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Brad Tate has been working as a cutman in the UFC for as long as fans can remember. He can be spotted in most events inspecting fighters before they enter the Octagon and working on cuts and other injuries between rounds.

Despite not being a fighter, Tate has gradually become popular in MMA circles as one of the most consistent members of the UFC team like Bruce Buffer. He’s unsurprisingly developed great relationships with several UFC fighters, including Charles Oliveira, Daniel Cormier, Gilbert Burns, Jamahal Hill, and many more.

Tate has been dealing with mixed martial artists for almost a decade, and he’s now revealed a former UFC middleweight champion to be the toughest fighter to work with…

Cutman Tate Jokingly Claims No One Likes Luke Rockhold Except Daniel Cormier

Tate appeared on the Believe You Me podcast hosted by Michael Bisping recently. Right away, “The Count” asked the cutman for some gossip as he’s had countless interactions with the UFC roster.

To Bisping’s happiness, Tate called Luke Rockhold one of the worst fighters he’s had to work with in the UFC. In 2016 at UFC 199, Bisping knocked out Rockhold to win the UFC middleweight championship in what remains one of the biggest upsets in the sport to date.

Without going into much detail, Tate stated that Rockhold caused problems consistently. The cutman appreciated that Bisping took away the UFC middleweight championship from him which is enough to determine how much he dislikes Rockhold.

“I will give you the one person because he’s not in the UFC anymore and you fought him. F*****g Luke Rockhold was a pain in a**. Like, bro, listen to me, I know he was a good fighter. I don’t think anybody except DC like Luke Rockhold.”

Tate isn’t a fan of Rockhold calling out UFC fighters like Sean Strickland either, now that he’s left the promotion. He also added that criticism regarding his demeanor fueled the former UFC middleweight champion to act in the same manner instead of mending his ways.

“I see him now, and like, he was talking sh*t about Sean Strickland. And I’m like, nobody cares bro. Like this whole, Dana call me I’ll go in there and handle this for you. It’s like, dude, he was a problem like and he was just, dude, him losing the belt was like the best thing for him but like I said. I mean he’s not in the UFC anymore but he was the one guy that just, oh my god, even to just be around him, you would just be like, bro, why are you such a d**k? And honestly, you could tell him that he was a d**k and it just, I think that fueled him even more and made him even more like, yeah, let me be that way.”

The UFC cutman claims to have rarely had bad experiences with fighters which is why it is surprising how much he despises the time spent with Rockhold. Luckily, for him, it’s unlikely that the middleweight will ever return to the promotion following his loss to Paulo Costa at UFC 278.

• Read also: Coach On Sean O’Malley Not Defending Title Against Umar Nurmagomedov: “If ‘Suga’ Just Faceplants Merab & Drops A ‘Hendo’ Bomb…”

Continue Reading Cutman Tate Reveals Former UFC Middleweight Champion Was The Worst Fighter To Deal With: ‘Pain In A**’ at MMA News.

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Dustin Poirier has had an illustrious UFC career despite never winning an undisputed championship. He’s fought for the title three times, but came up short against Khabib Nurmagomedov, Charles Oliveira, and Islam Makhachev. He did become the interim UFC lightweight kingpin by beating Max Holloway, though.

Colby Covington has had a similar run in the UFC welterweight division. He won the interim title by beating Rafael dos Anjos but is 0-3 in undisputed title fights against the likes of Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards.

Although both Covington and Poirier have still been adamant about fighting for titles, rumors suggest that they might meet in the Octagon soon. Here’s why Michael Bisping and award-winning broadcaster Adam Catterall are big fans of the matchup…

Michael Bisping Excited To See Dustin Poirier vs. Colby Covington As The UFC 309 Co-Main Event Under Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic

Bisping and Catterall discussed the potential matchup between Poirier and Covington on the Michael Bisping Podcast YouTube channel recently. As soon as ‘The Count’ brought up the rumors, Catterall couldn’t hide his excitement.

