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The fractured state of the UFC’s heavyweight title picture has been a topic of discussion this week as Tom Aspinall’s fight against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 draws near.

The Brit is set to become only the third fighter in UFC history to defend an interim title when he steps into the Octagon in Manchester, England, on July 27, following in the footsteps of Antônio “Minotauro” Rodrigo Nogueira and Renan Barão.

Aspinall fought for the interim belt on 17 days’ notice last November, knocking out Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295. Jon Jones was originally set to face Stipe Miocic in the main event of that pay-per-view but a torn pectoral tendon and emergency surgery put paid to those plans.

In the months following UFC 295, Aspinall campaigned hard for a unification bout with Jon Jones, but it seems both “Bones” and UFC CEO Dana White remain committed to the original plan of Jones fighting Miocic later this year.

Overeem Says Jones Likely To Beat Aspinall In Potential Fight

Former UFC heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem believes that Aspinall should be the one getting the title shot when Jones finally returns to competitive action, as 42-year old Miocic hasn’t fought since a loss to Francis Ngannou in March of 2021.

“He should (be fighting Jon Jones),” Overeem said during an appearance on the Jaxxon Podcast this week. “Stipe hasn’t fought for many years now. But it was a little bit vague how that went, right?”

When asked who he thinks would win a possible fight between Aspinall and Jones, Overeem leaned toward the former light heavyweight champion. However, he also suggested the UFC may have missed a trick by not making another fight that was rumored before Jones picked up his injury.

“Who is gonna win? I think Jon. But Francis (Ngannou) and Jon would have been very exciting. I know that there was some (talks about making the fight). And they both wanted it, but the timing…and now Francis is gone. That was the fight to make, right?

“Stipe’s not fought in a long time. What is he doing in the meantime, right, because when you have a fight there’s a camp, there’s development. And when you’re not doing that, you’re doing other stuff. Ok, maybe he has a high focus, high dedication to training…but you’re not fighting. And Jon is fighting…not that much, but he is fighting.”

• Read More: Alex Pereira Not Willing To Take On Tom Aspinall Due To Interim Title Status: ‘It Doesn’t Interest Me In This Moment’

Continue Reading Alistair Overeem Favors Jon Jones To Beat Tom Aspinall But Names 50-50 Matchup For Him: ‘That Was The Fight To Make…’ at MMA News.

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Tracy Cortez had a big task in front of her with a short-notice main event bout against former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas at UFC Fight Night Denver.

Though she managed to go the distance, Cortez was largely dominated from the opening minute of the contest, going on to lose via unanimous decision.

While coming up on the short end and not getting the result she’d hoped for left a better sting, Cortez told ESPN MMA’s Megan Olivi that she felt proud of being able to last a full five rounds with someone as highly regarded as Namajunas.

Cortez added that perhaps the fight could have played out differently with a full fight camp.

“I took it on two weeks’ notice, unprepared,” Cortez said. “I gave it all I have. I know if I were to have had a full camp, prepared…I mean, my cardio was there. I think I would have done a lot better with a good gameplan.

“But I think I proved myself tonight that I can go full fives [rounds]. Looking forward to the next one,” Cortez added.

Tracy Cortez Feels Early Pacing Of Self May Have Cost Her Fight

Cortez was dropped early into the first round, with Namajunas putting on a beautiful striking display. The #11-ranked contender tried to battle back in the second round with her grappling skills, but Namajunas’ strikes remained on point and she showed her grappling ability in the third to counter Cortez.

The late-notice replacement fighter looked for a mountain of offense in the fifth round, but it wasn’t enough.

“Because it was five fives, I was really trying to pace myself the first and second round,” Cortez said. “I just realized…give it all I have. It’s all or nothing. I think I waited a little too long to really push it on her.”

Cortez isn’t letting this loss deter her, however. She wants to use this experience and get back into the cage as soon as possible.

“Last time I fought, I went on a killer streak,” Cortez noted. “I’m not here to prove [to] the world, I’m here to prove [to] myself.”

• Read More: 4 Positives & 2 Negatives From UFC Fight Night: Rose Namajunas vs. Tracy Cortez

Continue Reading Tracy Cortez Gives First Reaction To Rose Namajunas Loss At UFC Fight Night Denver: ‘If I Had A Full Camp…’ at MMA News.

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One of the biggest fights of the year is set to go down on August 17 at UFC 305 when the Octagon returns to Perth, Australia.

The feud between current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and former two-time titleholder Israel Adesanya has been building for over a year at this point.

Whilst the consensus seemed to be heavily in Adesanya’s favor when the fight was first spoken about this time last year, many have found that the matchup has become more difficult to predict after both men’s recent fights.

