Khamzat Chimaev and Robert Whittaker are on a collision course this Saturday night when they meet in the UFC 308 co-main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Heading into the fight, Chimaev is confident in his ability to take Whittaker to the ground using his wrestling skills—and do so with ease. He envisions this tactic playing out throughout the fight.
Takedown Advantage
“Who has stopped my takedowns?” Chimaev told MMA Junkie. “Nobody. So, I don’t think this guy will be any different. Kamaru Usman was a great champ, and he took everyone down. But I took him down. I dominated him easily in the rounds. What’s going to be different with a taekwondo or karate guy compared to Usman, who’s been a wrestler? He was a professional wrestler before.”
Chimaev hasn’t fought since his victory over former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman last October at UFC 294, as health issues slowed him down. Before that, he also scored a win against Gilbert Burns.
Despite the long layoff, Chimaev assures fans that he will come out strong, as they’ve come to expect from him, even in this five-round bout.
Continue Reading Khamzat Chimaev: ‘Karate Guy’ Robert Whittaker Can’t Stop My Wrestling at MMA News.
UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili has looked to clear up the uncertainty surrounding the timeframe for his first title defense.
Dvalishvili reached the mountaintop at 135 pounds last month when he headlined UFC 306 inside the Sphere in competition for the belt, which was then held by striking specialist Sean O’Malley.
The Georgian standout made good on his prediction to dominate, securing a comfortable victory on the scorecards after five rounds of action at the Mexican Independence Day celebration.
But no sooner had the bantamweight gold been wrapped around his waist, talk turned to the first hurdle for Dvalishvili to overcome as kingpin. For most, that should be the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov. “The Machine,” however, caused eyebrows to raise when he called O’Malley out for an immediate rematch.
Nurmagomedov has used that to accused Dvalishvili of seeking to avoid him, as well as claims that the champ is deliberately targeting a defense during the period in which he’ll be inactive to observe Ramadan in 2025.
During an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Dvalishvili sought to clear up his stance.
The Georgian titleholder insisted that he has no issue meeting the challenge of Nurmagomedov and would be willing to in February.
“Yes, the UFC told me to fight (Nurmagomedov in December) and I said I would fight him in February or March,” Dvalishvili said. “That was it. Now, Umar take another fight, so I don’t know. But like I said, I don’t know anything else. (I won’t fight) in January because it’s a new year and it’s Georgian Christmas and I need the time. I said February and March is good for me, and I’ll go from there.
“Like I said, I want three fights in 2025. So, I’m ready. I have no problem (fighting Nurmagomedov next). Whoever the UFC offers me, I will fight. I never choose my opponents, and I’m going to continue the same,” Dvalishvili continued. “I’ve never had the option to say, ‘I’m going to fight him, or him.’ I was never like this in this situation before, and I don’t see why it’d be different now.”
But Nurmagomedov evidently isn’t buying it.
After Dvalishvili’s teammate, former champ Aljamain Sterling, took to social media to defend the Georgian’s willingness to return sooner if his opposition was Sean O’Malley, Nurmagomedov branded his remarks a “cheap excuse.”
cheap excuse https://t.co/OJha8itKCu
— Umar Nurmagomedov (@UNmgdv) October 21, 2024
Read More: Umar Nurmagomedov Rips ‘Bum’ Sean O’Malley Over UFC 306 Performance
Continue Reading Merab Dvalishvili Clarifies UFC Return Timeline Amid Umar Nurmagomedov’s Complaints at MMA News.
Muhammad Mokaev has found a new opponent for his upcoming grappling matchup after the unfortunate cancellation of his fight with Raul Rosas Jr.
Mokaev was originally slated to headline ADXC 6 against the rising UFC bantamweight contender Rosas Jr. next weekend at the Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. However, earlier this week, the promotion had to cancel the October 25 matchup due to unexpected developments.
“The Punisher” will now take on former UFC fighter Rogerio Bontorin in the main event of the grappling card, as recently confirmed by the Brazilian’s manager, Stefano Sartori, on social media.
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Mokaev boasts an undefeated record of 12-0 as a professional, and despite maintaining a 7-0 streak in the UFC, the 24-year-old Russian was released from the promotion in August. UFC CEO Dana White explained the decision to part ways, citing a series of out-of-competition issues that caused matchmakers to hesitate in offering him a new contract.
