UFC

Just about every mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter or combat sports athlete, in general, will say the fight is the easy part … it is getting to the fight that is most difficult. Training camp is tough — there is no getting around it. Injuries, sicknesses, family problems, deaths — these are all things fighters might have to go through, heck, some fighters go into debt to pay for training.

In this new series exclusively for MMAmania.com, MMA fighters will reveal their worst fight camps and reveal how they got through it. We kick things off with Bellator MMA Middleweight champion, Johnny Eblen, who locks horns with Professional Fighters League (PFL) Light Heavyweight roost-ruler, Impa Kasanganay, who is dropping down to 185 pounds for a special “Champion vs. Champion” this afternoon (Sat. Feb. 24, 2024) inside Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

It’s win or else!

My Worst Camp: Johnny Eblen

My worst camp was probably the camp where I was getting ready for Anatoly Tokov,” Eblen told MMAManaia.com. “I broke my f—king pinky toe a week and a half in literally my last sparring session. In the last round, I threw an f—king teep kick trying to land in the liver, and my pinky toe ended up hitting his elbow. I broke it, and I tore my f—king toe, so I had to go get stitches. I couldn’t walk for like a whole last week, and I had to go fight soon. Like, this was like, maybe ten days before the fight, and I couldn’t really walk. So, it was just like, ‘Oh, man, this sucks.’”

With a torn, broken pinky toe that messed with his movement, Eblen had to make a decision: fight through it or pull out of the co-main event of Bellator 290, which was an iconic event as it was Fedor Emelianenko’s retirement fight. Also, as a champion, there is a lot of money riding on the line because if he were to lose, Eblen’s pay dramatically falls.

“Pressure” had no intentions of pulling out.

“The only reason I would ever pull out is because of a tragic injury,” Eblen said. “I try to pride myself on being not very injury-prone nowadays. I used to get injured a lot, but I changed a lot of things in my life to where I reduce the prevalence of injuries when I train, so yeah, man. I pride myself on being able to compete whenever I can or being able to compete early and often. And that’s what you do… You just kind of let it heal, you relax a little bit, but you try to do the work that you can and try to keep the weight off.”

Eblen scored a unanimous decision victory in his first Middleweight title defense but he had to work for it.

I ended up going in and getting the win, but like, even during that fight when I switched to southpaw I couldn’t really drive off my back foot because my toe hurt so bad,” Eblen said. And then, anytime I would kick with my left foot or my left leg it didn’t have that thud that I usually throw it with. I was a little bit worried about hitting my toe again, you know? Or maybe the pain or whatever… But that was the worst camp just because that injury happened at such a weird time. Dude, f—king your toes up, it’s no good.”

Eblen returns to action on Feb. 24 for the historic PFL vs. Bellator super card as he faces PFL Light Heavyweight champion Impa Kasaganay.

For all the latest PFL and Bellator MMA news and notes click here and here.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

The stars are aligning at UFC Mexico City for not one, but two possible title eliminators.

When Brandon Moreno and Yair Rodriguez step into the octagon opposite Brandon Royval and Brian Ortega on Saturday, they’ll face familiar foes over whom they hold past victories, both with slight caveats.

Moreno defeated Royval at UFC 255 to put himself on the path to eventually winning the flyweight title, while Rodriguez beat Ortega at UFC Long Island before going on to win an interim featherweight title in his next fight. In both instances, a shoulder injury to the losing fighter contributed to their downfall. Now, not only do Royval and Ortega get a chance to avenge those losses, an impressive performance could vault them into the thick of the title picture with flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja needing a dance partner for UFC 301 in Rio and new featherweight champion Ilia Topuria needing a challenger for what could be a blockbuster event in Spain in the near future.

In other main card action, lightweight prospects Daniel Zellhuber and Francisco Prado put their sparkling records on the line, 19-year-old bantamweight Raul Rosas Jr. fights The Ultimate Fighter 29 alum Ricky Turcios, Yazmin Jauregui looks to bounce back from her first loss when she faces Sam Hughes in a strawweight contest, and lightweight finishers Manuel Torres and Chris Duncan go toe-to-toe.

What: UFC Mexico City

Where: Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City

When: Saturday, Feb. 25. The entire event airs live on ESPN+ beginning with a seven-fight preliminary portion at 7 p.m. ET, followed by a six-fight main card that starts at 10 p.m. ET.

