Category Archives: Mmanews.com

After his winning streak was snapped in his last outing, Mike Malott is now back in the green column after getting the better of Trevin Giles as part of the UFC Edmonton main card.

The first round didn’t bring a lot of activity, with Malott controlling the action. The Canadian continued to control the action in the second, picking up his pacing toward the end. Giles, meanwhile, seemed to be unable or unwilling to pull the trigger.

“Proper” had a notable kick-based attack in the third round, doing damage to Giles’ body and legs. The American, however, did land some significant shots that busted up Malott’s face some.

Ultimately, the home favorite took a decision, sweeping the scorecards after three rounds of action that failed to impress the MMA masses.

Mike Malott Rebounds With Decision Over Trevin Giles At UFC Edmonton

After entering the UFC with a win over Shimon Smotritsky on Dana White’s Contender Series, Malott earned victories against Mickey Gall, Yohan Lainesse, and Adam Fugitt before a loss to Neil Magny at UFC 297.

Giles, meanwhile, has now lost three straight fights.

• Read More: UFC Fight Night: Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi Live Results & Highlights

Continue Reading ‘Fought Like Strickland’ – Fans React As Mike Malott Bounces Back From Magny Loss In Lackluster UFC Edmonton Fight at MMA News.

MMA News

Rinat Fakhredinov recently criticized the UFC 308 commentary team for their work during his fight against Carlos Leal. The bout ended in a controversial unanimous decision win for Fakhredinov, which commentator Daniel Cormier openly disagreed with.

Following the fight, Fakhredinov spoke out during a post-fight press conference, saying the commentators were biased and that he felt he had clearly won the second and third rounds.

Daniel Cormier Responds

While doing a Q&A session before UFC Fight Night 246, Cormier was asked about Fakhredinov’s remarks.

“I don’t know what this dude was talking about,” Cormier said. “Listen, bro, he lost. I don’t care how many times he complains – that’s the thing. These fighters, they go and fight, and it was so clear that the guy lost the fight. He gets a microphone and goes and sticks his foot in his mouth. That’s the problem. He’s a moron, and he just needs to recognize he lost.”

Cormier continued, “Take it. Just take it. You got gifted a win. Take it, keep your head tucked down until you fight somebody next time.”

Continue Reading Daniel Cormier Fires Back At ‘Moron’ Rinat Fakhretdinov Over Commentary Criticism at MMA News.

MMA News

UFC heavyweight fan favorite Derrick Lewis will no longer be making the walk inside Rogers Place later today.

Lewis has been in Edmonton, Canada this week preparing for his latest opportunity to extend his lead on the promotion’s knockout throne. That was set to come on the main card of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night, which will be headlined by former two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno and his showdown with Amir Albazi.

There didn’t appear to be any hitches on Friday morning, with “The Black Beast” successfully hitting the scale and making weight. But alarm bells rang when he didn’t show at the ceremonial weigh-ins.

While an update at the time noted that Lewis’ fight with Jhonata Diniz remained on, it was subsequently confirmed to have been scrapped owing to a non-weight cutting medical issue on the side of the former title challenger.

Lewis was hoping to make it back-to-back wins in 2024 following a five-round setback opposite Jailton Almeida in November 2023. He most recently got the better of Rodrigo Nascimento in the UFC Fight Night St. Louis main event this past May.

Diniz, meanwhile, planned to make the most of his career’s biggest opportunity to date. The undefeated Brazilian has knocked out Austen Lane and outpointed Karl Williams since earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2023.

With their fight off today’s lineup, home favorite Jasmine Jasudavicius has had her clash with Ariane da Silva (née Lipski) bumped up to the main card.

• Read More: UFC Fight Night: Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi Results & Highlights (5 PM ET) 

Continue Reading Derrick Lewis Off UFC Fight Night Edmonton Card After Medical Issue at MMA News.

