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Marlon “Chito” Vera returns this weekend in Abu Dhabi where he looks to get back to winning ways in the bantamweight division.

Vera faces a tough test in former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo but he has all the motivation he needs after how his last fight went.

The challenger was unable to really put his stamp on his 135-pound title fight with Sean O’Malley at UFC 299, where he was beaten convincingly over the five round contest.

His toughness was enough to keep him in the fight but even that was tested at several points by some sniper-like striking from “Suga”.

One strike, in particular, stole the show in March after O’Malley landed a knee that sounded even worse than it looked.

Marlon Vera Says A Punch In The Fifth Round Hurt More Than Viral Knee

Before he makes the walk once again this weekend, Vera reflected on his last fight and some of the damage that he took.

It says a lot about his heart and durability that he was able to make it to the final bell with many finding it hard to believe that he continued to fight on after that knee strike landed in the second round.

Vera spoke during his media day interview about what was going through his mind at that moment and how much damage the knee actually caused.

“Just to make a comparison, the punch in the fifth round that land perfectly on my eye, it wasn’t an eye poke but it felt like one, hurt me a million times more. Like I was fully blind, I was like, ‘F***!’ It was a perfect punch, props on him but I mean the knee really like kind of shocked me.

“I was like, ‘F*** I got clipped with something big,’ and I know it was the knee but I wasn’t like… my legs were there. I was just like, ‘F*** that really hurt,’ In terms of a hit but I would say my brain and my legs were there. I was just like don’t do that again. It was pretty much almost the same knee that I hit Font with.”

Read also: Marlon Vera Questions Merab Dvalishvili’s Chin Ahead Of Sean O’Malley Title Fight: ‘If You’re Getting Dropped By Cejudo…’

Continue Reading Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera Gives Props To Sean O’Malley, Talks Viral Knee: ‘Really Kinda Shocked Me…’ at MMA News.

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Many combat sports fans have criticized Jake Paul for the opponents that he tends to face when stepping inside the ring.

Whilst the amount of experience he has means that he can’t be expected to take on top tier opponents, he tends to fight opponents that shouldn’t be in there with him.

Paul also has a track record for calling out some of the biggest names despite there being very little chance that the fight would actually come together.

This was once again the case following his recent win over Mike Perry, where he called out one of the biggest stars in the UFC right now, light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.

Pereira unsurprisingly instantly responded but Dana White hasn’t given the idea much thought.

Dana White Says He Doesn’t Think About Jake Paul Anymore

In a recent interview with TNT Sports, White was asked whether this is something he would consider just to silence Paul once and for all by putting the Pereira fight together.

The UFC boss has been very open about his dislike for what “The Problem Child” is doing in combat sports and therefore hasn’t been paying much attention.

He made it clear that giving Pereira a pass to go and box Paul isn’t an option that has ever been thought about because White tapped out of caring about the social media star’s boxing career long ago.

“I haven’t even talked to Perry in a long time and I didn’t even know Jake Paul was fighting. I was on vacation in Italy, I had no idea. There’s all these stories that were written, it’s ridiculous. I stopped paying attention to Jake Paul when he lost to Fury, you know what I mean. It’s like when he fought somebody that was his age and actually boxed, he lost and I’m not s******* on the kid, I don’t even think about him anymore.

“It doesn’t even cross my mind. I have no beef with him. ‘They’re trying to get me assassinated’. Nobody’s trying to get you assassinated especially, listen, I respect Perry. Smaller, older, I mean it’s the same blueprint that they’re fighting older, smaller guys that, it’s just I literally don’t even think about him anymore. It’s all b*******.”

Read also: Mike Perry Tells Jake Paul Injury Sustained 10 Seconds Into Fight Affected Performance: ‘You Popped It Right Away!’

Continue Reading Dana White Laughs Off Alex Pereira vs Jake Paul Fight: ‘I Stopped Paying Attention When He Lost To Fury’ at MMA News.

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A UFC heavyweight fighter is set to remain on the sidelines after violating the promotion’s anti-doping policy whilst already suspended.

Hamdy Abdelwahab, an Egyptian Greco-Roman wrestler-turned-mixed martial artist, made a successful Octagon debut on short notice at UFC 277 in July 2022. After moving to 5-0 with a win under Jorge Masvidal’s iKon FC banner, “The Hammer” signed with the sport’s leading promotion and outpointed Don’Tale Mayes.

