Category Archives: Mmamania.com

Ilia Topuria’s first title defense has yet to be decided.

The groundwork has been laid for a match up between the Featherweight champion and current Baddest Motherf—ker (BMF) titleholder, Max Holloway. The Hawaiian’s epic fifth round knockout win over Justin Gaethje (watch highlights) all but secured him with the option to do as he pleases going forward, which he’s made clear to be a shot at 145-pound gold.

However, Topuria has slightly changed his tune since UFC 300 earlier this month (April 13, 2024). With mentions of Brian Ortega and declining an Alexander Volkanovski rematch, according to Joe Rogan, Topuria isn’t starting on the best foot as champion, believes Daniel Cormier.

“Ilia Topuria is the champ, and as the champ, at times, you have some say into who you’re going to fight, when you’re going to fight him, when you’re ready, and all of that,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel (h/t MMA Fighting). “I don’t know, though, if he has as much say in this as he thinks he does.

“Max Holloway to me is clearly the guy, [but] if not, [it’s] Alexander Volkanovski. Max told me that,” he continued. “Him and I spoke personally, and he goes, ‘I thought Volk was going to get a rematch. How in the world does he not get a rematch?’ This is coming from the guy that’s waiting for the title fight. But he recognizes, ‘Look, man, this dude beat me three times, long-reigning champion, if anyone deserves an immediate rematch, it’s this guy.’”

Topuria, 27, defeated Volkanovski to become the champion via a second round knockout at UFC 298 this past February 2024 (watch highlights). For Holloway, his title reign at 145 pounds ended at the hands of Volkanovski in December 2019, who defeated him in their following two match ups. “Blessed” has only been bested by Volkanovski at Featherweight since 2013.

As a former two-division champion, Cormier has some advice for “El Matador.”

“I think Ilia Topuria needs to come right out and say, ‘Hey, I want Max Holloway on this date,’” Cormier said. “Then it would be on Max. … Because now, Max is the guy — and sure he has the BMF title — but he wants the Featherweight championship. Ilia has that. When Ilia says, ‘I want this fight on this date,’ Max will have to say, ‘Okay,’ or he will say no and they will move on.

“And then Ilia Topuria, at that point, can then start to go, ‘I don’t want to fight him,” he continued. “He had his chance, he could’ve did it then, he didn’t want to play by the rules.’ He has to make a statement saying, ‘This is what I want as the champ,’ and then put the ball in Max’s court to deny it. But right now, it’s not coming off great, because he’s batting away all of these guys with no clear idea of who else there is.”

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Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) is treating UFC fighters like Taylor Reese treats convenience store poker machines. No. 1-ranked lightweight contender, Arman Tsarukyan, was docked $ 31,600 for his fan altercation at UFC 300 earlier this month in Las Vegas, according to MMA Fighting, 20 percent of his total payout of $ 158,000.

Tsarukyan defeated Charles Oliveira by split decision.

Also in hot water for UFC 300 rule breaking is featherweight phenom Diego Lopes. The Brazilian crushed veteran bruiser Sodiq Yusuff, then celebrated by jumping over the cage — a big no-no in the aftermath of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s butt bomb from 2018. As a result, Lopes will hand over $ 5,000 from his $ 100,000 purse.

Tsarukyan and Lopes will return for a formal hearing later next month.

As for Igor Severino, who was booted from the promotion after biting Andre Lima at UFC Vegas 89, NSAC officials could not agree on the proposed suspension of six months and will reconvene next month to try again. As it stands, the 21 year-old flyweight is already on the hook for $ 3314.08.

The temporary fines issued to Tsarukyan and Lopes may be reduced, or eliminated completely, when the commission holds its disciplinary hearing in May. Both fighters remain unbooked at the time of this writing and are expected to make their Octagon returns at some point later this year.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently updated its official rankings in the wake of the UFC Vegas 91 mixed martial arts (MMA) event, which took place last weekend (Sat., April 27, 2024) at APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. Alex Perez is now ranked in the Top 5 at flyweight after crushing Matheus Nicolau in the UFC Vegas 91 headliner, sending the Brazilian down to the No. 8 spot. In the UFC Vegas 91 co-main event, Bogdan Guskov stopped Ryan Spann to debut at No. 12 on the light heavyweight chart, with “Superman” tumbling all the way down to No. 15.

