Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor both get restrained during their UFC 264 presser face-off in 2021. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
After getting nothing but radio silence from the UFC, Dustin Poirier thinks he likel…
Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor both get restrained during their UFC 264 presser face-off in 2021. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
After getting nothing but radio silence from the UFC, Dustin Poirier thinks he likely gets booked to fight Conor McGregor again.
As of this writing, Dustin Poirier’s next career move remains uncertain. At the start of the year, “The Diamond” was angling for a fight against UFC superstar Nate Diaz, whom he was supposed to go against at UFC 230 in 2018.
The two fighters have since gone back and forth to make a conversation happen, but nothing ever really came to fruition. Now, Poirier is saying he hasn’t heard from the organization for the last two months.
A fan asked the former interim champion on Twitter about a career update, and Poirier said this in response.
I don’t know what’s going on. I haven’t heard anything from anyone in the last 2 months. https://t.co/Di93WImuj3
In a February interview, the 33-year-old Poirier said he sees no motivation in fighting “The Notorious” other than money. And in December, he declared his fighting days at 155 pounds to be over.
Chael Sonnen believes Alexander Volkanovski is the greatest featherweight of all time. The UFC featherweight champion looked to claim another prestigious name to his résumé at UFC 273 and did so with his 3rd round stoppage victory over Chan Sung Jung. Following his win over ‘The Korean Zombie’, Volkanovski climbed to #2 in the UFC’s…
Chael Sonnen believes Alexander Volkanovski is the greatest featherweight of all time.
The UFC featherweight champion looked to claim another prestigious name to his résumé at UFC 273 and did so with his 3rd round stoppage victory over Chan Sung Jung.
Following his win over ‘The Korean Zombie’, Volkanovski climbed to #2 in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings above Israel Adesanya and behind only Kamaru Usman.
Adesanya himself came out declaring Volkanovski as the featherweight GOAT post-UFC 273. Sonnen agrees with the UFC middleweight champion, telling his YouTube channel that he has never seen a featherweight capable of defeating Volkanovski.
“Volk is the greatest 45 pounder ever,” said Sonnen. “I don’t need to hear about résumés, I don’t need to hear about how many years he had or how many times he defended, I don’t need to hear about finishes and knockouts and submissions, I don’t need any of that. Real simple, have I ever seen a 45-pounder in the history of my life that can beat Volkanovski? No. Okay then Volkanovski’s the guy, that’s the math here.
“And when I tell you that he’s done enough, he has done enough. At some point, it’s up to the passengers if you want on that seat next to him. If you want to do big business, if you want to do main events, that’s up to you, you got to figure that out. Volk does not need to lower himself, Volk does not need to start calling guys out, Volk does not need to do any kind of publicity stunt. He has done his part and he gave everyone a chance to beat him, everybody. He gave some guys multiple chances to beat him. He’s done his part.”
The UFC featherweight champion has conquered some prestigious names inside the organization including the likes of José Aldo, Max Holloway, Chad Mendes, and Brian Ortega. He remains undefeated inside the UFC while having lost only once professionally, which was during the early stages of his career.
Many have claimed that Max Holloway is the greatest featherweight of all time. Yet Volkanovski holds two wins over the Hawaiian in his argument for greatness.
A trilogy fight may well be next in the pipeline for the featherweight division, and it could determine whether Volkanovski really is the GOAT of 145lbs.
Do you think Volkanovski is the greatest featherweight of all time?
This weekend the UFC returns to the Apex Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, bringing with it an electric welterweight rematch between two top contenders. When Belal Muhammad and Vicente Luque first clashed, back in 2016, ‘The Silent Assasin’ made short work of his opponent. Luque knocked Muhammad out cold in round one of their first […]
This weekend the UFC returns to the Apex Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, bringing with it an electric welterweight rematch between two top contenders.
When Belal Muhammad and Vicente Luque first clashed, back in 2016, ‘The Silent Assasin’ made short work of his opponent. Luque knocked Muhammad out cold in round one of their first UFC octagon meeting. However, ‘Remember The Name’ now has the chance to live up to his moniker and take his revenge on the hard-hitting Brazilian.
