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A welterweight title bout between champion Leon Edwards and second-ranked contender Belal Muhammad headlines the UFC 304 fight card on July 27.  It will be Edwards’ third title defense and Muhammad’s first championship bout.  

The event takes place at Co-op Live in Manchester, England and who is better equipped to give a prediction on the fight’s outcome than arguably the greatest welterweight of all time, Georges St-Pierre?  

“I think Leon is better.  I think Leon is champion for a reason because he’s better,” St-Pierre said on the Anik and Florian Podcast.  

St-Pierre quickly pointed out that the best fighter doesn’t always win.  “It’s not always be best fighter that wins the fight.  It’s the fighter that fights the best the night of the fight,” St-Pierre said.  “There is no certainty in this sport.  You can make the fight ten times and ten different outcomes will happen.”

Edwards captured the 170-pound championship by knocking out Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 in August, 2022 by a head kick in the final round.  In the rematch, Edwards defeated Usman via unanimous decision.  In December, Edwards defended the belt a second time against Colby Covington.   

“Rush” admitted that he may be a little ‘biased’ because he knows Edwards well and has hung out with him on occasion.  But his prediction wasn’t based on who he personally likes more.  

“I know Leon a little bit and I’m a little bit biased because I’ve hung out with him a few times, and he’s an extremely nice person, and I had a great time,” St-Pierre said.  

St-Pierre retired from mixed martial arts after becoming a two-division champion by defeating Michael Bisping at UFC 217 in November 2017.  A month later, St-Pierre announced that he was vacating his UFC middleweight title after 34 days of holding the belt.

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Nate Diaz was understandably upset weeks following his fight against Jorge Masvidal, but not because of his performance.

The UFC veteran put on a brilliant display and battled his way to a decision victory over Masvidal. While the collision between two MMA legends was well received, it didn’t take long for controversy to hit the headlines.

According to Nate Diaz, he is yet to recieve 90% of his agreed upon paycheck for the boxing match earlier this month. 

Diaz allegedly had both a written and verbal agreement with Solomon Engel. The Fanmio CEO was believed to have withdrew his deal after finding out the Diaz vs. Masvidal bout didn’t attain close to the amount of return as he’d hoped the fight would make.

Having missed out on 90% of his deal, Diaz sued the company for breach of contract and fraud. 

Solomon Engel has since responded, insisting that the Stockton native is trying to bring harm to the ones he loves by suing him and his company. Engel is adamant that ‘justice will prevail’ once the lawsuit comes to a conclusion.

“I look forward to resolving this dispute through the appropriate process and am confident that justice will prevail,” Engel said during a recent statement.

Related: Michael Chandler wants Nate Diaz as Conor McGregor replacement

“Making salacious and defamatory statements to the media in order to harm my family and I has only strengthened my resolve to ensure that the truth will triumph.” [h/t TMZ Sports]

Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal traded shots back-and-forth for 10 rounds inside the boxing ring to the viewers delight. It managed to steal the headlines away from Darren Till’s post-fight brawl that happened just hours earlier.

Despite getting his hand raised on the night, according to Diaz, he would have never stepped into the ring to compete against ‘Gamebred’ if he knew he wouldn’t get paid.

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Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall returns to the cage on July 27 at Co-op Live in Manchester, England against 4th ranked Curtis Blaydes.  The heavyweight match will serve as the UFC 304 co-main event.  

Aspinall will be defending the interim title before heavyweight champion Jon Jones defends his belt.  Jones has been sidelined since tearing a pectoral tendon while training to face former two-time titleholder Stipe Miocic last November.  Potentially further setting back Jones’ return is a recent finger injury.  He tweeted, “Getting half my finger cutoff at the Los Angeles Airport,” on Saturday.  The post has since been deleted.  

Despite a stall at the top of the division, Aspinall believes it’s a great time to be a fan of heavyweights.  

“The heavyweight division is on a revival right now,” Aspinall told The MMA Hour.  “We’ve got Jon Jones.  Who knows what he’s going to do but he’s going to be active again soon, hopefully.  We’ve got Alex Pereira potentially moving up.  We’ve got [Alexander] Volkov who’s on a resurgence.  We’ve got Ciryl Gane knocking around.  We’ve got Curtis Blaydes.  We’ve got [Sergei] Pavlovich still in the mix.  

