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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Joaquin Buckley really has a problem with Cub Swanson.

Over the weekend, Buckley caught flak from some MMA fans when he claimed he would knock out a prime version of welterweight great George St-Pierre. Among those who came for Buckley was St-Pierre’s former teammate at JacksonWink MMA, UFC featherweight Cub Swanson, who told Buckley that “better men have tried and couldn’t do it.” Buckley took issue with Swanson, returning fire on social media, then kicked things up a notch by posting a scathing video takedown of Swanson to his Discord and Instagram.

“Yeah, I’d knock GSP out if we were in this stage of my career right now. I don’t think Georges would be messing with me,” Buckley said. “At the end of the day, I see a lot you guys comment, ‘Oh man, George would do this to you, George would do that to you!’ That’s cool. You can have your opinion.

“But Cub, you’re a little different though. You’re a fighter. At the end of the day, you were in the motherf*cking weight class with B.J. Penn, and if you felt like you could win that fight, I wouldn’t be mad at you, because you’re a fighter! That’s what you’re supposed to think! That’s what you’re supposed to say. So for you to come out and say, ‘Oh, better men have tried,’ you really trying to be on some slick shit. N****, just say it. You don’t think I’m as good as I say I am, as I claim to be.

“You can have that opinion too, Cub, but at the end of the day, what the f*ck have you done with your career, bro? You’ve been in the business for 15 years, n****, and never touched the title, boy. Ain’t never smelled the title, n****. Ain’t even tasted that motherf*cker, n****. And you’ve got the motherf*cking nerve to talk about me and what the f*ck I’m doing? Motherf***er, I went viral, I’m in the rankings. I don’t even think you’ve ever been in the rankings. Your biggest win ever in your life was beating f*cking Charles Oliveira, and I bet your ass still talk about that shit. ‘Oh, I beat Charles Oliveira about 10 years ago. I’m really doing shit out here. I could be champ again.’ Shut your bitch ass up.

“You ain’t doing nothing with your career, but you see somebody else that’s shining and that’s doing their thing and you’ve got something to say. Talking about, ‘Respect the legends.’ I only respect motherf*ckers that have done shit in the sport. And you ain’t done nothing but talk your motherf*cking bullshit and come on my motherf*cking account acting like you’re about to do something.”

While Swanson has never fought for a title in a major promotion, “Killer Cub” is a widely respected veteran of both the UFC and WEC, and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2022 for his 2016 bout with Doo Ho Choi. Swanson was also a staple of the UFC featherweight rankings for more than five years after they were introduced in 2013, peaking at No. 2.

Buckley’s issues do not appear to be entirely with Swanson, though. Buckley has received a lot of criticism in 2024 for some of his promotional choices, including jumping in during the UFC 300 press conference to ask UFC CEO Dana White for a headlining spot at UFC St. Louis (the card already had a main event), and calling out Conor McGregor following his win at earlier this month at that very fight card. And it seems Buckley is a bit frustrated with the backlash, as he ended his diatribe with a message for all of his haters.

“Damn, man. I’m tired of all y’all,” Buckley said. “Y’all don’t really see that I’m really out here doing my thing, out here putting myself forward and trying to be the best in the world. But it’s OK though, because at the end of the day, y’all are not fixing to stop what’s fixing to happen: Me. I’m going to be able to put myself in position to fight for a championship one day. And a lot of people are not going to be able to take that away from me. Whether win, lose, it don’t matter. I know damn well I will fight for that belt and I will become a world champion one day.”

Buckley is on a four-fight win streak since returning to the 170-pound division, and currently holds the No. 13 spot on MMA Fighting’s global welterweight rankings.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Fair point
| BJPenn.com

UFC

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight contenders, Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa, will collide this weekend (Sat., June 1, 2024) at UFC 302 inside Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Less than a year ago, Strickland did the impossible, escaping UFC Apex to dethrone Israel Adesanya … on short-notice circumstances. He became a star over night — in a weird, Strickland-y sort of way — but lost his title almost immediately. Fortunately, with a victory here, Strickland is back in the mix, lined up nicely for huge rematches with either Adesanya or Du Plessis.

Costa, meanwhile, put on his best performance in recent memory against Robert Whittaker, but it wasn’t enough to defeat the veteran Aussie. It’s good to see the Brazilian fighting more actively after negotiating a new contract, but Costa has to get back in the win column if he’s to remain atop Middleweight.

Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:

Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Strickland vs. Costa Betting Odds

• Sean Strickland victory: -260
• Sean Strickland via TKO/KO/DQ: +150
• Sean Strickland via submission: +1200
• Sean Strickland via decision: +200
• Paulo Costa victory: +185
• Paulo Costa via TKO/KO/DQ: +300
• Paulo Costa via submission: +2500
• Paulo Costa via decision: +800
• Draw: +5000
• Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

How Strickland Wins

Strickland is one of the best defensive fighters in the sport, the rare mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter truly comfortable standing in the pocket and parrying off shots. He combines that comfort with a high work rate and sharp jab, though Strickland has faced criticism for failing to build beyond those tools.