Brandon Moreno vs. Brandon Royval

I can’t lie, I was heartbroken to see Brandon Royval fall flat against Alexandre Pantoja. I’m an unabashed fan of both fighters, but had truly come to believe that it was The Year of the Raw Dawg. To see him lose a one-sided decision in less than memorable fashion was discouraging. Royval was my pick to end 2023 as flyweight champion and stepping in on short notice for Amir Albazi, he can get back on track sooner than expected, he just has to beat Brandon Moreno.

I’m ready to be hurt again, because I don’t think Royval passes this test. Nothing in Moreno’s split decision loss to Pantoja should make anyone think that he’s lost a step; if anything, Moreno put on an incredible performance that was only slightly bettered by the current champ and, frankly, no one would have been shocked if it went the other way. We’re witnessing Moreno at the peak of his powers.

A vintage reckless Royval performance could steal the day here, but as he’s admitted himself, he struggled with the slower pace that Pantoja used to foil him at UFC 296. We know that Moreno can change speeds and find success. We can’t say the same for Royval.

I’m expecting a thrilling opening two rounds before Moreno pulls away in Round 3 and finishes via submission.

Pick: Moreno

Yair Rodriguez vs. Brian Ortega

Mexico City is going to have plenty to celebrate Saturday.

Before Moreno beats Royval, I have Yair Rodriguez fending off Brian Ortega once again. “El Pantera” is just a notch below the elite of the division (a tier that currently includes Ilia Topuria, Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Movsar Evloev), but a notch below that group is still more than good enough to beat the majority of featherweights. That includes Ortega in my estimation.

I’ve picked Ortega to come out on top in some of his biggest fights, including when he fought Max Holloway for the title at UFC 231 and when he fought Rodriguez over a year and a half ago. Both times, dead wrong. It seems like just yesterday that Ortega was that dude destined to become champion, but then you remember that the Holloway fight took place in 2018 and you have to wonder if that ship has sailed.

Inactivity can be a killer in this business and Ortega wasn’t the most active fighter before he was injured in the first Rodriguez fight. How can we expect him to be at his sharpest when they face off again? Rodriguez can hang with Ortega on the ground even if he can’t outright beat him there and on the feet Ortega doesn’t have the speed nor the technique to keep up with the former interim champ.

This is a rare five-round fight that’s neither a title bout nor a main event and while I see Ortega having the toughness to go the distance and to give Rodriguez a few scares, this should be a win on the scorecards for Rodriguez.

Pick: Rodriguez

Daniel Zellhuber vs. Francisco Prado

The rangy Daniel Zellhuber has physical tools that give him an advantage over many fighters in the lightweight division, but can he put it all together? He may not have to find out against Francisco Prado, a finisher who is going to have a difficult time getting past Zellhuber’s long limbs.

Prado leads with his head and follows with heavy hands, a strategy that seems ill-advised against Zellhuber. If he leaves that chin out on a tee, Zellhuber will utilize his skilled boxing to crack it with jabs and straights over and over again. Things could get exciting if Prado is willing to take risks in the striking, which Zellhuber and his Xtreme Couture coaches have to be aware of. Even if he’s down on the cards, Prado will be dangerous for 15 minutes.

Both fighters are young in their careers and I have Zellhuber a step ahead skill-wise, so along with his rapidly maturing mental game, I like his chances of not just beating Prado, but handing him his first loss inside the distance.

Pick: Zellhuber

Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Ricky Turcios

I honestly don’t know if this is brilliant matchmaking or an incredibly bad idea on paper. Ricky Turcios is one of the true wild cards on the UFC roster and while Raul Rosas Jr. should have him beat skill for skill, I’m not sure Turcios is the kind of guy you throw in the cage with the hopes of building up a prospect.

Rosas—19 now! Where does the time go?—can look like a world-beater early in fights and also late as long as he’s dictating the offense. In his loss to Christian Rodriguez, we saw how frustrated and exhausted he can become when presented with a sturdy defense that he can’t just rush through. The ability to solve those kinds of problems will come with experience.

How much he’ll learn in the Turcios fight could tell us a lot about how Rosas’ 2024 campaign goes. Turcios is not the most defensively responsible fighter, but he is extraordinarily durable and he’s not going to slow down in the third round. If Rosas has any trouble with Turcios in Round 2, the last five minutes could be a struggle to get through.

I’m a believer in Rosas’ pressure game and potential, so he should have enough in the tank to outlast Turcios.

Pick: Rosas Jr.

