UFC Fight Night takes place tonight from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights!
In the main event, ranked middleweights Jared Cannonier (#5) and Caio Borralho (#12) will clash. While in the co-main event, Angela Hill will face Tabatha Ricci in a strawweight matchup. The event will also feature this year’s TUF finales.
All 24 fighters made weight at the weigh-ins. Make sure to catch all the UFC Fight Night results and highlights as they happen below!
Main Card (ESPN/ESPN+, 10PM ET):
Middleweight Main Event: Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho
Women’s Strawweight Co-Main Event: Angela Hill vs. Tabatha Ricci (115lbs)
Middleweight (TUF 32 Finale): Robert Valentin vs. Ryan Loder (186lbs)
Featherweight (TUF 32 Finale): Kaan Ofli vs. Mairon Santos
Welterweight: Neil Magny vs. Michael Morales
Middleweight: Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Gerald Meerschaert
Preliminary Card (ESPN+, 7PM ET):
Lightweight: Dennis Buzukja vs. Francis Marshall
Middleweight: Zachary Reese vs. Jose Medina
Lightweight: Viacheslav Borshchev vs. James Llontop
Women’s Bantamweight: Jacqueline Cavalcanti vs. Josiane Nunes
Featherweight: Zygimantas Ramaska vs. Nathan Fletcher
Women’s Flyweight: Wang Cong vs. Victoria Leonardo
Continue Reading UFC Fight Night: Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho Results & Highlights (7 PM ET) at MMA News.
Ronda Rousey will always be a massive part of the history of MMA and whilst she was a pioneer in many ways, no female fighter has been able to reach that same level of star power.
There have been many athletes that come along with elements of star potential but the PFL’s Dakota Ditcheva appears to have everything.
It was clear that she had a special quality about her when talking to the media but of course, none of that matters if you can’t back it up in the cage.
Despite detractors regarding her quality of opponents, Ditcheva has beaten everyone that the PFL has put in front of her to go from winning the PFL Europe tournament last year to advancing to the finals of the regular season this year, where she will take on former UFC title challenger Taila Santos in a must-see bout.
Sean O’Connell Says Dakota Ditcheva Has Everything She Needs To Be A Huge Star
Ditcheva appeared on stage moments before the press conference for Francis Ngannou’s PFL debut, where she was joined by Jake Paul who compared her to Rousey.
PFL commentator Sean O’Connell believes that whilst she might be doing it in a different way, he can understand the comparisons between the former face of women’s MMA and one of the most exciting contenders around right now.
He spoke in an interview with TalkSPORT about how Ditcheva has the world at her feet because she ticks every box to become a huge star.
“She has the potential to be a superstar but not for the same reasons as Ronda Rousey. Ronda was the pioneer, Ronda was the one that broke the barrier and got women into the UFC and unfortunately, that’s a milestone that can never be reached again even for someone with the star caliber of Dakota Ditcheva. You could make the argument that it’s going to be harder for Dakota to reach those heights of celebrity but she absolutely is capable of it.
“First of all, because of how incredible she is as a fighter but also she understands the media game, right. She knows exactly when to switch off that savage and become the sweetheart again. She’s got the look, she’s got the charisma and when you have that plus the ability to knock women out like she does, the sky is the limit.”
Read also: 2024 PFL 9 Playoffs: Brendan Loughnane vs. Kai Kamaka III Results & Highlights (7 PM ET)
Continue Reading PFL Star Touted For Ronda Rousey-esque Growth: ‘She Knows Exactly When To Switch Off The Savage & Become The Sweetheart…’ at MMA News.
Alex Pereira will return at UFC 307 to defend his UFC light heavyweight championship against Khalil Rountree. A couple of weeks later, no. 2 ranked contender Magomed Ankalaev will fight no. 5 ranked Aleksandar Rakić in a potential title eliminator.
The announcement has left fans divided with many complaining about the no. 8 ranked fighter getting a title shot. Top UFC light heavyweight contenders like Jamahal Hill and Jan Błachowicz have questioned the matchmaking process as well.
On the flip side, admirers of Rountree’s explosive striking are expecting him to put on a great performance against Pereira. Here’s how Daniel Cormier looks at the UFC 307 main event and why he thinks it’s the right move by the UFC…
Daniel Cormier Explains Why He Wouldn’t Put Alex Pereira Against Magomed Ankalaev Despite Him Being The Obvious Choice
Cormier and Ben Askren discussed Pereira vs. Rountree on the former’s official YouTube channel recently. While Askren seemed perplexed by how “The War Horse” is fighting for the title, Cormier understood the decision because of Pereira’s growing stardom.