But that result was later overturned to a no contest after Abdelwahab received a two-year ban from USADA. That ruling was owing to positive tests for the anabolic agent metenolone and its metabolite prior to his UFC debut, in addition to a tampering violation for not disclosing the banned substance ahead of joining USADA’s program.

The Egyptian’s suspension ended on July 30, but that won’t mark an eligibility to compete once again…

UFC’s Abdelwahab Set For Extended Spell On Sidelines After New Suspension

This week, Combat Sports Anti Doping (CSAD) — which replaced USADA as the body overseeing the UFC’s anti-doping program this year — announced that Abdelwahab has accepted another sanction for his second violation.

In a statement, CSAD revealed that the UFC heavyweight tested positive for exogenous testosterone in three separate tests on March 23, May 3, and May 23 this year. With Abdelwahab not being informed of the first failure and the third branded a product of residual amounts left from the first two, the failures were treated as one violation.

It was also noted that the Egyptian fighter provided evidence of a tainted supplement, something he failed to do in relation to the 2022 test. Such a fact would ordinarily result in a three-month ban, but with Abdelwahab already serving a suspension at the time of the latest failures, he’s been slapped with a six-month sanction.

With that, the 31-year-old will be eligible to return to competition on January 30, 2025, two and a half years on from his UFC debut.

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A post shared by Hamdy Abdelwahab (@hamdy.abdelwahab1)

• Read More: Judge Rejects Settlement In UFC Antitrust Lawsuit & Schedules Jury Trial, UFC Releases Statement

Continue Reading UFC Heavyweight Gets Fresh Suspension After Violating Anti-Doping Policy While Already Serving 2-Year Ban at MMA News.

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As Dricus Du Plessis prepares to defend his middleweight title at UFC 305 for the first time, two of his former opponents could be set to meet in a huge clash.

Both former champions Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland have claims to be the next in line for a title shot after Israel Adesanya.

Though Strickland believes he doesn’t need to fight again to get the next opportunity, a number one contender’s match-up would make a lot of sense for the division.

Having faced and defeated both men, Du Plessis finds this fight difficult to call but he did give his analysis and prediction.

Dricus Du Plessis Says Grappling Exchange Key To Whittaker vs. Strickland

Du Plessis has remained on the fence in the past when being asked about this fight because he didn’t have a clear image in his head of the way that it takes place.

He spoke during a recent interview with mainevent on Fox Sports where after giving it some thought, he broke down how he sees it going.

Du Plessis said the crucial element for both men is being able to utilize their greatest strengths, whether it’s the pressure of Strickland or the blitz assault from Whittaker.

He gave the bold prediction that this one could come down to who wins the grappling exchanges despite both men being known for their striking.

If this is the case, he sided with “The Reaper” to get his hand raised.

“The fact that I really honestly can’t say off the bat means it’s gonna be a great fight. I honestly think it’s going to come down to the same thing, imposing game plans. If you let Strickland walk forward like he did with Paulo Costa and like he did with Israel Adesanya, if you give him that space and that momentum, it’s really really hard to take it back and it’s really hard to swing that fight. So, to make sure that Rob fights his fight. If Rob can do his blitzes the way he does then I think he takes that fight. I think it comes down to a wrestling and clinch game and I think Rob wins that fight.”

Read also: VIDEO: Sean O’Malley & Merab Dvalishvili Go Back & Forth While Face To Face For UFC 306 Promo

Continue Reading Dricus Du Plessis Predicts How Potential ‘Title Eliminator’ Sean Strickland vs. Robert Whittaker Would Go: ‘I Think It Comes Down To…’ at MMA News.

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Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen saw some of his ex-rival Jon Jones in the performance of lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett this past weekend.

Pimblett recorded the biggest win of his Octagon career at the UFC 304 pay-per-view, getting the better of King Green on the main card to secure a ranking for the very first time.

“The Baddy” entered the Octagon in front of his home fans at Manchester’s Co-op Live as an underdog and with many backing Green to stall his charge following a close decision against Jared Gordon and failure to finish Tony Ferguson.

But the Liverpool native needed just one round to prove them wrong, capitalizing on an ill-advised takedown to lock in a triangle choke and render Green unconscious.

Among those majorly impressed by Pimblett’s efforts was Sonnen, who even compared his ability in the fight to an all-time great…

Sonnen Praises Pimblett For Dealing With ‘Street Fighter’ Green

During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen gave his take on Pimblett’s successful outing on home soil this past weekend.