A former training partner of Du Plessis’ who is one of the most recognizable names in ONE Championship believes that the champion will be more than a tough test for the returning Adesanya…

Aung La N Sang Points Out Advantages For Dricus Du Plessis Against Israel Adesanya

Aung La N Sang has been one of the poster athletes for ONE Championship for eight years now, having previously reigned as a simultaneous two-weight world champion.

The former middleweight and light heavyweight king, who is set to return on September 6 in Denver, trains out of Kill Cliff FC in Florida, where Du Plessis has also trained in the past.

In a recent interview with The AllStar, “The Burmese Python” weighed in with his thoughts on this fight, speaking about where the champion can cause problems for “The Last Stylebender.”

He pointed out how the physicality of “Stillknocks” and his willingness to walk opponents down could make it a very difficult night for Adesanya.

“For sure, Dricus is my boy. It’s gonna be a good matchup. Styles make fights and Dricus doesn’t care about how good Israel’s kickboxing is, he’s just going to go forward and hit him, you know?

“One thing for sure that I know about Dricus, he’s very very strong physically, very, very strong. If Israel’s not on point, he’s going to have a hard night.”

• Read More: UFC Middleweight Abdul Razak Alhassan Blows Lid On Dricus Du Plessis’ ‘Real’ African Comments: ‘If He Is A True African, He Would Have Understood That…’

Continue Reading ONE Championship Star Breaks Down Du Plessis vs. Adesanya At UFC 305: ‘Dricus Is My Boy…’ at MMA News.

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Since making his UFC debut in November 2021, Alex Pereira has won the UFC middleweight and light heavyweight championships separately. Of his nine fights, five have been for a title, and he’s won four via knockouts.

“Poatan” has become a massive star in MMA for his exciting striking style and consistency. After headlining UFC 300, he stepped in on short notice to defend his UFC light heavyweight belt against Jiří Procházka at UFC 303. He won almost effortlessly via KO in the second and saved the event after McGregor had pulled out.

Here’s how being one of the UFC’s most reliable champions in recent years has benefited Pereira financially…

Alex Pereira Reveals How He Convinced Dana White For A $ 303,000 Bonus After UFC 303 Victory

In an interview on his official YouTube channel, the UFC light heavyweight champion admitted he received a $ 303,000 bonus for winning at UFC 303.

“Then he said, “I gave you bonus of the fight” Then I said to him, “$ 303,000?” Then he laughed and said, “No, $ 50,000” and I was like, “At the interview they asked you, I don’t understand english and I understood it was $ 303,000. Then he laughed again and said, “Okay fine, $ 303,000 for you” then I thanked him.”

Pereira remembered not getting a $ 300,000 bonus for winning the UFC 300 main event. So, when asked about the bonuses for UFC 303 by the press, he intentionally claimed to think that the amount was $ 303,000.

After the fight, “Poatan” mentioned the $ 303,000 bonus to Dana White again and this time around, the UFC CEO paid up.

Pereira then disclosed that just 6% of his UFC 303 paycheck would be equal to all the money he had earned over the 14 years as a mechanic.

“It was good money, I worked 14 years in the tire shop. The money I earned in 14 years, 0.06 of the money I won in UFC 303 covered the 14 years I worked in the tire shop.”

Will “Poatan” return against Magomed Ankalaev who many believe to be his toughest test at LHW or fight the likes of Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall at heavyweight for an even bigger paycheck?

READ MORE: Dan Hooker Gets His UFC 305 Perth Date Against Mateusz Gamrot

Continue Reading Alex Pereira Says He Made More With Just 6% Of His UFC 303 Paycheck Than 14 Years Spent Working At Tire Shop at MMA News.

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Michael Chandler has not fought since his loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 281 in November of 2022.

He has spent the best part of a year and a half at this stage trying to answer questions of when he will be fighting Conor McGregor and whether this wait has been worth it.

Everything finally looked to be heading his way until McGregor withdrew from UFC 303 due to a broken toe with the plan to push the fight back a few months so that he can return at 100%.

Of course, fighting McGregor is an opportunity that simply doesn’t get any bigger in this sport but if the fight never happens, Chandler could have missed out on some incredibly significant time in his career now that he is 38 years old.

Chael Sonnen does not see it this way because of the goal that “Iron” Mike approached this fight with.

Chael Sonnen Argues That Michael Chandler Has Still Got What He Wanted Out Of Conor McGregor Without Fighting Him

During a recent episode of the Good Guy / Bad Guy show on ESPN MMA, Daniel Cormier made the prediction that Chandler will fight again this year but it may not be McGregor.

