UFC 267 Embedded, part 5 – ‘I go in and no blood, nothing, no fun’

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Check out the fifth episode of Embedded for UFC 267. UFC 267 is almost here, and as usual, Embedded is here as well. The show that gives you an inside look at the marquee contestants on PPV…


Khamzat Chimaev is favored to finish Jingliang Li at UFC 267
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Check out the fifth episode of Embedded for UFC 267.

UFC 267 is almost here, and as usual, Embedded is here as well. The show that gives you an inside look at the marquee contestants on PPVs (even if this isn’t a PPV per se) has issued the fifth episode for this weekend’s huge show on Fight Island, and it serves as a brief introduction to the fighters at the top of the card.

We start off where almost all of these episodes have so far – with Cory Sandhagen. He’s doing some stretches and movements, like the other episodes as well. He does a light workout. He thinks both him and Petr Yan are top guys in the division, and he’s ready.

In the hotel kitchen, they’re making a dessert for Glover Teixeira for his birthday, but obviously he’s cutting weight so they have to do something small. They bring him the dessert in front of his team and sing happy birthday to him while he’s wearing a sash. He’s very happy and grateful.

Khamzat Chimaev runs into Daniel Cormier, and again tries to play wrestle with him. He talks to the assembled media, saying that he hopes his opponent really brings something this time because the first three have been too easy.

Glover runs into Jan Blachowicz and his wife in the lobby. Jan says that he still has the gift for him and wishes him a happy birthday. They’re set up for the press conference. Glover tells Sandhagen that he doesn’t like to sleep. Glover says he’s get Blachowicz down, either with a takedown or his left hand. Yan thinks Sandhagen moves too much and he can catch him. Sandhagen says they have very different standup styles, but that’s what will make it exciting. Everyone sings happy birthday to him, including Blachowicz.

Face-offs are all pretty normal, except Chimaev/Li, who stare at each other for a while.

And that’s it! UFC 267 goes down in a few short hours on Fight Island.

Glover Teixeira Won’t Let His Journey Be Defined By A Belt

UFC light heavyweight Glover Teixeira doesn’t believe a championship defeat at UFC 267 will dampen his career and his journey back to the top.

This weekend’s main event will see two feel-good stories come together. 205-pound champion Jan Blachowicz…

Glover Teixeira

UFC light heavyweight Glover Teixeira doesn’t believe a championship defeat at UFC 267 will dampen his career and his journey back to the top.

This weekend’s main event will see two feel-good stories come together. 205-pound champion Jan Blachowicz has already had his incredible resurgence topped with title glory. With defeats to Jimi Manuwa, Corey Anderson, Alexander Gustafsson, and Patrick Cummins, the Pole sat with four losses out of his previous five fights in 2017. With his place in the UFC on the line, Blachowicz won nine of his next 10, defeated Dominick Reyes to become champion, and became the first blemish on the record of Israel Adesanya earlier this year.

The champion can certainly relate to his upcoming challenger. In 2018, Teixeira had his third setback in just five fights. Having previously failed to capture gold against Jon Jones in 2014, not many expected the Brazilian to mount another title charge, especially given his form and age.

Proving everyone wrong, Teixeira has built a five-fight win streak that includes victories over Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos. At the age of 42, he’ll compete for gold in Abu Dhabi, hoping to become the second post-40 champion in UFC history.

For Teixeira, The Belt Will Be The Cherry, Not The Cake

Whilst the prospect of having gold wrapped around his waist inside the Etihad Arena is certainly an enticing one, it’s not the be-all and end-all for Teixeira.

At UFC 267 media day, the #1-ranked light heavyweight was asked if falling short of the division’s mountaintop on Saturday would mean his remarkable comeback story and win streak was for nothing. In response, Teixeira suggested he doesn’t need a belt to tell him he’s a champion.

“Man, it’s been a lot of sweat, blood, and tears to get here. No, it don’t matter, man. You know, I wanted to be a champion. I’m going to be a champion. That’s it. The mindset that I have now, I feel like I’m already champion. People treat me like a champion. I’ve been treated like a champion over here. And it’s amazing. I feel pretty confident about it.

