CombatSports.org

submitted by /u/geodude505 [link] [comments]

MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Patricky Pitbull may have a stricter diet in 2025.

The former Bellator lightweight champion said on MMA Fighting’s Trocação Franca podcast he’s considering cutting down to 145 pounds for next year’s season of the Professional Fighters League. Pitbull makes his promotional debut Friday, taking on Clay Collard for the regular season at 155 pounds.

“My brother and a few training partners are insisting that I move down to 145,” Pitbull said. “Who knows, maybe after this season I’ll fight on the 145 season. I think there’s a good possibility I’ll put on good performances and win fights at 145.”

The 38-year-old Brazilian, a veteran of 37 professional bouts but none at featherweight, signed with Bellator in 2011 after winning a 150-pound catchweight in his native country the previous year, and only fought at lightweight since. Yet, working with the same nutritionist that got his brother Patricio Pitbull down to 135 pounds makes him confident.

“I just need to get used to training lighter and faster,” said Pitbull, who holds wins over Peter Queally, Roger Huerta, Ryan Couture, Roberto Satoshi and Derek Campos. “I would need to adapt before the season starts, and not just cut weight for the season. My body reacts well to diets and I lose weight pretty easily.”

The co-leader of Pitbull Brothers in Natal, Brazil, joked he’s “ambitious” after starting 2024 “thinking about my weight class and now I’m thinking of two.” Pitbull takes on Collard on Friday looking to beat the 2023 PFL season finalist, a man that has defeated Shane Burgos, Jeremy Stephens and Anthony Pettis in the past under the PFL banner.

“We have similar styles and I think it’s a great match-up for me,” Pitbull said. “He likes to brawl and so do I, so it’s the perfect fight. There’s also a possibility that I can use my grappling. I always say that [and end up standing and trading], but I think I’ll have to start the season a bit different this time [laughs]. People already expect that, but the fire and desire to brawl is always bigger [laughs].”

Pitbull’s last four Bellator bouts were five-round contests, and going back to three-rounders means “like a party, shorter and more intense.” The veteran names Brent Primus and Gadzhi Rabadanov the toughest rivals on the 2024 season, and knows he has to be ready to stop anyone to reach the $ 1 million prize later this year.

“It’s something that can change my life,” Pitbull said. “Being smart and knowing how to manage and invest it, it’s great money. It could be better [laughs]. I try not to think about this prize too much sometimes but it’s impossible, brother. You try not to think about it and then the million dollars are following you like your shadow [laughs].”

MMA Fighting – All Posts

After a Drug Free Sport International (DFSI) worker accused UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones of threatening her, some fighters have come out in support of Jones.  One of those fighters was former two-division champion Henry Cejudo.  

“Is Jon Jones innocent? One hundred percent,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel.  “It’s almost like these people want to somewhat create a story because they want to portray, keep going with the storyline that Jon Jones is ‘the monster.’

“From what I saw in the video, and getting a chance to know Jon, I could get frustrating at times. Trust me by that, I’ve gotten into it with guys from USADA. People who I’ve known for years, people who have tested me for years. They catch you at a party, they catch you at early in the morning. I mean, it’s normal for you to kind of get frustrated like, ‘Hey man, what’s going on here?’”

Jones admitted that he was angry but denied threatening anyone.  He also posted a video response to the allegations including surveillance footage showing him high-fiving the workers as they were leaving.  

The DFSI worker filed a complaint with the The Albuquerque (N.M.) Police Department.  In the complaint, she accused Jones of being intoxicated and threatening her.  Cejudo believes it’s time for Jones to take legal action against the worker.  

“If I’m you Jon Jones, you know what I would do? I would get her for defamation of character,” Cejudo said. “I would get her for being a two-faced c*nt, and trying to come at you for something that you really didn’t do.

“I think if anything Jon, you should probably start fighting this and go against them. Make them think twice before they start bringing your name up. Make them think twice before they’re going to make up a story about you, you know, threatening to kill somebody or whatnot.”

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

submitted by /u/geodude505 [link] [comments]

MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Holly Holm didn’t see any grand conspiracy at work when she got the call that she would face two-time Olympic judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison in her next fight at UFC 300.

Of course it’s impossible to forget that Holm became a UFC champion after she demolished Olympic judo bronze medalist Ronda Rousey back in 2015. Rousey counted Harrison as a teammate and even a roommate at one point when both were pursuing their Olympic dreams.

Now Harrison seeks to follow in Rousey’s footsteps in the UFC with hopes she can win a title in the near future but to get anywhere near that goal, she first has to get through Holm. Despite coming from almost identical backgrounds, Holm doesn’t view Harrison through the same lens as she did Rousey when they met just over eight years ago.

“As far as their backgrounds being judo champions, they have different stances, different sizes, different styles,” Holm told MMA Fighting. “There are some similarities but they are two very different fighters as well.

