At UFC 284, it was a battle of world champions as featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski faced the lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev. It was a close fight, with Islam Makhachev taking the decision win. Former two-division world champion Daniel Cormier has little interest in a rematch between these two. On his podcast, DC&RC the UFC hall […]
At UFC 284, it was a battle of world champions as featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski faced the lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev. It was a close fight, with Islam Makhachev taking the decision win. Former two-division world champion Daniel Cormier has little interest in a rematch between these two.
On his podcast, DC&RC the UFC hall of fame athlete explained his point of view on a potential rematch:
“I don’t necessarily know if I need to see a rematch right away. I think what Alexander Volkanovski did was good. I don’t know if Islam needs to run it back right now because the reality is he won the fight.”
No rematch between Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev
Daniel Cormier was highly impressed with the work from the UFC featherweight world champion Alexander Volkanovski, he added:
“People always seem to want to discredit Alexander Volkanovski. Not anymore… This guy has more belief in himself than any fighter I’ve seen in a really long time, and he should because he has the fighting ability to compete against anyone.”
On the ongoing pound-for-pound debate, Cormier said:
“There’s a world in which, at the end of this, Volkanovski could still be the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world because pound-for-pound says, does your fighting style translate between weight classes? It showed on Saturday that his fighting style does translate between weight classes.” [Transcript courtesy of Middle Easy]
UFC 284 saw two world champions put it all on the line over a five-round war. Dagestan’s Islam Makhachev was getting the better of Australia’s Volkanovski on the feet and struggled to impose any of his world-class grappling skills. Alexander Volkanovski was able to repel his Russian opponent and earn moments of control plus ground and pound throughout the fight. Both men will most likely next defend their divisional crowns rather than fight each other again.
For Israel Adesanya, getting to settle the score with Alex Pereira at UFC 287 matters more than the title itself. Israel Adesanya has so far been winless against longtime rival Alex Perei…
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
For Israel Adesanya, getting to settle the score with Alex Pereira at UFC 287 matters more than the title itself.
Israel Adesanya has so far been winless against longtime rival Alex Pereira. “The Last Stylebender” has been 0-3 so far, with the most recent loss happening at UFC 281 last November, where he lost the undisputed middleweight title in the process.
The two are set for a rematch for the UFC 185-pound title at UFC 287. And for Adesanya, getting to finally notch a win over Pereira matters much more than reclaiming the belt he once held for three straight years.
“I’ve never not been motivated to fight this guy, but for this one I’ve put the pressure on myself,” Adesanya said during the UFC 284 media scrum in Perth on Saturday (H/T MMA Fighting).
“Like, f–k the belt, f–k everything else. I have to beat this guy, so that’s my motivation, just beating him. Like I said, they can say whatever they want, it’s 1-0 or 3-0.
“I don’t keep score, I settle them and I just need one and I’m going to get it done.”
Adesanya also isn’t planning to make any major adjustments for the upcoming part two with Pereira.
“Just keep the same energy because I’m always beating him until I’m not. So I’m just going to make sure I keep beating him the whole way through.
“I go in there and I don’t overthink. I’m not gun-shy. I go in there and I trade with people, especially with him as well, so expect me to do what I do. Like I said, I have to talk because you guys want me to talk but say less and I’ll do more. I promise you I’ll do more in this fight.”
UFC 287 takes place on April 8th in Miami. Expected to co-headline the event is a welterweight bout between Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal.
He may have already achieved champion status in two UFC divisions and continues to rule over the light heavyweight class through two successful defenses, but Alex Pereira insists he is still continuing to evolve as a mixed martial artist. Since a brief reign at middleweight, Pereira has emphatically conquered some of the top names at […]
He may have already achieved champion status in two UFC divisions and continues to rule over the light heavyweight class through two successful defenses, but Alex Pereira insists he is still continuing to evolve as a mixed martial artist.
Since a brief reign at middleweight, Pereira has emphatically conquered some of the top names at 205 pounds. In four fights, “Poatan” has defeated three former champions in Jan B?achowicz, Ji?í Procházka, and Jamahal Hill.
Having held titles in two weight classes and established himself as a top name toward the top of the pound-for-pound ladder, some would be forgiven for forgetting that Pereira is just 13 fights and four committed years into his MMA career.
With that in mind, the Brazilian’s success has come alongside his continued growth in the sport. And as he approaches his latest outing in the cage, a further evolved “Poatan” is feeling better than ever.