“He’s [Colby Covington] got his opportunities. He’s not getting that opportunity again, anytime soon. He needs something big. He needs something juicy. He needs something to get himself up for it. Dustin Poirier is that name. A legend of the game. A guy that has been there, done it, got the T-shirt. You’ve just mentioned beef. Bit of bad blood. Dustin Poirier’s mates with Jorge Masvidal, he needs to get that one back for his pal, don’t he?”

The radio and TV presenter also highlighted that “The Diamond” is friends with Jorge Masvidal. The latter fought Covington in March 2022 after their long-time friendship turned bitter. Masvidal and “Chaos” have even had physical altercations outside the UFC, and their rivalry is as personal as it gets.

So, fighting Covington is a great way for Poirier to avenge Masvidal’s loss. He’s admitted to not liking the former interim UFC welterweight champion as well, and Bisping is very excited to see this beef getting settled inside the Octagon.

It’s unlikely for both Poirier and Covington to get title shots in their divisions now. However, as two of the biggest stars in the UFC, their fight can easily generate all the hype in the world. Bisping credited Covington for being an excellent promoter who can easily capitalize on the real resentment with his opponent this time around.

“Listen, Colby, say what you want about him. The man’s a promotion machine. With all like the personal stuff that they can go to, They would blow that fight up, like crazy. I’d want to see it.”

If the rumors are true, Poirier vs. Covington will be scheduled for UFC 309, the card expected to feature Jones vs. Miocic as the main event. It is safe to assume that tons of fans will tune in to watch the fight regardless of when it happens, though.

• Read More: Jake Paul Tries To Broker Multi-Million Dollar Payday For “Bones” To Fight Tom Aspinall: ‘Jon Jones Doesn’t Dodge Anyone’

Continue Reading ‘Mates With Jorge Masvidal’ – MMA Analyst Explains Why Rumored Dustin Poirier vs. Colby Covington Fight Makes Perfect Sense at MMA News.

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Lerone Murphy recently suggested that Jon Jones warrants special deference to avoid a potential showdown with Tom Aspinall.

Aspinall’s patience appears to be wearing thin as he persistently calls out Jones for a UFC heavyweight title unification bout. The interim heavyweight champion has been unreservedly articulate about his eagerness to challenge “Bones” ever since he claimed the title at UFC 295 last November.

However, “Bones” has shown little interest in the much-anticipated matchup with Aspinall. Instead of considering a showdown, the reigning heavyweight champion has made it clear that his focus is firmly on fighting Stipe Miocic, a bout expected to headline UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden this November.

Jones has often teased the possibility of retiring after conquering an esteemed former heavyweight champion like Miocic, which would further solidify his status as the GOAT. Meanwhile, “The Miracle” believes that with everything Jones has already accomplished in the sport, there’s no need for him to prove himself against Aspinall…

Murphy Thinks Jones Enjoys Perks Uncommon To Other Fighters

During a recent interview with Title Sports Network, Murphy weighed in on the escalating tension between Jones and Aspinall, noting that things have taken a turn for the worse. The undefeated featherweight contender remarked that Aspinall should have taken a tougher stance from the start. However, he doubts his fellow countryman will secure the fight he’s after, as Jones enjoys certain well-earned privileges from the UFC.

Jones last graced the Octagon in March 2023, where he claimed the heavyweight title with a decisive submission victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. He was set to defend his title for the first time against Miocic at UFC 295, but “Bones” was compelled to withdraw just two weeks before the fight due to a severe pectoral injury.

• Read More: Jake Paul Tries To Broker Multi-Million Dollar Payday For “Bones” To Fight Tom Aspinall: ‘Jon Jones Doesn’t Dodge Anyone’

Continue Reading Rising UK Contender Lerone Murphy Feels Jon Jones ‘Deserves’ Special Treatment To Avoid Tom Aspinall Fight at MMA News.

