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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Renato Moicano didn’t expect to get pulled into the drama surrounding Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return to the UFC, but somehow it happened.

Before announcing plans for a showdown against Michael Chandler in June, McGregor mocked his fellow The Ultimate Fighter coach by tweeting, “Chandler-Moicano, now there is a [UFC 300] main event.” Moicano quickly fired back by writing, “Nah, I’m good, too easy,” but even he was caught off guard by the random mention on social media.

Now just days away from his own fight at UFC Vegas 85, Moicano admits he didn’t have time to think about a response, or perhaps he would have unleashed a better comeback.

“The problem is I don’t have time right now to be smart or to check Twitter,” Moicano told MMA Fighting. “I think if I would have had time to think about a better response, I would do it, but right now I am in training camp.

“I love to talk about fights, but I’m training like a killer so I’m not worrying too much about what McGregor thinks. F*** McGregor.”

As much as he might dismiss McGregor’s sideways shot at him, Moicano remains an interested observer in everything that’s happening in his division, including the Irish superstar fighting for the first time in three years.

After coaching against each other in the long-running reality series, which began filming this past March, McGregor was expected to return against Chandler before the end of 2023. That didn’t happen, but Chandler has continued waiting in hopes that he will fight McGregor sooner rather than later.

The next proposed date was UFC 300 in April, but then McGregor made a surprise announcement that he would clash with Chandler in June, and they’d go to war as middleweights despite both typically competing at 155 pounds. That matchup has yet to be finalized or officially announced by the UFC, however Moicano saw McGregor’s comments as another example of how McGregor maintains control over his fights and even his opponents, with Chandler’s only recourse being to say, ‘Please sir, I want some more.’

“Michael Chandler is so desperate to get this fight,” Moicano said. “He’s almost begging. He’s almost on his knees, ‘McGregor fight me!’ I just think that’s hilarious.

“We don’t know if that fight’s going to happen. McGregor is full crazy nowadays. He’s making videos eating food and he looks drunk or on drugs or something, I don’t know. But I like McGregor, to be honest with you. I think he’s funny. I think he’s entertaining. Michael Chandler is just trying to get the fight and it’s kind of lame, if you ask me. It is what it is.”

Chandler effectively put his career on hold waiting for McGregor, although that fight is widely considered to be one of the most lucrative paydays in the sport. Moicano doesn’t mind that Chandler wants it, but rather that he’s effectively telling McGregor that he’ll do whatever it takes for the fight to happen, even if that means waiting for more than a year and competing in a much bigger weight class.

“Chandler is saying, ‘Yes, yes, of course!’ On his knees all the time,” Moicano said. “[Chandler says,] ‘OK, I can beat you in any fight, I want you at your best version.’ F*** you, brother. You just want to fight him. It’s fair game. Everyone wants to fight McGregor. If they offered me the fight, of course I would want to fight McGregor. He’s probably the biggest name in MMA and probably of all-time. Everybody knows McGregor.

“But at the same time, I think if Chandler approaches this differently, trying to trash talk, that would be even better. That’s the fight to make. They’re going to make the fight. There’s no other fight for McGregor. Right now, there is no other fight that makes sense and still McGregor tries to play him and he says OK. No, talk trash, talk s*** about him, because that’s the way we like to watch fights with McGregor.”

Realistically, Moicano feels that McGregor knows Chandler is the best possible fight for his comeback and it’s really the only matchup that makes much sense.

That being said, McGregor maintains so much power and control over his career that he could always decide to fight somebody else and Chandler could be left in the lurch … and he knows it.

“Let’s be honest, who else in the top five, top 10, who would be a good opponent for McGregor?” Moicano said. “Because imagine Benoit Saint Denis with the fight against Dustin Poirier. It doesn’t make any sense to me. That fight doesn’t make any sense, but imagine if they put Saint Denis against McGregor or [Arman] Tsarukyan against McGregor. They’re going to put [Beneil] Dariush [against McGregor], nobody really knows Dariush. To fight McGregor, you have to be a face like Chandler. He was the Bellator champion. The UFC can sell the fight. Imagine against Dariush or against Benoit Saint Denis.

“There is no other fight for McGregor than Chandler. That fight is going to happen, 100 percent. Chandler knows, that’s why he’s keeping his mouth shut. Like McGregor said on the show, you’re going to do like I told you, or something along those lines. Because eventually that is the fight to make.”

MMA Fighting – All Posts

John Fury believes Francis Ngannou is a danger to every man in the heavyweight division.

After dominating the world of mixed martial arts, Ngannou made his professional boxing debut in October against perhaps the greatest pugilist on the planet today, Tyson Fury. Going into the bout, ‘The Predator’ was a massive underdog, and understandably so considering the creditials of his opposition. However, it took Ngannou a little less than three rounds to show the boxing world that he was for real.

