Kayla Harrison is in pursuit of (more) greatness.

UFC 300 is littered with some of the best mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters on Earth from top to bottom. Amongst the line up will be the surprise newcomer, Harrison, who jumps ship from a near-full 17-fight career (16-1) in Professional Fighters League (PFL).

Harrison, 33, became an immediate hot prospect to watch upon her debut in June 2018. The two-time Olympic gold medalist in Judo went on to win two Lightweight seasons in PFL, which made her a two-time champion and winner of $ 2 million in prize money. She’ll debut in the 135-pound Bantamweight division with her UFC arrival when she takes on Holly Holm. After an expected successful outcome, Harrison plans to add even more gold to her collection.

“This is an argument I’ve had with Henry [Cejudo] like a bazillion times about how he’s the greatest combat athlete all-time,” Harrison told UFC. “I said, ‘Henry, honey, I’m coming for you. You have one Olympic [medal]. Just one. What’re you gonna do with one?’

“[I’m gonna] come over here real quick to the UFC, win a belt, maybe win another belt real quick,” she continued. “Defend it, and be two-time UFC champion, and then I am — and a world champion, and a Pan Am (American) champion, and a Pan Am Games champion, anyways … I will be undisputed, the greatest combat athlete of all time.”

Harrison’s road to a UFC title theoretically would be pretty short, considering the current landscape of the division. If she were to get past the perennial contender and former champion, Holm, it would make her only the third to do so in a non-title fight.

To checkout the latest and greatest UFC 300 fight card and rumors click here.

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Asses will be tested.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently announced the upcoming UFC 305 pay-per-view (PPV) event for this August in Perth, Western Australia.

Hide the quokkas.

Any fight card staged “Down Under” usually features the best and brightest stars from that region, including former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (UFC 293) and ex-featherweight titleholder Alex Volkanovski (UFC 284).

Not surprisingly, “The Last Stylebender” is “ready to go” for UFC 305 and New Zealand Herald claims UFC is exploring a Dricus Du Plessis title fight for the headlining act.

Assuming “Stillknocks” doesn’t need another summer vacation.

“Israel will be fighting for the title next,” head coach Eugene Bareman told Christopher Reive. “The date, I’m not sure. Give us a date and we’ll take it. We’re sitting ready to go. Israel’s pretty adamant that he has to fight for the title. It’s not up to Du Plessis. If that was the case, I wish Israel as a champion had those sorts of choices. The truth is, he probably didn’t.”

This (bad) decision proves otherwise.

The sportsbooks have already set odds for a potential Adesanya vs. Du Plessis title fight and the bout opened as a pick ‘em at -110 apiece. Nothing is official at this time, but UFC 305 seems like a no-brainer, at least in terms of future matchmaking.

Stay tuned.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight sluggers Vicente Luque and Joaquin Buckley will go to war this weekend (Sat., March 30, 2024) at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey for UFC Atlantic City.

Luque still has something to prove after the Geoff Neal knockout loss that sent him to the hospital. He made a successful return to action last summer opposite Rafael dos Anjos, but the victory still saw Luque looking a bit uncomfortable in exchanges and instead relying on his grappling to earn the win.

Conversely, Buckley dropped to Welterweight last year and looks better than ever at his appropriate weight class. Now that he no longer has to leap into range to overcome silly height and reach differentials, Buckley is more successful in landing his power shots without getting countered on the way in.

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

Photo by Al Powers/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Luque vs. Buckley Betting Odds

• Vicente Luque victory: -110
• Joaquin Buckley victory: -110
• Over 2.5 rounds: +130
• Under 2.5 rounds: -166
• Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

How Buckley Wins

Buckley wins this fight by putting hands on Luque’s chin. He’s faster and builds combinations more effectively. That said, both men hit hard enough to finish the other, so there needs to be some tact in how Buckley approaches the exchanges.

Namely, Buckley has to feint often to disguise his entries. Sudden head-body-head combinations are his bread and butter, but they have to be set up with movement and false starts to avoid the Brazilian’s counters. I’d also like to see fewer blitzes in general from “New Mansa,” who can spend more time jabbing at and kicking his slower opponent at distance.

Some general pressure from Buckley would make sense. If he can back Luque towards the cage, takedowns will be more difficult to come by for the Brazilian. Plus, if he can feint out the nasty left hook/overhand counter of his opponent from that position, Buckley would be in great position to unload his combinations.