MMA News

Stipe Miocic exudes confidence as he prepares for his highly anticipated showdown with Jon Jones. Heading into their UFC 309 heavyweight title fight at Madison Square Garden, Miocic feels secure in his abilities and isn’t showing any worry.

Jones is heavily favored to win, but Miocic, a former UFC heavyweight champion, is ready to prove his doubters wrong. Miocic has gone 3-2 in his last five fights, securing back-to-back heavyweight title victories over Daniel Cormier in 2019 and 2020. However, he lost his most recent fight via knockout to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 in March 2021, which cost him the heavyweight title.

Expressing Confidence

In a recent appearance on BS w/ Jake Paul, Miocic discussed his mindset as the fight approaches. He’s maintained a quiet focus, emphasizing his dedication to his training and his desire to stay mentally prepared.

“I’m excited, honestly,” Miocic said. “It’s finally here. It was supposed to happen last year, but an injury took it away. Now, we’re three weeks out. I’m ready. I’ve been pumped. I keep quiet and stay focused on the task at hand, just worrying about my fight. That’s all I focus on.”

Miocic continued, “Jon Jones does a lot of things well, but I have great coaches and teammates who prepare me for whatever happens. I’m not going to wait to see what he’s going to do; I’m going to do what I want to do.”

Continue Reading Stipe Miocic Voices Confidence Ahead Of Jon Jones Fight at MMA News.

MMA News

UFC Fight Night: Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi takes place on Saturday, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins!

After staging its latest numbered event at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi last weekend, MMA’s leading promotion has remained on the road for a card inside the Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

In the main event, former two-time UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno returns close to nine months on from a defeat to Brandon Royval in Mexico City. Having now lost two straight by way of split decision, “The Assassin Baby” will look to get back to winning ways at the expense of the charging Amir Albazi.

Setting the stage for them in another 125-pound contest will be Erin Blanchfield and Rose Namajunas. After winning two straight in the division this year, the ex-strawweight queen will look to notch her biggest flyweight success to date and stake her claim for a title shot by adding to the woes of “Cold Blooded,” who was beaten by Manon Fiorot last time out.

Elsewhere, heavyweight knockout artist Derrick Lewis makes the walk for his latest assignment, Mike Malott has the chance to rebound on home soil, and bantamweight veteran Pedro Munhoz adds to his Octagon experience.

Ahead of the event, all 28 fighters successfully made weight. With that, every fight is intact, and all that remains on Friday is for the athletes to face off one final time at the UFC Fight Night Edmonton ceremonial weigh-ins.

Check out a live stream via the official UFC YouTube channel below, commencing at 7 PM ET.

UFC Fight Night Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream

Continue Reading UFC Fight Night: Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream at MMA News.

MMA News

UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria cemented his reign as the best in the weight class by defending the belt for the first time at UFC 308. After doing what he said he would do and becoming the first man to knock out Max Holloway, he’s becoming harder to deny.

“El Matador” has got a proven track record at this stage for making his goals come true and if that’s going to continue being the case, we’re in for an all-time great UFC run. Having stopped two of the greatest champions in UFC history in back-to-back fights, the champion wants more belts.

Topuria has spoken many times about his goal to not only move up to lightweight but to one day compete at welterweight also. Following his impressive display in Abu Dhabi, the intrigue of seeing him go up against the 155-pound king Islam Makhachev certainly increased.

During a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast, Josh Thomson and “Big” John McCarthy discussed this fight and how they think it would play out. Thomson, who previously trained with Makhachev at AKA, does not think it would go well for Topuria.

Instead, he believes that the 145-pound champion should stay in his weight class where several contenders await him. Considering how quickly he rose to the top of the division, following his likely rematch with Alexander Volkanovski next time out, there’s still other challenges like Diego Lopes or the winner of Movsar Evloev vs Aljamain Sterling for him to attend to.

Thomson said that in his opinion, he thinks Topuria should stay put for the time being so that he can continue to beat opponents at his natural weight class before going for a second belt.