Will history repeat itself in another Luque KO victory? Or will Muhammad manage to turn the tables and show just how much he has developed since their first fight? Let’s see what the LowKickMMA staff have to say:
Vicente Luque vs. Belal Muhammad 2
Frank Bonada
As much as Muhammad has impressed over the past few years, I simply find it incredibly hard to bet against Vicente Luque. ‘The Silent Assasain’ is such a dangerous individual inside the octagon, perfectly showcased in the first fight with Muhammad. However, upon diving deeper into this matchup, it is considerably more intriguing than it initially appeared. Muhammad’s wrestling game was on full display against ‘Wonderboy’ in his most recent UFC appearance, and this could well be another avenue for him to exploit against Luque. A counter-argument could be made that Luque’s dangerous submission game could work as a deterrent, but Muhammad has never been submitted in his entire career. Ultimately I will go with a Luque KO/TKO victory later in the fight, but Muhammad is certainly a live dog in this one.
Ross Markey
Both Vicente Luque and Belal Muhammad have come on leaps and bounds since their November 2016 clash it must be said. The pair have since accumulated so much more Octagon experience — against a range of high-level, championship-caliber opponents to boot. Luque, in particular, has a knack for finishes throughout his tenure with the organization – displaying his grappling ability in his two most recent wins. That new edge to his game – paired with his grit and striking makes him good value for me to land a second career win over Muhammad at UFC Vegas 51.
Makoa Goble
This weekend fight fans are highly anticipating the interesting rematch between Vicente Luque and Belal Muhammad. The pair first fought in 2016, and both have steadily climbed the rankings and made significant improvements to their game. Expect this one to be a war. With Luque fighting, things can end in an instant. However, on paper, everything points to this one going the distance and being a very tough contest. Although it’s hard to choose, you could say Luque will win via decision. Don’t be surprised if it ends up going the other way though, or if the fight ends via finish!
Patrick Post
I’m picking Vicente Luque. He’s got the clear advantage in the striking which Belal is going to have a hard time dealing with. If Belal looks to utilize his wrestling/takedowns it could leave him vulnerable to submission attempts from Luque. Chiesa left his neck open for a second and Luque snatched it up! Luque by submission.
Lewis Simpson
‘Im taking Vicente Luque to leave victorious again. I feel Luque is really one of the most underrated and appreciated in the division. A statement victory over a durable Muhammad could potentially be a coming-out party for the Brazilian. Muhammad’s last and only stoppage loss came to Luque, which would leave you with a pinch of self-doubt even as a mentally strong individual. Overall, I think the bout will be fought at a grueling pace, with Muhammad landing several takedowns and controlling the action. Luque has shown an excellent will to get back to his feet in the past, and I think that will be the difference-maker. Muhammad may struggle over 25-minutes to keep the fight on the mat, but once Luque has the freedom to pick his openings and dive into the toolbox, he will capitalize on the shot selection, like in the first bout. Luque by stoppage.
Raul Arent
I got Belal. I believe He learned his lesson last time. He won’t want to be in a striking match again with Luque. I think he looks to take this to the ground where he squeezes out a win on the Judge’s scorecards after 5 rounds.
What’s your prediction for this welterweight rematch?
Jake Paul continues to take the boxing world by storm, and the YouTube sensation has revealed a shortlist of who could be next for him between the ropes. In his most recent outing, Jake Paul dismantled former UFC welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley in spectacular fashion. The anticipation pursues to grow on who Paul will face next. Several […]
Jake Paul continues to take the boxing world by storm, and the YouTube sensation has revealed a shortlist of who could be next for him between the ropes.
In his most recent outing, Jake Paul dismantled former UFC welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley in spectacular fashion. The anticipation pursues to grow on who Paul will face next. Several notable names have been thrown in that hat, but nothing is locked in as of yet.
In a recent interview with Teddy Atlas, Jake Paul shortlisted six potential opponents that are on his radar for the next bout.
Jake Paul Reveals Six-Man Shortlist
“Floyd Mayweather, Oscar De La Hoya, Anderson Silva, Michael Bisping, Tommy Fury or Sonny-Bill Williams out of Australia. There’s a lot of people on the hit-list and some other names that we’re talking to. Just trying to pick the biggest opponent.
“Everyone I’ve fought I’ve carried the promotion, nobody has matched my star power so I’m looking for someone who can match my star power – we might fight in Australia, America or the UAE.”
