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The MMA world was taken aback with how easily Khamzat Chimaev defeated Robert Whittaker in the co-main event of UFC 308, namely pointing to how quick the former champion tapped as Chimaev was locking in a face crank.

The commentary team suggested that the Australian may have suffered a dislocated jaw — and the results from the crank ended up being as damaging as some have feared.

During the commentary team’s wrap-up segment, Cormier showed a picture on his phone that showed Whittaker’s front teeth crushed. He also confirmed that Whittaker’s jaw was indeed fractured by Chimaev’s submission hold.

Robert Whittaker’s Teeth Crushed, Jaw Fractured As A Result Of Khamzat Chimaev’s Face Crank

Chimaev was easily able to take down his opponent mere seconds into their fight, having complete control in the exchanges on the ground and dominant grappling position up to the submission.

“Borz” improved to 14-0 after a year-long layoff, with an 8-0 UFC record since his promotional debut in 2020. His fight with the Aussie was originally supposed to take place at the inaugural UFC card in Saudi Arabia this past June before Chimaev fell violently ill.

The Chechen-born UAE resident also became just the third man to defeat (and finish) Whittaker since “The Reaper” moved up to 185 pounds about a decade ago. The only two other men to accomplish that is current UFC Middleweight hampion Dricus Du Plessis and former two-time titleholder Israel Adesanya.

Chimaev’s performance gives speculation as to if he will now be next to challenge “Stillknocks.”

• Read More: UFC 308 Results & Highlights: Ilia Topuria KOs Max Holloway

Continue Reading PHOTO: Robert Whittaker Shows Gruesome Injury From Khamzat Chimaev Face Crank At UFC 308 (GRAPHIC) at MMA News.

MMA News

Francis Ngannou has responded to Dana White’s comments regarding his departure from the UFC after 2023. Ngannou, who vacated his heavyweight title to explore free agency, went on to secure highly lucrative matchups against boxing icons Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

In his return to MMA, the former UFC heavyweight champion achieved a decisive finish over Renan Ferreira at PFL: Battle of the Giants. Earlier this week, White suggested that financial incentives drove Ngannou’s recent career choices. White shared that he even considered releasing Ngannou after he suffered back-to-back losses to Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis in 2018.

In a recent interview, Ngannou addressed White’s remarks, expressing confusion over why White continues to criticize him. “Regardless of everything that happened, I’m not about him,” Ngannou said in an interview with Sirius XM Fight Nation. “I went out there, did a fight, had a good fight for my son’s memory, but the guy can’t stand— I don’t know what his problem is. He can make everything up as he wants. That’s his problem. I think he needs to make peace with himself.”

Ngannou elaborated on his perspective, adding, “(He) could’ve just said, ‘We didn’t find an agreement. We couldn’t come to a deal, but good luck to him.’ That’s it, you know? Good for him, and we continue our lives. What’s the problem here? I think the problem is he can’t handle this loss.”

White’s Intentions

Ngannou believes White struggles to accept how things played out and even questions whether White wishes to see him fail in the new chapter of his career. For his part, Ngannou is committed to focusing on his own path forward.

“Dana has lost in this situation, and the only thing is that he cannot stand it,” Ngannou stated. “Bro, I won everything. Now I have made more money than I would have ever made in the UFC. I’d say maybe twice what I could have made in my entire UFC career if I had continued there. I’m not just saying from the moment that I stopped. Either way, even if I’ve made less, if I’m not making as much as I could’ve in the UFC, that would be my problem. Why is he so pissed about me not making that much money? C’mon, man, live your life.”

Continue Reading Francis Ngannou: Dana White Can’t Stand He Lost, I Won ‘Everything’ at MMA News.

MMA News

Dana White remains firm in his stance on Francis Ngannou’s departure from the UFC, even after Ngannou’s recent return to MMA. In his comeback fight, the former UFC heavyweight champion secured a decisive finish over Renan Ferreira at PFL: Battle of the Giants.

Ngannou’s 2023 UFC exit was turbulent, as he vacated his heavyweight title to pursue free agency. Since then, he has taken on boxing giants Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in highly lucrative matchups.

At a Power Slap 9 post-event press conference on Thursday, White was asked to share his thoughts on Ngannou’s recent performance. He suggested that financial incentives were the main driver behind Ngannou’s recent career choices.

White’s Initial Plan to Cut Ngannou in 2018

White shared that he had considered releasing Ngannou after he suffered back-to-back losses to Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis in 2018.

“I was going to cut Francis when he lost two in a row,” White said. “Somebody around here begged me not to do it. It wouldn’t have mattered to me either way. There’s a much deeper story to this whole thing. He would’ve made more money if he’d stayed in the UFC. He didn’t want to fight Jon Jones. That’s a fact, my friend. We’re moving on.”

Continue Reading Dana White: I Was ‘Begged’ Not To Cut Francis Ngannou In 2018 at MMA News.

