Namajunas On UFC 274: I Won That Fight; Fans Booed Esparza, Not Me

Following her highly criticized UFC 274 co-main event against Carla Esparza, former champion Rose Namajunas feels confident about two things: she was the rightful winner of the fight and the restless audience was jeering Esparza, not her. In 2014, Carla Esparza became the first UFC strawweight champion when she defeated Rose Namajunas via unanimous decision….

Continue Reading Namajunas On UFC 274: I Won That Fight; Fans Booed Esparza, Not Me at MMA News.

Following her highly criticized UFC 274 co-main event against Carla Esparza, former champion Rose Namajunas feels confident about two things: she was the rightful winner of the fight and the restless audience was jeering Esparza, not her.

In 2014, Carla Esparza became the first UFC strawweight champion when she defeated Rose Namajunas via unanimous decision. At UFC 274, Namajunas had the opportunity to showcase just how much has changed since their initial clash.

Instead, fans were treated to what some are calling the most boring fight in the entire history of the UFC. Even the color commentators on duty, Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier, had a mouthful to say about the lethargic co-main event.

For Namajunas, her primary concern wasn’t about putting on a show but rather sticking to the game plan and emerging victorious. The former, she says, was a success; the latter, however, did not go as expected.

UFC 274 results, highlights: Carla Esparza earns strawweight title with  decision over Rose Namajunas - CBSSports.com
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When Carla Esparza was crowned strawweight champion at the expense of Namajunas for the second time, “Thug Rose” seemed genuinely shell-shocked at the outcome. At the UFC 274 post-fight press conference, she detailed why that was the case.

“I won that fight,” Namajunas began. “I stuck to the strategy. I feel as if I landed the more shots. I even took her down. None of her takedowns were significant or any control time. I mean, she hit me with, I’d say, one good punch and then maybe another time her forearm clashed into my nose at some point as we were posting up.

“But other than that, maybe a couple low kicks, but I didn’t feel them or anything. So I feel like I did the damage, I controlled the fight, and I’m proud of myself because I stuck to my strategy. That’s because I know that, in all of Carla’s fights, she just baits people in and she tries to get people to attack her.

“So it’s like, no, I’ve been in slugfests before. I’ve gotten my nose broken. I’ve stood there and I’ve shed blood in the Octagon. So it’s like, I stuck to the strategy. And she didn’t really have any offense. She was whiffing at air the whole time. So I thought I won.” 

Namajunas: The Fans Weren’t Booing Me

Namajunas stated that she did not like sounding “salty,” but she was merely being candid in her immediate post-fight assessment of what transpired. The former champion also went on to say that the slippery canvas is what prevented her from taking more chances.

“Thug Rose” also addressed the crowd’s reaction to the contest. While Namajunas is one of the more popular fighters on the UFC roster, as evident by the cheers she received during her entrance and introduction, that did not prevent the fans from letting both her and Esparza hear it for their display.

However, Namajunas doesn’t feel she was actually booed during the co-main event. Instead, she believes the incessant boos raining down on the Octagon throughout the fight were likely directed only at Esparza.

“There was moments where I wanted to capitalize a little bit more, be a little bit more offensive in moments, but then every time I would step, my foot would slip. So I had to be a little more safe. So that’s the decision I made in that moment,” Namajunas said.

“But like I said, I’m an exciting fighter. I’m a finisher. I have one of the highest finishing rates. So I don’t think that I was getting the boos. I’m pretty sure that was Carla. [LAUGHS]”

What are your thoughts on Rose Namajunas’ comments? Do you agree that she won the fight? And do you think the fans were aiming their boos only at Carla Esparza?

Continue Reading Namajunas On UFC 274: I Won That Fight; Fans Booed Esparza, Not Me at MMA News.

Photo: Ferguson’s face badly deformed from front kick; McGregor roasts him

Michael Chandler knocks out Tony Ferguson with a front kick to the face in their lightweight bout at UFC 274. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Tony Ferguson ‘got turned into a nugget’ by Michael Chandler at UFC 274. Con…


UFC 274: Chandler v Ferguson
Michael Chandler knocks out Tony Ferguson with a front kick to the face in their lightweight bout at UFC 274. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Tony Ferguson ‘got turned into a nugget’ by Michael Chandler at UFC 274.