In the third round, Ngannou sent the combat sports community to its knees as he blasted ‘The Gypsy King’ with a counter-left that sent the reigning WBC heavyweight titleholder to the canvas.

After 10 entertaining rounds of action, Fury skated by with a very contentious split-decision victory. But nobody was interested in talking about the Manchester native’s 34th straight win. Instead, they all marveled at the impressive showing that Ngannou delivered against ‘The King of the World.’ The performance was so sensational that the WBC ranked ‘The Predator’ as the No. 10 heavyweight in the world despite only having one fight and zero wins.

John Fury touts Francis Ngannou as major threat to boxing

Next, Francis Ngannou will face No. 1 ranked WBC contender Anthony Joshua on March 8 in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking with Murdo Todd in a LowKick MMA exclusive interview, John Fury — who is sponsored by FreeBets, the father of heavyweight kingpin Tyson Fury, spoke about the danger that Ngannou brings to any man who dares step in front of him — including Joshua.

“He’s a danger to every heavyweight in the division,” Fury said. “I’m not saying he’s going to beat [Joshua], but if any man can, it’ll be him. He’s in front of you. He can punch. He’s a brave fella. He’s big and strong. You’ve got to have a set down there to mess with people like Ngannou and he brings a whole new level of boxing to A.J.

“The biggest opponent he’s faced. The strongest opponent he’s faced. And probably the hardest hitter he’s ever faced. And if he does detonate on you… Unless you’ve got a cast iron chin like Tyson and a desire like Tyson to win, you’re going to stay down.”

Making his MMA debut in 2013, Ngannou amassed a record of 17-3, including 12 wins under the UFC banner and an incredible 11 victories by way of knockout. He finished former UFC champions Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez in back-to-back bouts before eventually claiming his first world title with a second-round KO over the man many consider to be the UFC’s heavyweight GOAT, Stipe Miocic.

After a long and unsuccessful renegotiation with the UFC, Ngannou parted ways with the promotion in 2023 and signed with the Professional Fighters League a few months later. Ngannou is yet to make his first appearance inside the PFL Smart Cage and could very well hold off on making a return to MMA until 2025 so he can focus on his newly established pro boxing career.

“He’s a danger, man,” Fury added. “A danger to all of them. Any heavyweight in the world. Tyson’s extra special. That’s why he’s the king of the world. That’s why he’s unbeaten. That’s why he’s at the top of the game. Because he’s special. Even though people won’t accept he’s special. You’ll see how special Ngannou is when he fights other people.”

He continued, “Ngannou is a big strong fella. He’s muscly, but he can also move. He’s athletic and if you’re there, he’ll take the top of your head straight off. And don’t forget he’s a lot more powerful a man than any Andy Ruiz Jr. When he gets you in trouble, you’ll know about it and he won’t just do that with A.J. He’ll do it to anybody out there.”

Watch the full exclusive interview with John Fury below:

LowKickMMA.com

UFC

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Let’s be honest, UFC Vegas 85 is not a particularly compelling fight card. Going down this Saturday and headlined by a middleweight matchup between Roman Dolidze and Nassourdine Imavov, this card is indicative of most APEX cards at this point, even if the co-main event between Renato Moicano and Drew Dober is awesome. Still, there are 13 fights this weekend, and what better way to spice up the interest than with a little monetary incentive?

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

Drew Dober reacts after defeating Ricky Glenn in a lightweight fight during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at UFC APEX on October 07, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Al Powers/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Straight Bets

Drew Dober, +154

Everyone loves Renato Moicano, and if he can simply take Dober down over and over again, then sure, he’ll win. I’m just not sure that’s happening. Dober isn’t the best wrestler but he’s decent enough, and more importantly, Moicano can get a little too loose on the feet, hanging around in the pocket like a bad quarterback. If that happens, Dober can crack him, and with Moicano’s long layoff before this, I think there’s a good shot of that happening.

Julija Stoliarenko, -148

Laying money on Stoliarenko at minus odds is perhaps not the wisest choice in the world, but Luana Carolina is not very good and Stoliarenko looked dynamite in her flyweight debut. I think there’s a good chance that this weight class will treat her far better, and her grappling should be more than enough to give Carolina issues.

Marquel Mederos, -130

Mederos is one of the crop of contenders coming off the latest Contender Series that I deemed as a legitimately talented prospect — the sort of guy who could not just stick around, but make real noise in a weight class, with the right breaks. As such, I’m betting on him on principle, even though Landon Quiñones is a tough out for your UFC debut.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Prop Bets

Nassourdine Imavov To Win By Decision, +240

Imavov and Dolidze are to very evenly matched fighters who are both quite durable. The big thing separating the two of them is volume, where Imavov lands at a much higher rate than Dolidze. In a fight like this, that can be all the difference. Betting on Decision props in five-round fights is always a bit sweaty, but it’s worth it in this case as Dolidze is too tough to get finished, but Imavov will steadily pull away with more output.

