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Dustin Poirier recently confirmed that he will indeed fight in the UFC again despite contemplating retirement after his loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 302. “The Diamond” wants to plan his exit from the sport by going out in front of his home fans in Louisiana.

MMA retirements never tend to last too long, just look at Donald Cerrone’s recent comments, and this likely isn’t going to change as the sport continues to age.

During a recent episode of ESPN MMA’s Good Guy / Bad Guy show with Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen, Cormier said that he was never convinced that Poirier would step away. He said that the former interim champions ability to still compete at the highest level meant that he wouldn’t ride off into the sunset just yet, even if he was suggesting that this was more than likely.

Sonnen followed this point up by referencing something that he would do in his childhood in order to receive words or praise and encouragement from his peers. He said that in art class, which he was hit and miss at, he would parade his best pieces of work around and say how bad they were in order to draw compliments.

Sonnen believes that fighters do a similar thing in order to hear the kind of appreciation that makes them feel validated.

“I did this when I was a little kid. Daniel, as I became an adult, I still did little things like that, I just did it fewer and further between and I swear, I do feel that some of these guys just so that we’ll pat them on the head and tell them, ‘No you’re so great’, I swear they’ll say like something bad about themselves to get the rest of us to go, ‘No, hey, you’ve got more.’ I do feel that way sometimes.”

Sonnen then spoke specifically about Poirier and his decision to make the walk one or two more times.

“I imagine it is hard to go and physically, Dustin has it. Mentally, Dustin has it but he’s got that little kid in him somewhere that wants us to constantly tell him, ‘Hey Dustin, you still got it.’ Well, I’ll buy in. Dustin, you still got it.”

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Says Dustin Poirier & Others Flirt With Retirement To Receive Praise at MMA News.

MMA News

Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has his eyes on unfinished business to conclude his career in the Octagon.

Cruz, who also held WEC gold prior to his UFC reigns, hasn’t competed since being knocked out by a brutal head kick against Marlon Vera back in August 2022.

That result, which headlined a UFC Fight Night in his home city of San Diego, snapped Cruz’s two-fight winning run and stalled his plans for a late-career rise back up the ladder at 135 pounds.

Since then, “The Dominator” has remained a prominent fixture on UFC broadcasts through his work as a color commentator and desk analyst for ESPN. But although that has left some suggesting his time as an active fighter could be up, the 39-year-old has confirmed that he as more in the tank.

During an appearance on the Anik & Florian Podcast, Cruz reiterated plans to make a comeback over two years on from his setback in California.

And more than just a fighting commitment, Cruz even has some names in mind for his return, the first being a clash with former featherweight kingpin José Aldo.

“I’m with that fight (against Aldo). I would like that fight,” Cruz said.

That bout was rumored to have been in the works for this past May’s event in Rio de Janeiro, where Aldo made his comeback from retirement and defeated Jonathan Martinez. Having had his title plans stalled by Mario Bautista at UFC 307 earlier this month, perhaps the promotion will look to book an all-legends clash with Cruz for Aldo next.

In addition to the Brazilian, “The Dominator” has his sights on a couple of rematches as he looks to right the wrongs from defeats to Cody Garbrandt and Henry Cejudo in 2016 and 2020, respectively.

“I’ve heard Henry (Cejudo) say that he would be willing to fight me if (UFC chief business officer) Hunter (Campbell) would allow it to happen,” Cruz stated. “I would rematch Henry. I would love that. … I’m not saying he didn’t beat me, but I’m saying that on a full camp, we can give an entertaining fight.

“He beat me the last fight. Okay, great. I think with me having a full camp, me not straight off surgery, me doing the training I’ve been doing, me feeling the way I feel right now…we’ll put on a really good, fun show,” Cruz continued. “So, Aldo, Henry, Cody (Garbrandt’s) getting ready to fight, so he’s got a fight coming up. But yeah, rematches for me make sense. My shoulder’s had multiple surgeries. It’s not rocket science, I don’t have tons of fights left. I’m towards the last chunk of my fights, and I want to put on a good show. So, I’m looking for a fight that makes sense.”

It remains to be seen what the UFC will line up for Cruz. But it appears clear that the fanbase has not seen the legendary former bantamweight champion make the walk for the final time.

