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Peña and Nunes confirmed as coaches; full TUF 30 cast revealed

Amanda Nunes and Julianna Peña during official weigh-ins for UFC 269. | Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Peña and Nunes will rematch after TUF 30 is finished filming.  Julianna Peña and Amanda Nunes are going to s…


Amanda Nunes and Julianna Peña during official weigh-ins for UFC 269.
Amanda Nunes and Julianna Peña during official weigh-ins for UFC 269. | Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Peña and Nunes will rematch after TUF 30 is finished filming. 

Julianna Peña and Amanda Nunes are going to serve as coaches for the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Ariel Helwani reported Peña and Nunes were the front-runners to coach on the show. The report has now been confirmed by the newly crowned bantamweight champion, who announced Friday during an appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show that she and the former champion will indeed be coaching teams on TUF 30. Once the season has finished filming, they will rematch sometime this year.

“I got my start in the UFC through this show called The Ultimate Fighter,” Peña told guest host Mario Lopez. “It’s a reality TV show [where] they pack all these fighters in the house, last woman standing wins. Out of 18 seasons, they never allowed women, so I was the first one to be on that show, The Ultimate Fighter. I won the whole season.

“And I’m going to be now giving back to these young fighters, I am going to be the coach on The Ultimate Fighter for this next season coming up,” continued Peña. “Amanda will be coaching alongside me, so it’s going to be me and Amanda’s teams. It’ll be my team vs. Amanda’s team and then at the end of the season, we’re going to rematch.”

Nolan King of MMA Junkie revealed that filming begins in mid-February, with contestants of the show already in Las Vegas completing pre-season medicals and COVID-19 testing. The UFC has since provided additional details in a press release.

TUF 30 will premiere on May 3 and air exclusively on ESPN+, the streaming service that hosted the much-anticipated return of the series after a three-year hiatus. The 12-episode season features 16 fighters — eight men’s heavyweights and eight women’s flyweights — competing for a UFC contract.

Here is the full list of contestants:

MEN’S HEAVYWEIGHTS

  • Nyle Bartling | 29 | 6-0 | Unadilla, NE
  • Chandler Cole | 27 | 8-3 | Coeburn, VA
  • Jordan Heiderman | 30 | 5-0 | Norfolk, NE
  • Bobby Maximus | 43 | 5-4 | Salt Lake City, UT
  • Zac Pauga | 33 | 5-0 | Denver, CO
  • Eduardo Perez | 27 | 4-1 | Berkeley, CA
  • Mitchell Sipe | 25 | 5-2 | Bakersfield, CA
  • Mohammed Usman | 32 | 7-2 | Denver, CO

WOMEN’S FLYWEIGHTS

  • Chantel Coates | 34 | 2-1 | Leavenworth, KS
  • Claire Guthrie | 26 | 3-1 | Denver, CO
  • Juliana Miller | 25 | 2-1 | San Diego, CA
  • Kaytlin Neil | 30 | 5-4 | Lindon, UT
  • Kathryn Paprocki | 28 | 3-2 | Denver, CO
  • Melissa Parker | 35 | 2-1 | Houston, TX
  • Helen Peralta | 33 | 4-2 | Fairfield, IA
  • Brogan Walker | 32 | 7-2 | Guam

Peña and Nunes met at UFC 269, where the ‘Venezuelan Vixen’ dethroned the ‘Lioness’ via second-round rear-naked choke in what is widely considered one of the greatest upsets in UFC history.

Jake Paul Changes Tone On Potential Anderson Silva Fight

Jake Paul has pivoted from his previously ambivalent stance towards a potential boxing match against UFC legend Anderson Silva. Paul is coming off of back-to-back wins over former UFC champion Tyron Woodley in 2021 preceded by a first-round knockout of former UFC fighter Ben Askren. He’s aiming at another eventful year in the ring in […]

Continue Reading Jake Paul Changes Tone On Potential Anderson Silva Fight at MMA News.

Jake Paul has pivoted from his previously ambivalent stance towards a potential boxing match against UFC legend Anderson Silva.

Paul is coming off of back-to-back wins over former UFC champion Tyron Woodley in 2021 preceded by a first-round knockout of former UFC fighter Ben Askren. He’s aiming at another eventful year in the ring in 2022 with a return expected sometime later this year.

Speculation has run rampant regarding who Paul could face for his next ring appearance. Paul has previously downplayed the idea of facing Silva in the ring, citing Silva being in the later stages of his combat sports career.

His position on a fight with Silva has changed in recent days. During an interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Paul was asked whether or not he would consider a fight against Silva for his next boxing challenge.

“Yes, definitely,” Paul said. “Definitely. I would love that fight.”

Paul went on to detail how Silva was an inspiration for him growing up, and even got to meet him early in his childhood.