“Even when they get to the ground, Kayla Harrison’s had her ground and pound and Ronda would alwa

If there’s one area that Harrison mirrors with Rousey — at least on the surface — it’s that both of them typically preferred a ground battle versus a standup fight. That changed for Rousey after she scored a couple of devastating knockouts on the feet but Harrison has never shied away from her desire to drag an opponent to the canvas and pummel them with fists.

On the feet, Harrison has shown marked improvements over the years but she still typically relies on her grappling game to earn wins. When Rousey struggled to get Holm to the ground, the International Boxing Hall of Famer made her pay, especially with the head kick that ended her undefeated run in the UFC.

Holm won’t predict the same will happen to Harrison because she has to expect that the American Top Team trained fighter will be ready for everything even if she’s not as proficient in some areas.

“She’s going to come in with her best striking,” Holm said. “I came from striking and I have evolved into a mixed martial artist. She came from judo, that type of background, and evolved to become a mixed martial artist. I definitely think she’s improved in her standup. It’s not something she started with just like I didn’t start with wrestling or grappling or anything like that.

“I think she’s had a good amount of time in her mixed martial arts career, to being more well-rounded as I have, so I think that’s what makes this fight interesting.”

Outside of the actual fight, if there’s one aspect to this matchup that’s been scrutinized ad nauseum it’s Harrison competing as a bantamweight for the first time.

With the exception of one fight at featherweight and a 150-pound catchweight fight, Harrison has spent her entire career competing at 155 pounds. She also won gold in the Olympics competing at 78kg, which is just under 172 pounds.

Harrison acknowledged in the past that fighting as low as 135 pounds would test her in ways she’s never been tested before but it’s a challenge she accepted to fight in the UFC. For all the attention that’s going to be paid to Harrison’s weight cut in the days leading up to UFC 300, Holm isn’t putting thought into that at all.

“There’s been fighters who have dropped weight and done really well and then there’s been fighters that have gone up because making weight was depleting them and they’re stronger,” Holm said. “So it just kind of depends.

“I don’t think she would have taken the fight if she didn’t have confidence she could make the weight. So we’ll be fine.”

Rather than worrying about Harrison suffering through a brutal weight cut, Holm prefers to prepare for the best version of her opponent possible. Expecting anything else would be a mistake.

“I don’t think it will matter fight night,” Holm said. “Because I want to be prepared for the fastest, strongest, most conditioned Kayla Harrison there is. I don’t want to put it in my head ‘oh she may not be strong enough or she might be depleted and that I think I have this edge in that way.’ No, I need to beat her at her strongest, at her most conditioned and at her fastest.”

Because there’s been so much hype surrounding Harrison’s debut at UFC 300, Holm understands the stakes for this fight.

A win on Saturday is all that truly matters to Holm but she also knows beating Harrison potentially puts her back in title contention, especially since she already has two wins over current champion Raquel Pennington.

“This is definitely a fight that can set that path in the right direction for me,” Holm said. “I don’t want to fight unless there’s always a vision and a goal of being champion. If that’s not an option, I don’t want to be fighting. I only want to fight when I know that’s still obtainable.

“Pennington being champion now, she’s been around for a quite a long time, too, and yes, I have two wins over here. But she’s always been one of those tough fighters.”

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Lucrative Fight
| BJPenn.com

UFC

Bo Nickal is used to being the hammer.

But how will the former collegiate wrestling champion respond when he’s the nail? Middleweight opponent Cody Brundage aims to find out when they open the UFC 300 pay-per-view (PPV) card this Sat. night (April 13, 2024) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“Man, this is gonna sound probably like a tool, but I feel like I’m one of, if not the, strongest dudes in the division. I really feel that,” Brundage told MMA News. “I work really hard on my strength and conditioning, and just explosive power and strength. I don’t really ever feel out-strengthened in there.”

“Physically, I feel really strong. I always feel really good in that aspect,” Brundage continued. “Experience is a big deal and I’ve been in the fire. I’ve been the hammer, I’ve been the nail. I know how to react to those situations. Bo hasn’t been there… It’s my job to put him there.”

Five other opponents have tried … and failed miserably.

The 28 year-old Nickal is 5-0 with five first-round finishes and continues to open as a monster betting favorite in each of his UFC fights. As for Brundage, 29, he improved to 10-5 after demolishing Zachary Reese at UFC Austin late last year.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 300 fight card right RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the UFC 300 PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 300: “Pereira vs. Hill” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive UFC 300 event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 300 fight card and PPV lineup click here.

MMAmania.com – All Posts

submitted by /u/geodude505 [link] [comments]

MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Paul Hughes is finally an MMA free agent.

