CombatSports.org

The fighters competing on Saturday’s UFC event in Abu Dhabi officially weighed in on Friday morning.  The fight card is headlined by a bantamweight fight between second-ranked Cory Sandhagen and undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov.

Sandhagen (17-4) will enter the fight riding a three-fight winning streak. Nurmagomedov (17-0) hasn’t tasted defeat and has finished three of his five UFC opponents. Ranked 10th in the division, Nurmagomedov has the opportunity to pick up the biggest win of his career.

Nurmagomedov weighed in at 135 pounds while Sandhagen tipped the scales at 136 pounds.  The match is essentially a No. 1 contender bout with the winner likely earning a title shot. 

Cory Sandhagen – 136 #UFCAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/kgw1puGmK1

— Helen Yee (@HelenYeeSports) August 2, 2024

Umar Nurmagomedov first to weigh in at 135 #UFCAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/mFaxzkYQwi

— Helen Yee (@HelenYeeSports) August 2, 2024

UFC Abu Dhabi Official Weigh-in Results

Main Card (ABC, ESPN+, 3 p.m. ET)

• Cory Sandhagen (136) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (135)
• Shara Magomedov (186) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (185)
• Deiveson Figueiredo (135) vs. Marlon Vera (136)
• Michael Chiesa (170) vs. Tony Ferguson (170)
• Mackenzie Dern (115.5) vs. Loopy Godinez (115.5)
• Joel Alvarez (155.5) vs. Elves Brener (155)

Preliminary Card (ESPN2, ESPN+, noon ET)

• Alonzo Menifield (204) vs. Azamat Murzakanov (205)
• Kaue Fernandes (155.5) vs. Mohammad Yahya (155)
• Shamil Gaziev (262) vs. Don’Tale Mayes (265)
• Guram Kutateladze (155) vs. Jordan Vucenic (155)
• Viktoriia Dudakova (115.5) vs. Sam Hughes (114)
• Rolando Bedoya (155) vs. Jai Herbert (155.5)
• Sedriques Dumas (186) vs. Denis Tiuliulin (185)

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

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

MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Taila Santos feels Dakota Ditcheva was given an easier path to the PFL playoffs.

Santos, a one-time UFC title contender, and Ditcheva are both one win away from the 2024 PFL flyweight final. Santos, who has gone 2-0 since joining PFL this year, told MMA Fighting “it’s pretty clear” that Ditcheva was given favorable matchups during the regular season.

Ditcheva reached the playoffs by beating Lisa Mauldin and Chelsea Hackett, who were 6-3 and 4-2-1 at the time of their fights. The undefeated flyweight entered the season after winning 2023’s PFL Europe tournament, but the combined record of her three opponents in that bracket was 13-10.

“The fights they were giving her in the beginning, it’s pretty clear they were giving her an easy run so she could make it to the finals,” Santos said. “That’s why I said I want to show her what a real fight is all about, a tough fight. I fought tough fights since the beginning and I don’t care. That’s exactly what I want. I want to tough fights to show I’m the best.”

Santos choked out Ilara Joanne in her PFL debut and then won a split decision over Jena Bishop, who faces Ditcheva in her semifinal match Aug. 2 at PFL 7. Santos, who gave Valentina Shevchenko a tough five-round battle in the UFC, and has beaten the likes of Joanne Wood, Roxanne Modafferi, and Molly McCann in the octagon, faces Bellator flyweight champion Liz Carmouche for the other spot in the $ 1 million PFL final.

“It’s going to be really interested to have both of us getting to this final and fighting each other,” Santos said. “I just want to be in the final and face whoever, but it would be quite interesting to fight her. I would really like to fight Dakota because fans would like this one. People are talking about this fight, and I want to show her what a real fight is like. It would be exciting. I’m very excited to face her, really.”

Santos has to get past Carmouche first, and she’s confident she’ll get the job done.

“It’s an incredible fight. All respect to her, an incredible athlete as well, a veteran, and it’s an honor for me to fight her,” Santos said. “I’m very versatile as a fighter, although I grew up training Muay Thai before training jiu-jitsu and wrestling and everything else. I feel super comfortable in all areas today. I like it a lot, and I know she tries to grapple more, to back her opponents against the cage and impose her game. It’s going to be a very interesting game.”

As for the other semifinal, Santos isn’t confident in picking Ditcheva to beat Bishop.

