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For the first time in his MMA career, Israel Adesanya finds himself coming off the back of consecutive defeats inside the Octagon.

This doesn’t tell the story of both the fights that took place a year apart, because though he didn’t get his hand raised on either occasion, the story of the fights were completely different.

“The Last Stylebender” didn’t look himself at UFC 293 where he was shockingly upset by Sean Strickland before taking a year off to return at UFC 305.

Despite not reclaiming the title against Dricus Du Plessis, Adesanya appeared somewhat back to where he was before and looked to be gaining momentum in the fight until Du Plessis was able to capitalize on a few mistakes to earn a submission win in the fourth round.

Adesanya’s head coach at City Kickboxing, Eugene Bareman, gave his thoughts on the fight during a recent interview with Combat TV.

He came away feeling a lot more positive after this loss compared to the one from last year because they were able to learn from clear and obvious mistakes that will only lead to improvements, unlike UFC 293 which left the team scratching their heads.

“He made some mistakes which you can only, in my opinion, put down to fatigue and the fatigue, you can put down to the work that Dricus was able to do so you can’t do nothing but applaud that. It was a loss but you know, it was a good loss. Me and Israel can walk away from that loss and it’s measurable, it’s tangible. You can put that down, this is why this happened, this is why that happened. The Strickland fight is just a bit unexplainable to us. That’s much harder to get over cuz it’s like well what happened there.”

Eugene Bareman Gives Credit To Dricus Du Plessis For An Aspect Of His Game That They ‘Didn’t Anticipate’

Bareman agrees with the common consensus that heading into the fourth round, it looked like the momentum was swinging towards Adesanya in the later rounds.

However, it was Du Plessis’ finishing ability that ended up deciding the fight after he was able to wobble the former champion on the feet and take his back for the rear-naked choke win.

As he previously stated above, Bareman puts these crucial mistakes down to Adesanya being fatigued and while this is something they worked on during his training camp, the City Kickboxing boss revealed that he was surprised by how effectively the champion is able to weaponize his conditioning.

He said that Du Plessis may not be a perfect fighter but he’s always making his opponents work hard to try and capitalize on his weaknesses.

“It looks like he has some holes in his defense, he also makes you work to take advantage of those holes, you know what I mean. It’s tough work out there. Yeah, the holes are there but it’s tough work to find them and it just fatigued Israel and fatigued Israel and fatigued Israel and it slowly, slowly got to Israel to the point where he was so fatigued, Dricus was able to take advantage of it. That was probably something I didn’t anticipate happening as much as it did and I just had an expectation that Israel would be able to push through that.”

Read also: Sean Strickland Responds To Machine Gun Kelly’s ‘Big Bro Advice’ As Rapper Wanted UFC Star To Not Talk About Him Anymore

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya’s Coach Says Du Plessis Defeat Better Than ‘Unexplainable’ Strickland Upset: ‘It Was A Good Loss…’ at MMA News.

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Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili will fight for the UFC bantamweight championship on September 14, 2024, at the Sphere, Nevada. While the champion is already one of the most popular MMA fighters out there, Dvalishvili has all the hype around him due to his ten-fight win streak in the UFC.

Both O’Malley and Dvalishvili have defeated former UFC bantamweight champ Petr Yan. “Suga” knocked out Aljamain Sterling for the title after that win, while “The Machine” defeated another former champ Henry Cejudo.

Despite their evenly matched resumes and countering fighting styles, Tim Welch has explained why O’Malley will defeat Dvalishvili at Riyadh Season Noche UFC…

Tim Welch Reveals Why It Is Hard To Train For Sean O’Malley And What Makes Merab Dvalishvili An Intimidating Opponent

O’Malley’s coach Welch reviewed Dvalishvili’s latest training footage and other antics on his official YouTube channel recently. He pointed out that “The Machine” is a tough opponent due to his relentless pace, level changes, and cardio.

However, he could not help but notice how Dvalishvili can be hit while shooting for takedowns. On top of that, he loses balance when he punches going forward making him extremely vulnerable against an accurate striker like O’Malley.

