Tag: belal muhammad

UFC Vegas 45: Lewis vs. Daukaus Weigh-In Results & In-Depth Preview

The weigh-in results for UFC Vegas 45: Lewis vs. Daukaus are in, and we’ve got the results along with a preview for tomorrow night’s event for you below.

The weigh-ins are complete for UFC Vegas 45, and three fighters have missed weight. In Justin …

Derrick Lewis

The weigh-in results for UFC Vegas 45: Lewis vs. Daukaus are in, and we’ve got the results along with a preview for tomorrow night’s event for you below.

The weigh-ins are complete for UFC Vegas 45, and three fighters have missed weight. In Justin Tafa’s case, he made history by becoming the first heavyweight to ever miss weight. Greg Hardy initially missed weight at UFC Vegas 12 last year, but he was able to successfuly make weight on his second attempt. Tafa, however, did not return to the scales after weighing in at 267 pounds, which is one pound over the heavyweight limit.

Macy Chiasson also missed weight for her featherweight bout against Raquel Pennington, coming in at 148.5 pounds, 2.5 pounds over the limit. Meanwhile, Sijara Eubanks’ struggles on the scale continue, with the flyweight weighing in 1.5 pounds over the flyweight limit ahead of her bout against Melissa Gatto.

UFC Vegas 45 takes place from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The entire card will stream on ESPN+, with the prelims starting at 4:00 PM ET and the main card beginning at 7:00 PM ET.

UFC Vegas 45 Preview & Faceoffs

The final card of 2021 goes down tomorrow night in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event, top-10 heavyweights Derrick Lewis (#3) and Chris Daukaus (#7) will slug it out. When these two big boys exchange fire, former police officer Daukaus will do so cautiously because of the power he knows Lewis possesses.

All the while, Lewis will be swangin’ and bangin’ and doing everything he can to avoid being MMA’s answer to Rodney King. Should he be successful, he’d like to move on to the next challenge, two-time UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.

In his previous bout at UFC 265 against Ciryl Gane, Lewis admits that the pressure of vying for a UFC title in his hometown got to him. Tomorrow night, there will be a sparse and relatively quiet Apex crowd ready to behold another Black Beast explosion. Should Lewis earn another knockout tomorrow at Daukaus’ expense, he will stand alone as the UFC knockout record-holder.

Check out the face-off between these two heavyweights below.

In the co-main event, top-10 welterweights Stephen Thompson (#5) and Belal Muhammad (#10) will do battle. When Thompson first learned that this fight was booked, the UFC veteran was absolutely elated. He expects a fun, honest scrap between himself and Muhammad, unlike the way he feels his fight with Gilbert Burns went at UFC 264.

Should Thompson come out on the losing end, Muhammad believes that should earn him the same opportunity that Thompson has had on two separate occasions: fighting for the world title. If not, a bout with the highly touted Khamzat Chimaev would also suffice for the Chicagoan.

Here is the final face-off between these two ranked welterweights.

Here are the other face-offs for tomorrow night’s main card bouts!

Amanda Lemos vs. Angela Hill

Raphael Assuncao vs. Ricky Simon

Diego Ferreira vs. Mateusz Gamrot

Cub Swanson vs. Darren Elkins

This is a battle between two hardened UFC veterans. Cub Swanson recently revealed that there are some people in his inner circle that believe he should stop fighting. However, he hopes that big performances like the one he expects to turn in tomorrow will show them that he still has plenty left to offer the sport. Check out the face-off between these to battle-tested featherweights below.

UFC Vegas 45 Weigh-In Results

Below, you can find the full lineup for UFC Vegas 45 as well as the weigh-in results, courtesy of UFC.com.

Main Card

Main Event – Heavyweight Bout: Derrick Lewis (265) vs Chris Daukaus (235.5)

Co-Main Event – Welterweight Bout: Stephen Thompson (170.5) vs Belal Muhammad (170.5)

Women’s Strawweight Bout: Amanda Lemos (115) vs Angela Hill (115.5)

Bantamweight Bout: Raphael Assuncao (136) vs Ricky Simon (135.5)

Lightweight Bout: Diego Ferreira (156) vs Mateusz Gamrot (155.5)

Featherweight Bout: Cub Swanson (145.5) vs Darren Elkins (145.5)

PRELIMS

Middleweight Bout: Dustin Stoltzfus (185.5) vs Gerald Meerschaert (185.5)

Bantamweight Bout: Raoni Barcelos (135.5) vs Victory Henry (136)

Heavyweight Bout: Justin Tafa (267)* vs Harry Hunsucker (238.5)

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Sijara Eubanks (127.5)** vs Melissa Gatto (125)

Featherweight Bout: Charles Jourdain (145.5) vs Andre Ewell (145)

Women’s Featherweight Bout: Raquel Pennington (145) vs Macy Chiasson (148.5)***

Heavyweight Bout: Don’Tale Mayes (256.5) vs Josh Parisian (262)

Lightweight Bout: Jordan Leavitt (155.5) vs Matt Sayles (155.5)

MMA News will have you covered with all the UFC Vegas 45 results and highlights tomorrow night!