Here’s how UFC compiles its official rankings:

Rankings were generated by a voting panel made up of media members. The media members were asked to vote for who they feel are the top fighters in the UFC by weight-class and pound-for-pound. A fighter is only eligible to be voted on if they are in active status in the UFC. A fighter can appear in more than one weight division at a time. The champion and interim champion are considered to be in the top positions of their respective divisions and therefore are not eligible for voting by weight-class. However, the champions can be voted on for the pound-for-pound rankings.

Take a look at what the latest rankings field looks like courtesy of UFC.com. Note: (+/- = movement in rankings, T = tie, *NR = Not previously ranked).

MEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND

1. Islam Makhachev
2. Jon Jones
3. Leon Edwards
4. Alex Pereira
5. Ilia Topuria
6. Sean O’Malley
7. Alexander Volkanovski
8. Max Holloway
9. Dricus Du Plessis
10. Alexandre Pantoja
11. Israel Adesanya +1
12. Tom Aspinall +1
13. Charles Oliveira -2
14. Sean Strickland
15. Aljamain Sterling

FLYWEIGHT

Champion: Alexandre Pantoja

1. Brandon Royval
2. Brandon Moreno
3. Amir Albazi
4. Kai Kara France
5. Alex Perez +3
6. Muhammad Mokaev +1
7. Manel Kape -1
8. Matheus Nicolau -3
9. Tim Elliott
10. Steve Erceg
11. Matt Schnell
12. Tagir Ulanbekov
13. Tatsuro Taira
14. Su Mudaerji +1
15. David Dvorak -1

BANTAMWEIGHT

Champion: Sean O’Malley

1. Merab Dvalishvili
2. Cory Sandhagen
3. Petr Yan
4. Marlon Vera
5. Henry Cejudo
6. Deiveson Figueiredo
7. Song Yadong
8. Rob Font
9. Umar Nurmagomedov
10. Kyler Phillips
11. Dominick Cruz
12. Jonathan Martinez +1
13. Mario Bautista -1
14. Ricky Simon +1
15. Pedro Munhoz -1

FEATHERWEIGHT

Champion: Ilia Topuria

1. Alexander Volkanovski
2. Max Holloway
3. Brian Ortega
4. Yair Rodriguez
5. Movsar Evloev
6. Arnold Allen
7. Josh Emmett
8. Aljamain Sterling
9. Calvin Kattar
10. Giga Chikadze
11. Edson Barboza +1
12. Bryce Mitchell -1
13. Dan Ige
14. Diego Lopes
15. Sodiq Yusuff

LIGHTWEIGHT

Champion: Islam Makhachev

1. Arman Tsarukyan
2. Charles Oliveira
3. Justin Gaethje
4. Dustin Poirier
5. Mateusz Gamrot
6. Beneil Dariush
7. Michael Chandler
8. Rafael Fiziev
9. Max Holloway
10. Renato Moicano
11. Dan Hooker
12. Jalin Turner
13. Benoit Saint-Denis
14. Rafael dos Anjos
15. Bobby Green

WELTERWEIGHT

Champion: Leon Edwards

1. Kamaru Usman
2. Belal Muhammed
3. Shavkat Rakhmonov
4. Colby Covington
5. Jack Della Maddalena
6. Gilbert Burns
7. Ian Machado Garry
8. Sean Brady
9. Stephen Thompson
10. Geoff Neal
11. Joaquin Buckley
12. Neil Magny
13. Michael Page
14. Vicente Luque
15. Kevin Holland

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Champion: Dricus Du Plessis

1. Sean Strickland
2. Israel Adesanya
3. Robert Whittaker
4. Jared Cannonier
5. Marvin Vettori
6. Paulo Costa
7. Brendan Allen
8. Nassourdine Imavov
9. Roman Dolidze
10. Jack Hermansson
11. Khamzat Chimaev
12. Anthony Hernandez
13. Paul Craig
14. Caio Borralho
15. Chris Curtis

