CombatSports.org

Israel Adesanya has addressed the recent report of his involvement in a road rage incident.

Earlier this week, footage surfaced of the two-time UFC middleweight champion getting into an animated argument with another driver on the streets of Auckland, New Zealand. On Thursday, the New Zealand Herald published a statement from Adesanya in which he claims that the incident stemmed from the other driver making racially-charged comments.

“I am extremely disappointed after an incident on Wednesday when a random member of the public stopped his car, racially abused me, and challenged me to a fight,” Adesanya said in the statement. “We have been in contact with police and will be pressing charges.

“On Wednesday morning, I was leaving a cafe on K Rd when a passing car slowed, and an occupant began yelling racial abuse and challenging me to fight. I smiled, waved it off, and continued to my car. The vehicle stopped, and the abuse continued. I again waved it off. The car then parked, and the passenger got out, approached me aggressively, continued his torrent of abuse, and demanded I fight him. I tried to de-escalate the situation repeatedly. As he got closer, I asked bystanders to call the police.

“He then entered my personal space, and I felt threatened. To protect myself, I became more forceful in my language and defensive. Though he paused, the abuse continued, so I left him with some choice words, cautiously moved to my car, and drove away.

“It’s ridiculous that I can’t buy a pie after training without some idiot screaming despicable things and asking for a fight while his mates film from the sidelines. Threatening violence is no joke. It’s very dangerous, and incidents like this must not be glorified online. I hope in the future people say something rather than get their phones out to film.”

See footage of the altercation below.

According to the New Zealand Herald, Adesanya has filed a formal complaint to the police.

The Herald’s report also includes comments from the person who filmed the interaction. The anonymous witness expressed disappointment in Adesanya’s behavior, though it’s unclear how much of the interaction they were privy to before and after filming.

“I immediately recognized him and from what I witnessed I was quite disappointed to see him acting in this manner in public, swearing and spitting at the other guy and grabbing his privates,” the witness said. “As a public figure, I expected more from someone who represents New Zealand internationally.”

The other driver in the footage is yet to be identified.

Adesanya, 35, most recently fought at UFC 305, where he went head to head with longtime rival Dricus du Plessis. “The Last Stylebender” failed to secure a third reign as middleweight champion end when du Plessis successfully defended his belt by submitting Adesanya via face crank in Round 4.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Chael’s view
| BJPenn.com

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is just one day away from the upcoming UFC Vegas 97 mixed martial arts (MMA) event, which is set to go down tomorrow night (Sat., Sept. 7, 2024) on ESPN+ from inside APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC Vegas 97 features a middleweight main event between Top 10 title contenders Gilbert Burns and Sean Brady, a five-round headliner with major title implications for late 2024 and beyond.

Before we dive into the main and co-main event, which includes the flyweight showdown between Jessica Andrade and Natalia Silva, check out Andrew Richardson’s “X-Factor” breakdown for the rest of the UFC Vegas 97 main card by clicking here. Get all the latest “Burns vs. Brady” odds and betting props courtesy of DraftKings right here. For UFC Vegas 97 live results and play-by-play click here.

170 lbs.: Gilbert Burns vs. Sean Brady

Gilbert “Durinho” Burns
Record: 22-7 | Age: 38 | Betting line: +150
Wins: 6 KO/TKO, 9 SUB, 7 DEC | Losses: 3 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 4 DEC
Height: 5’10” | Reach: 71” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 3.29 | Striking accuracy: 48%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.42 | Striking Defense: 54%
Takedown Average: 2.24 (38% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 50%
Current Ranking: No. 6 | Last fight: Knockout loss to Jack Della Maddalena

Sean Brady
Record: 16-1, 1 NC | Age: 31 | Betting line: -180
Wins: 3 KO/TKO, 5 SUB, 8 DEC | Losses: 1 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 0 DEC
Height: 5’10“ | Reach: 72” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 3.77 | Striking accuracy: 53%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.55 | Striking Defense: 61%
Takedown Average: 3.29 (57% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 87%
Current Ranking: No. 8 | Last fight: Submission win over Kelvin Gastelum