More so than the submission finish, “The American Gangster” was impressed by how “The Baddy” combatted a style and approach he won’t have faced in any previous fights or behind closed doors in training.

The ability to do so, Sonnen says, is something Pimblett shares with the consensus greatest of all time, Jon Jones.

“(Green) fights like a street fighter. He’s got his hands down; you don’t know what he’s gonna do. He’s talking to you! It’s like two guys outside a liquor store, truly,” Sonnen said. “You know what? Paddy was dealing with it. It’s hard to deal with ’cause you can’t prepare for it; you can’t prepare for it because your teammates don’t show up drunk talking trash with their hands down.

“Paddy was dealing with it. That is a Jon Jones-esque ability. Jon Jones is the king of fighting fighters that all he has to prepare is video tape,” Sonnen continued. “He’s got some weird guy that’s some kind of a tool that he has to deal with, and Jon doesn’t bring in the partners and doesn’t have the experience, but he watched him on tape and he came up with a plan because he knows the sport well enough. That’s what Paddy just did.”

Having caught the eyes of the likes of Sonnen with his latest triumph inside the Octagon, Pimblett will look to continue his development and habit of proving his detractors wrong next time out.

By all accounts, the Liverpool native will be looking to stake his claim for a spot inside the top 10, having secured the #15 spot in the division as it stands. And given his post-fight callout at UFC 304, he’ll have a close eye on Renato Moicano and Benoît Saint Denis’ upcoming battle in Paris.

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• Read More: Paddy Pimblett Acknowledges Alternative Option To Renato Moicano For Next Fight After UFC 304: ‘If He Wants His Head Punching In…’ 

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Praises Paddy Pimblett For Displaying ‘Jon Jones-esque’ Ability At UFC 304 at MMA News.

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Jon Jones is expected to face Stipe Miocic before the end of 2024, with Dana White recently stating that the winner will step into the Octagon against Tom Aspinall to unify the UFC heavyweight championship.

Jones has been out of action since winning the heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane in March 2023. Although Aspinall has won and defended the interim title, “Bones” is still the official champion and holds a solid #3 ranking in the pound-for-pound list.

“Bones” has repeatedly talked about considering retirement after the Miocic fight as well. One former UFC champ, however, thinks this move could be detrimental to his legacy…

Michael Bisping Claims Jon Jones Would Lose Fans If He Retires Without Fighting Tom Aspinall

Michael Bisping recently discussed the future of the UFC heavyweight division on his official YouTube channel. The winner of Jones vs. Miocic is expected to face Aspinall next, and early odds favor the interim champ.

“The Count” claimed that despite his GOAT status as a light heavyweight, Jones’ inactivity at heavyweight makes him an underdog against Aspinall. But the former UFC middleweight kingpin also highlighted that his opponent’s lack of fighting experience could benefit Jones, who boasts a record 15 UFC title wins.

“He hasn’t got the in-ring time, he hasn’t got the experience, the fight IQ of a Jon Jones.”

Bisping’s other concern is regarding Jones’ will to fight after the Miocic fight. The decision is largely dependent on his performance, and in the eyes of “The Count,” retiring without unifying the heavyweight title wouldn’t sit well with a lot of fans.

Jones vs. Aspinall has been a highly anticipated fight for over a year now. While the Brit has been respectfully waiting for the opportunity, many think that “Bones” is avoiding the Aspinall fight due to the higher risk of losing.

Bisping believes such narratives will only get stronger if the UFC heavyweight champion retires after his next scheduled fight.

“It would suck. Not only would it suck, but it would also be not the best move for Jon Jones in terms of fan appreciation. The narrative would always be that he was ducking Tom Aspinall.”

• Read More: Winner Of Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes At UFC 304 Touted To Be Long-Reigning Heavyweight Champion: ‘He Kind Of Cruises A Little Bit’

Continue Reading Former UFC Champion Explains How Retiring After Stipe Miocic Fight Would Affect Jon Jones’ Legacy: ‘Ducking Tom Aspinall!’ at MMA News.

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Mike Perry may have been unsuccessful in his fight with Jake Paul but he still received praise for his toughness.

“Platinum” may not be an experienced boxer or someone that can match Paul for size but he was always going to be a tough opponent to get out of there.

He did eventually get stopped in the sixth round but as expected with someone like Perry, many would have crumbled much earlier on.