Though some would consider this a big setback for the former Bellator fight because of how long he has waited, Sonnen believes that he has still gained massively from this period of his career.

“The Bad Guy” argues that by being spoken about in connection with the biggest fight that is possible means that he has been able to increase his own stock and name value without ever stepping inside the Octagon.

Sonnen argues that Chandler has been given the McGregor exposure without actually needing to fight him first.

“Michael Chandler, behind the scenes, his number one motivation to fight Conor McGregor, it was not some big huge lucrative payday like so many people think. Michael Chandler was playing a long game, he thought, ‘I match-up very well, Conor’s got the fans, I go in there, I beat him, I leave with all the fans’. Well, he’s kind of there. I mean, in all fairness, we’re all chomping at the bit to see Michael Chandler.

“What I’m trying to suggest for you is it doesn’t really matter. Michael Chandler, I believe, is a top five draw right now and I don’t believe after his last fight that he was. I think all this media, all this attention, the things that are dangling, you and I discussing him, I think he’s actually gone up. I think he got what he wanted without having to throw a punch.”

Read also: Chael Sonnen Sends Advice To Former Alex Pereira Kickboxing Opponent Artem Vakhitov On MMA Transition: ‘Might Be A Better Approach…’ 

Continue Reading Michael Chandler Told He Has Become A Top Five Draw In The UFC Despite Long Lay-Off: ‘He Got What He Wanted Without Having To Throw A Punch…’ at MMA News.

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Top UFC heavyweights are expected to run it back in the Middle East this coming October.

After returning to the Etihad Arena for UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov early next month, the mixed martial arts leader will be back in Abu Dhabi for its annual October pay-per-view there.

And the UFC 308 numbered event looks close to having its first major matchup confirmed, with Brazilian outlet Ag. Fight reporting that former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane (12-2) will run it back with seven-time UFC headliner Alexander Volkov (38-10) on October 26.

The pair previously collided in a UFC Fight Night main event at the Apex in June 2021, with Gane winning in lopsided fashion on the scorecards after five rounds.

Gane Ends Year Layoff Against Familiar Foe At UFC 308

When he makes his long-awaited return later this year, Gane will be tasked with stalling the resurgence of a longtime heavyweight veteran in Volkov.

The Frenchman hasn’t competed since the UFC Fight Night in Paris last September. For the second straight year, he recorded a main event knockout win in front of his home fans, this time at the expense of Serghei Spivac. That result marked a rebound performance six months on from a quick submission loss for Gane at the hands of Jon Jones in their vacant title fight.

According to reports, “Bon Gamin” turned down the chance to challenge for Tom Aspinall’s interim gold this month at UFC 304 in Manchester, England, owing to acting commitments. He’ll now also miss a France-held card for the first time, with Renato Moicano and Benoît Saint Denis headlining at Accor Arena on September 28 instead.

Volkov, meanwhile, is flying high having won five of six since his loss to Gane in 2021. And following a defeat to Aspinall the following year, the Russian has reeled off four consecutive triumphs, most recently outpointing his fellow countryman Sergei Pavlovich at the UFC Fight Night in Saudi Arabia last month.

“Drago” will now return to the Middle East looking for redemption opposite Gane.

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Continue Reading Report: Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov 2 Targeted For Abu Dhabi-Held UFC 308 at MMA News.

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It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that Ronda Rousey is one of the most popular mixed martial artists ever. After defending her Strikeforce women’s bantamweight title, she bagged the title in the UFC as well and racked up five consecutive defenses.

However, it all came crashing down when Rousey lost her title to Holly Holm via a crushing first round KO. She then returned to the Octagon after almost a year, and lost to Amanda Nunes via KO in the first again.

“Rowdy” hasn’t fought in the UFC since then and eventually signed up with the WWE which has been a bone of contention among fans to date. The former champion has opened up on situations that led to her retirement and why she avoided coming back after just two losses…

Ronda Rousey Opens Up On Struggles With Concussions That Led To UFC Retirement

Rousey recently appeared on the SHAK MMA YouTube channel and addressed her rather unexpected retirement from MMA. Tons of fans discredited her entire legacy due to this while others accused her of running away from top talents.

“Started doing, you know, Judo, at a young age, and kept getting concussions, regularly. And, you know, multiple times a year, and not being allowed to speak up or say anything about it, and um, as a fighter, you’re just not supposed to show any weakness or talk about things like that.”

“Rowdy” highlighted the ignorance towards cumulative neurological injury in sports, especially mixed martial arts. She claimed that all fighters deal with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) as they take shots to the head, but the pace varies.