Molly McCann To Win By Decision, -105

I truly don’t understand this line. McCann straight up is -258, and the lines for KO or Submission finish are +400 and +700 respectively. Over half of McCann’s wins are by decision, including one over Diana Belbita back in 2019! I don’t understand what I’m missing and why this line is so close to even money. But of course, that means it’s going to be a loser. After all, Las Vegas wasn’t built my idiots.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Parlay of the Week

Randy Brown -279 + Natalia Silva -355

These are the two biggest betting favorites on the card for a reason: They’re both going to win. Don’t get me wrong, both have real opposition in Muslim Salikhov and Viviane Araujo respectively, but both also have clear advantages in the fight.

Brown is gigantic compared to Salikhov, and while he might not be quite as tricky on the feet, he has more power and more volume. Silva, meanwhile, doesn’t have Brown’s physical advantages but she’s a better athlete and better fighter all around than Araujo, and should be able to piece her up on the feet for 15 full minutes.

Parlay these two bets together for -164 odds.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Long Shot of the Week

Molly McCann To Win By KO/TKO/DQ in Round 3, +2000

Pay no attention to the McCann by Decision bet above this one (I typed, sheepishly). After hitting three Long Shots in 2022, we hit none in 2023. That’s a bummer and so I’m turning to the old gods for help. McCann was the first Long Shot we ever hit, her third-round knockout of Luana Carolina at UFC London, and so we’re going back to the well to see if there’s still some magic left in it.

Wrap Up

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.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

The UFC Fight Night 235 official weigh-ins took place on Friday in Las Vegas ahead of Saturday’s fights at the UFC Apex.  

The event is headlined by a middleweight bout between ninth-ranked Roman Dolidze (12-2) and eleventh-ranked Nassourdine Imavov (12-4, 1 NC).  Dolidze weighed in at 185 pounds while Imavov came in one pound heavier at 186.  

Saturday’s event is the first of four UFC events in February.   

UFC Fight Night 235 Main Event Weigh-in Video

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Luana Carolina had a rough day at the scale.

The flyweight fighter missed weight for the second time in her UFC career, coming in three pounds over the limit (including one-pound allowance) for her preliminary bout with Julija Stoliaranko at UFC Vegas 85 this Saturday.

Carolina also missed weight for a flyweight bout against Poliana Botelho for a May 1 UFC event, coming in 2.5 pounds over the limit. She went on to defeat Botelho via split decision.

Stoliarenko and her team requested that Carolina weigh in again at no heavier than 128 pounds. Carolina successfully hit that mark on her second attempt and the bout now proceeds at a catchweight with Carolina forfeiting 20 percent of her purse as penalty.

In better news, Saturday’s middleweight headliners Roman Dolidze and Nassourdine Imavov both made weight without issue. Dolidze tipped the scale at 186 pounds, while Imavov came in at championship weight at 185 pounds on the dot.

Dolidze is currently No. 12 at 185 pounds in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, with Imavov a couple of spots behind tied for No. 14.

See Friday’s official weigh-in results for UFC Vegas 85 below.

Main Card (ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET)

Roman Dolidze (186) vs. Nassourdine Imavov (185)

Renato Moicano (156) vs. Drew Dober (156)

Randy Brown (171) vs. Muslim Salikhov (171)

Viviane Araujo (126) vs. Natalia Silva (125.5)

Aliaskhab Khizriev (186) vs. Makhmud Muradov (185.5)

Gilbert Urbina (171) vs. Charlie Radtke (170.5)

Preliminary Card (ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET)

Molly McCann (116) vs. Diana Belbita (116)

Azat Maksum (126) vs. Charles Johnson (125.5)

Themba Gorimbo (170.5) vs. Pete Rodriguez (170.5)

Jeong Yeong Lee (146) vs. Blake Bilder (144.5)

Luana Carolina (129)* vs. Julija Stoliarenko (126)

Landon Quinones (155.5) vs. MarQuel Mederos (155.5)

Thomas Peterson (261.5) vs. Jamal Pogues (265.5)

*Carolina missed weight on her first attempt. Upon request from opponent Julija Stoliarenko’s team, Carolina had to weigh no more than 148 pounds on her second attempt. Carolina weighed in again and made 148 and the bout proceeds as a catchweight with Carolina forfeiting 20 percent of her purse as penalty

MMA Fighting – All Posts