Continue Reading UFC Vegas 45: Lewis vs. Daukaus Weigh-In Results & In-Depth Preview at MMA News.

Stephen Thompson Explains Why He’s So Grateful For Muhammad Fight

UFC welterweight contender Stephen Thompson is set for his second fight of 2021 this weekend, and he’s glad it’s coming against a “good person” like Belal Muhammad.

This time last year, Thompson was gearing up to face fellow top-10 welterweight Geo…

Stephen Thompson, Belal Muhammad

UFC welterweight contender Stephen Thompson is set for his second fight of 2021 this weekend, and he’s glad it’s coming against a “good person” like Belal Muhammad.

This time last year, Thompson was gearing up to face fellow top-10 welterweight Geoff Neal in the main event of UFC Vegas 17. In a vintage performance on the feet, “Wonderboy” pieced up “Handz of Steel” on his way to a comfortable unanimous decision win, a triumph that firmly placed Thompson into title contention.

Fast forward a year and it’s a different story. Thompson will be heading into the final card of this year hoping to resurrect his championship aspirations and re-enter the win column following a disappointing setback at the hands of fellow former title challenger Gilbert Burns at UFC 264 in July.

In his way will be #10-ranked welterweight Belal Muhammad, who’s coming off a controlling victory over Demian Maia at UFC 263. “Remember The Name” will likely look to stifle Thompson’s incredible kickboxing skills in a similar way to Durinho’s approach.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXRprtqPa0g/

Thompson Was Over The Moon To Accept Muhammad Fight

In a sport where animosity and trash talk is prevalent, many find it refreshing to have a matchup fueled by respect and comradeship every now and then. Passionate back-and-forths can be entertaining, but some would argue it often goes too far, take the build-up to Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 3, for example.

One man who couldn’t be more opposite to McGregor in terms of conduct and pre-fight respect is Stephen Thompson. The reason behind his title of the UFC’s “NMF” was on full display while he discussed his upcoming fight during an appearance on Submission Radio. After admitting his relief at finding an opponent before the end of the year, “Wonderboy” didn’t have anything but nice words to say about Muhammad.

“The UFC came to us and was like, ‘Hey, how does Belal Muhammad sound?’ This was about several weeks back (from the start of November), and I was in shape. I’m like, ‘Dude, thank you Belal, thank you.’ That’s what was going through my head, ‘Let’s make this happen.’ I love Belal Muhammad. He’s been trying to have me on his dang podcast forever, and I feel bad… every time it happens, something always messes up on my end.

“I love the guy, man. I’m so happy that he wanted to take this fight because I wanted another fight in this year. I’ve been out the past few years with injuries, so it’s been fairly difficult for me to get in there… I’m just excited to face off against a guy like Belal Muhammad, and he’s funny, man. I think he’s great; good fighter, good person, good personality, and we’re gonna put on a show for the fans, for sure.”

While this clash represents a crucial step in Thompson’s desire to mount a final run for the title and can perhaps be described as a must-win bout in that sense, it also represents a huge opportunity for Muhammad.

After winning four straight, the 33-year-old had a similar chance to jump towards the top five in a March main event against Leon Edwards. After eye pokes led to a disappointing and painful no contest on that occasion, “Remember The Name” will aim to join the welterweight elite with a victory inside the Apex this Saturday.

Who do you think will have their hand raised in the UFC Vegas 45 co-main event, Stephen Thompson or Belal Muhammad?

Continue Reading Stephen Thompson Explains Why He’s So Grateful For Muhammad Fight at MMA News.

Belal Muhammed Down To Fight Khamzat Chimaev After “Wonderboy”

Regardless of Dana White’s claims, not everyone is afraid of Khamzat Chimaev. 

Sans a brutal eye poke in a short-notice bout against Leon Edwards, Belal Muhammed has been on a tear since 2019. He’s dispatched Demian Maia, Dhiego Lima, and Lyman Goo…

Khamzat Chimaev, Belal Muhammad

Regardless of Dana White’s claims, not everyone is afraid of Khamzat Chimaev. 

Sans a brutal eye poke in a short-notice bout against Leon Edwards, Belal Muhammed has been on a tear since 2019. He’s dispatched Demian Maia, Dhiego Lima, and Lyman Good during his current run. Wins over unranked opponents and an aging Maia may not be enough to earn “The Bully” a crack at the title, but he feels a win over Stephen Thompson this weekend will be enough to shoot him into contention (h/t MMA Junkie). 

