CombatSports.org

Kaan Ofli won’t be satisfied with just winning The Ultimate Fighter 32.

The Australian-Turkish veteran competes this Saturday at UFC Vegas 96 in the finals of this season’s featherweight tournament against fellow Team Alexa Grasso fighter Mairon Santos (13-1), with the winner earning a UFC contract. Ofli, 31, has waited 10 years for his chance to not only compete inside the octagon, but to conquer it.

In an interview with MMA Fighting, Ofli gave a firm timeline on when he expects to challenge for UFC gold.

“I give myself about two to two-and-a-half years to be fighting for the belt,” Ofli said. “I want to be active, I want to fight three times next year. I want to fight early in the year, in Australia. I want to fight midyear, June, July, and then I want to fight at the end of the year. Between Australia, Abu Dhabi, Europe, I’m going to basically tell the UFC, ‘Listen, this is my plan, because you guys better plan yourselves because this is what I want.’

“There’s been many guys that have fought for the belt at their fifth or sixth fight, and [I can too] if I keep winning. I’m currently on a 10-fight win streak including my two recent wins [on TUF 32], even though they’re exhibition fights, whatever, I don’t care.”

Heading into the TUF house, Ofli sported an 11-2-1 record competing for promotions such as Australia’s Hex Fight Series, as well as Brave Combat Federation and UAE Warriors. He was coach Alexa Grasso’s second featherweight selection and didn’t disappoint, defeating Cage Warriors prospect Nathan Fletcher and South African grappler Roedie Roets en route to the finale.

“Genghis” expects to hit the ground running and put together a win streak that will make him the No. 1 contender in short time. He was one of the most experienced fighters on the TUF 32 roster and counts former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski among his past training partners.

“The math works out, but I’ve also trained with Volkanovski a few times,” Ofli said. “We’ve kind of had a mutual friendship. He invited me one time to help him with the Korean Zombie fight. Because of that relationship, I could never verbally say that I wanted to be the UFC champion because I’m humble and I’m respectful, and I felt like there was a little bit of a block because he was the champ and we’re both Aussies and we both trained together and whatnot.

“Now that he isn’t the champion, I have got so much more confidence saying what I want to say and what I feel, and that is what I truly feel. That’s why I believe in myself.”

When Ofli first sparred with Volkanovski, he admits it didn’t go well. However, once Ofli became more comfortable with the UFC star, he’s confident that he gave Volkanovski a run for his money.

“In all honesty, I was a little bit starstruck,” Ofli said of first working with Volkanovski. “I had just had COVID too, so I had just got over COVID, and then I heard he was in the gym. I was like, ‘I’ve got to take this chance. I’ve got to spar with the champ.’ I didn’t do as good as I would have thought, and it was also because I was giving so much respect to this guy. As the rounds went on and I started essentially not respecting him as much and just treating it like a fight, I started doing better and better.

“Then, the next time I trained with him — the reason why he invited me to train with him is obviously because I’m good and that I was giving him good work —the last time I got to train with him was in New Zealand at City Kickboxing. We’ve had a few interactions, and there’s no disrespect to him, I’m not saying anything bad towards that guy, he’s an amazing guy, but he’s at the end of his career. He’s Alexander ‘The Great’ and I am ‘Gengis Kaan the Great,’ so it’s time for me to pass.”

By the time Ofli arrived in Las Vegas to shoot TUF 32, he’d spent plenty of cagetime with elite fighters, and that trend continued with Grasso’s coaching staff. Among the names chosen to assist Grasso was featherweight contender Diego Lopes.

Ofli and Lopes have shared the training room, and if Ofli’s championship plan is to come to fruition, there’s a good chance they’ll share the octagon in the near future.

“I was thinking about that,” Ofli said. “Me and Diego had a couple of rounds sparring and grappling and stuff. Obviously, in the heat of the moment, I was just like, ‘He’s an awesome guy. He’s being really friendly, he’s being really helpful.’ Now I’m thinking about it, ‘Hey, wait a second. You can’t be fighting No. 3 [Brian Ortega], I want that too.’ So there’s a chance that me and him could fight and I would love that fight, but I don’t want to promote that or say that right now just out of respect.”

MMA Fighting – All Posts

He’s coming back
| BJPenn.com

Two of the very best flyweights in the world will headline the upcoming UFC Vegas 98 fight card on Oct. 12, 2024 from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Nevada, as the No. 1-ranked contender, Brandon Royval, looks to become the first fighter to defeat red-hot youngster and the No. 5-ranked contender, Tatsuro Taira.

UFC announced the main event matchup on social media on Friday night. Check it out below:

Royval, 32, lost his first UFC title shot to current UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja back at UFC 296 in Dec. 2023. Many thought “Raw Dawg” may have done enough in that fight to walk away with a split-decision win, but the champion ultimately got the nod. The loss snapped a three-fight win streak for Royval.

