Joshua Van | Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
UFC 306 has a new flyweight matchup.
On Tuesday, news broke that Kevin Borjas is out of his scheduled fight at UFC 306. Instead, Edgar Chairez now faces Joshua Van, who steps in as a short-notice replacement. The switch was first reported by MMA Junkie and later confirmed by MMA Fighting.
One of eight Mexican fighters competing at the event branded “Noche UFC,” Chairez also competed on the original Noche UFC last year, where his bout with Daniel Lacerda resulted in a no contest following an error by referee Chris Tognoni. The two rematched earlier this year at UFC Mexico City, with Chairez pulling off a first-round submission.
Still only 22 years old, Van suffered the first loss of his UFC career when he was knocked out by Charles Johnson at UFC Denver in July. That defeat ended a three-fight win streak in the promotion, and now “Fearless” looks to get back on track at an event UFC CEO Dana White claims will be “the greatest live sporting event of all-time.”
UFC 306 takes place on September 14 at Sphere in Las Vegas and will be headlined by a bantamweight title fight between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili, while a women’s flyweight championship trilogy matchup between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko serves as the co-main event.
UFC’s return to Edmonton has a new main event, as former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno returns to action against Amir Albazi in a five-round matchup on Nov. 2 from Rogers Place.
UFC CEO Dana White announced the fight Tuesday on social media, with the previously announced headliner between Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield shifting to the co-main event. Namajunas vs. Blanchfield is expected to remain a five-round bout.
The fight serves as Moreno’s return to action after suffering back-to-back split decision losses to Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Royval, then announcing plans to take a hiatus from the sport. Moreno ultimately opted to take some down time before booking his return, which is now set for November.
Meanwhile, Albazi competes for the first time since beating Kai Kara-France with a razor-close decision in June 2023 to put himself in title contention. Albazi was actually scheduled to face Moreno back in February, but a neck injury forced him to the sidelines to recover.
Now that he’s healthy again, Albazi resumes his career against Moreno with hopes that a win could vault him into a title shot against Pantoja in the future.
The UFC Edmonton card also features a pair of heavyweight fights, as knockout king Derrick Lewis takes on Jhonata Diniz and Alexandr Romanov clashes with Rodrigo Nascimento.
Here’s the full card as it currently stands, with a bout order still to be determined:
Newly-crowned featherweight champion Ilia Topuria will make his first 145-pound title defense against one of the greatest fighters in the history of MMA as former featherweight kingpin Max Holloway charges “El Matador” in the UFC 308 pay-per-view (PPV) main event this October on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi!
Event: UFC 308: “Topuria vs. Holloway” Date: Sat., Oct. 26, 2024 Location: Etihad Arena on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, UAE Start times: ESPN+ PPV, ESPN, ESPN+ (10 a.m. ET Prelims | 2 p.m. ET Main Card)
UFC 308 Main Event On ESPN+ PPV:
145 lbs.: UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway
UFC 308 Main Card on ESPN+ PPV:
185 lbs.: Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev 205 lbs.: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic 265 lbs.: Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov 145 lbs.: Lerone Murphy vs. Dan Ige
UFC 308 Prelims Card on ESPN/ESPN+:
170 lbs.: Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Nursulton Ruziboev 205 lbs.: Marcos Rogério de Lima vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu 170 lbs.: Geoff Neal vs. Rafael dos Anjos 185 lbs.: Abus Magomedov vs. Brunno Ferreira 205 lbs.: Ibo Aslan vs. Raffael Cerqueira 155 lbs.: Myktybek Orolbai vs. Mateusz Rębecki 185 lbs.: Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan 135 lbs.: Farid Basharat vs. Victor Hugo
*Fight card, bout order and number of fights remain subject to change.*
Francis Ngannou, Jake Paul and Renan Ferreira | Cooper Neill, PFL
Francis Ngannou negotiated a unique deal when he joined PFL after his championship stint in the UFC, and Renan Ferreira will benefit greatly from it.
