UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes could be taking on women’s featherweight champ Cris Cyborg at UFC 224 in Brazil according to Combate. The superfight between two of the most dominant and vicious female champions the UFC has ever seen will reportedly be for Cyborg’s 145-pound title, meaning Nunes has an opportunity to become the first […]
UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes could be taking on women’s featherweight champ Cris Cyborg at UFC 224 in Brazil according to Combate.
The superfight between two of the most dominant and vicious female champions the UFC has ever seen will reportedly be for Cyborg’s 145-pound title, meaning Nunes has an opportunity to become the first woman in UFC history to hold two titles simultaneously.
Cyborg’s division is completely bereft of contenders; the only other woman in the featherweight division for Cyborg to potentially fight, former champion Germaine de Randamie, refused to take on the Brazilian striker, going so far as to relinquish her belt and move back down to bantamweight to avoid the match-up. Cyborg has been linked to a bout with Invicta FC featherweight champ Megan Anderson, but the fight has yet to come even close to fruition.
This would be the first fight back in their native Brazil in nearly three years for both Nunes and Cyborg.
Nunes (15-4) will look to start the new year off in a big way after a tepid performance against Valentina Schevchenko at UFC 215, which went to a split decision. Before that, she blasted right through former champion Ronda Rousey in 48 seconds flat at 2016’s UFC 207.
Meanwhile, Cyborg (19-1) just defeated former bantamweight champion Holly Holm at UFC 219 on December 30, 2017.
UFC 224 will take place on May 12 in Rio De Janeiro.
New weight cutting rules may force UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway up a division, leaving “Blessed” at a potential career crossroads. As Holloway prepares to defend his belt against Frankie Edgar at UFC 222, the 145-pound champ told The MMA Hour’s Ariel Helwani that he may have to move up to 155 pounds in the near […]
New weight cutting rules may force UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway up a division, leaving “Blessed” at a potential career crossroads.
As Holloway prepares to defend his belt against Frankie Edgar at UFC 222, the 145-pound champ told The MMA Hour’s Ariel Helwani that he may have to move up to 155 pounds in the near future (MMA Fighting):
“If they change a few things around, I’m probably not going to be able to make 145. If it happens, it happens. If UFC keeps making new rules, I most definitely might have to step up. There ain’t no denying it.”
“Everybody is talking about being champs and this and that. I’m a champion in my mindset. I’ve told you before, I’ve nothing but time on my side. Man, you might see me with two of these gold belts. Who knows? I’m trying to be a legend.”
The new weight cutting rules essentially established that a fighter cannot cut more than 10 percent of their natural body weight, meaning many of the heavy weight-cutters will now have to reevaluate their diets.
Holloway would be one casualty of the new rules; the massive Hawaiian towers over everyone else in the division despite his lanky frame. He’s never missed weight but admitted many are surprised he can even make the division’s 145-pound limit:
“Every time I check my weight they’re in disbelief, but I’m like, ‘I’ve never missed weight in my life.’ I don’t know why they’re giving me a hard time, but medically if they’re the rules, then medically I probably won’t be able to make it because of their rules with the (weight) cuts.
“155 might come sooner rather than later, so we’ll see what happens.”
How would Holloway do at lightweight against the likes of Eddie Alvarez, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Tony Ferguson?
Could the featherweight champ win gold at 155 pounds?
Michael Johnson is looking to end a slide in his MMA career, so he’s joined the ranks of fighters choosing to cut down a class in an effort to reinvent themselves. Johnson will make his featherweight debut this Sunday in St. Louis against Darren Elkins in what will be the first-ever trip to 145 pounds […]
Michael Johnson is looking to end a slide in his MMA career, so he’s joined the ranks of fighters choosing to cut down a class in an effort to reinvent themselves.
Johnson will make his featherweight debut this Sunday in St. Louis against Darren Elkins in what will be the first-ever trip to 145 pounds in his UFC career.
”The Menace” went in depth to ESPN about how the weight cut is going and the drawbacks to having to lose so much weight:
”I have nightmares about it every night. You have no idea. My first fight at 155 [pounds], I got stuck trying to lose the last three pounds. I couldn’t get them off.
“That’s what I keep having flashbacks of when thinking about getting down to 145. What if I get stuck?”
Johnson is currently coming off of a two-fight losing streak at 155 pounds, having just lost to Justin Gaethje by TKO in 2017’s Fight of the Year” after getting thoroughly dominated by Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The move to featherweight is uncharted territory for Johnson, who was reportedly always a big lightweight, cutting from between 170 to 180 pounds to make 155 pounds.
