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Buckley did his best to manifest a red panty night against McGregor, but UFC CEO Dana White isn’t interested. Fortunately, ‘New Mansa’ has a solid back-up option in mind.

Joaquin Buckley walked the walk and talked the talk at UFC St. Louis, defeating tough rising prospect Nursulton Ruziboev in a one sided contest to deliver an exciting victory for his hometown crowd. It was the culmination of weeks of self-hype, from demanding a spot on the Missouri card at the UFC 300 presser to making himself the center of attention all through fight week.

The future is bright for Buckley, but not so bright that he’ll get what he asked for during his in-cage interview: a fight with Conor McGregor. “New Mansa” dropped a pretty spicy call out directed at the Irish sports star, insulting several generations of McGregors.

“I researched the McGregor name and you come from a long, long line of McHoes,” Buckley declared. “Your dad was a b—h. Your grandfather was a p—y. Your great-great-grandfather was a p—y. So, I guess it’s safe to say that your mom was a p—y. And guess what? If you don’t answer, and I’ll bet the money I don’t even have that you won’t, everyone will know I’m telling the truth.”

“It’s my time, and if you want to be king you have to behead the king. It’s time to take the throne.”

UFC CEO White refused to entertain a McGregor vs. Buckley match-up at the post fight press conference, giving the idea a simple “No.” Fortunately, Buckley had a more realistic option ready to share … while refusing to completely give up on the idea of McGregor.

“I’m definitely not going to get that, but why not take chances, right?” Buckley said. “I’ve been doing it up until this moment, so why not make the biggest call out that I can make? If Michael Chandler doesn’t show up for the [McGregor] fight, ‘New Mansa’ will be ready.”

And if that doesn’t work out?

“Gilbert Burns, I think it’s a beautiful fight,” he suggested. “A beautiful match-up. I don’t know when he’s going to be cleared or when he’s going to be ready, but Gilbert Burns, definitely.”

Burns just lost a brutal fight against Jack Della Maddalena in March and probably shouldn’t fight again til the end of 2024. So unless Buckley wants to take a break and squander all this hype, he might need a third option.

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A major UFC event in Saudi Arabia for 2025 came about after the Kingdom approached Dana White about holding Power Slap in their country.

The UFC hasn’t even held its first event in Saudi Arabia yet, but that didn’t stop Dana White from traveling to Riyadh earlier this week to sign an ‘extended partnership’ with the Kingdom. And according to the UFC CEO, it’s all because the Saudis wanted Power Slap.

Power Slap is either the fastest growing sport in the world or a horrific carnival of concussive blows to defenseless rubes, depending on who you ask. Or maybe it’s both. There’s no denying the show does impressive numbers on social media sites, with millions of people stopping to witness the carnage as they scroll through their Facebook reels, Instagram stories, and TikTok feeds.

Is there actual interest in the product past that? White says yes, and that interest was the seed that led to the new Saudi / UFC deal.

“Well, it started with Power Slap,” White said at the UFC St. Louis post-fight press conference. “They wanted Power Slap. I got in there and started talking to them, and then we did another UFC fight too.”

That’s a pretty wild statement, even in comparison to other wild statements White has made about the sporting juggernaut that is Power Slap.

Saudi Arabia announced the extension by saying they had “something big” lined up for their next UFC event. They also plan on announcing an ‘enhancement’ to their deal with WWE next month which could see a major event like the Royal Rumble move to Riyadh. UFC and WWE parent company TKO must be really happy with Dana if it was his Power Slap promotion that helped solidify the UFC’s partnership with the Kingdom.

White also declared we’d see more bundling of Power Slap, UFC, and WWE events together over the same weekend in various cities.

“We already have those dates set up right now where Power Slap goes Friday and UFC goes Saturday,” he said. “You’re gonna see Friday Power Slap, Saturday UFC, and Sunday WWE. You’ll start seeing that stuff too.”

Whether you want to or not.