Gilbert Burns turned 38 back in July and is probably at the tail end of his mixed martial arts (MMA) career and unlikely to find himself back in title contention anytime soon. You can blame his back-to-back losses to Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena, which are forgivable when you consider that “Remember the Name” is now the welterweight champion and “JDM” is a perfect 7-0 inside the Octagon with five nasty finishes. The Brazilian is a grappler by trade and has just one knockout over the last six year, a UFC Fight Night 170 finish over submission wizard Demian Maia. That said, “Durinho” has five post-fight bonuses and usually turns in an action-packed performance, win or lose. His position at No. 6 in the official rankings feels a bit generous when you consider his strength of opposition, as well as his habit of coming up short in the big spot.

“The mindset that I’m getting right now is like my debut,” Burns told reporters at the UFC Vegas 97 media day (watch it here). “Back in my debut, I didn’t care, I just want to go there, not overthinking. There’s always pressure, but I’m trying to let that aside and kind of like my debut. I’m going to go in there and show everyone how good I am. I’m going to go in there and beat this guy on Saturday night. I’m not bringing that, ‘I have to win.’ No, like my debut, I want to show them how good I am and that’s kind of the mindset.”

“I’m always positive and I’m happy,” Burns continued. “If I fight good, and I win the fight I celebrate Saturday night. For sure, I get the family to get some nice food with the team, but then Sunday is another day. We keep going that victory carries for maybe like four days or the next event, so I kind of get to celebrate not as crazy when I win, but I don’t go too crazy on myself if I lose. … A win or loss doesn’t change who I am. For sure, I want to win, but it’s not like, ‘Oh my God, I lost. Everything is done now.’ It’s not like that.”

Sean Brady was probably one victory away from a welterweight title shot, or title eliminator at the bare minimum, until he got leveled by Belal Muhammad at UFC 280 back in late 2022. At the time, it seemed like a catastrophic loss, but much like Muhammad’s victory over Burns, Brady gets a pass now that “Remember the Name” has gone on to become champion and prove that he is, in fact, “that guy.” It also helps that Brady rebounded by running through battle-tested veteran Kelvin Gastelum, finishing the fight by way of third-round submission. The 31 year-old Philadelphian is not unlike his fight night foe in that his bread-and-butter is jiu jitsu and that makes this an intriguing battle that could be a showcase for high-level grappling … or a sloppy kickboxing match between two ground fighters who cancel each other out on the mat. Either way, I’m expecting this contest to go all five rounds based on the combined talent of both combatants.

“Gilbert, amazing jiu-jitsu,” Brady told reporters at the UFC Vegas 97 media day (watch it here). “Obviously he’s won (world championships) and everything like that, but that was a long time ago, and that was in the gi. Gi and no-gi is completely different, and MMA jiu-jitsu is completely different, as well. I think he’s got great submissions. I’m sure he’s great on bottom, but I definitely think I have better jiu-jitsu, and I’m looking to test it.”

“I was kind of asking for Gilbert,” Brady continued. “I was asking for a lot of guys, but Gilbert was definitely one of them. I respect Gilbert. He’s an amazing fighter, and he’s done amazing things. He’s fought for the belt, and he had a competitive fight with some of the best guys. He had a great fight going with Jack until it didn’t go his way. I think it’s my first true veteran fight that I’m going to get to test myself against somebody who’s been there, done that.”

Burns has not looked great in his last couple of fights and I’m not sure his victory over a listless Jorge Masvidal is anything to brag about either. That doesn’t make him any less dangerous on fight night and his resume is leagues above Brady’s, I just wonder how well the former title challenger will hold up considering all the miles on those Brazilian tires. If Brady had better hands I would be more inclined to predict a finish; but as it stands, I think he shuts Burns down for most of the fight and cruises to a sweep on all three scorecards.