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Following his win over Cory Sandhagen at the start of August, Umar Nurmagomedov would appear to be the next in line to challenge for the bantamweight title.

Sean O’Malley will be defending the belt against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 while Nurmagomedov watches on to see how it plays out.

The only thing that could potentially stop the undefeated contender from getting his shot is if there is the potential to put on a massive fight between UFC champions.

O’Malley has spoken in the past about wanting to challenge himself at featherweight and though Dvalishvili presents a very serious threat, “Suga” has big plans.

The current champion has spoken about wanting to face Nurmagomedov but a super fight against the winner of the featherweight title fight at UFC 308 could be a now-or-never opportunity for O’Malley and the promotion.

Tim Welch Says Super Fight Could Be Next For Sean O’Malley Under The Right Circumstances

In a recent interview with James Lynch for Bodog Canada, O’Malley’s head coach Tim Welch gave his thoughts on Nurmagomedov being the next contender.

Welch believes that taking on the cousin of the great Khabib Nurmagomedov will be their next challenge unless the main events of UFC 306 and UFC 308 end in emphatic fashion.

He thinks that the UFC could strike while the iron is hot if both O’Malley and either Ilia Topuria or Max Holloway is able to put in a statement performance before going on to face each other, leaving Nurmagomedov to wait a bit longer for his chance.

Welch referenced Dan Henderson’s iconic knockout of Michael Bisping at UFC 100 to make the case for this fight being put together if there is enough buzz.

“I think we’ll see how it goes and if Ilia, maybe if Max knocks out Ilia or Ilia knocks out Max cold and then ‘Suga’ just face plants Merab and drops a ‘Hendo’ bomb on him at the end and it’s just spectacular knock outs, I don’t think Dana and those guys would be opposed to make a super fight.”

Read also: Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’ 

Continue Reading Coach On Sean O’Malley Not Defending Title Against Umar Nurmagomedov: “If ‘Suga’ Just Faceplants Merab & Drops A ‘Hendo’ Bomb…” at MMA News.

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Shavkat Rakhmonov hasn’t put a foot wrong during his ascent up the welterweight ladder towards a title shot.

With a undefeated record and all of his wins coming via finish, the 170-pound contender appears to be set up to challenge Belal Muhammad for the belt next time out. unless something unexpected occurs.

The UFC has been known to temporarily swerve the rankings if it means putting something big together and when you’re talking big in MMA, there’s no one larger than Conor McGregor.

Despite there being no rescheduled date for his welterweight return against Michael Chandler, “The Notorious” returning with a win could completely change the top of the weight class.

Rakhmonov spoke in a recent interview with MMA Fighting about how he believes the promotion will do right by him even in the instance that “The Mac” is back in the mix.

“He’s been getting ready to fight a long time but wasn’t able to do that yet so in my head, I don’t even think about him winning this one fight in three years is going to do something. I understand he’s a big star but in my head, I don’t see it being possible. I believe UFC is the best and the most fair organization so I believe they’re gonna do everything right.”

Shavkat Rakhmonov Reveals That Belal Muhammad Turned Down UFC 307 Title Fight

Though there has been some debate over whether Rakhmonov will definitely be the next title challenger for Muhammad, the contender answered this question all by himself.

He revealed during the same interview that he has already been offered the title shot but it didn’t come to fruition due to the champion not being able to make a 70-day turnaround to fight at elevation in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Alex Pereira will be headlining UFC 307 instead, which always seemed to be an optimistic target for Muhammad after he won the belt at the end of July.

“Yeah, actually I had already been offered to fight Belal and I accepted the fight against Belal but unfortunately, he declined to fight me due to the timing issues, he wasn’t ready to defend his belt on that time. So, we’ll see what’s gonna happen and when he’s gonna be ready so I will be able to fight him. Before he became a champion and after he won the belt, he said he’s gonna be an active champion and he will defend his belt more often but at the moment, he isn’t backing up what he said so let’s see what’s going to happen, when he’s going to be ready to fight me.”