Photo by Al Powers/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

How Luque Wins

Luque is a well-rounded fighter with a penchant for finishing fights. If he can regain his peak form, Luque is still a relevant player at 170 lbs., because there simply wasn’t anyone better at snatching a stoppage out of absolute chaos.

Wrestling Buckley isn’t going to be as easy as wrestling a nearly 40 year old former Lightweight. It’s not a bad idea to take down Buckley, but the only way that happens for Luque is if he enters the fire first, forces Buckley to respect his power, then starts attacking the wrestling.

There are plenty of defensive openings in Buckley’s approach to striking. If Luque is still operating at a high-level, he should be able to press Buckley, draw out offense, then close the door with that nasty counter left hook that has clipped so many talented fighters.

Photo by Al Powers/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Luque vs. Buckley Prediction

It’s really hard to go against momentum.

Two years ago, this would’ve been a hilariously obvious Luque via knockout pick. Unfortunately, going into life-and-death brawls on a regular occasion seems to have taken quite a bit away from “The Silent Assassin.” He’s not as fast nor as durable, and his confidence in the pocket seems to have taken a hit as well.

Buckley, conversely, is nothing if not confident. He also hits extremely hard as a Welterweight, and his general approach to MMA has improved significantly in recent years. He’s getting smarter and better, whereas Luque has to prove that his career isn’t on the downward slide.

Really, it just feels like Buckley is going to land hard early, and Luque isn’t going to like it one bit. Since he doesn’t have the pure wrestling dominance to overwhelm Buckley’s defenses — Buckley was pretty hard to take down even at 185 pounds! — Luque is going to end up uncomfortable and stranded on his feet.

Buckley earns a spot in the rankings come Monday.

Prediction: Buckley victory (-110)

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently booked a five-round main event between undefeated middleweight phenom Khamzat Chimaev and former 185-pound titleholder Robert Whittaker, locked and loaded for the UFC Saudi Arabia fight card on Sat., June 22, 2024 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.

UFC CEO Dana White broke the news on social media.

Chimaev (13-0) has not seen action since capturing a majority decision victory over ex-welterweight titleholder Kamaru Usman as part of the UFC 294 pay-per-view (PPV) last fall, his lone appearance after strangling Kevin Holland at UFC 279 back in late 2022.

Something tells me the powers that be will be satisfied the second time around.

Whittaker (25-7), four years older than Chimaev at 33, is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Paulo Costa at UFC 298 last month in Anaheim. “The Reaper” is 2-2 over the last couple of years but remains ranked No. 3 in the crowded middleweight division.

Eight spots above “Borz.”

UFC Saudi Arabia will also feature the heavyweight battle between Russian bruisers Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov. Elsewhere on the card, Kelvin Gastelum takes on Daniel Rodriguez at 170 pounds while Johnny Walker collides with former light heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir. Lastly, Sharabutdin Magomedov makes his return against 205-pound slugger Ihor Potieria.

UFC Saudi Arabia will air on ABC and ESPN+ in the United States.

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Johnny Eblen likes his chances in a mixed martial arts (MMA) version of March Madness.

The Middleweight division has been constantly evolving over the past year. It’s been a rotating door of champions in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) since Israel Adesanya fell to Alex Pereira in late 2022 (watch highlights). Adesanya reclaimed the title a few months later (watch highlights) before he dropped it to Sean Strickland, who lost it to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297 in January 2024 (watch highlights).

However, it’s been stable outside of UFC in promotions like Bellator and Professional Fighters League (PFL), which has the undefeated 15-0 Eblen as the titleholder. In the world of basketball, the annual tradition of the March Madness tournament is underway in National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). Presented with the idea of an MMA version from ESPN, Eblen revealed how he thinks it would play out.

“That would be sick, sign me up!” Eblen responded. “I blow through ‘Izzy’ in the elite eight. I beat [Robert] Whittaker in a FOTN (Fight of the Night) banger during the final four. It’s me and my homie Sean in the final. That would be epic!”

Eblen recently made his PFL debut when he battled the 2023 Light Heavyweight season champion, Impa Kasanganay, at PFL vs. Bellator last month (Feb. 24, 2024). “The Human Cheat Code” had to overcome some adversity in round two when cracked with big punches from the former UFC Welterweight hopeful. Ultimately, Eblen rallied to get the job done via a split decision win.