Yazmin Jauregui vs. Sam Hughes

Let’s not take too much away from Yazmin Jauregui’s disappointing loss to Denise Gomes. Sometimes, you just get caught and rolled over and you’ve got to go back to the lab. Besides, the lopsided odds in Jauregui’s favor said more about the oddsmakers overlooking Gomes than a realistic gauge of how developed Jauregui is 11 fights into her pro career.

She’s once again a massive favorite as she takes on the scrappy Sam Hughes and again I would preach caution when picking Jauregui to just run through Hughes. Hughes has been the underdog in each one of her UFC fights and she’s won three of her last four, so she’s either lucky or good a bit of both. Either way, not someone that Jauregui should underestimate under any circumstances.

All that said, if Jauregui sticks to the game plan, keeps this on the feet, and uses her speed to batter Hughes, she should be fine. There are clear defensive deficiencies that Jauregui needs to work on, which isn’t surprising given that she’s only a few days shy of her 25th birthday, but Hughes doesn’t have enough pop in her standup to threaten Jauregui. This should be a showcase fight for Jauregui, who will look to finish and eventually settle for a decision nod.

Pick: Jauregui

Manuel Torres vs. Chris Duncan

We’ve got a good one to open the main card here as Manuel Torres and Chris Duncan both have a fine nose for the finish.

It’s Torres who has compiled the hotter highlight reel recently with his past nine fights all ending in the first round (including a pair of submission losses). He’s shown more patience since earning his UFC contract, but he still moves like a coiled spring, ready to explode with a knockout flurry at any moment. He has a rapidly improving jab and if he can resist standing and banging with Duncan, he should find the opening for a KO blow.

He has to be careful with Duncan though. The Scotsman packs power in both hands, so if he closes the distance early and pressures Torres, it could change the whole complexion of the fight. The onus is on Duncan to make this ugly, which he’s shown he can do. He’ll take one to land one if the situation calls for it.

I just don’t know if Duncan should eat that many clean shots from Torres. All it takes is one accurate strike from Torres to put Duncan down and I’m guessing he finds it.

Pick: Torres

Preliminaries

Raoni Barcelos def. Cristian Quinonez

Jesus Aguilar def. Mateus Mendonca

Edgar Chairez def. Daniel Lacerda

Claudio Puelles def. Fares Ziam

Ronaldo Rodriguez def. Denys Bondar

Felipe dos Santos def. Victor Altamirano

Muhammad Naimov def. Erik Silva

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Former undisputed bantamweight and flyweight champion, Henry Cejudo appears to have performed a u-turn on a proposed second retirement from mixed martial arts competition, claiming he cannot “roll” with another exit from the sport following his title eliminator loss at UFC 298 last weekend.

Featuring in a high-profile main card slot, Los Angeles-born veteran, Cejudo suffered his second consecutive loss in the form of a one-sided unanimous decision loss to surging bantamweight contender, Merab Dvalishvili in the pair’s eye-catching scrap.

And ahead of the bout, Cejudo, an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling to boot, claimed he would likely call time on his career in mixed martial arts if he lost to Dvalishvili in Anaheim.

Henry Cejudo shuts down retirement plans

However, almost a week removed from the defeat to the Georgian – Cejudo has claimed he simply will refuse to bow out of the sport in that fashion, claiming he will not retire in the aftermath of UFC 298.

“I just cannot let it roll like this,” Henry Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “I just cannot. As much as it hurts. Again, guys, I take the L. But I cannot take the L knowing the way that I pretty much went out. I don’t mind the losing aspect of it. Maybe just the way that I did go – the being winded side, the not trying to knock this dude out because I was tired – I think that’s the stuff that really bothers me.”

“So, as of today, guys, I was getting ready to announce my [retirement] – a couple of days ago,” Henry Cejudo. “I literally did a whole video on my retirement, thanking my family, thanking my friends, thanking everybody who has been there.” 

Prior to his decision loss to Dvalishvili, Cejudo dropped a close judging defeat to the Tbilisi native’s training partner and former bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling in the pair’s May championship fight last year.

Who do you want to see Henry Cejudo fight after UFC 298?

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

UFC 298 is in the books, but the MMA world keeps right on rocking as this weekend there are two major events taking place between UFC Mexico City and the long-awaited PFL vs. Bellator card. That’s 25 fights, countless big names, and massive stakes all around, so let’s neither dilly nor dally, and jump right into things.