“The only guys who have beaten (Thompson) in the last whatever years is either the champion or Gilbert Burns, who’s fought for the title,” Muhammad told MMA Junkie at UFC Vegas 45 media day. “(Thompson has) fought for the title twice so if he fought for the title twice, I just beat (Demian) Maia who fought for the title twice– ‘Bully B’ needs to fight for the title once.”

Who’s Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?

Khamzat Chimaev
Khamzat Chimaev (Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa)

Thompson did fight for the title twice, but that was years ago. Currently, Thompson is 2-3 in his last five bouts. This means Muhammed may need to put in some more work before he’s summoned to fight for a belt. If that’s the case, the Chicagoan has no problem facing one of the promotion’s fastest rising stars in Khamzat Chimaev.  

“He’s the biggest name right now, the biggest star, has the most momentum, the biggest hype,” Muhammad said. “He has Conor McGregor hype where it’s like you beat him, you gain more from beating him than anybody else in the division—where he has this stigma of him being the boogeyman of how he just dominated everybody. So you beat somebody like that, you’re the next star. You steal all of his hype, you steal all of his momentum. So it’s like, why not?”

Chimaev looked nearly unstoppable since he joined the UFC last year. He has the fastest turnaround in the organization’s history and most recently ran through Li Jingliang at UFC 267 in October. Belal Muhammad’s upcoming bout against Stephen Thompson takes place tomorrow (Dec. 18) at UFC Vegas 45.

How do you think a fight between Belal Muhammed and Khamzat Chimaev would play out?

Continue Reading Belal Muhammed Down To Fight Khamzat Chimaev After “Wonderboy” at MMA News.

Thompson: “Honorable” Muhammad Won’t Want To Win Like Burns

UFC welterweight contender Stephen Thompson doesn’t expect upcoming opponent Belal Muhammad to approach their fight in the same way Gilbert Burns did at UFC 264 earlier this year.

Thompson saw his immediate title hopes heavily dented when he met “D…

Belal Muhammad, UFC 264: Stephen Thompson vs. Gilbert Burns

UFC welterweight contender Stephen Thompson doesn’t expect upcoming opponent Belal Muhammad to approach their fight in the same way Gilbert Burns did at UFC 264 earlier this year.

Thompson saw his immediate title hopes heavily dented when he met “Durinho” in the co-main event of 2021’s second Conor McGregor-headlined pay-per-view. Heading into the contest, “Wonderboy” rode a two-fight win streak that featured unanimous decision triumphs over Vicente Luque and Geoff Neal.

Given that he remains one of the few names Kamaru Usman is yet to face at the top of the division, a victory over Burns would seemingly have led to another shot at UFC gold for Thompson. Unfortunately for him, that’s not how things played out inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

Instead, Thompson’s success for the limited time the fight stayed on the feet was stifled by Burns’ desire to keep the contest on the mat. After controlling “Wonderboy” for much of the fight, the Brazilian was awarded a unanimous decision victory.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CRLuEZ2pEu8/

Thompson Hopes To Showcase His Takedown Defense This Time Around

Thompson’s wish to secure a chance to bounce back fast with another fight before the close of the year was granted when Muhammad accepted the clash for the last event of 2021. The pair will collide in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 45 this Saturday night.

Despite facing an opponent with a similar style to Burns’, albeit perhaps less imposing, Thompson is raring to showcase the wrestling and takedown defense he knows he possesses.

During a recent interview with RT Sport MMA, “Wonderboy” suggested “Remember The Name” won’t employ the same gameplan as Burns did in July. According to the 38-year-old, Muhammad is too “honorable” to want to win like that.

“Number one, what really excites me is Belal Muhammad is very similar to my last opponent, Gilbert Burns, with the wrestling, with the jiu-jitsu. Now, I failed to do what I know I can do out in the Octagon against Gilbert Burns. It’s kinda hard to fight somebody, number one, who doesn’t really wanna fight, they just wanna hold you down, but knowing that Belal Muhammad is more of a fighter; I feel like he’s an honorable man, he really doesn’t want to win a fight that way. He’s fairly good everywhere, Belal Muhammad.

“Not only that, it will allow me to showcase the talent that I have, especially when it comes to the takedown defense, the wrestling. I wasn’t able to do that in my last fight. So going out there against somebody who’s similar to Gilbert Burns, go out there and beat this guy, will make it all worth it, for sure.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXRprtqPa0g/

Despite his setback earlier this year, Thompson isn’t giving up hope of mounting another title run. Given that he’s yet to face Usman, and because of the unique threat he poses to any welterweight, including “The Nigerian Nightmare,” a win this weekend and a victory over a top contender in 2022 could set the veteran up for his third championship fight in the UFC.

Having revealed his desire to become the oldest fighter in UFC history, it’s clear Thompson won’t be hanging up his gloves and leaving the promotion beltless without a fight.

