Former title challenger Nick Diaz wasn’t impressed with Tyron Woodley’s dismantling of rising prospect Darren Till last weekend (Sept 8, 2018) at UFC 228 in Dallas, Texas.
Stockton’s Diaz has weighed in on the main event of UFC 228 and in his opinion, the UFC needs to stop giving Woodley ‘easy’ fights. Woodley did end up taking care of business rather effortlessly against Till, however, at this level, there is no ‘easy’ fight.
Diaz has indicated his plans to return to action in 2019. He was recently cleared of a domestic violence charge and is nearly done serving his questionable suspension for ********* use. Diaz hasn’t competed in the octagon since a 2015 middleweight loss to Anderson Silva. He hasn’t won a fight since 2011.
Watch Nick Diaz weigh in on Tyron Woodley’s easy fights here:
Nick Diaz weighs in Tyron Woodley vs. Darren Till. (Via his Instagram story). pic.twitter.com/uMIr21TCN7
“I missed the whole fight… I’ve never had an easy fight in my life. Fight that kid… I wouldn’t take one. It’s like… stop making bullshit fights with this guy!”
Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Nick Diaz weighed in on the Woodley-Till fight that went down this past weekend. In his estimation, it seems he thought Woodley took …
Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight
Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Nick Diaz weighed in on the Woodley-Till fight that went down this past weekend. In his estimation, it seems he thought Woodley took an easy fight in the form of Darren Till. It certainly ended up a one-sided bout, with Till landing barely a strike before succumbing to ground-and-pound and a Woodley choke in the second round.
Nick Diaz weighs in Tyron Woodley vs. Darren Till. (Via his Instagram story). pic.twitter.com/uMIr21TCN7
“I missed the whole fight… I’ve never had an easy fight in my life. Fight that kid… I wouldn’t take one. It’s like… stop making bullshit fights with this guy!”
Nick Diaz hasn’t had a fight since his 2015 middleweight bout with Anderson Silva. He hasn’t had a win in the Octagon since 2011. Could we see the former Strikeforce welterweight champion make his return to MMA in the near future? He was recently cleared of a domestic violence charge, and has stated plans to return in 2019 after being serving a trumped-up suspension for weed use.
Insomnia
A lot of fighters were happy to see Tyron Woodley win in impressive fashion
And still. @TWooodley is the best dude. Great friend, teammate, son, father, husband…ya know, the important stuff. We love and respect him. #Roufusport
Despite the recent drama between Donald Cerrone and Team Jackson-Winkeljohn, Greg Jackson will be cornering Donald Cerrone when he faces Mike Perry in Denver.
Imran Abaev stuffs a Marcelo Alfaya takedown and makes him pay in the worst way possible. First round KO. Welcome back ACB. #ACB89pic.twitter.com/gQhDAZxjyS
When your Kyokushin KO is so brutal you start having immediate regrets. Also some quality KO revival technique shown by the doctor. Slap the dude around till he wakes up. pic.twitter.com/rhXFyddJiX
Tim Warmer Cabel- this is some Dale from King of the Hill stuff
I saw this guy the other day. When I asked him “what the hell” he said “I was working on a secret project and I wanted to blend in” and left it at that.
Before she slept Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Jessica Andrade offered to fight Valentina Shevchenko for the strawweight title. Potentially saving UFC 228.
When the first ever women’s flyweight champion Nicco Montaño was forced out of her title defense against Shevchenko matchmakers had a choice. Scramble for a last minute replacement such as Andrade or scrap the fight altogether.
As it turns out the local athletic commission wouldn’t allow the Brazilian to move up in weight. A curious decision to say the least considering Andrade fought at 135 pounds early in her UFC career.
“I even offered to fight for the belt if they agreed to, but since they had already weighed me and done all the work, I wasn’t allowed by the athletic commission,” Andrade said, “But I’m happy I was able to help the promotion, help the UFC with a great show and excite people.”
As a result of Montaño withdrawing from the fight, UFC President Dana White said the champion would be stripped of her title. And that Shevchenko will be booked in a title match later in the year. As for Andrade, she explained that as long as the fans are happy she is. No doubt her destruction of Kowalkiewicz will keep the masses entertained.
“I think that’s my job, to go in there and excite everyone who’s watching,” Andrade said. “To give my best and knock people out, and that’s what I did tonight.”
Watch Jessica Andrade’s full post-fight press conference here: (courtesy of MMA Fighting)
Georges St-Pierre clarifies reports regarding his talked-about drop to 155 pounds. There has been a lot of buzz about Georges St-Pierre’s drop to 155-pounds. He himself spoke about it a few months back, when he appeared on the JRE MMA Sho…
Georges St-Pierre clarifies reports regarding his talked-about drop to 155 pounds.
I want to do something that … at 155, I never did it before. The title, or beating a certain guy that’s on the rise. It could be Khabib Nurmagomedov, (or) if there’s another guy that is unbeatable.
In another interview, St-Pierre expressed interest in facing the winner of the upcoming 155-pound title fight between Khabib and Conor McGregor. But in a report by Canada’s SportsNet on Thursday, the 37-year-old fighter downplayed his previous interviews.