What makes this even more impressive, and something that Perry is able to take out of this fight, is that he was compromised from the very first punch that his opponent landed.

Mike Perry Reveals That Jake Paul Broke His Rib With The First Punch That He Landed

Perry appeared on BS w/ Jake Paul where they spoke about the fight and revealed new details about how it all went down.

During the podcast, the former UFC fighter said that he is going to take some time off for his rib to recover after it was broken in the opening 10 seconds of the fight.

He said that he was so focused on keeping his hands up that it left an opening for Paul which he successfully took advantage of from the opening bell.

With his body badly injured, Perry was forced to drop his guard which left him more susceptible to head strikes which eventually closed the show on him.

“First 10 seconds, that first punch you hit me with, you popped me. Because look, I knew people were going to be like, ‘Put your hands up,’ Right, so I come out and I’m like this with my hands up and my rib was wide open. You hit me in the rib and I was like, ‘F*** that’s it, I’m putting my hands down.’ You popped it right away and I fought through it I mean there’s something, there’s pieces I can take that I can be proud of but you know, I think it was fair and square.”

Read also: Jake Paul Reveals Verbal Agreement With Mike Perry To Rematch In PFL, Dirty Boxing Down The Line

Continue Reading Mike Perry Tells Jake Paul Injury Sustained 10 Seconds Into Fight Affected Performance: ‘You Popped It Right Away!’ at MMA News.

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Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier thinks Tom Aspinall should switch strategy if he really wants to tempt Jon Jones into a fight.

Aspinall’s case for the next shot at Jones grew ever stronger in the co-main event of this past weekend’s UFC 304 pay-per-view, which went down inside the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England.

Close to home, Aspinall put his interim heavyweight title on the line in a rematch with Curtis Blaydes, pursuing both a successful first defense and redemption for the injury-forced TKO setback he fell to opposite “Razor” in 2022.

It took the Brit just one minute to achieve those goals, dropping Blaydes with a stiff jab before reigning down ground-and-pound for the first-round stoppage.

As expected, Aspinall had Jones’ name on his lips post-fight, remaining respectful with his latest callout of the heavyweight titleholder. One of Jones’ former opponents, however, thinks he needs to abandon his nice nature…

Cormier: Aspinall Must ‘Get Louder’ & ‘Rile Up’ Jones

During a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Cormier gave his take on the events that unfolded at UFC 304 from cageside inside Manchester’s Co-op Live.

“DC” touched on his Octagon interview with Aspinall following the co-headliner, claiming the Brit needs to change approach and begin ‘riling up’ Jones if he is to ensure a future dream showdown with the former two-time light heavyweight champ.

“This guy seems to be the future and the present of the heavyweight division,” Cormier said. “You know, Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic are gonna fight each other, and deservedly so. … When they get to New York and they fight, Tom Aspinall needs to be in the building, if he’s smart.

“I watched him finish, I watched the way the crowd reacted to him, and I watched his callout to Jon Jones. And in Tom Aspinall fashion, he was nice about it,” Cormier continued. “He needs to rile up Jones a little bit to get the people more invested. … I have seen the crowd get so behind a certain person that the organization will pivot. … Maybe they’ll pivot and make Aspinall vs. Jones right now. We don’t know…but Aspinall has to get a little bit louder.”

Jones had a short and succinct response to Aspinall’s UFC 304 triumph and post-fight callout on social media. By all accounts, the Brit’s emphatic performance did little to convince “Bones” or the UFC to alter their plans for an expected November title fight.

• Read More: Daniel Cormier Defends Belal Muhammad Against Criticism Of UFC 304 Title Win: ‘That Was The Furthest Thing From A Boring Fight!’

Continue Reading Daniel Cormier Advises Tom Aspinall On How To Boost Chances Of Jon Jones Fight After UFC 304 at MMA News.

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Leon Edwards’ coach has looked to add some context to the former UFC welterweight champion’s wrestling struggles against Belal Muhammad.

Edwards headlined this past weekend’s UFC 304 pay-per-view event at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England, defending the 170-pound gold in a rematch with Muhammad.

Against the odds and despite many backing the champ to retain, “Remember the Name” proved that his confidence was well placed by putting on a largely dominant display across five rounds en route to a unanimous decision victory.

A key part of Muhammad’s title triumph was his renowned grappling game, as he utilized a smothering wrestling arsenal to control Edwards for significant portions of the UFC 304 headliner. That came as a surprise to many given Edwards’ strong wrestling defense, which helped him outpoint both Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington last year.