In this match up, Strickland has to ensure the jab is the difference maker. Nobody is wrestling here — it’ll be a kickboxing match. If Strickland cannot establish his jab, he’s going to end up stuck on the fence, eating body shots — not a fun place to be against “Borrachinha.”

Fortunately, Costa’s face tends to be a magnet for jabs. Between his jabs and teeps, Strickland should be able to make pressuring difficult. As soon as Costa is a bit more hesitant to step forward, Strickland can look to take the initiative himself and start moving Costa backward. If Strickland really wants to make a statement and leapfrog the Khamzat vs. Whittaker winner, he may also want to start following that jab with his right hand.

How Costa Wins

Costa is a marauder. He’s best known for bullying his opponents, herding them to the fence with kicks and combinations then unleashing toward the mid-section. He’s fully capable of tanking his foe’s counter fire, and in his last bout, Costa showed an improved jab.

Costa did some good things against Whittaker, most notably that fast snappy jab. However, he made a tactical error, trying to out-slick the former champion at distance rather than pressure. It nearly resulted in the wheel kick knockout, but over time, Whittaker proved himself superior in that range.

To defeat Strickland, Costa has to add his new tools into his old gameplan. He’s not going to outbox Strickland in the open, but a fast jab can help him maneuver Strickland toward the fence. That will always be where Costa is most dangerous, and he stands his best shot at breaking through Strickland’s defenses there.

Body work is a huge aspect of Costa’s game, and it should absolutely be a huge focus here. Dricus Du Plessis did a great job of kicking through Strickland’s defenses — Strickland was feeling those blocked and checked kicks, and it wore him down. Costa can do the same with his powerful kicking game, but he can expand upon the attritional damage with lots of rib roasting hooks.

Strickland vs. Costa Prediction

I see almost zero chance this fight doesn’t end up a very competitive, 25-minute fight. That’s historically what happens when you pair Strickland up with a more powerful, but less pretty striker (like Jared Cannonier and Du Plessis). Strickland is good enough to win exchanges, but he’s also the smaller puncher, which can be a hard sell for the judges.

At this point, we know exceedingly well what Strickland brings to the table and shouldn’t expect much different. The question is whether Costa can put it all together? Between his body work, volume and athleticism, “Borrachinha” has all the tools necessary to win rounds and shift the damage in his favor.

Betting on a smart showing from Costa is a gamble to say the least, but I think he’s moving in the right direction. Strickland isn’t nearly as mobile as Whittaker — or as good generally — meaning Costa will be more easily able to find the pocket and let his combinations fly.

Prediction: Costa via decision (+800)

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 302 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 302: “Makhachev vs. Poirier” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

MMAmania.com – All Posts

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Dustin Poirier has done almost everything.

“The Diamond” is one of the most revered and respected athletes on the entire UFC roster. He has such a reputation for putting on exciting performances that “Fight of the Night” could easily serve as his nickname. Poirier has put together a résumé that’s nearly untouchable while facing elite competition at both lightweight and featherweight.

The only thing missing is an undisputed UFC world title, and Poirier just won’t feel his career is truly complete without it.

“I have a UFC title that says world champion with my name on it in my living room,” Poirier said of the interim belt he captured in 2019 during UFC 302 media day. “I hold that belt up high because Max [Hollloway], when I beat him for that belt, was on a 12-fight win streak. He was the current featherweight champion at the time. It’s not like I pulled a name out of a hat and beat somebody for an interim title because the champ couldn’t fight. I fought a world champion, a multiple-time world champion. That’s a huge win. So it’s up there, but it’s not undisputed.

“I said it over and over again. That’s the last spot. What else can I do in this sport? I’m not bragging up here, but I’ve been fighting so long. Of my generation, I fought the best guys at 155 pounds in the world. Some of them twice. I’ve done it all and beaten a lot of them, but I haven’t had the label of undisputed world champion.”

At UFC 302, Poirier takes his third stab at winning that undisputed title when he faces UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in the five-round main event. The odds are against him, with Poirier considered a sizable betting underdog opposite the incumbent champ.

In fact, Poirier has only been a bigger underdog one other time in his career, and that came in his first attempt at becoming undisputed champion when he faced Makhachev’s friend and mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Poirier understands the seemingly impossible mountain he’s been asked to climb, but winning that coveted undisputed title takes him back to a promise he made to himself and his future wife years before he ever competed in UFC.

