Canelo Álvarez defends his undisputed super middleweight world title against the unbeaten former world champion Jaime Munguía on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The two fighters, and the rest of the fight card, will weigh-in on Friday at 3 p.m. ET. The Mexican superstars will go toe-to-toe as the world watches on Saturday.
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UFC 301 takes place this weekend at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil., The event is headlined by flyweight title bout between champion Alexandre Pantoja and tenth-ranked Steve Erceg.
In the co-main event, former two-time featherweight champion Jose Aldo returns from retirement to take on Jonathan Martinez in a bantamweight bout.
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On Thursday, UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones posed a question to his X followers. “Who would you guys want to see me fight the most, Alex or Tom?”
Jones was reference light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and interim heavyweight titleholder Tom Aspinall. On Friday, Jones seemed to have decided who he’d rather face after taking on former two-time heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic later this year.
“If Alex P became champion of the heavyweight division, would you guys consider him the GOAT? Being back in the gym has got me thinking differently. That fight after stipe maybe the next biggest move I could possibly make,” Jones wrote on X. “This killer has already defeated so many champions, and is already considered a legend to millions around the world. The most massive fight the UFC could make. Give Alex a chance to avenge all those great Brazilian champions I’ve defeated.”
“It would be absolutely massive,” Jones continued. “A guy with a chance to be three division champion and a goat versus the actual goat. Same age, different strengths. No one can argue that that would be the biggest fight in MMA history. There’s absolutely no fight that generates a payday like that. Marketing would be insane.”
If Alex P became champion of the heavyweight division, would you guys consider him the GOAT? Being back in the gym has got me thinking differently. That fight after stipe maybe the next biggest move I could possibly make. This killer has already defeated so many champions, and…
— BONY (@JonnyBones) May 3, 2024
It would be absolutely massive. A guy with a chance to be three division champion and a goat versus the actual goat. Same age, different strengths. No one can argue that that would be the biggest fight in MMA history. There’s absolutely no fight that generates a payday like that.… https://t.co/B4LGC209sV
— BONY (@JonnyBones) May 3, 2024
Aspinall has been lobbying for a fight against Jones since winning the interim title at UFC 295 last November. Jones appeared to shoot down a fight with Aspinall for the ‘dollar signs’ of a match against Pereira.
“You actually think me fighting Tom would be more massive than Alex and I colliding? Tom only matters in the UK, newsflash. Pereira is one of the most polarizing figures this sport has seen,” Jones wrote. “Toms a contender who won a belt against another contender. We had to save Madison Square Gardens main event. I’m thinking dollar signs, legacy, big picture here. Not what UK fans are dying to see. Literally just went through this with the French fans.”
You actually think me fighting Tom would be more massive than Alex and I colliding? Tom only matters in the UK, newsflash. Pereira is one of the most polarizing figures this sport has seen. Toms a contender who won a belt against another contender. We had to save Madison Square… https://t.co/JatZed5UUO
— BONY (@JonnyBones) May 3, 2024
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Despite being on an incredible 11-fight winning streak, UFC 301 flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg isn’t a household name. The tenth-ranked Australian has largely flown under the radar but plans to change that on Saturday.
Erceg takes on flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja in the UFC 301 main event in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday and isn’t worried bout being the underdog.
“I know that I wasn’t on the top of everyone’s mind when it came to a title shot, but the way that the division was Pantoja had already beaten a lot of the challengers and people are injured” Erceg said at the UFC 301 Media Day. “The only other guy that was really in line for a shot was [Muhammad] Mokaev and I was on the same card as him. I had a more exciting fight than he did and the UFC decided to give me a shot.
“I’m here to be the best guy in the world, so whether I’m an underdog or I’m the favorite, it doesn’t really matter to me. I’m going to go in there and fight another dude in a cage and whoever is best is going to come out. on top.”
Pantoja is known for his durability and toughness. Erceg expects the fight to get ‘scrappy’ and he’s out to prove how tough he is.
“I think I’m going to hold range. I’m going to walk him into space and hit him from angles and that short of thing. I know he’s a real tough guy, so at some point it’s going to get sloppy. It’s going to scrappy and I’m going to prove that I’m not just a technical guy. I’m also a tough guy,” he said.
