The upcoming boxing match between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz has been moved to a new date and location to avoid possible conflict with UFC 302 and another major boxing match already scheduled on the same day.
The fight now takes place on Saturday, July 6 with the event being held at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Multiple people confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Wednesday following an initial report from Boxing Scene.
Masvidal vs. Diaz was originally slated for June 1 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. but the card would butt heads with UFC 302, which features Islam Makhachev defending his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier in the main event.
That same day, Dmitry Bivol returns to action for a boxing match with Malik Zinad after his original opponent Artur Beterbiev suffered an injury in training that forced him out of the fight.
Rather than go head-to-head with two different pay-per-views that would almost certainly pull away potential buys for Masvidal and Diaz, the ex-UFC fighters opted to shift gears to a new date and location.
Masvidal and Diaz haven’t made any official announcement about the event moving or plans to shift tickets to the new date and location.
Masvidal and Diaz are clashing nearly five years after their original meeting in the UFC. On that night, Masvidal claimed the first ever “BMF” title with a third round stoppage win over Diaz due to cuts.
Now they’ll meet again in a boxing match but Masvidal and Diaz must wait another month before throwing hands in the ring.
Sean O’Malley tripled his fighter payout through various social media channels in 2023. Unfortunately, that also means he paid a hell of a lot more in taxes.
During a recent appearance on Bradley Martyn’s Raw Talk, the reigning UFC bantamweight world champion revealed that while he has made “a lot of money” in the UFC, a majority of his income comes through a series of side hustles, such as his TimboSugarShow podcast with longtime coach Tim Welch.
As it turns out, those extra gigs far exceed the money he makes from getting punched in the face for a living.
“My goal is always to become a multi-multi-multi-multi-multi-multi-millionaire,” O’Malley said. “I wanted to become — make a lot of money. You can make a lot of money in the UFC not talking sh*t, not really being on social media, doing all that thing. But you’re not — it’s gonna be harder when you have to win 5000 fights in a row.
“I paid more in taxes than I made last year in my fight [with Sterling],” he continued. “I made a lot of money fighting, but I made triple that from social media. From Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and all these different social medias. I made triple the amount I made fighting. I made a lot of money fighting” (h/t MMA Mania).
O’Malley’s only fight in 2023 was his bantamweight title-winning performance against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292. The bout took place in Boston, Mass where the athletic commission discloses fighter payouts. Per the released information, ‘Sugar’ banked a flat $ 500,000 for his victory.
Sean O’Malley gearing up for a fight with top-ranked Merab Dvalishvili
Next on the docket for Sean O’Malley is a clash with the division’s top-ranked contender, Merab Dvalishvili. Riding a 10-fight win streak, ‘The Machine’ has long been considered the next man in line.
“Merab’s on like a 10-fight winning streak,” O’Malley said. “One of the most boring guys in UFC history and he’s finally kind of changing it up a bit and kind of getting some attention now. I think Merab’s doing a good job. I think people are finding out they gotta be — I think Merab genuinely is kind of a goofball and I think he’s being like himself and that’s why it’s working. I don’t think he’s forcing it.”
No official date has been announced, but ‘Sugar’ has expressed interest in headlining UFC 306 in September when the promotion debuts inside The Sphere in Las Vegas.
Hundreds of cities are under water in Rio Grande do Sul | Photo by Ramiro Sanchez/Getty Images
The MMA community has come together in support of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil.
Hundreds of cities have been hit by a historic flood in the state of Rio Grande do Sul since late April. So far 95 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds are still missing. More than 100,000 houses have been damaged or destroyed altogether, leaving more than 200,000 people with no place to live. The local government calculates nearly a billion dollar in damages so far.
The amount of rain that fell between April 22 and May 6 totaled the amount that would be expected over a period of five months, which led the Guaiba lake to flood and invade hundreds of cities, including state capital Porto Alegre. The Gigantinho gymnasium, which held a UFC event in 2015 featuring Frank Mir vs. Antonio Silva as main event, is currently surrounded by water, as are major soccer stadiums and hundreds of buildings and roads.
Several fighters used their post-fight interviews this past weekend at UFC 301, which took place in Rio de Janeiro, to call upon their countrymen to join forces and help the victims. Many others have taken to social media to announce donation, and coaches and fighters from all around the world are hosting seminars in exchange for food and donations.
Tons of non-perishable food donated by fans in exchange for tickets to the UFC 301 ceremonial weigh-ins on May 3 — items that would originally be donated to social institutions in Rio de Janeiro — will now be donated to Canoas, one of the cities most affected by the floods, UFC announced Tuesday.
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One-time Bellator veteran Thiago Meller, who teaches martial arts near Porto Alegre, told MMA Fighting he has never experienced anything like this in nearly 30 years of serving in the Brazilian Army.