“But no, that doesn’t take away what I’ve done, man. That doesn’t take away what I’ve done. I’m going over there; I’m going to do my best; and whatever happens happens. I’m still gonna live my life. I have an amazing life. At the end of the day, it’s a belt. It’s something that, eventually, we’re all gonna lose it. We’re all gonna not be a champion anymore. Everybody’s gonna forget about it. You can’t identify yourself with that. We’re something beyond that. So no, not at all.”

Whether he hears “and new” or “and still” at UFC 267, it’s clear Teixeira’s head will be held high. Given his run for the title, he’ll always be known as one of the sport’s greatest late bloomers.

Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC 267, Glover Teixeira or Jan Blachowicz?

Continue Reading Glover Teixeira Won’t Let His Journey Be Defined By A Belt at MMA News.

Islam Makhachev Doesn’t Mind Being Called ‘The Next Khabib’

Islam Makhachev isn’t shying away from all the comparisons being made between himself and his mentor.

Islam Makhachev will be stepping back into the UFC Octagon this weekend when he takes on Dan Hooker at UFC 267. Makhachev has a lot of hype surro…

Khabib Islam Makhachev

Islam Makhachev isn’t shying away from all the comparisons being made between himself and his mentor.

Islam Makhachev will be stepping back into the UFC Octagon this weekend when he takes on Dan Hooker at UFC 267. Makhachev has a lot of hype surrounding him coming into this fight. He has won all but one of his UFC fights so far and has made a name for himself in the division. Although he is getting the praise he deserves, most of the time it is paired with praise for his mentor and coach Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Because Makhachev’s style and mannerisms are so similar to Nurmagomedov’s he is often called, “The Next Khabib”. A young fighter trying to make their way in the UFC might want to separate themselves from such comparisons, but not Makhachev, he is embracing it.

“I want to be next Khabib. I want to be like Khabib. Honestly, I want to smash all my opponents like Khabib, too,” Makhachev told BT Sports. “I have little bit same [statistics], but I agree. If somebody say, ‘You fight like Khabib’ or ‘You gonna be like Khabib,’ I want to be.”

Makhachev is on an eight-fight winning streak coming into this bout with Hooker. Hooker is stepping in on short notice to replace hiss initial opponent Rafael dos Anjos who suffered an injury. Dos Anjos was trying to use Makhachev as a ploy to get a bout with Nurmagomedov who is retired. If he gets the win over Hooker he will find himself in a great position in the division and more fighters will be looking the get a bout with him instead.

Following in his mentor’s footsteps seems inevitable for Makhachev, he is only one submission away from tying Nurmagomedov’s UFC submissions. If he wins the title then both can claim mission accomplished.

Do you think Islam Makhachev can be as successful as Khabib Numragomedov was in the UFC?

Continue Reading Islam Makhachev Doesn’t Mind Being Called ‘The Next Khabib’ at MMA News.

BKFC president still in talks with Sanchez, hints at matchup with Perry

Diego Sanchez warms up backstage at Flash Forum prior to his welterweight bout against Jake Matthews at UFC 253. | Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Mike Perry vs. Diego Sanchez, anyone? UFC veteran Diego Sa…


Diego Sanchez is ready for his transition to bare knuckle boxing under BKFC.
Diego Sanchez warms up backstage at Flash Forum prior to his welterweight bout against Jake Matthews at UFC 253. | Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Mike Perry vs. Diego Sanchez, anyone?

UFC veteran Diego Sanchez still hasn’t signed with BKFC despite being linked to a deal with the bare-knuckle fight promotion in August.

BKFC president David Feldman, however, revealed that he is still in talks with ‘The Nightmare’ and hinted at a possible matchup with Mike Perry following ‘Platinum’s’ signing with BKFC earlier this week.

“Yeah, we are still in talks with Diego. We had some things come up in New Mexico as we were going to do some things there but that will be postponed to early next year,” Feldman told BJPenn.com in a recent interview. “His name could come up for Mike Perry. But, we always said when we matched up Diego we would make sure we matched him right and not in over his head. I don’t know if Mike Perry is over his head or not. They are both identical styles.”

“Diego would be good, a lot of people would talk about that fight. We would probably catch a lot of scrutiny because people say they don’t want to see Diego fight anymore,” he added. “But, at the end of the day, Diego always comes to fight, and if he’s matched right and trains right you can get a very good Diego that will stay in the middle of the ring and bang it out.”

