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Zabit Magomedsharipov Informs UFC Of Decision To Retire From Professional MMA

Zabit MagomedsharipovDagestani featherweight standout, Zabit Magomedsharipov has informed the UFC of his decision to retire from professional mixed martial arts with immediate effect – bringing an end to a 10-year professional career. Zabit, who boasts an 18-1 professional record at the time of his retirement from the sport, most recently featured in the main event of […]

Zabit Magomedsharipov

Dagestani featherweight standout, Zabit Magomedsharipov has informed the UFC of his decision to retire from professional mixed martial arts with immediate effect – bringing an end to a 10-year professional career.

Zabit, who boasts an 18-1 professional record at the time of his retirement from the sport, most recently featured in the main event of UFC Fight Night Moscow back in November 2019, earning a unanimous decision win over Calvin Kattar over the course of three rounds. The headliner earned both Zabit and Kattar Fight of the Night honors.

Zabit Magomedsharipov was widely tipped to challenge for UFC gold in the future

Speculation has been rife regarding Zabit’s continued fighting future amid a prolonged health issue, as well as his intentions to become a practising doctor – which he hinted at back in April. And now, per an initial report from MMA Fighting reporter, Guilherme Cruz, Zabit has informed the UFC of his intention to hang up his gloves from professional mixed martial arts with immediate effect. 

Zabit Magomedsharipov was officially removed from the UFC featherweight rankings back in April of last year due to inactivity, with his sole outing since his win over Kattar – a high-stakes headliner against Yair Rodriguez cancelled in August of the year prior due to an ankle injury suffered by the Mexican.

A former ACB featherweight champion, Zabit Magomedsharipov, who plys his trade under the tutelage of head coach, Mark Henry – enjoyed a six-fight, promotional-perfect stint since his September 2017 Octagon debut.

Prior to his win against Kattar, Zabit had defeated Jeremy Stephens, adding the veteran Des Moines native to other wins over Brandon Davis, Kyle Bockniak, Sheymon Moraes, and Mike Santiago. 

A renowned finisher and dynamic striker and grappler, Zabit managed to land an impressive seven career submission wins, to go with a further six separate career knockout wins. Zabit is also a Russian, European, and World Cup victor in Sanda.

O’Malley Reveals Lucrative Ambitions After Signing New UFC Deal

Rising UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley has revealed the ballpark that he’s aiming at when it comes to fight purses, having recently signed a new deal with the MMA leader. Through both his Octagon presence and his activity outside the cage, whether on social media or streaming on the Twitch platform, O’Malley has quickly established himself…

Continue Reading O’Malley Reveals Lucrative Ambitions After Signing New UFC Deal at MMA News.

Rising UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley has revealed the ballpark that he’s aiming at when it comes to fight purses, having recently signed a new deal with the MMA leader.

Through both his Octagon presence and his activity outside the cage, whether on social media or streaming on the Twitch platform, O’Malley has quickly established himself as prominent member of the UFC roster, and perhaps the one with the best chance of reaching stardom.

While his self-marketing has enhanced that, it wouldn’t be possible without genuine MMA talent, something that O’Malley certainly possesses. He put that on full display in 2021, earning three performance bonuses in three appearances, all of which ended in “Sugar” having his hand raised following finishes.

Having risen into the rankings following his first-round knockout of Raulian Paiva last December, O’Malley earned a new deal with the UFC ahead of his push towards the top 10 and title contention.

During a recent appearance on ESPN MMA’s DC & RC show, O’Malley discussed the conversations that went down with the UFC brass during negotiations.

While many have gone on the offense when it comes to a desire for more pay, O’Malley took a different approach, asking the promotion what he needs to do to reach his financial goals. That lucrative target? $1 million per fight.

“I actually recently sat down with the UFC, re-signed with them,” said O’Malley. “And I had a great conversation with Sean Shelby. I go in there and I say, ‘Hey, I wanna make this amount of money. How do I do that? What do I need to do as a business partner to the UFC to end up making the amount of money I wanna make.’

“For me, I wanna get to point where I’m making a million dollars a fight. Obviously I’m not there right now and that’s not what I’m expecting to make against Pedro (Munhoz). But that’s where my mind’s at,” added O’Malley. (h/t Sportskeeda MMA)

The road to reaching that figure will next need to go through the #10-ranked Munhoz, whom O’Malley is set to share the Octagon with at UFC 276 next month.

Should he emerge victorious, not only will “Sugar” have moved one step closer to the bantamweight gold, but he’d have further legitimized his potential with the addition of a perennial contender to his blossoming résumé.

“I think ‘Prelim Pedro’ is a great next step,” said O’Malley. “He’s never been finished. I’m definitely looking to go in there put his lights out.”

What do you make of Sean O’Malley’s financial ambitions in the UFC?

Continue Reading O’Malley Reveals Lucrative Ambitions After Signing New UFC Deal at MMA News.

