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Du Plessis and Adesanya got intense during the first official face off for their UFC 305 title fight on August 17th, with neither man breaking eye contact for over a minute.

The past few days in the UFC have been great if you’re a fan of intense staredowns.

First there was the staredown between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka in the main event of UFC 303, which started the moment both men entered the octagon and lasted nearly five whole minutes. Now we’re happy to report that Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya gave that moment a run for its money at a UFC 305 ticket announcement press conference in Australia.

Tickets for UFC 305 in Perth, Australia go on sale July 5th and we expect them to move quickly considering the hype surrounding the grudge match between middleweight champion Du Plessis and former champ Adesanya. If Aussies didn’t know the two African natives disliked each other, they do now because the first official face off turned into an intense 90 second stare down with both fighters refusing to break eye contact.

“The Last Stylebender” laid out the origin of their beef to the press in attendance.

“We’ve had history, over the years,” Adesanya said. “It’s almost like destiny because we met in Thailand, Tiger Muay Thai back in the day. Had a little little play around, and funny enough, here we are again. It’s like full circle, back where it all started for me. Again, he tried to discredit the Three Kings and say that he’s the real true African champion. And I was just, like, it’s a weird mindset, bro.”

“Like he came in the UFC, I knew who he was a little bit, but I didn’t go, ‘Oh, who the f— is this fake dude coming in?’ I just said, ‘Cool, he’s another African in the UFC.’ But then him discrediting me, Francis Ngannou, and Kamaru Usman, that ticked me off a little bit. So that’s what started this. But again, I’ll finish it.”

“There’s no tension for me,” Du Plessis said about the match-up. “I get into the octagon and I do my job. I do my business. You can be the biggest asshole in the world. You can be the nicest guy in the world. I’m going out there to kill you, and I hope you’re doing the same to me because otherwise, it’s not gonna be a good night for you.”

“As far as discrediting, I never discredited anybody stating fact,” he added. “Where do I reside? What’s my postal code? Where do I train? Where do I live? Where was I born? In South Africa. Still there, still training. I won this belt from South Africa, I didn’t travel anywhere else. That was the only thing that I stated.”

“So I never discredited anybody, but quite frankly, I don’t really care about how it rubbed him the wrong way. I don’t care.”

Based on the intensity of their staredown, it seems to us like both men care quite a bit.

UFC 305 goes down from Perth, Australia on August 17th. Check out the full line-up as it stands now here.

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Do you remember Travis Browne? Well, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) apparently did not until today (Tues., July 2, 2024).

MMA Fighting has confirmed that the former Heavyweight Top 10 contender, Browne (9-8-1 in UFC, 18-7-1 overall), has been released from his UFC contract. The news comes seven years after Browne’s last fight, a fourth consecutive loss that came via a second round Aleksei Oleinik rear-naked choke. Browne has shown no indication of returning since the defeat, but never formally notified the promotion of a retirement. Browne’s last win was a third round technical knockout of Matt Mitrione in January 2016.

Slipping into the shadows of mixed martial arts (MMA) in the past decade, he’s been seen on occasion alongside his wife, former UFC Bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey.

The 41-year-old “Hapa” entered the Octagon with plenty of fanfare as an undefeated 9-0 prospect in 2010. Browne went 13-0-1 before taking his first loss, a first round technical knockout opposite Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the October 2012 clash.

Although Browne’s UFC run ended unceremoniously, he put some notable names on his resume with impressive wins over the likes of Alistair Overeem, Josh Barnett, Stefan Struve, Brendan Schaub, and the aforementioned Mitrione.

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MMA Mania brings you Sound & Pound. An original podcast that features previews, recaps, lists, prospects, and a Q&A. Oh, and a cool movie club.

MMA Mania brings you Sound & Pound, an original podcast featuring previews, recaps, lists, prospects, and a Q&A. Oh, and a cool movie club. All brought to you by yours truly, Alex Behunin and Drake Riggs.

This week, we’ll recap UFC 303 and Invicta FC 55, answer fan questions as we’re joined by UFC Bantamweight Adrian Yanez, review SLC Punk! (1998), and discuss everything in between. Watch it live at 3:00 P.M. EST every Tuesday or on replay in the player above on our YouTube channel.

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Plinio Cruz explains what it was like to get “Poatan” ready for a fight in two weeks and how they mentally prepared their fighter for UFC 303.