Unfortunately for Eblen, he’ll miss out on PFL’s seasonal format in 2024, as the promotion doesn’t do a tournament for the Middleweight division. After Fabian Edwards’ unanimous decision over Aaron Jeffery at Bellator Belfast this past weekend (March 22, 2024), we can likely expect a title fight rematch between the Brit and Eblen. The champion successfully defended his title against Edwards via a third round knockout at Bellator 299 in September 2023 (watch highlights).

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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 Vegas 89, RIZIN Landmark 9, and Deep Jewels 44, preview Atlantic City, 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.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Atlantic City news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archives here and here. For more upcoming UFC events click here.

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This weekend (Sat., March 30, 2024), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ventures forth to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., for UFC Atlantic City. A funny thing happens when UFC takes the show on the road and out of the Apex: the cards are better! I’m not trying to sell UFC AC as pay-per-view (PPV) quality, but it’s got a main event featuring two Top 5-ranked fighters, a co-main event certified banger, and one former champion to round out the main card.

It’s a step up!

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

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Middleweight: Chris Weidman (+215) vs. Bruno Silva (-305)

Best Win for Weidman? Anderson Silva For Silva? Brad Tavares
Current Streak: Both have lost two in a row
X-Factor: Weidman’s legs are toast
How these two match up: I have no idea why the oddsmakers have such confidence in Silva when I have zero confidence in either.

Weidman — a former Middleweight champion — ain’t looking great, true. He’s still got knockout power and a very decorated ground game, but Weidman is looking more fragile with age and gets tired earlier in fights — classic symptoms of a stellar athlete slowing down with age and injury.

Silva is five years younger, but perhaps even more inconsistent. How does a man give Alex Pereira real trouble on the feet then immediately make Gerald Meerschaert look like Floyd Mayweather? Truly baffling stuff from the Brazilian, who at his best is a fearsome knockout artist capable of Top 10 performances.

I truly, truly have no confidence either way here. There are obvious paths for victory for each man, and there will be plenty of chances for either to self-destruct. I would not in any way advise betting on this contest.

In a nut shell, I could see Weidman wrestling Silva and dominating from top position — Andrew Sanchez scored seven takedowns against “Blindado.” Simultaneously, I could see Weidman doing some early work on his feet, finding some success, and then get blasted into a deep sleep out of nowhere.

Weidman isn’t that hard to knockout (six knockout losses in seven defeats), while Silva is easy to submit (seven submissions losses in 10 defeats). A finish is possible for either side at any point …

Might as well go with the fighter whose legs don’t have a history of exploding?

Prediction: Silva via knockout

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

Middleweight: Nursulton Ruziboev (-275) vs. Sedriques Dumas (+195)

Best Win for Ruziboev? Brunno Ferreira For Dumas? Cody Brundage
Current Streak: Ruziboev recently won his UFC debut, whereas Dumas has won two in a row
X-Factor: Dumas is still very young in his MMA career
How these two match up: This should be a pretty fun fight between newer Middleweight faces.

Ruziboev — 33-8-2 as a professional — has a ton of experience. He tends to win quickly or fade late, but a nasty combination of powerful range striking and slick grappling means that those early finishes are a viable way to go. Dumas, conversely, hasn’t been fighting that long but is a gifted athlete. If his technical game can continue catching up to his physical attributes, he could go a long way at 185 pounds.

This might be too much, too soon.

It takes a certain amount of defensive savvy to survive an experienced finisher like Ruziboev, who knows how to start quickly and get opponents out of the cage. While I like Dumas’ ability to win minute-to-minute exchanges here, it feels like a big connection or sudden takedown is going to land Dumas in a bad spot at some point in the first.

Prediction: Ruziboev via submission

Photo by Al Powers/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Featherweight: Bill Algeo (-240) vs. Kyle Nelson (+175)

Best Win for Algeo? Alexander Hernandez For Nelson? Fernando Padilla
Current Streak: Both have won two in a row
X-Factor: Nelson has really come into his own in recent wins
How these two match up: A good Featherweight veterans match up.

Algeo fights are a lot of fun. He’s not the fastest nor most powerful man on the roster, but Algeo is an iron chin and throws a ton of strikes, which makes for an entertaining dynamic. He’s also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and capable wrestler.

