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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

The UFC Vegas 96 weigh-ins will have 24 fighters hitting the scale on Friday leading to the main event between middleweights Jared Cannonier and Caio Borralho.

Following a loss to Nassourdine Imavov in his last outing, Cannonier attempts to bounce back while maintaining his position in the middleweight rankings while the upstart contender in Borralho attempts to get the biggest win of his career.

The upcoming UFC Vegas 96 card also features the finals in the new season of The Ultimate Fighter with champions being crowned at middleweight and featherweight.

The action kicks off at 12 p.m. ET with the full card listed below:

Main Card (ESPN/ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET)

MAIN EVENT: Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho

Angela Hill vs. Tabatha Ricci

Robert Valentin vs. Ryan Loder (TUF 32 middleweight final)

Kaan Ofli vs. Mairon Santos Alves (TUF 32 featherweight final)

Neil Magny vs. Michael Morales

Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Gerald Meerschaert

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

Dennis Buzukja vs. Francis Marshall

Zach Reese vs. Jose Medina

Viacheslav Borshchev vs. James Llontop

Jacqueline Cavalcanti vs. Josiane Nunes

Zygimantas Ramaska vs. Nathan Fletcher

Wang Cong vs. Victoria Leonard

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Topuria feels confident
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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is just one day away from the upcoming UFC Vegas 96 mixed martial arts (MMA) event, which is set to go down tomorrow night (Sat., Aug. 24, 2024) on ESPN and ESPN+ from inside APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC Vegas 96 features a middleweight main event between Top 15 title contenders Jared Cannonier and Caio Borralho, 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 strawweight showdown between Angela Hill and Tabitha Ricci, check out Andrew Richardson’s “X-Factor” breakdown for the rest of the UFC Vegas 96 main card by clicking here. Get all the latest “Cannonier vs. Borralho” odds and betting props courtesy of DraftKings right here. For UFC Vegas 96 live results and play-by-play click here.

185 lbs.: Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho

Jared “Killa Gorilla” Cannonier
Record: 17-7 | Age: 40 | Betting line: +200
Wins: 10 KO/TKO, 2 SUB, 5 DEC | Losses: 3 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 4 DEC
Height: 5’11” | Reach: 77” | Stance: Switch
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.62 | Striking accuracy: 52%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 4.19 | Striking Defense: 58%
Takedown Average: 0.47 (46% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 61%
Current Ranking: No. 5 | Last fight: Technical knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov

Caio “The Natural” Borralho
Record: 16-1, 1 NC | Age: 31 | Betting line: -245
Wins: 5 KO/TKO, 4 SUB, 7 DEC | Losses: 0 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 1 DEC
Height: 6’1“ | Reach: 75” | Stance: Southpaw
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 2.91 | Striking accuracy: 60%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 2.06 | Striking Defense: 60%
Takedown Average: 1.99 (63% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 76%
Current Ranking: No. 12 | Last fight: Knockout win over Paul Craig

Jared Cannonier turned 40 back in March but you certainly wouldn’t be able to tell based on his physical gifts. It’s hard to draw conclusions on where he’s at in his combat sports career after his controversial loss to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Louisville back in June. Was it an early stoppage? Absolutely. Was Cannonier in all kinds of trouble before the finish? No doubt about it. What isn’t known is whether or not “Killa Gorilla” had a rough day at the office. Maybe Imavov was just a bad matchup or found the opening he needed. There is talk of Cannonier falling apart but in order to subscribe to that theory, we have to overlook his one-sided ass kicking of Marvin Vettori in June 2023, which followed a win over former middleweight champion Sean Strickland the year before. Assuming Cannonier — a former heavyweight — is just as dangerous as he was against “The Italian Dream” we still have to account for the fact that he sometimes falls flat and underperforms, like he did against Israel Adesanya at UFC 276; so yeah, predicting a Cannonier fight presents its challenges.