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Pereira beat Potieria so badly that ‘Duelist’ wont be able to fight Magomedov in Saudi Arabia. So ‘Bullet’ now wants Pereira to replace him.

Ihor Potieria is out of his UFC Saudi Arabia fight on June 22nd against Shara Magomedov, and it’s all Michel Pereira’s fault.

That’s Potieria and Magomedov’s view of the situation, which is somewhat understandable given the circumstances. The two were set to fight in Riyadh, but the UFC threw Potieria onto UFC 301 against Pereira as a late replacement opponent. Now a medical suspension from that loss has Potieria sidelined until August.

Pereira choked out “Duelist” in just 54 seconds in Rio de Janeiro, with the key moment of the fight being a backflip knee to the face from “Demolidor” that the referee never called. Officials were concerned enough about the damage Potieria took to issue him a 45 day medical suspension, and apparently UFC doctors have lengthened that suspension to three months.

All over an illegal knee to a grounded opponent that no one is willing to officially acknowledge!

“It’s a shame, but the UFC suspended me from fighting for three months due to an illegal kick,” Potieria wrote on social media. “Perhaps there will be justice and this fight will be annulled.”

Shara “Bullet” also took a shot at Pereira over the fight cancellation.

“[Michel Pereira] you damn acrobat, I lost my opponent because of you,” he wrote in an Instagram Story. “Everyone knows that you can do backflips now, but UFC is not a circus. You made an illegal move, and now you have to punished. Let us kick him out of the rankings and let me deal with this clown. Ship him to Saudi Arabia on June 22nd and I will board him.”

It’s unlikely that the Brazilian commission CABMMA will overturn the fight at this point, which sucks for Ihor. As for Shara, we’re sure the UFC will find the popular Dagestani fighter another opponent. Will it be Michel Pereira? The promotion has already attempted to turn “Demolidor” around quick by setting up a June fight with teammate Roman Dolidze, but Pereira says news of this booking is premature.

We gotta say, Pereira vs. Shara “Bullet” is a sexier fight than Dolidze in our books. We’ll keep you updated as the matchmaking for both men gets worked out.

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White sounds serious about taking the UFC out of the miserable Apex and back on the road to all the smaller markets they’ve been ignoring since the pandemic.

The UFC was in St. Louis, Missouri last night for a fun event at the Enterprise Center which featured Derrick Lewis knocking a dude out and hometown hero Joaquin Buckley beating tough challenger Nursulton Ruziboev.

According to UFC CEO Dana White, the event marked the highest gate ever for a UFC Fight Night, generating $ 2.47 million with 15,960 fans in attendance. And those fans were hyped. It was a nice change of vibes after we’ve had to suffer through eight listless Fight Nights at the UFC Apex so far this year.

On a recent TKO Inc. earnings call, the corporate owners of the UFC suggested the Apex might get phased out over time, despite the obvious cost benefits of holding shows there. White seemed to echo similar sentiments after St. Louis.

“Even if you’re watching on ESPN, I mean, everybody — I’m sure you guys were getting text too. They’re like, ‘Jesus Christ. It’s like a pay per view there right now.’”

“And this is, when you think about how we built this business, it was taking it out of the big markets. When we first got into the fight business, everybody just went to Vegas, Atlantic City, sometimes New York, sometimes LA. That’s the only place that really had fights unless you had a local kid.

“We built this business taking this thing to every city all over the world,” he repeated. “And as we start to get our s— together, I will call it, and start to move out and start to go to these different cities like we used to, the whole sport just goes to another level.”

Asked if this meant the end of the Apex as the most used venue for UFC events, White replied yes.

“It’s what I’ve been saying for a long time,” he said. “We gotta get out of the Apex and start doing more events in all these different cities, and we’re starting to do it. We’re getting it done this year.”

We’ve been saying since the end of the pandemic that the Apex is a hype-killer that hurts the product and the UFC’s ability to develop the next generation of stars. With gates like St. Louis, even the nerds in accounting can’t deny it makes sense to get back on the road.