Conor McGregor has poked fun at Tony Ferguson following the latter’s brutal knockout loss to Michael Chandler at UFC 274, sharing a photo of the exact moment ‘Iron Mike’ turned ‘El Cucuy’ into a McDonald’s ‘chicken nugget’ with a perfectly-executed front kick to the face.

“Tony had some great nuggets in the media build up. Then he got punt kicked to the chin and got turned into a nugget himself. That’s crazy.”

“If you pulled that out of a McDonald’s bag you’d dip it in sauce and eat without a moments thought. No doubt. That would pass as a legit @McDonalds chicken nugget. That’s Crazy!”

Ferguson was taken to the hospital following the fight and was later released after his CT scan came back all-clear. The former interim lightweight champion was finished in the second round by what UFC president Dana White described as “the most vicious knockout I’ve ever seen”.

Ferguson has lost his last four fights in a row but The Ultimate Fighter 13 winner is in no danger of being cut because, according to Dana White, “he’s still one of the top ten guys in the world.”

Khabib Nurmagomedov Calls For Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira Lightweight Title Fight

Charles OliveiraFormer UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has declared that Islam Makhachev should be allowed an immediate title shot against the current number one contender, and former champ, Charles Oliveira. Until very recently, Oliveira was the champion of the UFC’s 155lb division. However, he missed weight for his headline fight at UFC 274 by 0.5lbs, resulting […]

Charles Oliveira

Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has declared that Islam Makhachev should be allowed an immediate title shot against the current number one contender, and former champ, Charles Oliveira.

Until very recently, Oliveira was the champion of the UFC’s 155lb division. However, he missed weight for his headline fight at UFC 274 by 0.5lbs, resulting in his title being stripped. Oliveira still went out and defeated Justin Gaethje, although he must now compete for the vacant title, should he wish to once again call himself champion.

Islam Makhachev, a teammate and close friend of Khabib Nurmagomedov, is rumored to be set to take on Beneil Dariush to determine who will be next to challenge Charles Oliveira for the vacant title. However, Nurmagomedov believes that Makahchev should be allowed an immediate title shot against Oliveira, on account of there being no current 155lb champ.

Khabib took to Twitter, stating that: “

“Dana White you have no other choice but (to) make Oliveira vs Islam fight in AbuDhabi 22 October. Perfect date, Perfect location, Perfect opponents with perfect winning streaks 10 vs 11.”

‘The Eagle’ followed this statement up with the following:

“Why (does) @MAKHACHEVMMA (Islam Makhachev) has to do contender fight, if there’s no champion in this division.”

Charles Oliveira Victorious Again At UFC 274

Despite being stripped of his title, Charles Oliveira still showed up at UFC 274 in fine form, maintaining the championship mindset even if he no longer had the belt around his waist.

Oliveira took on Justin Gaethje, a man known to personify violence in its most brutal form. Many thought Gaethje may have too much for ‘Do Bronx,’ who has a reputation of being clipped early on in his fights.

Sure enough, Oliveira hit the canvas twice in the first minute of their fight. However, this did not perturb him for a moment, as the Brazilian BJJ black belt rose back to his feet, and fought fire with fire. A one-two down the middle sent Gaethje tumbling to the mat, and Oliveira followed him down. Once the fight hit the floor, Oliveira quickly began demonstrating why so many believe he is one of, if not the, greatest BJJ practitioners the UFC has ever seen.

After initially threatening with an armbar, Oliveira would switch to a mounted triangle, before transitioning to a rear-naked choke that saw Gaethje fall into the realms of slumber.

What did you think of Charles Oliveira’s performance at UFC 274? Would you like to see him fight Islam Makhachev?

UFC 274, The Morning After: The Best Finisher In UFC History?

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Here’s what you may have missed! Chucky Olives did it again.
Back in 2018 when his current win streak began, nobody expected much from the Brazilian, back at Lightweight after a disastrous …


UFC 274: Oliveira v Gaethje
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Here’s what you may have missed!

Chucky Olives did it again.

Back in 2018 when his current win streak began, nobody expected much from the Brazilian, back at Lightweight after a disastrous Featherweight run. Even Oliveira himself didn’t seem to have high expectations, as there was a period where he kept begging for a return to 145 pounds — all the more ironic given last Friday’s weigh-in debacle.