“We’ve got all kinds of guys and there’s probably a few that I have not even mentioned.  We’ve got [Jailton] Almeida.  There’s so many top level heavyweights and these next five to ten years are going to be absolutely incredible at heavyweight.  What a time to be involved in heavyweight MMA.” 

The heavyweight division is deeper than it has been in a long time.  Jones and Aspinall sit at the top of the weight class with the championship and interim title, but only one can be the best heavyweight in the world.  Aspinall believes it’s ‘by far’ him.     

“I truly believe skill for skill I’m the best heavyweight in the world by far.  By far.  Nobody comes close to me,” Aspinall said.  “Does that mean I’m going to win every fight?  No.  It doesn’t at all.  This is heavyweight MMA.  It’s literally a flip of the coin.  Anybody can win at any time.” 

“But I’m all in.  I’m absolutely all in, 100 percent on being the best heavyweight that I can possibly be,” Aspinall continued.    

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Earlier this year, Jon Jones was accused of threatening a Drug Free Sport International officer. Despite his plea of innocence, Jones has now been charged with 2 misdemeanors for his actions toward the worker.

‘Bones’ has his sights set on a return to action in the near future. There has been a lot of talk about UFC heavyweight champion facing Stipe Miocic in a legacy fight in his returning bout, but the 36-year-old just can’t seem to stay out of trouble outside of the octagon.

As reported today, Jon Jones has been charged with 2 misdemeanors in his case with the DFSI officer. The incident unfolded at Jones’ home in New Mexico on March 30. 

As discussed in the incident report, two officers came to collect a urine sample from Jones at 4 p.m. that day, before things turned sour. When the MMA ace encountered some trouble providing a urine sample, one of the workers (Crystal Martinez) suggested he give a blood sample instead.

The UFC Hall-of-Famer didn’t respond well to this and allegedly began threatening to sue the woman before taking her phone and recording her.

MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin has now confirmed that Jon Jones was hit with two charges — assault and interference with communications. Jail time and a heavy fine could await Jones should he be found guilty of both charges.

July 17 has been scheduled as the day for Jones’ virtual bond hearing.

Related: Jon Jones releases video response to assault allegations

Doubt surrounds Jon Jones’ UFC future

News recently surrounding Jon Jones is going from bad to worse.

Alongside the aforementioned misdemeanor charges, Jones’ UFC future could be in doubt following some recent social media posts.

While some of the messages had to be deciphered, Jones worried his fans when he seemingly revealed he had lost half a finger. 

He would later go on to delete the shocking post but no further information has since surfaced about the troubling turn of events. 

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In October 2018, then lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor fought at UFC 229 after months of build up and trash talk.  Leading up to the heated matchup, McGregor threw a dolly into a bus window carrying Nurmagomedov and several other UFC fighters.  

In the fight, Nurmagomedov defeated McGregor in the fourth round via neck crank.  Following the win, Nurmagomedov taunted McGregor before leaping into the crowd to go after McGregor’s team.  Simultaneously, Nurmagomedov’s team members entered the octagon to attack McGregor.  

Their rivalry was one of the most heated in the promotion’s history.  Listen to fight with ‘no commentary just fight, crowd and corner sounds.’

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor – UFC Muted

“I f***ed you up,” Nurmagomedov said after McGregor tapped out.  “I f***ed you up, b**ch!’  He threw threw his mouthpiece at McGregor’s corner and leaped out of the cage.  

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Love him or hate him, Paddy Pimblett is one of the biggest names in the sport today, but his time in the UFC could be coming to an end.

‘The Baddy’ has been a big name in mixed martial arts since the successful work he put in with Cage Warriors. That fame has only elevated throughout the duration of his UFC tenure, though he may take his expertise elsewhere in the near future.

Paddy Pimblett is approaching his sixth fight inside the octagon, which coincidentally is the final fight on his contract.

While a win in his next outing would earn him a ranking in the lightweight division, Pimblett is weighing up his career options.

“This is the last fight on my contract,” Pimblett said during an interview with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn. “We’ll be getting back to the negotiations table after this, so let’s see what happens.”