Ngannou’s contract with the promotion includes equity in the company, a role on the PFL board of directors and as chairman of PFL Africa, plus the freedom to box. He also not only negotiated a seven-figure deal for himself, but also made sure to request a guaranteed $ 2 million purse for each of his PFL opponents.
Ferreira and Ngannou will battle in the main event of PFL Super Fights on Oct. 19, and “Problema” said Ngannou has earned his respect for providing him a life-changing payday.
“My respect for him has only grown because of him seeking better opportunities for not only him as an athlete,” Ferreira said. “Not only for gaining space in the boxing scene as well, which we know is hard for MMA fighters to do that — although he didn’t have a good performance in his last fight [vs. Anthony Joshua] — but it was enormous of him to say that his opponent should be valued as well. It was very nice of him.”
Ferreira pocketed $ 1 million for winning the 2023 heavyweight season in PFL, aside from his four purses throughout the year, and will receive $ 2 million when he faces Ngannou in October. Ferreira’s purse for his nasty knockout win over Ryan Bader this past February was not disclosed.
“I feel honored with all that, and it only motivates me to get better and continue to show who am I as an athlete and be among the best, and be the best,” Ferreira said. “I’m happy to be there and to be fighting him. This turning point in my career is the culmination of a long road of hard work and dedication. I’m proud of the history I’ve created with honesty, never stomping on others. It makes me really happy.”
Ngannou left UFC with consecutive wins over Ciryl Gane, Stipe Miocic, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, and Curtis Blaydes, and “Problema” knows it won’t be an easy night in the cage, although the Cameroonian heavyweight hasn’t competed in MMA since January 2022.
“Francis is an aggressive man and a knockout artist like myself, but I’m working in all areas,” Ferreira said. “I have good takedowns, I have good jiu-jitsu, so if the opportunity presents itself, I’ll definitely attack and take him down and use my heavy ground and pound, something I’ve always done. I’m working on that as well. My striking will definitely be sharper than ever. He hasn’t fought [MMA] in a while and that could make him less active in some areas, so I’ll explore all that.”
“To me, what matters the most is the win, but a nice win, a spectacular victory, like I’ve done many times before, it’s definitely gratifying,” he continued. “It shows that the work we’ve been going is well-made. But we have to be cautious in this fight. We have a tough and experienced guy on the other side, a man that has fought many great fighters. Winning is what matters, no matter how. Francis is a confident man, a big and imposing man, and I know it’s going to be a war. It’s going to be a very tough fight, and that motivates me to work hard every day.”
Michael Page recently voiced his opinion that MMA judges should deliver verdicts in a manner that discourages fighters from narrowly securing victories by relying on a single fighting style.
MMA judging has been a hotly debated topic within the sport for years. Many argue that certain cage-side judges occasionally stray from the sport’s established guidelines, possess limited expertise, and sometimes deliver decisions that raise eyebrows or award points that are hard to justify.
Accusations of an inconsistent scoring system and insufficient quality control in the training and selection of judges fuel the ongoing controversy, making it a persistent source of contention at numerous events. And “Venom” is pushing for a reform in how judges evaluate and score fights…
Page on MMA judging: ‘There’s So Many Wayward Decisions’
During a recent Q&A video on his YouTube channel, Page delved into the changes he believes are necessary in the MMA world, touching on topics like judging, weight cuts, and more. The 37-year-old striking sensation highlighted the recent incident involving judge Howie Booth, who was removed from his position following a controversial scorecard in the heavyweight clash between Tai Tuivasa and Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 305.
“The game is slowly changing, and there have been some adjustments,” Page said. “So with the judges, I feel like we’ve had so many just random scores to the point where, even the other day, a judge got told to bounce. Yeah, so it means that there are these guys—I don’t know what’s going on—are they getting tired, or do they need to change judges like every other fight or something? But there are so many wayward decisions sometimes, so something is going wrong.”
“Venom” also stressed the importance of revamping the scoring system, calling for judges to favor fighters who actively seek to finish their opponents and take risks, rather than those who attempt to secure a victory by relying solely on one fighting style.