But Johnson feels like he’s done at lightweight for now, as a new weight class presents new opportunities in terms of a title shot:
”I’ve spent my time, paid my dues in the lightweight division. I’m not looking to work my way up [slowly]. I want to come in here and beat [Elkins] who is on a nice win streak, make a statement, and then get in there on a No. 1 contender fight.”
Elkins himself is coming off of a decision win over Dennis Bermudez that was preceded by an improbable comeback upset victory over Mirsad Bektic, whom he viciously knocked out after taking a beating for two rounds.
Johnson and Elkins will throw down on Sunday during UFC Fight Night 124 in Saint Louis.
How do you expect Johnson to look and perform at featherweight? Will he have any issues making weight?
The stand off between the UFC, Holly Holm, and Featherweight Champion Chris Cyborg is finally over. The UFC released tonight that the two have signed on to fight at UFC 219 on December 30th in Las Vegas,NV. While rumors continue to circulate that we ma…
The stand off between the UFC, Holly Holm, and Featherweight Champion Chris Cyborg is finally over. The UFC released tonight that the two have signed on to fight at UFC 219 on December 30th in Las Vegas,NV. While rumors continue to circulate that we may see a Nate Diaz vs Tyron Woodley for the Welterweight […]
The MMA world is waiting to hear that Chris Cyborg and Holly Holm have signed on to do the damn thing already. The long anticipated title fight between the two has been in the works for a while now, but numerous hiccups seem to keep getting in the way. The biggest issue, outside of Cyborg […]
The MMA world is waiting to hear that Chris Cyborg and Holly Holm have signed on to do the damn thing already. The long anticipated title fight between the two has been in the works for a while now, but numerous hiccups seem to keep getting in the way. The biggest issue, outside of Cyborg […]
It’s getting to be something when the most anticipated mixed martial arts card of the week is a Bellator event. It’s saying even more when there is a UFC just the very next day. Times are changing indeed and while Bellator has put on fight cards before, the level of competition on Bellator 180 is truly impressive. While I won’t cover every single bout on the fight card, one of the more intriguing match ups pits Conor McGregor’s protege James Gallagher against veteran karate fighter and MMA convert Chinzo Machida.
It’s getting to be something when the most anticipated mixed martial arts card of the week is a Bellator event. It’s saying even more when there is a UFC just the very next day. Times are changing indeed and while Bellator has put on fight cards before, the level of competition on Bellator 180 is truly impressive. While I won’t cover every single bout on the fight card, one of the more intriguing match ups pits Conor McGregor’s protege James Gallagher against veteran karate fighter and MMA convert Chinzo Machida.
As far as overall style goes, James Gallagher is a grappler through and through. While he may try to fool some people into believing he’s the second coming of Conor McGregor, Gallagher has already shown that he striking may be competent, even fluid and sharp, but the ground is where his strengths lie. Now, that’s not to suggest that Gallagher can’t strike at all, but his striking is purely meat and potatoes with jab set ups into power shots.
In this fight he’s going to want to take things to the ground or at least threaten. While his striking is certainly competent on the feet, Gallagher would be foolish to take away his biggest strength which is his awesome Brazilian jiujitsu skills. Gallagher is good at maintaining the center which he’ll want to continue to do in this fight. He should keep a good karate bounce to really mask his movement, through feints, and most of all be unafraid to throw kicks. If he slips on a kick and brings Machida into his guard, opportunities to sweep and get on top will fall right into his lap. How he’ll have to initiate shot attempts when he gets Machida to the fence, using his bread and butter jab to get in good position to hit a double leg takedown.
Chinzo Machida may have had a late start in MMA yet he still appears to be very fresh. In terms of his form and approach, there aren’t a great deal of high level karate fighters who have the kind of experience in timing and distancing that Machida has. Unlike his brother Lyoto who is far more focused on countering, Chinzo Machida is more aggressive in his attack. That doesn’t mean he attacks constantly, but likes to play the aggressive counter fighter, attacking his opponent which forces them to counter moving them right into Machida’s own counter. Machida should also look to kick from the southpaw stance in this fight. Gallagher keeps his hands extremely high so a fake left straight into a left body kick could fold Gallagher in half.
It’s obvious that Gallagher will want to take Machida down at some point just as it’s obvious that Chinzo will want to keep the fight standing. In order to stay upright Machida will have to be constant moving target. Gallagher will want to pressure him against the fence, control center, and enter into range behind his jab as well as leg kicks. Machida is comfortable fighting on the outside but taking the center from time to time is highly advised as well as throwing a ton of feints to freeze the younger man. With Gallagher properly frozen a fake jab/front hand parry can set up a great cross or uppercut.
It’s an interesting fight as we’ll get to see two men who like to strike using traditional arts, but at the end of the day this is still clearly a striker versus grappler match up. Who you got?
Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
