Commentator and former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub thinks Jake Paul’s critics need to pump the brakes when ripping Paul’s boxing career.
Paul is coming off of his sixth-round knockout win over former UFC champion Tyron Woodley to remain undefeated. …
Commentator and former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub thinks Jake Paul’s critics need to pump the brakes when ripping Paul’s boxing career.
Paul is coming off of his sixth-round knockout win over former UFC champion Tyron Woodley to remain undefeated. He was originally slated to face Tommy Fury before Fury suffered an injury just weeks before the bout.
While Paul remains unscathed in his young boxing career, he hasn’t faced a true boxer so far during his 5-0 run.
During a recent episode of the King and the Sting podcast, Schaub came to Paul’s defense when it comes to his perceived lack of tough competition.
“Here’s the thing though, all the hate on Jake Paul and stuff I get; no, I get it,” Schaub said. “Everyone’s like, ‘Oh, fight a real boxer,’ like that. Go to any; name a boxer you guys like – Tyson Fury, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Julio Chavez Senior, Junior, whoever the f**k you want, ‘Canelo’ [Alvarez], their first four fights, they were fighting cans. That’s how it should be. Jake Paul’s first four fights are way more difficult than anything your favorite boxer fought. You have to give the guy credit at some point.” (h/t Sportskeeda)
Jake Paul Has Been Criticized For Lack Of High-Caliber Competition
Before knocking out Woodley, Paul had defeated the former UFC standout via split decision earlier this year. He has also recorded knockouts against former UFC wrestling specialist Ben Askren, former NBA star Nate Robinson, and fellow YouTuber AliEsonGib.
Paul called out UFC stars Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal after defeating Woodley. He remains particularly interested in a fight with Masvidal, as the two have gone back-and-forth on social media recently.
White has remained adamant that he will not allow any current fighters on the UFC roster to break their contract to box Paul. However, Paul remains hell-bent on fighting MMA standouts for now. Nevertheless, a bout against a true boxing specialist could come soon as his star power continues to rise.
UFC President Dana White has provided a positive update on his promotion’s ongoing negotiations with heavyweight titleholder Francis Ngannou.
As Ngannou gears up for his return to the Octagon on January 22, much of the build-up so far has surround…
UFC President Dana White has provided a positive update on his promotion’s ongoing negotiations with heavyweight titleholder Francis Ngannou.
As Ngannou gears up for his return to the Octagon on January 22, much of the build-up so far has surrounded his fractious relationship with the UFC and his uncertain future. Despite holding the heavyweight gold and being widely regarded as the biggest power-puncher in MMA, “The Predator” and his management team believe he’s been underappreciated by the UFC.
Since reaching the divisional mountaintop at UFC 260 with a brutal knockout of Stipe Miocic, Ngannou has been out of action and voicing his displeasure in interviews and on social media.
But it appears tensions may be fading and progress may be on the up. During a recent appearance on THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas, Dana White revealed he’d spoken with Ngannou while out for dinner, a conversation he described as a “good talk.”
“Francis and I bumped into each other the other night at dinner. We had a good talk. And he’s not out of contract if he wins that fight (vs. Gane). I think he’s got one more fight with us after that… I think that Francis and I had a good conversation.”
Judging by his comments, it’s clear White has no issue with Ngannou and believes the real problem lies with the advice he’s been receiving. Doubling down on his criticism of the Cameroonian’s representation, White suggested the reigning titleholder had been led astray by individuals who simply don’t know what they’re doing.
“I think Francis has been misguided, too, by some people that aren’t very bright. That doesn’t help either; when you’ve got some people behind you that have no f*cking clue what they’re talking about. It doesn’t help the situation.”
Nevertheless, White reiterated a sentiment he’s consistently shared. After taking a dig at the fighter pay “narrative,” the UFC kingpin suggested if an athlete doesn’t want to be a part of the promotion, they can decide to leave.
“Listen, I say it all the time, man, this sport’s fun for me, I love doing this. Contrary to the narrative out there, we’ve made a lot of people very wealthy. If you don’t wanna be here, if this is not where you wanna be, well that’s not fun for you and it’s definitely not fun for me, either. These are all grown men and women, and everyone has to make their own decisions in life.”
Ngannou Will Look To Push Contractual Issues Aside At UFC 270
Despite the ongoing negotiations and talk about his future, which could seemingly see him enter free agency with a defeat in his next outing, Francis Ngannou will need to switch his focus to one thing and one thing only: Ciryl Gane.
After the controversial interim belt was created, Gane, a former teammate of “The Predator” at Paris’ MMA Factory gym, took full advantage. After main event wins against Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Alexander Volkov, “Bon Gamin” was the clear choice to join Derrick Lewis in the UFC 265 main event.
By dominating and finishing “The Black Beast,” Gane had gold wrapped around his waist as an undefeated fighter and set up a collision course with Ngannou. The pair will now meet for a blockbuster unification bout in the first pay-per-view headliner of 2022.