• Read More: Ilia Topuria Eyes Record Held By Jorge Masvidal At UFC 308

Continue Reading Dominick Cruz Reveals Hit List For ‘Last Chunk’ Of UFC Career at MMA News.

MMA News

Daniel Cormier recently pushed back against Donald Cerrone’s plans for a UFC comeback following his revelation of using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) during his retirement.

Earlier this week, “Cowboy”, who retired from the UFC in July 2022, revealed plans to come out of retirement with an ambitious goal—reaching the achievement of 50 total bouts under the Zuffa banner. The 41-year-old fan favorite has racked up 38 UFC fights, placing him third in the promotion’s history—excluding the 10 more bouts he logged in the WEC.

Cerrone also disclosed that he’s been on Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) and other PEDs throughout his time away from the Octagon. Now, he’s working to flush these substances out of his system, aiming to rejoin the drug-testing pool and make his return for two more fights.

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However, Cormier isn’t on board with Cerrone’s plan to return to active competition after openly admitting to using steroids during his hiatus. In a recent video on his YouTube channel, the former two-division UFC champion voiced his firm disapproval, stating that “Cowboy” actions could set a troubling precedent.

“DC” argued that it might inspire other fighters to temporarily withdraw from testing protocols, exploit their time off, and return with an unfair advantage.

“For years now, he’s been openly using steroids. I don’t quite know what it is, but he’s not been clean. And even if he can come back, take tests, and pass those tests, for him to get back, he has to do all of those things and all those enhancers to allow him to feel like he can compete at that level again.

So he would test clean, but isn’t that just a loophole? Isn’t it just a loophole like with the guys, when they get hurt, they get out of the testing pool? They recover from the injury; then they re-enter the testing pool.”

– DC on Cowboy Cerrone wanting to fight again

Cerrone last fought at UFC 276, where he suffered a submission loss to Jim Miller. Despite this setback, his career is impressive, featuring 18 post-fight bonuses—the most in UFC history, a record he shares with Charles Oliveira. He is tied for the second-most wins in UFC history with 23, alongside Andrei Arlovski, and holds 16 finishes, second only to Miller.

In recognition of his legendary career, Cerrone was inducted into the modern wing of the UFC Hall of Fame in March 2023.

• Read More: Dana White ‘Hates Donald Cerrone’s UFC Comeback Idea

Continue Reading Cormier Opposes Cerrone’s Possible UFC Return Following PED Admission at MMA News.

MMA News

Michael Chandler believes that Conor McGregor will return to the octagon. UFC President Dana White recently stated that he expects McGregor to return in early 2025.

McGregor last fought in 2022, suffering a devastating leg injury in his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier, which ended in Poirier’s victory. Initially, it looked like Chandler and McGregor would headline UFC 303 in June, but McGregor withdrew from the fight due to injury.

During an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Chandler explained why he hopes McGregor eventually makes his comeback.

“Conor’s a very ‘Flavor of the Week’ kind of guy,” Chandler said. “I believe Conor McGregor fights again. The way it’s all happened—the campaign he’s put on, calling it ‘The Greatest Comeback in Combat Sports History.’ The Ultimate Fighter, signing a contract to fight me, and then pulling out…

If you think about Conor McGregor’s legacy, he’s been the guy who never backed down, even when opponents pulled out of fights. He’d say, ‘I don’t care! Dana, figure out who I’m fighting.’ That’s been his legacy.”

Driving Force Behind McGregor’s Return

Chandler also highlighted the impact of McGregor’s injuries, suggesting that they may be a driving force behind his potential return. As a fellow fighter, Chandler can’t imagine McGregor being content with how his career could end in the way it has gone.

“To let his career end a couple of years ago after breaking his leg, and then going through a training camp and all the promotion for TUF 31—only to pull out of a fight with a broken pinkie toe—that can’t be the last chapter of his legacy.

I don’t think Conor wants that. If you look at how he lives, he doesn’t seem to be focused on training or fighting like the rest of us savages, but I do believe he’s still romantic about the sport. When he does come back, I believe he fights me.”

Continue Reading Michael Chandler: Conor McGregor’s MMA Legacy Is On The Line at MMA News.