Read also: Khalil Rountree Says He Would Fire His Coaches If They Insisted He Grapple Alex Pereira

Continue Reading Shavkat Rakhmonov Trusts UFC’s Meritocracy To Prevent Conor McGregor Title Shot Hijack, Reveals Belal Muhammad Turned Down UFC 307 Date at MMA News.

MMA News

After a lot of tension between the two men due to their history where they were set to meet inside the Octagon, UFC middleweights Brendan Allen and Marvin Vettori were involved in a brawl several weeks ago.

Sources reported that the Italian fighter had gotten into an altercation with UFC fighter Tuco Tokkos which Allen then intervened in, whilst they were in attendance at a PFL event.

The fight, which was captured on video, shows Allen going at “The Italian Dream” as both men traded blows.

They have exchanged comments on social media and in interviews multiple times before so this beef certainly didn’t come out of nowhere.

Zach Reese Says Online Trash Talking Isn’t For Him

In a recent interview with MMA News, UFC middleweight Zach Reese gave his thoughts on the viral brawl between Vettori and Allen.

The 30-year-old has got back-to-back wins in the 185-pound weight class.

Reese believes that whilst he understands that trash-talking is a big part of the sport today, it’s not something that he likes to partake in.

“Savage” has no problem saying what he thinks but he isn’t going to say anything that he can’t physically back up in person, as opposed to making comments from the other side of a screen.

“I don’t believe in jumping, I think that’s what’s gone down the world is that people won’t have one-on-one fist fights anymore and you know dude, if you talk s*** on the internet, I think talking s*** on the internet’s lame as f*** to be honest man. I don’t even know the whole backstory on that or who started it or whatever but there’s something in me as like a man, it’s just I don’t like the idea of talking s*** on the internet dude, it’s kind of weird. I know it’s kind of the name of the game in MMA and it gets the fans excited and stuff but yeah, if you talk crap to somebody man then you better be willing to face the consequences or say it to their face. Talk some s*** to the wrong person, they’ll punch you in the mouth.”

Read also: Khamzat Chimaev’s Former ‘Main Sparring Partner’ Caio Borralho Warns Robert Whittaker: ‘I Didn’t See Any Other Guy In My Life…’

Continue Reading UFC Middleweight On Brendan Allen – Marvin Vettori Casino Bust Up: ‘Talk Some S**t To The Wrong Person They’ll Punch You In The Mouth’ [Exclusive] at MMA News.

MMA News

Following his biggest win to date this past weekend, Caio Borralho finds himself in the top five of the UFC’s middleweight division.

The Contender Series alum capitalized on his first main event opportunity by beating Jared Cannonier to inject some new blood into the mix at 185-pounds.

Though he would like to be in the title picture already, it appears likely that Borralho will need one more big win in order to really solidify his case, due to Sean Strickland being in line to challenge Dricus Du Plessis next.

The Brazilian has now targeted the next best thing to fighting for the belt and that means facing off with the division’s biggest name.

Caio Borralho Says Fighting Israel Adesanya Means He Gets To Face A Legend

For the first time in a long time, Israel Adesanya’s next outing inside the Octagon will not be in a UFC title fight.

“The Last Stylebender” said after his defeat at UFC 305 that he isn’t going anywhere just yet, meaning that he will go back to joining the list of contenders.

In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Borralho made a strong case for why he should be next for the former champion.

When you look at the other top fights in the rankings right now, Adesanya has already faced many of them aside from Brendan Allen and Nassourdine Imavov, who are already matched up with one another as the #5 contender pointed out.

Borralho said that he wants this fight next because it would be a big moment for his own legacy to face someone that has represented the very best of the weight class for such a long time.

“Let’s see, I want to fight him [Adesanya]. I think it will be a good fight on my resume and if the UFC wants me to do one more fight before I go to the belt, I think this is the fight to make. Why not fight a guy that is a legend of this sport and that was so dominant in his prime, so definitely a guy that I want to face just because nothing personal but just because it makes sense right now for him and it makes sense for me too.”