”I didn’t say I was going to do it. People headlined me the wrong way, to sell articles. That’s the society we live in.”
”I don’t want to sign a contract for a fight right now,” he added. “I don’t want to say I’m going to commit to something. The minute I do it, the mental warfare starts.”
What remains constant in St-Pierre’s statements is his intent to take on a fight that would further cement his status as one of the best fighters of all-time.
”I want to come back for a good fight. I want to come back for a fight that I can win, that I can gain something in terms of legacy. Not only money, but in terms of legacy. Because I have a lot more to lose than to win.”
A recent photo of a slimmed down St-Pierre surfaced online, adding more fuel to speculations about a possible drop to 155 pounds.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is bringing a bevy of “Prelims” bouts to UFC Fight Pass this weekend (Sat., Sept. 15, 2018) when UFC Fight Night 136: “Hunt vs. Oleinik” storms Olympic Stadium in Moscow, Russia. MMAmania.com’s Patrick …
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is bringing a bevy of “Prelims” bouts to UFC Fight Pass this weekend (Sat., Sept. 15, 2018) when UFC Fight Night 136: “Hunt vs. Oleinik” storms Olympic Stadium in Moscow, Russia. MMAmania.com’s Patrick Stumberg kicks off the UFC Fight Night 136 “Prelims” party with the first installment of a two-part undercard preview series below.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) makes its first appearance on Russian soil this Saturday (Sept. 15, 2018) with a pair of Heavyweight finishers in the main event. It’s the ferocious punches of Mark Hunt against the improbable submission skills of Aleksei Oleinik in a clash of two of the sport’s most-traveled mixed martial arts (MMA) veterans.
UFC Fight Night 136’s co-feature sees Ukrainian finisher Nikita Krylov make his Octagon return against the fast-rising Jan Blachowicz, while Andrei Arlovski faces Shamil Abdurakhimov and Thiago Alves welcomes Alexey Kunchenko to UFC to round out Fight Pass’ main card.
The entire event is on Fight Pass, actually, but still split into main card and “Prelims” undercard bouts. Let’s check out a chunk of the latter:
205 lbs.: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Marcin Prachnio
Magomed Ankalaev (10-1) looked every bit the top prospect he was supposed to be in his Octagon debut, handily outclassing Paul Craig on the feet and on the mat. In the waning moments of the fight, however, he panicked when caught in a triangle and wound up tapping with just a second left.
After starting his career with four consecutive decision, he’s scored a (technical) knockout in five of his last six wins.
Poland’s Marcin Prachnio (13-3) used his Kyokushin prowess to rack up eight consecutive wins, six of them knockouts, on his way to UFC. He was supposed to debut against Jake Collier, but instead faced late replacement Sam Alvey, who put him to sleep in violent fashion.
His only other defeat since his third professional MMA fight came against current rising star Aleksandar Rakic.
I was heartbroken when Ankalaev tapped out, but I still have faith in the young man. He’s a strong, well-rounded fighter with devastating ground-and-pound who could make a real impact in a top-heavy division. Prachnio, on the other hand, may not get too far. I knew his defense was lacking, but I didn’t realize he’d just walk face-first into a known counter-puncher’s best shots.
Ankalaev’s straight punches will allow him to control the fight at range, and while Prachnio is quite dangerous at point-blank range, his haphazard entries open him up to Ankalaev’s takedown game. As good a scrambler as the Pole is, Ankalaev is downright lethal once he gets on top. He gets Prachnio to the mat via either knockdown or trip, then pounds him out from there.
Prediction: Ankalaev via second-round technical knockout
185 lbs.: Adam Yandiev vs. Jordan Johnson
Adam Yandiev (9-0) — a decorated judoka — has ended all of his professional fights in the first round, six of them by choke or neck crank. Despite this success at Light Heavyweight, where he regularly weighed in under the limit, he’ll make the move to 185 pounds for his Octagon debut.
This will be his first fight in nearly three years.
“Big Swingin’” Jordan Johnson (9-0) put the hurt on Henrique da Silva in his Octagon debut, using wrestling and ground-and-pound to easily overpower the Brazilian. Marcel Fortuna and Adam Milstead proved a bit tougher, as while Johnson walked away with the victory both times, media outlets were split practically down the middle.
He replaces the injured Krzysztof Jotko on less than one month’s notice.
Yandiev’s a bizarre case. Almost none of his opponents were worth a damn and, according to Bloody Elbow’s Karim Zidan, his most recent opponent fought in a suspiciously stupid manner after Yandiev gassed himself out just minutes into the fight.
His Judo looks legit, but I can’t get a bead on the rest of his game.
Not a good sign when coming off a huge layoff against a grinder. Johnson’s a solid wrestler with the gas tank to pursue the takedown and do damage on top for all three rounds, something I expect him to have a lot more success doing at 185 pounds. Johnson avoids a few early grappling hazards before ultimately pounding out the exhausted Russian.