Despite boxing being Paul’s chosen craft, the 25-year-old is banking on himself to transition to mixed martial arts. ‘The Problem Child’ believes UFC President Dana White would be open to having him compete under the UFC banner. White and Paul have had previous back and forths, but the UFC boss is not stupid when it comes to intelligent business. It’s a move that the organisation could very well gain from.
Paul Eager on Transitioning to MMA
“I think it’s timing and proving myself more in the boxing side of things, and pretty soon the UFC and the MMA side, it’ll be undeniable for me to get into the Octagon, or fight for one of these other organizations against a big name. So I think it’s all a timing thing and Dana [White] seems to be open to it. Right,” Paul said on Teddy Atlas’ podcast.
“He said on my brother’s podcast he might let Logan fight in the UFC and I think he’s coming around to me and starting to see what I’m about and what I actually stand for. Obviously, he doesn’t like me harping on the fighter pay side of things and sort of harming his business, and being a shareholder in Endeavor and pushing on the investment side of things. There’s definitely a feud there, so we’ll see what happens.”
With White open to having one Paul brother in Logan try his luck among the best mixed martial artists in the world, there’s no reason to suggest why White would decline Jake’s interest in competing in the UFC. The Paul brothers have made a name for themselves through hard work, dedication and the skill of promotion. Whatever the pair set their mind to, both seem to accomplish the goal.
Paul’s last three wins have come against former MMA champions Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley, and he does have an extensive background in Wrestling. It would be a case of perfecting the craft and mixing the ability to strike and wrestle in the Octagon. A whole different ball game, but one Paul feels confident he would succeed in.
The Cleveland born sits at (5-0) in his boxing career, with four of those victories becoming viral knockouts. Every outing, Paul finds himself against progressively better opposition, which is smart for his development and growth as a fighter. Still, with success comes critics. Many don’t hold Paul’s skill-set in high regard due to continuing to fight undersized athletes who aren’t professional boxers.
Who do you believe will be the next fighter to stand across the ring from Jake Paul, and do you believe we will see him transition to MMA?
Photo by Brett Carlsen/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is just one day away from the upcoming UFC Vegas 51 mixed martial arts (MMA) event, which is set to go down tomorrow night …
Photo by Brett Carlsen/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is just one day away from the upcoming UFC Vegas 51 mixed martial arts (MMA) event, which is set to go down tomorrow night (Sat., April 16, 2022) from inside the promotion’s APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring a welterweight (and long overdue) rematch between Vicente Luque and Belal Muhammad, a 170-pound headliner with serious title implications for late 2022 and beyond.
Before we dive into the main and co-main events, which includes the middleweight showdown between Caio Borralho and Gadzhi Omargadzhiev (my condolences to our play-by-play guy), check out Patrick Stumberg’s UFC Vegas 51 preliminary card breakdowns here and here. In addition, in-house pro fighter Andrew Richardson, who knows a thing or two about weekly battles (he’s getting married soon), did most of the heavy lifting for the rest of the UFC Vegas 51 main card right here.
For the latest “Luque vs. Muhammad 2” odds and betting lines courtesy of our fiscal friends over at Draft Kings go here.
Let’s get to work.