“I think it’s going to be close,” Santos said. “It won’t be an easy fight for either one of them. If Jena can close the distance and take her down quickly and not give Dakota space on the feet — Dakota knows her to use her reach and she’s powerful. Jena surprised me, she’s really strong and I wasn’t expecting that. She’s very experienced, so she can win this if she can close the distance.”

“I came here to win this belt,” Santos added. “I’m ready to go to the final and win, no matter who I’m fighting there. I’m here to fight the best.”

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Political wokeness
| BJPenn.com

LIVE weigh ins results and real-time updates will start trickling in around 1 a.m. ET in the post below.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is just over 24 hours away from the upcoming UFC Abu Dhabi mixed martial arts (MMA) event, which is set to go down tomorrow (Sat., Aug. 3, 2024) on ABC and ESPN2/ESPN+ from inside Etihad Arena on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, UAE. UFC Abu Dhabi will be headlined by a bantamweight clash between Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov, a five-round headliner with serious title implications for late 2024 and beyond.

Before the ABC and ESPN2/ESPN+ live streams get underway this weekend in Abu Dhabi, which also include the middleweight showdown between 185-pound rising stars Sharabutdin Magomedov and Michał Oleksiejczuk — filling in for the scrapped co-main event between Nick Diaz and Vicente Luque — all 26 fighters must hit the scale to prove themselves worthy.

Complete UFC Abu Dhabi weigh ins text results below:

UFC Abu Dhabi Main Card On ABC/ESPN+:

135 lbs.: Cory Sandhagen (136) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (135)
185 lbs.: Sharabutdin Magomedov (186) vs. Michał Oleksiejczuk (185)
135 lbs.: Marlon Vera (136) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (135.5)
170 lbs.: Tony Ferguson (170) vs. Michael Chiesa (170)
115 lbs.: Mackenzie Dern (115) vs. Loopy Godinez (115.5)
155 lbs.: Joel Alvarez (155.5) vs. Elves Brener (155)

UFC Abu Dhabi Prelims Card on ESPN2/ESPN+:

155 lbs.: Guram Kutateladze (155) vs. Jordan Vucenic (155)
205 lbs.: Alonzo Menifield (204) vs. Azamat Murzakanov (205)
115 lbs.: Victoria Dudakova (115.5) vs. Sam Hughes (115)
155 lbs.: Mohammad Yahya (155) vs. Kaue Fernandes (155.5)
265 lbs.: Shamil Gaziev (262) vs. Don’Tale Mayes (265)
155 lbs.: Jai Herbert (155.5) vs. Rolando Bedoya (155)
185 lbs.: Sedriques Dumas (186) vs. Denis Tiuliulin (185)

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Abu Dhabi fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN2/ESPN+ preliminary card matchups, which are scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining main card balance on ABC/ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Abu Dhabi news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archives here, here, and here. For the updated and finalized “Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov” fight card and ABC/ESPN+ lineup click here.

MMAmania.com – All Posts

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

MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov are set for a bout that could determine the next challenger for the UFC bantamweight title.

At Friday’s official morning weigh-ins for UFC Abu Dhabi, Sandhagen and Nurmagomedov both successfully weighed in for Saturday’s main event, with Sandhagen tipping the scales at 136 pounds (the maximum for a non-title bantamweight bout) and Nurmagomedov slightly lighter at 135 pounds.

With the headliners both currently occupying top-10 spots in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, it’s a possibility that the winner of the Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov bout earns the right to challenge the winner of the Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili title fight that takes place at UFC 306 on Sept. 14.

In the co-main event, undefeated middleweight Shara Magomedov takes on dangerous fight finisher Michal Oleksiejczuk. Magomedov was the last fighter to weigh in, but successfully made weight at 186 pounds, while Oleksiejczuk came in at 185 pounds.

All 28 fighters competing at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday successfully made weight.

See official UFC Abu Dhabi weigh-in results below.

Main Card (ABC, ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET)

Cory Sandhagen (136) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (135)

Shara Magomedov (186) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (185)

Marlon Vera (136) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (135.5)

Tony Ferguson (170) vs. Michael Chiesa (170)

Mackenzie Dern (115) vs. Loopy Godinez (115.5)

Joel Alvarez (155.5) vs. Elves Brener (155)

Preliminary Card (ESPN2, ESPN+ at 12 p.m. ET)

Alonzo Menifield (204) vs. Azamat Murzakanov (205)

Mohammad Yahya (155) vs. Kaue Fernandes (155.5)

Shamil Gaziev (262) vs. Don’Tale Mayes (265)

Guram Kutateladze (155) vs. Jordan Vucenic (155)

Viktoriia Dudakova (115.5) vs. Sam Hughes (114)

Jai Herbert (155.5) vs. Rolando Bedoya (155)

Sedriques Dumas (186) vs. Denis Tiuliulin (185)

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Former undisputed heavyweight boxing champion, Oleksandr Usyk is the latest in the long line of combat sports stars to voice their disgruntlement with this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris, France – particularly voicing his displeasure with the much-scrutinzed boxing competition, which he described as “rotten”.

Usyk, a native of Ukraine, became undisputed heavyweight world champion in professional boxing back in May, handing British heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury his first professional loss in a one-sided unanimous decision win in Riyadh to snatch the undisputed WBC heavyweight crown.

And expected to take on the Morecambe native at the end of the year in an immediate championship rematch, Oleksandr Usyk, who featured at the Olympic Games in 2012 back in London, won the gold medal at the men’s heavyweight limit.

Oleksandr Usyk labels current Olympic boxing regime “rotten”

However, amid criticizm over the competing of both Imane Khelif and Taiwan native Ling Yu-ting, heavyweight world champion, Usyk has called for a complete reform of the Games’ boxing system, labelling the current regime as “rotten”.

“For many years, there has been a desire to change the boxing system, which is rotten on an international level,” Oleksandr Usyk told SNTV during a recent interview. “So, we just need to work. No promises need to be made; we need to act. When you do this, people see the work done and come to you, asking to collaborate.”

A decorated amateur boxing star, Usyk retired from the amateur scene boasting a stunning 335-15 record, besting the trio of Clemente Russo, Tervel Pulev, and current WBC, IBF, and WBO light heavyweight champion, Artur Beterbiev en route to his gold medal victory in London at the heavyweight limit. 

Unbeaten during his professional career in boxing, with his one-sided decision win over Fury earlier this year in the Middle East, Usyk improved to 22-0 as a professional. 

LowKickMMA.com

Marlon “Chito” Vera returns this weekend in Abu Dhabi where he looks to get back to winning ways in the bantamweight division.

Vera faces a tough test in former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo but he has all the motivation he needs after how his last fight went.

The challenger was unable to really put his stamp on his 135-pound title fight with Sean O’Malley at UFC 299, where he was beaten convincingly over the five round contest.

His toughness was enough to keep him in the fight but even that was tested at several points by some sniper-like striking from “Suga”.

One strike, in particular, stole the show in March after O’Malley landed a knee that sounded even worse than it looked.

Marlon Vera Says A Punch In The Fifth Round Hurt More Than Viral Knee

Before he makes the walk once again this weekend, Vera reflected on his last fight and some of the damage that he took.

It says a lot about his heart and durability that he was able to make it to the final bell with many finding it hard to believe that he continued to fight on after that knee strike landed in the second round.

Vera spoke during his media day interview about what was going through his mind at that moment and how much damage the knee actually caused.

“Just to make a comparison, the punch in the fifth round that land perfectly on my eye, it wasn’t an eye poke but it felt like one, hurt me a million times more. Like I was fully blind, I was like, ‘F***!’ It was a perfect punch, props on him but I mean the knee really like kind of shocked me.

“I was like, ‘F*** I got clipped with something big,’ and I know it was the knee but I wasn’t like… my legs were there. I was just like, ‘F*** that really hurt,’ In terms of a hit but I would say my brain and my legs were there. I was just like don’t do that again. It was pretty much almost the same knee that I hit Font with.”

Read also: Marlon Vera Questions Merab Dvalishvili’s Chin Ahead Of Sean O’Malley Title Fight: ‘If You’re Getting Dropped By Cejudo…’

Continue Reading Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera Gives Props To Sean O’Malley, Talks Viral Knee: ‘Really Kinda Shocked Me…’ at MMA News.

MMA News

Former two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has the opportunity to become a three-time titleholder when he faces champion Dricus Du Plessis in the UFC 305 main event on Aug. 17.  

Du Plessis (21-2) won the 185-pound championship by defeating Sean Strickland at UFC 297 in January.  He’ll put the belt on the line for the first time at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia against “The Last Stylebender.”  Adesanya (24-3) hasn’t fought since September 2023 when he lost the title to Strickland.    

Adesanya released behind-the-scenes training footage from his UFC 305 preparation to his YouTube channel on Thursday.  

UFC 305 will mark the fight promotion’s third time holding an event in Perth and the beginning of a multiyear deal for two annual events in the city.  The title bout will be the first time two African-born athletes compete for a UFC title. 

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