Tag: American Top Team

Renato Moicano ‘Glad’ He Hasn’t Trained With Teammate Dustin Poirier For Benoît Saint Denis Fight

Renato Moicano recently explained why he chose not to train with his teammate Dustin Poirier ahead of his upcoming bout against Benoît Saint Denis. “Money” is stepping into enemy territory as he gears up to face Saint Denis in a crucial lightweight clash, headlining UFC Fight Night Paris this weekend at the Accor Arena in […]

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Renato Moicano recently explained why he chose not to train with his teammate Dustin Poirier ahead of his upcoming bout against Benoît Saint Denis.

“Money” is stepping into enemy territory as he gears up to face Saint Denis in a crucial lightweight clash, headlining UFC Fight Night Paris this weekend at the Accor Arena in France.

Few know that Moicano hones his skills at the prestigious American Top Team (ATT), working under the guidance of Mike Brown, ‘Parrumpa’ and more capable coaches. His training partners include the highly regarded lightweights Poirier and Thiago Moises, both of whom have faced “God of War” in the octagon before.

The 35-year-old Brazilian could have trained alongside “The Diamond”, who knocked out Saint Denis at UFC 299 this past March, but Moicano somehow did not get that chance…

Moicano Reveals He Didn’t Want To Disrupt Poirier’s Time Off While Preparing For Saint Denis

During a recent episode of his Show Me The Money podcast, Moicano discussed his preparation and training camp for the upcoming clash with Saint Denis. “Money” revealed that he spent considerable time training with Moises, gaining valuable insights that he plans to apply in this fight.

“I trained a lot with Thiago Moises, and he told me that the guy is very strong, especially because he fought Benoit and then we trained together,” Moicano said. “We are both lightweights, of course, so he was telling me to be ready; he’s very strong. I’m not underestimating him; I know he’s tough, I know he’s strong. Dustin Poirier also gave me some tips, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. I have to go over there and do my job, and my job is to beat him.”

Moicano further shared that he wasn’t able to train with Poirier for this fight, as the former UFC interim champion was coming off his own grueling bouts, and Moicano didn’t want to interrupt his time off. “Money” mentioned that he caught up with “The Diamond” during International Fight Week in June, where they exchanged strategies for dealing with Saint Denis.

“I know he had a very hard training camp against Islam [Makhachev] and Benoit, and I didn’t want to bother him. Even though we talked in Las Vegas at the International Fight Week, and he was more than ready to come down and train with me to help me for the fight, he was on vacation or something. I said, ‘Hey, I’m not gonna message you; I’m not gonna be selfish and try to make him come to ATT just to train with me’… I’m glad that I didn’t have to train with Dustin Poirier because he would beat my a**.”

Moicano is currently riding a three-fight win streak, most recently securing a second-round TKO victory over Jalin Turner at UFC 300 this past April. Meanwhile, “God of War” saw his five-fight winning momentum come to an end at the hands of Poirier in his last appearance in the Octagon, and he will be eager to return to his victorious form.

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Dustin Poirier’s Teammate Hints At Date & Opponent For His Final UFC Fight (Exclusive)

A hunch or a leak? Dustin Poirier’s teammate appeared confident when predicting a month and opponent for his farewell fight in the UFC. It initially appeared as though fans had seen Poirier make the walk for the final time this past summer. After a vintage knockout of Benoît Saint Denis in March, the former interim […]

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A hunch or a leak? Dustin Poirier’s teammate appeared confident when predicting a month and opponent for his farewell fight in the UFC.

It initially appeared as though fans had seen Poirier make the walk for the final time this past summer. After a vintage knockout of Benoît Saint Denis in March, the former interim UFC lightweight champion had one last opportunity to achieve undisputed status.

But while he gave it his all through four rounds against Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 in Newark, “The Diamond” succumbed to a rear-naked choke in the final frame of the pay-per-view main event.

The veteran’s Octagon interview suggested that an official retirement was on the way, but the fire beneath Poirier has not fully diminished. And after pondering a farewell fight, the Louisianan has appeared to make that decision final.

Talk has since turned to which major matchup Poirier could depart the sport off the back of, and “The Diamond” himself narrowed down his options to seven big names.

A man who knows Poirier well from their ongoing stint as teammates over at American Top Team recently picked one out…

Dawson Predicts Poirier vs. Gaethje 3 In February 2025

During a recent interview with MMA News’ Ryan Jarrell, Dawson spoke on the current status of Poirier’s career and apparent plans to compete one final time before hanging up the gloves.

While reiterating his belief that “The Diamond” is not yet done, “KGD” predicted a February 2025 return for his ATT training partner but insisted that didn’t come from a place of insider knowledge.