The Pulse of MMA: Fan Reactions To The Sport’s Biggest Stories
In this installment of The Pulse of MMA, we look at the raw, unfiltered reactions from MMA fans to the UFC‘s nominations for Best Debut of 2021.
It’s the last week of 2021, whic…
The Pulse of MMA: Fan Reactions To The Sport’s Biggest Stories
In this installment of The Pulse of MMA, we look at the raw, unfiltered reactions from MMA fans to the UFC‘s nominations for Best Debut of 2021.
It’s the last week of 2021, which means it’s time to start looking back at the biggest and best moments of the year. Right now, that means taking a peek at the UFC’s nominations for the best debut of the year.
After a brief recap of each debut, you can find the Pulse of MMA letting their collective voice be heard on their thoughts on the final vote tally of the UFC’s poll.
Michael Chandler def. Dan Hooker (UFC 257)
Credit: Getty Images
There were four nominees presented by the UFC, beginning with Michael Chandler’s UFC 257 debut against Dan Hooker.
Chandler overwhelmed Hooker with his forward pressure immediately after the fight began. Before long, a devastating left hook sent Hooker down to the canvas, and the Missouri native put on the finishing touches with several punches to his downed opponent.
Chandler went on to compete two additional times in 2021, first in the main event of UFC 262 in a loss to Charles Oliveira in a lightweight championship bout; and then against Justin Gaethje in a certified Fight of the Year candidate, which was another loss for Chandler, bringing his year record to 1-2.
We only have seven seconds of footage of Terrence McKinney in the UFC available, but he made every tick count.
At UFC 263, Terrance McKinney came right out, landed a lightning-quick one-two combo that sent Matt Frevola down, and then the celebration began.
Unfortunately, there was a little too much celebrating, as McKinney would turn in a second finish moments after his historic win over Frevola. This time, he gave himself a doctor’s stoppage with a cage flip gone wrong. Take notice Michael Chandler.
Heading into 2022, McKinney is booked to face Fares Ziam in his sophomore UFC performance on February 26.
Alex Pereira def. Andreas Michailidis (UFC 268)
Alex Pereira entered UFC 268 with a lot of hype on his back, including teammate and UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Glover Teixeira predicting that he will definitely win UFC gold in the future.
In his debut against Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268, the decorated kickboxer’s grappling game was instantly put to the test when Michailidis got the early takedown in the first round. Despite the early setback, Pereira was able to return to his feet but spent most of the round tamed by Michailidis’ clinch control. In this second round, he let loose.
Pereira landed a sure-fire candidate for KO of the year with his flying knee KO in the second round. Now, heading into 2022, he has a date with Bruno Silva on March 12.
Paddy Pimblett def. Luigi Vendramini (UFC Vegas 36)
There perhaps was no debut in 2021 with as much fanfare behind it as Liverpool England’s Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett’s.
In the early goings of Pimblett’s UFC debut, it looked as though his hype train might have been en route to being derailed before it ever really got going. Vendramini was putting it on Pimblett, repeatedly landing hook after hook to the “Baddy’s” exposed chin.
That chin held up and so did Pimblett’s hype. Because after absorbing multiple heavy punches from Vendramini, ultimately it was Pimblett who got the KO finish in a series kicked off by a staggering right hand.
Pimblett and his hype now head to 2022 with a date and opponent yet to be determined. Word around the grapevine is Donald Cerrone is interested in the fight, but there have been no formal reports on this potential pairing.
Best UFC Debut of 2021 Nominees Video
Now that you’ve read about them, SEE these memorable debuts for yourself in the video package below!
MMA Twitter Weighs In
Finally, here is what the Pulse of MMA had to say about the UFC’s nominations list after Michael Chandler took home the most votes on the official poll.
Come on guys, really? Why so many votes for Paddy? He showcased a concerning lack of defense and even his offense wasn't that impressive. Not good, if this debut is any indication of how he will fight against tougher opposition.
Chandlers to me was the best but I chose paddy because he overcame a little bit of a storm there at the beginning and finished it in the first like he said he would.
Glover Teixeira is already planning his first light heavyweight title defense.
Glover Teixeira is coming off his extraordinary win over Jan Blachowicz at UFC 267. The 42-year-old shocked the world and became one of the oldest fighters to ever win …
Glover Teixeira is already planning his first light heavyweight title defense.
Glover Teixeira is coming off his extraordinary win over Jan Blachowicz at UFC 267. The 42-year-old shocked the world and became one of the oldest fighters to ever win their first UFC title. Now that he is the champion at 205 pounds, Teixiera isn’t ready to slow it down. In fact, he is already planning his first title defense and even has a name in mind.
“For sure in Brazil,” Teixeira told Sherdog. “It’s meant to be. I (said) right after my fight with Blachowicz…in a perfect scenario would be May for myself because I want to relax, enjoy this moment, and that was a hard year for me—hardcore, focused 100% for the fight. I want a few months off, a couple months off, and I want to get back (training) beginning of January….I told everybody May would be perfect time. And May is the card in Brazil. Who knows? Maybe it’s a possibility, and it’d be fun.”