MMA News

When it comes to fighters that have been put through the ringer at the very highest level, it’s hard to find someone that is more experienced than Robert Whittaker. The former middleweight champion has been facing the very best at 185-pounds for the best part of seven years at this stage in his career.

With 22 Octagon appearances under his belt, there’s not much that you can throw at “The Reaper” which he won’t have encountered in the past. That being said, his next challenge is somewhat of an enigma.

The undefeated Khamzat Chimaev has gone from being talked about as a guaranteed future UFC champion to someone that might struggle against the top names in his division. His progress has been significantly halted by two major concerns, his reoccurring health issues and an inability to fight in the United States.

Despite the fact that he has beaten the likes of Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman, one of those wins came when he was fighting at welterweight and his contest with Usman was a close fight that saw the former 170-pound champion step in at middleweight on short notice.

We will truly find out how good Chimaev is when he faces Whittaker who has already proven his level against the majority of the top contenders to come through the division in the last seven years.

In an interview with TalkSPORT MMA ahead of their co-main event clash at UFC 308, Whittaker was asked whether Chimaev is his toughest fight to date after all of the top opposition that he has squared off with.

“No, like I’ve fought the best of the best. I think it’s the most pressing test because it’s unwritten and I think there’s a lot of gravity to this fight because it’s the unknown like as of right now but like, I’ve won a lot of hard fights and I’ve lost a lot of hard fights, I’ve been tested.”

Though Whittaker doesn’t believe that Chimaev is his most difficult opponent, he does think that this fight will require him to be at his best because he doesn’t fully know what to expect from his opponent.

“Right now, it’s obviously Chimaev right because it’s unknown, it’s ground that hasn’t been trodden yet. I respect the task at hand and I’m just looking forward to it.”  

Continue Reading Robert Whittaker Says Khamzat Chimaev Isn’t His Toughest Opponent But Is The ‘Most Pressing’ at MMA News.

MMA News

Mike Perry got himself into trouble when he was arrested in Clermont, Florida, on October 12 for multiple offenses.

According to a recent report by MMA Fighting, information from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that “Platinum” was apprehended and processed by Clermont Police officers early Saturday morning at 1:04 AM EST. He is currently facing charges of driving under the influence (DUI) and refusing to sign a citation that mandates a court appearance, both classified as second-degree misdemeanors in the county. 

As per the report, Perry declined to undergo a roadside sobriety test after being stopped for exceeding the speed limit by about 20 miles per hour. The officer reportedly detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle, but the BKFC star repeatedly denied any consumption.

The 33-year-old Michigan native stood firm in his decision despite being warned multiple times that his refusal to comply would result in his arrest, which eventually led to him being handcuffed and taken to the Clermont Police Department for a breath test.

However, “Platinum” was subsequently released on a $ 1,500 bond later that day and was assigned to appear before the Florida court on October 30. If proven guilty, Perry could potentially face a maximum of two months in jail and fines reaching up to $ 500.

The former UFC welterweight fighter is rebounding from a sixth-round knockout defeat to Jake Paul this past July. Aside from that setback, Perry is thriving in his bare-knuckle fighting career under the BKFC banner. He is currently riding a five-fight unbeaten streak and boasts victories over notable former UFC champions Eddie Alvarez and Luke Rockhold.

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• Read More: Jake Paul Reveals Verbal Agreement With Mike Perry To Rematch In PFL, Dirty Boxing Down The Line

Continue Reading Mike Perry Arrested For DUI and Citation Refusal in Florida at MMA News.

MMA News

Mike Perry got himself into trouble when he was arrested in Clermont, Florida, on October 12 for multiple offenses.

According to a recent report by MMA Fighting, information from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that “Platinum” was apprehended and processed by Clermont Police officers early Saturday morning at 1:04 AM EST. He is currently facing charges of driving under the influence (DUI) and refusing to sign a citation that mandates a court appearance, both classified as second-degree misdemeanors in the county. 

As per the report, Perry declined to undergo a roadside sobriety test after being stopped for exceeding the speed limit by about 20 miles per hour. The officer reportedly detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle, but the BKFC star repeatedly denied any consumption.