170 lbs.: Vicente Luque vs. Belal Muhammad
Vicente ‘Silent Assassin’ Luque
Record: 21-7-1 | Age: 30 | Betting line: -170 Wins: 11 KO/TKO, 8 SUB, 2 DEC | Losses: 0 KO/TKO, 2 SUB, 5 DEC Height: 5’11“ | Reach: 75” | Stance: Orthodox Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 5.65 | Striking accuracy: 54% Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 5.67 | Striking Defense: 52% Takedown Average: 0.64 (50% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 64% Current Ranking: No. 5 | Last fight: Submission win over Michael Chiesa
Belal ‘Remember the Name’ Muhammad
Record: 20-3, 1 NC | Age: 33 | Betting line: +150 Wins: 4 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 15 DEC | Losses: 1 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 2 DEC Height: 511“ | Reach: 72” | Stance: Orthodox Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.55 | Striking accuracy: 43% Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.61 | Striking Defense: 59% Takedown Average: 2.20 (33% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 91% Current Ranking: No. 6 | Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Stephen Thompson
When MMA fans talk about the sport’s most exciting combatants you’ll hear names like Justin Gaethje, Michael Chandler, and Tony Ferguson, just to name a few, and I would argue that high-octane welterweight action fighter Vicente Luque belongs near the top of that list. “The Silent Assassin” may not have the mic skills of a main event superstar but what he does have is 19 finishes in 21 wins and eight performance bonuses, including three straight coming into this fight. It probably would have been six straight but his finish of Niko Price at UFC 249 took a back seat to the aforementioned Gaethje and heavyweight hurter Francis Ngannou, who nearly killed Jairzinho Rozenstruik in the first round of their main card clash. Luque is the winner of four straight and 10 of his last 11, with nine of those 10 wins ending by knockout or submission. The Brazilian earned his spot in the division Top 5 by turning away former champion Tyron Woodley, as well as welterweight bruiser Michael Chiesa. That said, it can also be hard to overlook losses to Stephen Thompson and Leon Edwards, two of the top fighters in his weight class, though his defeat to “Rocky” is more forgivable when you consider it was more than five years ago and “The Silent Assassin” has no doubt improved since their first showdown.
That brings us to Belal Muhammad, who also has to prove he’s made some impressive strides since getting planished by Luque at UFC 205 back in Nov. 2016. Like his “Fight Night” foe, the gritty Chicagoan has also enjoyed a successful run throughout the 170-pound ranks, winning 10 of his last 11 and capturing a “W” over “Wonderboy” along the way — something Luque failed to do at UFC 244. The only fair criticism to be levied against a fighter with that kind of success is the nine decisions Muhammad racked up during that 10-fight win streak. In fact, “Remember the Name” has only registered two stoppages (one knockout and one submission) in 15 fights with the promotion. That anemic finishing rate is undoubtedly a byproduct of his wrestle first, finish later approach to fighting and when you only have three rounds to secure the victory, playing it safe is a far better option than losing your win bonus to silence the arena boo birds. I was disappointed that his fight against Leon Edwards ended prematurely by way of No Contest because facing another rugged wrestler (and decision monster) would have told us where Muhammad fits into the welterweight title picture and what kind of performances we can expect moving forward. Instead, we’re left with many of the same questions we’ve had prior; namely, what can Muhammad do if Luque is able to shuck off the takedowns and keep it standing?
I don’t think a fighter of Muhammad’s caliber will be rattled by his previous loss to Luque. On the contrary, I believe it has motivated him to prove the naysayers wrong and establish himself as one of the best 170-pound fighters in the world. It should be noted that Luque was taken down without much resistance by Chiesa and Randy Brown. Heck, even Derrick Krantz had little resistance in their 2019 affair. But the one thing they all had in common was the fact that it didn’t matter, because Luque was able to get back to his feet and do … pretty much whatever he wanted. I would expect more of the same in the UFC Vegas 51 headliner because “The Silent Assassin” has five rounds to work and sooner or later Muhammad is going to whiff on a takedown or get stuffed like a creole turducken. The difference between the two is that “Remember the Name” has to run perfect defense for 25 minutes straight while Luque only needs to capitalize on the first opening he can find. Expect a competitive first round to be followed by a Brazilian blitzkrieg and yet another highlight-reel finish.
Prediction: Luque def. Muhammad by technical knockout
After looking at some of the matchups relegated to the UFC Vegas 51 preliminary card I will admit I was a bit surprised to see two “Contender Series” fighters making their Octagon debuts in the night’s co-main event, though I suppose you can also argue that co-headlining a “Fight Night” card at APEX is like being second in line at the Vegan Wiener Stand on Free Sample Friday at Costco. Caio Borralho may be the more recognizable of the pair, simply because UFC President Dana White needed a second look at the Brazilian after the Future FC export failed to secure a finish over Aaron Jeffery in Week 5 of the 2021 Season. Less than a month later Borralho was back for Week 8 and it took him less than two minutes to run through Jesse Murray, a first-round technical knockout that punched his ticket to UFC stardom. In his 10 victories, Borralho has secured four knockouts and three submissions, a clear indication that he’s well rounded and dangerous wherever the fight goes. He also outwrestled Jefferey in their 15-minute affair, an important factor for tomorrow night’s showcase.
