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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.

MMA News

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.

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.”

• 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

MMA News