Alex Pereira did it again, stepping up on short notice to save another massive Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) card. From UFC 295 to UFC 300 to UFC 303, when UFC needs a main event, it calls “Poatan.”

Even if he has broken toes and it’s on two weeks notice.

For Pereira’s coach and translator, Plinio Cruz, the decision to fight was an easy one. He knew his pupil was ready, and his main job was maintaining the confidence and mindset of “Poatan” through International Fight Week leading into his UFC 303 fight with Jiri Prochazka (which he’d win by second round knockout).

“The way that we drew the plan to come to this fight week was to not feel too responsible for this thing,” Cruz explained on The MMA Hour. “Like, when the fight was booked, he looked at me and said, ‘Okay, how are you gonna do this?’ I say, ‘This time, we’re not gonna get no Airbnb. We’re not gonna get a big house. We’re not gonna bring a whole entourage. It’s gonna be me, you, Glover, the corners, and the boys.’

“‘We’re gonna stay in the fighter’s hotel, we’re gonna go over there like we’re gonna fight on the undercard,” he added. “We’re gonna win this fight, go back home.’

“I told him with these exact words,” he continued. “Sometimes, you have enough time to look at the blueprint of the bank, check the cameras, and plan a bank robbery. Or sometimes, you just give your your friends a gun, tell them to hop in the car, and let’s just go rob a bank together.”

Pereira was extremely relaxed coming into this fight — to the point where cameras caught him and his team dancing in the locker room before their fight. Cruz credits this to everyone knowing they were properly prepared.

“Once you’re confident that you did everything right, even though it was two weeks, he did not slack. He was training. And throughout fight week, since the fight was announced in Australia until the fight, he started to really get into becoming more experienced, like as the world champion.”

“He’s not arrogant, but it’s a level of confidence and the positive vibe that we build around us,” Cruz explained. “We are a small team, but we have a big circle of power. You know what I mean? We are a strong circle of power, so the bond, I think, makes everything like that.”

So, what’s next for Pereira, according to his coach?

“Take a break, enjoy the summer,” he said. “Because right now, if you see, it’s not only two fights. Since November, he fought three times already. So that’s starting [to wear] on the body. And I said, ‘Bro, just enjoy being a world champion for a little bit. Let’s not rush. Let’s train. Let’s keep training.’”

But, as we’ve noted before, a “Poatan” break isn’t all that long.

“Alex Pereira is definitely fighting in the second semester of 2024,” Cruz declared. “100 percent.”

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 303: “Pereira vs. Prochazka 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

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Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

2024 might just be the year of Alex Pereira.

“Poatan” picked up his second Light Heavyweight title defense over the weekend by knocking out Jiri Prochazka (watch here), stepping up on short-notice to save the UFC 303 fight card … not long after he stepped up to headline UFC 300 with an equally devastating KO! Pereira has headlined two of the year’s most high-profile cards to massive results, building himself into one of the sport’s biggest stars in the last six months.

It’s certainly been a very lucrative year so far.

Perhaps Pereira isn’t done adding to his legacy in 2024? Prior to UFC 303, Pereira spoke about taking a couple months off, because he has been fighting at a very hectic pace by elite MMA standards. He may have changed his plans, however, as Pereira is already back in the gym! In the video above, Pereira spars in a controlled fashion with his partner, as well as doing other live technical drills like trading combo-for-combo.

Maybe October against Magomed Ankalaev is a possibility? Pereira barely took a shot against Prochazka, and by his standards, a trip to Abu Dhabi in the fall isn’t that quick of a turnaround.

The other interesting angle here is that Pereira is possibly medically suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). The UFC 303 medical suspension information hasn’t been publicly released yet, but it’s fairly standard for commissions to advise no contact for a week even in clear-cut, punishment-free victories like Pereira’s knockout win over Prochazka.

Maybe they’re aware “Poatan” is simply built different.

Insomnia

I’m now fully a believer in Alex Pereira magic, “Poatan” power, and his Light Heavyweight reign. I’m done picking against him. Pereira forever.

Do we get a knockout or the worst fight of the night? Classic undercard Heavyweight MMA booking.

Regardless of intent, this quote is hilariously disrespectful. Renato Moicano is really good! He has better wins than Turner by a fair margin!

Mark Hunt does not have strong expectations for the UFC Sphere.

A great show of respect from Dan Ige and Diego Lopes.