“I’ve been working for this dream my whole life and this is the culmination of all my hard work,” Erceg continued. “To lose here would be devastating for me. I’ve got plenty of pressure on my shoulders and I’m confident in all the work I’ve done over the years. I’ve trained very hard for a very long time.”
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Former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier has had a long and storied mixed martial arts career. He debuted as a professional in May of 2009 and has fought 30 times in the UFC octagon.
“The Diamond” has fought the biggest names in the lightweight division and holds two wins over former two-division titleholder Conor McGregor. He earned Fight of the Night honors a record nine times and captured the interim 155-pound championship.
On June 1, in the UFC 302 main event, Poirier will have the opportunity to become the undisputed lightweight champion after two previously failed attempts when he takes on titleholder Islam Makhachev. It could also be the last fight in Poirier’s career.
“I’ve just given this sport so much, not only physically but my time, my focus. Being a fighter you have to be so focused on you. I want to be with my family. I want to focus on my daughter, what she’s got going on, my wife, my foundation, businesses I have back home. I just have a lot of stuff that kind of gets put on hold so to say for me to chase these dreams. You have to be selfish to be one of the best. I’ve been doing it for so long. I’m approaching 18 years of fighting and I want to become the world champion and live my life. I’ve dedicated so much to fighting over the past 18 years that it’s time to be like a civilian I feel like,” Poirier told Fight Bananas.
Related: Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya have heated exchange at press conference
During the interview, Poirier admitted that his UFC 302 title bout could be his last octagon appearance. The 35-year-old is looking ahead to a life outside of the fight game whether becomes champion or not.
“It could be (my last fight). It could be. I haven’t made like an official decision yet, but it could be,” he said. “I’ve said this over and over again. I still have a lot of tread on the tired. I can beat these guys. I can beat these young guys. I just did it. I still feel good. My body feels good, but it’s just like how much do I want to give to this sport because you don’t ride for free.”
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The final press conference for the Alvarez vs. Munguia fight took place on Wednesday in Las Vegas. Canelo Alvarez, the undisputed super middleweight champion, put his four world championships on the line against Jaime Munguia at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday.
Alvarez’ former promoter turned enemy Oscar De La Hoya was there to support Munguia and laid into Alvarez during the press conference. The two had a heated exchange that could have turned physical.
“I just said the truth. That’s it. People don’t like hearing the truth,” De La Hoya said as he was leaving Wednesday’s press conference. “I was ready, clinched fist and all.”
Hear everything De La Hoya had to say moments after the altercation.
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Canelo Alverez responded to Oscar De La Hoya’s comments at Wednesday’s Alvarez vs. Munguia final press conference in Las Vegas. De La Hoya, who was there to support Munguia, laid into Alvarez.
De La Hoya used to promote Alvarez but the two are bitter enemies today. Following their heated exchange at the press conference, Alvarez responded to De La Hoya, accusing him of stealing from his fighters in a profanity-laced reaction.
He first responded speaking Spanish but when the interpreter was trying to translate, Alvarez began speaking English to ensure his comments were heard correctly.
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The final press conference for the Alvarez vs. Munguia took place on Wednesday in Las Vegas. Alvarez, the undisputed super middleweight champion, put his four world championships on the line against Jaime Munguia at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday.
During the press conference, Alvarez and his old promoter Oscar De La Hoya had a heated exchange after De La Hoya said Golden Boy Promotions made Alvarez, among other things.
Security was brought in as a precaution but the exchange stayed only verbal.
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Undefeated Ilia Topuria captured the featherweight title at UFC 298 in February by knocking out longtime titleholder Alexander Volkanovski. Who he’ll fight next and when remains up in the air.
The biggest fight the promotion can put together for Topuria is either a rematch with Volkanovski or a match against former two-time titleholder Max Holloway. According to UFC commentator Joe Rogan, Topuria turned down a rematch with Volkanovski for UFC 305 in Perth, Australia.
Topuria would like to set the terms for facing Holloway, but former two-division champion Daniel Cormier isn’t so sure that Topuria has much of a say.
“Ilia Topuria is the champ, and as the champ, at times, you have some say into who you’re going to fight, when you’re going to fight him, when you’re ready, and all of that,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “I don’t know, though, if he has as much say in this as he thinks he does.