Prediction: Brady def. Burns by unanimous decision

125 lbs.: Jessica Andrade vs. Natalia Silva

Jessica “Bate Estaca” Andrade
Record: 26-12 | Age: 32 | Betting line: +245
Wins: 10 KO/TKO, 8 SUB, 8 DEC | Losses: 5 KO/TKO, 4 SUB, 3 DEC
Height: 5’1“ | Reach: 62” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 6.62 | Striking accuracy: 50%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 5.37 | Striking Defense: 55%
Takedown Average: 2.37 (55% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 72%
Current Ranking: No. 6 | Last fight: Split decision win over Marina Rodriguez

Natalia Silva
Record: 17-5-1 | Age: 27 | Betting line: -305
Wins: 5 KO/TKO, 7 SUB, 4 DEC, 1 DQ | Losses: 1 KO/TKO, 2 SUB, 2 DEC
Height: 5’4“ | Reach: 65” | Stance: Southpaw
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.53 | Striking accuracy: 44%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 2.10 | Striking Defense: 65%
Takedown Average: 0.50 (28% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 91%
Current Ranking: No. 8 | Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Viviane Araujo

Jessica Andrade competed five times in 2023 and suffered three straight losses for the first time in her career — all finishes — leading fans and pundits to wonder if the accumulation of damage after nearly 40 professional fights was starting to take its toll. Let’s face it, you don’t rack up double-digit performance bonuses by playing it safe. Andrade silenced all doubts by storming back in late 2023 and early 2024, laying waste to Mackenzie Dern at UFC 295 before splitting Marina Rodriguez at UFC 300. “Bate Estaca” hasn’t changed much over the years and employs the Tasmanian Devil offense, which is basically just a tornado of violence from start to finish. It’s not the most technical approach to cage fighting but it’s supremely effective, which is why Andrade has the most knockouts and the most finishes in the history of the strawweight division.

“I think this is great matchmaking,” Andrade told reporters at the UFC Vegas 97 media day (watch it here). “It’s two good styles of fighting. When the name came up we thought about a main event in August. It turns out it gave enough time for both of us. I think both of us have to do a hard weight cut. I think it’s a girl I see what she’s all about. I’ve seen her since she’s come to the UFC. I’ve followed her. I’ve cheered her on ever since she’s come here. So I think it’s going to be a good fight since she’s come here.”

Natalia Silva made her UFC debut back in early 2022 after several years on the regional circuit and has quietly racked up five straight wins, a streak that helped her break into the Top 10 at No. 8. Her most recent victory came against Viviane Araujo at UFC Vegas 85 last February and the bookies were so impressed with her body of work they pegged the 27 year-old Brazilian as the -305 betting favorite. That’s a pretty sizable number when you consider what Andrade has accomplished in her MMA career, which includes a UFC title, and we’ve yet to see Silva face anyone of elite status. In fact, two of her previous opponents, Victoria Leonardo and Andrea Lee, are a combined 1-9 across their last 10. It’s also worth pointing out that Araujo has dropped three of her last four, so it’s not outrageous to suggest that Silva has been given a few layups over the last two years.

“This is my opportunity,” Silva told reporters at the UFC Vegas 97 media day (watch it here). “I can do this. Jessica is a good name in UFC, and I needed to accept this opportunity and show my skills, my work. Now I am here to fight against Jessica. I trained for three rounds, but if I have an opportunity to finish the fight, I will take it.”

“A victory against Jessica will give me a new opportunity,” Silva continued. “I know I can fight for the belt and a victory against Jessica will give me an opportunity for this. Every fight that I go into I see as an opportunity to fight for the title. I see an opportunity to show my skills, show my hard work and going into the fight with Jessica, that’s how I approach it. But I think this is an opportunity for me for a higher goal, which is to be a champion.”

I haven’t seen enough from Silva to confidently pick her over Andrade. That said, this fight will be contested at flyweight and “Bate Estaca” does her best work at 115 pounds. The former champ will be giving up three inches in height and three inches in reach against a younger, fresher opponent who boasts 91% takedown defense. Still, I think Andrade can do enough (or at least be busy enough) to win two of the three rounds, assuming she doesn’t get flattened before she can get out of first gear.