Sean Strickland beating up a tired sparring partner:

Some fight fans need a second hobby.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Good read on the uppercut, Bigdash was ducking when met with the cross.

Left hand counter shot completely finished this fight; the rest of the combo was just for show.

At 16-0 with 13 stoppage wins, just how good is Magomed Umalatov?

Random Land

I genuinely didn’t know ouroboros was more than a symbol, something that happened in reality.

Midnight Music: Soft rock, 1970

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

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Michael Chandler is in a very unique situation.

The former three-time Bellator Lightweight champion, Chandler, has been sidelined since November 2022. However, that’s not due to injury, but the patience towards a promised match up against Conor McGregor.

Chandler, 38, was supposed to finally collide with the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight and Lightweight titlist at UFC 303 this past weekend (June 29, 2024). Unfortunately, a broken pinky toe led to “The Notorious’” withdrawal from the bout, making it the first time to pull out of a scheduled mixed martial arts (MMA) fight for the Irishman. Chandler now claims he’s been offered a UFC Lightweight title shot against the champion, Islam Makhachev, as a presumed consolation for his patience.

Instead of just flat-out moving on for the rare opportunity, “Iron” refuses to fully drop the prospect of his McGregor “red panty night.”

“I’ve been offered @MAKHACHEVMMA in October – but if @TheNotoriousMMA little pinky toe is ready by Sept, let’s do sphere,” Chandler tweeted. “Biggest sporting event in history of sports!!!! @RiyadhSeason #ufc306

“Good old fashioned passionate American @MizzouWrestling beats sambo all day. @MAKHACHEVMMA,” he added.

The last time Chandler fought he lost by third round rear-naked choke against Dustin Poirier at UFC 281 (watch highlights). The loss made him 1-3 in his last four (23-8 overall). Poirier, coincidentally, was the most recent to challenge Makhachev, falling short in round five when Makhachev locked in a tight d’arce choke (watch highlights).

Makhachev and Poirier briefly bantered today (Mon., July 1, 2024) when the latter teased his interest in a rematch if needed because of No. 1-ranked contender, Arman Tsarukyan’s, recent suspension. Said suspension would be the only logical roadblock for the top contender being the next challenger for Makhachev.

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Former featherweight title challenger, Brian Ortega, was asked to compete on super short notice against red-hot 145-pound contender Diego Lopes as part of the UFC 303 pay-per-view (PPV) event last weekend in Las Vegas. Their hastily-assembled showdown was booked to fill the co-headlining slot left vacant by this last-minute disaster.

Unfortunately for Ortega — who was already planning a move to lightweight — the cut down to 145 pounds left him worse for the wear. The promotion managed to rework the weights to keep “T-City” on the card, but he was unable to stay healthy enough to compete on June 29 at T-Mobile Arena in “Sin City.”

So what happened?

“He caught a terrible fever over the last few days from his body being run down from cutting on 15 days’ notice and 30-plus pounds,” Ariel Helwani revealed on The MMA Hour after speaking to Ortega’s manager. “He couldn’t recover or keep anything down.”

Ortega out, “legends” in.

Stepping in for Ortega was longtime featherweight contender Dan Ige, who came off the bench on just two hours’ notice to battle Lopes in the UFC 303 co-main event. Their action-packed showdown ended with a unanimous decision victory in favor of the Brazilian. No question Ige was well compensated for his last-minute efforts.

A timeline for Ortega’s Octagon return has yet to be determined.

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Former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas will look to win her second straight and break into the flyweight Top 5 when she collides with No. 11-ranked title contender Tracy Cortez (not Maycee Barber) atop the promotion’s long-awaited return to “Mile High City” for UFC Denver on July 13, streaming LIVE on both ESPN and ESPN+!