Now, some extra information has been attached to the former champ’s failure to combat Muhammad’s takedowns…

Coach Lovell Was ‘Dubious’ About Edwards Fighting Through Injury At UFC 304

During a recent interview on Submission Radio, coach Dave Lovell reflected on his man’s setback in Manchester this past weekend, which marked his first defeat since a decision loss to Usman in 2015.

While he acknowledged Muhammad’s display and suggested it simply wasn’t Edwards night, the experienced trainer did reveal some injury troubles that he believes hampered “Rocky’s” ability to handle the challenger’s main offense at UFC 304.

“Where Leon was concerned, a lot of people don’t know this — and I’m not making any kind of excuses for him — but we had a few niggles in camp. His back was niggling him,” Lovell said. “So he couldn’t wrestle the way he really needed to, offensively and defensively. We’re not taking anything away from Belal’s performance. He did well; the best man won on the night. But Leon will be back.

“I was very dubious because these niggles were going on for about maybe five or so weeks on or off. He had to go to a chiropractor (for) regular massages. But again, after one session, it was back to square one,” Lovell continued. “In the back part of my mind, I was thinking, ‘Should we go for this?’ But because he hadn’t fought for so long, Leon said he wanted it, so we just pushed forward through the injury, trained through the injury, and then tried to get through and get a victory. Unfortunately, it never happened.”

Edwards made no mention of the physical problems he seemingly entered the cage with at UFC 304 himself. In a short and succinct post-fight statement, “Rocky” apologized to his fans and vowed to regain the gold.

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• Read More: 4 Positives & 3 Negatives From UFC 304: Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad 2

Continue Reading Leon Edwards’ Coach Claims Injury Affected UFC 304 Performance: ‘He Couldn’t Wrestle The Way He Needed To’ at MMA News.

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Paddy Pimblett made a huge statement at UFC 304, scoring an easy first-round submission of King Green in under four minutes and likely clinching a spot in the UFC’s lightweight rankings.

After Pimblett nailed Green with several low kicks early in the fight, the veteran American made a questionable decision by trying to take down “The Baddy,” who is a grappling expert. Pimblett countered with a guillotine before transitioning into a triangle choke, which Pimblett told ESPN MMA’s Megan Olivi after the fight is his favorite kind of submission.

As Pimblett looked for an armbar, Green could be seen unconscious, giving him a submission win.

When Pimblett reflected on how the fight played out, he expressed concern that others might move the goal posts and say that Green, who was ranked No. 15, is not the kind of quality opponent to get him into the rankings.

The Liverpool native, however, had a counterargument in mind.

“First person in the UFC to submit Bobby Green, and that’s like his 25th UFC fight or something like that,” Pimblett said. “Even Islam [Makhachev] couldn’t do that. But people are going to keep underestimating me. People are going to move the goal posts now and say, ‘Oh Bobby is finished, Bobby this, Bobby that,’ when last week it was, ‘Bobby’s going to beat Paddy up. Bobby’s going to do this to him, he’s going to do that, he’s going to dog-walk him.’ What happened?”

Paddy Pimblett May Be Cageside For Renato Moicano vs. Benoît Saint Denis In Paris After UFC 304 Win

In the Octagon at UFC 304, Pimblett called out Renato Moicano for his next fight. Though the two have had exchanges on social media, the Brazilian s currently booked to face Benoît Saint Denis in Paris on September 28.

While Pimblett hopes to be placed at No. 10 in the rankings, he will take being at No. 15, as he looks up toward other contenders to continue his momentum and rise up the 155 ranks.

“Before this Bobby Green fight got made, me and Renato were speaking about each other on Twitter,” Pimblett said. “A lot of people up front of me in the rankings can’t really say no. The only thing about Renato now is that he’s got a fight. He’s fighting BSD in Paris. You never know, might end up going out there. Might end up being cageside for that.”

Moicano and Saint Denis are set to headline the upcoming UFC Fight Night in the French capital, with the former looking to build on his momentum from a knockout of Jalin Turner at UFC 300 and “God of War” hoping to bounce back from his loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 299.

• Read More: 4 Positives & 3 Negatives From UFC 304: Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad 2

Continue Reading Paddy Pimblett Sends Message To His Haters Following UFC 304 Win Over King Green: ‘People Are Going To Move The Goal Posts’ at MMA News.

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