As always, all odds are courtesy of our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Straight Bets

Yair Rodriguez -155

Heading into UFC Mexico City, much has been made of Rodriguez and his beef with new featherweight champion Ilia Topuria. But before he can get there, Rodriguez first has to settle up with Brian Ortega. Fortunately, I think he has a good shot at that. Their first fight was supposed to be a banger until an unfortunate injury ended the evening early, but from that brief showing, Rodriguez looked good. Ortega was able to get the takedown eventually but it was not an easy task, and on the feet, Rodriguez remains the more dynamic striker of the two.

Ryan Bader -102

Bader is 40 years old and clearly well past his prime, but here’s the thing: Renan Ferreira is fun, but he’s still very limited. Bader has the power to finish this one the feet if necessary, but he has a much simpler path to victory by using his acclaimed wrestling skill. Ferreira is long and explosive, but Bader should be able to double-leg him all the same and grind out a win, or finish things with ground-and-pound.

Yoel Romero +105

I’m never going to quit Yoel. He’s 46 years old going on 26 and I genuinely believe him to be the most athletic person who has ever competed in MMA (and if he’s not No. 1, he’s on the short list). On the other side of things, Thiago Santos has simply never been the same since blowing out both his knees against Jon Jones. In all likelihood, this fight will be awful to watch as both men will spend long portions of it staring at one another, but Romero has more juice, more skills, and is more durable, so I love getting him as an underdog.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Prop Bets

Brandon Moreno vs. Brandon Royval Under 3.5 Rounds +114

If you’re unaware of the majesty that is Flyweight Unders, I encourage you to clink the link above and listen to Conner Burks and I discuss the greatest find in sports betting. After a rough 2023, Flyweight Unders are back and this weekend is our Super Bowl with FIVE flyweight fights set to take place on Saturday. For the ensuing bets here, just refer back to this.

Specifically for this fight, Moreno has quietly become one of the better finishers at flyweight, and Royval is one of MMA’s premier chaos merchants. The man simply does not know how to be boring, and coming off a failed title attempt where he prioritized safety to zero benefit, expect Royval to come out looking to fire, meaning it’s Get-Or-Get-Got time.

Jesus Santos Aguilar vs. Mateus Mendonça U2.5 -150

Aguilar has hit U2.5 in 8 of 11 career fights. Mendonça has his U2.5 in 7 of 12 career bouts.

Edgar Chairez vs. Daniel Lacerda U1.5 -195

Chairez has hit U1.5 in 9 of 15 career fights. We cannot confirm several of his regional bouts, but Lacerda is a Flyweight Under All-Star, hitting U1.5 in 9 of his previous 10 fights. Also, these two faced off in September and the fight was well on the way to ending in Round 1 before some tomfoolery took place.

Luis Rodriguez vs. Denys Bondar U2.5 +124

Rodriguez has his U2.5 in 12 of 17 career fights. Like Lacerda, Bondar has some unknown regional results, but six of his past seven have hit this Under.

Victor Altamirano vs. Felipe dos Santos U2.5 +185

This is the fight that calls everything into question. Altamirano hates Flyweight Unders more than any man not named Charles Johnson, but sometimes you’ve just got to do down swinging.

Photo By David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images

Parlay of the Week

If there’s one thing I know beyond all doubt, it’s that a four-leg parlay can never fail, especially when it’s all Bellator favorites. What could possibly go wrong here?

Johnny Eblen -500

Eblen takes on Impa Kasanganay in the co-main event of PFL vs. Bellator, and despite the fact that Kasanganay is now dropping back down to 185, I doubt that will help him out too much. Kasanganay had a great run to win the PFL light heavyweight season in 2023, but Eblen is a different beast entirely and should have the run of play wherever this fight takes place.

Vadim Nemkov -520

Arguably the best light heavyweight in the world, Nemkov is hanging up his 205-pound gloves and moving to heavyweight, where he’ll take on former PFL champion Bruno Cappelozza. It’s always interesting to see how a fighter does in a new weight class, but light heavyweight to heavyweight is basically the same, except Nemkov will have an even larger speed advantage. Like with Eblen, this should be one-way traffic.

AJ McKee Jr. -305

McKee takes on Clay Collard in what should be one of the most fun fights of the weekend, but Collard is coming in without the necessary tools to get a win here. Collard might have the better pure boxing, but he’s not a huge finishing threat and McKee is far more dynamic.

Aaron Pico -455

The Prince That Was Promised, Pico finally appears to be rounding into form as a legitimate threat. The man has all the ability in the world and Henry Corrales is severely out-gunned in this one.