Prediction: Andrade def. Silva by decision

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the UFC Vegas 97 main card predictions RIGHT HERE.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 97 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+ preliminary card matchups which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining main card balance on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 97 news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive here. For the updated and finalized “Burns vs. Brady” fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.

MMAmania.com – All Posts

submitted by /u/event_threads
[link] [comments]
MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Bellator champion Usman Nurmagomedov continues to stake his own claim as one of MMA’s best lightweights, but even he touts teammate Islam Makhachev as the king of the division.

Ahead of his return at Bellator San Diego on Saturday, Nurmagomedov actually put himself No. 2 when asked where he sits among the best 155-pound fighters on the planet. The undefeated 26-year-old knows he still has work to do when it comes to defining his own title reign, which continues with his looming defense against Alexandr Shabliy.

Makhachev—No. 1 on MMA Fighting’s Pound-for-Pound list—has been running roughshod over his UFC competition, rattling off 14 straight wins and three consecutive title defenses, so Nurmagomedov has no problem deferring to his longtime friend and training partner.

“Because Islam is No. 1,” Nurmagomedov told MMA Fighting when asked why he puts Makhachev ahead of himself. “Just look at him. This is pound-for-pound No. 1 king. It’s true.”

That final statement about Makhachev’s standing as the top pound-for-pound fighter shouldn’t come as a surprise given the run he’s on lately, but it’s safe to say UFC CEO Dana White would disagree.

White has spent months touting Jon Jones as MMA’s best pound-for-pound fighter and even went as far as releasing a promo video on Tuesday specifically to praise the long list of accomplishments that belong to the reigning UFC heavyweight champion.

For his part, Nurmagomedov certainly isn’t going to dispute Jones’ greatness but he still feels like Makhachev deserves recognition in the pound-for-pound rankings right now.

“For this time, now, Islam is No. 1 for sure,” Nurmagomedov said. “But of course Jon Jones, this is a legend. Nobody is saying he’s not a legend. Jon Jones is a legend. I grew up watching his fights. I love his style. I love his mentality. This guy is tough. But of course you’re talking about this time, you’re not talking about the past.

“We’re talking about now, and for me, people have different opinions. Dana White has his opinion, you have your opinion. This is good. This is not something bad.”

Makhachev has been a huge part of Nurmagomedov’s own evolution as a fighter, which has served as a tremendous help as he readies for Shabliy this weekend.

While he doesn’t discount the danger that Shabliy represents, Nurmagomedov can’t imagine he’s going to face anything like he does going up against Makhachev in the gym.

“Islam is a different level,” Nurmagomedov said. “He’s very tough. When you work with Islam and when you feel how you work with him, what you can do, what you cannot do, you understand in your mind this guy is No. 1 in the world. Nobody can beat him. No one.

“You give him good rounds, sometimes good, I think this makes me and other guys that train with Islam mentally strong. I don’t think Shabliy can give me some rounds better than Islam gives me. I don’t think he can push me like Islam pushes me.”

If Makhachev’s presence wasn’t enough to swing the pendulum in his favor, Nurmagomedov landed another bonus with his cousin and UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov also returning to coach him full-time after taking a brief break from MMA to focus on his family and other businesses.

Usman confirmed Khabib will corner him against Shabliy on Saturday, and that his return has been a welcome addition to the team, not just for Usman, but also for Makhachev, his brother Umar Nurmagomedov, and everybody else associated with them.

“I would say that Khabib is the greatest person in MMA in general,” Nurmagomedov said. “When you’re talking about whether it’s being an athlete himself as a fighter, because he had the best opponents out there, he’s done an amazing defending his title. Also, he trained with Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, that’s his father, who was an amazing trainer. He trained a lot of guys, including myself, and obviously Khabib was doing the training. So now he’s staying as a trainer himself.