“Loses balance a little bit on the punches. Falls forward and that’s something that definitely could get him in trouble here and it’s too close to the fight now to fix. Really lunging in here, throwing the overhand right, bringing his back foot with him which is another thing that could get you in trouble. You saw it with Aljo.”

Welch believes that “The Machine” cannot improve his balance in the coming weeks, and the UFC bantamweight champion will capitalize on it. The Sterling fight is a good example of “Suga” catching opponents as they lunge towards him.

According to the coach, it is hard to find training partners who can properly replicate O’Malley’s style during sparring. This should be another key factor in the favor of the champ.

“I’m thankful that I’m not having to be a trainer training someone against sugar because it would just be so hard to find sparring partners that can do anything remotely close to him. And then you find sparring partners that try to mimic him. They do their best at mimicking him.”

Although Welch is confident about O’Malley winning via knockout, he explained why Dvalishvili is not an easy opponent at all. He breathes through his mouth for long durations without any impact on his pace. He can take quite a few shots as well so “Suga” must be prepared for the challenger forcing takedowns on him.

“Merab doesn’t even like, control his breath. He doesn’t even think about controlling his breath. He just, he’ll just breathe in, he’ll be mouth breathing the whole time and he’ll be able to keep up the pace. That’s one thing that’s scary about him. He’ll be able to just keep up the pace the whole time. Just at that, frantic breathing, frantic pace, that’s one of the things that make him really dangerous.”

• Read also: Kamaru Usman Compares Career To Israel Adesanya & Alexander Volkanovski Ahead Of Rumored Return Against Belal Muhammad: ‘How Disrespectful Are MMA Fans’

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley’s Coach Calls Merab Dvalishvili ‘Scary’ But Highlights Major Flaw In His Game: ‘Too Close To The Fight Now To Fix’ at MMA News.

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It is common knowledge in MMA circles that Sean Strickland has a rocky relationship with Colson Baker, a.k.a. Machine Gun Kelly. Back in February 2024, the former UFC champ ran into the rapper during a Power Slap event where he commented about MGK’s outfit.

The interaction went south quickly and Strickland had to be escorted out of the venue. Since then, he’s frequently talked about Kelly’s clothes and lifestyle. Megan Fox, who’s currently dating Baker, even reached out to Strickland via Instagram DMs regarding some of these remarks.

MGK finally broke the silence on Strickland and advised the fighter to not talk about him anymore. Unsurprisingly, the former UFC middleweight kingpin already has a response…

Machine Gun Kelly Asks Sean Strickland To ‘Shut The F** Up’ After Calling Him Racist And Homophobic

Baker opened up about his interactions with Strickland on the latest episode of IMPAULSIVE podcast, hosted by Logal Paul and Mike Majlak. The hip-hop artist claimed that he would’ve avoided meeting the UFC star in the first place if he had been aware of the latter’s racist and homophobic statements.

“I don’t know this guy from a crumb of bread, Right, I didn’t know who he was when I met him. I got hip afterward that he’s like, insanely racist and homophobic and just not my type of guy so I would have never even wanted to shake hands him with him in the first place. But, he also is just a representative of every person who’s too scared to just be themselves because if you’re comfortable as yourself, you don’t care who anybody else is.”

Kelly then suggested Strickland to live his life and stop commenting on him. The rapper called the UFC fighter insecure for caring about other people’s appearance and verbally bashing them for it.

Baker stated that Strickland would most likely respond to his aforementioned remarks which would be more detrimental to the fighter.

“He’s so dumb that I’m going to tell him right now. You should not keep saying stuff because it just makes me look better but you’re going to keep saying stuff so I know that you’ll react and say more things but you’re, you just shouldn’t. As a person who’s just giving you big bro advice, learn this, shut the f**k up! And don’t speak on me anymore. And live your life, but you won’t, and I’m going to continue laughing at you because you’re a f*****g idiot.”

MGK wasn’t wrong as Strickland has already replied to him on X. Yet again, he has targeted the rapper for his tattoos and accused him of drinking blood. He also claimed to be more comfortable hanging out with online trolls instead of the singer.

All in all, it is safe to assume that the beef between Strickland and MGK is far from over. Fans of both celebrities are already engaging in heated online debates and it is unlikely that the two sides will find common ground soon.