“And interesting story, I think he was the first celebrity I ever saw. So right when MMA was blowing up, my dad was a super big fan and we went to this local MMA event. And they must have paid Anderson Silva to come because it was like in Ohio, so I don’t know why he would have been there.

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“But I actually asked for his autograph. And we took a picture with him…I’m maybe like 12 years old. But I think he was the first celebrity that I met. So it would be fun to bring it back full circle and fight someone who was, I guess, one of my first idols.”

Paul has also reportedly hinted at a potential matchup with one of Silva’s recent boxing opponents, Julio César Chávez. After defeating Chavez Jr. in a back-and-forth war, Silva knocked out fellow UFC alumni Tito Ortiz last year.

Silva had also previously been rumored to fight Jake’s brother Logan in the ring. However, nothing ever materialized from those alleged talks.

It’s unclear who Paul will face next in his boxing tenure, but Silva appears to be a potential option moving forward.

Would you be interested in a Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva boxing match?

Continue Reading Jake Paul Changes Tone On Potential Anderson Silva Fight at MMA News.

Max Holloway Medically Cleared, Wants Backup Role At UFC 273

Max HollowayMax Holloway has been medically cleared to begin training and has apparently offered himself as backup for the Alexander Volkanovski vs. ‘The Korean Zombie’ featherweight title fight which takes place at UFC 273 on April 9. “Per sources, Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) has been medically cleared from the injury that prevented him from fighting Alexander Volkanovski […]

Max Holloway

Max Holloway has been medically cleared to begin training and has apparently offered himself as backup for the Alexander Volkanovski vs. ‘The Korean Zombie’ featherweight title fight which takes place at UFC 273 on April 9.

“Per sources, Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) has been medically cleared from the injury that prevented him from fighting Alexander Volkanovski in March … he will resume training and has offered to weigh-in as a backup to Volk vs. KZ on April 9,” Brett Okamoto wrote on Twitter.

Holloway was supposed to face Volkanovski for the third at UFC 272 on March 5 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. ‘Blessed’ withdrew from the bout just days after it was officially announced due to an undisclosed injury.

‘The Great’ saw his title defence pushed back one month due to the withdrawal and ‘The Korean Zombie’ was announced has his next opponent.

The History Of Max Holloway & Alexander Volkanovski

Holloway and Volkanovski first fought in December 2019 at UFC 245.

The Aussie fighter scored a significant upset to dethrone Holloway, who was easily outpointed over five rounds. In July 2020, the featherweight duo rematched, and the fight was much closer. ‘Blessed’ was the winner on many people’s scorecards after five rounds but the judges awarded Volkanovski a split decision win.

Since then, Holloway has bounced back with decision wins over Calvin Kattar and Yair Rodriguez. Meanwhile, Volkanovski survived a couple of scares to defend his belt against Brian Ortega.

Do you think Max Holloway should take an interim fight before facing the winner of the UFC 273 main event?

John Kavanagh Provides An Update On Conor McGregor: ‘The Physical Stage Of Recovery Is Complete’

Conor McGregorConor McGregor’s longtime coach, John Kavanagh, has provided a positive update on the MMA superstar and his potential return to fighting. ‘Notorious’ has been healing up since suffering a fractured tibia and fibula during the first round of his third fight with Dustin Poirier back in July. During a recent interview with FOX Sports, Kavanagh […]

Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor’s longtime coach, John Kavanagh, has provided a positive update on the MMA superstar and his potential return to fighting.

‘Notorious’ has been healing up since suffering a fractured tibia and fibula during the first round of his third fight with Dustin Poirier back in July.

During a recent interview with FOX Sports, Kavanagh claimed that McGregor’s recovery process is now complete and he will soon re-enter camp.

“Yeah, I think the physical stage of recovery is complete now,” Kavanagh said. “He’ll very soon be switching over now to start to train mixed martial arts again — that’s when all the fun begins. You’ve seen his posts there himself. You don’t have to wonder what he’s doing, he posts about it. He’s been enjoying himself over Christmas. But he’s ready to enter that more serious phase of training and not enjoy the good life as much and get back in the gym and start getting ready for another contest.

“…I think by the time it’s probably summertime we’re looking at for him to step backing there, his weight will be down again [to reach 155].”

Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 3?

Now that McGregor is officially injury-free talk will surely turn to who he will fight next. Kavanagh seems to be hoping for a trilogy fight with Nate Diaz but insists whoever his man takes on will definitely be a blockbuster event.

“I’m just excited to see him back in there,” Kavanagh responded. “It’s always a big occasion. There’s not much like a McGregor fight week and fight night. It doesn’t really matter. You say any name and it’s exciting.

“Probably the [Nate] Diaz trilogy would be a fan favorite. But let’s just get back healthy, back ready and back competing.” (Transcribed by MiddleEasy)

Who do you want to see Conor McGregor face when he returns?