“It’s really, really sad,” Meller said. “And it’s not only Porto Alegre. The scenes are shocking. The center of command of the Army waits on the Civil Defense to see who gets to get saved first. A lot of people will still show up dead. This is like a war zone. We wake up every day and see where we’re going to help people. Everybody gets on boats and do what we can. … We have a lot of volunteers helping, but we don’t have enough boats and jet skis.”
Meller’s house is intact and his wife and kids are safe, but his 75-year-old in-laws lost everything after water entered their residence by the Guaiba. Meller said that many martial arts gyms have opened doors to house homeless people.
“We went to a nursing home, a friend asked to take his family to a safe place,” Meller said. “Many people will still show up, people that are missing. It’s so sad. You see people losing everything. An Army sergeant, a black belt, lost everything. He was doing a crowdfund to buy clothes because the water took everything he had.
“Everybody is suffering, we all lost something. It’s heartbreaking to see people finding out their houses were destroyed. My father-in-law thought his house would be safe after I rescued them, and it was hard to see a big man cry like a child after finding out the water has taken everything he’s built.”
It will still take days for the water to lower back to its regular level, and many months for the state to built itself back up.
International donations can be made through Brazil Foundation, crowdfunding campaigns, or through the state’s official website.
The Mixed Martial Arts Hour (finally!) 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: I answer your questions in the latest On the Nose segment.
2 p.m.: Mike Perry discusses his performance at BKFC KnuckleMania 4 and what’s next for him.
2:30 p.m.: Anthony Smith breaks down his win at UFC 301 this past weekend.
3:15 p.m.: Chael Sonnen discusses the latest news in the world of combat sports.
4 p.m.: Cory Sandhagen looks ahead to his showdown against Umar Nurmagomedov.
4:30 p.m.: The parlay pals make their latest selection.
For the latest episodes of The MMA Hour, subscribe on Spotify or iTunes.
Following his UFC 229 knockout win over Alexander Volkov, heavyweight Derrick Lewis took his fight shorts off prior to being interviewed by commentator Joe Rogan. ‘Why did you take your pants off,” Rogan asked. Lewis responded with a line that quickly went viral. “My balls was hot,” Lewis answered.
His comments quickly went viral and it’s difficult to mention Lewis without someone referencing his overheated man parts. “The Black Beast” wishes he would have never said what he said that night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
“I’ve been saying it for awhile now, I regret saying it,” Lewis told SHAK MMA. “It’s everyday (that someone mentions it). “Everyday, all day, so I told the media, ‘Do not post nothing about my hot balls this week. I don’t want to hear nothing about my hot balls.'”
Lewis headlines this weekend’s UFC event on ESPN against 15th-ranked Rodrigo Nascimento in St. Louis. It’s the second time the fight promotions has held an event in St. Louis and the first time since January 2018.
Lewis (27–12, 1 NC) will enter the fight with Nascimento ranked 12th in the division. He’s coming off a decision loss to Jailton Almeida in his last bout and has lost four of his last five fights. A loss would likely see him drop from the rankings altogether.
Nascimento (11-1, 1 NC) is riding a three-fight winning steak and last fought on the same event that Lewis lost to Almeida last November. The Brazilian will climb further. up the rankings with a win.
This weekend (Sat., May 11, 2024), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) hits the road to to Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo., for UFC St. Louis. Though initial responses to the main event between Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento were rather negative, the overall card has since come together to be better than expected. Joaquin Buckley hustling his way to the co-main event slot certainly helped, but all six of the main card fights appear to promise action or an early stoppage.
UFC St. Louis’ undercard leaves something to be desired outside of Slava Borshchev vs. Chase Hooper, but that’s not my responsibility here. Let’s dig into all the main card fights leading up to the co-main event:
Light Heavyweight: Alonzo Menifield(+165) vs. Carlos Ulberg(-225)
Best Win for Menifield? Jimmy Crute For Ulberg? Jung Da-Un Current Streak: Menifield is unbeaten in his last five fights, while Ulberg has won five in a row X-Factor: It’s a big step up in competition for Ulberg How these two match up: This one might not last long …
Menifield has a stupid amount of power in his fists, and the problem is that “Atomic” is well aware of it. He’s guilty of failing to set up his biggest swings or develop much of a game outside of hitting absurdly hard, but in his defense, it works more often than not. Ulberg is also consistently knocking out his opposition, but it doesn’t usually come down to pure force. The Kiwi kickboxer does really good work at managing distance, using his feints to get a read on his opponent, then timing counter shots — classic City Kickboxing stuff.
This is a really major jump in competition for Ulberg. Menifield may not be a perfect technician, but he’s ranked No. 11 in the world for a reason. He has the ability to threaten Ulberg with his huge punches and ability to close the distance suddenly, and his occasional takedown attempts could prove a factor as well.