The 33-year-old Michigan native stood firm in his decision despite being warned multiple times that his refusal to comply would result in his arrest, which eventually led to him being handcuffed and taken to the Clermont Police Department for a breath test.

However, “Platinum” was subsequently released on a $ 1,500 bond later that day and was assigned to appear before the Florida court on October 30. If proven guilty, Perry could potentially face a maximum of two months in jail and fines reaching up to $ 500.

The former UFC welterweight fighter is rebounding from a sixth-round knockout defeat to Jake Paul this past July. Aside from that setback, Perry is thriving in his bare-knuckle fighting career under the BKFC banner. He is currently riding a five-fight unbeaten streak and boasts victories over notable former UFC champions Eddie Alvarez and Luke Rockhold.

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• Read More: Jake Paul Reveals Verbal Agreement With Mike Perry To Rematch In PFL, Dirty Boxing Down The Line

Continue Reading Mike Perry Arrested For DUI and Citation Refusal in Florida at MMA News.

MMA News

UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña believes commentary “bias” has played a part in the negative reaction to her title win earlier this month.

Peña returned to the mountaintop at 135 pounds in the co-main event of the UFC 307 pay-per-view in Salt Lake City, outpointing longtime rival Raquel Pennington on two of the three judges’ scorecards.

The result, which came over two years on from “The Venezuelan Vixen’s” first reign being brought to an end by Amanda Nunes, caused considerable debate.

On MMA Decisions, 25 out of 27 media members scored the five-round contest in favor of Pennington. That sentiment was also shared by 78 percent of over 500 fan scorecards that were submitted.

The newly crowned queen has been left bemused by the post-fight ‘robbery’ narratives, and she seemingly placed blame on the commentary team during an appearance on the debut episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned.

Peña branded the commentary “garbage” while reiterating the reasons why she’s confident that four of the five rounds were won by her.

“When you throw less and land more, when you’re giving the other girl a bloody nose and a goose egg on her head, when you’re taking her down, when you’re frickin’ making her eyes get as big as plates because you’re hitting her so hard and rocking her sh*t…you can’t tell me that I lost the fight,” Peña said. “I won that fight, and I’m so sick of all these people trying to like, make me feel like I didn’t win.

“Rewatch the fight without all the commentary bias and you will see clearly that I won that fight,” Peña continued. “Obviously all of the frickin’ MMA media hates my guts. … Every single one of them scored it against me. They need to go rewatch it without all that frickin’ garbage commentary and look at the significant strikes. I threw less and I landed more and they were harder shots. Rewatch it, please!”

Alongside the controversy regarding the scoring, the other major topic to emerge from Peña’s title win is the next step in the bantamweight division.

While Kayla Harrison’s victory over Ketlen Vieira on the UFC 307 card has left her as the consensus number one contender, “The Venezuelan Vixen” seemingly has other plans, frequently looking to entice Amanda Nunes back to complete their trilogy instead.

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• Read More: Julianna Peña Targets UFC International Fight Week 2025 For First Title Defense

Continue Reading Julianna Peña Urges Fans To Rewatch UFC 307 Fight Without ‘Garbage’ Commentary at MMA News.

MMA News

Ray Longo, a longtime coach for UFC bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili, has hit back at some comments recently made by Dana White.

Dvalishvili is set to ride a 10-fight winning run into his first title challenge this weekend, which comes in the main event of the highly anticipated Noche UFC 306 pay-per-view at the Sphere.

While the overall card has had its critics, the headliner between the Georgian contender and reigning champion Sean O’Malley has created significant intrigue and drawn a variety of predictions.

There was a time a few weeks ago, however, when some feared for the matchup’s place on the card after Dvalishvili revealed a deep-looking cut sustained in training on social media.

“The Machine’s” decision to publicly display the cut caused debate, with the UFC CEO being among those unimpressed by Dvalishvili’s antics.

“The whole world knows about Merab’s cut. He posted it. Our guys are so dumb, it’s next-level unbelievable,” White said during a DWCS press conference. “All the stuff I talk about boxing, what I will give boxing, is when something happens in a camp, man, let me tell you what, it does not leak. Our guys can’t f*cking wait to throw it up on social media.