Charles Oliveira’s current run has become extraordinary, finishing opponents left and right en route to the title. UFC was reluctant to give him ranked opponents, but when Oliveira did finally get a step up versus Kevin Lee, the result was the same. Oliveira confounded his opponent with brutal attacks from all angles, and his foe didn’t make it to the final bell.

In Oliveira’s current 11-fight win streak, he’s finished 10 opponents, and he basically broke Tony Ferguson’s arm in his sole decision win. Throughout his entire career, Oliveira has stopped 30 of his 33 wins. That’s roughly 91 percent, and most of those victories came inside the Octagon against stiff competition.

In short, Oliveira has built a tremendous resume as the sport’s most dangerous finisher. When he wounds an opponent, he finishes him with a unique combination of instinct, experience and overwhelming skill.

Of course, there are a handful of other great finishers with similar statistics (like Jiri Prochazka or prime Carlos Condit), and you could make an argument for them as the all-time best. Rather than actually dive into that debate, however, let’s talk about how Oliveira’s ability to finish is responsible for all three of his title wins.

Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje. All three are excellent finishers in their own right, and all three know how to survive tough spots. Yet, in each of their fights versus Oliveira, it became increasingly clear that Oliveira was far more deadly and perhaps also more comfortable acting as the nail.

Chandler came the closest to knocking out Oliveira. He’s lightning fast, and he actually followed Oliveira to the ground in aggressive pursuit of the finish. Raw athleticism nearly surmounted Oliveira’s gifts, but the Brazilian managed to survive anyway. Then, when he returned the favor and sent Chandler to the deck, Oliveira followed up with accurate ground strikes from good body positioning to earn the belt.

We didn’t know it at the time, but a pattern was established that night in its most dramatic form.

Poirier also hurt Oliveira with punches, but when Oliveira fell, he was still aware. For Oliveira, the guard is true to its name, a failsafe that enables him to take chances on the feet. Oliveira can protect himself from his back and scare opponents off to boot, buying time to recover in the inevitable event that he gets cracked in pursuit of the finish.

Those seconds are pivotal. When the finish didn’t materialize for Poirier, he started eating hard knees to the gut and lost a bit of spark. Oliveira pummeled him with some elbows, capitalized on a small moment of wrestling to jump the back, and strangled him with ease once there.

Gaethje came darn close to beheading Oliveira, too. He literally leapt into the air when landing a huge uppercut, and his counter hook couldn’t have been cleaner. Both times, Oliveira’s eyes were wobbly when he hit the canvas. Still, Gaethje wouldn’t follow him down. Oliveira was allowed to recover, but he offered Gaethje no similar favors when he dropped the wrestler. Immediately, Oliveira was attacking the neck, a difficult thing to defend even while fully conscious.

Oliveira has been knocked down four times in his last three fights. He’s only scored two knockdowns of his own, yet Oliveira is 3-0 with three finishes against absolutely elite Lightweights.

Champion or not, title defense or not, Charles Oliveira has forever made his mark.


For complete UFC 274: “Oliveira vs. Gaethje” results and play-by-play, click HERE.

Chandler & McGregor Share Interest In Future Bout, White Weighs In

Everyone who can make a Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler bout a reality is in agreement that it would make for one exciting barnburner of a fight. At UFC 274, Michael Chandler picked up his second UFC knockout. Much like his first KO in the promotion over Dan Hooker, Iron Mike’s finish on Saturday got…

Continue Reading Chandler & McGregor Share Interest In Future Bout, White Weighs In at MMA News.

Everyone who can make a Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler bout a reality is in agreement that it would make for one exciting barnburner of a fight.

At UFC 274, Michael Chandler picked up his second UFC knockout. Much like his first KO in the promotion over Dan Hooker, Iron Mike’s finish on Saturday got plenty of people talking.

As for the man of the hour, one of the things on his lips fresh off of his big win was the name of Conor McGregor. Chandler re-iterated two things in his Octagon interview. Firstly, he believes he should receive another crack at the lightweight title. Additionally, his plan B is for a welterweight fire show against “The Notorious.”

While McGregor didn’t sound in much of a hurry to share the Octagon with Chandler and thus did not meet the Missourian’s enthusiasm in the middle, there was certainly some interest to be detected from the Irish lad.

“I’d have a nice knock off this guy, no doubt about it. A firework spectacle. I like the 170 shout also. Tipped him over. I’m definitely game to fight this guy at some stage in my career. I see it happening after tonight. Congrats on a solid win Michael and another barnstormer.”