“Sometimes for me, being so high in the rankings, being so close to another title shot, I think I put a little bit of pressure on myself,” Cannonier told MMA Junkie. “There was always conversations with randoms like, ‘Title shot next.’ I was focusing more on what could be, as opposed to what was next. Not to say that I wasn’t focused on my opponents or focused in camp or focused on my fight. It feels like there’s been a weight lifted off me not having to worry about the implications of this fight. Not to say that there aren’t bad implications if I lose. Not to say that I’m not concerned about the dangers that each of these contests present. But I’m planning to just go in there and instead of trying not to lose, focus more on doing my thing and getting that win.”

Cannonier has 12 finishes in 17 wins, 10 by way of knockout.

“I think he’s going to be in trouble even if he does get me down, because he’s not going to be able to keep me down,” Cannonier continued. “And if he ends up on the bottom, it’s not going to be too good for him down there. So I’ve got all the confidence in my ground game. I don’t know why people think my ground game isn’t good. I haven’t been submitted in the UFC. I haven’t been submitted in my career. When I was green I fought Glover Teixeira and I spent a lot of time underneath him and didn’t get tapped. And I was green as far as my grappling goes back then. I’m much better now. If you guys are thinking of taking me down, you’re more than welcome to try.”

Caio Borralho cut his teeth on Dana White’s “Contender Series” back in late 2021 but needed two appearances at the APEX proving ground to land a UFC contract. Since then, the Brazilian has been off to the races, racking up six straight wins while breaking into the Top 15 of the middleweight rankings. That said, his road to the top has been mostly highway miles and Cannonier represents a major step up in competition. Of the six fighters “The Natural” has defeated under the UFC banner, none of them are ranked at 185 pounds and two of them have since been released by the promotion. To be fair, we can’t punish Borralho for how matchmakers Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard book him but he’s still got work to do if he wants to be taken seriously as a middleweight title contender, and that starts with a strong performance this weekend in “Sin City.”

“I think it can go either way (decision or finish),” Borralho said at the UFC Vegas 96 media day. “It just depends on how prepared he is and how much he wants it. At 40 years old, let’s see how much he wants to stay in the position that he is and to go again for the belt and something like that. I think he’s a very experienced guy, very explosive and has power in his hands. He knows how to take the fight where he wants it to go. Definitely an experienced guy. He’s faced a lot of tough opponents. All respect to Jared, but it’s my time now.”

Borralho has just two finishes under the UFC banner.

“I’m prepared — I worked my ass off for this fight, and I think I deserve this victory,” Borralho continued. “Let’s just see how prepared he’s going to come, and see how prepared he comes for me. I’m going to push the pace, I’m going to make the rhythm high at all times and let’s see how he behaves in the fight. It all depends on him and if he came very well-prepared. I’m prepared to knock him out or finish him because I have the ground game, and he doesn’t have that much, so let’s see how Jared comes.”

Cannonier can be a dangerous striker and his success on the feet typically depends on his level of aggression. It also helps that he’s got knockout power, which means Borralho can’t take as many chances on the feet. Fortunately for “The Natural,” he’s got a punishing ground game that is likely to penetrate Cannonier’s mediocre takedown defense. A five-round fight gives “Killa Gorilla” 25 minutes to land the kill shot, assuming he remembers to throw it, but I think Borralho is too smart to silver-platter his chin. In addition, he’s more well rounded on offense and has more ways to win, leading me to believe he catches Cannonier during a transition and finishes what Imavov started.

Prediction: Prediction: Borralho def. Cannonier by technical knockout

115 lbs.: Angela Hill vs. Tabitha Ricci

Angela “Overkill” Hill
Record: 17-13 | Age: 39 | Betting line: -110
Wins: 5 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 11 DEC | Losses: 0 KO/TKO, 2 SUB, 11 DEC
Height: 5’3“ | Reach: 64” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 5.38 | Striking accuracy: 49%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 4.86 | Striking Defense: 61%
Takedown Average: 0.80 (33% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 76%
Current Ranking: No. 9 | Last fight: Submission win over Luana Pinheiro

Tabitha “Baby Shark” Ricci
Record: 10-2 | Age: 29 | Betting line: -110
Wins: 1 KO/TKO, 3 SUB, 6 DEC | Losses: 1 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 1 DEC
Height: 5’1“ | Reach: 61” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.28 | Striking accuracy: 37%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 4.94 | Striking Defense: 60%
Takedown Average: 2.99 (35% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 77%
Current Ranking: No. 11 | Last fight: Split decision win over Tecia Pennington

