MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming cards. With UFC events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week. Between Monday, October 7, and […]
MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming cards.
With UFC events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.
Between Monday, October 7, and Sunday, October 13, a couple of notable fights were made official by the UFC or reported by reputable sources. For more information on those matchups, check out the links below:
The UFC will close out its pay-per-view schedule for 2024 with two major championship fights in Las Vegas on December 7. With the final quarter of this year well underway, mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is beginning to fill the remaining slots on its fight schedule. And in two of the most prominent ones now […]
The UFC will close out its pay-per-view schedule for 2024 with two major championship fights in Las Vegas on December 7.
With the final quarter of this year well underway, mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is beginning to fill the remaining slots on its fight schedule. And in two of the most prominent ones now sit reigning titleholders.
UFC CEO Dana White took to social media on Saturday to announce the headline bouts for UFC 310, the promotion’s final PPV of the year.
Closing out 2024 in style, a highly anticipated welterweight title fight between newly crowned champion Belal Muhammad (24-3, 1 NC) and undefeated challenger Shavkat Rakhmonov (18-0) will top the lineup inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.
There will also be title stakes in the co-headliner, as flyweight kingpin Alexandre Pantoja (28-5) returns for his second defense of the year and third overall. Having turned away the threats posed by Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg, “The Cannibal” will next share the cage with a newcomer in former Rizin champ Kai Asakura (21-4).
Pantoja is deeper into his reign on the throne at 125 pounds, having held the crown since a memorable win over Brandon Moreno in the summer of 2023. After a scare against Australia’s Erceg in Rio de Janeiro earlier this year, the Brazilian will look to increase his grip on the title against a highly regarded debutant in Japan’s Asakura.
White also confirmed that Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov and Vicente Luque vs. Nick Diaz — matchups postponed from cards in October and August, respectively — have been rescheduled for the same event.
With these additions, the current fights expected to take place at UFC 310 on Dec. 7 are as follows:
Belal Muhammad (C) vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov (welterweight championship main event)
Alexandre Pantoja (C) vs. Kai Asakura (flyweight championship co-main event)
Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov (heavyweight)
Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling (featherweight)
Vicente Luque vs. Nick Diaz (welterweight)
Tatiana Suarez vs. Virna Jandiroba (women’s strawweight)
Anthony Smith vs. Dominick Reyes (light heavyweight)
Fabian Edwards believes his brother, former UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, was made to defend his title in “unfair” conditions this past summer. After withstanding challenges from both Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington in 2023, Edwards returned for his first assignment of 2024 three months ago. “Rocky” was tasked with stalling the championship ambitions of […]
Fabian Edwards believes his brother, former UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, was made to defend his title in “unfair” conditions this past summer.
After withstanding challenges from both Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington in 2023, Edwards returned for his first assignment of 2024 three months ago.
Edwards ultimately failed in that goal, with “Remember the Name” putting on a dominant display to extend his unbeaten run to 11 and ensure he exited the Co-op Live with the welterweight gold in his possession.
Fabian Edwards Laments Time For Brother’s UFC 304 Title Defense
During a recent interview with Bloody Elbow ahead of his own upcoming title fight, Fabian reflected on the end of his brother’s reign at the hands of Muhammad in Manchester.
The younger of the fighting siblings pointed to the 5 AM start time as a major factor in Leon’s defeat at UFC 304. The decision to keep timings on the US pay-per-view schedule is just the latest instance of “Rocky” being made to compete in “unfair situations,” according to Fabian.
“You know what it is? It was the time,” Fabian said. “I know everyone will say, ‘Oh, the time,’ or whatever, but most people couldn’t even stay awake until that time. So having to fight (for) a world title fight at that time? Come on. I’ve said it to everyone, how he performed in that fight was exactly how the last couple of weeks in training was. We were just like, putting it off because you do find things.
“That’s just the way it goes. Leon’s never had an easy path,” he continued. “Even once he became champion, he’s always had unfair situations given to him, but it is what it is. He will be back.”