Nelson’s UFC career started off with a 1-4-1 run that didn’t seem to spell much future success. The Canadian talent was given another chance, and since then, he thoroughly shut down two up-and-comers with his technical kickboxing. He seems to have settled his status as a UFC fighter, better understanding how he wins fights at this level.

Interestingly, Algeo seems likely to give Nelson the kind of fight he wins. Algeo isn’t an overwhelming wrestler, and he does most of his striking at distance, just as Nelson prefers. The elephant in the room is that Algeo works at a much higher rate than Nelson, which is a difficult trait to overcome since Nelson isn’t a particularly powerful hitter.

The question is this: can Nelson be accurate enough with his kicks and counter punches to slow Algeo down to his pace? I tend to think Algeo will tire out Nelson with his volume before that happens — and if one man is going to hurt the other — it feels more likely that “Senor Perfecto” is dropping the hammer.

Prediction: Algeo via decision

Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Welterweight: Chidi Njokuani (-150) vs. Rhys McKee (+120)

Best Win for Njokuani? Marc-Andre Barriault For McKee? Jim Wallhead
Current Streak: Njokuani has lost three straight, while McKee lost his last bout
X-Factor: WTF is 6’3” jacked Njokuani doing dropping to Welterweight at 35 years of age?!?
How these two match up: I don’t quite get this one.

Yes, Njokuani lost three in a row at Middleweight, but size was not an issue in any of those fights. Twice, Njokuani fell apart because his opponents refused to go away after he landed nasty shots, and the other time a couple bad decisions cost him control time in a split decision. None of this indicates he’ll be more effective at Welterweight — he hasn’t made 170 pounds since 2016!

McKee, conversely, is still chasing his first UFC win. Dedicated fans may remember him as the English lad who Khamzat Chimaev ran through back in 2020 (watch highlights). Since then, he scored a Cage Warriors title. He’s best known for his kickboxing, but defensive wrestling has been his fatal flaw inside the Octagon.

Good thing Njokuani isn’t known for his wrestling at all! The short version of this prediction is that — if it’s not incredibly obvious by now — I don’t think Njokuani has any business at 170 pounds. He’s going to kill himself to make weight (if he even succeeds), meaning he’ll have about 90 seconds to knockout McKee before his body implodes.

McKee is a striker himself and is historically durable. If he survives the first couple minutes then takes the fight to Njokuani, he’s going to be able to put it on “Chidi Bang Bang.”

Prediction: McKee via knockout

‘X-Factor’ Picks for 2024: 21-6 (2)

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Atlantic City fight card right here, starting with the ESPN2/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 Atlantic City: “Blanchfield vs. Fiorot” 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!

Colby Covington isn’t a fan of Sean Strickland.

The two have traded shots in the past. In fact, Covington was at one point considering jumping up to Middleweight to chase Strickland’s (former) belt. In a recent interview, Covington doubled down on his attacks on Strickland, both in regards to his abilities as a fighter and his struggles outside of the cage.

He also says Strickland is heading to court (something Covington knows all about).

“He was a washout in my division,” Covington declared (via Cole Shelton). “He couldn’t handle it in my division, he got beat up, knocked out because he couldn’t cut it. I think he’s a bum, he’s been hit in the head too many times, he’s got CTE. Anything that guy says you can’t follow along, that guys going literally probably going to kill someone someday. He’s under investigation right now in Vegas. Some drunk guy was wandering the streets near his home, he goes outside the home, pistol-whips the dude in the middle of the street. He’s under crazy investigation in Vegas right now. He’s gonna be going to court.”

Not long ago, Strickland did help lead to the arrest of a would-be car thief in his driveway. Perhaps Covington heard a distorted version of that tale? Alternatively, we know Strickland isn’t afraid to show off his firearms, so maybe there is something to this “Chaos” tall tale. Until we hear something from a more official source, however, I wouldn’t buy into the story.

Both athletes are coming off title fight losses. Sean Strickland coughed up a competitive decision loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 299, whereas Colby Covington was largely dominated in his latest Welterweight title bid opposite Leon Edwards. With both coming off title losses, maybe a grudge match isn’t fully impossible?

Insomnia

Ilia Topuria and his golden belt are make the rounds all over Europe!

It may be a while until we see Brandon Moreno back in the Octagon.

… Are Luke Rockhold and Tyron Woodley going to fight at the end? Because in that case, I’m curious.

AJ Dobson fought well against Edmen Shahbazyan over the weekend, but that performance will be the last of his current UFC stint.