Parlay these four bets together for +141 odds.

Photo by RODRIGO OROPEZA/AFP via Getty Images

Long Shot of the Week

Emmanuel Palacio +750

Who is Emmanuel Palacio? That’s a great question. I’ve never seen him fight and know almost nothing about him, other than the fact that he’s from Argentina and he’s 19 years old. Also, he’s fighting Biaggio Ali Walsh this Saturday in BAW’s professional debut, and BAW is a -1200 favorite.

You read that right, a man making his professional MMA debut is a -1200 favorite. And we’re not talking about a Bo Nickal or something. We’re talking about a guy who is probably going to win, but should not be this big of a betting favorite over any other fighter. Add in that Palacio is 19 and, like, who knows? Maybe the kid has juice? It’s enough for me to take a stab, regardless.

Wrap Up

The cold streak continues. 2024 has been a rough year thus far, but hopefully PFL and Bellator can get us back on track.

Until next week, enjoy the fights, good luck, and gamble responsibly!

All information in this article is provided to readers of MMA Fighting for entertainment, news, and amusement purposes only. It is the responsibility of the reader to learn and abide by online gambling laws in their region before placing any online sports betting wagers.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

During the recent PFL vs. Bellator press conference to showcase the special champion versus champion matchups, Johnny Eblen corrected a reporter when he was quoted as saying that he was the best middleweight in the world.

Eblen paused and then emphatically stated that he’s never actually made that declaration.

In a sport filled with fighters more than willing to tell anyone who will listen that they are the best in world, Eblen explained why he’s not willing to make that statement despite reigning as the current Bellator middleweight champion.

“Because there’s days where I feel like I am [the best] and there’s days where I feel like I’m not,” Eblen told MMA Fighting. “It doesn’t matter. Really, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. The people around me though, they truly believe I am and there’s days I truly believe I am. There’s days where I don’t. I feel like it’s life and that’s just what I’m going through right now.”

That kind of brutal honesty is refreshing, but make no mistake, Eblen has absolute confidence in himself matched up against anybody else in the world at 185 pounds.

He may not shout to the heavens that he’s the best middleweight in the sport, but Eblen knows he’s on that short list, and that’s all that really matters to him.

“The only thing I’ve ever stated is I feel like I’m one of the best, if not the best,” Eblen said. “I don’t know. I’m not certain about anything. I like my probabilities when I face everybody, matchup-wise, in the middleweight division. I like my probabilities, but forget that s***. I’m trying to become the GOAT. I’m trying to become one of the best to ever do it, so who gives a f*** if I’m the best in the world at middleweight.”

There will come a day when Eblen thinks about his impact in the sport, but that’s not something taking up space in his brain as he enters the prime of his career.

“I’ll circle back to it when my career is over,” Eblen said. “I’ll sit down and say, ‘I was the best.’ I’ll look back at it. I don’t want to sit here and try to make things bigger than they really are. I’m just here to f****** fight motherf***** and collect a paycheck right now. That’s all that really matters to me.”

Eblen, who faces PFL light heavyweight champion Impa Kasanganay on Saturday, also knows the perception out there that if you’re not fighting in the UFC, you can’t be considered the best in any particular division.

No one argues that the UFC is the biggest promotion and the majority of the consensus top talent in the world resides there, but that doesn’t mean the UFC has the absolute best in every division. But that’s also part of the reason why Eblen isn’t going to waste time arguing about his standing in the weight class, because it really serves no purpose until he gets the chance to face the best middleweights across every promotion.

“That’s why it’s f****** hard for me to just state it,” Eblen said. “It doesn’t make sense. There’s no cross-promotional stuff, I’m stuck in a contract, those fights can’t happen. I like my probabilities. I think I can beat all these motherf******, but until I do, I can’t factually state that.

“That’s why I say I’m one of the best, if not the best, because I don’t know. I won’t know until I fight all these motherf******. Time will tell. Once I beat all these motherf******, then I can sit down and say, ‘You know what? I was the best in the f****** world,’ and really go through it.”

As much as he appreciates the people who already call him the best middleweight in MMA, Eblen promises he has bigger goals in the sport than just serving as the king at 185 pounds.

Ideally, Eblen wants to insert his name into the conversation among the best fighters across all weight classes, so until that happens, he’s not going to lose much sleep about where he sits at 185 pounds.

“F*** all this middleweight talk,” Eblen said. “I want to be pound-for-pound one of the best.”

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