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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Max Holloway expects his three-time past opponent Alexander Volkanovski will walk out of UFC 298 as featherweight champion, and also feels confident that the promotion did undefeated challenger Ilia Topuria a favor.

Holloway, a former 145-pound champion before dropping the title to Volkanovski at UFC 245 in 2019, is scheduled to face Justin Gaethje in a lightweight bout for the “BMF” title at UFC 300. Topuria earned his shot after defeating Josh Emmett at UFC Jacksonville this past June, and many fans and pundits alike were calling for a fight between Topuria and Holloway before the 27-year-old got his title shot. However, the UFC pushed Topuria right to a championship opportunity — which in Holloway’s eyes, was a blessing for the Spaniard.

“There’s a reason they didn’t give me Ilia,” Holloway said at Friday’s UFC 300 Fan Q&A in Anaheim. “They wanted [Topuria] to make it to this fight.”

Volkanovski and Topuria will cap off Saturday’s pay-per-view card at the Honda Center in a highly anticipated contest.

Having shared the octagon with Volkanovski for 75 total minutes, and going 0-3 over three bouts against his biggest competitive rival, Holloway is siding with the champion to pick up title defense No. 6 when the octagon door locks.

“Volk [is my pick],” Holloway said. “Volk is hearing [the] chatter, Volk’s last fight and getting finished, and whatever, he’s hearing the old man talk. The guy has really got the dog in him. You guys will find that out [on Saturday].

“I think he finishes Ilia before five [rounds].”

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Undefeated Irish talent Ian Garry is just a handful of hours away from the toughest test of his pro career opposite Geoff Neal tomorrow night (Sat. Feb. 17, 2024) on the main card of UFC 298 inside Honda Center in Anaheim, California. It’s a big step up in competition for Garry, a real chance to advance up into the Top 10, and there’s also some bad blood given Garry’s ugly trash talk months ago when the bout was first booked.

It’s a lot for “The Future” to focus on, but that doesn’t mean Garry isn’t looking ahead. In a recent interview with Sporting Post, Garry revealed Khamzat Chimaev as his dream opponent.

“The dream opponent would be me versus Khamzat Chimaev,” Garry explained (via LowKickMMA). “Because everyone talks about him like he’s this badman and this boogeyman, but in time I’m going get a chance to lay hands on him. If he’s the baddest man that everyone is afraid of I’m going to show the world what’s up.”

“He’d be my dream opponent in Ireland. I want that f—king wolf. I want that badman. I want to be the baddest man on Earth, and everyone considers it to be him at the moment, but let me punch the mouth off him and we’ll see what’s up.”

Historically, Chimaev has bounced between both Welterweight and Middleweight, but a disastrous weight cut back at UFC 279 may have permanently forced him to 185 pounds. So, while the two are currently separated by a weight class, Garry doesn’t see it as an issue. He’s talked about jumping to Middleweight to settle a grudge with Sean Strickland, and Garry also believes he has the size to take on “Borz.”

Plus, unlike the Chechen, Garry doesn’t get tired.

“What’s he gonna do? Take me down? great bring it on, lets go, bring it on, let’s go,” Garry continued. “I’m bigger than he is, I’m 6’3″, I’m taller, longer, faster than he is. Amazing wrestling, he gets tired though. He gets tired pretty quick, I don’t. The truth is, so what if he takes me down, I’d elbow the skull off of him.”

We’ll have to first see how Garry does opposite “Hands of Steel,” but it could be an intriguing Middleweight match up somewhere down the line.

Insomnia

I am in favor of putting a microphone in front of Bobby Green whenever possible.

A final entry into Merab Mania UFC 298 fight week. “The Machine” stepped up his social media game for this fight … which is necessary when nine straight wins doesn’t earn a title shot.

Alexander Volkanovski is an excellent combination of likable, humble, and insanely competitive. That’s a hard balance to strike!

Paulo Costa hasn’t fought yet, but by showing up, making weight, and shoving Ian Garry, he’s already a winner in my heart.

