when he smoked Alexander Volkanovski earlier this year, becoming UFC Featherweight king in emphatic fashion. Since then, however, there’s been a bit of Topuria backlash. The Spanish talent is quite in love with his own abilities, which is a frustrating quality when he remains unbooked against obvious contender Max Holloway.

Ultra confident and riding high himself, UFC Bantamweight kingpin Sean O’Malley can probably relate to Topuria more than most. However, “Suga” drew criticism recently for a complaint about the official pound-for-pound rankings, which currently have “El Matador” a spot above O’Malley.

On a recent episode of his podcast, O’Malley gave mixed messages about Topuria, wondering if he’ll be next to suffer a fall like Cody Garbrandt before ultimately complimenting his skills.

“I tweeted, ‘How the f—k is Ilia above me on the pound-for-pound? He’s five inches shorter and has less title defenses.’ Those are just facts, I wasn’t trying to be funny. I got a lot of hate for it … Buddy, I really could give a f—k less where I’m at on the pound-for-pound.

“Ilia is going to be the next Cody Garbrandt. He won his nice little fight, he had his little Dominick Cruz, but he’s about to get pieced up by Max Holloway and then go downhill from there. Not really, I feel like Ilia is one of the most skilled guys actually in the UFC. But f—k Ilia.”

Topuria and O’Malley have jawed at one another previously, so perhaps “Suga” is just continuing to angle for an eventual shot at double champion status. In the interim, both remain unbooked, though O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili and Topuria vs. Holloway are obvious match ups for both champions.

Insomnia

Fight Circus is the future of combat sports.

I definitely don’t want Alex Pereira to cross over into the boxing ring … but I’d watch it!

I appreciate this insight into Marc Goddard’s thought process.

Dricus Du Plessis seems like one of the UFC fighters less likely to get in a street fight over some nonsense trash talk.

Forget it Donny, you’re out of your element.

Nasty hematoma and general damage from low kicks:

Slips, rips, and KO clips

It really doesn’t get much more brutal than a fully loaded uppercut to a KO’d opponent.

Even ignoring the crazy context of it all, just the knockout punch itself — a switch lead hand uppercut — is wild.

Nasty combos, spinning kicks, and jump knees all from close quarters.

Random Land

You’ve seen mud wrestling, but how about mud boxing?

Midnight Music: Alternative, 1992

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has had a colorful history.

UFC CEO, Dana White, and company have built the promotion up to be a billion-dollar entity. UFC famously sold from Zuffa LLC to Endeavor for $ 4 billion in 2016 and the value has only increased since.

Before UFC made its biggest change with the lucrative negotiation, there apparently was an attempt from CBS, according to White. The Octagon boss shared his latest untold story in the video embedded above.

“So, CBS tried to come in and make us an offer to buy us at one point, right? And I was in Hawaii on vacation,” White told FOX News. “And ironically, I’m usually late to everything. I was on the call early and the Showtime guys were on the call early because they — I didn’t know they were going to be on. I thought we were talking to Les Moonves.

“By the time Les Moonves and the rest of them got on the phone, me and Showtime were fighting, going at it, literally, ‘F you, F you,’ back and forth, and those guys got on and heard us going back and forth and the call, literally, that was the end of it,” he continued.

“Lorenzo calls me right back immediately and goes, ‘I guess, we’re not doing a deal with CBS.’ I said, ‘Yes, sorry,” White added, “We got into it a little bit. I hated the guys at Showtime. A bunch of those guys worked for the UFC when we first started out. I thought their production sucked. I thought they were terrible at what they did. And I was very vocal about it. And then it just so happens, we’re talking about CBS making us a billion-dollar offer to possibly buy the company. By the time that Lorenzo and Les Moonves get on, full-blown war on the phone.”

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Bobby Green really wants to be king.

Unfortunately for the No. 15-ranked lightweight, the monarchy ended with George III back in 1783, so unless he somehow infiltrates England’s royal family, the only way for Green to be legally recognized as “King” is to change his name.

Mission accomplished.

“I know I worked so hard at Bobby Green but the point was to show you go from nothing to a King,” Green posted on social media, along with a series of legal documents and the hashtag #kingarmy.

Opponent Paddy Pimblett wasted no time mocking the newly-crowned King.

“This mushroom has actually changed his name to King,” Pimblett wrote. “So you can officially call me the Kingslayer on July 28th.”

“The Baddy” looks to settle their longstanding score at UFC 304.

Pimblett (21-3) is undefeated in five trips to the Octagon and was last seen capturing a unanimous decision victory over the fading Tony Ferguson at UFC 296. As for Green (32-15-1, 1 NC), he rebounded from a knockout loss to Jalin Turner to outpoint Jim Miller at UFC 300 back in April.

For the current UFC 304 fight card and PPV lineup click here.

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Sorry, Charlie.

Charles Oliveira and his team are hoping to sneak back into the lightweight title picture against reigning 155-pound champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 308 in October, thanks to a disciplinary suspension handed down to No. 1 ranked contender, Arman Tsarukyan, late last month in Las Vegas.

Tsarukyan defeated the former champ by split decision at UFC 300.

“Charles and I want the belt, and now with Arman suspended there’s no other names than Charles Oliveira,” Coach Diego Lima recently told Ag Fight. “Charles is second in the rankings, and if you look at the rankings, there’s no one to fight with Makhachev. So the truth is with Arman out of the game I believe there is no one at 155 to fight Makhachev other than Charles. So it’s certainly what we want, it’s what Charles wants.”

Oliveira was submitted by Makhachev at UFC 280.

“I’m the one fighting for the title next,” Tsarukyan (22-3) wrote on Twitter. “The rest of you can take a seat #AndNew.”

Hopefully a chair remains open for No. 6 ranked Michael Chandler, who also claimed to be in the running for a lightweight title shot.

Tsarukyan, 27, drew a nine-month suspension for slugging a feisty fan during his UFC 300 walkout back in April, a timeline that would leave him ineligible for Makhachev in October. That said, “Ahalkalakets” can reduce his penalty by three months if he completes a video on anti-bullying (more on that here).

Goodbye Arman … hello Alex?

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