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Here’s what you may have missed?

Did you fall victim to the Robelis Despaigne hype train?

Perhaps your parlay went up in flames the moment the fight escaped the opening minute, which made it longer than Despaigne’s previous four bouts. Or maybe you held out hope for the knockout until the final Waldo Cortes-Acosta takedown late in the third round, which clearly signified the end of his chances.

If so, you’re not alone. Let’s face it: it’s fun to ride the hype train! Despaigne had an Olympic bronze medal on his resume, an undefeated record filled with knockouts, and an 87 inch reach. Say no more! The Heavyweight division needs exciting new talent, so why not a 35-year-old Cuban that stands sideways like “Wonderboy” Thompson?

Unfortunately, Cortes-Acosta demonstrated why not in efficient fashion, revealing all the holes that pessimists feared existed in Despaigne’s game. None of it was particularly shocking. Did we expect Despaigne to have any kind of bottom game? Not really, though it was still disappointing to see him fail to even pursue underhooks from his back — the most day one of wrestling instruction.

Generally, Despaigne’s wrestling and grappling defense appeared to be that of a man who has never been held down on the floor or trained properly. He didn’t pursue underhooks or fight grips. He turned his back often and reached backwards. Rather than push off on his opponent’s head to deny a takedown, he wrapped up guillotine choke that was really more of a non-threatening head squeeze.

It was a lot of extremely rookie mistakes.

On the feet, Despaigne’s decision-making left a lot to be desired as well. He repeatedly crashed forward behind lunging right hands and shifting punches, the exact techniques a fighter trying not to get taken down should be avoiding. He doesn’t yet have a process in the cage, which is why the far more experienced Cortes-Acosta was able to implement his own game plan and grind him out.

Fans worldwide are yelling, “FRAUD CHECK!” and it’s justified. Despaigne is clearly not ready for Heavyweights in the top half of the division.

The bright side, however, is that Despaigne can rebound from this. He still has ridiculous physical tools and great weapons on the feet. Midway through the third, he started to realize he could just hang back and kick the crap out of Cortes-Acosta, and the Brazilian hated it. That’s a conclusion he came to only because he tripled his total professional fight time in this bout alone.

Hopefully, Despaigne learns other lessons here. He managed to survive on the floor with absolutely zero technique, so a half-decent MMA coach should be able to impart some much needed grappling form upon him quickly. Wall-walking and underhook getups don’t have to be complicated to be effective! Now that he’s been manhandled, perhaps Despaigne will be more eager to focus on that missing aspect of his game.

This defeat could be a turning point for Despaigne, the result that convinces his MMA requires full attention and dedication and that his raw athleticism alone will no longer be enough. If he can use it as a learning lesson, it may not be long before he strings together another couple wins, and the hype train is rolling once again.

For complete UFC St. Louis: “Lewis vs. Nascimento” results and play-by-play, click HERE!

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Last night (Sat., May 11, 2024), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ventured forth to Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri for UFC St. Louis. In the main event, Heavyweight sluggers Derrick Lewis and Rodrigo Nascimento promised violence, and the co-main featured hometown favorite Joaquin Buckley putting his ranking on the line against relative unknown Nursulton Ruziboev. Beneath those fights were a quality class of action fighters, guaranteeing a fun night of fights from “The Show-Me State.”

Let’s take a look back over at UFC St. Louis’ best performances and techniques:

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

The Black Beast Cometh

Derrick Lewis won in the usual manner last night.

On the feet, the power differential was beyond obvious. Nascimento landed a few shots, but it was immediately clear that he could not trade with “The Black Beast.” Even in the clinch, Lewis’ power was getting to the Brazilian, forcing him to work really hard for his takedowns. To Nascimento’s credit, he did good work in controlling Lewis and landing solid shots from top position.

The problem was that it wasn’t sustainable strategy for Nascimento. Rare is the Heavyweight who can wrestle hard for 25 minutes. As he began to slow, Lewis landed more and more often, and the kill shot inched closer. Early in the third, Lewis’ right hand found the temple, and that was all she wrote!