“It’s a small cut. It’s no big deal. But obviously, it needed to be posted,” White continued. “Why the f*ck would you want him to know that? It is next-level stupid. Some of these guys are so stupid it’s mind-boggling. It’s unbelievable.”

After Aljamain Sterling leapt to Dvalishvili’s defense and branded White’s reaction “over the top,” coach Longo has now shared a similar sentiment.

Longo On Dvalishvili’s Cut: ‘One Thing Dana Was Really Wrong On…’

During a recent interview with Kevin Iole, Longo looked ahead to Dvalishvili’s long-awaited first opportunity to reach the mountaintop in the UFC.

The veteran trainer was asked about the cut suffered by the Georgian in training, which became one of the hottest topics in the lead-up to Noche UFC 306.

Longo dismissed the importance of revealing such a blemish to an opponent like O’Malley, and he strongly pushed back on White’s reaction to “The Machine’s” social media activity.

“I’m not the social media guy, so I don’t get it. But you have to expect this sh*t with these kids today. They film everything. They film tying their shoelaces,” Longo said. “He’s been a camera guy since the second I met him. He’s crazy with the camera. But look, if it was a knee injury, I’d say that would be a problem. Now you’re gonna target something. (But) he’s gonna get cut in the fight. It is what it is. He’s gonna get punched in the face. … A cut’s a cut, and if it opens up, I don’t think it’ll have an impact on the fight.

“One thing Dana was really wrong on was he called him a dummy. He’s far from a dummy,” Longo continued. “(Dvalishvili’s) very intelligent. He’s a humble guy, got humble beginnings. He’s fighting for his country. There’s certain guys that that type of sh*t means a lot. He’s one of them. He’s (O’Malley’s) gonna have to beat this kid dead, that I guarantee you.”

Dvalishvili will look to display a different type of intelligence come fight night in Las Vegas on Saturday by using his fight IQ to secure a memorable title crowning inside the Sphere.

His opportunity to do so comes in the final fight of the 10-fight lineup, on which he’ll mark the second championship challenger to make the walk after Valentina Shevchenko’s attempt to achieve two-time status at Alexa Grasso’s expense.

While “The Machine” trains in Las Vegas with John Wood these days, he’s still expected to have the likes of coach Longo and teammate Sterling in his corner this weekend.

• Read More: Noche UFC 306: Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili Staff Predictions

Continue Reading Coach Ray Longo Pushes Back On Dana White’s Criticism Of Merab Dvalishvili: ‘He’s Far From A Dummy…’  at MMA News.

MMA News

When Brian Ortega was first announced to be taking on Diego Lopes in the co-main event of UFC 303, fans circled that one out as a fight that you can’t afford to miss.

The two featherweight contenders have got two of the most exciting styles in the division and neither man is known for backing down from a scrap.

Unfortunately, Ortega was forced to pull out of the fight due to illness but after Lopes defeated Dan Ige on that night, the pair were rescheduled for UFC 306.

It’s a big fight for the former two-time title challenger to once again put himself in the mix at the top of the 145-pound weight class.

However, if you think that that’s going to make Ortega switch up his approach, you’re sorely mistaken.

Brian Ortega Says He’s Going To Go To War With Like-Minded Individual At UFC 306

In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Ortega told the fans what they can expect to see from his fight at the Sphere this weekend.

Rather than using his experience against the surging Lopes or looking to fight a bit more reserved, he’s excited to compete against another man that is always willing to wade into the fire to come away with the victory.

“It’s like I told everybody, I said that you have someone who refuses to lose on the feet and refuses to lose in the stand-up so when I say that, I bet you have no idea who I’m talking about. That’s why this is an exciting fight, you get to fight almost like a version of yourself. Tad bit different styles, same mentality.”   

Ortega closed things out with one final message, promising that the judges aren’t going to be needed for this fight but he won’t be the one that requires any assistance.

“Someone is going to get finished, guaranteed. You know me, you’ve seen me. I either put you on your shield or you put me on mine. I’m not going out on my shield.”

Read also: Alexander Volkanovski Shocked By Brian Ortega’s Underdog Status At Noche UFC: ‘Lopes Is Very Good, But…’

Continue Reading Brian Ortega On Diego Lopes Fight: ‘I Either Put You On Your Shield Or You Put Me On Mine!’ at MMA News.

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