“I haven’t got a clue [about contract negotiations with the UFC], my manager sorts all of that. I leave all of that to him, I don’t think [there’s been a renewal proposal].”

While Pimblett does believe his future lies under the UFC banner, he is willing to leave to pursue big-money fights.

“I wouldn’t want to go to a different organisation, lad. The UFC is the cream of the crop…”

“You never know, though. Some of these stupid YouTubers that are boxing could end up offering me millions to fight one of them. So we’ll see what happens.”

Related: Paddy Pimblett gets heated about feud with Ilia Topuria and Terrance McKinney

Paddy Pimblett has had public feuds with both Logan Paul and Jake Paul, giving him two serious options for an influencer boxing match.

However, before he can think about venturing into other sports, Pimblett will have to put on a strong performance next time out.

The scouser is set to collide with ‘King’ Green at UFC 304 in Manchester, England, on July 27.

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The return of Jon Jones may be put on hold once again after the UFC heavyweight champion revealed some damaging news in a recent tweet-and-delete.

‘Bones’ hasn’t competed inside the octagon for over 16 months. The last time we did see the Hall-of-Famer, he just made history by joining an exclusive list of competitors that have held titles in two different weight classes back at UFC 285.

Despite all signs pointing toward him returning to defend his throne against Stipe Miocic later this year, that may no longer be the case. 

According to reports, Jon Jones shared a now-deleted but incredibly worrying post on social media. Instead of revealing a date for his potential comeback, Jones announced that he had suffered an injury — in the form of a mutilated finger.

Jon Jones is injured. The UFC heavyweight champion with a concerning, since deleted tweet this today.

“Getting half my finger cutoff at the Los Angeles Airport.”

Via Jon "Bones" Jones /Twitter #UFC #JonJones #MMA pic.twitter.com/xXPT54pIQh

— MMA UNCENSORED (@MMAUNCENSORED1) July 13, 2024

Jones would later go on to delete the post but not before fans began speculating. 

While the post was quite revealing, the 36-year-old later released several more hints to his wellbeing on X, though those messages were more of a challenge to understand.

@bigsevenn7 stop before it starts

— BONY (@JonnyBones) July 13, 2024

Having potentially sustained an injury, a cloud of doubts looms over Jon Jones’ future in the sport.

Related: Jon Jones releases video response to assault allegations

If the rumors are true and Jones has suffered a serious injury, it would leave the heavyweight division even more in the dark than it already is.

Stipe Miocic is waiting on the sidelines for news on his proposed matchup against the New Mexico native — despite not competing for over three years.

Tom Apsinall grew tired of waiting around for Jon Jones and will now defend his interim heavyweight title later this month. The Brit will be on home soil when he rematches Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304.

With Jon Jones potentially out for the foreseeable future, itis unclear whether the UFC will convert Aspinall’s interim title into the undisputed championship.

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Saturday’s UFC event at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo. was headlined by a women’s flyweight bout between former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas and Tracy Cortez.  

Namajunas entered the fight ranked 6th in the women’s 125-pound weight class. Cortez made the walk to the octagon ranked 11th and riding an 11-fight.  With a win, Namajunas expected to put herself in title contention and give herself the opportunity to become a two-division UFC champion. Cortez hoped to leapfrog several fighters in the divisional rankings with a win over “Thug.”   

Namajunas landed first with a calf kick.  Namajunas moved along the outside before stepping into the pocket with a right hand.  Namajunas connected with a right hand counter off of a leg kick by Cortez.  Namajunas landed a stiff jab.  She connected with a left hand that dropped Cortez.  Namajunas followed Cortez to the canvas.  After delivering a few body shots, Namajunas stood.  

Namajunas’ jab continued to land.  Cortez tried to close the distance but Namajunas’ jab kept her on the outside.  Cortez pressed forward and Namajunas met her with a combination.  Cortez connected with a right hand.  They exchanged leg kicks.  In the closing seconds, Namajunas pressed forward with a combination. MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Namajunas.  

Namajunas continued to deliver leg kicks in the second frame.  Cortez began pressuring Namajunas but Namajunas used her footwork to move away.  The pace slowed a bit as both stood in front of the other looking for an opening.  Namajunas went high with a kick that landed.  Cortez responded with a kick.  Cortez closed the distance and took Namajunas down.  As Namajunas stood, Cortez took her back.  Namajunas got back to her feet but Cortez applied a guillotine choke before letting it go.  They separated.  