• READ MORE: Sean O’Malley’s Coach Calls Merab Dvalishvili ‘Scary’ But Highlights Major Flaw In His Game: ‘Too Close To The Fight Now To Fix’

Continue Reading Sean Strickland Responds To Machine Gun Kelly’s ‘Big Bro Advice’ As Rapper Wanted UFC Star To Not Talk About Him Anymore at MMA News.

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Francis Ngannou found himself in the news without doing anything the week before the press conference for his PFL debut.

“The Predator” may be gearing up for his long awaited MMA return where he will face Renan Ferreira on October 19 but the legacy he left behind in the UFC will never be forgotten.

The MMA leader found themselves receiving some criticism during fight week for UFC 305, after claims that they had tried to erase Ngannou from the promotion’s history books due to his name being edited out during the Countdown episode preview.

Though Dana White did apologise for this and put it down to a miscommunication, it certainly wasn’t the first time that the UFC have tailored things to better suit the promotion.

Dan Hardy Says Francis Ngannou’s UFC Erasure Was Sad But Not Surprising Based On Track Record

During a recent interview with Sportskeeda MMA, PFL commentator Dan Hardy gave his thoughts on the discourse regarding the UFC’s conduct around the career of their former heavyweight champion, who left the promotion on less than stellar terms.

“The Outlaw” spoke about the comparisons between Ngannou’s treatment and that of Randy Couture, who also left to sign with another promotion and wasn’t remembered fondly by the UFC as a result.

“It was sad to see and it didn’t surprise me unfortunately and I did see what Dana’s reply was about the fact that the editors had assumed that’s what he would have chosen and what he would have wanted and look, they were probably right because it’s happened so many times in history. Ngannou and Randy, they’re two fantastically credible names in the sport.”

Hardy was also able to draw from his own experiences, even if his was on a smaller scale.

The current Head of Fighter Operations for PFL Europe left the promotion in 2021 after some disagreements with the UFC, both publicly and privately.

He recalled how he was seemingly wiped from the history of UK MMA during an event in London where his wife, Veronica, was in action.

Despite being the first Brit to challenge for a UFC title when he faced Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight belt, “The Outlaw” was nowhere to be seen across the celebrations of the sport in this region.

“My history in the UFC is far more mediocre in comparison but even so, at UFC London when Veronica was on the card, there’s posters of all the UK fighters on all of the underground tubes and everything and of course, I’m not there. It does happen, they do it a lot.

“It makes no difference to me, I can dye my hair red and walk down the street and people will remember my fights. It’s just kind of a weird thing to see and for people like Randy and Ngannou, they need to be celebrated because they’ve inspired so many people, myself included. They shouldn’t be omitted, they’re part of the fabric of the sport and I think the fans will always remember that.”  

Read also: PFL CEO Contradicts President’s Rejection Of Muhammad Mokaev: ‘He Could Absolutely Be The Future Face Of Flyweights Within PFL’

Continue Reading Dan Hardy Reacts To UFC Erasing Francis Ngannou, Compares With Own Experience at MMA News.

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Belal Muhammad came into UFC 304 as the underdog but he certainly didn’t look like it in the early hours of the morning in Manchester.

The welterweight title challenger largely dominated Leon Edwards to become the champion via a unanimous decision verdict.

After Edwards had already beaten top grapplers in Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington, many assumed that he would have no problem thwarting the heavy wrestling approach of Muhammad, but this wasn’t the case.

Having been inside the Octagon with him for 25 minutes, a former opponent of the current champion saw this performance coming from him and successfully predicted it ahead of time.

Gilbert Burns Reveals Correct Pre-Fight Prediction & Breakdown For UFC 304

During a recent episode of the Believe You Me Podcast, Michael Bisping was joined by former welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns.

Burns is looking to bounce back from consecutive defeats next time out when he faces Sean Brady, both of whom whom were beaten by Muhammad during his undefeated run to the title.

“Durinho” revealed during the interview that he wasn’t surprised by what went down in Manchester and had in fact, told Bisping ahead of time.

After going through his messages, the former middleweight champion was able to find the message which correctly called that “Remember The Name” would get his hand raised on July 27 and how he would do it.