Luckily, the former LFA flyweight champion bounced back with a huge decision win over former UFC king Brandon Moreno this past February. That was a massive rematch and a huge performance for Royval who proved he can win a five-round fight and beat the best in the world. That victory has put him back on the doorstep of another UFC title shot.

Standing in his way will be Taira, who is 6-0 since entering the promotion back in 2022. The 24-year-old sensation has looked better every time he’s stepped inside the Octagon. His last fight against perennial contender Alex Perez in June may have ended with a knee injury to Perez, but Taira was dominating that fight. His grappling, fight IQ, and ability to inflict damage was on another level.

With Muhammad Mokaev out of the flyweight mix, the winner of this UFC Vegas 98 main event will most likely get the next shot at Pantoja’s flyweight reign.

Stick with Mania for more UFC Vegas 98 fight card news.

MMAmania.com – All Posts

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

MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Caio Borralho promised to knock out Paul Craig in front of the Rio de Janeiro crowd this past May at UFC 301. Borralho had no knockout wins since joining UFC, but did just that, flooring Craig to announce his presence in the middleweight rankings. His new promise for UFC Vegas 96 is a message he plans to deliver to the MMA world — that he’s winning the middleweight title, sooner or later.

Borralho gets his first main event Saturday, battling Jared Cannonier at the UFC APEX, and told MMA Fighting that he will prove to be ready for a shot at the world’s best.

“Everything we’ve built so far has brought us here, and now it’s an opportunity to show the world that the champion has arrived,” Borralho said. “My mantra for the last fight was that I would knock out Paul Craig, and the mantra for this fight is that I will show everybody that the champion has arrived. Show the UFC, show the division, show myself, show the fans.

“Jared has fought great fighters and only lost to champions. He’s had this recent loss that was kind of controversial [to Nassourdine Imavov]. He’s tough to beat, and he’s on a good run at middleweight. A good win over him, a submission or a knockout, definitely puts me in the mix to be the next title contender. I don’t know what the UFC thinks about it or not, if they’ll ask me to do one more fight or something like that, but I’ll be ready for the belt at all times. Beating this guy is what matters now.”

Borralho faced criticism from fans online, even in his native Brazil, when he predicted a knockout of Craig, given the fact he had won four of his first five UFC bouts via decision, but says he won’t bother to pay attention to anyone downplaying his new goal.

“If it bothers people, it means it’s working,” Borralho said. “People will talk about it, it’s going to become a topic, and when it happens, jaws will be dropped: ‘He really called it.’ But I don’t care what people say, as long as it’s a topic of discussion. The goal is to be talked about and get more attention because that sells fights and makes my image bigger. My mantra is this, I’ll show them the new middleweight champion has arrived, and they will have to put up with me.”

The Fighting Nerds representative admitted Cannonier is “very hard to fight,” but sees the 40-year-old veteran slowing down as of late.

“People haven’t seen my standup game yet and that’s what I want to show in this fight,” Borralho said. “I’ll stay on his face the entire time and put on a pace he can’t keep up with. He’s 40 now and we’ve seen him slow down after the second round. I’ll use my age and conditioning and cardio, which is perfect for five rounds, to make him work. Let’s see what he can do.”

Cannonier has fought all five rounds just one under the UFC banner, when he challenged Israel Adesanya for the belt in a lackluster showdown. Borralho attempts his first 25-minute bout in the octagon at UFC Vegas 96, but he’s confident in his preparation.

“I think I’ll stop him early,” Borralho said. “Depending on how he reacts early in the fight, I can knock him out in the first round. But I’m ready to go five rounds, I’m ready for a war. I don’t think he’s ready for a war, I don’t think he has cardio for that. I’m ready for the toughest fight of my career.

“Don’t get me wrong, I respect Jared Cannonier a lot. He’s a phenomenal athlete and might surprise with a good cardio and come well prepared, looking to get back to the path for the belt, but I’m ready for everything. I’m ready for the unexpected.”

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Sean O’Malley thinks Khabib Nurmagomedov’s presence could give his potential clash with Umar Nurmagomedov that big-fight feel.

The latter of the Dagestani MMA dynasty earned a big win inside the Octagon earlier this month, scoring a decisive decision victory over Cory Sandhagen. The victory pushed Umar Nurmagomedov into the No. 2 spot in the bantamweight rankings, setting him up to challenge the winner of next month’s title tilt between reigning 135-pound king Sean O’Malley and top-ranked contender Merab Dvalishvili.

O’Malley is not the kind of fighter to count his chickens before they hatch, but he can’t help but think about the big fight feel that would come with facing Umar Nurmagomedov. Especially if it means competing against the mind and coaching of Khabib Nurmagomedov who would undoubtedly be in his cousin’s corner.

“I never really thought about it but just kind of off the top of my head right now if I think about it, that would be cool. Khabib’s a legend, 29-0, and very disciplined, serious guy which would make it even more fun,” O’Malley told Red Corner MMA.