In a post on X, “The Punisher” appeared to assert that the UFC is still holding him back by preventing Rosas Jr. from facing him.
I have a lot of respect towards @raulrosasjr Unfortunately UFC didn’t let him to compete I wish you all the best bro! pic.twitter.com/RuCV6Uo4mK
— Muhammad Mokaev (@muhammadmokaev) October 21, 2024
Meanwhile, Bontorin was part of the UFC from 2019 to 2022. He fought a total of six times, securing victories over Magomed Bibulatov and Raulian Paiva before enduring a challenging four-fight losing skid that included defeats against Ray Borg, Kai Kara-France, and Brandon Royval.
Bontorin’s latest fight took place at a RIZIN event in October 2023, and he currently boasts a professional record of 17-5, with 11 of those victories achieved via submission.
Read More: Muhammad Mokaev Claims UFC Has Blocked Raul Rosas Jr. From Grappling Him
Continue Reading Muhammad Mokaev Lines Up Ex-UFC Fighter After Rosas Jr. Grappling Clash Fizzled at MMA News.
Donald Cerrone has sparked mixed reactions from fans after announcing his intentions to return to the sport for two more fights despite retiring in 2022. Cerrone, who was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023, hopes to bring his total career fights to 50.
Following his retirement, Cerrone openly admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), including testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), since he was no longer subject to USADA testing. He noted that the treatments made him feel younger. However, his decision to return to competition after using PEDs has drawn criticism, including from Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen.
Cerrone Criticized
“I just don’t think it’s a good idea to retire, take a bunch of steroids, and then come back and fight again,” Eblen said during a post-fight news conference (via MMA Junkie). “It’s not a good look, man.”
Eblen went on to blame Conor McGregor for setting a precedent by using PEDs while outside of the USADA testing pool, only to return to fighting.
“I think Conor paved the way, and he’s influencing a lot of people to do it,” Eblen said. “People are trying to fight past their prime using these substances, and it’s just not natural. It’s not good. Your brain doesn’t heal from steroids, so all that CTE just adds up. I’m very against steroids and against people fighting past their prime.”
Continue Reading Donald Cerrone Gets Ripped For UFC Comeback After Steroid Usage: ‘It’s Not A Good Look’ at MMA News.
Fight fans all around the world will be eagerly waiting the main event of UFC 308 this Saturday when Ilia Topuria looks to defend the featherweight belt against Max Holloway. One man that will be paying especially close attention is Alexander Volkanovski who will be in attendance at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
The former champion chose to take some time off instead of going into a rematch with Topuria after he lost the title in February. Having faced both men in the past, he’s now looking to fight for the belt once again following the result of the headliner on October 26.
However, along with only wanting to fight for gold next time out, Volkanovski has a specific date and location in mind for his return. The UFC recently announced that on February 9, the Octagon will return to Sydney, Australia.
Wanting a title fight on his home turf could be impacted by who comes out on top in the 145-pound title fight this weekend. In a recent YouTube video, Volkanovski said that Holloway reclaiming the gold may lead to an interim title fight due to the BMF belt that “Blessed” already holds.
The prospect of a fight between “The Great” and the backup fighter this weekend, Diego Lopes, has been spoken about in the past and would seemingly fit this card well based on Lopes’ previous statements.
“Obviously, I wanted Sydney right, I want to fight in Sydney. If Max wins, does he fight in Sydney? I think he does, I think he would fight in Sydney but is he going to do BMF? Is he going to do lightweight? I doubt he’s going to want to do a featherweight straight away. I reckon he’s going to want to do lightweight, I’m just trying to be realistic with this one. So does that open doors for an interim? Yeah, I think so because I want to fight in Sydney and obviously I did that when I was doing the lightweight thing. I let them boys, Josh Emmett and Yair do their interim fight so I’m sure that’s something we could do and while he does his thing and then we just fight whenever we can.”
Volkanovski also stated that his hopes of fighting in Sydney will likely go out the window if Topuria retains this weekend with bringing the belt back to Spain being a key priority for the UFC right now.