Merab Dvalishvili and Henry Cejudo go on a magical journey together.

Several updates to the upcoming PFL San Antonio card.

Jim Carrey, karate master!

K-1 founder Kazuyoshi Ishii, 70-year-old lifelong karateka, showing some different ways to score low kicks.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Flashed the jab to raise the guard then ripped the right hook around the elbow.

Simultaneous punches and kicks can really surprise opponents.

A high kick sneaks around the guard:

Random Land

The most unbelievable news I’ve woken up to in years.

Midnight Music: I am pleased to report that Neil Young is back on Spotify.

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

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“I’m not worried about that. I know that I’m the next in line.”

Charles Oliveira is one of the Lightweight division’s perennial elites in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

The former champion was supposed to get his title fight rematch against the current champion and successor, Islam Makhachev, at UFC 294 in October 2023. Unfortunately for Oliveira, he suffered a nasty cut over his eye in training, resulting in his withdrawal from the bout.

Oliveira, 34, still expects to be next in line for Makhachev after his fight against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300 next month (Sat., April 13, 2024). However, talk has recently heated up between the champion and former interim titleholder, Dustin Poirier, wanting to fight each other in June 2024.

“I don’t even think about that, to be honest,” Oliveira told MMA Mania. “This is information that comes from the internet, and people talk a lot on the internet. I’m not worried about that. I know that I’m the next in line. So, that it’s.”

If that title fight were to be made, it would delay things for the next contender, who will come out of UFC 300. Whether or not that remains the Oliveira vs. Tsarukyan winner or whoever walks away with the Baddest Motherf—ker (BMF) title between Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway.

Ultimately, Oliveira isn’t worried about the winner of that bout stealing his opportunity either.

“Man, Holloway is a really nice guy, and he moves a lot,” Oliveira said. “He has a type of game that he moves a lot, but Gaethje also has a strong hand. If Holloway gives the opportunity, Gaethje for sure will win this fight. Both are very good.”

Oliveira has to get through Tsarukyan before that desired rematch, and the rising contender is confident he’ll be no match for his Brazilian counterpart. In theory, if Oliveira had his title shot locked up, there would have been no real reason for him to take the Tsarukyan fight. He just would have had to sit on the shelf for far longer than he’d prefer, last fighting at UFC 289 when he earned a first round technical knockout over Beneil Dariush in June 2023 (watch highlights).

“If I was going to wait for the title, I would fight only at the end of the year, and I don’t like to wait too much to fight,” Oliveira said. “I would be waiting for one year almost. So, that’s why I accepted this challenge.

“For sure, he (Tsarukyan) needs to be a confident guy,” he continued. “He needs to be focused. He deserves all the respect in the world, but I’m not worried about what he’s thinking. I’m just focused on what I’m gonna do inside the cage.”

To checkout the latest and greatest UFC 300 fight card and rumors click here.

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The upcoming UFC 300 pay-per-view (PPV) event will feature the light heavyweight title fight between reigning 205-pound champion Alex Pereira and former division titleholder Jamahal Hill. In the championship co-headliner, Zhang Weili returns to defend her strawweight strap against surging 115-pound contender Yan Xiaonan.

The action gets underway on Sat., April 13, 2024 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Referee Herb Dean will be the third man inside the cage for the Pereira vs. Hill main event, with judges Derek Cleary, Sal D’Amato and Ron McCarthy scoring the action from cageside. Prior to that, Referee Jason Herzog will complement judges Mike Bell, Ben Cartlidge and Chris Lee for the Zhang vs. Xiaonan scrap.

That’s according to a report from MMA Junkie.

“It’s truly, truly a mismatch,” Hill said about his Pereira fight. “Can he catch me and knock me out? He’s been fighting for a long time. He has strikes. He has power. Yes, it’s a possibility to get caught and lose. But short of that, short of something getting through and catching me and just putting me away, he gets his ass whooped every single way. Every single way. He has one way to win this fight. He’s not gonna — anybody who thinks he’s gonna outclass me is out of their minds. He has one way to win this fight.”

UFC 300 will also feature the “BMF” title fight between lightweight smasher Justin Gaethje and former 145-pound champion Max Holloway. In addition, Charles Oliveira looks to get back into the lightweight title hunt against red-hot 155-pound contender Arman Tsarukyan.

For the rest of the UFC 300 fight card and PPV lineup click here.

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