Askar Askaarov of Russia punches Joseph Benavidez in their flyweight fight at UFC 259. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
A presumptive #1 contender bout in the UFC men’s flyweight division is set for July. A title shot c…
Askar Askaarov of Russia punches Joseph Benavidez in their flyweight fight at UFC 259. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
A presumptive #1 contender bout in the UFC men’s flyweight division is set for July.
A title shot could be on the line next month in Las Vegas.
Flyweight contenders Askar Askarov and Alex Perez are scheduled to square off on the July 31st UFC Fight Night card at the APEX. Both fighters confirmed the news following BJPenn.com’s initial report.
Askarov (14-0-1) went to a draw with current champion Brandon Moreno in his UFC debut. Since then the former ACB champ has rattled off three wins in succession against Tim Elliott, Alexandre Pantoja, and most recently former title challenger Joseph Benavidez. For someone who had a 100% finish record prior to entering the UFC, all of his fights inside the Octagon have gone the distance.
Perez (24-6) challenged Deiveson Figueiredo on short notice at UFC 255, losing his bid to become champion by first-round guillotine choke. That snapped a three-fight winning streak that included stoppages of Jussier Formiga and Jordan Espinosa. His only other UFC defeat came against Joseph Benavidez by TKO.
Current rankings have Askarov at #2 and Perez at #4, so Brandon Moreno’s first title defense figures to be against the winner of this one.
UFC Vegas 33 is headlined by a middleweight fight between strikers Uriah Hall and Sean Strickland.
Mo DeReese understands that his fight at PFL 6 against Bruno Cappelozza is “do or die” for his chances at PFL gold in the 2021 season. DeReese sat down with Low Kick MMA ahead of his last regular-season fight at PFL 6 this Friday, June 25. He shared the pride he experienced being named head […]
Mo DeReese understands that his fight at PFL 6 against Bruno Cappelozza is “do or die” for his chances at PFL gold in the 2021 season.
DeReese sat down with Low Kick MMA ahead of his last regular-season fight at PFL 6 this Friday, June 25. He shared the pride he experienced being named head coach for a high school wrestling team. DeReese also shared how coaching has helped him be a better fighter.
“It’s different when you coach. And then I also feel that when I coach, it helps me look at the sport from a different angle. Where when I’m competing or doing it, I’m not looking at. So then I can critique myself when I train and, you know, and remember the things that I’m looking and seeing when I’m doing it. And I think it definitely helps me with actually, you know, being a better athlete.”
DeReese will need that insight as he tries to take out Bruno Cappelozza. The latter is currently atop the heavyweight standings and has already secured his spot in the PFL playoffs. Finished by Denis Goltsov in his first fight of the season at PFL 3, DeReese needs a first-round finish to ensure the necessary points to move on to the playoffs.
No one understands this better than DeReese himself.
“He’s [Cappelozza] got him a spot in the playoffs. I don’t know how that’s going to affect him coming into the fight. Me, as you know, I’m coming for the first-round finish. Cause that’s pretty much what I have to get. You know, and if I get a victory, you know, there’s a possibility I might, it depends on what everybody else does, [get a playoff spot]. But yeah, if I get a first-round [KO] I pretty much secure my spot [in the playoffs], especially taken out, you know, the number one. So I just got to go in there and give it my best and let everything go. And I’m going to live or die on that shield. So it’s going to be fun.”
Do you think Mo DeReese can turn it around and secure his spot in the PFL heavyweight division playoffs?
This weekend (Sat., June 26, 2021), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will remain inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, for UFC Vegas 30. While I will never claim to understand why UFC …
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
This weekend (Sat., June 26, 2021), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will remain inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, for UFC Vegas 30. While I will never claim to understand why UFC makes some of the choices it does, I can definitely pick up on certain patterns. In this case, UFC Vegas 30 is yet another ESPN+ event that will prominently feature Heavyweights in a small cage, and hopefully that will lead to some serious power punches.
Prior to the big man action, however, there’s a trio of exciting bouts to analyze. Let’s take a closer look at these main card donnybrooks:
Light Heavyweight: Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Danilo Marques
Best Win for Nzechukwu? Darko Stosic For Marques? Mike Rodriguez Current Streak: Both men have won two in a row inside the Octagon X-Factor: Nzechukwu’s grappling is still fairly untested How these two match up: This reads very much like a striker vs. grappler battle.
Nzechukwu may be a bit green behind the ears, but “The African Savage” has major physical gifts and only came up short to the classic Paul Craig last-second triangle choke. There is still work to be done in all aspects of his game, but Nzechukwu hits plenty hard and is learning to shuck off takedowns quite well.
On the flip side, Marques has picked up a pair of clear-cut wins inside the Octagon off the strength of his grappling. At 6’6,” he’s a surprisingly effective wrestler and is very effective at controlling from top position.