Prediction: Johnson via third-round technical knockout
170 lbs.: Ramazan Emeev vs. Stefan Sekulic
Russia’s Ramazan Emeev (17-3) entered the Octagon on a 12-1 run, the only blemish a loss to Vyacheslav Vasilevskiy that he later avenged. He’s gone perfect (2-0) in UFC with decisions over Sam Alvey and Alberto Mina.
“Gorets” has stopped seven opponents by submission and another three by (technical) knockout.
Serbia’s Stefan Sekulic (12-2) has tasted defeat just once in his last nine fights, a bout with Adriano Balby that he was dominating before a blocked high kick attempt broke his tibia. He was back in action just eight months later and has earned a pair of guillotine finishes on his way to UFC.
He steps in for the injured Claudio Silva on short notice.
I was honestly more impressed when watching Sekulic’s tape than I thought I would be. He wrestles quite well, particularly with a knee tap he’s fond of, and his straight left is plenty sharp. The problem here is that Emeev boasts a similar, but more proven skillset. He just seems to have the edge wherever the fight could take place, and Sekulic’s lack of time to prepare won’t do him any favors.
Emeev’s combination punching figures to be a bit more effective than Sekulic’s striking offense and “Gorets” should come out on top in the wrestling exchanges. Once again, not an action-packed show from Emeev, but a win’s a win.
Prediction: Emeev via unanimous decision
135 lbs.: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Terrion Ware
The brief UFC career of Merab Dvalishvili (7-4), which began after he upset Raufeon Stots on “Lookin’ for a Fight,” has been as bizarre as it has been entertaining. After losing a split decision to Frankie Saenz wherein he took down the veteran 11 times, Dvalishvili put on a show against Ricky Simon before getting controversially submitted via guillotine at the literal final instant of the fight.
He stands two inches shorter than “Flash” at 5’6.”
Terrion Ware (17-7) has been similarly unsuccessful in the Octagon, though he’s likewise given a good account of himself. His three-fight skid includes competitive losses to current standouts Cody Stamann, Sean O’Malley and Tom Duquesnoy.
Six of his nine stoppages have come via (technical) knockout.
I’m normally a bit perplexed when someone goes 0-3 and stays on UFC’s roster, but I’m glad they gave Ware another shot. He’s a legitimately skilled striker who faced some dangerous match ups and, by and large, did pretty well against them. Unfortunately for him, this might be the most toxic style clash yet. Dvalishvili’s wild wrestling and immense strength mean Ware will struggle to get anything going on the feet before getting manhandled.
Though Dvalishvili will always be vulnerable because of his madcap aggression, this is an extremely winnable fight for him. Ware is nowhere near as dangerous on the ground as Simon and is a lesser wrestler than Saenz, allowing Dvalishvili to spam takedowns with impunity. Another smorgasbord of takedowns earn him the win.
Prediction: Dvalishvili via unanimous decision
Four more UFC Fight Night 136 “Prelims” undercard bouts to preview and predict tomorrow, among them the latest from knockout machine Mairbek Taisumov and blue-chip Bantamweight prospect Petr Yan. Same time as always, Maniacs!
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Fight Night 136 fight card this weekend, starting with the Fight Pass “Prelims” undercard bouts at 10:30 a.m. ET, before the main card start time at 2 p.m. ET, also on Fight Pass.
You’ve heard plenty from Valentina Shevchenko surrounding the drama of the cancellation of her Flyweight title fight against former champion Nicco Montano at last Saturday night (Sept. 8, 2018) at UFC 228 in Dallas, Texas. To hear “Bullet…
You’ve heard plenty from Valentina Shevchenko surrounding the drama of the cancellation of her Flyweight title fight against former champion Nicco Montano at last Saturday night (Sept. 8, 2018) at UFC 228 in Dallas, Texas. To hear “Bullet “ tell it, Nicco once again wanted to find a way to weasele her way out of facing her for the second time.
Montano, meanwhile, says it’s actually Shevchenko who doesn’t want none, as she told The MMA Hour that her constant foreshadowing of the fight not happening was actually Valentina’s way of hoping she could speak it into existence, as deep down she was really scared to face someone like here.
“I think she lives in la la land for a reason. I think she really wanted that to happen, unless she’s another Mrs. Cleo and has a (psychic) job, because she’s good at that. But I think she was hoping for it. I think she’s a little scared to fight somebody like me. I think deep down she was hoping this fight was not going to happen so that she could have more ammo to be a cyber bully and she wouldn’t have to face me in the Octagon.”
Furthermore, Nicco set the record straight regarding two other rumored times they were set to fight, saying that simply isn’t the case. While Nicco admits she was approached by UFC to face Valentina in July, she never agreed to the fight due to her recent tonsillectomy.
Their scheduled title fight at UFC 228, says Nicco, was the only time she ever signed on the dotted line to face her, and had it not been for issues with her kidneys that ultimately left her hospitalized, the bout would’ve gone on as planned.
To add insult to injury, Montano was stripped of her 125 pound title — one she never got to defend — and will have to see Shevchenko fight for the vacant strap later this year against an opponent to be named later. Furthermore, “Bullet” is no longer interested in facing Nicco, saying if The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) winner wants the showdown, she has to earn it, first.
To says the start of Nicco’s UFC career has been a rocky one would be an understatement.
