Author: Dan Hiergesell

Paddy Pimblett’s controversial decision win over Jared Gordon last month at UFC 282 has sparked much discussion among the mixed martial arts (MMA) community. This now includes Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) color commentator, Joe Rogan, and Barstool Sports president, Dave Portnoy.

Rogan, who was in attendance to call Pimblett’s fight with Gordon at UFC 282, has voiced his belief that Gordon won the fight despite the judges’ scoring. As a matter of fact, Rogan was seen rolling his eyes inside of the Octagon when the scorecard was read and Pimblett was awarded the victory.

Earlier this week, Portnoy made his first appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. As the founder of Barstool Sports — which signed Pimblett to a lucrative brand ambassador deal back in 2021 — Portnoy is always going to be a little bias with his outlook on the fight. He believes “Baddy” did enough during the fight to capture the win. Of course, Portnoy is in the minority regarding his views on the contest and Rogan didn’t let him off the hook.

“I got to walk in with Paddy in London when the crowd was chanting his name,” said Portnoy. “That is still maybe the best thing I’ve gotten to do. I can’t imagine being a fighter in the tunnel coming out, there really is nothing like it in sports. By the way, I saw you roll your eyes when Paddy won [at UFC 282].”

“He shouldn’t have won.” Rogan replied.

“I thought it was a close decision,” said Portnoy.

Eventually, Rogan gave some credit to Pimblett, but still stands firm on his belief that Gordan clearly won the fight.

“Eh, I thought Jared won. I thought Jared Gordon won that fight. It was a good fight, it certainly wasn’t a blowout. It wasn’t one of those fights where there was no f—king way [Pimblett didn’t win], it was a close fight.”

Regardless of Rogan or Portnoy’s views on the fight, Pimblett did walk away with the win at UFC 282 to push his perfect UFC record to 4-0 and set himself up for a bigger opportunity in 2023. However, Gordon certainly exposed some holes in Pimblett’s game which has left fight fans wondering how long “Baddy” can keep this up.

Gervonta Davis (27-0, 25 KO) will be back in action tomorrow night (Sat., Jan. 7, 2023) live on Showtime pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., as the undefeated knockout sensation defends his WBA lightweight title against veteran boxer Hector Garcia (16-0, 10 KO) in the main event.

On Friday, the two fighters came together for official weigh ins for their lightweight title fight. Both fighters came in on target to make things official heading into Saturday night. The complete results from Friday’s weigh ins can be seen HERE.

Following the weigh ins, Davis and Garcia squared off for one final time to put the finishing touches on fight week. Things got a little chippy during Thursday’s pre-fight press conference so fight fans weren’t sure what to expect. The two fighters were cordial for the most part.

Check out the final faceoff below:

Davis, who just turned 28 this past November, is one of the very best boxers in the sport today. He’s more of a power puncher than an offensive tactician, but “Tank” continues to spark the competition each and every time we see him. If he’s able to defend his WBA lightweight title against Garcia this weekend it will line him up for a long-awaited meeting with rising youngster Ryan Garcia later this year.

Luke Rockhold has already hinted at a potential return to mixed martial arts (MMA) in 2023 following his soft retirement from the sport just a few months ago.

The former UFC middleweight champion made a memorable return to the 185-pound division in a battle against Paulo Costa at UFC 278 this past August. Rockhold ended up losing via unanimous decision, but it was one of the gutsiest performances of his storied career. He earned Fight of the Night honors along with some well-deserved respect from the combat naysayers.

Rockhold, who turned 38 this past October, has now lost his last three trips to the Octagon dating back to 2018. That lack of success usually leads to a promotional pink slip for most fighters, but Rockhold is a true veteran of MMA and a guy that will presumably always have a home in UFC if he has the desire to compete.