MMA News

Khamzat Chimaev is set to make his highly anticipated return to the Octagon this Saturday, facing Robert Whittaker in the co-main event of UFC 308 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. This will be Chimaev’s first fight in a year, and he hopes to make an impression strong enough to alter the current middleweight title landscape.

Despite Dana White’s recent confirmation that a rematch with former champion Sean Strickland will be middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis’s next title defense, Chimaev is eager to change White’s mind.

Aiming for a Title Shot

Du Plessis is riding high after a recent submission victory over former champ Israel Adesanya. Strickland, who previously lost to Du Plessis by decision, will reportedly be his next challenger. However, Chimaev is determined to secure a title shot with an impressive performance against Whittaker.

“I hope so, but they said that before, as well,” Chimaev remarked at the UFC 308 media day. “When I beat Gilbert Burns, I didn’t get my chance. After that, it was (Kamaru) Usman, and they said, ‘if he beats Usman, he’s going to fight for the title.’ I haven’t fought (for the title) yet, so we’ll see.”

Chimaev’s last fight was a victory over former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in October at UFC 294, a career pause since caused by health issues. Now, he’s ready to make a statement and position himself as a top contender for the middleweight belt.

Continue Reading Khamzat Chimaev Hopes To Change Dana White’s Mind With UFC 308 Performance at MMA News.

MMA News

Merab Dvalishvili is making it clear that he believes Sean O’Malley deserves a rematch with him before Umar Nurmagomedov gets a title shot.

Dvalishvili won the bantamweight title with a unanimous decision over O’Malley at UFC 306, and although Nurmagomedov initially appeared to be next in line after his dominant win over Cory Sandhagen at UFC Abu Dhabi, Dvalishvili has other ideas. Recent reports suggest that Nurmagomedov and Song Yadong are in talks for a potential showdown, though MMA Fighting reports the deal has yet to be finalized.

Proving Time

During a fan Q&A at UFC 308, Dvalishvili responded to questions about his intentions, refuting any notion that he’s avoiding a fight with Nurmagomedov in favor of an O’Malley rematch.

“Where is this guy? He’s taking [another] fight. He’s scared. He’s fighting somebody else. Where is [he]? Where is [he]? Tell me. He wants to get knocked out by somebody else, and then he’s going to make excuses. He’s not going to make this fight. I’m not the one making fights; Dana White and Hunter [Campbell] decide who I fight next. I don’t make that decision,” Dvalishvili explained.

He continued, “If Dana White tells me I have to fight Umar, I’m fighting Umar, OK?” Dvalishvili said. “But, you know what? Umar doesn’t deserve to fight me. Sean O’Malley deserves a rematch, and I’m ready to fight him again. After that, Umar will have to prove himself, and I’ll be ready.”

Continue Reading Merab Dvalishvili: Umar Nurmagomedov ‘Doesn’t Deserve To Fight Me’ at MMA News.

MMA News

UFC 308 takes place on Saturday, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins!

The upcoming pay-per-view event at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates provides a chance for UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria to further enhance his legacy on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage.

After capturing the gold this past February by brutally knocking out the previously long-reigning Alexander Volkanovski, “El Matador” is next tasked with stalling Max Holloway’s ambitions of a return to the 145-pound mountaintop.

The stakes will also be high in the co-main event, which will see former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker look to secure another shot at regaining the crown by blemishing the currently perfect professional record of Khamzat Chimaev.

Elsewhere on the UFC 308 card, Magomed Ankalaev and Aleksandar Rakić do battle for a potential shot at Alex Pereira’s light heavyweight title, Dan Ige becomes the latest threat to Lerone Murphy’s ‘O’, and middleweight prospect Shara Magomedov looks to impress once again.

Ahead of the event, all 26 fighters successfully made weight but two bouts did undergo late adjustments. Nevertheless, every fight has remained intact, and all that remains on Friday is for the athletes to face off one final time at the UFC 308 ceremonial weigh-ins!

Check out a live stream via the official UFC YouTube channel below, commencing at 10 a.m. ET.

UFC 308 Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream

Continue Reading UFC 308: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream at MMA News.

MMA News

Max Holloway has been through countless wars in his long and successful MMA career. Now, just days away from his highly anticipated return to the Octagon at UFC 308, where he will face Ilia Topuria for the featherweight title, Holloway reflects on the toll the sport has taken on him.

While MMA offers highs like fame and fortune, it also has a significant downside—the physical and mental damage fighters endure. As Holloway prepares for another fight, he does so with heavy concerns about his long-term health.

Holloway’s Concerns

Speaking at the UFC 308 media scrum, Holloway opened up about his fears regarding brain damage and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

“Take care of your guys’ brain, and learn about brain health,” Holloway said at UFC 308 media day. “Do the right things. You only get one brain, guys, you only get one brain, and once that thing starts to deteriorate, it’s not like anything else where you can grow it back. So, be smart. Go see specialists, go see doctors, and do research on your own brain health.”