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Champion: Alex Pereira

1. Jiri Prochazka
2. Magomed Ankalaev
3. Jamahal Hill
4. Jan Blachowicz
5. Aleksandar Rakic
6. Nikita Krylov
7. Johnny Walker
8. Khalil Rountree
9. Volkan Oezdemir
10. Anthony Smith
11. Alonzo Menifield +1
12. Bogdan Guskov *NR
13. Azamat Murzakanov
14. Dominick Reyes
15. Ryan Spann -4

HEAVYWEIGHT

Champion: Jon Jones

1. Tom Aspinall
2. Ciryl Gane
3. Sergei Pavlovich
4. Curtis Blaydes +1
5. Stipe Miocic -1
6. Alexander Volkov
7. Jailton Almeida
8. Marcin Tybura
9. Serghei Spivac
10. Tai Tuivasa
11. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
12. Derrick Lewis
13. Alexandr Romanov
14. Marcos Rogerio De Lima
15. Rodrigo Nascimento

WOMEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND

1. Alexa Grasso
2. Zhang Weili
3. Valentina Shevchenko
4. Manon Fiorot
5. Julianna Pena
6. Raquel Pennington
7. Rose Namajunas
8. Erin Blanchfield
9. Tatiana Suarez
10. Yan Xiaonan
11. Jessica Andrade
12. Amanda Lemos
13. Kayla Harrison
14. Ketlen Vieira
15. Irene Aldana

WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHT

Champion: Zhang Weili

1. Tatiana Suarez
2. Yan Xiaonan
3. Amanda Lemos
4. Jessica Andrade
5. Virna Jandiroba
6. Marina Rodriguez
7. Mackenzie Dern
8. Amanda Ribas
9. Luana Pinheiro
10. Loopy Godinez
11. Tabatha Ricci
12. Angela Hill
13. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
14. Michelle Waterson-Gomez
15. Gillian Robertson

WOMEN’S FLYWEIGHT

Champion: Alexa Grasso

1. Valentina Shevchenko
2. Manon Fiorot
3. Erin Blanchfield
4. Maycee Barber
5. Jessica Andrade
6. Rose Namajunas
7. Katlyn Cerminara
8. Natalia Silva
9. Amanda Ribas
10. Viviane Araújo
11. Tracy Cortez
12. Karine Silva +1
13. Ariane Da Silva -1
14. Casey O’Neill
15. Miranda Maverick

WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHT

Champion: Raquel Pennington

1. Julianna Pena
2. Ketlen Vieira
3. Mayra Bueno Silva
4. Kayla Harrison
5. Irene Aldana
6. Holly Holm
7. Macy Chiasson
8. Miesha Tate
9. Karol Rosa
10. Norma Dumont
11. Pannie Kianzad
12. Yana Santos
13. Julia Avila
14. Chelsea Chandler
15. Germaine De Randamie

You can expect these rankings to change around this time next week, particularly in the flyweight division, following the UFC 301: “Pantoja vs. Erceg” pay-per-view (PPV) event on ESPN+, scheduled for Sat., May 4, 2024 at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

For much more on that upcoming fight card click here.

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

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey has burned a lot of bridges since walking away from her UFC career. Of course, if you ask “Rowdy,” she might say the opposite and argue that people turned against her after a couple difficult losses. Either way, there was a lot of tension and conflict amidst the Rousey downfall that lingers to this day.

Recently, Rousey has made headlines while promoting her new book, Our Fight. Aside from discussing her concussion issues in the lead up to competition, Rousey really struck back at media members like Joe Rogan, labeling them “a bunch of assh—es” for failing to support at her lowest point.

Now, at least one member of the media is striking back. Former UFC color commentator Jimmy Smith is standing up to Rousey’s recent comments, and he describes her as a terror behind the scenes. According to Smith, Rousey has no right to play the victim card when she was actively bullying the people trying to interview here.

“I’ve never been a religious person,” Smith began. “One thing that’s always said about God, he gets all the credit, none of the blame. That’s what Ronda Rousey wants: all the credit, none of the blame. I want credit for all my wins; my losses I had CTE and I had this and I had that. ‘I’m the greatest to ever do it,’ but when it didn’t work, it was so and so and never me. She never gives credit to the people who actually beat her. The idea that ‘I left MMA and went to the WWE cause I had concussion problems’ makes no sense!”