“Ankalaev seems so obvious a choice but not really the choice because I wouldn’t put him in there with Alex right now. Like honestly, Alex Pereira is actually selling pay-per-views and he’s making money for you as a company. I don’t know if Ankalaev can do that right now.”
By frequently fighting in major events like UFC 300, UFC 303, and now, UFC 307, “Poatan” has quickly amassed millions of fans. However, as per DC, he’s yet to be as big a star as Conor McGregor.
The former UFC champ further explained that McGregor’s unprecedented stardom helped his opponents make a name for themselves by beating him. Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier are fine examples of the same.
“If you beat Conor McGregor, you become a pay-per-view attraction. If you beat certain guys, you kind of take their shine and you become that attraction. I don’t know if you beat Pereira, you become that attraction. I don’t know, I think he is the attraction. I don’t know, just by beating him, if he’s the big enough star yet to elevate the next guy to the point that they’re selling a whole bunch of paper.:
Cormier believes that Pereira is yet to reach McGregor’s levels of popularity where he generates new stars, even while losing. As a result, the UFC would want to give “Poatan” favorable matchups and make him the center of attention for as long as possible. At the moment, the promotion won’t risk ending the reign of its biggest star in recent times.
Read also: Sean O’Malley ‘Annoyed-ish’ At Noche UFC Fight Promotion After Getting Nod To Headline Over Holloway vs. Topuria, Conor McGregor
Continue Reading Daniel Cormier Makes Conor McGregor Comparison To Justify Alex Pereira’s UFC 307 Title Defence Against Khalil Rountree: ‘Big Enough Star Yet?’ at MMA News.
Sean O’Malley will defend his UFC bantamweight championship against Merab Dvalishvili at Riyadh Season Noche UFC in the Las Vegas Sphere on September 14, 2024. The event will celebrate Mexican Independence Day and UFC CEO Dana White has promised unprecedented production quality.
With a spectacular win at The Sphere, O’Malley can significantly boost his popularity in MMA circles and draw new fans. However, his opponent has won ten consecutive fights in the UFC with relentless pressure and dominant wrestling.
Amidst the gradually increasing hype for his next fight, “Suga” revealed his mixed feelings about headlining a massive card like UFC 306…
Sean O’Malley Expects The UFC To Promote His Fight, Not Just The Sphere In The Lead-Up To UFC 306
O’Malley talked about the opportunity to headline a card as massive as UFC 306 on Michael Bisping’s Believe You Me podcast recently. With UFC 305 done and dusted, the UFC bantamweight champ acknowledges that Riyadh Season Noche UFC will soon get all the eyes.
“I’m very excited. Now that it’s like, you know, the last fight, the pay-per-view is last weekend so now it’s, you know, it’s always the next pay-per-view, that’s being talked about so now that that fight’s over, we got The Sphere coming up.”
“Suga” realizes his fight with Dvalishvili is the UFC 306 main event over Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway, now scheduled for UFC 308. Conor McGregor was also rumored to be added to the card. He’s naturally honored to get this chance from the UFC but expects the promotions to improve as the event approaches.
O’Malley highlighted that the UFC has promoted The Sphere and the event’s theme more than the fighters, including him and Dvalishvili. However, he looks forward to things getting better once promotion on social media begins.
“A little annoyed-ish about the promotion of The Sphere. The Sphere is the show. I’m the one doing interviews, not The Sphere. Let’s promote Sean vs. Merab, the Suga show. I’m the one fighting let’s go baby. But, you know, it is what it is. The Sphere is going to be f*****g legendary, it’ll be epic, it’ll be cool. But yeah I think these next few weeks are really going to, you know, things are still going to start coming out. ESPN Will start posting, UFC will Start Posting. So, it’s going to feel big soon.
“Suga” leaves no opportunity to take sly digs at his opponents through funny skits and memes on social media platforms. He’s also fulfilling his media responsibilities as a UFC champion, which explains his aforementioned expectations from the promotion.
Read More: Chael Sonnen Feels Khalil Rountree Fight Will Fast Track Alex Pereira’s Heavyweight Move: ‘The Best Way, Get Him Beat!’