He’s also a dog … and we’ve never seen Ulberg in a war of attrition.
At the same time, Ulberg is simply the better striker by a fair margin, and he also hits hard enough to hurt his opponent. He’ll have to avoid any huge mistakes, but Ulberg should find success in his attempt to break into the Top 15.
Prediction: Ulberg via decision
Lightweight: Carlos Diego Ferreira(+200) vs. Mateusz Rebecki(-280)
Best Win for Ferreira? Anthony Pettis For Rebecki? Roosevelt Roberts Current Streak: Ferreira won his last bout, while Rebecki is 3-0 in the UFC X-Factor: Ferreira is 39 years old How these two match up: Good Lightweights rarely fail to deliver great fights.
Ferreira achieved a lot more than most expected. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace developed his striker and wrestling to become a fierce pressure fighter, which resulted in a quality six-fight win streak that pushed him into the Top 10. He’s since fallen down the ranks a bit, but Ferreira remains a very dangerous veteran in a stacked division.
Poland’s Rebecki is one of many serious Lightweight prospects. 19-1 as a professional, the fireplug of a wrestler has a dominating top game and heavy hands, traits which have combined for 16 finishes so far.
This is a massive test for Rebecki, definitely the toughest opponent of his career. It also feels like one he should pass. The Lightweight fireplug is a really physical talent, and his wrestling seems like the perfect antidote for Ferreira’s pressure and aggression. Historically, takedowns and top control is the best way to defeat the Brazilian, and that fits Rebecki’s typical game well.
The fight will get interesting if and when it goes late. Ferreira is in great shape and knows how to keep the scrambles going, and he’s tough as nails. A finish is unlikely, so Rebecki is going to have to deal with his foe for all 15 minutes.
Let’s see how he handles it.
Prediction: Rebecki via decision
Featherweight: Alex Caceres(+150) vs. Sean Woodson(-205)
Best Win for Caceres? Sergio Pettis For Woodson? Charles Jourdain Current Streak: Caceres lost his last bout, while Woodson is unbeaten in his last five X-Factor: Caceres has a significant jiu-jitsu edge How these two match up: I’m expecting a fun fight.
Caceres has been a quality member of UFC’s roster for more than a decade now. He’s achieved rankings at various points both as a Bantamweight and Featherweight, and generally has fought really well in recent years. He’s a sneaky kickboxer with an underrated grappling game, but he doesn’t always have the wrestling necessary to implement his jiu-jitsu.
Woodson is a statistical anomaly, a 6’2” Featherweight who lives up to his “Sniper” nickname. A long-time boxer, Woodson establishes his jab better than most and can really make opponents miss thanks to his massive reach and quality footwork.
On the whole, I think Caceres is generally the better fighter here. He’s more well-rounded and has way more high-level experience. Unfortunately, it feels like a bad match up for “Bruce Leeroy.”
Caceres fights largely at the kickboxing range, which is where Woodson excels. Generally, it’s hard to get him out of that mode. It takes a big punch or really solid wrestling game — neither of which are Caceres’ strengths. Most likely, we got a kickboxing battle in which Woodson’s faster hands and sharper combinations make the slight difference.
Prediction: Woodson via decision
Heavyweight: Waldo Cortes-Acosta(+140) vs. Robelis Despaigne(-185)
Best Win for Cortes-Acosta? Andrei Arlovski For Despaigne? Josh Parisian Current Streak: Cortes-Acosta has won two in a row, whereas Despaigne recently won his UFC debut to improve to 5-0 X-Factor: Despaigne has almost no cage time How these two match up: I wouldn’t count on this one seeing the third.
Cortes-Acosta has won four of his five Octagon bouts, establishing himself as a good boxer able to put numbers on his opponent. He’s not the heaviest handed man in the division, but there’s always a place for Heavyweights who can actually throw down for 15 full minutes. Despaigne, conversely, has an unknowable level of cardio. He’s never left the first round, and each of his last four wins lasted less than a minute combined! The Cuban Taekwondo Olympian is incredibly unproven, but obviously has serious potential as well.
So, this is the Heavyweight division. It’s important to keep your expectations measured. More than most any other class, we have seen plenty of hyped prospects exhausted or mentally broken when the going gets tough — it should almost be expected.
Is Cortes-Acosta the man to push Despaigne, however? I’m not really seeing it. That’ll probably take a wrestler with a brick jawline. Cortes-Acosta, conversely, is a striker facing a height and reach disadvantage who is going to engage a physically superior talent in his realm of strength.
It’s a big step up from Despaigne’s previous competition level, but one he seems likely to handle.
Prediction: Despaigne via knockout
‘X-Factor’ Picks for 2024: 22-9 (2)
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC St. Louis fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+“Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance on ESPN (also on ESPN+)at 7 p.m. ET.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC St. Louis: “Lewis vs. Nascimento” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
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