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Buckley Gets The Job Done In STL

Methodical is never a word that I’ll use to describe Joaquin Buckley, but he was at the very least tactical against Nursulton Ruziboev, who towered over him from the first bell. Buckley had to be very careful closing range, and credit to “New Mansa,” he was able to use feints, false starts, and little sideways angle shifts to avoid the worst of Ruziboev’s counter shots.

Takedowns proved a surprisingly effective path to victory for Buckley. Between the occasional wild exchanges, Buckley showed off his explosiveness by running through Ruziboev with blast doubles. Initially, Ruziboev’s wild movement from his back deterred Buckley, but by the third round, Buckley was able to establish top position and drop nasty ground strikes.

It was a risky move from Buckley to take this fight, but he earned a clear-cut win in front of a boisterous home crowd because of the gamble. His win streak grows to four, and perhaps he looks up the ladder next?

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Light Heavyweight’s New Contender

Carlos Ulberg only needed a dozen seconds to knock out Alonzo Menifield.

Admittedly, “Atomic” did his part to create the knockout also. He charged forward wildly just a couple seconds into the fight, losing his balance while over-swinging and falling over himself. As he regained his footing, Ulberg unleashed a combination and floored him with a left hook, extending his win streak to six in the process.

It’s time to get him in the cage opposite a Top 10 opponent. Didn’t Anthony Smith win a fight quickly just one week ago?

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Lightweight’s Underappreciated Killer

At 39 years of age, Diego Ferreira just turned up-and-coming crusher Mateusz Rebecki’s face into mincemeat.

That’s not to say it was easy. Rebecki showed his gifts in the first round, getting in Ferreira’s grill and throwing vicious and powerful combinations. He clipped Ferreira upside the jaw on several occasions, smashed his nose with a hook, and floored him with a nasty left hand. He also scored a couple takedowns, but all the while, Ferreira kept moving and making him work.

The tide turned in the second. Ferreira’s game is that of consistent work rate and pressure. Though he was forced onto the back foot early by Rebecki’s power, he was still able to keep his pace high and target the body often with snappy front kicks. When Rebecki lost a touch of steam, Ferreira was in his face throwing five- and six-punch combos. He started touching Rebecki up, and the Polish prospect couldn’t turn to his wrestling, because Ferreira is a brilliant scrambler and refused to be contained. By the third, both of Rebecki’s eyes were nearly shut. He was exhausted. He kept throwing, but the writing was on the wall. The Brazilian finished him with a flurry on the floor just before the clock ran out.

Ferreira is a great Lightweight. He may not have turned his six-fight win streak into a title run, but the Brazilian deserves a ton of respect for turning away many would-be contenders. He’s been in the cage with everyone from Dustin Poirier to Anthony Pettis, and he brings the fight every time.

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Did The Judges Get It Right?

I enjoyed the 15-minute battle between Alex Caceres and Sean Woodson. For the first five minutes, Woodson controlled range really well. He kicked the calf effectively and put together sharp combinations, really making good use of his feints and movement to stay ahead of the veteran.

“Bruce Leeroy” has been in the game for a long time, however, and he’s learned a trick or two. Caceres adjusted well in the second, doubling up on the pressure and targeting the body more often. He attacked in combination, occasionally spinning between punches in an attempt to close distance on the lanky boxer.

It was a competitive second frame, but Caceres’ success built in the third. He definitely took the final round, landing some good flurries while Woodson seemed to slow. There were still some fun exchanges, but Caceres finished the fight strong.

It seemed like enough to steal the decision, but the judges deemed otherwise. I consider the bout too close to be a robbery in either direction, which is why I’m turning the question to our readers: who do you think won?

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

The Best Chase Hooper Yet

A funny situation tends to play out when a really young prospect comes up through Contenders Series. They get a bit of hype, because look how skilled this barely-an-adult fighter is! Then, there are inevitable some bumps in the road, because these ultra young fighters don’t have a ton of experience or depth to their game.