Dana White Weighs In On McGregor/Chandler Possibility

During the UFC 274 post-fight press conference, White was asked about who might be next when McGregor is ready to return later this year from leg surgery.

After rhetorically asking reporters “Who wouldn’t want to see” a hypothetical matchup between Chandler and McGregor, White would then use Chandler as an example of how unpredictable matchmaking for McGregor can be at times.

“You guys, over the last however many months want to talk to me about Conor. I would’ve never said Chandler in a million years (as a potential opponent). And then tonight happened the way that it happened, and Chandler says, ‘Hey, Conor, let’s fight,’ and Conor’s like, ‘Yeah, you know what? I actually would like to fight you. I think it would be an exciting fight.’

“So by the time Conor is ready to actually compete, who knows what’s gonna happen? Who knows what the landscape’s gonna be? But I promise you: We’ll make a good one.”

It remains unclear what is next for Chandler or McGregor as well as when precisely the Irish superstar will make his return to the Octagon. But if the stars align, these two fan favorites will cross paths at some point, even if it’s not in 2022.

Would you like to see Conor McGregor face Michael Chandler upon his UFC return?

Continue Reading Chandler & McGregor Share Interest In Future Bout, White Weighs In at MMA News.

Biggest Winners, Loser From UFC 274

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

UFC 274 went down last night (Sat., May 7, 2022) from inside Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz., featuring a wild night of fights headlined by a lightweight title bout that saw Charles Ol…


MMA: UFC 274-Oliveira vs Gaethje
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

UFC 274 went down last night (Sat., May 7, 2022) from inside Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz., featuring a wild night of fights headlined by a lightweight title bout that saw Charles Oliveira make a huge statement by submitting Justin Gaethje in the first round (see it here). In the co-main event, Carla Esparza dethroned Rose Namajunas from the top of women’s strawweight mountain in what many are calling the, “Worst Title Fight of All Time.” Further down the card, Michael Chandler delivered the “Knockout of the Year” so far after flattening Tony Ferguson with a front kick to the face (see it here).

Biggest Winner: Charles Oliveira

You can take away his belt, but you can’t take away his champion mentality. “Do Bronx” made a huge statement, walking through Gaethje to earn a first round submission win over “Highlight.” And this was after he was rocked numerous times by the hard-hitting 155 pounder. Still, as he has always done, Oliveira was patient and found the space he needed to drop Gaethje before moving in for the kill. Now, “Do Bronx” will get to take part in another title fight in hopes if winning his belt back after he as stripped for coming in a half-pound over. Nevertheless, Oliveira is still the champion to most people and judging by the way he’s been handling a Murder’s Row of fighters. He could be the king of the division for some time; however, he still has win the belt back in his next fight.

Runner Up: Michael Chandler

Ever since making his UFC debut in early 2021, Chandler has been must-see TV, earning his stripes in the Octagon by being thrown right into the fire. Though he only managed to rack up a 1-2 mark in his first three fights — losing his last two — he was still putting in the work and effort to entertain fans. But, he got back in the win column in style by crushing Ferguson’s dreams with a nasty front kick to the face that would make Anderson Silva jealous. Aside from getting the huge win, snapping his losing streak and earning a $50,000 post-fight bonus award, he got a congratulatory response from Conor McGregor after he called him out during his victory speech. We can expect Chandler is awarded a huge match up following his impressive knockout that still has people buzzing.

Biggest Loser: Tony Ferguson

Sure, it would be real easy to go with Namajunas and Esparza here for their dreadful output in a 25-minute title fight, but at least one person there walked away with the belt. Ferguson gets the nod here because he has now suffered his fourth straight defeat after he was knocked out cold by Chandler in one of the most brutal knockouts of all time. “El Cucuy” has not tasted victory in more than three years now, and his current four-fight skid is a drastic downfall from his impressive win streak of 12 straight from 2013 to 2019. It’s hard to pin-point where it’s gone wrong from Ferguson, though in his defense he’s faced nothing but killers over the last three years. That said, a loss is still a loss and “El Cucuy” has too many of them as of late to not be worried about his near future. And even though Dana White stated he’d be safe with another crushing defeat, Ferguson has to be a little bit nervous in the coming months.


For complete UFC 274 results and coverage click here.