Rousey revealed her that she dealt with her first concussion at six. This naturally worsened as she fought in Strikeforce, UFC, and other MMA promotions. So, she hung up the gloves when she could no longer fight without risking long-term neurological injuries.

“You’ll never know when you take one hit too many until many decades later, but I also, I don’t think that I would be serving the sport or the division in the right way if I stuck around too long and I got to a point where I knew that I literally could not be taking those head in the packs and continue to compete at that same level.”

The former Olympic Judo medalist clarified that she didn’t want to represent women MMA when not at her best. She was silent about her concussions to not affect her transition to WWE and other projects, but has no reason to hold back any more.

• Read More: Michael Page Gives Grim Assessment Of Ian Garry’s Title Chances After UFC 303: ‘Leon’s Gonna Kill You…Shavkat’s Gonna Kill You’ 

Continue Reading Ronda Rousey On Not Getting Closure With MMA Fans: ‘I Don’t Think I Would Be Serving The Sport Or Division In The Right Way…’ at MMA News.

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UFC middleweight veteran Paul Craig was left confused by Joe Pyfer’s agitated callout following his UFC 303 victory.

Pyfer made a statement in his return to the win column late last month at the International Fight Week pay-per-view, bouncing back from his first UFC setback in emphatic and violent fashion.

Months on from a decision defeat to Jack Hermansson in their UFC Fight Night main event at the Apex, “Bodybagz” was back putting his finishing ability on full display at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, where he stopped Canada’s Marc-André Barriault in less than 90 seconds.

In the aftermath, a fired up Pyfer set his sights back on securing a place in the middleweight top 15, this time by targeting the formerly ranked Paul Craig.

More than just a random callout, the New Jersey native revealed a grudge he’s held for months as the motive behind his desire to share the cage with the Scottish vet.

“He just looked at me weird one time and I don’t even think he remembers, but I hold grudges, so f*ck him,” Pyfer said at the UFC 303 post-fight press conference. “I don’t like the dude. That’s the only thing I can say is I don’t really like the guy. There’s something about his f*cking face. It’s also his antics. He gets in your face and be all theatrical, but then he gets touched, and he falls on to the ground like a back princess.

“I think it makes sense, too. Logistically, I think it makes sense. He was number 14, and then he fought Caio (Borralho) and lost. I don’t know where he’s at, if 15 or just outside the rankings, and I’m number 19, so let’s line it up,” Pyfer continued. “That’s what I’m interested in, so why not?”

Craig Bemused By Pyfer’s Reasoning For ‘Disliking’ Him

During a recent episode of his Leather’d Podcast, Craig was shown Pyfer clarifying his reasoning behind calling him out during an appearance on The MMA Hour.

The clip showed “Bodybagz” recalling crossing paths with Craig while in attendance at Boston’s TD Garden for UFC 292 last August. Pyfer appeared offended not to have been given some sort of nod of respect from “Bearjew.”

Suffice to say, Craig was baffled by that justification.

“I don’t (know who he is). A guy nods at me, ‘What the f*ck, who is this guy?’” Craig said. “So what was it, in Boston I didn’t give him a nod? That’s f*cking — this guy’s f*cked in the head (laughs). Man, if that’s what gets you hard.

“So he’s been since Boston thinking about this, ‘This guy never gave me a nod. How could he do that?!’ Like, who the f*ck are you?” Craig continued. “It was a good knockout (at UFC 303). Gotta give him props for that.”

It remains to be seen whether Pyfer will get the opportunity to settle what appears to be a firmly one-sided feud, and one which Craig didn’t even know existed until a couple of weeks ago.

• Read More: 6 Positives & 3 Negatives From UFC 303: Alex Pereira vs. Jiří Procházka 2

Continue Reading Paul Craig Reacts To Reasoning Behind Joe Pyfer’s Fiery Post-UFC 303 Callout: ‘This Guy’s F*cked In The Head!’ at MMA News.

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While he admits the submission hold was deep, Michael “Venom” Page says he was never concerned about getting choked out by Ian Garry at UFC 303.

Page made the walk inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena at last month’s International Fight Week pay-per-view event, making his sophomore appearance inside the Octagon after swapping Bellator for the UFC in late 2023.

While “MVP” immediately burst into the rankings on debut by getting the better of Kevin Holland in Miami this past March, he was unable to climb further toward his targeted all-English title fight with Leon Edwards on June 29.

Instead, Garry cemented his top 10 spot by narrowly getting the better of the Londoner on the scorecards in the UFC 303 main card opener. The Irishman utilized his grappling to enjoy large periods of control in rounds one and three.