“It’d be hard to top that, like I guess beating Ilia or Max after that, like there’s guys you could top that with but it’d be hard to get too excited for. I don’t know, I’m thinking out loud right now. It would be cool” (h/t MMA News).

Sean O’Malley headlines once in a lifetime event at sphere in las vegas

Before O’Malley can even concern himself with the Dagestani wrestling attack of an undefeated Nurmagomedov, he’ll have to handle his toughest test yet when he meets streaking Georgian standout Merab Dvalishvili.

The two bantamweight warriors will square off on Saturday, September 14 when the promotion celebrates Mexican Independence Day inside Sphere in Las Vegas.

Dana White has promised an event unlike anything that’s ever been done before. Aside from the unique setting, UFC 306 will feature not one, but two exciting championship clashes. The first will feature a trilogy bout as Alexa Grasso returns to defend her flyweight title against Valentina Shevchenko.

Grasso shocked the world at UFC 285, scoring a fourth-round submission victory over ‘Bullet’ to kickstart her 125-pound reign. Later that year, Grasso and Shevchenko ran it back, but the bout was controversially ruled a split draw.

LowKickMMA.com

UFC

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

Following a thrilling UFC 305, the world’s leading MMA promotion returns to the hallowed halls of the UFC APEX for UFC Vegas 96. Headlined by a middleweight matchup between Jared Cannonier and Caio Borralho, the card also features several other fights between the old guard and a rising crop of contenders. Can the old heads deliver veteran lessons or will the new breed assert themselves?

Let’s dive into the bets.

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

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Straight Bets

Tabatha Ricci (-115)

In the co-main event, Ricci takes on divisional staple Angela Hill in a strawweight contest, and for as much as I respect and enjoy Hill, her time has come.

“Overkill” is pushing 40 in a division where no one ages gracefully and she’s facing an opponent who is on the rise. Ricci has only lost to top shelf competition (Manon Fiorot at flyweight and Loopy Godinez), and has the grappling chops to score takedowns and control Hill. I think she grinds out a decision.

Ryan Loder (+142)

This is nearly a full-on shot in the dark. Loder takes on Robert Valentin in The Ultimate Fighter 32 middleweight final, and while Valentin looked great on the show, Loder has an NCAA All-America pedigree that I believe in. Man just needs two takedowns to win this one and be on his way in the UFC, and historically, betting on NCAA wrestlers has been a successful strategy so I’m sticking to it.

Josiane Nunes (+180)

Nunes takes on Jacqueline Cavalcanti in a women’s bantamweight prelim bout, and I like her chances at pulling off the upset. Nunes is extremely small for bantamweight (and was even smaller at featherweight), but she carries real power — the kind Cavalcanti doesn’t have. Cavalcanti is strictly a high-volume kickboxer, who has to out-point opponents to win decisions. Nunes doesn’t need 15 good minutes, she just needs one good punch. That’s good underdog upside.

Photo by Leandro Bernardes/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Prop Bets

Caio Borralho -5.5 Points Spread (-125)

For the uninitiated, points spread bets work in MMA the same they do in other sports, just with regard to totaling all three judges’ scorecards. So, this bet cashes if Borralho wins a decision by six or more collective points (50-45, 50-45, 49-46, for example) or finishes the fight. If Cannonier wins, or if Borralho only wins by five or fewer points (48-47, 48-47, and 48-47, for example) then the bet is a loser. So basically, does Borralho dominate?

I think he does. Cannonier is a very good fighter, but he’s 40 years old and past his prime. Borralho, on the other hand, is neither of those things. The Fighting Nerds contender is 6-0 in UFC and has looked sensational. He’s a developing and capable striker, and a very good wrestler and grappler. Given Cannonier’s decline, Borralho should be able to compete on the feet, and he has a decided edge on the mat. Cannonier may be tough enough to survive the full five, but I expect a comfortable win for Borralho.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Parlay of the Week

Let’s put together a little violence parlay.

Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Gerald Meerschaert Under 2.5 Rounds (-295)

In his 20 UFC fights, Meerschaert has hit under 2.5 rounds in 15 of them. For Shahbazyan, it’s eight out of 10. Simply put, both men come to get or get got. I suspect Meerschaert is the one who will get got, but you can’t count out his penchant for early submission wins either.

Zach Reese vs. Jose Medina Under 2.5 Rounds (-390)

Always bet the under when Reese is fighting. The man is all violence with minimal regard for defense, which is probably why he’s never been out of the first round in his career. Add in that Medina only has three decisions in his 14-fight career, and this should be over quickly.

Parlay these twp bets together for -147 odds.

Wrap Up

UFC 305 was very profitable for us, but of course, that was a good card. These APEX events are always hit or miss. Hopefully it’s a hit this time.

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

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

MMA: Mixed Martial Arts