“I think he’ll fight in February. I don’t have any insider information,” Dawson told MMA News. “I don’t know anything. There’s no (set) date or anything like that. I just don’t think he’s done. I’ve texted him a couple times and he sounds like a man who wants to fight again.”

But when pondering a date for his own next appearance inside the Octagon, the same month reared its head…

“Let’s do February, on Dustin’s card.”

In terms of an opponent, Dawson was 100 percent certain in stating that a rumored clash with former ATT standout Colby Covington is not on the table. Instead, the 30-year-old displayed a grin while producing a different name.

“I know for a fact he’s not fighting Colby Covington. I called him and asked him about it, and he said, ‘Heck no.’ He said something a little worse than ‘heck,’” Dawson said, before smiling and taking a long pause when asked who he thinks Poirier will face. “Justin Gaethje.”

Shot-in-the-dark prediction, educated guess or a statement of fact? We’ll let you decide.

Regardless, it would appear that Poirier’s mind is indeed made up and that his memorable championship clash with Makhachev won’t mark the final chapter in his story.

Continue Reading Dustin Poirier’s Teammate Hints At Date & Opponent For His Final UFC Fight (Exclusive) at MMA News.

Paige VanZant details scary stalker incident at American Top Team and the ex-UFC fighter who saved her

Paige VanZant details scary stalker incident at American Top Team and the ex-UFC fighter who saved herYoutube star turned BKFC brawler Paige VanZant recently opened up about a scary stalker situation that she experienced. Despite…

Paige VanZant details scary stalker incident at American Top Team and the ex-UFC fighter who saved her

Youtube star turned BKFC brawler Paige VanZant recently opened up about a scary stalker situation that she experienced.

Despite not having competed since 2021, ’12 Gauge’ continues to be one of the biggest names in all of combat sports, much of that due to her immense popularity on social media and through her OnlyFans account which grants fans unparalleled access to the former UFC flyweight.

Paige VanZant

Unfortunately, that level of fame does come with a potential downside. During a recent episode of her podcast, Paige and Austin: A Kickass Love Story, VanZant revealed that she had a run-in with a particularly chilling stalker who had approached her while she was training at her home gym, American Top Team.

“I had a stalker, a big-time stalker,” VanZant said on her podcast. “I’m training and I notice this guy watching me the whole time. Instantly, I got the vibe that this guy is f*cking weird and staring at me the whole time. I thought he’s a fan so you try to be nice. Of course, people can be nervous. It was the prime of my UFC career, maybe he was just a fan and was nervous.

“He comes over and starts talking to me. He’s like, ‘Hey, how are you? I’m so happy to meet you or I’m so happy that we’re together.’ I was like, ‘Oh, okay.’ I was like, ‘What’s your name?’ He was like, ‘It’s blah blah blah, we’ve been talking on Instagram for years.’ I was like, ‘What?’”

Paige VanZant

Paige VanZant reveals the fighter who came to her rescue

As it turns out, the man had been messaging her on social media for years, sending multiple messages per day unbeknownst to VanZant.

“I go in the back [of the gym] and open the messages,” VanZant continued. “He has been messaging every single day. At least 10 to 20 messages for the last four years. Every day he would message and message and message about how we’re meant to be together. About how Allah told him we were meant to be together and how he was thinking about me the entire time he was in jail” (h/t BJPenn.com).

VanZant revealed that her ATT teammate and former UFC standout Ed Herman had noticed the man harassing ’12 Gauge’ and promptly ordered him to leave the gym. VanZant has not seen or heard from him since.

It’s certainly not the first time VanZant has had to deal with an overzealous fan. Earlier this year, she claimed that one man had offered her $50,000 to cut her hair into a specific style — the caveat being that she had to send him all of her hair to collect the cash. VanZant admittedly mulled over the offer for a few days before ultimately declining.

Paige VanZant

Despite making money hand over fist through her ventures outside of the cage and the ring, Paige VanZant has remained insistent that she is not retired from fighting. In February, ’12 Guage’ announced that she had accepted a boxing match tentatively scheduled for May or June. VanZant initially expected her return to be for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, the promotion she signed with shortly after her exit from the UFC in 2020.

VanZant remains hopeful that the promotion will bring her back for one more bare-knuckle fight.