Borralho then went on to explain how Adesanya has fought all the other names in the top 8 of the division, except Imavov and Allen – who are going to fight one another.

Hence, the only realistic fight for Adesanya is the Brazilian, and Borralho is only too happy to oblige.

Read also: MMA Analyst Believes Israel Adesanya Following ‘The Khabib Model’ Might Have Led To Dricus Du Plessis Loss

Continue Reading Caio Borralho Makes Convincing Argument To Fight Israel Adesanya Next: ‘So Dominant In His Prime…’ at MMA News.

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Carlos Prates has been a fantastic edition to the UFC roster since earning his contract via the last season of the Contender Series.

The Fighting Nerds athlete has gone 3-0 inside the Octagon, stopping all three opponents with devastating finishes.

His latest win over Li Jingliang at UFC 305 set him up well for an even bigger name next time out, and given the fact that he has put on a show with each appearance, a ranked opponent isn’t out of the question.

When looking at the fighters that occupy the ranking sports from 15-10, one name in particular stands out to Prates.

Carlos Prates Reveals That He Emulated Michael Page For ‘MVP’s Only Knockout Loss

In a recent interview with Sherdog.com, Prates gave his thoughts on all of the potential ranked opponents that he could be matched with in the near future.

He revealed an interesting story from his earlier career when arriving at the name of one of the division’s most talented strikers.

Michael “Venom” Page is an incredibly difficult opponent to train for because you don’t find people that have his unique style combined with size and reach, very easily.

Prates said that he has been a stand in for “MVP” when he was training alongside Douglas Lima, who fought Page twice in Bellator.

In their first meeting, Lima would hand the Brit his first defeat at Bellator, via a ruthless second-round knockout.

Prates believes that after being a part of the camp for this fight, he has the secret to become the second man to stop Page.

“Michael Page would be a really good fight. I would like to fight him, it would be a great bonus again. You know the first time he lost to Douglas Lima? I was a sparring partner of Douglas. I was doing like MVP and Douglas was doing his game. He, Douglas and his coach, came to Thailand and we trained all together… So it’s kinda I know the way to knock the guy out.”

Read also: Shavkat Rakhmonov Trusts UFC’s Meritocracy To Prevent Conor McGregor Title Shot Hijack, Reveals Belal Muhammad Turned Down UFC 307 Date

Continue Reading UFC Contender Targets Michael ‘Venom’ Page Having Emulated Him In The Past: “I Know The Way To Knock The Guy Out” at MMA News.

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Although Jon Jones will most likely be booked to fight Stipe Miocic next, his rivalry with Tom Aspinall is also heating up on the sidelines. The interim UFC heavyweight champion is eager to unify the belts, requiring him to face the winner of Jones vs. Miocic.

Aspinall has bagged 15 wins since turning pro in MMA, and all of them have been stoppages via KO or submission. On top of that, he’s finished all but one fight in the UFC in the first round. This explains why fans consider him to be Jones’ real test instead of Miocic, who hasn’t fought since losing to Francis Ngannou in 2021.

Aspinall has looked unstoppable till now, but Chael Sonnen has concerns about him not being tested enough in the Octagon yet…

Chael Sonnen Highlights Striking Similarities In Early UFC Careers Of Tom Aspinall And Ronda Rousey

Sonnen discussed the rivalry between Aspinall and Jones on his YouTube channel recently. He believes that the interim champ bringing up the undisputed kingpin’s past PED usage was bound to rub the latter the wrong way.

“The American Gangster” then stated that a fight between “Bones” and Aspinall, if it happens, will likely be scheduled for UFC International Fight Week in 2025. It might be hard for Aspinall to get an opponent during this time as the interim champ, and his inactivity would work in favor of the former UFC light heavyweight champion.