Don’t you hate when a fight’s outcome is entirely decided by whether or not the takedown lands? If Marques is able to drag Nzechukwu down, it’s unlikely that the Nigerian fighter is able to see the final bell without giving up his neck at some point. However, if Marques doesn’t get it to the floor quickly, he’s going to get his block knocked off.
Compared to Marques’ two most recent foes, Nzechukwu is a much stronger athlete and has the physical gifts to exceed Marques usual range advantage. Muscling Nzechukwu to the floor just seems unlikely — there’s a reason Craig pulled guard! Furthermore, Nzechukwu seems to be improving in the right direction, scrambling well and fighting well even if his opponent gets off to a strong start.
Prediction: Nzechukwu via knockout
Featherweight: Andre Fili vs. Daniel Pineda
Best Win for Fili? Dennis Bermudez For Pineda? Herbert Burns Current Streak: Both athletes came up short last time out X-Factor: Pineda’s do-or-die fighting style can lead to wild results How these two match up: This one will not see the judges’ scorecards.
Andre Fili has been in the UFC for eight years now, slowly refining his game as he competed against many of the best Featherweights in the world. Now 30 years of age, “Touchy” is pretty damn solid everywhere but likely does his best work from the kickboxing range.
Pineda, meanwhile, is in his second stint with UFC. The 35-year-old is honestly a savage; he has yet to win a decision in 27 victories! “The Pit” really fights with confidence, attacking his opponent’s full force from the first bell until someone hits the canvas hard.
There is no doubt that Pineda is a finishing threat on both the feet and the mat, but he just seems a step behind Fili in most areas. Fili is the taller, longer Featherweight, and he’s quite a bit cleaner from distance. Perhaps most troublingly for the Texan, he looked a bit lost opposite Cub Swanson’s Southpaw stance last time out, and Fili fights as a leftie fairly often.
In addition, Pineda does slow down, a result of his pedal-to-the-floor approach to combat. Even if he does start strong, Fili’s reactive double-leg can slow him down, and eventually, that head kick will sneak around the guard.
Prediction: Fili via knockout
Lightweight: Renato Moicano vs. Jai Herbert
Best Win for Moicano? Calvin Kattar For Herbert? Jack Grant Current Streak: Once more, both men came up short last time out X-Factor: It’s still unclear whether Moicano can compete at Lightweight How these two match up: As usual, expect the Lightweights to deliver a great fight.
Man, I know we like to credit guys like Dustin Poirier for cutting less weight and finding more success, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Moicano was closing in on a title shot at 145-pounds before Chan Sung Jung clipped him, sending him to Lightweight. He’s 1-1 since, stuck in the middle of a majorly crowded division.
On the plus side, Moicano is still a legit black belt with nasty kicks.
One has to feel for Herbert as well. The English striker took a short-notice bout vs. Francisco Trinaldo and performed amazingly well for two rounds. When the veteran rallied, however, Herbert found himself on the wrong end of a truly brutal beatdown that was not stopped for far too long.
I think Herbert is a really quality Lightweight and a worthy addition to the roster, which is why it sucks that he’s probably going to lose again. Moicano has world-class experience, the kicking and jabbing game to compete with the lanky “Black Country Banger” at distance, and the grappling game to really make Herbert pay if he gets too active.
Herbert has to really manage range masterfully, otherwise he’s going to end up with Moicano on his back. Even then, there’s no guarantee he can actually outwork the Brazilian, who is a very sharp kickboxer in his own right.
Prediction: Moicano via submission
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 30 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+“Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance on ESPN+at 4 p.m. ET.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 30: “Gane vs. Volkov” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
MMA legend Randy Couture doesn’t understand why Jake Paul is the one bringing the MMA fighter pay dispute to the forefront. In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Couture straight up asked the question. (H/T MMA Fighting) “Why is Jake Paul the one to step up and poke Dana and shine a light on what’s going […]
MMA legend Randy Couture doesn’t understand why Jake Paul is the one bringing the MMA fighter pay dispute to the forefront.
In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Couture straight up asked the question. (H/T MMA Fighting)
“Why is Jake Paul the one to step up and poke Dana and shine a light on what’s going on and the difference between our sports?”
Couture continued, “If it takes Jake Paul to run his mouth and get that done, then great. As long as it gets done. It just seems kind of crazy to me that it’s coming from there. And we as athletes in mixed martial arts can’t come together and can’t hold these promoters to a higher standard and create the transparency that we need in the sport.”
Couture has never been shy about addressing issues that plague the sport that he helped make a global phenomenon. He’s also never shied away from criticizing other fighters. He feels that one, in particular, had the opportunity to make the fighter pay issue a hot topic.