Jorge Masvidal Reacts To Teammate Kayla Harrison’s Shocking Loss

UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal feels Kayla Harrison should keep her head held high despite her first professional loss. Harrison lost to Larissa Pacheco via unanimous decision at the 2022 PFL Championships this past weekend in New York City. It was th…

UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal feels Kayla Harrison should keep her head held high despite her first professional loss. Harrison lost to Larissa Pacheco via unanimous decision at the 2022 PFL Championships this past weekend in New York City. It was the first loss of her MMA career after breezing past her competition with 15 consecutive…

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Amanda Nunes Says Harrison’s Words Influenced Decision To Leave ATT

Former UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes has provided more context for why she decided to leave her longtime gym American Top Team (ATT). Nunes left ATT following her loss to Julianna Peña at UFC 269 last December. She hinted at a desire to have her own private space for training as being a significant reason…

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Former UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes has provided more context for why she decided to leave her longtime gym American Top Team (ATT).

Nunes left ATT following her loss to Julianna Peña at UFC 269 last December. She hinted at a desire to have her own private space for training as being a significant reason for her choosing to part ways with the gym.

But Nunes has recently opened up more about her leave, specifically pointing to multiple-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison.

During a recent interview with MMA Fighting’s Trocacao Franca podcast, Nunes explained how additions to ATT such as Harrison and UFC fighter Yana Kunitskaya changed her perception of the gym.

“There’s that saying, like it or lump it. I was bothered by the whole situation, of course,” Nunes said. “There were no girls when I got to American Top Team. I was the first woman to bring two belts and put the women’s team in history. When Kayla got there and then Kunitskaya, it began creating a weird situation for me because that was my territory.

“And then Kayla started talking. I was kind of, ‘Man, I’m not safe even in my territory.’ I was kind of cornered, even because we share the same coaches. She trains with Mike Brown and I train with Mike Brown. I was already training with them when she got there.

“If there’s someone that carries the name of the team, that’s me, who brought two belts (to ATT). If I wasn’t who I really am, a champion in two divisions, cool, no problem. But I was the champion already. She would have to train somewhere else to fight me.” (h/t BJ Penn)

Harrison re-signed with the PFL despite talks with the UFC and Bellator during her free agency. She most recently alluded that wins over Nunes and Bellator champion Cris Cyborg would cement her status as the greatest female fighter.

Nunes is coaching the current season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite Pena and the two bantamweights will face off in a rematch later this year. With Harrison re-joining the PFL for at least this season, talks of a fight with Nunes seem to be on hold for now, but Nunes has still felt the impact of Harrison’s rise at ATT.

What are your thoughts on Amanda Nunes’ comments about her ATT exit?

Continue Reading Amanda Nunes Says Harrison’s Words Influenced Decision To Leave ATT at MMA News.

Colby Covington Expects Pay Rise After UFC 272: ‘I Want To Be Paid More Than Jorge Masvidal’

Colby CovingtonColby Covington wants a bigger piece of the cake. ”Chaos’ made that much clear while speaking with the press after his unanimous decision victory over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272. Heading into UFC 272, it was reported Covington wasn’t earning any points from the pay-per-view purchases. “This fight I didn’t care about money, I wanted […]

Colby Covington

Colby Covington wants a bigger piece of the cake. ”Chaos’ made that much clear while speaking with the press after his unanimous decision victory over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272.

Heading into UFC 272, it was reported Covington wasn’t earning any points from the pay-per-view purchases.

“This fight I didn’t care about money, I wanted to come out here and fight this guy,” Covington said.

“I was willing to take a pay cut, I would have fought this guy for free.”

Now after beating his former best friend, Covington believes he should be making more than Masvidal, who signed a lucrative new deal prior to the fight.

“I want to be paid more than Jorge Masvidal. I need to be making more than Jorge, that guy’s a flash in the pan.”

“He signed the contract right before the fight because he knew he was going to get his a** whopped. He wasn’t going to have any leverage or power to negotiate after I whoop his a** on Monday morning.”

After headlining three PPV’s, it’s going to be hard for the UFC to deny Covington his fair share. He certainly feels that he is deserving.

“I just turned 34 two weeks before this fight,” Covington added. “I’m in my prime, I’m getting better every single day. You haven’t seen the best of me, I still got a long career ahead of me.”

Colby Covington Still Has Beef With Jorge Masvidal

After 25 minutes in the octagon, Covington wanted more of Masvidal.

“I was ready for 5 more rounds in the parking lot,” he said.

The self-labeled ‘King of Miami’ also threw more jabs at American Top Team calling the gym “American Trash Team.”

It will be interesting to see where Covington goes from here, having already fought Kamaru Usman twice. It seems he has his eyes set on another ATT member, Dustin Poirier. He believes that would serve as a “tune-up” fight before he can meet Usman for the third time.

Covington would prefer to fight three times this year, hoping he makes the walk to the octagon for International Fight Week in July.

Love him or hate him, Covington has proved to be one of the biggest draws in the company.

You can view his full post-fight interview here:

Who would you like Colby Covington to face next?