He continued, “Take care of yourself, guys. I don’t want to be a vegetable when I grow older. Everyone keeps talking to me about how many times I’ve gotten hit, like, brother, I take brain health so seriously. People will never know [what I do]. Maybe after my career, I will talk about it and all the stuff we’ve been doing. But take care of your guys’ brains, do your homework, get on it, and be smart.”

Continue Reading Max Holloway On CTE Concerns: ‘I Don’t Want To Be A Vegetable When I’m Older’ at MMA News.

MMA News

Dustin Poirier is not convinced by something Ilia Topuria has stated ahead of Topuria’s featherweight title fight at UFC 308 this Saturday. Topuria believes he is capable of knocking out Max Holloway with a single punch, but Poirier has expressed skepticism. Topuria’s confidence is undeniable—he has even suggested that it will be an easy feat. However, given Holloway’s elite caliber, Poirier doubts such a claim.

While appearing on The Bohnfire podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn, Poirier analyzed the matchup.

Dustin Poirier’s Dismissal

“To go out there and one-punch Max is going to be almost impossible, I think,” Poirier said. “It can happen, for sure. But I don’t think it will. This is a big test. If [Topuria] goes in there and beats Max, or lasts with Max in the volume game, outpoints him, outfights him technically on the feet—that’s going to say so much about Ilia and where he’s going to go. I can’t pick against Max. I could see Topuria winning, but Max’s experience and the championship fights he’s been in… it’s hard to bet against that.”

Holloway, the former featherweight champion, has won 5 of his 15 victories by knockout, including his most recent performance when he knocked out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298.

Continue Reading Dustin Poirier: Ilia Topuria’s Prediction For Max Holloway Fight Is ‘Almost Impossible’ at MMA News.

MMA News

During a recent Q&A session hosted by MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, PFL founder Donn Davis took questions from the fans in the live chat. One question asked whether Davis and the promotion would be releasing an official statement regarding Daiane Silva.

The Brazilian fighter was set to make her debut for the promotion at the Bellator Champions Series event in London back in September. Following a failed attempt to hit the featherweight limit, having previously competed at lightweight in her career, Silva was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Northwick Park Hospital in London.

After suffering from kidney failure, she was placed into an induced coma with MMA Fighting reporting that she is still currently sedated. Nacao Cyborg, an MMA promotion belonging to Cris Cyborg, posted about the current situation this past weekend which alerted a lot of people to what was going on after there was no statement or update from the PFL.

Davis explained why that was the case by speaking publicly on Silva’s health concerns for the first time.

“Yes, I’ll tell you it’s specifically not been addressed for the fighter privacy. Everything you just said fully explains the situation. She was a first time fighter for us, she experienced a very difficult weight loss which resulted in a medical emergency which was dealt with seriously and appropriately and she’s been in long-term hospitalization and we’ve done everything possible to support her recovery. To say anything other than that is not our place. This is her business and her privacy but everything I just said is the news and that’s the news that is well known and that’s the news that, we wouldn’t want to say anything other than that news.”

Davis was also asked why there was no response from the promotion when they were asked for updates by the media.

“Yeah look, I understand why a lot of times, people in the media want to know stuff. I totally understand that but I would hope people appreciate over the last five or six years, given how we’ve handled our business partners, our fighters, our relationships with everybody associated with the company, we always try to do the right thing, which doesn’t always mean the easy thing. In this case, I think respecting her privacy at a very sensitive time instead of giving constant updates to anyone who wants to know is the right thing. It might not appear to be the easy thing.”

Continue Reading PFL’s Donn Davis Explains Silence On Fighter Put In Coma After Botched Weight Cut: ‘Not Our Place’ at MMA News.

MMA News

Max Holloway is just days away from his highly anticipated return to the Octagon at UFC 308, where he will face Ilia Topuria for the featherweight title. As the fight draws near, Holloway has dismissed Topuria’s attempts at trash talk, comparing the rising contender to Conor McGregor, who became famous for his pre-fight bravado and ability to back it up once the cage door closed.

Topuria has made bold statements about Holloway, but the former champion remains unfazed. One particular claim from Topuria was his promise to initiate a throwdown in the center of the Octagon within the first 10 seconds of the fight. Holloway, however, isn’t convinced that Topuria will follow through on this promise.

Copycat Accusations

Holloway didn’t hold back when criticizing Topuria’s approach, calling him a “copycat” of McGregor.

“It just makes no sense,” Holloway said. “To me, I don’t think he deserves it—you’ve got to earn that right. I don’t think he deserves it. I mean, you guys know who he’s copying. This guy is a copycat down to his tattoos, to his aura, to the way he approaches fights.”

Holloway went on to say, “I think the moment needs to be earned, and he’s just trying to steal stuff. He’s already trying to steal one person’s aura, and now he’s trying to steal someone else’s thing.”

Continue Reading Max Holloway: ‘Copycat’ Ilia Topuria Is Trying To Steal Conor McGregor’s Aura at MMA News.

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