“You’ve just dominated two of the best guys that have ever graced that weight class. If I was to say hey, make your easy money, and I’m not saying these guys are easy fights. They’re not easy fights but I’m saying they’re not going to get easier going up so why not just stay where you’re at, cash out as much as you possible can on these type fights, guys that you’re comfortable fighting. You’ve been training your whole life to fight at this weight class.”

Continue Reading MMA Analyst Urges Ilia Topuria To Stay At Featherweight: ‘Make Your Easy Money!’ at MMA News.

MMA News

Beneil Dariush was originally hoping for a return before the end of the year but with the UFC schedule already looking secured for the remainder of 2024, he’s looking at an early outing in the new year. Though this kind of break isn’t necessarily anything new for fighters, especially if they’ve got injuries to attend to, it is for him.

Since turning pro back in 2009, Dariush has fought at least once in each consecutive year. Whether he’s fighting twice a year like in 2023 or four times in his debut year with the promotion, the 35-year old has been a consistently active member of the roster.

Alongside some setbacks outside of the cage to deal with, another issue for him is finding the right fights at this stage in his career. Dariush isn’t opposed to fighting rising contenders but at the #8-ranked lightweight, he can’t be giving his spot away for free either.

One of the reasons that he’s now targeting January for his Octagon return is that it takes him a bit more time to prepare for competing at 155-pounds at this stage in his career. In a recent interview with Inside Fighting, he said that moving up a weight class so that he could fight more often and open up new opportunities was even a thought at one point because he wants to be as active as possible.

“It’s been challenging and it’s just weird, you know. I understand you’ll have your ups and downs so I had my ups for a while and now I’m kinda down but like, just not to be able to fight has been weird. I enjoy it so much. I even considered going to 170 just so I can fight more often but I don’t think I’m done with 55 yet so I’ve been trying to really focus on recovery as far as the brain injuries and stuff like that. I want to make sure when I get back into the Octagon, I don’t have to worry about any of that stuff.”

Continue Reading Beneil Dariush Contemplated Moving Divisions After Missing A Full Year For The First Time In His Career at MMA News.

MMA News

UFC Edmonton is almost upon us, and MMA News is here to keep you updated with the current odds for this weekend’s lineup.

The upcoming event takes place Saturday, November 2, at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The main card begins at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 4 PM ET/1 PM PT.

Topping the lineup will be former two-time UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno, who will look to bounce back from consecutive split decision losses at the hands of Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Royval when he competes in the “Great White North.” To Accomplish that feat, the Mexican fan favorite is tasked with stalling the surge of 17-1 contender Amir Albazi.

Before they go to battle, the co-main event will see ex-strawweight queen Rose Namajunas make the walk for the third time this year. If she’s to make it three flyweight wins in a row and stake her claim for a shot at two-division glory, “Thug Rose” must send the #3-ranked Erin Blanchfield to the first losing skid of her career.

Also set to make the walk on Saturday will be the likes of heavyweight knockout artist Derrick Lewis, welterweight prospect Mike Malott, bantamweight veteran Pedro Munhoz, and the always entertaining Charles Jourdain.

UFC Edmonton: Moreno vs. Albazi Betting Odds

Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC Edmonton (as of 10/31), courtesy of DraftKings.

Main Card:

• Brandon Moreno (-175) vs. Amir Albazi (+145)
• Erin Blanchfield (-130) vs. Rose Namajunas (+110)
• Derrick Lewis (+145) vs. Jhonata Diniz (-175)
• Caio Machado (-148) vs. Brendson Ribeiro (+124)
• Marc-André Barriault (-205) vs. Dustin Stoltzfus (+170)
• Mike Malott (-185) vs. Trevin Giles (+230)

Preliminary Card:

• Aiemann Zahabi (-125) vs. Pedro Munhoz (+105)
• Ariane Lipski (+120) vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius (-230)
• Charles Jourdain (-142) vs. Victor Henry (+120)
• Jack Shore (+250) vs. Youssef Zalal (-310)
• Alexandr Romanov (-102) vs. Rodrigo Nascimento (-118)
• Serhiy Sidey (-142) vs. Garrett Armfield (+120)
• Chad Anheliger (+160) vs. Cody Gibson (-192)
• Jamey-Lyn Horth (-218) vs. Ivana Petrovic (+180)

Continue Reading UFC Edmonton Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Moreno vs. Albazi, Blanchfield vs. Namajunas, & More at MMA News.