Pereira Touts ‘Significant Strides’ In UFC 307 Camp
While he’s not had much time to breathe between defenses in 2024, the Brazilian kickboxing specialist and his team have still spoken highly about the progress made behind the scenes.
And in that regard, “Poatan” has seemingly had his best camp to date.
“This camp I’ve made significant strides in my overall progress and my preparation,” Pereira said. “Like I said to Glover, ‘Now I understand this game.’ And he replied, ‘I can see that.’ So it seems like something has clicked. I feel very confident and great.
Pereira will look to show those improvements come fight night in the “Beehive State” this weekend, where yet another successful title defense in 2024 could leave his case for Fighter of the Year undeniable.
There's no one like Poatan @AlexPereiraUFC looks for his THIRD title defense in 2024!
‘Remember the Name’ Belal Muhammad just wants a fight in the octagon, but the top-ranked welterweight is struggling to find an opponent. Former title contender Colby Covington has been offered this match and declined on multiple occasions. Belal Muhammad spoke in an interview with Helen Yee Sports, and explained: “I’m in a rough spot right […]
‘Remember the Name’ Belal Muhammad just wants a fight in the octagon, but the top-ranked welterweight is struggling to find an opponent. Former title contender Colby Covington has been offered this match and declined on multiple occasions.
Belal Muhammad spoke in an interview with Helen Yee Sports, and explained:
“I’m in a rough spot right now … the only guys above me are Khamzat [Chimaev] who’s moving up to middleweight, and then Colby who doesn’t want to fight. So when I’m looking at it, there’s nobody else in line for the title but me … All they [the UFC] presented was Colby. They said Colby was down, then the next week they said Colby wasn’t down. And then they said he was down again. Then they said they can’t find him again, so I don’t know what’s happening with him.” [Transcript courtesy of MMA News]
See the full interview below:
Belal Muhammad vs Colby Covington?
It would be a battle of top-five ranked welterweights if Belal Muhammad and Colby Covington were to meet in the UFC. Neither fighter has an upcoming fight booked and ‘Remember the Name’ is getting tired of waiting.
Since 2020, Muhammad has gone 6-0 in the UFC with 1 No Contest against the now-champion Leon Edwards. He has notable wins over Sean Brady, Vicente Luque, Stephen Thompson, and Demian Maia. He is on track for a shot at the throne but is stuck waiting.
Chaos’ Colby Covington, former interim champion, has been quiet since his last win over Jorge Masvidal. Masvidal assaulted Covington after the fight outside of a restaurant and now the two MMA fighters are engaged in a battle of litigation.
This weekend (Sat., Feb. 18, 2023), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, for UFC Vegas 69. Last weekend, UFC’s two most elite champions threw down…
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
This weekend (Sat., Feb. 18, 2023), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, for UFC Vegas 69. Last weekend, UFC’s two most elite champions threw down in what will likely go down as one of the most skilled clashes in promotional history. This week? It’s very much a leftovers event, and the two best fights of the evening were booked within the last two weeks!
Before we get into the predictions, a quick caveat: I’ve made the executive decision to include a prediction for the official co-main event of Zac Pauga vs. Jordan Wright rather than the main card opener Jim Miller vs. Alexander Hernandez, because the latter is a more interesting fight that will make for a better full preview post later in the week.
Anyway, let’s get to it and take a closer look at the match ups that lead up the to main event:
Light Heavyweight: Zac Pauga vs. Jordan Wright
Best Win for Pauga? Markus Perez For Wright? Jamie Pickett Current Streak: Pauga lost his UFC debut back in August 2022, whereas Wright has lost three in a row X-Factor: Both men are shifting weight classes How these two match up: This match up feels like a chance to rebound for Pauga.
“The Ripper” looked pretty solid in his UFC debut and on The Ultimate Fighter. However, he was also an undersized Heavyweight, so when he did finally get clipped clean in the second round of his debut against Mohammed Usman, that was the end of it. At 34 years of age, it’s time to see whether or not Pauga can swim at the UFC level down at a more fitting weight class.
Wright is a really aggressive striker. He pretty much goes balls-to-the-wall from the first bell in an offensive onslaught that only ends when one man is on the canvas. Unfortunately for “The Beverly Hills Ninja,” that man has been him in five of his seven trips to the Octagon.
Wright always has a shot, as he hits hard and throws with absolutely zero regard for his own well-being. However, it’s not clear what he’s doing up at Light Heavyweight. He never seemed like a huge Middleweight, and now he’s taking on a fighter experienced at taking lumps from Heavyweights. Add in the simple fact that Pauga is the more refined technical striker, and it all seems like a recipe for another knockout loss.