Bisping read the message aloud having asked Burns for his prediction, only to then forget to mention it during the live broadcast.

“Tough fight but I believe Belal’s going to make it a dog fight. I think that’s the only way for him to win and I believe he will do that. Randy Couture style dog fight. Inside dirty boxing mixed up with the wrestling.” 

Read also: Stephen Thompson On Welterweight Star He Wants To Fight Instead Of Michael ‘Venom’ Page: ‘I Think People Would Boo That Fight’

Continue Reading Former Opponent Reveals That He Perfectly Predicted “Randy Couture Style” Welterweight Title Win For Belal Muhammad At UFC 304 at MMA News.

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Kamaru Usman has lost three fights in a row in the UFC but he’s still regarded as one of the best welterweight fighters in the world. Many believe he deserved to win his last fight against Khamzat Chimaev or it should’ve been a draw.

There are plenty of contenders in the UFC welterweight division for the new champion, Belal Muhammad. Although fans and the champion himself have acknowledged Shavkat Rakhmonov and Jack Della Maddalena as worthy title contenders, it is worth noting that Usman is ranked higher than both.

While talking about his imminent return to the Octagon, “Nigerian Nightmare” compared his journey to former champs Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski. He also revealed certain bitter truths about MMA fans…

Kamaru Usman Shares The Struggles Of Active Champions Like Himself, Israel Adesanya, and Alexander Volkanovski

Usman recently appeared on the Weighing In podcast hosted by John McCarthy and Josh Thomson. After claiming that he’s better than Muhammad in every department, the former UFC champ remembered how hard he worked at the peak of his career.

“I was entertaining and entertaining and entertaining was the thing for me. I didn’t care what I was going through. I didn’t care what I was dealing with. I didn’t care what I was battling physically, mentally, emotionally. Didn’t matter to me, I was going to jump in there and perform and perform and perform. And the same thing with Israel Adesanya which is why you saw ton of those title defenses and I’m sure Alexander Volkanovski, who also came out and expressed.”

Usman relates to Adesanya and Volkanovski because they were active champs as well. Like them, he sidelined injuries and ignored recovery to go out there and entertain the fans as much as possible.

The future UFC Hall of Famer admitted to benefitting a lot from his championship run. However, he called out fans who immediately turn on champions after they lose their belts. Without realizing how hard it is to maintain dominance at the top of the sport, people call former champions washed or question their legacy.

“Now, I’m in a place where, okay, with all of that comes a lot of injuries. All the things that you’ve been dealing with, it kind of catches up to you. And now I’m just in a position to, where I’m trying to heal all of that. Because you know, you stack up all these injuries over time and it starts to diminish your performances to where people start to forget just how good you are, just how much time you spent building your career, doing the things that made you successful to where they start, oh, he’s washed. Which is how disrespectful are MMA fans. How disrespectful are they, oh he’s washed, oh he can’t do this anymore.”

Such behavior naturally doesn’t sit well with Usman. Now that he no longer has the pressure to defend a championship, though, he looks forward to returning to the Octagon at his best and reminding everyone of his skills.

• Read More: UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Caio Borralho Decisions Jared Cannonier

Continue Reading Kamaru Usman Compares Career To Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski Ahead Of Rumored Return Against Belal Muhammad: “How Disrespectful Are MMA Fans” at MMA News.

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Robert Whittaker, since moving up to middleweight in the UFC, has only lost thrice. Two of these losses came against Israel Adesanya, and he most recently lost to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 290.

Although Whittaker’s been unable to reclaim his UFC middleweight title since 2019, he’s defeated top contenders such as Darren Till, Jared Cannonier, Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori, and Ikram Aliskerov.

“Bobby Knuckles” will now face Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308. Here’s what he thinks of fighting another intimidating contender and how he plans to emerge victorious…

Robert Whittaker Reveals Several Reasons That Make Him Confident About Beating Khamzat Chimaev

Whittaker appeared on the Submission Radio YouTube channel recently and discussed the state of the UFC middleweight division. When asked about his next fight, “The Reaper” highlighted that he’s had two camps preparing specifically for Chimaev which is naturally a huge advantage.