It remains to be seen what lies next in the career of Leon Edwards, but he vowed to bounce back and “rise again” in his first post-fight remarks on social media.
For now, the UFC star will have his focus and energy on the exploits of his brother, as Fabian gets set for a second opportunity at dethroning Johnny Eblen in Saudi Arabia next weekend.
Despite losing out on the Chandler fight, McGregor has remained insistent that he’ll make his quote-unquote “greatest comeback in combat sports history” in 2025.
During a recent Kick live stream for online gambling site Duelbits, the former two-division champion declared that with Chandler moving on, his return fight should be against none other than the UFC’s new welterweight king, Belal Muhammad.
Conor McGregor calls out Belal Muhammad and says he wants to fight him next for the title:
"Okay Chandler's matched. Belal McGregor UFC Welterweight World Title Fight…
I do damage at 170, yea… this man [Belal] hasn't even got a knockdown in UFC history. Not one knockdown,… pic.twitter.com/QbMmcHUya3
“He’s woeful,” McGregor said during an intense rant. “I want to fight him. Okay, Chandler’s matched, let’s schedule Belal-McGregor UFC welterweight world title on the line. I’ve multiple knockouts at 170lb, I’m a force to be reckoned with at 170lb.
“I do damage at welterweight, check the stats. I’ve done them at 100 percent accuracy, this man doesn’t even have a knockdown in UFC history. Not one knockdown, it’s embarrassing, to be honest. I was kind of slow-rolling the person because I just don’t a b*****s.
“They’re all bums in the thing. You don’t be interested, come to me, but for the strap? Yes, next, yes please. Stall it Dana and the lads” (h/t Bloody Elbow).
Belal Muhammad has plenty of contenders ahead of conor mcGregor
With the contenders already lining up for their crack at Muhammad, it’s highly unlikely that McGregor will get his wish. ‘Remember The Name’ has already declared unbeaten finisher Shavkat Rakhmonov as the next man up, but there’s always the possibility that former 170-pound titleholder Kamaru Usman could get the nod despite sitting on a three-fight losing skid.
Also on the cusp of a title opportunity is Aussie standout Jack Della Maddalena. Winner of 17-straight, the 28-year-old has climbed into the No. 4 slot in the welterweight rankings with wins over the likes of Kevin Holland and Gilbert Burns. ‘JDM’ likely needs one more win to put him in pole position.
In short, there are a plethora of contenders who are much more deserving of a title fight than Conor McGregor. With that said, the UFC is in the business of making money and the Irish megastar has proven to be very good for business.
Joaquin Buckley is fighting in the UFC 307 prelims against Stephen Thompson. The welterweight matchup is expected to be a back-and-forth striking brawl, leaving many disappointed it didn’t make it to the main card. With four straight wins in the welterweight division, Buckley is aiming to secure a title shot as quickly as possible. A […]
Joaquin Buckley is fighting in the UFC 307 prelims against Stephen Thompson. The welterweight matchup is expected to be a back-and-forth striking brawl, leaving many disappointed it didn’t make it to the main card.
With four straight wins in the welterweight division, Buckley is aiming to secure a title shot as quickly as possible. A win over “Wonderboy” would undoubtedly boost and place him in the top 10.
The current title challenger at welterweight is most likely Shavkat Rakhmonov, though. As per Buckley, the undefeated prospect with a 100% finish rate is not as skilled as fans believe and will be soundly beaten by Belal Muhammad…
Joaquin Buckley Claims His Wins Over Shavkat Rakhmonov’s Teammates Are Why “Nomad” Ducked Him
Buckley appeared in an interview on the Inside Fighting YouTube channel and discussed his next fight alongside the state of the UFC welterweight division.
“New Mansa” gave the new welterweight kingpin his props, appreciating his work ethic and long road to the title. However, he’s not a fan of Rakhmonov, who’s potentially Muhammad’s first defense.