“I think the rule set is changing a bit to accommodate more people who want to finish a fight. I’ve always said, if it’s wrestler versus striker, I don’t mind the wrestling if you wrestle with the intention of trying to finish the fight—whether it be from a submission or, you know, ground and pound, trying to take someone’s head off. But if you’re wrestling just to survive and sneak a win, I don’t believe you should be allowed to win a fight. There should be a lot more intention in what you’re doing.”
Page had a turbulent introduction to the Octagon, earning a win against Kevin Holland in his UFC 299 debut, but later suffering a tightly contested decision loss to Ian Garry at UFC 303. As of now, there’s no official word on when “Venom” will make his return to the cage.
Read More: Georges St-Pierre’s Coach Honest About Michael ‘Venom’ Page’s Chances To Get UFC Gold: ‘He’s Fought A Lot Of Guys You’ve Never Heard Of…’
Continue Reading Michael ‘Venom’ Page Wants MMA Judging To Stop Fighters From ‘Sneaking’ Wins at MMA News.
Alex Pereira wants to be a simultaneous two-division UFC champion by taking down middleweight titleholder Dricus du Plessis.
“Poatan” won the 185-pound title in November of 2022 but lost it in a rematch to Israel Adesanya before moving up a division and making his way to the 205-pound gold. Pereira is slated to defend his throne next against Khalil Rountree, but reaffirms his intention to cut an extra 20 pounds again after his UFC 307 clash on Oct. 5.
“I’m focused on my next fight and I’m going prepared but you never know what can happen,” Pereira wrote on social media Monday night. “So regardless of the result, I want to go down one more time to the middleweight and go for the belt. Hey Dricus, bring your will to fight me so you can prove that you are better than me, with your public statement it is easy to make this happen. Chama.”
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A post shared by Alex “Poatan” Pereira (@alexpoatanpereira)
Pereira first mentioned he was “coming down to 185 one more time” moments after du Plessis’ win over Adesanya on Aug. 17, and the middleweight champion responded by suggesting a light heavyweight match instead. Du Plessis is expected to rematch Sean Strickland in his next title defense at middleweight, but the UFC has yet to officially announce that fight.
Du Plessis has beaten three of the past four middleweight champions in Adesanya, Strickland and Robert Whittaker, with Pereira as the one left to face.
“I honestly don’t think Alex Pereira should drop down to 185,” du Plessis said at the UFC 305 post-fight press conference. “If he wants to, great, perfect. But then we’re going to hear the excuses. I saw Izzy stiff that man in the first round. I felt Izzy’s punching power tonight. Izzy has great timing, he’s fast, he’s long and he has great combinations, but I felt the power.
“If Izzy stiffens you like that, you do not want to be in there with me, especially not when you’ve got to come in there with the excuses, ‘Oh, I cut too much weight.’ That’s going to happen. Everybody’s going to say it.”
Update: du Plessis responded later on X.
@AlexPereiraUFC you and you boyfriend @SStricklandMMA can have a domestic dispute on who gets slept first
— Dricus Du Plessis (@dricusduplessis) September 3, 2024
Watch Naoya Inoue vs. TJ Doheny full fight video highlightsfrom their main event showdown Sunday night, courtesy of multiple outlets.
Inoue vs. Doheny took place Sept. 3 at the Ariake Arena in Toyko, Japan. Naoya Inoue (28-0) and TJ Doheny (26-5) squared off in the the main event clash for the undisputed bantamweight title. The fight aired live on ESPN+.
Catch all the video highlights below.
The Monster’s feast from ringside #InoueDoheny | @NaoyaInoue_410 pic.twitter.com/EmEDePxymV
Inoue is hurting Doheny #InoueDoheny | LIVE on @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/EIc4cgcvgU
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) September 3, 2024
THE POWER VS THE MONSTER. #InoueDoheny | LIVE on @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/Z7yKIByoX9
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) September 3, 2024
NAOYA INOUE!
Defending his undisputed crown. #InoueDoheny – Live Now pic.twitter.com/UIHlaxRGmq
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) September 3, 2024
THE POWER!