I don’t even really get what is being advertised here, but this Alex Pereira vs. Hasbulla crossover is amusing.

A double leg on ice!

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Adding insult AND injury to the initial injury.

Yes, I also wrongly read Shavkat Rakhmonov.

Spinning off the left hook has always been my favorite way to throw a wheel kick.

Random Land

Palms sweating.

Midnight Music: Indie, 2003

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Amanda Lemos agreed to face Mackenzie Dern at UFC 298 after original foe Tatiana Suarez withdrew with a knee injury, and she still wants to take on Suarez after Saturday’s pay-per-view event in California.

Lemos lamented the fact that Suarez is once again dealing with knee injuries, something that has already forced the undefeated wrestler to stay out of action for many years of her prime. She hopes that the UFC decides to re-book the match for UFC 301, which is expected to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 4.

“[Suarez] suffers too many injuries, unfortunately,” Lemos told MMA Fighting’s Trocação Franca podcast. “I’ve had injuries too, and if I say I can’t fight, that’s because there isn’t even one-percent chance I can fight. She’s been dealing with that for many years, right? In fact, if it wasn’t for the injuries, she would have fought for the belt years ago. But we have to deal with that. That can happen to all of us.”

Lemos enters the octagon for the first time since coming up short in a title bout against Weili Zhang in August 2023, and guarantees she’s ready to take on Dern wherever they go. Dern is a multiple-time jiu-jitsu champion with four UFC submissions to her credit, while Lemos has secured five of her seven octagon victories by stoppage, tapping out Michelle Waterson-Gomez and Miranda Granger.

“I believe Mackenzie wants to take me to the ground and do her thing,” Lemos said. “That’s where she feels comfortable. She’s showing her evolution, she’s also evolving on the feet, and I think it’s going to be a great fight.”

“Mackenzie is a jiu-jitsu ace, but I’m feeling great in all aspects of the ground fight,” Lemos added. “I like to fight on my feet, obviously, but nothing stops me from grappling [with Dern] and catching her at some point. Anything can happen at any moment in MMA and surprise people. I respect and admire Mackenzie, and I’m happy to be fighting her.”

Lemos is confident that defeating Dern and Suarez back-to-back will earn her another shot at the UFC gold. Lemos knows anything can happen, but expects Zhang to still be sitting at the top of the strawweight division after her April 13 fight against Yan Xiaonan at UFC 300.

“I don’t have this obsession of fighting someone that has beaten me, to get back at them,” Lemos said. “I don’t have that. I lost, that’s it. I’ll fight whoever has the belt, regardless of who that is. The belt is my focus, and that’s it.”

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Jonathan Haggerty retained his ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world championship in an early Fight of the Year contender against Brazilian knockout artist Felipe Lobo at ONE Fight Night 19 on Prime Video.

Haggerty looked to take control of the ring and create distance with his signature push kick from the get-go, but it was just a matter of time before the ‘Demolition Man’ would find his way inside and explode. That’s exactly what Lobo did, delivering an onslaught of strikes to the head and body of the defending champ in the second half of the opening round.

A sneaky uppercut finally put Haggerty on the mat with less than a minute to go in the first, but ‘The General’ answered the count and pressed on.

In the second, Haggerty and Lobo threw caution to the wind, delivering one of the most incredible rounds in combat sports history. Both men blasted the other with fight-ending bombs, but neither man would go down. In the end, Haggerty managed to send Lobo crashing to the canvas with a counter left that hit his opponent on the button.

With the fight likely tied after two rounds, Haggerty decided he’d had enough and uncorked a nasty overhand right less than a minute into the third that put Felipe Lobo away for good.

Official Result: Jonathan Haggerty def. Felipe Lobo via KO (overhand right) at 0:45 of Round 3 to retain the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world championship.

Check Out Highlights from Jonathan Haggerty vs. Felipe Lobo at ONE Fight Night 19:

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts