This weekend (Sat., June 8, 2024), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) hits the road to KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., for UFC Louisville. In the main event, Middleweight’s forgotten elite contender, Jared Cannonier, looks to make a statement opposite French prospect, Nassourdine Imavov. In addition, Dominick Reyes hopes to end his losing streak, and Raul Rosas Jr. will hopefully make it to the cage this time opposite The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) winner, Ricky Turcios.

Let’s dig into all the main card fights leading up to the co-main event:

Bantamweight: Raul Rosas Jr. (-265) vs. Ricky Turcios (+190)

Best Win for Rosas Jr.? Jay Perrin For Turcios? Kevin Natividad
Current Streak: Both men won their last bout
X-Factor: Rosas Jr. is still 19!
How these two match up: I expect chaos.

Rosas Jr. made headlines by debuting inside the Octagon at a ridiculously young age and saying silly things to the media about fighting for the belt right away. The Christian Rodriguez loss was a bit of a reality check, but all the same, Rosas Jr. is a talented grappler with developing knockout power.

Turcios is TUF champion, a veteran with a good deal of experience who thrives in wild fights. Cardio is the name of Turcios’ game, as he’s happy to push a high pace wherever the fight goes, and he tends to do his best work in the latter half of grueling battles.

At the moment, the strengths and weaknesses of Rosas Jr. are well-known. Barring further development — obviously very possible at his age — “El Problema Nina” is a major handful early in fights. He storms out of the gate and absolutely sprints toward the finish, usually looking to take the back and wrangle the neck.

It’s not likely to be that easy against Turcios, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who’s been stopped just once in 15 fights. Turcios is an excellent scrambler, the type of difficult-to-hold-down athlete who can really frustrate wrestlers accustomed to dominating from top position. The question here is this: do you believe Rosas Jr. finishes Turcios inside five minutes? If not, he’s going to have a lot of trouble down the stretch.

Turcios loses the first frame, but that volume and activity edge takes over somewhere in the middle of the fight.

Prediction: Turcios via decision

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Middleweight: Brunno Ferreira (-280) vs. Dustin Stoltzfus (+200)

Best Win for Ferreira? Phil Hawes For Stoltzfus? Punahele Soriano
Current Streak: Both men won their last bout
X-Factor: Ferreira has yet to leave the first round in a UFC fight
How these two match up: I like to dunk on Middleweight, but Ferreira fights are always fun.

“The Hulk” showed more to his game than expected last time out. En route to knocking out Phil Hawes, the Brazilian prospect scored some surprisingly slick throws from the clinch, as well as a more defined kicking game … then he knocked him out with a big punch, which is what most were expecting.

Stoltzfus is also coming off a strong performance. He’s been technically skilled since the start of his UFC career, but that hasn’t always equated to wins. Against Soriano, he combined his talents well, avoiding the Hawaiians’ biggest punches and methodically working his way into takedowns.

It’s hard to back Stoltzfus even giving his recent improvement. The athleticism gap is just so massive. Ferreira is going to be hard to move around in terms of wrestling, and on the feet, his significant edges in speed and power seem likely to produce another early finish. There’s always a chance that Stoltzfus can extend the fight late and bring his technical abilities into play, but odds are he doesn’t get the chance.

Prediction: Ferreira via knockout

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Middleweight: Julian Marquez (-115) vs. Zach Reese (-105)

Best Win for Marquez? Sam Alvey For Reese? Eli Aranov
Current Streak: Marquez has lost two in a row, while Reese recently lost his UFC debut
X-Factor: Reese is only six fights deep into his professional career
How these two match up: See, this is the type of mediocrity I expect from Middleweight.

Marquez is technically mediocre in most ways. He makes up for it, however, by being large for the division and tough as nails. He also has a really nice inside dirty boxing game, though he doesn’t always have a path towards getting the fight to that range. Reese, meanwhile, hasn’t actually fought that much because all his bouts end inside a round. From what we’ve seen, he’s a powerful striker with a great build for the division, but it doesn’t seem like there’s a ton of depth to his game.

This is tough. On one hand, Marquez has beaten some good names over the years. He’s gritty and knows how to win fights against opposition a level above Reese. At the same time, Marquez looked downright uninspired against Marc-Andre Barriault, and his problems with making weight demonstrate a lack of professionalism that could be catching up at 34 years of age.

Still, Marquez can take a shot and keep fighting into the second. That seems like enough to overwhelm an opponent with so little experience against good fighters.

Prediction: Marquez via knockout

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Welterweight: Miguel Baeza (-175) vs. Punahele Soriano (+135)

Best Win for Baeza? Matt Brown For Soriano? Dusko Todorovic
Current Streak: Baeza has lost three straight, while Soriano has lost two in a row
X-Factor: This is Soriano’s first bout at 170 lbs.
How these two match up: Somebody is taking a nap.

Back in 2020, Baeza was a hot prospect on the rise, allegedly the next Jorge Masvidal. He showed some plus skills and great slickness in his 3-0 UFC start, true, but since then, we have unfortunately learned that Baeza’s defense isn’t great. He’s quite hittable, and fellow Welterweight sluggers have taken advantage.

Soriano’s story is similar. The heavy-handed Hawaiian started his UFC career with some big knockout wins, but his opponents quickly realized there isn’t much to his game besides a wide left hand swing. Is dropping 15 pounds a fix for a technical flaw? Not really.

Will it matter against Baeza though? He gets hit too much and is fighting a guy who hits really hard. At first glance, it sounds like a bad match up. I think, however, that he’ll be able to see those lefts coming. Soriano was able to make his one weapon style work (for a little while) at Middleweight because of his quickness and agility. Down a weight class, he’s going to look even more limited and not nearly as explosive with his overhand.

A scare or two should be expected, but I think Baeza returns to the win column here.

Prediction: Baeza via decision

‘X-Factor’ Picks for 2024: 24-11 (2)

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Louisville fight card right here, starting with the ESPN2/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance on ESPN (simulcast on ESPN+) at 8 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Louisville: “Cannonier vs. Imavov” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

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The Mixed Martial Arts Hour is back in your life! Below is a rundown of Wednesday’s show, which begins at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. UK time.

1 p.m. ET: We kick off the show by addressing the latest in the combat sports world.

1:30 p.m.: Michael Chiesa looks ahead to his UFC Abu Dhabi bout against Tony Ferguson.

2:30 p.m.: Two-division boxing champ Savannah Marshall previews her MMA debut against Mirela Vargas at Saturday’s PFL Europe event.

3 p.m.: Curtis Blaydes checks in ahead of his UFC 304 interim title challenge against Tom Aspinall.

3:30 p.m.: We answer all your questions in the latest edition of On the Nose, and the Parlay Pals make their latest selections for the combat sports weekend.

4:30 p.m.: BKFC boss David Feldman is back to talk shop (and maybe break some news).

For the latest episodes of The MMA Hour, subscribe on Spotify or iTunes.

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Arman Tsarukyan says Dustin Poirier was mentally broken which is why he gave up in the fifth round against Islam Makhachev.

Poirier was headlining UFC 302 against Makhachev for the lightweight title and in the lead-up to the fight, ‘The Diamond’ had said this would be his final shot at becoming the undisputed champion.

Although Poirier had moments in the fight, he ended up getting submitted in the fifth round and Tsarukyan believes ‘The Diamond’ gave up once it got back to the ground in the final round.

“The first round went to Makhachev,” Tsarukyan told Outside MMA (via MMAMania). “I thought, ‘Damn, this Poirier is a complete sack.’ Then I saw that Poirier turned on, and Islam got tired and the fight became more interesting. Dustin Poirier surprised me. To be honest, I was more surprised by Islam, why he got tired so quickly and couldn’t fight.

“As we know, Islam doesn’t breathe that well in five round fights,” he continued. “This is the second five-round fight and he’s giving away the endings. I wonder where Islam found the strength to choke, but I have a feeling that Poirier just gave up. In terms of being mentally broken. There were 2.5 minutes left. Why are you giving up your neck? Well, endure it, get over it, do something, but don’t give up. There are 2.5 minutes left, your last fight, this is the most important and last fight in your life. You take it and just give it away. I wouldn’t just give it up.”

Despite Arman Tsarukyan thinking Dustin Poirier gave up at UFC 302, ‘The Diamond’ put up a much better performance than most thought he would.

Dustin Poirier hints at retirement after UFC 302

Following Dustin Poirier losing by fifth-round submission to Islam Makhachev, ‘The Diamond’ hinted at this being his final fight.

In the lead-up to the bout, Poirier said this could be his final fight and after the result, he wouldn’t confirm it would be it but his last fight, bu says it is something he will think about.

“I mean I know I can compete with the best of these guys. It’s just like if I do fight again, what am I fighting for? Just to fight? I’ve done that 50 times,” Poirier said to Joe Rogan after the fight. “I don’t know, I got a beautiful girl I love and I gotta see. I think this could be it honestly.”

If Poirier does retire after UFC 302 he would end his career with a record of 30-9 and a one No Contest.

LowKickMMA.com

A Russian businessman purchased a Charles Oliveira experience for a whopping $ 95,000 at the annual Instituto Projeto Neymar auction on Monday night in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Roman Shpigel won the bid to pay nearly six figures to watch Oliveira train at Chute Boxe Diego Lima, and then fly to wherever his UFC next fight takes place. Shpigel will get a chance to watch the former UFC lightweight champion cut weight, then join the team for the post-weigh-ins day. The deal also includes two tickets for the event.

UFC has yet to announce a date, location, and opponent for Oliveira’s next bout. “Do Bronx” lost a decision to Arman Tsarukyan in his most appearance in April at UFC 300.

This year’s auction broke last year’s fundraising records by totaling $ 5.1 million. Neymar’s institute supports around 3,000 kids and teenagers from Jardim Gloria, Praia Grande. Neymar, who currently plays for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia and was the No. 7 highest-paid athlete of 2024 according to Forbes with $ 108 million earnings, announced an additional $ 5.1 million donation to Rio Grande do Sul, the Brazilian state recently affected by floods.

Shpigel bought two other experiences, paying $ 190,000 to visit Neymar’s house, and a six-figure sum for an experience with Brazilian soccer team Flamengo and a barbecue at Leo Pereira’s house. Other items auctioned included a jersey from Pele’s final match in 1977, a poker match with Neymar, a Paris Saint Germain jersey autographed by the Brazilian icon, as well as football stars Messi and Suarez.

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Remind everyone
| BJPenn.com

Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Michael Chandler may have information the rest of us do not.

It’s been a difficult 48 hours for “Iron” Mike, who may be watching his dream match up versus Conor McGregor go up in flames. Scheduled for the main event of UFC 303, McGregor suddenly canceled on pre-fight press obligations due to “obstacles outside of our control” — whatever that means! Now, there’s rumors swirling about injury and reports that UFC is looking into alternate main event options.

That’s BAD NEWS for Chandler, who has spent a ton of time waiting and building towards the McGregor match up. It’s an understandable goal for Chandler, seeing as McGregor is a considerably more massive star than anyone else on the UFC roster, as victory could dramatically change his life. As a result of chasing the McGregor fight, however, Chandler hasn’t fought in 19 months.

At 38 years of age, that’s a major risk. McGregor reacted to all the chaos in the Instagram post above, remaining cryptic with his caption. Tagging the location as Nashville, Tennessee, Chandler posted some training shots and accompanied them with the caption, “If you’re looking for me, I’ll be out in Tennessee. No way out of the life we chose…” There’s nothing definitive there, but it would be a little weird if Chandler were to leave his fight camp in Florida if all was well.

The follow up “Walk On” and “See you at the top!” are standard Chandler phrases, but this is downright unenthusiastic posting considering the source. Chandler’s love for and reliance on inspirational quotes is well-known to the point of annoyance, but this is his most quiet post in recent memory.

Perhaps that’s indicative of bad news? Quite a few responses online are arguing that Chandler has reached the “acceptance” stage in the five stages of grief. We’ll find out sooner than later if that’s true, or if Chandler is merely keeping his cards close to his chest.

Insomnia

I rate this action more highly than most of the official UFC 302 fights.

Silly edit of the week:

I cannot decide if “Canadian dude with a Sean Strickland tattoo” is the punchline or setup to a joke.

Alexander Volkanovksi, Kevin Holland, Kayla Harrison — lots of fighters are interested in stepping up to save UFC 303.

Just the most Middleweight of Middleweight match ups.

Merab Dvalishvili has really outdone himself with this one.

Luke Rockhold is really training hard for the Craig Jones Invitational.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

This is one of the all-time great knockout wins, and it’s like the fourth one of such a high calibre on Dan Henderson’s resume.

Fighting Alexander Schlemenko in his own promotion is a bold move.

Showed the knee a couple times before snapping the kick upstairs!

Random Land

Some folks can’t let go of winter.

Midnight Music: Rock, 2017

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

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SÃO PAULO — Michelin star chef and jiu-jitsu black belt Alex Atala welcomes UFC veteran Demian Maia and MMA Fighting into his top restaurant Dalva e Dito in São Paulo, Brazil, to teach a simple recipe fighters can try during weight-cutting week. He also discusses his love for combat sports, going from boxing training with Waldemar Zumbano to jiu-jitsu classes with the legends Marcelo Behring, Fabio Gurgel, Maia, and more.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Alan Jouban thinks it’s time for Dustin Poirier to walk away.

After coming up short in his third and final bid to become lightweight world champion at UFC 302, Poirier suggested that his Fight of the Night with Islam Makhachev could very well be his last. However, ‘The Diamond’ left the door open, suggesting that a return to the Octagon could come down the line.

While a majority of MMA fans are holding out hope that Poirier fights again, Jouban would much rather see the Lafayette, Louisiana native lay down his gloves and ride off into the sunset as one of the most accomplished competitors in UFC history.

“I haven’t spoken to him since the fight. I would say walk away,” Jouban said on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer. “I would tell him to walk away. I think it’s been on his mind for a while. Since I’ve been talking to him for the last three years since I’ve been home [in Louisiana], he’s been bringing it up. ‘I don’t know how many more I left’ and then he gets a fight and then he knocks somebody out, ‘One more.’ He gets a loss ‘I can’t live with that loss.’ Gets a win, ‘We’ll see what happens.’

“Title fight comes, you can’t turn it down but he’s already got the money fight. People are chasing the belt, or they’re chasing Conor McGregor, and he’s done both.

“He’s said it a million times, ‘What is there left for me?’ He lost a fight that people probably gained even more — if it’s even possible ­— respect for him. It was such a competitive fight against the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, who he handpicked Dustin because he thought it was a stylistic easier matchup. Dustin put him in deeper water than he’s ever been in his life against Islam. I think it’s a loss that you can hold your head high on. It’s one that’s easy to walk away from.”

There are still some interesting fights for Dustin Poirier

With 39 professional fights to his credit and a slew of noteworthy opponents, including Max Holloway, Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Eddie Alvarez, Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis, Michael Chandler, Conor McGregor, and the aforementioned Islam Makhachev, it’s clear that Poirier has nothing left to prove. Aside from undisputed gold, he’s done it all.

Still, his popularity is at an all-time high and there is no doubt that the UFC could sell out arenas anywhere in the world with superfights featuring ‘The Diamond’ against the likes of former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski or fellow three-time title challenger Colby Covington. And, of course, there’s always a trilogy fight with the Irish megastar.

Do you agree with Jouban? Is now the time for Poirier to walk away, or are you on the side of Daniel Cormier?

LowKickMMA.com

Sean Strickland is ready to create one of the biggest podcasts in the world of mixed martial arts, and he already has an idea on who his ideal co-hosts will be.

The former middleweight champion divides opinion in the MMA space. His fight style is an all-action approach as he looks to press forward and exhaust his opponents, making him a joy to watch for some. While he is too brash for some people outside of the sport, others love him for his controversial qualities–which has played a huge role in his ever-increasing popularity on social media.

To capitalize on his stardom, Sean Strickland has proposed what could be the most wacky podcast of all time. Strickland believes himself, Bryce Mitchell, and former UFC title challenger Jake Shields should come together to start up a podcast for the fans.

Alongside fellow fighters, the 33-year-old would like to see comedic YouTube stars The Hodgetwins join the team.

“Me, Jake Shields, and Bryce Mitchell podcast, but I think we need one black guy,” Strickland stated online. “Hodgetwins together make 1 black guy.”

Check out Sean Strickland’s podcast proposition comment below.

Me @jakeshieldsajj and @ThugnastyMMA podcast…. but I think we need one black guy lol……@hodgetwins together make 1 black guy.

— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) June 5, 2024

Related: Sean Strickland caught on tape throwing urine

Not unlike Sean Strickland, Bryce Mitchell has managed to build a name for himself due to his unique personality.

‘Thug Nasty’ is a proud Arkansas native who is known for being eccentric both inside and outside of the cage. Pairing Mitchell with Strickland is a wild choice on its own, and involving Jake Shields only adds to that.

Shields is another fighter who will speak his mind, no matter who it offends. The former Strikeforce middleweight champion can often be found butting heads with others on the social media platform, X.

Sean Strickland is no stranger to podcasts. Alongside Chris Curtis, the 185 lbs contender hosted a show called ‘The Man Dance’, which is available on YouTube.

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