Ngannou: I Looked At Gane In The 3rd Round & Saw My 2018 Self

UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou was reminded of his first Stipe Miocic fight when he looked at Ciryl Gane midway through UFC 270. Ngannou made his first title defense against Gane in the UFC 270 main event, winning via unanimous decision. It wasn’t the striking showcase everyone expected, but the champion demonstrated his improved grappling […]

Continue Reading Ngannou: I Looked At Gane In The 3rd Round & Saw My 2018 Self at MMA News.

UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou was reminded of his first Stipe Miocic fight when he looked at Ciryl Gane midway through UFC 270.

Ngannou made his first title defense against Gane in the UFC 270 main event, winning via unanimous decision. It wasn’t the striking showcase everyone expected, but the champion demonstrated his improved grappling skills to get the victory over Gane.

The first two rounds weren’t going in Ngannou’s favor according to two of the UFC 270 judges. However, he was able to turn the tide in Rounds 3 through 5 and control the path to retaining his belt.

Ngannou’s journey to the UFC title was anything but easy. After a difficult loss to Miocic at UFC 220, he would lose a lackluster bout against Derrick Lewis before going on his current six-fight winning streak.

Ngannou has alluded to his UFC 220 fight with Miocic as a completely different version of who he is today. During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, he revealed that Gane’s body language at the end of Round 3 reminded him of his former self.

“By the end of the round, I looked at him, I saw me when I fought Stipe the first time,” Ngannou said. “I’m like, ‘This guy is done.’ Yeah, and he wasn’t even able to listen to his coach. I was listening to his corner talk to him and he wasn’t reacting. I’m like, he’s done. That is exactly me when I fought Stipe the first time. That’s the moment that I knew I won the fight, at the end of the third round… He was broken, I could tell. I look him in his eyes and was like it’s a done deal.”

Francis Ngannou’s UFC Future Remains Uncertain

Ngannou went through quite the buildup to UFC 270. He’s been dealing with tense contract talks with UFC President Dana White and the promotion, and negotiations have seemingly hit a dead end.

This was further supported when White declined to put the belt around Ngannou as the official decision was read at UFC 270. White also was notably absent from post-fight media obligations, though White has since claimed external issues prevented him from carrying out these activities.

When asked by Helwani to forecast his future with the promotion, Ngannou remained cautiously optimistic. There are tears in the relationship with the UFC that need repair, and Ngannou seems hell-bent on getting the promotion back on his side.

What are your takeaways from Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane?

Continue Reading Ngannou: I Looked At Gane In The 3rd Round & Saw My 2018 Self at MMA News.

Khabib Nurmagomedov Had No Idea Who Drake Was Ahead Of UFC 229

Khabib NurmagomedovKhabib Nurmagomedov claims he had no clue who was Drake was when the Canadian rapper posed with Conor McGregor ahead of UFC 229. ‘The Eagle’ told the Nelk Boys that people informed him that Drake was very famous but he didn’t know of him or his music until after his infamous grudge match with McGregor. […]

Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khabib Nurmagomedov claims he had no clue who was Drake was when the Canadian rapper posed with Conor McGregor ahead of UFC 229.

‘The Eagle’ told the Nelk Boys that people informed him that Drake was very famous but he didn’t know of him or his music until after his infamous grudge match with McGregor.

“Before when he was on the corner of Conor, people said this guy is very famous. I swear I didn’t know this guy,” Nurmagomedov said. Maybe I hear his music somewhere in the street or something but I didn’t know this guy.” (Transcribed by Give Me Sport)

Khabib Nurmagomedov Explains His UFC 229 Post-Fight Antics

After scoring a fourth-round submission win over ‘Notorious’, Nurmagomedov scaled the Octagon to attack his opponents’ team sparking an all-out brawl.

The former lightweight champion was handed a nine-month suspension and a $500,000 fine for his role in the UFC 229 post-fight brawl.

Nurmagomedov explained that he somewhat blames his actions on McGregor’s poor performance. The Russian MMA legend says that he had prepared for a proper fight and after easing to victory against his biggest rival he was left with an overwhelming sense of dissatisfaction.

“First of all, I was preparing for war,” Khabib said. “I come inside the cage, I fight with this guy, and he tapped, I’m like, ‘Why I come here? Why I train so hard for this?

“You’re going to tap easily like this?’ I just take his chin, you know, and he tapped. This one makes me upset too, you know, because I accept more than what I find inside the cage… I remember someone from his corner said something and it was crazy emotional.

“I’m not going to say I am proud of something like this, at the age of 33-years-old I can say I wouldn’t have jumped into the crowd now.

“I am like ‘okay this party is not finished’. I don’t really remember but who cares, I think he was happy because what would have happened if the referee wasn’t there? “They never asked to fight again, there was no reason to make the rematch after he tapped out in four rounds.” 

Do you think Khabib Nurmagomedov will be most remembered for UFC 229?