Sanchez, winner of The Ultimate Fighter Season One, hasn’t fought since his Sept. 2020 decision loss to Jake Matthews at UFC 253. He was released from the promotion the following year.

Blachowicz: KO Of “Arsehole” Luke Rockhold Changed Everything

Jan Blachowicz can recall a defining moment in his career, the knockout of Luke Rockhold.

Jan Blachowicz is getting ready to defend his light heavyweight championship for the second time at UFC 267. Now as the reigning champ, Blachowicz is at the …

Jan Blachowicz Luke Rockhold

Jan Blachowicz can recall a defining moment in his career, the knockout of Luke Rockhold.

Jan Blachowicz is getting ready to defend his light heavyweight championship for the second time at UFC 267. Now as the reigning champ, Blachowicz is at the pinnacle of his career. In the lead-up to this fight with Glover Teixeira, Blachowicz took a trip down memory lane to remember a defining moment in his career.

“So I think the moment I change in thinking was when I knock out Luke Rockhold,” Blackowicz told PerthNow. “That’s when I thought, what I do in the gym, I need to do the same in the Octagon. So I start doing that and now I’m champion.”

That knockout of Luke Rockhold began the winning streak that Blachowicz rode all the way to the title. He is now 11-5 in the UFC and perhaps in the best shape of his life. Not only was the win at UFC 239 a turning point for him, but it was a pleasurable experience because of Blachowicz’s feeling towards Rockhold.

“So I was happy because he is not good person,” Blachowicz explained. “He’s arsehole. And that was really important for me to finish the fight in this way. Not with points but in that kind of way. A lot of people who train with him, they tell me ‘be careful because he is strong, unbelievably strong’. So (that knockout), it was a really important moment for me.”

Blachowicz will be taking on Teixeira in the main event of this weekend’s UFC 267 live from Abu Dhabi. As for Luke Rockhold, he recently pulled out of his bout scheduled for next week at UFC 268. His return to the UFC has him back at middleweight so it is unlikely these two will have the option to run it back.

What do you think of Jan Blachowicz’s assessment of Luke Rockhold?

Continue Reading Blachowicz: KO Of “Arsehole” Luke Rockhold Changed Everything at MMA News.

Dan Hooker Excited To Make His Fans Money By Beating Makhachev

Dan Hooker doesn’t care he’s the betting underdog in his UFC 267 fight against Islam Makhachev.

After Hooker returned to the win column at UFC 266 with a decision win over Nasrat Haqparast, the Kiwi stepped up on short notice to face Makhachev. It’…

Dan Hooker

Dan Hooker doesn’t care he’s the betting underdog in his UFC 267 fight against Islam Makhachev.

After Hooker returned to the win column at UFC 266 with a decision win over Nasrat Haqparast, the Kiwi stepped up on short notice to face Makhachev. It’s an intriguing matchup but the oddsmakers don’t expect it to be a close one as the Russian is a massive -650 favorite while Hooker is a +460 underdog.

Meaning, you would need to bet $650 to win $100 if you like Makhachev. If you like Hooker, a $100 bet would net you $460, so with that, “The Hangman” is excited to make his supporters a lot of money.

“I think it’s great. I don’t want to say anything that’s going to change that betting line too much. The boys are going to make some money,” Hooker told the South China Morning Post. “This is [Makhachev’s] party, I’m just there to spoil it.”

Islam Makhachev, Dan Hooker
Islam Makhachev, Dan Hooker (Image Credits: Mike Lawrie/Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)

It would be a massive upset if Hooker does get the win as many have pegged Makhachev as a future champion. The oddsmakers also don’t expect this fight to be close, but Hooker is confident he has the skills to be able to surprise money and pull off the upset.

If Dan Hooker does pull off the upset, he would be in line to face a top contender next. Some think if Makhachev wins he may get the next title shot, so for Hooker, the hope is, is with a win, he’s fighting in a number one contender bout in his next appearance. Yet, in order for that to happen, he will need to pull off the upset this weekend.

UFC 267 goes down on Saturday, October 30, on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. Be sure to stay locked to MMANews for all the latest news and results for the stacked card.

Do you think Dan Hooker will beat Islam Makhachev at UFC 267?

Continue Reading Dan Hooker Excited To Make His Fans Money By Beating Makhachev at MMA News.