He continued, “The people behind the scenes: camera people, audio people, the people you can push around, and the people you can bully, and the people you can talk down to —Can’t stand your f—king ass. Everybody behind the scenes that had to put a mic on Ronda Rousey couldn’t stand her. I said why? They said ‘She was a b—ch to us from the moment she sat down, to the moment she got up.’

“Like it’s our fault that she has to do this interview to hype her next fight and she’s just miserable, and she’s mean to us, and we can’t stand her. They were cheering when she got knocked out … Those are the people you can be mean to and rude to, and they can’t fight back. Those people couldn’t stand Ronda Rousey, so don’t sit here and tell me that you’re the victim. When the poor guy sitting behind the camera is doing his job, gets s—t on by you or you’re mean to the person asking you questions when we’re hyping your fight, don’t give me this victim s—t.”

Though Smith wasn’t working as UFC commentator during Rousey’s reign, he was certainly active in the media during her time as a fighter and the subsequent fallout. I cannot remember many explosive Jimmy Smith headlines in my own decade plus of covering the sport, so it would appear that Smith just really feels strongly here.

I wouldn’t expect a Ronda Rousey response.

Insomnia

I’ve always liked Joaquin Buckley fights, but his increased social media presence has been one of the more pleasant 2024 surprises.

An unfortunate update to UFC 302: Anthony Hernandez is injured and out of his fight versus Roman Dolidze.

I have to say, the PFL 5 card looks like a lot of fun.

Ciryl Gane absolutely ruining the day of his mitt man and coach, Fernandez Lopez, will always be funny.

Chuck Liddell continuing to prove himself as an all-time great athlete.

Andre Fili out amongst the people, asking the real questions.

Lorenzo Hunt may have suffered a brutal injury this weekend, but this is still a great clip!

Slips, rips, and KO clips

“Little Red” Danny Lopez dropping the hurt on a large number of opponents:

Now THAT is how you respond to getting taken down! Great punching on the break.

First punch of the fight proves to be perfectly placed …

Random Land

I do not endorse this.

Midnight Music: Rock, 1969

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

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There appears to be trouble behind the scenes for some of Professional Fighters League’s (PFL) new additions.

PFL made waves throughout mixed martial arts (MMA) to close out its 2023 campaign with the big acquisition of longtime promotional staple Bellator. The move bolstered PFL in essentially every category and the effects of that have been seen in 2024.

However, one place it hasn’t (yet) benefitted is financially, according to former Bellator Middleweight champion, Gegard Mousasi.

“I want to fight, but a little bit difficult with PFL. They don’t honor the contracts. We’ll see,” Mousasi said on JAXXON PODCAST. “They think I get paid too much. When they took over the contract, Bellator fighters make more than the PFL guys so they’re trying to cut the — maybe put pressure, a little bit of politics. Let me not fight for a year then they can come and say, ‘Hey, take half. Stuff like that.

“When they took over, they wanted all the Top 10 fighters, that’s what they said,” he continued. “I think Bellator fighters are also the better fighters, but Bellator fighters also get paid more than the PFL guys. So now, they have to cut because they’re not making a lot of money.”

Mousasi, 38, last fought when he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Fabian Edwards at Bellator 296 in May 2023. The 60-fight legend (49-9-2) has fought in just about every major MMA promotion that’s existed since he debuted in April 2003. Unfortunately, a stint in PFL might not be in the cards.

“I think they want to be the No. 2 after UFC,” Mousasi said of PFL. “They’re No. 2, I guess, but I don’t hear them making any money. Even ONE FC is like, if you look at it, ‘Oh, it’s a big show’ but they lose money all the time.”

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Francis Ngannou lost his 18 month-old son this week.

The former UFC heavyweight champion, who recently dabbled in the “sweet science” after signing with PFL, released a statement on social media shortly after the tragic news was posted by 237online.com.

“What’s the purpose of life if what we’re fighting tooth and nail to get away from is what finally hit us the hardest!?” Ngannou wrote on Twitter. “Why is life so unfair and merciless? Why does life always take what we don’t have? I’m f—king tired.”

Ngannou has not competed since a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in early March.

“It’s been a heavy few days, words can’t express the pain we all feel for the Ngannou family during this time,” coach Erick Nicksick added. “Please keep Francis and his family in your heart, and may this be a reminder of the fragility of life. Say ‘I love you,’ more often, tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.”