Angela Hill is a great example of how to have a long and successful career in UFC without ever coming close to a title shot. That said, her recent run — four out of five with a knockout victory over Luana Pinheiro — has put her within striking distance of the Top 5. Hill got her start on Season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) back in early 2014 and the secret of her success has been activity, as well as reliability. Over the last decade, “Overkill” has never fought less than twice per calendar year and has often competed four times within a 12-month span. Not surprisingly, Hill holds multiple UFC records at strawweight including total fights (24), total wins (11), total strikes landed (2151), and significant strikes landed (1839). She’s also got five post-fight performance bonuses, four of them “Fight of the Night.”

“It’s going to take a lot of convincing for people to really get behind the fact that I could potentially fight for the belt eventually, despite my age or any wins and losses I have in the UFC,” Hill said at the UFC Vegas 96 media day. “It’s all a matter of putting together a strong portfolio in the last couple of years, and I think I’ve been able to do that. I’m just focusing on the fight ahead of me and making sure that every time I’m out there I’m focusing on the present and in the moment, and not thinking too far ahead.”

A victory on Saturday night would give her three straight wins for the first time in four years.

“I’m just hoping I eventually get that shot,” Hill continued. “If I don’t I think I’ll be able to retire pretty happy with what I’ve accomplished, but that’s the main goal, work my way to the top and see what happens. I feel like I can beat anyone, it’s just a matter of coming in with the right mindset, training hard, and being ready that day. I feel like I can do that with anyone, it’s just a matter of putting that on paper and actually showing up and doing what I think I can do.”

Tabitha Ricci migrated to UFC back in early 2021 after five straight wins on the regional circuit, three of which ended by way of knockout or submission. Matchmakers did her no favors in her Octagon debut, pairing Ricci against French “Beast” Manon Fiorot, a fight that sank “Baby Shark” in the second stanza. Undaunted, the Brazilian roared back to win five of her next six, which includes her decision win over Tecia Pennington at UFC St. Louis last May. Standing just 5’1” with a 61” reach, Ricci has to rely on her aggression in most fights, much like former champion Jessica Andrade, and part of her attack includes a punishing wrestling game that averages three takedowns per fight. Hill is a competent wrestler in her own right, but got taken down three times in her loss to Mackenzie Dern and another three times in her defeat opposite Virna Jandiroba. If Ricci can maintain that same pressure — not unreasonable across a three-round contest — Hill could find herself handcuffed for most of the fight.

Prediction: Ricci def. Hill by decision

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the UFC Vegas 96 main card predictions RIGHT HERE.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 96 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+ preliminary card matchups, which are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining main card balance on ESPN/ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 96 news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archives here and here. For the updated and finalized “Cannonier vs. Borralho” fight card and ESPN/ESPN+ lineup click here.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Sean O’Malley doesn’t like Conor McGregor all that much these days, but he completely understands that the former two-division UFC champ is the biggest star in the history of the sport.

O’Malley addressed McGregor as he continues getting ready to defend his bantamweight title in the main event of UFC 306 on Sept. 14 at Sphere in Las Vegas against No. 1 contender Merab Dvalishvili.

In an interview with ESPN, O’Malley, who knocked out Dvalishvili’s teammate Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 in August 2023 to win the title, was asked how close he is to becoming the face of the UFC. The flamboyant bantamweight says it’s hard to gauge with a pay-per-view model littered with illegal streaming, but for him, he sees a path to getting there if the roadmap he’s drawn out in his head actually happens.

“Right now it’s Conor McGregor, 100 percent,” O’Malley said. “He’s a dork, but it’s the truth. For me to get to that, I need to go out there and knock out Merab, I go up to [145 pounds], I beat Ilia [Topuria], I beat Max [Holloway], I beat Umar [Nurmagomedov], I’m three fights away from being one of the greatest of all-time, one of the most exciting of all-time. There’s [a] difference.