Continue Reading Sean O’Malley ‘Annoyed-ish’ At Noche UFC Fight Promotion After Getting Nod To Headline Over Holloway vs. Topuria, Conor McGregor at MMA News.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it’s common knowledge in MMA circles that Francis Ngannou and Dana White have a rocky relationship. After being the UFC’s biggest heavyweight superstar for quite some time, Ngannou left due to contract-related conflicts, and White has never been happy about it.
Since Ngannou’s departure, White has frequently taken jabs at the former UFC heavyweight champ. The UFC President has blamed him for not fighting Jon Jones and has discredited his boxing career as well.
In the press conference for his PFL debut against Renan Ferreira on Oct. 19 in Saudi Arabia, Ngannou finally fired back at White’s latest comments…
Francis Ngannou Reveals Why Jon Jones Fight Didn’t Happen Despite His Request
While talking to journalists at the PFL press conference, Ngannou flipped the script and claimed that Jones didn’t want to fight him in the UFC. He allegedly requested the fight multiple times but was told that “Bones” wasn’t willing to fight as he was enjoying life in Albuquerque.
“As far as I’m concerned, it was Jon Jones didn’t want to fight for me, according to them. And so many time that we sit down on the meeting, I’m like, oh it can’t happen Jon Jones doesn’t want to fight anymore. You know, like he live in Albuquerque. He live his small life. He has a lot of money in his bank account, you know. So, I think, the guy who control the narrative can say whatever he wants but that’s just the narrative. I never, I was the one requesting the Jon Jones fight but I didn’t want that like a trap, to get into some deal and get to something I didn’t want.”
As per “The Predator”, another reason why the Jones fight couldn’t happen was his contract. He was down to fight the UFC light heavyweight GOAT but wanted a contract that benefited him in ways other than just money. This included the freedom to box, in-cage sponsorships, and health insurance, among other things.
Ngannou’s relationship with the UFC fell apart when both parties couldn’t negotiate a contract that fulfilled the former’s demands. Instead, the UFC heavyweight champ left the promotion and signed with the PFL.
Read More: Chael Sonnen Feels Khalil Rountree Fight Will Fast Track Alex Pereira’s Heavyweight Move: ‘The Best Way, Get Him Beat!’
Continue Reading Francis Ngannou Clears The Air On Dana White Claiming He Ducked Jon Jones: ‘The Guy Who Control The Narrative…’ at MMA News.
The UFC’s light heavyweight division has been unpredictable as of late after two big matchups were put together that left some questions.
Magomed Ankalaev has been pushing to face champion Alex Pereira for a long time now, but in order to get his second shot at the title, he will need to get past Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 308.
Meanwhile, Khalil Rountree will leapfrog both him and the majority of the top 10 to face “Poatan” at UFC 307 in an exciting clash of styles that plenty have suggested is premature.
Many will be expecting Ankalaev to come through yet another light heavyweight contender and continue to call for his shot, but Chael Sonnen believes some may be getting carried away…
Sonnen Warns Fans Not To Underestimate Rakić’s Chances Against Ankalaev
During a recent YouTube video, Sonnen spoke about what appears to be a number one contenders’ clash at 205 pounds that is set for October 26.
Not only were fans surprised to see Ankalaev not securing his date with the champion, many were puzzled by the decision to book him against Rakić. Whilst he is a top five contender in the division, he’s coming off of a loss in another title eliminator when he was stopped by Jiří Procházka at UFC 300.
Sonnen stated that although this could be the final hurdle for Ankalaev to overcome, it can’t be overlooked how big of an opportunity this is for his opponent.
“Ankalaev, clearly the number one contender, at least according to you guys. And you know what? I do have a little bit of a problem with that. I’s not a huge problem but I do have just a little one,” Sonnen said. “Which is Rakić is that damn good. You got to understand, Rakić did not get a world title fight — well neither did Ankalaev, but Rakić did find himself in the next best thing.
“He’s in a number one contenders’ match. That is quite literally the next best thing that you could get to a title fight and he found himself there coming off of a loss. As a matter of fact, he found himself there coming off of a stoppage loss. As a matter of fact, finding himself in this spot actually moves him in front of the guy that he suffered the loss to in Procházka,” Sonnen continued. “I’m only telling you this because that’s how good Rakić is and a lot of people have forgot.”
Read More: Chael Sonnen Feels Khalil Rountree Fight Will Fast Track Alex Pereira’s Heavyweight Move: ‘The Best Way, Get Him Beat!’
Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Tells Fans To Hold Their Horses On Seeing Magomed Ankalaev As Top Light Heavyweight Contender: ‘Rakić Is That Damn Good!’ at MMA News.
One of the clear highlights of the UFC 305 pay-per-view this past weekend was the lightweight contest between Mateusz Gamrot and Dan Hooker.
Given Gamrot’s position in the division and recent wins, many expected him to get this victory to take one more step closer to a title shot. However, “The Hangman” had other plans.
He managed to win a split decision and a top five ranking spot following a great clash between them, which sent the Perth crowd crazy after witnessing the Fight of the Night bonus winner.
One fellow lightweight contender who had his eye on this clash was Paddy Pimblett. “The Baddy” recently entered the top 15 at 155 pounds with a submission win over King Green at UFC 304.
He gave his live reaction to the fight on his YouTube channel, where before the first bell sounded, he teed up the idea of meeting either man down the line.
“I could end up fighting one of these couldn’t I?”
Paddy Pimblett Agreed With Decision, Tees Up Dan Hooker Encounter In The Future
Like many, Pimblett agreed that Gamrot was the favorite going in. He did, however, make a point of stating that Hooker shouldn’t have been such a big underdog due to the caliber of opponents he has faced.
“The Baddy” wasn’t surprised to see “Gamer” get takedowns, but over the course of the fight, he watched as “The Hangman” kept pouring on the pressure with his forward momentum.
The fight was a close one, which the scorecards and Pimblett’s reaction seconded. But the former Cage Warriors champion did agree that Hooker did enough to get his hand raised.
While there may be 10 ranking spots between them, “The Baddy” would be open to testing himself against the fan favorite in the future.
“Fight of the night so far of what I’ve watched. Let’s see the decision anyway. I reckon Hooker, lad, to be honest. 29-28 Gamrot. 29-28 Hooker, upset, Dan Hooker back in the top five,” Pimblett said. “Could be a nice fight for me in the future.”
Read More: Mateusz Gamrot Sets Sights On Next Opponent After UFC 305 Setback: ‘If The UFC Likes It…’
Continue Reading Paddy Pimblett Reacts To Dan Hooker’s Upset Win Over Mateusz Gamrot At UFC 305: ‘Could Be A Nice Fight For Me…’ at MMA News.
In arguably the biggest fight of his career, Merab Dvalishvili will challenge Sean O’Malley for the UFC bantamweight championship. The bout will headline the Riyadh Season Noche UFC event at the Las Vegas Sphere on September 14, 2024.
While O’Malley avenged his only MMA loss to Marlon Vera in his first title defense, Dvalishvili is riding a 10-fight win streak in the UFC. The contender holds wins over big names like Marlon Moraes, José Aldo, and Petr Yan. This explains the hype behind the bantamweight title bout.
However, the main event was temporarily in jeopardy as Dvalishvili revealed a cut under his eye. UFC President Dana White wasn’t happy about the situation, and Michael Bisping couldn’t agree more…
Michael Bisping Explains Why Merab Dvalishvili Shouldn’t Have Posted His Cut Before Sean O’Malley Fight
Bisping discussed Dvalishvili’s injury on his official YouTube channel recently. He highlighted that fighters now usually post most of their life on social media to increase engagement with fans. Naturally, this wasn’t the case a couple of decades back, and being silent about injuries during camps was preferred.
“Dana’s right when he talks about boxers. Of course, he’s probably talking about the boxers of his generation. Dana knows a lot about boxing as well as mixed martial arts of course. Back in the day, social media wasn’t a thing. The new generation, though, they live on social media. Your entire life is on social media”
The former UFC middleweight champ then explained why White was right in being upset with Dvalishvili’s behavior. For starters, a crisp striker like “Suga” can easily target the cut and make “The Machine” bleed early on in the fight.
“I tell you what, if I was fighting for a main event against Sean O’Malley to become the UFC champion of the world, and I got cut, I would not post it on social media. I’m not talking s**t on Merab. I think Merab is awesome, he’s a great guy, he’s an incredible fighter. The performance against Cejudo solidified that he is the next man in line, but not everything needs to go on social media!”
Bisping also looked back at major injuries he sustained before some of his biggest UFC fights. He had stitches near his eye before the first fight with Luke Rockhold and infamously broke his ribs a week before the Georges St-Pierre fight. “The Count” kept these injuries secret and expects modern-day UFC fighters to follow suit.