The 27-year-old Irishman completed the final bout of his Cage Warriors contract on Saturday with a first-round knockout of Fabiano Silva at Cage Warriors 170. Now, after a five-year, nine-fight run with the U.K.-based promotion that saw him emerge as one of the top lightweight prospects in the world, Hughes is ready to graduate to the big leagues.

“That chapter is done,” Hughes said Monday on The MMA Hour.

“I’ve done so much with Cage Warriors and they’ve built my career. I’ve had so many big nights. I’ve won the title years ago against [Morgan] Charriere, unified it. I’ve been there, done that years ago. And the fact that I’m still here at this point is probably a surprise to everybody, myself and Cage Warriors included. So no, there was nothing about re-signing [with Cage Warriors]. It was just a case of, ‘We’re going to let this guy move on.’”

Hughes is 11-1 in his professional MMA career and avenged his only loss in 2022 when he defeated Jordan Vucenic to unify the Cage Warriors featherweight titles. Hughes then moved up to lightweight and scored back-to-back first-round knockouts, the most recent of which came against Silva. He plans to continue competing at 155 pounds moving forward.

Hughes said Monday that PFL and Bellator offered him a deal after his October win over Jan Quaeyhaegens, but he was unable to “get the release granted” by Cage Warriors owner Graham Boylan. Now, however, the former Cage Warriors featherweight champion is free to pursue any and all opportunities that come his way — and he does so with renewed purpose after learning firsthand just how fleeting an athlete’s window in MMA can be.

“Look, I’ll tell you what I don’t want. I don’t want to leave this game with no money and a lot of brain damage,” Hughes said. “That’s what I don’t want. Recently — very, very recently — a teammate of mine and a very good friend, Ryan Curtis, which I think you’ve covered on the show, got severely, severely injured just beside me on the training mats. I was there with them until the ambulance arrived and I’ve visited him many times.

“When something like that happens so close to home, it really, really makes you assess things even further. Because even talking to Ryan just last week before the fight, we were just catching up about it all and he was just saying to me, like, when something like that happens, he was just thinking to himself, ‘But why does it have to be me that this happens to? You know, you hear about these things happening and all that, but why me? I’m the one lying here now. I can’t move. I can’t move my arms and legs. Why does it have to be me?’ And Ryan’s got a family, and he’s just an unbelievable guy that has everything going for him. And then just like that, one training night, just a normal Thursday night, everything changed. And he’s given his life to this game.

“I’ve also given my life to this game at this point — and I want to have something to show for it. And I deserve to have something to show for it. All fighters that put their ass out there deserve to have something to show for it, and they deserve to get their value. So that’s where I’m at right now. I feel, I just want to have something to show, man. I feel like I have all the potential in the world to be this superstar in the world of MMA. I feel I’m good enough right now, skill-wise. But beyond that, I believe I have all the tools, and I just, I want to capitalize on it. And I want to want to set myself up, for sure.”

As a blue-chip talent in one of the sport’s marquee divisions, Hughes will almost certainly be a coveted name in free agency. While some prospects in his position in the past have spurned more lucrative offers from secondary promotions to chase the fame and notoriety that comes with competing in the UFC, Hughes refuses to undermine his own worth.

“Honestly, I’m open to everything, man,” Hughes said. “As I say, I had to do a deep dive and I had to ask myself, is it fame that I want? Is it just clout? Is it to say that I’m in the UFC? And to be honest, I don’t give a bollocks about that. I just turned 27 last week. I’m not that 21-, 22-year-old kid that has this dream of owning the UFC and I want to say I’m a UFC fighter.

“I’m at the stage now where I’ve had a lot of big nights in my career, I’ve done a lot of big things, and it’s not just about saying, ‘Oh, I fight in the UFC.’ Me, right now, the No. 1 thing [is] being the best fighter on the planet. There’s nothing to say I can’t do that. I can do that anywhere. I can still be the best fighter on the planet. But I need to get my value.”

If Hughes does end up in the UFC, however, there’s a familiar name there already making plenty of noise in the lightweight division that he wouldn’t mind getting a crack at.

Hughes and Liverpool’s own Paddy Pimblett crossed paths plenty of times during their days under the Cage Warriors umbrella, and it’s safe to say Hughes isn’t the biggest Pimblett fan.

“He’s shitebag, mate. He’s an absolute shitebag,” Huges said. “He has been since Cage Warriors days. To be honest, I’m not a huge one for beefs and all that. I only do it when it’s legit, it’s not no fix-up. But I just think he’s always had a stinking attitude as well, being around him in the Cage Warriors days coming up. I’ve just never really seen eye-to-eye with him, to be honest. And I think what he’s doing — I mean, his fights in the UFC — very, very poor. I genuinely believe, as I said [on Instagram], that I’d beat him with one hand. And he’s a shitebag. So [that’s] absolutely a fight that I want down the line or would be open to.”

MMA Fighting – All Posts