Event: UFC Denver: “Namajunas vs. Cortez”
Date: Sat., July 13, 2024
Location: Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado
Start times: ESPN/ESPN+ Prelims at 7 p.m. ET | ESPN/ESPN+ Main Card at 10 p.m. ET

UFC Denver Main Event On ESPN/ESPN+:

125 lbs.: Rose Namajunas vs. Tracy Cortez (not Maycee Barber)

UFC Denver Main Card on ESPN/ESPN+ (10 p.m. ET):

170 lbs.: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Muslim Salikhov
155 lbs.: Drew Dober vs. TBA (Mike Davis injured)
170 lbs.: Mike Malott vs. Gilbert Urbina
125 lbs.: Viviane Araujo vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius

UFC Denver Prelims Card on ESPN/ESPN+ (7 p.m. ET):

170 lbs.: Gabriel Bonfim vs. Ange Loosa
145 lbs.: Julian Erosa vs. Christian Rodriguez
185 lbs.: Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Cody Brundage
125 lbs.: Luana Santos vs. Mariya Agapova
185 lbs.: Josh Fremd vs. Andre Petroski

*Fight card, bout order and number of fights remain subject to change.*

For more upcoming UFC events click here.

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With Michael Page defeated, Ian Garry wants to get back to work climbing the rankings. A fight with former training partner Rakhmonov is at the top of his list.

Well, it wasn’t pretty. But Ian Machado Garry walked away from UFC 303 with a win over Michael “Venom” Page.

Page quickly established himself as the faster and more dangerous striker, but unfortunately for “MVP,” this is mixed martial arts. Garry turned to his grappling and jiujitsu skills to overpower his stylish opponent, taking him down and nearly choking him out in the first round.

A third round spent on Page’s back locked the decision win in for “The Future,” to the boos of those who wanted to see a stand-and-bang war. Garry was unapologetic about how he earned his win, and he’s already looking onwards and upwards to his next opponent.

“I want to be active, being active is the single biggest thing to me,” he said during the UFC 303 post-fight press conference. “I’m not going to stop training and I would love to fight again in Las Vegas in December, so let’s see who’s ready.”

“I’ve been calling out Colby [Covington], I’ve been calling out Shavkat [Rakhmonov], I’ve been calling out [Kamaru] Usman,” he declared. “Give me anyone that’s ranked higher than me and let me get my hand raised in the most fabulous style I possibly can.”

“This Shavkat, 18-0, undefeated, I’d love to get my hands on him. I’ve trained with him. I have nothing but respect for the guy. But I want to be the first guy to take his 0 and I know I can do it. I just beat the fastest guy in the division other than me.”

“When it comes to striking and skills, I can do it,” he concluded. “When it comes to grappling, you’ve seen the growth that I’ve had. I’d love to prove it against someone like him.”

It didn’t take long for Rakhmonov to respond to Garry’s callout.

“Looks like Ian forgot what happened during those training sessions,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “I don’t mind reminding him in the future.”

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Adesanya’s callback to his KO over Pereira has fans accusing him of clinging onto his sole win from their four fight rivalry.

Israel Adesanya’s reaction to Alex Pereira’s impressive win over Jiri Prochazka has a lot of fans unimpressed with the former middleweight champion.

There was once a time when Pereira was only notable because he held wins over Adesanya years ago in kickboxing. Those days are long gone as “Poatan” is on the verge of becoming a bigger star than “The Last Stylebender.”

Pereira beat Adesanya twice in kickboxing, knocking a young Izzy out cold in their second fight. The Brazilian then fought his way into the UFC and up to a title fight against Adesanya … knocking “Stylebender” out again to win the middleweight title.

Adesanya would bounce back to defeat Pereira in the rematch, making him 1-3 across combat sports. And then he declared he wouldn’t fight his stone-faced nemesis again. The loss didn’t slow Pereira down: he moved up to light heavyweight and captured the belt. He’s now defended it twice, which makes him the first champ to do so since Jones vacated the title in August 2020.

The UFC called him when they needed someone to save UFC 300. They called him again to save UFC 303. And we have no doubt he’ll someday step up to heavyweight to try and become a three division UFC champion. In the face of all that, Israel Adesanya posting a stylized video of his sole win over Pereira comes across as petty.

It all goes back to the early days of Adesanya’s UFC career, where he said Pereira would pop up regularly to chase clout off his name.

“He watches all my fights,” Adesanya said. “And every time I fight, like clockwork, he’ll try and put something out like ‘I beat this guy!’ But I’ve never ever watched any of his fights, ever. So at the end of the day, no one knows who the f— he is. He’s gonna be that guy, when I’m world champion, when I’m a legend, he’s gonna be at some pub talking some s— about ‘I beat that guy on time.’”

Now he’s doing the same thing to Pereira, and we’re not sure if the irony is the point or unintended. Either way, MMA fans let Izzy have it. Take a look at some of the replies, care of X (formerly Twitter):

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