TJ Doheny’s shot at undisputed against Naoya Inoue ✨#InoueDoheny – Live Now pic.twitter.com/7Z9RjYtGp2
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) September 3, 2024
MONSTER TIME. UP NEXT.#InoueDoheny | LIVE on @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/GoFxvAE2Bd
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) September 3, 2024
The Monster has ARRIVED! #InoueDoheny – Live Now pic.twitter.com/qRZOoOUN7C
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) September 3, 2024
For more on Inoue vs. Doheny, check out live blog below.
Round 1: Both fighters staying at jab range to start, Inoue showing his patience. Inoue flicks out an aggressive jab but Doheny slips out of the corner. Neither man landing anything after 60 seconds. There’s Doheny with a quick right to the body to break the stalemate, but Inoue backs him up with a counter left. Inoue goes to the body. Doheny lightly jabbing, daring Inoue to make a mistake. Inoue back to the body. Douheny doubles up on his jab. Crisp jab by Inoue to close the round, slight edge to the champion.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Inoue.
Round 2: Doheny circles and keeps his jab hand moving. Inoue wants to walk him down, but Doheny just rushes forward for a quick clinch to push Inoue back. Inoue again to the body. Hard right to the body has Doheny defending against the ropes, he avoids the follow-up punches. Another right from Inoue slips past Doheny’s defenses. Doheny blocks a 1-2. Doheny reaches out with a lunging left and connects. Another good body shot by Inoue. Combo by Inoue with Doheny fighting out of the corner. Should be two in the books for Inoue.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Inoue. Overall, 20-18 Inoue
Round 3: Pace quickens, both men staying light on their feet with Inoue holding the center of the ring. Right to the body by Inoue. Doheny letting his hands go, but can’t get past Inoue’s gloves. Doheny with several feints and he scores with his left. Body shot by Doheny. He goes body-head, good round for the challenger so far. Inoue jab snaps Doheny’s head back. Doheny with a left to the body, Inoue answers with a body shot.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Doheny. Overall, 29-28 Inoue.
Round 4: Inoue and Doheny trade jabs to the body. Jab up top from Inoue, he looks more aggressive. Left from Doheny as he connects and circles. Another left by Doheny. Inoue sticking with the body work when he can pin Doheny down. Big 1-2 from Inoue. Left from Doheny scores again. Inoue with a clean jab. Quick combo by Doheny. Right hook from Inoue just before the bell to cap off a close round.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Inoue. Overall, 39-37 Inoue.
Round 5: Doheny coming out as the aggressor in the fifth. Inoue looking to box out of the corner now, Doheny respecting the champ’s power. Two body shots score for Doheny. Inoue sticks the jab in his face. Hard uppercut to the body in close by Inoue. Counter combo by Doheny on an advancing Inoue. Inoue letting his gloves fly, Doheny’s defense holding up so far. Inoue finding a home for that jab. Doheny is in there and landing shots, but isn’t having as much success avoiding punches as before. Straight right and a left by the challenger.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Inoue. Overall, 49-46 Inoue.
Round 6: Inoue just ripping rights to the body now. Doheny answers with a 1-2 combination. He’s making Inoue pay for his home run swings. Doheny targets the body as he stays bouncy. Inoue comes forward and cracks Doheny’s body. Doheny needs to focus on blocking those body shots. Overhand right by Inoue scores. Tricky combo by Doheny has Inoue guessing. Another right scores for Inoue, his power advantage is starting to play out. Doheny keeping the gloves high as Inoue bears down on him. Good jab by Doheny, but Inoue just unloads on him in the corner. Big round for Inoue.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Inoue. Overall, 59-55 Inoue.
Round 7: Inoue right back on the offensive. Ten seconds into the round, Doheny looks hurt. Maybe his back stiffened up? The referee steps in and this one is over. Anticlimactic end to this one just when it looked like it was picking up. The champion defends.
Official result: Naoya Inoue def. TJ Doheny via TKO (injury) (R7, 0:16)
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