“I’ve essentially had two camps for this guy, right? I think skill-set wise, I’m probably at the best I’ve been. I’ve been especially most prepared for Khamzat, theoretically speaking as I could be, right?”

The former UFC middleweight kingpin also feels great physically and mentally. He likes fighting in the Middle East, which is luckily where UFC 308 takes place.

Whittaker didn’t hold back when asked about his strategy going into the Chimaev fight. He’s aware of the explosive wrestling his opponent brings in the early rounds. However, he’s certain about neutralizing Chimaev’s wrestling and turning the tides as the fight goes on.

“Yeah, definitely that high-paced start and his wrestling prowess. It’s quite simple. You know, you got to worry about how hard he’s going to push the wrestling envelope in the first few rounds. And then, like, what I’m going to do after that, after I stop the takedowns, after I get back up or whatever, and just taking the fight to him.”

Whittaker has racked up two impressive wins in 2024. By ending the year with a win over a huge name like Chimaev, he’ll most likely earn a title shot.

• READ MORE: Kamaru Usman Compares Career To Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski Ahead Of Rumored Return Against Belal Muhammad: “How Disrespectful Are MMA Fans”

Continue Reading ‘I’ve Essentially Had Two Camps For This Guy’ –  Robert Whittaker Lays Down Confident Plan To Get Past Khamzat Chimaev And Fight For UFC Middleweight Gold at MMA News.

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Kamaru Usman last fought in the UFC in October 2023 against Khamzat Chimaev. “Borz” absolutely dominated the first, as he had Usman’s back for the most part and was either landing unanswered shots or trying for submissions.

The former UFC welterweight champion bounced back in the second and third rounds, though. He won several striking exchanges and didn’t allow his opponent to do anything effective with takedowns.

As fans around the world eagerly wait for his return, Usman revealed his learnings from his last fight and why it wasn’t a five-rounder…

Kamaru Usman Missed The Opportunity To Make Khamzat Chimaev Fight A Five-Rounder Due To Lack Of Confidence

Usman discussed his last loss to Chimaev on the Weighing In podcast, hosted by John McCarthy and Josh Thomson. Right away, “Nigerian Nightmare” remembered that he had lost a close decision to Leon Edwards six months earlier and was stepping in to fight on 10 days’ notice.

“That was the issue. And that’s why Trevor, my coach Trevor Wittman tells me all the time that I’m one of the best, if not the best, at building in a fight and for the first time in a long time, I didn’t trust myself and my abilities because that fight, it could’ve been a five-rounder.”

Even though he had fought in 10 consecutive five-round UFC fights at this point, Usman avoided asking the promotion to make the Chimaev fight a five-rounder too. This was primarily because he didn’t trust his ability to withstand a 25-minute bout without a proper camp.

However, Usman admitted to not being satisfied with the decision loss to Chimaev. This was an eye-opening moment for him, as he made sure to trust himself again. He also looked back at his coach Trevor Wittman’s remarks who proudly claims Usman to be one of the best in getting better in fights over time.

“I wasn’t training as I would be if I had a fight and I went through a camp and so, with that being said that, I didn’t trust myself in that sense. So then you get in a fight and I realize I haven’t fought a three-round fight in, I don’t remember last time I fought a three-round fight. So, I’ve built myself up to get in a position to where you can build over the course of five rounds. And so now that it’s not that, it was very very difficult for me to be okay with that result.”

From the looks of it, Usman has had enough time to rejuvenate physically and mentally after losing the UFC welterweight championship. In his return, he might fight for the title again or aim to avenge his loss to Chimaev in a five-rounder.

• READ MORE: ‘I’ve Essentially Had Two Camps For This Guy’ –  Robert Whittaker Lays Down Confident Plan To Get Past Khamzat Chimaev And Fight For UFC Middleweight Gold

Continue Reading ‘I Didn’t Trust Myself Enough’ – Kamaru Usman Reveals How Khamzat Chimaev Loss Was Eye-Opening For Him at MMA News.

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There is a realistic possibility that we could be seeing Jiří Procházka competing in a new weight class next time out.

Just as he did some time after UFC 303, Procházka continued to tease a drop down in weight in a new video on his YouTube channel.