The cause of death has not been revealed.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) makes its return to the pay-per-view (PPV) market with the upcoming UFC 301 mixed martial arts (MMA) event on Sat. night May 4, 2024 inside Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, headlined by the flyweight title fight pitting reigning division champion Alexandre Pantoja against once-beaten 125-pound contender Steve Erceg. In addition, former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo returns to action opposite red-hot bantamweight “Dragon” Jonathan Martinez in the UFC 301 PPV co-main event.

Check out their “Countdown to UFC 301” preview in the embedded video above.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 301 fight card on fight night, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN2/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 301: “Pantoja vs. Erceg” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive events archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 301 fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight grapplers Caio Borralho and Paul Craig will throw down this weekend (Sat., May 4, 2024) inside Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for UFC 301

No. 14-ranked Caio Borralho has separated himself from the 185-pound pack for a very simple reason: he’s quite good, and most Middleweights are not. He may not always be a thrilling watch, but Borralho has a well-rounded skill set, great conditioning, and the ability to actually follow a game plan.

Craig makes for the perfect foil, because he is bad by several objective metrics. Of course, that hasn’t stopped him from defeating former and future champions like Jamahal Hill and Mauricio Rua! Craig is uniquely dangerous, and he can never be truly counted out of a fight despite his obvious flaws.

Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Caio Borralho vs. Paul Craig Betting Odds

• Caio Borralho victory: -540
• Caio Borralho via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
• Caio Borralho via submission: TBD
• Caio Borralho via decision: TBD
• Paul Craig victory: +340
• Paul Craig via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
• Paul Craig via submission: TBD
• Paul Craig via decision: TBD
• Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Photo by Pedro Vilela/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

How Borralho Wins

Caio Borralho is a smart and tactical fighter. He uses a karate-style stance and movement to maintain distance, scoring kicks and occasional counter punches. Most of the time, he’s waiting for a moment to time his athletic double leg, and he’s a black belt on the floor.

There’s a clear reason that Borralho is such a significant favorite: he’s just better. He’s the sharper kickboxer by a clear margin, the superior wrestler, and Borralho’s jiu-jitsu is very good in its own right. He has the skill to grapple with Craig and avoid the triangle, particularly since everyone knows that’s Craig’s ace in the hole.

In his last bout, Borralho let Abus Magomedov tire himself out a bit then really upped the pressure and volume in the second. A similar game plan seems wise here, in that Borralho can slowly beat up Craig then turn up the aggression as Craig starts to feel the punishment. Borralho needs finishes to climb the ladder quickly and shed his boring reputation — this is a good opponent for those goals.

Photo by George Tewkesbury/PA Images via Getty Images

How Craig Wins

I say this with love: Paul Craig is one of the wonkiest fighters on the roster. His kickboxing game is inconsistent, his defense isn’t great, he always falls to his knees when shooting double leg takedowns — yet he has a genuinely great resume and has worked into the Top 10 in two separate divisions.

Scottish magic, perhaps? Craig doesn’t quit, and he’ll turn a small opening into a broken arm real quick.

Match ups never look good for Craig on paper, but this isn’t an impossible fight for him. Borralho is not a fearsome puncher, so Craig can feel more comfortable in advancing behind combinations and kicks. We haven’t really seen Borralho’s takedown defense tested, so perhaps Craig can indeed muscle him to the floor.

If not, Craig hits reasonably hard. At worst, his aggression probably draws a takedown from Borralho, which at least gets Craig to the floor where he wants to be.

Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Borralho vs. Craig Prediction

My prediction is probably fairly obvious at this point.

Barring a sudden Craig triangle choke — always possible! — Borralho should win this fight everywhere. He’s younger, better, and on the rise. He has the skills and smarts to keep himself out of trouble while still delivering an ass-kicking. Much like Brendan Allen did in Craig’s last fight, Borralho should be able to beat his opponent up wherever the fight goes, and the threat of the submission subsides after a certain amount of punches land.

The Brazilian should mind his P’s and Q’s, but this is a stylistic layup.