“If Ilia wins, does he fight in Sydney? No, let’s be real. He’s not going to fight in Sydney.”
Continue Reading Alexander Volkanovski Says Max Holloway Win At UFC 308 Could Lead To Interim Title Fight at MMA News.
Max Holloway has expressed his belief that UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira is likely to be named 2024 Fighter of the Year. In 2024, Pereira has fought three times, earning three consecutive finishes. He secured victories against Jamal Hill at UFC 300, Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303, and most recently, Khalil Rountree at UFC 307. Following these dominant performances, Pereira plans to take some time off.
Fighter of the Year Discussion
In a recent interview with Kevin Iole, Holloway was asked about his thoughts on the 2024 Fighter of the Year.
“I mean, I don’t know, man. I don’t know that I would be [the Fighter of the Year]. The way Alex [Pereira] took fights… he’s the fastest guy to defend his title, right? With three title defenses. That’s a hard man to beat.”
He continued, “Every time I’m in the talks for [being Fighter of the Year], somebody’s having a crazy year. I think Alex Pereira has already got that win in the bag.”
Holloway himself is set to return later this month at UFC 308, where he will challenge Ilia Topuria for the featherweight title.
Continue Reading Max Holloway Honest On If He Can Surpass Alex Pereira For 2024 Fighter Of The Year at MMA News.
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 Anthony Hernandez and Michel Pereira will clash. While in the co-main event, Rob Font will face Kyler Phillips in a bantamweight matchup.
There was just one weight miss at the weigh-ins, with Joselyne Edwards missing the bantamweight limit by 3.5 pounds.
Make sure to catch all the UFC Fight Night results and highlights as they happen below!
Main Card (ESPN+, 7PM ET):
Middleweight Main Event: Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira
Bantamweight Co-Main Event: Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips
Flyweight: Charles Johnson vs. Sumudaerji
Bantamweight: Jake Hadley vs. Cameron Smotherman
Featherweight: Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda
Preliminary Card (ESPN+, 4PM ET):
Flyweight: Matheus Nicolau vs. Asu Almabayev
Bantamweight: Brad Katona vs. Jean Matsumoto
Women’s Bantamweight: Joselyne Edwards vs. Tamires Vidal
Women’s Strawweight: Jessica Penne vs. Elise Reed
Women’s Strawweight: Melissa Martinez vs. Alice Ardelean
Heavyweight: Austen Lane vs. Robelis Despaigne
Continue Reading UFC Fight Night: Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira Results & Highlights (4 PM ET) at MMA News.
Kai Kara-France recently condemned the UFC’s decision to grant a title shot to Kai Asakura in his promotional debut.
It’s a rare occurrence for a fighter to step into the Octagon for their first fight in a title bout, yet that’s precisely the path Asakura will take as he is set to challenge reigning flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja in the co-main event of UFC 310. This exciting matchup is set to take place on December 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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However, Kara-France, who was campaigning for a title shot himself after his first-round knockout victory over Steve Erceg at UFC 305, voiced his disapproval of Asakura receiving an immediate opportunity to fight for the belt.
During a recent interview with Sky Sport NZ, “Don’t Blink” stated that the 31-year-old Japanese fighter did not deserve a shot at UFC gold. He expressed that it feels unjust for dedicated fighters in the 125-pound category, who have put in the hard work to rise through the ranks, to be overlooked for a title shot.
“They’ve got the wrong Kai,” Kara-France said. “After my fight, I was calling for the title shot, and I was thinking, ‘Sweet, I’ve got it,’ and then I heard they’re bringing in a guy from Japan, and his name’s Kai. Bro, he hasn’t even fought yet. I don’t think he deserves it. You’ve got to at least show your worth or do something for guys who have been grinding for years in the UFC division, fighting the best guys.
We’ve proven that we belong here, so I don’t know. That’s just how I feel about it. It’s weird that you can come in off no fights in the UFC and get a title shot. Hey, but if it’s going to bring in more attention to the flyweight division, you know, a bit of controversy, if this guy deserves it, yeah, he can go out there and prove it.”
Kara-France challenged for the interim flyweight title against former champion Brandon Moreno at UFC 277 in July 2022 but fell short, suffering a third-round TKO. The 31-year-old Kiwi has been a fixture in the UFC since 2018, compiling a respectable 8-4 record.