In the video, the Czech star mentions feeling ready to fight again now, but he is currently waiting for the right conditions to go into a matchup sharp in mind, body, and spirit.

The interviewer then asks Procházka about the weight he plans to return at. The former light heavyweight champion states that if Dricus Du Plessis were to win at UFC 305, he would look at the possibility of moving down to middleweight. The South African retained the middleweight championship earlier this month at UFC 305, submitting Israel Adesanya.

“I’ll clear things up a bit there and take the belt,” Procházka said. “But I feel good and strong in the light heavyweight division, even though the guys there are a bit heavier, almost all of them. So I have to say that I have no problem physically and strength-wise, or in any way, with clearing them out.

“But it would certainly be a challenge for me to go for the belt in the (middleweight) division and then move (back) up. But I’ll really let it flow and see how it unfolds.”

Jiří Procházka Eyeing Move Down To Middleweight To Challenge Dricus Du Plessis

Procházka is coming off an unsuccessful challenge of Alex Pereira for the UFC light heavyweight championship at UFC 303 in June. The result marked the second time in about seven months that the two clashed over the championship.

Pereira recently teased his own move down to middleweight to challenge Du Plessis and try to become a simultaneous two-division champion, having already held the 185-pound gold before his move up to 205 pounds.

Procházka was also asked about rumors of a potential fight with another former light heavyweight champion in Jamahal Hill. “Sweet Dreams” fell in his own challenge of “Poatan” at UFC 300 — the same card that saw Procházka finish Aleksandar Rakić.

The Czechia native poured cold water on such rumors during this interview.

“There hasn’t been any negotiation or discussion with the manager, or anyone else yet,” Procházka said. “I just sent one message regarding Hill, just as an informational note, and I’m not sure if anything has progressed or if someone let something slip. But for now, it’s all just speculation.”

• Read More: UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Caio Borralho Decisions Jared Cannonier

Continue Reading Jiří Procházka Reiterates Plan To Move Down To Middleweight Following Dricus Du Plessis’ Title Defense at MMA News.

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The future appears to be bright for Caio Borralho after pulling off a decision win over Jared Cannonier in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night card at the Apex.

The two had a hard-fought battle filled with plenty of strikes. Borralho’s kicks seemed to get the better of Cannonier in the first round before the former title challenger found a groove with his punches in the second.

They were even in terms of striking numbers in the third, but “The Natural” managed to get “The Killa Gorilla” wobbly late in the frame. Cannonier battled back in the fourth round by delivering with his power, forming heavy damage around one of Borralho’s eyes.

The Brazilian managed to gain the fifth round, however, by dropping Cannonier with a one-two in the closing minutes and nearly scoring the finish.

“I caught him with some good jabs, and I think all these jabs hide my left hand, and when I (was) touching with my left hand, he felt (it) all the times,” Borralho told Megan Olivi for ESPN. “But he’s so durable, you know? He’s so tough. He’s been with the best in the world so many years. Crazy. He was in the UFC in 2015. That was the year of my last defeat, my second MMA fight.”

Caio Borralho Claims He Is A New Champ On The Rise

Borralho ventured his way into the UFC after a pair of wins over Aaron Jeffrey and Jesse Murray on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021. Since then, “The Natural,” representing the Fighting Nerds team, has surged upward in momentum by defeating the likes of Paul Craig, Michał Oleksiejczuk, and Makhmud Muradov prior to Cannonier.

Now with bigger opportunities in his future, in addition to his callout of champion Dricus Du Plessis in the Octagon, Borralho is expecting to be placed in the top five of the middleweight ranking when they’re updated next week.

“I hope to see my name on Tuesday in the top five of this division,” Borralho said. “You know I’m coming for my belt. The mantra of this training camp was to show the new champ arrived. And I think everybody saw that (there is) a new champ on the rising [sic] – a guy that never gives up and (has) all skills.”

• Read More: UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Caio Borralho Decisions Jared Cannonier

Continue Reading Caio Borralho Reveals ‘Mantra’ Of Training Camp For Jared Cannonier Win: ‘The New Champ Has Arrived’ at MMA News.

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