Who do you think will have their hand raised in the UFC Vegas 45 co-main event, Stephen Thompson or Belal Muhammad?

Continue Reading Thompson: “Honorable” Muhammad Won’t Want To Win Like Burns at MMA News.

Stephen Thompson & Tyron Woodley Involved In Cobra Kai Series

Stephen Thompson reveals he and former rival Tyron Woodley have been involved in some way with the Netflix smash hit Cobra Kai.

Cobra Kai is crushing the views. The sequel to the 1980s The Karate Kid films is hailed as a solid mix of drama, martial…

Stephen Thompson reveals he and former rival Tyron Woodley have been involved in some way with the Netflix smash hit Cobra Kai.

Cobra Kai is crushing the views. The sequel to the 1980s The Karate Kid films is hailed as a solid mix of drama, martial-arts action, and a heavy dose of nostalgia for some older viewers. 

It’s no surprise that a series so entrenched in martial arts is reaching out to actual martial artists. And there may have been no better choice for a cameo than real-life karateka, Stephen Thompson. 

The former title challenger revealed that not only is he involved with the show, but so is a former MMA champion turned boxer in Tyron Woodley. The revelation came when “Wonderboy” was asked about the upcoming Woodley vs. Jake Paul rematch on a recent episode of The MMA Hour (h/t MiddleEasy).

“I think so, he’s got to (win). I think Tyron gets it,” Thompson said before letting slip that they are both to feature in Cobra Kai. “I chatted with him not too long doing some Cobra Kai stuff. I can’t really give too much away but we were there hanging out [on set], and yeah, the beef has been squashed. Since then, he’s awesome and fun to hang out with while we were there. I didn’t get to hang out with him a ton but while we were there on set.”

Cobra Kai Never Die

Stephen Thompson and Tyron Woodley face off ahead of their world title fight.

Thompson wouldn’t divulge their role but did say they would not be in the forthcoming season that releases later this month.

It may be some time before we see the fighters on the small screen in an acting capacity, but both men will be active this weekend in very different roles. Stephen Thompson is set to take on Belal Muhammed in the co-main event of UFV Vegas 45 on Saturday. On the same night, Woodley looks for revenge against Jake Paul in a rematch of their October bout. 

Will you be tuning in if Stephen Thompson and Tyron Woodley are announced to appear on an episode of Cobra Kai?

Continue Reading Stephen Thompson & Tyron Woodley Involved In Cobra Kai Series at MMA News.

EXCLUSIVE | Stephen Thompson Expects Belal Muhammad To Be ‘Shooting’ At UFC Vegas 45

Stephen ThompsonStephen Thompson is expecting Belal Muhammad to try to wrestle him at some point during their welterweight match-up which is set to take place at UFC Vegas 45 on December 18. During a recent interview with LowKickMMA, ‘Wonderboy’ spoke about the advantages he carries into the fight and how Muhammad is pretty good at neutralizing […]

Stephen Thompson

Stephen Thompson is expecting Belal Muhammad to try to wrestle him at some point during their welterweight match-up which is set to take place at UFC Vegas 45 on December 18.

During a recent interview with LowKickMMA, ‘Wonderboy’ spoke about the advantages he carries into the fight and how Muhammad is pretty good at neutralizing his opponent’s greatest strengths.

“I feel like I do have the height and reach (advantage) but again I’ve seen him fight taller and longer guys and he works them,” Thompson said. “The guy has got a work ethic and spirit like no other. I mean, he’s relentless, he comes forward, he wrestles, he’s got amazing cardio. I mean, you saw his wrestling against Demian Maia. I’ve never seen that before. I’ve never seen anybody defend Demian Maia like he did.”

Thompson believes his opponent is as well-rounded as they come but expects that on fight night he will try to wrestle him, especially after seeing who Muhammad has recently been training with. “

“He’s good everywhere. He’s a really tough guy,” Thompson said. “So I do believe that at some point he’s going to be shooting, obviously. He’s done some work recently with Gilbert Burns, so he might take a note out of Gilbert Burns’ book and go straight in for the takedown but I’m ready for it.”

Stephen Thompson Is Looking To Remain Relevant At 170lbs

‘Wonderboy’ enters UFC Vegas 45 off the back of a dominant decision loss to Burns last time out. A second successive defeat would be catastrophic to Thompson who at 38-years-old cannot afford any more slip-ups if he wants to become UFC champion before he calls it a career.

The Karate specialist twice came close to dethroning Tyron Woodley but ultimately walked away without the title. Since then his form has been patchy but he has still managed to pick up several high-profile wins over the likes of Jorge Masvidal, Vicente Luque, and Geoff Neal.

Do you think Stephen Thompson will get back in the win column at UFC Vegas 45?