Photos by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images, Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Just like the TV dinner, Daniel Cormier is a HUNGRY MAN.
The former two-division champion, who now serves as color commentator on UFC pay-per-view (PPV) cards, was caught stuffing his maw with handfuls of popcorn in between fights during a live broadcast. Then producers sent it back to the kernel-crazed “DC” for replay analysis and things got super awkward.
“Chael, you have to have popcorn, because you’re sitting in the best seat in the house,” Cormier explained to fellow UFC analyst Chael Sonnen during their “Good Guy-Bad Guy” segment for ESPN MMA. “What I did not expect, was the replay to come! It looked like we were going to the next thing; but hey, such is life. The boy got caught eating popcorn. You said, ‘why can’t I control myself?’ Why do I need to control myself, I’m living my best life out here Chael P.”
Maybe Hendo should have shipped Poppycock instead of Popeye’s.
John Lineker may be facing Asa Ten Pow in a Muay Thai contest this Friday when ONE Championship returns to Denver, but he still remains fully focused on regaining his MMA title from Fabricio Andrade.
Lineker has won twice in his weight class since losing to Andrade in February 2023, knocking out Jae Woong Kim and then beating Stephen Loman via decision, but ONE still hasn’t offered him another shot at gold. Instead, he was paired up against Liam Harrison for a Muay Thai contest that ultimately feel through, then lost to Shinya Aoki in an MMA openweight bout.
“I haven’t fought in almost a year, so this is an opportunity for me stay active,” Lineker told MMA Fighting, saying he doesn’t take the Aoki loss into consideration since it took place outside his weight class and was offered on hours’ notice as a replacement for Sage Northcutt. “MMA is my focus, but ONE gives us the opportunity to fight in other sports, so I took it to stay active and also test myself.”
Andrade hasn’t defended the ONE title since his second clash with Lineker and has competed only once since, losing to Jonathan Haggerty in a kickboxing bout.
“He has the belt for a long time and hasn’t defended it yet,” Lineker said of Andrade. “There’s no one else but me that should do this fight, this trilogy, so let’s wait for the negotiations and see what happens. God willing, I’ll get this victory and we’ll see what the future holds for us.”
“The Aoki fight pretty much never happened,” he continued. “It was an openweight match, so it definitely won’t affect my division. I’m coming off two wins in my division, and if you look at the rankings, there’s no other fight to make but this trilogy. But regardless of them giving me a title shot or not, the important [thing is] having me fight MMA next, because that’s my main goal.”
Lineker said it took him a few training sessions to get used to preparing for a Muay Thai bout instead of the sport he has done since 2008 in which he defeated the likes of Marlon Vera, John Dodson, Rob Font, Brian Kelleher, and Bibiano Fernandes.
The hard-hitting Brazilian originally agreed to face Harrison in a Muay Thai contest back in January, but the one-time ONE Muay Thai title challenger withdrew weeks prior. Lineker said Harrison is more experienced than his upcoming opponent, but beating Pow is no easy task, especially given his prior experience of seven kickboxing appearances inside the GLORY ring and a trio of Muay Thai matches at ONE.
“My plan is to go for the knockout,” Lineker said. “I don’t like to leave it to the judges, MMA or Muay Thai. It could happen, but I go in there looking for the knockout — and it won’t be different this time.”
Jon Anik is now hyped for Noche UFC after witnessing the impressive production quality of the upcoming pay-per-view event at The Sphere. UFC 306, known as Riyadh Season Noche UFC, is scheduled for September 14 at The Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada, in honor of Mexican Independence Day. The landmark event will represent a significant […]
Continue Reading Jon Anik Labels Noche UFC At The Sphere The ‘Sickest S*it’ He Has Ever Seen at MMA News.
Dylan Budka | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Dylan Budka had a rough weigh-in.
At the official morning weigh-ins for UFC Vegas 97, Budka came in at 188.5 pounds, 2.5 pounds over the middleweight limit (including the one-pound allowance for a non-title fight). Worse, he looked visibly shaky as he stepped to the scale.
Watch video of Budka’s scary weigh-in below, courtesy of FanSided MMA.
#UFCVegas97 weigh-in results: scary weigh in for Dylan Budka who nearly fell off the scales
188.5 pic.twitter.com/OIicGD9qeG
— Amy Kaplan (@PhotoAmy33) September 6, 2024
Budka’s opponent Andre Petroski successfully made weight at 185.5 pounds. The UFC later confirmed that the bout will proceed as scheduled with Budka forfeiting 20 percent of his purse as penalty.
Canadian featherweight Kyle Nelson also missed weight by 2.5 pounds, coming in at 148.5 pounds for a bout with Steve Garcia (145.5). It is not yet known if Nelson vs. Garcia will proceed at a catchweight and, if so, what Nelson’s purse penalty will be.
It’s a poor showing for Nelson, who has made a habit of beating the odds lately, if not the scale. Nelson is riding a hot streak of consecutive wins over Bill Algeo, Fernando Padilla, and Blake Bilder. In each of those matchups, he entered the octagon as the underdog. Garcia also looks to extend a winning streak, having finished his past four opponents.
Welterweight headliners Gilbert Burns (171) and Sean Brady (171) also successfully made weight, as did co-main event flyweights Natalia Silva (124.5) and Jessica Andrade (125.5).
UFC Vegas 97 takes place at UFC APEX on Saturday.
See official weigh-in results below.
Main Card (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)
Gilbert Burns (171) vs. Sean Brady (171)
Jessica Andrade (124.5) vs. Natalia Silva (125.5)
Steve Garcia (145.5) vs. Kyle Nelson (148.5)*
Matt Schnell (135) vs. Cody Durden (135)
Trevor Peek (155) vs. Yanal Ashmouz (154.5)
Preliminary Card (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)
Rongzhu (155.5) vs. Chris Padilla (154)
Isaac Dulgarian (145.5) vs. Brendon Marotte (145)
Felipe dos Santos (124.5) vs. Andre Lima (125.5)
Yizha (144.5) vs. Gabriel Santos (146)
Jaqueline Amorim (115.5) vs. Vanessa Demopoulos (116)
Andre Petroski (185.5) vs. Dylan Budka (188.5)**
Zygimantas Ramaska (145.5) vs. Nathan Fletcher (145)
*Nelson missed weight
**Budka missed weight. His bout with Andre Petroski proceeds as a catchweight with Budka forfeiting 20 percent of his purse as penalty
Israel Adesanya | Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
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.
Israel Adesanya spits on guy in road rage incident: ‘I dare you to try me!’ pic.twitter.com/1Sebr1oSM4
— Best MMA Moments (@XcellentMMA) September 5, 2024
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.
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
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.
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