Gadzhi Omargadzhiev made a statement in Week 9 of the 2021 “Contender Series” by submitting Jansey Silva with a nasty kneebar, but prior to his appearance for the Las Vegas-based competition, the Russian bruiser racked up eight violent knockouts. That said, I don’t think anyone is breaking out the party hats for a first-round finish over the 7-13 Alexey Novikov or the 3-5 Dmitriy Irlitsin. It’s also worth noting that Omargadzhiev has a less impressive record on the amateur circuit. I don’t usually factor those into predictions but sometimes those fights overlap with professional bouts and let’s face it, Oct. 2018 — when Omargadzhiev was stopped by Denis Mager — is not exactly ancient history. The good news for Omargadzhiev fans is that he’s now training at MMA Factory in Paris under the tutelage of Fernand Lopez, who knows a thing or two about grooming future stars after putting the finishing touches on both Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane. I would expect Omargadzhiev to work his standup game for as long as he feels confident in doing so, though I would also expect him to drag this fight to the floor at some point in the opening frame. His wrestling and ground-and-pound might be too much for Borralho to fend off and that kind of top pressure could send the Brazilian out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Prediction: Omargadzhiev def. Borralho by submission
Remember, the rest of the UFC Vegas 51 main card predictions are RIGHT HERE.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 51 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ preliminary card bouts at 5:30 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN/ESPN+ main card start time at 8:30 p.m. ET.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 51 news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archives here and here. For the updated and finalized “Luque vs. Muhammad 2” fight card and ESPN/ESPN+ lineup click here.
Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub performs a stand-up comedy set in 2019. | Photo by Michael S. Schwartz/Getty Images
“You’re wrong, dude. And you f—ked your fighter over.” Aljamain Sterling was finally able to aven…
Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub performs a stand-up comedy set in 2019. | Photo by Michael S. Schwartz/Getty Images
“You’re wrong, dude. And you f—ked your fighter over.”
Aljamain Sterling was finally able to avenge his controversial UFC 259 outcome with a clearer win over Petr Yan at UFC 273. But for UFC president Dana White, “No Mercy” was the real winner, taking three rounds to two.
“Funkmaster” already responded to the bossman, and now, former UFC heavyweight turned podcaster and stand-up comedian Brendan Schaub is doing the same. In a recent episode of the Schaub Show, he had these words for his “Eskimo brother.”
“When you’re the president of the UFC, you have a responsibility. So when you say ‘the judges got it wrong on that one,’ well now you f—ked Aljamain Sterling over. Now you f—ked him,” Schaub said.
“Because he beat the naysayers. He beat the haters. He shut everybody up. But now, it resurfaces, ‘cause the most powerful man in the UFC says he didn’t win that fight, which you don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re wrong, dude.”
Schaub went off on a tangent to explain what he thinks is the correct criteria for judging a fight. He also says White should’ve watched the bout more than once instead of making a “quick judgment.
“You watch it from cage-side on the little monitor… And you rush to judgment before watching it for a second or third time. Which it should be your f—ng responsibility. Your duty should be to make sure if you’re gonna say that stuff, that you’re going based off the criteria that the fighters have to go off of when it comes to judging.
“But you don’t. You came to a quick judgment and it f—ks your fighter. It f—ks your champion. Because now, that’s out there. And now the media and the sheep run with it, and the MMA ‘experts’ that work for the UFC and ESPN are gonna run with it. And now you f—k up the stock of Aljamain Sterling.”
According to White, Sterling will likely face former champion T.J. Dillashaw for his next title defense. The champ, however, prefers a fight against ex-longtime titleholder José Aldo.
This weekend the UFC returns to the Apex Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, bringing with it an electric welterweight rematch between two top contenders. When Belal Muhammad and Vicente Luque first clashed, back in 2016, ‘The Silent Assasin’ made short work of his opponent. Luque knocked Muhammad out cold in round one of their first […]
Jake Paul continues to take the boxing world by storm, and the YouTube sensation has revealed a shortlist of who could be next for him between the ropes. In his most recent outing, Jake Paul dismantled former UFC welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley in spectacular fashion. The anticipation pursues to grow on who Paul will face next. Several […]