Back at distance, Namajuans connected with a right hand.  Cortez pressed forward but didn’t land anything significant.  Namajunas secured a takedown in the closing moments of the round.  MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Namajunas.  

Cortez come out aggressive in the third.  She rushed across the cage and clinched.  They exchanged punches inside the clinch before separating.  Namajunas changed levels and took Cortez down.  She quickly advanced to the mount.  Cortez used the cage to get out of the mount.  Namajunas looked to take her back.  Cortez powered to her feet but the two remained in the clinch.  Cortez looked to trip Namajunas in the clinch but Namajunas ended up taking her down.  She again advanced to the mount position at the midway mark in the round.  

Cortez tried to use the fence again to get out of the mount and Namajunas took her back. Cortez worked her way back to half guard and then to her feet.  Namajunas connected with a teep kick to the face of Cortez toward the end of the round.  MMAWeekly scored the frame 10-9 for Namajunas.  

Cortez pressured Namajunas to start the fourth round.  She created a frantic exchange and connected forcing Namajunas to clinch.  The separated.  Cortez landed a counter left hand but Namajunas responded with a stiff jab.  Namajunas changed levels and took Cortez down.  Cortez quickly got to her feet and the two worked for position along the fence.  Namajunas backed away.  Most of Cortez’ punches were just short of range.  Cortez secured a takedown but Namajunas wasted no time getting back to her feet.  MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Namajunas.  

Heading into the final round, Cortez’ corner hold her that she needed to ‘choke her out, or knock her out.’  

Namajunas delivered a leg kick to start the frame.  Cortez pressured Namajunas.  She connected with a left hand.  Namajunas answered with by going to the body with a punch.  Cortez clinched and drove Namajunas to the fence.  Namajunas changed the position and Cortez circled free.  Cortez pressed forward but missed with a combination.  Namjunas landed a right hand and Cortez responded with a right hand.  Cortez began sitting down on her shots.  

Namajunas clinched but they separated.  Namajunas secured a takedown but Cortez immediately got back to her feet.  After separating, Cortez started taunting Namajunas to stand and trade.  Namajunas didn’t fall for it.  Cortez connected with a hard right hand with a minute remaining.  Cortez continued to pressure.  Namajunas connected with a right hook.  Namajunas clinched in the closing seconds.  The final round was close.  MMAWeekly scored it 10-9 for Cortez.  

The judges scored the fight for Namajunas by unanimous decision.  The scorecards read 49–46, 49–46, and 48–47.  

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The famed octagon was at the Ball Center in Denver, Colorado on Saturday for UFC on ESPN: Namajunas vs. Cortez.  The event was headlined by a women’s flyweight bout between former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas and Tracy Cortez.  

UFC Denver: Namajunas vs. Cortez Post-Fight Press Conference

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The octagon is at Bell Arena in Denver, Colorado for tonight’s UFC on ESPN: Namajunas vs. Cortez fight card.  The event is headlined by a women’s flyweight bout between former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas and Tracy Cortez.  

Namajunas (12-6) enters the fight ranked sixth in the women’s 125-pound weight class. Cortez (11-1) will enter the octagon ranked 11th and riding an 11-fight winning streak.

 UFC Start Times:

• Main Card begins at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+

• Preliminary Card begins at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+

UFC Denver: Namajunas vs. Cortez Results and Analytics

UFC Denver Official Results

Main Card (10 p.m. ET on ESPN)

• Rose Namajunas vs. Tracy Cortez
• Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Muslim Salikhov
• Drew Dober vs. Jean Silva
• Gabriel Bonfim vs. Ange Loosa
• Julian Erosa vs. Christian Rodriguez
• Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Cody Brundage

Preliminary Card (7 p.m, ET)

• Joshua Van vs. Charles Johnson
• Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Fatima Kline
• Montel Jackson vs. Da’Mon Blackshear
• Luana Santos vs. Mariya Agapova
• Josh Fremd vs. Andre Petroski
• Evan Elder vs. Darrius Flowers

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