“Combining all of his experience together as a coach, as a fighter, working with his father, and just the amount of experience that he gathered is just tremendous. Nobody has it in the MMA world in general. There are coaches, there are fighters, but he combines everything. Having him in the corner, that’s a big support, and you feel that influence and overall he’s very valuable and most important member of our team.”

It all adds up to Nurmagomedov expecting another shutout performance and he doesn’t give Shabliy much chance to pull off the upset.

“I’m ready,” Nurmagomedov said. “This is only what I can say. Sometimes a lucky punch [can happen], but if not, these things, this guy never can beat me. Not only him, nobody can beat me.”

MMA Fighting – All Posts

ONE Championship is back for its second event in the United States this week, and MMA News has you covered with all the action! In May 2023, the organization presented ONE Fight Night 10 from the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The event marked its on-site debut in the United States, and ONE Championship brought a stacked card […]

Continue Reading ONE 168: Jonathan Haggerty vs. Superlek Results & Highlights (8 PM ET) at MMA News.

MMA News

submitted by /u/TurbulentBear8 [link] [comments]

MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

submitted by /u/TurbulentBear8 [link] [comments]

MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Better fighter
| BJPenn.com

Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Decorated jiu-jitsu fighter and Heavyweight MMA prospect Marcus Almeida (4-1) has a problem with One Championship.

Better known as “Buchecha,” is a multiple-time world champion in Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) and the gi worlds. He’s one of the most accomplished Heavyweight grapplers of the last 20 years, and there was a fair amount of hype behind him when he signed with One Championship to begin his MMA career. Almeida won his first four bouts before coming up short to Senegalese wrestler Reug Reug in a hilarious fight.

The battle with Reug Reug went down August 2023, and Almeida hasn’t fought since then. Earlier on Thursday, Almeida posted to social media to complain about the unwanted layoff. According to “Buchecha,” he’s been asking for a fight but has been sidelined so long that people are asking if he’s retired.

“A lot of people are asking me lately if I retired,” he began. “The answer is of course not, the reason I’m not fighting it’s not my choice, I’ve been out waiting for a fight for almost one year but I don’t have luck getting a fight, that’s the reason I’m away from cage or the mats. The right question you should ask me is when I’m fighting again? But right now I’m asking to some people the same thing, to be more precise 13 months. It’s been 13 months of waiting, to be in a situation like that it’s sucks, I don’t wish this to anybody! So if you want this answer, you know who to ask and tag! [One Championship]”

Unfortunately, Buchecha is not alone in having problems with One. The promotion has shifted away from MMA, holding more and more Muay Thai fights. Many theorize that it’s an attempt to keep costs down to improve financial numbers for their next round of fundraising. It’s not just cage fighters either. Pound-for-pound kickboxing king, Chingiz Allazov, is actively feuding with the promotion online and recently announced his intent to fight elsewhere despite his contract with One.

At 34 years of age, Buchecha doesn’t have time to sit around forever. Hopefully, he’s booked sooner than later.

Insomnia

Nate Diaz finding himself in his quarterly street altercation. Stockton, 209, what?!?

Every Jessica Andrade fight is like 20% cool technique and 80% left hook-overhand-left hook combinations.

The next Fight Circus event in September 13, and Matt Brown will be doing … something?

Petr Yan calls out Deiveson Figureiredo, which is the most obvious must-watch fight-to-make in recent memory.

Francis Ngannou — who hired Mike Tyson to be his boxing coach for the Tyson Fury fight — believes Jake Paul is getting knocked out in November.

Yesterday’s cancelled bout between Ovince Saint Preux and Ryan Spann will be delayed by just a month.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

The referee watched Debana getting beaten lifeless without blinking or considering stopping the fight for quite a while.

Established the right straight then switched it up with an uppercut:

A classic bit of bare knuckle brutality.

Random Land

I don’t know who’s in the right or wrong here, but the jump-and-chop maneuver is a win.

Midnight Music: Imaginal Disk by Magdalena Bay is a new experimental pop record that’s taking the internet by storm, so I gave it a listen tonight. Some catchy songs!

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

MMAmania.com – All Posts