“Max Holloway to me is clearly the guy. If not, [it’s] Alexander Volkanovski. Max told me that. Him and I spoke personally, and he goes, ‘I thought Volk was going to get a rematch. How in the world does he not get a rematch?’ This is coming from the guy that’s waiting for the title fight. But he recognizes, ‘Look, man, this dude beat me three times, long reigning champion, if anyone deserves an immediate rematch, it’s this guy,’ but it doesn’t sound like that’s happening for Alexander Volkanovski.”
Related: Robert Whittaker: ‘I bring an arsenal that Khamzat Chimaev’s not ready for’
Cormier would like to see Topuria commit to facing Holloway next and set a timeframe for the fight to happen. Once that occurs, the ball would be in Holloway’s court.
“I think Ilia Topuria needs to come right out and say, ‘Hey, I want Max Holloway on this date.’ Then it would be on Max,” Cormier said. “Because now, Max is the guy — and sure he has the ‘BMF’ title — but he wants the featherweight championship. Ilia has that. When Ilia says, ‘I want this fight on this date,’ Max will have to say, ‘Okay,’ or he will say no and they will move on.
“And then Ilia Topuria, at that point, can then start to go, ‘I don’t want to fight him. He had his chance, he could’ve did it then, he didn’t want to play by the rules.’ He has to make a statement saying, ‘This is what I want as the champ,’ and then put the ball in Max’s court to deny it. But right now, it’s not coming off great, because he’s batting away all of these guys with no clear idea of who else there is.”
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When former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker got the call about fighting Khamzat Chimaev in Saudi Arabia in June, he was sitting at home having some family time. “Bobby Knuckles” quickly accepted the match.
“I was kind of doing my thing, sitting with the family and I got a message. I got a text message. ‘Hey, what do you think about fighting Chimaev, June 22, Saudi Arabia?’ My calendar was free, so I was like yeah. Why not,” Whittaker told ESPN Australia.
Chimaev is undefeated, but Whittaker believes that he brings a package of skill sets that Chimaev will not be ready for when the two clash at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.
“I definitely think the goal, much like all of my other opponents, is just to go out there and fight my fight,” Whittaker said. “It’s about going out there and push my game plan onto him and see how he adjusts to me because I bring an arsenal of skill sets that he’s not ready for, I believe.”
“I’m going to go in there and I’m going to fight my fight. I’m going to fight a stand up fight. I’m going to see where it goes. I’m going to drag it out. It’s a five-round fight. I’ve been in plenty of those and I’ve got no quit in me, so let’s see how this goes.”
One area that Whittaker believes that he may have an edge in is conditioning. It is a five-round fight, and Chimaev has a been known to fade as the fight gets into the later rounds. Whittaker also has much more experience than “Borz.”
“I do think the fact that I have experience in 25-minute fights, the fact that I’ve been able to take fights, hard fights, the length of 25 minutes, it’s different. Anyone that has done it, who’s had a hard fight for the five rounds understands how different it really is and even the prep going into it,” Whittaker explained.
Related: Former UFC commentator goes off on ‘victim’ Ronda Rousey
“Now, whilst I think I have an advantage with experience and just tenure being able to do that, I expect him, especially because everyone is saying the same (thing). The story being said across the board is that ‘Khamzat falls off. Khamzat’s tired. Khamzat gases.’ We can only assume especially because it’s a five-round fight this fight, we can only assume that he’s doing everything in his power to come in efficiently pace himself and going to be good for the entire 25-minutes,” Whittaker continued. “I’m expecting a Khamzat that can go 25, but you would think, just on paper, that that’s an advantage on my side.”
Chimaev has been able to overwhelm some of his past opponents with his wrestling ability and submission prowess. Five of his 13 wins have come by submission. Whittaker recognizes that Chimaev is a dangerous grappler, but considers himself well-prepared if the fight goes to the ground.
“He’s definitely got a sound jiu-jitsu game, but he mixes it really well with his wrestling. I think what a lot of people aren’t ready for is the mixture of the two, making it really MMA-esque,” Whittaker said. “While I definitely think he’s dangerous there, I’ve been grappling my entire life. I am very, very confident in my own skill sets. Even if it were a pure wrestling-jiu-jitsu format, I would hold my own if not get a W in that way too.”
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