“That’s the reason I ever put a pair of gloves on when I was 17 years old,” Poirier said. “To be the best in the world. And Saturday night, I have an opportunity. Twenty-five minutes to call myself the best in the world, and that’s powerful. It’s not about money. It’s not about the Hall of Fame, any records. It’s about me accomplishing something I told my wife when I was 17 that I was going to do, that I’ve been chasing and climbing back up to make happen.

“It’s not about business. It’s a personal thing that I think if I can get it done, I can look back and say I’m content, I’m proud of everything I did. I set a goal out when I was a kid, that knew nothing about what I was walking into, but kept walking and kept walking and picking myself up and I got it done.”

Ahead of UFC 302, Poirier openly confessed that, win or lose, Saturday could potentially mark his final appearance in the sport.

Poirier has talked about retirement quite a bit over the past few years, but his latest remarks aren’t meant to ratchet up the pressure just because it may be his final opportunity to become an undisputed UFC champion. Instead, Poirier says his potential retirement is always looming overhead for him, but like Al Pacino in The Godfather Part III, every time he thinks he’s out, something pulls him back in.

“I’ve been saying I’m done for the last five or six years and still beating these f*cking guys up,” Poirier said. “I’m cut different. I’m like Pookie [from New Jack City], like I said, I just can’t get enough. Even though I think I have my fix, I’m back home barbecuing, watching football, at my daughter’s soccer game, and I’m like, ‘I’ve got to scratch this itch. I have to fight somebody.’

“I think that’s going back to when I was a young kid. I’ve been fighting as long as I haven’t [been fighting], so having a name circled on a calendar, like, everything is OK in my life when I’m preparing for a fight because I’ve done it for so long. … I can’t perfectly explain it to you, but I’m addicted to fighting.”

Poirier knows he can’t fight forever, so at some point he’s going to have to pull the plug. Whether that happens after UFC 302 remains to be seen.

“It’s feelings based,” Poirier said. “Do I want to do this again? Because I love it. I’m scared to not be able to have that opportunity to do it again. But I also know that I feel like I’m a broken record on repeat saying the same stuff in every interview, but how much can I give of myself to this sport? Every time I get in there, I’m leaving pieces I can’t get back. I say this over and over but I really mean it. This isn’t good for you and I understand that.

“Would I do it again? One hundred percent. It’s given me everything that I have and I love it, and it’s taught me so much. But I’m 35 years old and I have a daughter who’s about to be 8 years old. I have businesses. My family. My wife, I’m sure, is tired of me being gone and being in training camp and being stressed out about another fight. I’m tired of missing soccer practices, cheer performances, birthday parties. I want to be there for my family and to be in a routine. I’m very thankful for fighting and I would do it again, but at what point am I giving too much?”

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Just days out from their undisputed lightweight title fight this weekend at UFC 302, incumbent kingpin, Islam Makhachev has reminded challenger, Dustin Poirier that he has the ability to make their clash look “easy” in New Jersey.

Makhachev, the current undisputed lightweight titleholder and pound-for-pound number one under the promotion’s banner, returns for the first time since last October, as he takes on Poirier in this weekend’s headliner at UFC 302.

Attempting to rack up his third successful defense of his 155lbs throne, Makhachev has so-far lodged both decision and stoppage wins over Alexander Volkanovski, respectively, during his reign in the division.

As for Lafayette native, Poirier, the former interim gold holder will hope to make it third time lucky in his quest for an undisputed title, as he takes on Makhachev in Newark this weekend.

Earning his shot at spoils as recently as March, Poirier – who has weighed up the possibility of retirement regardless of result at UFC 302, turned in a blistering second round knockout win over Benoit Saint Denis.

And following the immediate booking of their clash at the Prudential Center, Makhachev claimed he had the tools to turn in an “easy” triumph against Poirier.

Islam Makhachev claims Dustin Poirier has no belief ahead of UFC 302

And ahead of Saturday, Makhachev – who confirmed he would be backed by Poirier’s former-foe, Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner for UFC 302, echoed that sentiments, pointing to an apparent mistake the Louisianan seems to always make against similar foes.

“Honestly, he’s (Dustin Poirier) the same [fighter that faced Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019],” Islam Makhachev said during his media availability ahead of UFC 302. “Maybe [he’s older]. He doesn’t believe he can beat me. His coach doesn’t believe he can beat me. I know I can make this fight easy. 

“I will finish him,” Islam Makhachev explained. “Because I am on a different level. I am the best fighter in the world right now. …I can strike with him, but I told you guys, if I want to make this fight easy, I know the way and everybody [else] know the way. Always when his opponent pressure him, take him down, he has the same problems always.”

Who wins at UFC 302 this weekend: Islam Makhachev or Dustin Poirier?

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UFC