Buckley revealed he offered to fight “Nomad” when Jack Della Maddalena had to pull out, but the offer was declined. He also boasts wins over members of the Kill Cliff FC team, where Rakhmonov trains.
The welterweight compared Rakhmonov’s durability to early Vicente Luque but expects the hype to fade once the Kazakh fighter faces elite competition like Muhammad.
“Because he knew there was a risk that I beat the majority of his teammates that he trains with. That yes, that we got the number on the whole Kill Cliff can over there. So, I just don’t think Shavkat is as good as people claim. But you know, I feel like he definitely going to get exposed eventually, you know. If that’s not by me, that’s definitely going to be by Belal.”
For now, Buckley’s focus is on getting past a tough veteran in “Wonderboy”, a nightmare for most fighters on the feet.
Belal Muhammad dethroned Leon Edwards to become the new UFC welterweight champion at UFC 304. As the first UFC champion from Palestine, he’s naturally become a lot more popular lately and fans are finally getting behind him as he trolls other UFC fighters. Muhammad has won eleven fights in a row now. Unlike Merab Dvalishvili […]
Belal Muhammad dethroned Leon Edwards to become the new UFC welterweight champion at UFC 304. As the first UFC champion from Palestine, he’s naturally become a lot more popular lately and fans are finally getting behind him as he trolls other UFC fighters.
Muhammad has won eleven fights in a row now. Unlike Merab Dvalishvili who was presented with Umar Nurmagomedov as soon as he won the UFC bantamweight title, the welterweight kingpin has yet to confirm his first title defense.
Unless he fights Kamaru Usman in a title eliminator first, undefeated prospect Shavkat Rakhmonov is expected to challenge Muhammad. While discussing the matchup, Sean Strickland’s coach Eric Nicksick revealed how Rakhmonov doesn’t seem invincible anymore…
Sean Strickland’s Coach Appreciates Geoff Neal, Who Beat Belal Muhammad, For Fighting Shavkat Rakhmonov The Perfect Way
Muhammad recently opened up about the current state of the UFC welterweight division on the Verse Us with Eric Nicksick podcast. Unsurprisingly, he acknowledged the undefeated Rakhmonov with a 100% finish rate as his first potential title defense.
Nicksick, who coaches Sean Strickland, gave “Nomad” his props but highlighted that Geoff Neal has already revealed the best way to beat him. Although ‘Handz of Steel’ lost via third-round submission, he landed several good shots on Rakhmonov.
The key for Neal was maintaining distance and movement. He avoided getting into a clinch with Rakhmonov as the latter quickly threw knees and elbows in that position. Whenever “Nomad” landed a good shot, Neal made sure to move out of range instead of letting his opponent do more damage in the pocket or secure a takedown.
Here are Nicksicks’s two cents on how Muhammad should approach the Rakhmonov matchup:
“Shavkat’s the kind of boogeyman waiting in the closet. You’re like, oh s**t, what do I do? But the blueprint’s there, right? Geoff Neal fought him very well. I think you know what I mean. I think, I think the blueprint’s out.”
The coach also explained how Muhammad’s tendency to make his opponents uncomfortable by targeting the holes in their games has worked wonders:
“That’s the whole point we talked about in the Leon Edwards fight and the matchup is, you have more tools in the toolbox, right? And when you sit down and you break, lay out a game plan. It’s, I don’t, you’re not trying to beat the guy at what he’s best at, so how do I exploit what he’s not good at?
Of course, Neal was successful against Rakhmonov also because he’s as tough as it gets. However, as per Nicksick, someone like Muhammad who relies a lot on decoding his opponents by watching footage can benefit greatly by analyzing Neal’s performance.
Interestingly, Neal is the last fighter to beat Muhammad. “Handz of Steel’ defeated the current champ via TKO in 2019 and now, he could indirectly help “Remember the Name” with his first title defense.
With Michael Chandler moving on, Conor McGregor thinks he should get an immediate title fight when he makes his…