Read More: Dana White ‘Takes Responsibility’ For Francis Ngannou Erasure In UFC 305 Video, Apologizes To Israel Adesanya
Continue Reading Former UFC Champ Backs Dana White On Merab Dvalishvili Revealing His Cut Ahead Of Sean O’Malley Fight: ‘Not Everything Needs To Go On Social Media!’ at MMA News.
Ilia Topuria grabbed the UFC featherweight title from Alexander Volkanovski in just his seventh fight for the promotion. He now boasts a perfect 15-0 record and will defend the belt for the first time against Max Holloway at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi on October 26, 2024.
Many looked past Topuria as an overconfident prospect ahead of the Volkanovski fight because he updated his record and status as the UFC featherweight kingpin on social media beforehand. However, he knocked out the champion in the second and silenced all the doubters.
“El Matador” is similarly sure about being the first fighter to knock out Holloway, that too in the first. He also claims “Blessed” to be an easier matchup for him than Volkanovski…
Ilia Topuria Predicts ‘Completely Masterpiece’ Performance Against Max Holloway At UFC 308
Topuria discussed his first title defense in an interview on the official MMA Junkie YouTube channel recently. He outright rejected fans who rank Holloway’s striking highly and proclaimed himself to be better in all areas.
“I feel like I’m way better than him everywhere. Simple like that. It’s like, it’s going to be a completely masterpiece, you will see, you will see. I will knock him out in the first round, there’s no doubts about that. It’s going to be even much easier than with Volkanovski because I consider that Volkanovski was like, a way difficult matchup for me and he proved it right? He beat the guy three times.”
“El Matador” also considers Volkanovski to be a much harder matchup for him than Holloway. “The Great” beat Holloway thrice, and a victory over him could be the source of Topuria’s high confidence.
Topuria added that Holloway’s been more vocal than usual with him due to fear. He also advised the challenger to avoid the wild swinging exchanges toward the end of rounds as it would make it easier for the champ to get a KO victory.
The UFC featherweight champion highlighted that he knocked out Volkanovski in seven minutes, unlike Holloway who’s had 75 minutes to do so.
READ MORE: Sean Strickland Shares Unpopular Opinion On Former UFC Middleweight Champ: ‘I Just Don’t Think Izzy’s That Good!’
Continue Reading Ilia Topuria Confident About Knocking Max Holloway Out In The First: ‘Much Easier Than With Volkanovski’ at MMA News.
Sean Strickland defeated Israel Adesanya via unanimous decision at UFC 293 in September 2023. It was one of the biggest upsets in MMA history as fans expected the champ to piece up Strickland with his striking.
“The Last Stylebender” returned to the Octagon after 11 months at UFC 305, challenging Dricus Du Plessis for the UFC middleweight championship. The fight was competitive on the feet and ground from the get-go, but the kingpin secured a submission win in the fourth.
Adesanya had never lost two consecutive fights in his pro career previously. Looking back at his bouts, former opponent Strickland has claimed that Izzy was never that good to begin with…
Sean Strickland Doubted Israel Adesanya’s Fighting Skills After Sparring Kelvin Gastelum
Strickland recently discussed his former rival on the Verse Us with Erick Nicksick podcast. After admitting that it’s an unpopular opinion, he said that “The Last Stylbender” isn’t as good as his record makes him look.
“I have an unpopular opinion. You guys aren’t going to like it. I just don’t think Izzy’s that good!”
Strickland thinks so primarily because of his regular sparring sessions with Kelvin Gastelum. Izzy had one of the toughest fights of his MMA career against Gastelum, while Strickland claims to run through him during training.
“So, when he fought Kelvin dude. I think Kelvin sucks. So, like, everyone’s like, everyone’s like oh man Izzy’s this and that. Like, dude, I’ve sparred Kelvin so many times where I’m like, you kind of had a close fight with Kelvin, like you’re not that good.”
The previous UFC middleweight champion clarified that he still believes Adesanya to be better than the majority of the UFC roster. He compared Izzy’s recent form to the likes of Chuck Liddell and Anderson Silva who went on losing streaks once an opponent figured out the best game plan to beat them.
READ MORE: Anthony Smith Shares Theory On Alex Pereira Pondering Middleweight Return To Fight Dricus Du Plessis: ‘You Beat My Friend!’
Continue Reading Sean Strickland Shares Unpopular Opinion On Former UFC Middleweight Champ: ‘I Just Don’t Think Izzy’s That Good!’ at MMA News.
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