Prediction: Pauga via knockout
Heavyweight: Josh Parisian vs. Jamal Pogues
Best Win for Parisian? Alan Baudot For Pogues? Paulo Renato Jr. Current Streak: Parisian won his last bout, whereas Pogues debuts following consecutive victories X-Factor: Potential UFC jitters for Pogues How these two match up: A pair of Contenders Series Heavyweights will throw down.
Both of these men are scrappers, as well as full-sized for the division. Parisian is the more powerful pure puncher, and last time out, he showed an ability to drag the fight to the canvas and drop hammers from top position if need be. Conversely, Pogues is more of a volume striker, able to pump out combinations of quick punches at distance to pepper his opponent.
I see two very possible outcomes here. On one hand, Parisian is the heavier hitter by a fair margin, having stopped 11 of his 15 wins via knockout. Pogues stands rather tall in the pocket and his whole game relies on extended trades, so the chance of him getting absolutely creamed by a big hook is considerable.
At the same time, plenty of Heavyweights have tried that exact path. Pogues is tough, and his ability to stick opponents with jabs and counter combos does a whole lot to stall their aggression. If the fight escapes the first frame, he’s also a much more consistent source of offense across the entire 15 minutes.
Ultimately, I trust “The Stormtrooper” to avoid the early knockout and win the latter half of this fight in clear fashion for his first UFC win.
Prediction: Pogues via decision
Light Heavyweight: William Knight vs. Marcin Prachnio
Best Win for Knight? Alonzo Menifield For Prachnio? Khalil Rountree Jr Current Streak: Knight has lost two in a row, while Prachnio lost his last bout X-Factor: Will Knight make weight? How these two match up: This is some bizarre Light Heavyweight action.
Six fights into his UFC career, I still don’t know quite what to make of William Knight. He’s wildly powerful, but he bounces between Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight in confusion fashion. His wrestling is his best tool, but if he relies on it too much, he gets very tired and loses to men like Devin Clark. Still, if able to gain top position, he can actually end fights very quickly.
Six fights into his UFC career, I still don’t know quite what to make of Marcin Prachnio. How can the same man rush face-first into losing to Sam Alvey way too late in his career then beat the piss out of Khalil Rountree Jr? It doesn’t make the least bit of sense. At a minimum, we know that Prachnio has some solid power and a diverse offense, though he remains too hittable.
I’m going to get real specific with this prediction. Knight is a shorter wrestler who struggles with his weight cut. Prachnio is a funky European Karate kickboxer-type who explodes into weird strikes. At some point, Prachnio is going to run up into a ripping left body kick that just explodes Knight’s insides. It may be early while both men are fresh, and it may be late when both are tired, but either way, it should end the fight.
Remember Jan Blachowicz vs. Ilir Latifi back in the day? Left kicks are still in vogue nearly a decade later!
Tyson Pedro was apparently dealing with stomach flu ahead of UFC 284, as he revealed on social media. UFC 284 didn’t go as planned for light heavyweight Tyson Pedro. The 3…
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Tyson Pedro was apparently dealing with stomach flu ahead of UFC 284, as he revealed on social media.
UFC 284 didn’t go as planned for light heavyweight Tyson Pedro. The 31-year-old City Kickboxing fighter lost to Modestas Bukauskas via unanimous decision at the prelims, snapping a two-fight win streak.
Pedro went on social media early this week to give a bit of insight into his performance. While he did give credit to Bukauskas, he revealed battling gastroenteritis (stomach flu) before the fight.
“First and foremost, I wanted to thank Modestas,” Pedro said in an Instagram video (H/T MMA Mania). “Game opponent, he took the fight on short notice and came out on top.
“I’m not taking anything away from him and I think some people may have thought that’s what I was doing by saying I had health concerns, but that’s not the case at all. He came, he beat me, and that’s the fight game.
“The night before my fight, I contracted gastro. It was extreme diarrhea and vomiting for the whole night.
“When the UFC bus came, I was still on the toilet ground vomiting and if you want to confirm it, you can ask the USADA guy who had to sit there watching me shit nonstop while he was trying to take my piss test.”
‘Remember the Name’ Belal Muhammad just wants a fight in the octagon, but the top-ranked welterweight is struggling to find an opponent. Former title contender Colby Covington has been offered this match and declined on multiple occasions. Belal Muhammad spoke in an interview with Helen Yee Sports, and explained: “I’m in a rough spot right […]