Chase Hooper is 24 years old and five years into his UFC career. He’s shown off excellent jiu-jitsu, but his standup game historically has been a work in progress, and he’s taken some tough losses to fighters nobody considers elite caliber. Because of those defeats, he’s been written off by many despite showing consistent improvement.

Since moving up to Lightweight, Hooper has won three fights. His kickboxing is noticeably sharper, and his punches land with a greater impact. He wrestles at a high rate, and his grappling remains excellent. It all came together last night against Slava Borshchev, as Hooper managed to gain momentum with an early and unexpected knockdown.

He never let up. “The Dream” battered his foe from top position, overwhelming the Russian en route to a second-round d’arce choke. It’s undoubtedly the best win of his career, as well as a reminder that these young up-and-comers can take some losses and return better.

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Live By The Sword …

Terrence McKinney doesn’t understand how to have a boring fight.

“T-Wrecks” competed inside the Octagon for the ninth time last night. He’s visited the second round just three times in that span, and one way or another, the large majority have ended via knockout. He’s on the winning side more often than not, and he’s made himself a must-watch Lightweight.

Unfortunately for McKinney, it was Esteban Ribovics who struck first. The two wasted zero time in trading heavy punches, but Ribovics punctuated his combination with a high kick. McKinney never saw it coming and hit the fence unconscious, making for the best win of Ribovics’ career.

For complete UFC St. Louis: “Lewis vs. Nascimento” results and play-by-play, click HERE!

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With UFC St. Louis a wrap after an exciting night (Sat., May 11, 2024) of fights live on ESPN from inside Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri, fight fans can now check out the post-fight press conference video above for all the best reaction and official bonus winners.

On a night that featured a main event clash between UFC knockout king Derrick Lewis and Brazilian contender Rodrigo Nascimento, a co-headliner pitting hometown favorite Joaquin Buckley against streaking finisher Nursulton Ruziboev, and a light heavyweight meeting between heavy hitters Alonzo Menifield and Carlos Ulberg, there will be a lot to discuss now that the action has concluded.

The post-fight presser is scheduled to go LIVE in the above video player around 10:00 p.m. ET. It will feature the biggest winners and losers from the card, as well as company CEO, Dana White.

For more UFC St. Louis results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.

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UFC St. Louis goes down on ESPN tonight with Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento in the main event. Checkout what will happen this evening right here!

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is on the road this weekend (Sat., May 11, 2024) with UFC St. Louis mixed martial arts (MMA) event from inside Enterprise Center in Missouri. The event will be streamed LIVE on ESPN and ESPN+. UFC St. Louis promises Heavyweight action in the main event as division mainstay Derrick Lewis meets Rodrigo Nascimento. The co-main pits St. Louis native, Joaquin Buckley, against lanky Welterweight, Nursulton Ruziboev. There’s also a Light Heavyweight banger on deck with Alonzo Menifield taking on Carlos Ulberg. The “Prelims” include Chase Hooper meeting Viacheslav Borshchev, Tecia Pennington returning to face Tabitha Ricci and so much more.

UFC ST. LOUIS START TIME AND DATE

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC St. Louis fight card below, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” undercard bouts at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN/ESPN+ main card start time at 7 p.m. ET. Bet on all the UFC St. Louis 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 “Lewis vs. Nascimento.” Without further delay, see below for the updated UFC St. Louis results. (Note: This will go from the top down; therefore, look to the top of the stream for the newest update).