Well, it now sounds as if the former UFC champion is eager to get back on the saddle in 2023 and see what he’s able to do. On Friday, Rockhold posted the following photo and message to Instagram, giving his fans hope heading into the new year:

“Putting the old rig to the test. 2023 could get interesting,” wrote Rockhold.

It should be noted that Rockhold has had a rocky relationship with UFC and promotional president Dana White in the past, but if the former middleweight champion is serious about a return to action UFC is likely to answer the phone. After all, Rockhold is still a well-known name around these parts and a controversial figure that draws interest no matter who he’s fighting.

What do you think, Maniacs? Do you want to see Rockhold return to action in 2023?

Let’s hear it!

The past year will go down as one of the most memorable and turbulent years in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) history. From title fight upsets to instant Octagon classics, combat fans witnessed more than they bargained for over the last 12 months.

While UFC failed to grace us with a final card this weekend to close 2022 out in fashion the promotion did put together a compilation of the best moments from the year. This includes memorable performances like Leon Edwards’ last-second knockout win over Kamaru Usman and Alex Pereira’s comeback stoppage over Israel Adesanya. Not to mention a collection of high-octane wars and one-sided finishes that set the Octagon ablaze.

The video compilation can be seen in the above player courtesy of UFC and BT Sport. It is narrated by former UFC middleweight champion and current color commentator, Michael Bisping.

Through all of the unprecedented title wins, flashy knockouts, grueling submissions, and bloody barn burners, which ones stood out the most to you? As we prepare to venture into 2023 what will you remember most about 2022?

Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Nick Diaz is pulling out all the stops in advance to a potential return in 2023 and that includes some much-needed time at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Performance Institute.

It’s been over one year since his long-awaited return to action against Robbie Lawler at UFC 266 and rumors of Diaz making another comeback appearance have began to circulate. It was revealed a few months ago that Diaz fought Lawler with two ruptured discs in his neck and was hoping to prove his worth again with another matchup in 2023. Diaz has targeted former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, but that’s never going to happen.

Nonetheless, Diaz is already beginning his comeback campaign with some hard training to close out 2022. Long-time friend and teammate, Jake Shields, revealed earlier this month that Diaz is “looking a lot better” in the gym and is on target to return in 2023. Earlier this week, Diaz was spotted at the UFC PI getting in a strenuous workout. Check it out below:

It should be noted that Diaz is wearing old Reebok gear in these photos. UFC president Dana White can’t be happy since the promotion switched partnerships from Reebok to Venum just last year.

Diaz, 39, hasn’t tasted victory inside of the Octagon since a decision win over B.J. Penn back in 2011. That was over a decade ago as Diaz has only competed four times since that matchup. It will be interesting to see how the veteran fighter looks in 2023 after taking more than a year off to regroup and get back in shape (again).

While the year didn’t end with a stacked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) pay-per-view (PPV) card Friday night (Dec. 30, 2022) did offer a collection of notable fighters competing at Fury Pro Grappling 6 live on UFC Fight Pass from inside 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In the co-main event of the evening, UFC lightweight veteran Clay Guida locked horns with talented youngster Chase Hooper. It was an unlikely pairing to say the least, but an enticing matchup given the popularity and personality of each fighter. On paper, it was a solid booking when you consider Guida’s wrestling prowess and Hooper’s activity off his back.

Needless to say, the co-main event delivered. The entire contest lasted nearly four minutes with each fighter scoring valuable control time. However, it was Hooper who was able to find a window of opportunity to lock up a slick calf slicer and put Guida in serious trouble. The veteran fighter tried to peel Hooper off, but the damage was already done. Guida was forced to tap and Hooper escaped with an impressive submission finish.

Check out the highlights below:

Hooper, 23, is coming off a disastrous TKO loss to Steve Garcia back at UFC Vegas 63 this past October. It was the first time Hooper has ever been finished in his professional MMA career. Guida, on the other hand, returned to the lightweight win column earlier this month with a decision over Scott Holtzman at UFC Orlando.