Report | Ciryl Gane vs. Tai Tuivasa Officially Announced For UFC Paris On September 3

Ciryl Gane, Tai TuivasaCiryl Gane is scheduled to take on Tai Tuivasa in UFC’s first outing in Paris. Former UFC interim Heavyweight title holder Ciryl Gane will face off against the rising prospect Tai Tuivasa in the headlining match of UFC Fight Night Paris on September 3. Gane is reeling off the first professional loss of his career […]

Ciryl Gane, Tai Tuivasa

Ciryl Gane is scheduled to take on Tai Tuivasa in UFC’s first outing in Paris.

Former UFC interim Heavyweight title holder Ciryl Gane will face off against the rising prospect Tai Tuivasa in the headlining match of UFC Fight Night Paris on September 3. Gane is reeling off the first professional loss of his career in his latest unification bout with the reigning division champ Francis Ngannou.

Meanwhile, Tuivasa will be going into the cage after racking up a five-fight win streak. He dispatched all five of his previous opponents by a knockout or a technical knockout with a notable win against Derrick Lewis in February. The third-ranked contender in the division gets a significant level up in competition and is likely to get an inch closer to the gold if he comes out on top over the top contender.

Ciryl Gane vs. Tai Tuivasa officially announced

UFC officially announced the matchup on Twitter this Wednesday.

It was previously reported that the UFC was working on a big show in Europe. Talks of the rumored matchup were ongoing but the company hadn’t made any official statements until the tweet.

Gane gets to fight in his hometown for the first time

For the first time ever since the legalization of MMA in France in Jan 2020, Ciryl Gane will get to compete in front of his hometown this September. Gane is widely considered to be one of the most athletic fighters, especially at heavyweight where the athletes don’t necessarily have a fast movement.

Prior to his loss to “The Predator”, Gane was on a seven-fight win streak in the UFC that saw him defeat Derrick Lewis, Alexander Volkov, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and Junior dos Santos.

Gane opened as the favorite against Ngannou in their title unification bout but was unsuccessful in securing the title. His outing with Tuivasa is being looked at as a title eliminator matchup where the winner will either likely get a shot at the strap or go through a top contender bout.

Are you excited to see Ciryl Gane fight Tai Tuivasa?

Sonnen: The UFC Audience Isn’t Onboard With Shevchenko

Renowned MMA figure Chael Sonnen doesn’t believe that UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko has been able to “get over” with the sport’s fanbase. Shevchenko has ruled over the 125-pound weight class since a 2018 win against Joanna J?drzejczyk. In her subsequent fights, the Kyrgyzstani has defended her gold seven times and established herself as one…

Continue Reading Sonnen: The UFC Audience Isn’t Onboard With Shevchenko at MMA News.

Renowned MMA figure Chael Sonnen doesn’t believe that UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko has been able to “get over” with the sport’s fanbase.

Shevchenko has ruled over the 125-pound weight class since a 2018 win against Joanna J?drzejczyk. In her subsequent fights, the Kyrgyzstani has defended her gold seven times and established herself as one of the promotion’s most dominant titleholders.

But while her first six defenses fit that narrative well, her seventh was certainly not an easy night at the office. Against Taila Santos this past weekend at UFC 275, “Bullet” was given her toughest test to date. After some early adversity on the ground, Shevchenko fought back to earn a split decision victory following five rounds of action in Singapore.

In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel post-fight, former two-division UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen assessed Shevchenko’s latest triumph and her ongoing reign.

Interestingly, the fighter-turned-analyst used UFC 275 to suggest that Shevchenko isn’t as popular as she may seem. According to Sonnen, despite Shevchenko’s background and interesting history, fans simply aren’t interested in her.

“She really is a fascinating human being, on paper,” said Sonnen. “We’re told that she speaks seven languages… She trained the military, not only in unarmed combat, she trained them in armed combat. Her mother was a world champion in something. Was it judo? … Oh, and by the way, her sister is completely awesome as well. And you guys aren’t interested in her, and I don’t know why.”

Acknowledging that many would perhaps dispute that argument, Sonnen cited the fact that Shevchenko defended her belt in the co-main event on Saturday, while what he described as an “unanticipated” matchup between Glover Teixeira and Ji?í Procházka headlined as evidence for his claim.

“I know you’re going to push back… ‘Bullet’ is not main eventing. You can stop right there. The ‘Bullet’ is not over with you guys,” insisted Sonnen. “Procházka versus Glover was not the most anticipated UFC (fight) of the year. However, it just might have been the most unanticipated, truly.

“It was not an anticipated fight, it did not have a whole lot on it, and it still was going to be the main event over the ‘Bullet.’ … The audience and the crowd just isn’t onboard with the ‘Bullet.’ I’m just wondering why?” Sonnen questioned.

Sonnen: Shevchenko Hasn’t Picked A Side

Assessing the possible answers to his question, Sonnen pondered whether Shevchenko has failed to attract larger support due to the fact she hasn’t cemented herself as either a “good guy” or a “bad guy.”

“It’s really hard to be in-between, you’re either the good guy or the bad guy,” said Sonnen. “There’s something about ‘Bullet’ that you don’t like. She’s not over with you guys.”

Given the fact that she’s been in the promotion for so long and found incredible success inside the Octagon, Sonnen is surprised that Shevchenko’s yet to say or do anything to upset supporters. He posed the idea that with that, most fans may perceive the flyweight queen’s attitude and personality to be “insincere.”