For the most part, Page didn’t appear in danger of getting finished throughout the close fight. He did, however, find himself in a worrying spot during the first grappling exchange, as “The Future” attempted a rear-naked choke.

But although many were surprised to see “MVP” escape the hold, the man himself was less shocked…

Page: Not Getting Choked Out Is One Of My Jiu-Jitsu ‘Superpowers’

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Page looked back on his first UFC setback and failed attempt to blemish the perfect professional record of Garry, a former Cage Warriors champion.

The Brit was specifically asked about the compromising position he found himself in on the ground shortly into the opening round, having no doubt drew out cries of ‘he’s going to tap’ from some fans watching at home.

Page is yet to be submitted in 25 pro fights, and he says that’s for good reason.

“I’m very difficult to choke. In jiu-jitsu, that seems to be one of my superpowers. It’s always hard for people to finish chokes on me,” Page said. “When I got into that position…that was way closer than (against Holland). When I say closer, yeah, it was deep, but there was no way I was tapping and I wasn’t going to sleep either.

“Not to give away anything, but like I said, I am very difficult to choke,” Page continued. “Even in the gym, there’s guys that get me really deep and they’re like, ‘What the f…?!’ Their arms burn out before I tap. So luckily, I’m stubborn in that area. But it was a deep choke (at UFC 303).”

Whether Page will need to prove that once again opposite one of the welterweight division’s top grapplers next time out or will instead be matched against a fellow striker remains to be seen.

But either way, “MVP” has touted his extra motivation since the defeat in Las Vegas and vowed to bounce back as his pursuit of gold continues.

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• Read More: Michael Page Gives Grim Assessment Of Ian Garry’s Title Chances After UFC 303: ‘Leon’s Gonna Kill You…Shavkat’s Gonna Kill You’ 

Continue Reading Michael Page Reveals How Close Ian Garry Was To Getting First-Round Choke At UFC 303: ‘Their Arms Burn Out Before I Tap’  at MMA News.

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Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal exceeded the expectations of many when they headlined a boxing event at Honda Center, Anaheim, this weekend. The constant back and forth between the MMA veterans made for an entertaining fight, and rumors around their return to the UFC have already caught fire.

Diaz last fought in the UFC in September 2022, defeating Tony Ferguson via submission. He then fought Jake Paul in August 2023 but lost via decision. After beating Masvidal on the scorecards, he called out Paul and the top UFC welterweights, teasing a return to the promotion.

Tons of fans believed the Ferguson fight was a send-off for Diaz by the UFC. However, Chael Sonnen thinks that returning for another run is feasible for the Stockton native because, well, he’s not Ronda Rousey…

Chael Sonnen Lays Down The Plan For Nate Diaz To Fight Dustin Poirier In UFC Return

Sonnen discussed Diaz’s return to the UFC on his official YouTube channel recently. He started by giving context about UFC contracts and why a star like Rousey could never return properly after losing the belt.

“I maintain for you, one of the things that cost Ronda Rousey her career was not that she was falling down in the first round over and over, it was that her contract was so big, she had to be a main event and it had to be of a pay-per-view just to justify the numbers. And main events of pay-per-views were world title fights, which means as good as Ronda was, and she was very good. She was very good, we just found out how exceptional Amanda Nunes was.”

As per “The American Gangster”, athletes like Rousey get massive contracts that can only be justified with main-event or title fights. So, Rousey struggled to find a place in the UFC when she could no longer fare well against the top women fighters.

The former UFC title challenger then explained how things are different for Diaz. He usually fights in co-main or main events but has the star power to draw viewers without a belt. A great example is his latest boxing bout with Masvidal.

“Nate’s position is going to be different and it’s got to be done. In fact, Jon Anik, one of the Diaz boys’ biggest supporters, knows the same thing to be true that I just said, and has made his suggestion, which is Dustin Poirier. Bring Nate in, get him in there with Dustin, solves every possible problem.”

Sonnen claimed that Dana White intends to organize multiple fights whenever he gives fighters a contract. Diaz seems open to fighting several times upon his UFC return which could make negotiations easier.

“The American Gangster” believes Dustin Poirier, who is potentially looking for an intriguing retirement bout, to be Diaz’s best option upon returning to the Octagon. Amidst the optimism, he also cited that renegotiating a new UFC contract and then choosing your opponent can naturally get complicated.

Hence, Diaz, who’s already 39, might want to hit while the iron is still hot.

Read More: Magomed Ankalaev Continues Persistent Pursuit Of Alex Pereira Post-UFC 303: ‘This Is A Promise…’ 

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Explains Why Nate Diaz Can Easily Return To UFC, Unlike Ronda Rousey: ‘She Had To Be A Main Event’ at MMA News.

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