“”The guy that really had a chance to shine a light on it was Conor McGregor,” Couture explained. “He got a boxing license. As soon as he got a boxing license, he rendered his UFC contract null and void. He had the protections of the Muhammad Ali Act when he became an official boxer. With that boxing number, and he chose to bring Dana White and company back into that fight when he could have done all that on his own. Kept all that money to himself and shined a light on the problem in mixed martial arts.”
The Muhammad Ali Act, commonly referred to as the Ali Act, is a U.S. federal law passed in 2000. It halted widespread abuse (i.e., exploitation, rigging of bouts, unfair mismatches) of licensed boxers by promoters.
The law (here in its entirety) covers various aspects of the boxing business, including protection from coercive contracts, disclosure of fighter payment/contracts, and conflict of interests.
Couture believes that either lobbying for a similar law or simply amending the Ali Act would provide MMA fighters more legal ground. But that is only part of what Couture believes will bring about change.
“I think there’s three things going on,” Couture said. “The first thing is obviously the class action lawsuit. That is the long play. It’s going to take a while to settle all of that. The affidavits are in, it’s been certified as a class. If they’re successful in proving their case, it’s going to force the biggest promotion in this sport anyways, the UFC, to do business differently. That’s the first scenario.”
“The second scenario is the MMAFA, the Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association, and I’m part of that group, have been lobbying to see the Ali Act amended. Just change the definition from boxer to mixed martial arts or combative sports athlete. Then we enjoy the same transparency and restrictions on promotions and promoters that boxers have been enjoying since 1996. Now the UFC is lobbying very, very hard and spending a lot of money to keep that from being voted on. It’s gotten us tossed out of the Energy and Commerce Commission, where it was originally voted and voted in. They’re doing their thing to keep it from being a vote and being voted on.”
Lastly, Couture believes that better competition to the sports biggest promotion, the UFC, helps to level the playing field.
“The third thing is organizations like the PFL that have taken the sport and put it in a regular sports format, that are paying the athletes very well,” Couture stated. “A million-dollar purse at the end of each season with a new champion. I think that’s another avenue as well. They’re creating an athlete’s advisory board and doing some things some of the other promotions aren’t doing. I think that’s a third potential to see some change in the sport.”
“We’re obviously attracting a lot of big names and top names from the sport that want a shot at that money and want a chance to know when their fight is going to be and not have to worry about it. So I think those are all three things that are a positive change in our sport.”
Do you believe that Randy Couture has identified everything that needs to happen for fighters to see more money?
Jake Paul at the press conference for Logan Paul vs Floyd Mayweather | Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images
“I think I could be fighting against Canelo Alvarez for the WBC or the WBO championship belt. Why not, baby?” Pau…
Jake Paul at the press conference for Logan Paul vs Floyd Mayweather | Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images
“I think I could be fighting against Canelo Alvarez for the WBC or the WBO championship belt. Why not, baby?” Paul said.
For those who have questions about just how serious Jake Paul is taking his newly-found boxing career, the YouTube star is not shy about shooting for the stars. He’s hoping to eventually fight Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for his world titles.
Paul has become the most talked-about name in the combat sports world since transitioning to the sweet science from his days as an internet personality. The 24-year-old’s stock skyrocketed when he knocked out Ben Askren in April, and he will now face former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley this August.
“I just want to continue to be the most disruptive boxer in the history of the sport,” Paul recently told TMZ Sports.
“I think I could be fighting against Canelo Alvarez for the WBC or the WBO championship belt. Why not, baby? A lot of people are afraid to try, they’re afraid to get up out of their seats, they’re afraid to do something different. But that’s them, that’s not me. I know I can accomplish anything I set my mind to, and that’s why there’s a difference between successful and non-successful people in this world.”
Canelo has previously said the Paul brothers have shown a lack of respect by journeying into boxing and are only in search of a quick payday. Regardless, Paul feels he takes the sport more serious than most other boxers on the planet and has high hopes for his future,
“So really, the sky is the limit. It’s just about how seriously I take it, and I do take it seriously. More seriously than 99% of these ‘professional’ boxers that are out there.”
That sounds great, but is pretty unrealistic just from a size factor. Paul weighed in at 191.5 pounds for his last fight with Ben Askren. Canelo is a four-weight champion, but the belts he currently holds are at 168 pounds and the highest he’s fought at is 175. We’ll see though.
Mo DeReese understands that his fight at PFL 6 against Bruno Cappelozza is “do or die” for his chances at PFL gold in the 2021 season. DeReese sat down with Low Kick MMA ahead of his last regular-season fight at PFL 6 this Friday, June 25. He shared the pride he experienced being named head […]
MMA legend Randy Couture doesn’t understand why Jake Paul is the one bringing the MMA fighter pay dispute to the forefront. In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Couture straight up asked the question. (H/T MMA Fighting) “Why is Jake Paul the one to step up and poke Dana and shine a light on what’s going […]