After signing an exclusive deal with the UFC, Asakura vacated his two-time RIZIN bantamweight championship, where he was a standout for nearly six years. He compiled an impressive record of 13-3 in the promotion, securing victories over notable opponents like Kyoji Horiguchi, Juan Archuleta, and Manel Kape.
Read More: Brandon Royval Sees ‘Strong Possibility’ UFC Newcomer Could Beat Alexandre Pantoja
Continue Reading Kai Kara-France Slams UFC For Awarding Title Shot To Newcomer Asakura at MMA News.
The PFL’s latest pay-per-view event takes place on Saturday night, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins!
PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants takes place at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Oct. 19, where the main attraction will see former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou make his long-awaited return to mixed martial arts.
Having not competed in the cage since a victory over Ciryl Gane in January 2022 — completing a pair of boxing matches opposite Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in the period since — “The Predator” will look to make an emphatic MMA comeback at the expense of last year’s PFL heavyweight title winner, Renan Ferreira.
Setting the stage for the headliners will be another Super Fights championship clash, with reigning Bellator featherweight queen Cris Cyborg debuting in the SmartCage opposite the PFL’s first two-weight champion, Larissa Pacheco.
Elsewhere, Bellator gold will be on the line in the Middle East when middleweight champ Johnny Eblen runs it back with Fabian Edwards and the stakes will be high when the massively touted Paul Hughes gets a step up in competition against AJ McKee.
Ahead of the event, all 18 fighters successfully made weight. With that, every fight has remained intact, and all that remains on Friday is for the athletes to face off one final time at the PFL: Battle of the Giants ceremonial weigh-ins!
Check out a live stream via the official PFL YouTube channel below, commencing at 11:30 a.m. ET.
PFL Battle of the Giants Ceremonial Weigh-In Stream
Continue Reading PFL Battle Of The Giants: Ngannou vs. Ferreira Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream at MMA News.
UFC Fight Night: Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira takes place on Saturday, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results!
Before heading back to the Middle East to stage its latest pay-per-view in Abu Dhabi next weekend, the mixed martial arts leader has one final piece of Fight Night business to attend to at the Apex.
Topping the lineup on Oct. 19 will be a clash of ranked middleweight fan favorites as Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez collides with the always entertaining and eccentric Michel Pereira.
Elsewhere, the likes of longtime bantamweight contender Rob Font, former LFA champion Charles Johnson, two-time TUF winner Brad Katona, and top-10 flyweight Matheus Nicolau will all be in action.
UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Pereira Weigh-In Results
UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Pereira takes place on Saturday, October 19, at the Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with the preliminary card starting at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.
See above for a live stream of the weigh-ins via MMA Junkie, and check out the full results below!
Main Card:
Middleweight Main Event: Anthony Hernandez (185.5lbs) vs. Michel Pereira (185.5lbs)
Bantamweight Co-Main Event: Rob Font (135.5lbs) vs. Kyler Phillips (135.5lbs)
Flyweight: Charles Johnson (126lbs) vs. Sumudaerji (126lbs)
Bantamweight: Jake Hadley (135.5lbs) vs. Cameron Smotherman (135.5lbs)
Featherweight: Darren Elkins (144.5lbs) vs. Daniel Pineda (145.5lbs)
Preliminary Card:
Flyweight: Matheus Nicolau (125.5lbs) vs. Asu Almabayev (125.5lbs)
Bantamweight: Brad Katona (135.5lbs) vs. Jean Matsumoto (135.5lbs)
Women’s Bantamweight: Joselyne Edwards (139.5lbs)* vs. Tamires Vidal (135.5lbs)
Women’s Strawweight: Jessica Penne (115.5lbs) vs. Elise Reed (115lbs)
Women’s Strawweight: Melissa Martinez (115.5lbs) vs. Alice Ardelean (115lbs)
Heavyweight: Austen Lane (251lbs) vs. Robelis Despaigne (264lbs)
*Joselyne Edwards missed the bantamweight limit by 3.5 pounds, fight status TBC
Continue Reading UFC Fight Night: Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira Weigh-In Results at MMA News.
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