“I think we’re starting to get a glimpse into it, that she just hasn’t picked a side,” suggested Sonnen. “Anybody who’s been in the organization as long has she has and has never done anything to upset the audience is probably being pretty insincere… You’re probably acting and playing a character.

“She got real close to (the other side) after this fight with Santos. She wanted to give an excuse… It’s interesting. I don’t know how that’s gonna sit with you (fans)… The ‘Bullet’ is fantastic,” Sonnen continued. “I’m just trying to make an observation… Somebody this good for this long that checks every box, and even in the night that was designed for her to be upset, she found a way to succeed. This is an amazing competitor. I’m asking, what is it about her that isn’t working? … Is it that you don’t know her well enough? That you think she’s phony?”

Do you agree with Chael Sonnen’s take on Valentina Shevchenko?

Continue Reading Sonnen: The UFC Audience Isn’t Onboard With Shevchenko at MMA News.

Report: UFC Targeting Aldo vs. Dvalishvili For UFC 278 In August

A battle of bantamweight title contenders is being talked about for an upcoming UFC pay-per-view card. Former featherweight champion José Aldo and rising title hopeful Merab Dvalishvili are said to be meeting at UFC 278. The news was first reported by Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting. Although the fight is not yet official, this is…

Continue Reading Report: UFC Targeting Aldo vs. Dvalishvili For UFC 278 In August at MMA News.

A battle of bantamweight title contenders is being talked about for an upcoming UFC pay-per-view card. Former featherweight champion José Aldo and rising title hopeful Merab Dvalishvili are said to be meeting at UFC 278.

The news was first reported by Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting. Although the fight is not yet official, this is the direction the UFC is planning to head. The UFC 278 event is set to be held on August 20 in the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Aldo sat atop the UFC featherweight division for over five years. He was the perennial UFC featherweight champion after carrying the WEC belt for years before that.

When Aldo lost his belt to Conor McGregor in 2015, he entered a slump that included five losses. Now at bantamweight, Aldo has strung together three wins in a row and could be in line for a title shot soon.

Aldo has been calling for a shot at champion Aljamain Sterling recently, but now with talks of this fight with Dvalishvili, it seems that perhaps another man could be getting that title shot. However, a possibility is that the winner of this UFC 278 bout could be the next one in line for Sterling.

Dvalishvili is a good friend and training partner of the champ. He has mentioned not wanting to face Sterling, but with a win over Aldo, he could be directly in title contention.

Sterling has mentioned a move to featherweight in order to make room for his friend if that situation could arise. Dvalishvili is on a seven-fight winning streak, with his most recent win coming over Marlon Moraes back in September of last year.

UFC 278 will be headlined by a welterweight title matchup between Champion Kamaru Usman and challenger Leon Edwards.

Who do you think wins the fight between José Aldo and Merab Dvalishvili?

Continue Reading Report: UFC Targeting Aldo vs. Dvalishvili For UFC 278 In August at MMA News.

Shevchenko Sends A Warning To Flyweights Who See Her As Beatable

After almost losing her women’s flyweight title at UFC 275, Valentina Shevchenko has assured future opponents that she remains unbeatable in the division. Shevchenko came within a hair’s breadth of losing to Taila Santos this past weekend, only narrowly defending her title via split decision. The surging Brazilian prospect outgrappled Shevchenko for much of the…

Continue Reading Shevchenko Sends A Warning To Flyweights Who See Her As Beatable at MMA News.

After almost losing her women’s flyweight title at UFC 275, Valentina Shevchenko has assured future opponents that she remains unbeatable in the division.

Shevchenko came within a hair’s breadth of losing to Taila Santos this past weekend, only narrowly defending her title via split decision. The surging Brazilian prospect outgrappled Shevchenko for much of the fight, before the champ asserted her dominance in the later rounds.

The fight was the closest Shevchenko has come to tasting defeat as a flyweight. Since capturing the title from Joanna J?drzejczyk in 2018, the 34-year-old has made seven defenses, almost all of which have been heavily one-sided affairs.

The only fighter prior to Santos to trouble Shevchenko was Jennifer Maia, who managed to take the pound-for-pound queen down to the canvas and hold her there for an extended period.

Shevchenko Says Flyweights Shouldn’t Get Their Hopes Up

The image of Shevchenko locked in a body triangle while Taila Santos attempted to choke her out is not one that goes hand in hand with an unbeatable aura. Rather, it’s no doubt lessened her fear factor and inspired confidence in her fellow flyweights.

At the UFC 275 post-fight press conference, however, Valentina sent a clear message to all those who may be encouraged by her unconvincing performance.

“Maybe they think they can beat me, but they cannot,” said Shevchenko. “Even in a hard position, champion’s mindset is every time will be on top. And this is what I have. As I mentioned, being in martial arts for 30 years, it’s made me (a) hard opponent, very hard. So even (though) they think they can, but they cannot.”

Do you think Valentina Shevchenko has lost her fear factor after UFC 275?

Continue Reading Shevchenko Sends A Warning To Flyweights Who See Her As Beatable at MMA News.