UFC ST. LOUIS QUICK RESULTS

265 lbs.: Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento
170 lbs.: Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev
205 lbs.: Alonzo Menifield vs. Carlos Ulberg
155 lbs.: Diego Ferreira vs. Mateusz Rebecki
145 lbs.: Alex Caceres vs. Sean Woodson
265 lbs.: Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Robelis Despaigne
155 lbs.: Chase Hooper vs. Viacheslav Borshchev
155 lbs.: Terrance McKinney vs. Esteban Ribovics
115 lbs.: Tabatha Ricci vs. Tecia Pennington
170 lbs.: Trey Waters vs. Billy Goff
125 lbs.: Jake Hadley vs. Charles Johnson
170 lbs.: Jared Gooden vs. Kevin Jousset
125 lbs.: JJ Aldrich vs. Veronica Hardy

UFC ST. LOUIS ‘LEWIS VS. NASCIMENTO’ PLAY-BY-PLAY

Photo by Scott Rovak/NHLI via Getty Images

To check out the latest and greatest UFC St. Louis: “Lewis vs. Nascimento” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

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This weekend’s combat docket will feature UFC St. Louis, Vasyl Lomachenko vs. George Kambosos, Misfits Boxing 14, and BKFC 61, but fight fans woke up early Saturday to one of the most brutal knockouts you’ll see this year.

It all happened at Beatdown Promotions 7, which took place bright and early from inside Townsville Entertainment & Convention Centre in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. Apparently it aired live and free on YouTube, but most mixed martial arts (MMA) enthusiasts probably had no idea it was on or were sound asleep in their beds. Maybe they’ll pay attention now.

In an undercard matchup, undefeated finisher Mario Loga locked horns with struggling amateur fighter Daryl Paille. The two were supposed to fight back in September, but that was postponed and they finally connected early Saturday. Let’s just say it didn’t end well for Paille.

In the second round, the two fighters were trying to find space on the feet. That’s when Loga utilized some crisp footwork to get inside and land a monstrous right hand. It connected flush and immediately stiffened Paille. He violently crashed into the cage with his eyes wide open. Paille was clearly out as the referee rushed in and Loga walked off with his hands raised. Ringside officials rushed in to tend to a motionless Paille, who eventually came to.

If this wasn’t the morning jolt fight fans needed to prepare themselves for a Saturday chock-full of combat chaos then we don’t know what is. Check it out in the above video player and an alternate angle below:

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

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw never wanted to call it quits. Unfortunately, a chronically mangled shoulder forced his hand, as well as derailing his final chance at recapturing UFC gold in his doomed 2022 bout versus Aljamain Sterling.

Perhaps there’s still hope?

Just last month, Dillashaw was expressing doubts and second thoughts about his retirement. Now, Dillashaw has a positive update from his latest surgery, and he’s optimistic about his future. “Seem to be healing great from last surgery,” Dillashaw wrote on Instagram. “Will know more in the coming weeks but the future looks bright.”

Prior to all those shoulder surgeries, Dillashaw was the two-time UFC Bantamweight king. He first captured the belt by dethroning Renan Barao then later took the title again by stopping Cody Garbrandt twice. However, his attempt to become a two-division champion ended up costing him 135-pound gold, as he failed a drug test and lost two years of his prime while pursuing Henry Cejudo’s Flyweight belt.

He wouldn’t be the first MMA fighter to return from a brief retirement.

Insomnia

What percentage of serious fight fans are actually demanding Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic? It feels like a fight aimed at the casual fans who don’t realize just how long Miocic has been away.

Darren Till appears to be getting ready for a return to action. Will it be bare knuckle or boxing?

A fun Bantamweight booking with a bonus bit of backstory!

Demetrious Johnson reveals how much he made to be in the UFC video games, as well as on the cover.

Renato Moicano is hilarious.

Khabib is enjoying his hard-earned retirement.

Joaquin Buckley is a deeply unserious person. I love it!

Slips, rips, and KO clips

In case you missed it: One of the most violent men in UFC history retired last weekend. There can be no doubt that Matt Brown “unleashed the animal!”

Count the head kicks in this attempt at a prank:

That’s a full face plant.

Random Land

Incredible talent and mastery.

Midnight Music: I was away from the helm for the best parts of the Kendrick vs. Drake rap beef. My favorite track from each (ideally listened to in the order that they’re posted):

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

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