“No one thinks Conor’s the greatest fighter of all-time. He was lacking skills, lacked title defenses, but entertainment wise, he’s the best in the world. Entertainment wise, he was the best.”

O’Malley successfully defended his title with a stellar performance in a lopsided decision win against longtime rival Marlon Vera to get revenge on the only man to defeat him in an MMA fight. That 25-minute outing opened a lot of eyes to the, perhaps, underrated ceiling the MMA community placed on him throughout his build to the title.

While being the UFC’s biggest star is an accomplishment — albeit a lucrative one — O’Malley says he’s striving for more: The combination of superstardom, and historical greatness.

“Greatest fighter of all-time, Jon Jones, Khabib [Nurmagomedov], Islam [Makhachev], [all] up there,” O’Malley explained. “I want to be both. I want to be one of the greatest of all-times, and one of the most entertaining of all-times. That’s my goal.”

MMA Fighting – All Posts

JK Rowling has recently been involved in a controversy surrounding Algerian Olympic boxer Imane Khelif. Khelif was hounded on social media over a false story accusing her of being a man competing as a woman.

JK Rowling and Imane Khelif

This situation escalated after Rowling made comments on social media regarding Khelif’s gender, incorrectly identifying her as a man. Khelif, who won a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, has faced scrutiny over her gender identity due to past disqualifications from the International Boxing Association (IBA). The IBA is largely not considered a reputable organization due to corruption. The IBA never specified what they tested for. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) supported her right to compete, affirming her eligibility as a female athlete.

Imane Khelif was born a woman and competes as a woman. No test had ever said that she was intersex, had XY chromosomes, or had increased testosterone. The IBA never claimed such things. It was misinformation aimed at a minority woman. Being LGBTQ in Algeria could land a citizen in prison.

Following these events, Khelif filed a cyberbullying lawsuit in France, naming JK Rowling, Elon Musk, and others, accusing them of promoting online harassment against her. The backlash spurred the lawsuit and misinformation spread about her gender identity, which Khelif claims has caused her significant distress.

In response to the lawsuit and the surrounding controversy, JK Rowling has reportedly deleted numerous tweets related to Khelif and has gone silent on her social media platform X, formerly Twitter. This silence is notable given Rowling’s typically very active presence on the platform, especially regarding issues related to gender and transgender people.

The legal proceedings are ongoing, and while it is uncertain if billionaires JK Rowling or Elon Musk will face prosecution due to jurisdictional issues, the lawsuit highlights the broader debate over gender identity in sports and the impact of public figures’ comments on social media. JK Rowling was never censored, she is facing the consequences of the thoughts she published publicly. Elon Musk also spread misinformation on a platform where he largely controls the spread of information.

Chael Sonnen explained the controversy:

The claim that the boxer submitted a genetic test that came back with an XY chromosome—indicating that she is biologically male—is simply not true. The IBA, which initiated this whole controversy, never said such a test was done. They only mentioned that they found something, which was then appealed.

The IOC, which sees the IBA as insignificant in the broader sports world, reviewed the appeal. The IBA is relatively unimportant in the grand scheme of sports, and they never claimed that the test involved genetics or chromosomes. Everything else—this entire narrative—was fabricated by outlets and spread across the internet.

He added:

Alleging that this Algerian boxer had a test showing she had the XY chromosome, which would indicate biological maleness. But this is simply not true. The test never happened. The IBA never claimed such a test was done.

But if you care about the truth and the reality, I’ve just laid it out for you.

Update from JK Rowling

Rowling just Tweeted moments ago mocking and smearing the Algerian athlete. Many people on social media were happy to admit they were wrong due to misinformation. Instead, Rowling continues personal attacks:

“It’s important to highlight that launching a PR campaign and applying layers of thick makeup requires far more time and effort than simply making DNA test results public.”

LowKickMMA.com

Ronda Rousey has dipped her toe into many career avenues throughout her life. Combat sports, acting, sports entertainment, the graphic novel world, and now real estate?

‘Rowdy’ has found success in almost everything she does, but the most dominant years of her life arguably came inside the octagon. The retired UFC women’s bantamweight still holds the record for the most consecutive title defenses and most finishes in title fights in the division. 