Prediction: Borralho victory (-540)

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BKFC president David Feldman detailed how a deal to make Conor McGregor a co-owner of the promotion came about, and how the UFC might feel about the move.

BKFC held its big annual KnuckleMania event on Saturday night in Los Angeles, and the event couldn’t have gone better. The event marked the promotion’s debut in California, where bare knuckle has finally been licensed by the state commission. Their top star “Platinum” Mike Perry notched another KO win — watch that highlight here. And Conor McGregor was announced as a new part-owner of the promotion.

Not bad for a bloody niche combat sport that spent the majority its first few years in Biloxi, Mississippi.

During the KnuckleMania 4 post-fight press conference, president David Feldman discussed McGregor’s buy-in of the company. No numbers were divulged, but both Feldman and McGregor are clearly excited to be working together.

“You’ve got the guy who has the most viewed movie in Amazon history, right?” Feldman said. “I mean, it wasn’t because of his acting — not that he was bad at acting, but it wasn’t because of his acting, it was because it was Conor McGregor. It wasn’t Jake Gyllenhaal that drove those views. It was Conor McGregor that drove those views.”

“He’s one of the most popular guys in the entire world. He’s one of the most popular and influential combat sports fighters of all time, or personalities of all time. I mean, you tell me. You get a guy like that, anything he touches turns to gold. I want that Midas touch for us, so we brought it over.”

The partnership started up a year ago when McGregor showed up in person to watch Mike Perry destroy Luke Rockhold’s teeth in the main event of BKFC 41.

“He jumped in the ring, he called out Mike Perry, you know, in fun,” Feldman recounted. “And one thing led to another. We partnered with his beer, Forged Irish Stout, and they became a sponsor of us. And he fell in love with this. We had some unbelievable conversations, some great ideas already exchanging.”

“It was funny. I was telling my wife, I was dying for Conor McGregor to call me. Now the guy won’t stop calling me. It’s unbelievable, he is so excited about this thing. I really think it just completely takes us to the next level.”

One member of the press asked what Feldman thought UFC CEO Dana White would think of the deal.

“Listen, Dana White has a juggernaut with the UFC,” Feldman said. “I mean, Conor McGregor certainly moves the needle for him, but he’s very, very successful without him. Not that he’s fighting for us, but him promoting our product … who knows? You’re probably a little mad. Your number one star is gonna talk about a different company, so you’re probably not very happy about it.”

“But he’s not worried about us. Not yet.”

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Dustin Poirier may be a beast on the feet, but Islam Makhachev is a beast on the ground, and that’s where he plans on taking their UFC 302 fight.

Islam Makhachev is looking forward to an easy fight against his UFC 302 opponent Dustin Poirier.

The lightweight champion has a lot of respect for “Diamond,” but at the same time he believes he’s stylistic poison for Poirier. His ground game is just too strong, and that will carry him through their June 1st showdown in Newark, New Jersey.

“Dustin, he is a warrior, legend, he have more than anybody, experience in this sport,” Makhachev told TMZ Sports in a new interview. “His problem is his style. That’s the one problem this guy has. His weak point is wrestling and grappling. And I have the key for the easy fight, and if I follow the plan, I can beat him easy.”

“My style and Khabib’s style, it’s worst style for this guy, Dustin. People that can take him down, hold him there, always give him problems.”

Islam gave Poirier his props for stepping up and fighting him, considering there was no one else ready after the lightweight contender eliminator round we witnessed at UFC 300.

“Dustin is a good opponent because Oliveira, Arman [Tsarukyan], I already beat these guys already,” he said. “My dream fight for this division is Gaethje, but he lose already. Right now in this division, we just have Dustin because Arman said no, Gaethje lose, Oliveira lose. We don’t have someone.”

“Honestly, my dream fight is for the second belt at 170,” Makhachev added. “I don’t know who is gonna be there. Now we have champion Leon Edwards. About BMF, I don’t need this belt. I don’t know what is this belt, for what? And I’m not under-estimating Poirier because this guy’s a legend, he have better than everybody striking, in my division, in this sport. I prepare myself for this tough fight.”

His message to Poirier for UFC 302?

“Dustin: be ready and wrestle a lot,” he said before joking, “I defend my neck, I’m ready for your guillotine. It’s not happening in our fight, but I will be ready.”

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