Sonnen also revealed the downside of Aspinall firing through the competition with such ease so far. His rise to the top resembles Ronda Rousey, who had 11 first-round finishes in her pro career, including five in the UFC.

“I’m not sure you understand that. That is not helpful, that is not a good thing. It looks good and it sounds good, it’s not good! When you find yourself in a fight harder than you’re used to, it’s a problem for everybody. It is the number one reason that Ronda lost to Holly Holm. It was not the right leg kick. It was because the six other girls that Ronda had been in there with checked out collectively in a shorter time than Holly had made it. That was the problem. It’s a problem for everyone. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

According to the former UFC middleweight title contender, Rousey lost to Holly Holm because she wasn’t used to opponents surviving her initial onslaught. As soon as someone put her to the test, she was overwhelmed and it all came crashing down.

Sonnen fears that Aspinall might have similar problems if he takes on an opponent as durable and experienced as Jones. For now, though, there is no way to confirm whether we’ll ever see the two meet in the Octagon.

• READ MORE: ‘Everybody Suffers’ – Frank Mir Explains How UFL Could Get Past The Conor McGregor Effect Seen In The UFC

Continue Reading ‘It’s Not Good!’ – Chael Sonnen Predicts Tom Aspinall Could Suffer The Same Fate As Ronda Rousey Against Jon Jones at MMA News.

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Caio Borralho, who recently beat Jared Cannonier to become a top contender in the UFC middleweight division, is a member of Fighting Nerds. The mixed martial arts gym is based in São Paulo, Brazil, and has gained a ton of prominence in MMA circles lately.

Several members of Fighting Nerds have put up impressive performances recently. For instance, Bruna Brasil defeated Molly McCann at UFC 304, Carlos Prates became the first person to knock out Li Jingliang at UFC 305, and Jean Silva stopped Drew Dober just two weeks after knocking out Charles Jourdain at UFC 303.

Here’s why Fighting Nerds has the potential to generate multiple UFC champions according to Borralho, one of their most skilled members…

Caio Borralho Reveals Training Strategies That Have Helped Fighting Nerds Members Excel In The UFC

Borralho discussed what sets Fighting Nerds apart in an interview on the Inside Fighting YouTube channel recently. He highlighted that the gym focuses a lot on distance control and fighters are expected to break their fights into three stages. The first step is to establish range followed by constant movement to make the opponent miss.

From the looks of it, Fighting Nerds fighters aim to start their fights relatively slowly. Once they’ve figured out the opponent’s style and striking patterns, they prepare to close distance and aggress which is the third stage.

Borralho then revealed the rigorous practice that goes into perfecting their striking and distance management. For every opponent, they perform thousands of drills which explains why they’re so calm going into their fights.

Another important step during training is studying footage. According to “The Natural”, Fighting Nerds coaches compile videos of opponents to understand how they start fights, throw strikes and takedowns, and move around the Octagon. For his latest fight, Borralho studied almost all the right hands thrown by Cannonier.

“If we get a guy like Cannonier, like the right hand, like all right hands, almost like a lot of right video with just like big right hands of Cannonier. All his setting ups, you know, all his patterns and all this stuff. So, all take downs, all cage work that the guys do, how he behave himself in the cage work and then there’s like five six minutes of video only with cage work, you know. So, we’re very specific in our training. We have a very close approach when it comes about training and study, you know. And I think that help us a lot and I think this is it you know. We’re bunch of nerds you know!”

All in all, Fighting Nerds members make sure to know everything about their opponent before even stepping into the Octagon. Most of the gym’s fighters are gradually climbing the ranks in their respective divisions, and it’ll be interesting to observe how quickly they can generate a champion with this approach.

• READ MORE: ‘Everybody Suffers’ – Frank Mir Explains How UFL Could Get Past The Conor McGregor Effect Seen In The UFC

Continue Reading ‘Very Specific In Our Training’ – Caio Borralho Breaks Down What Makes Fighting Nerds Special at MMA News.

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