Whether fans love her or hate her, the now 37-year-old is a major factor in the success of women’s mixed martial arts and will forever be remembered as one of the greatest to ever do it.

Since leaving her sporting career in the past, Ronda Rousey is now hoping to settle down in one of her ranches with her husband — fellow UFC veteran Travis Brown — and focus on the next stage of her life.

After purchasing a beautiful home a decade ago for $ 1.4 million, Rousey is hoping to see an almost $ 1.9 million return on her Los Angeles property. 

The fabulous two bedroom, one bathroom bungalow has a warm, welcoming living space perfect for an individual or a small family.

The bungalow is hidden away in the heart of the oceanside community of Venice Beach. Though cosy, the property has a near 870 square feet living area and almost a 2250 square feet loft. Another benefit of the land is the location, which is incredibly just walking distance from the boardwalk.

Related: Ronda Rousey reveals the one thing preventing UFC return

A built-in barbecue sits in the outdoor space and is perfectly accompanied by a large rooftop lounging area for those hot summer evenings.

The California home has much to offer. Ranging from a versatile one-car garage to a comforting loft space ready to be converted into whatever one’s heart desires.

Check out the mesmerizing residence below.

View the 14 images of this gallery on the original article

MMAWeekly.com | UFC and MMA News, Results, Rumors, and Videos

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Retired UFC Lightweight kingpin Khabib Nurmagomedov’s year has been a complicated one. Though his athletes continue to find unprecedented success around the globe, Nurmagomedov was dealt a substantial blow by the Russian government, which froze his bank accounts and seized his collection of luxury cars over a unpaid tax bill totaling $ 3.4 million.

Conor McGregor, naturally, took great joy in his former opponent’s suffering. Regardless, Nurmagomedov paid off the bill just about a week ago, so there will be no need for a UFC comeback or quick boxing match in Riyadh.

Perhaps there’s more to the story? In a recent interview, top-ranked Bellator contender Alexandr Shabliy — who is scheduled to face Bellator Lightweight champion and Khabib trainee Usman Nurmagomedov on Sept. 7 — weighed in on the real reason behind Khabib’s tax issues. The Russian clearly picked his words carefully, but he explained that political disagreements were the root cause of Khabib’s frozen accounts and assets seizure.

“In general, this situation is connected with the fact that it wasn’t just that it turned out that Khabib had some unpaid taxes. This is a situation of counterbalance between the country and Khabib. Khabib did not support the political decisions of the state, and in response, the state — as in response to many bloggers who pursued opposition policies and did not support the government’s position — took such measures. I think that it is no secret that our state has a tough policy and controls the resources that it has.”

What political disagreements? Khabib may be buddy-buddy with Russian president Vladimir Putin, but “The Eagle” has also spoken out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In fact, he specifically asked former US President Donald Trump to stop the bloodshed when the two met at a UFC event. Of course, Shabliy didn’t name the war specifically, but it’s hard to imagine a different political disagreement causing the retired champion so many problems.

Even for MMA legends, Russian politics can be a dangerous scene.

Insomnia

Renan Ferreira denies the idea that he was talking trash in reference to Francis Ngannou’s deceased son.

I’d love to know the backstory here. A friendly embrace capped off by a cheap shot? There has to be some drama involved.

Dricus Du Plessis remains undefeated in bantering with UFC fighters, current or former.

Jon Jones demonstrates how much he doesn’t care about social media talk by destroying his phone then posting it on social media.

On a related note, Stipe Miocic denies the injury rumors.

Weight classes are imaginary.

Every clip I see of Russian TUF seems to confirm it’s a better watch than our version.

Muhammad Mokaev wrecked his car but is thankfully okay.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Carlos Prates has such a slick style of striking, he makes the most of a really long reach while staying very aggressive.

Name a better uppercut?

Gerald Meerschaert already was deep into his career by the time he joined the UFC roster, but that didn’t stop “GM3” from picking up a bunch of submissions inside the Octagon!

Random Land

I should feel bad for the gators but I cannot stop laughing at the idea of chasing off a horde of crocodiles with a shovel.

Midnight Music: Punk, 1978

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

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