Teixeira’s win over Blachowicz was the 33rd win of his career. Many thought Teixeira might be heading towards retirement back in 2018 when he suffered his third loss in five fights, but the longtime veteran of the sport battled back to win his next five and secure his title shot. Now, with the belt wrapped around his waist, Teixiera would like to bring it back home to Brazil.
Talent managers Alex Davis and Samir Nadaf have reportedly filed a lawsuit against ONE Championship fighter Adriano Moraes.
The lawsuit alleges Moraes owes the managers over $100,000 due to a breach of contract.
The issue stems from a claim that…
Talent managers Alex Davis and Samir Nadaf have reportedly filed a lawsuit against ONE Championship fighter Adriano Moraes.
The lawsuit alleges Moraes owes the managers over $100,000 due to a breach of contract.
The issue stems from a claim that Moraes wasn’t paying the managers an agreed-upon amount of his income. News of the filing was first reported by Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting.
Details obtained by MMA Fighting allege that Moraes was giving his management less than what he agreed to give them as part of a deal. The managers claim he agreed to pay them 10 percent of fight purses and 20 percent of his money from sponsorships, but they say he only gave them 5 percent for his last two outings.
Managers Allege They Are Owed $35,000 For Fight Against Johnson
Adriano Moraes, Demetrious Johnson, Credit: USA TODAY Sports
Davis and Nadaf are reportedly seeking $113,000 in total.
Moraes pulled off a big win earlier this year, stopping former UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson with strikes. Documents filed in the lawsuit claim that Moraes was given $50,000 to show for that fight, along with another $50,000 for winning. He was also allegedly given an extra $250,000 as a bonus afterward.
Davis and Nadaf claim they were owed $35,000 for the fight weekend but only received $2,500 from Moraes.
“As a professional rule, I don’t make comments about contracts, money and etc publicly,” said Davis when requested for comment by MMA Fighting. “I seek the justice when I’m in need about any situation, and I’ll wait and humbly agree to its decision.”
Moraes started his third run as the ONE 135-pound Champion in early 2019. In that fight, he avenged a loss he previously took against Geje Eustaquio. Moraes has fought on the ONE Championship roster since 2013.
UFC bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley says he doesn’t want to compete in five-round fights unless he is paid very lucratively.
O’Malley is edging ever closer towards main event territory and is arguably already there, mostly due to his charisma …
UFC bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley says he doesn’t want to compete in five-round fights unless he is paid very lucratively.
O’Malley is edging ever closer towards main event territory and is arguably already there, mostly due to his charisma and recognizable name. Since a setback against Marlon Vera in 2020 stalled his surge, a defeat that marked his first in the sport, “Sugar” has proved why he’s so highly touted.
In three 2021 contests, O’Malley added three wins to his record, recorded three finishes, and earned three $50,000 bonuses. After a brutal knockout against Thomas Almeida and a record-breaking striking performance opposite Kris Moutinho, O’Malley closed out his perfect year by finishing formerly-ranked Brazilian Raulian Paiva at UFC 269.
O’Malley: “I Don’t Want A Fucking Five-Round Fight”
In the aftermath of O’Malley’s latest victory came a jump into the rankings. With his #12 position on the bantamweight ladder will come an increase in competition, as well as the likelihood of five-round contests. But that’s something “Sugar” is hoping to avoid for the time being.
During an appearance on the Full Send Podcast, O’Malley made his feelings for 25-minute contests clear. For the extra money he’d currently receive for them, he’s not at all interested.
“I don’t want a fucking five-round fight,” O-Malley said. “They’re gonna give me like, $20,000 extra to go fight, basically another fight, 10 minutes. I’m like, ‘I’m not gonna fucking do that.'”
Despite that, O’Malley knows it’s an inevitability, especially if he is to reach the heights in the UFC he has aspirations for. But given the extra preparation needed, the 27-year-old says he’d be after a hefty paycheck to make it happen.
“When I’m champ, yeah. There comes a point, you can’t say no to the UFC, you know what I mean? I’d rather not fight five rounds unless you wanna pay me a fucking lot more money. You know how much more training goes (into it). That was like a 10-week camp (ahead of UFC 269) for 15 minutes. That’s a hard camp. I think, though, with the level of cardio I was in, I could have gone five rounds, just because when you’re in there, you’re not gonna give up, you’re not gonna fall, you’re gonna fight.
“But five rounds, that’s a lot. That’s 25 minutes of fucking fist-fighting. I’d like to be paid, if I’m gonna do that, paid equally. That’s a long time to fucking fight, dude.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CX14GhFvzUG/
Despite his successful 2021, many in the MMA community still doubt O’Malley’s title credentials and ability to compete with the elite at 135 pounds. It stands to reason that idea will be tested in 2022.
Whether against a top-10 opponent or fellow surging striker Adrian Yanez, we’ll likely see “Sugar” tested like he’s never been tested before. Although it’s safe to say we’ll have to wait to see him tested beyond 15 minutes…
Do you agree with Sean O’Malley’s stance on five-round fights?
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