MMA News

The UFC has reportedly turned to a familiar face in Alex Pereira after losing its headline attraction for the final pay-per-view event of the year.

Reports emerged on Thursday regarding a potential injury suffered by UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad, who was booked to headline UFC 310 in Las Vegas on Dec. 7 in defense of his title against Shavkat Rakhmonov.

“Remember the Name” subsequently confirmed the disappointing news on social media, posting an image of a gruesome bone infection that hospitalized him and will keep him out of training for the next six weeks.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170)

With that, the promotion will need to secure a new headline matchup to close out its PPV schedule for 2024. And when it comes to saviors, no one has fit the description in 2024 quite like “Poatan.”

Pereira, a former UFC middleweight champion and the reigning light heavyweight kingpin, has had a bumper year inside the Octagon, reeling off three straight title defenses in record-breaking speed to establish himself as one of the sport’s biggest stars.

The manner of his first two defenses only added to the plaudits thrown his way, with Pereira saving the promotion after a struggle to secure a suitable UFC 300 main event and the withdrawal of Conor McGregor from UFC 303 less than three months later.

Having added the name of Khalil Rountree to his reign’s list of victims at UFC 307 earlier this month, it appeared that Pereira would finally be due a long-earned rest.

While that still might be the case, MMA Mania is reporting that “Poatan” has indeed been contacted about headlining UFC 310 against Magomed Ankalaev in light of Muhammad vs. Rakhmonov being off.

The welterweight number one contender seemingly has something to say about that, however. After wishing his injured opponent well on X, “Nomad” called to remain on the UFC 310 card in competition for an interim welterweight strap.

It remains to be seen whether Muhammad will be out for long enough to warrant the creation of another belt. But should no other options come to fruition for the Dec. 7 headline slot, the promotion has previously shown a willingness to add interim belts to the equation in such scenarios.

• Read More: Former UFC Champion Announces Retirement: ‘I Begged The UFC For 1 More’

Continue Reading Alex Pereira Approached To Save The Day — Again — After UFC 310 Loses Main Event at MMA News.

MMA News

Former PFL champion and upcoming finalist Brendan Loughnane has been around the UK MMA scene for a long time. The veteran has long been considered one of the most talented fighters in the region and he finally got his breakthrough when he signed with the PFL after fighting all over the world before that.

During a recent episode of Uncaged by talkSPORT, Loughnane used his knowledge of the wide range of competitors to pick out a fighter that is set to return to the Octagon this weekend as his most underrated fighter from the UK. Wales’ Jack Shore is back in action on Saturday night when he heads to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

“The Tank” will make his third appearance as a featherweight by taking on Youssef Zalal in a fight that has gone totally under the radar for most fight fans. Shore is looking to bounce back from a controversial loss last time out at UFC 301 where his fight with Joanderson Brito was stopped due to a cut on his shin.

The 29-year old was 16-0 before being stopped by Ricky Simón in his final fight at 135-pounds and was attracting some hype off of his five fight win streak. Though Loughnane is reserving judgement on whether he can replicate that same level of success in the featherweight division, he believes Shore has all the skills he needs to compete at the highest level.

“I think he’s the most underrated UK fighter right now, I really do, Jack Shore. I think he’s had a bit of bad luck but I think when he puts it together mate, like I don’t know about this move to featherweight…let’s just see, let’s just make an assumption after this fight but I really rate Jack and his team and I think he flies under the radar.”

Continue Reading Former PFL Champion Labels UFC Featherweight The Most Underrated Fighter In The UK at MMA News.

MMA News