Tag: Global MMA

Nassourdine Imavov relishes his first main event opportunity vs. Kelvin Gastelum: “He’s a warrior… But I’m here, I’m also a warrior.”

Nassourdine Imavov and Kelvin GastelumNassourdine Imavov will headline the first UFC card of 2023 when he takes on experienced middleweight Kelvin Gastelum on January 14th at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Imavov is currently riding a three-fight win streak in the UFC octagon and finds himself up against a competitor in Kelvin Gastelum who is on a […]

Nassourdine Imavov and Kelvin Gastelum

Nassourdine Imavov will headline the first UFC card of 2023 when he takes on experienced middleweight Kelvin Gastelum on January 14th at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Imavov is currently riding a three-fight win streak in the UFC octagon and finds himself up against a competitor in Kelvin Gastelum who is on a much different career trajectory.

We last saw Nassourdine Imavov face off with Joaquin Buckley at UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Tuivasa in Paris, France. In this fight, Imavov earned a Unanimous Decision victory in his home country and saw his name vault into the top 15 Middleweight rankings.

Leading up to this bout with Gastelum, Nassourdine Imavov took time to speak with James Lynch of LowKickMMA, discussing the anticipation surrounding his upcoming bout.

Pertaining to his most recent victory over Buckley in Paris, Imavov states:

“It was huge to fight for the first UFC in Paris. It’s been a long time that we’re awaiting the UFC in France and I’m very happy to win in Paris with my people.”

Nassourdine Imavov Thankful to Finally Fight Gastelum

January 14th will be Imavov’s sixth appearance in the UFC, and for the first time, he finds himself as a main event headliner. Speaking about this opportunity, he continues:

“It’s a very good thing it’s the first time for me, and I can’t wait to be here for the main event…I’m not really surprised (to be in the main event), I knew that it would happen. My coach said to me that it would happen; I’m not surprised I’m just very happy.”

Imavov vs. Gastelum was a fight originally scheduled to be a part of the UFC 273 card back in April, and finally, in January of 2023, it comes to fruition. Nassourdine offers up his comments about the fight being rebooked:

“I’m very glad that I can fight Kelvin Gastelum now. I was disappointed that the fight was canceled, but now I’m very glad and happy to fight against the big name that Kelvin Gastelum is.”

Imamov Talks About Gastelum as an Opponent

Kelvin Gastelum is certainly a big name and a veteran of the UFC octagon. Gastelum has previously been a title challenger in his career and has fought numerous legends of the game along his journey. Although Gastelum hasn’t enjoyed a victory since February of 2021, he still remains one of the most dangerous and durable Middleweights on the UFC roster. Imavov takes a portion of the interview to talk about the matchup with Gastelum and how their styles will clash:

“Kelvin is a very tough guy; I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a warrior like me and I think his style and my style will be a big fight. But I’m here, I’m also a warrior and I think one of us will (go) down… Kelvin has been in the UFC for a very long time, and he has fought a lot of guys… He’s a young fighter but he has a lot of experience. He has taken a lot of damage over his career and that’s a good thing for me.”

On fight night, Imavov will be cornered by his head coach Fernand Lopez but will also be joined by a few others that are special to Imavov. Nassourdine reveals two other cornermen that will support him for this fight:

“(Lopez) will be in my corner but my big brother Ibrahim will also be here, my true sparring partner will be here, and maybe Cyril Gane also.”

Imavov on Training with Cyril Gane

Fellow Frenchman Cyril Gane has enjoyed much success in the UFC, and Imavov reflects on his opportunity to train with someone of Gane’s level. He goes on to speak very highly of Gane:

“I love to train with Cyril Gane. I learned a lot with Cyril and when I talked with him, I’m aware that I have a lot of obstacles in front of me, and I want to take it the same way. (Cyril’s) always smiling, and he always has a very good ambiance in the gym.”

Prediction for Fight with Gastelum

Nassourdine Imavov was asked how he thinks this fight will play out, and his overall strategy for facing such a tough opponent. To this question, Imavov answered:

“Before my fight against Joaquin Buckley, I had two victories by knockout. My last win was on points, but I will do everything to knock him out. But I’m aware that he will do the same thing. Me, I will try everything to make him a knockout for sure. Of course, a fight of five rounds is not like three rounds. Everything is longer and harder, and my sparring and training are more difficult.”

The long-awaited return of the UFC will take place on January 14th as Nassourdine Imavov and Kelvin Gastelum headline Fight Night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Imavov looks to continue his win streak, putting his number 12 ranking in the middleweight division on the line. No.13 ranked Kelvin Gastelum looks for his first win since 2021 and a chance to move closer to another title shot. UFC fans around the world, tune in and watch as these Middleweight warriors go to battle.

Watch below for the full interview with Nassourdine Imavov:

Nathan Fletcher sets his sights on a ‘rematch’ with Caolan Loughran in 2023: “That fights bound to happen.”

Nathan FletcherAt Cage Warriors 148, Next Gen Liverpool prospect Nathan Fletcher secured the 7th pro win of his career, claiming a unanimous decision victory over Italian striker, Alessandro Giordano. The fight with Giordano, which took place on New Year’s Eve, marked Fletcher’s first bout of 2022. Having started the year off nursing an injury, Fletcher was […]

Nathan Fletcher

At Cage Warriors 148, Next Gen Liverpool prospect Nathan Fletcher secured the 7th pro win of his career, claiming a unanimous decision victory over Italian striker, Alessandro Giordano.

The fight with Giordano, which took place on New Year’s Eve, marked Fletcher’s first bout of 2022. Having started the year off nursing an injury, Fletcher was hoping to return to action in the summer, and then later in the Fall. However, multiple fights would collapse, including a bout vs. UFC veteran Cameron Else.

Eventually, on the last day of the year, Nathan Fletcher found himself with a matchup. ‘The Southport Strangler’ showed that he had continued to improve in 2022, despite not being able to book a fight. A solid well rounded display, in which he demonstrated prowess in both the grappling and striking realms, saw him enter 2023 with an impressive win under his belt.

In a recent interview with LowKickMMA, Fletcher was asked who he envisions facing in the coming year. Whilst Fletcher does have one eye on the current champ, Michele Martignoni, he does already have a win over the Italian. Instead, there was one name that repeatedly came up, that of Caolan Loughran, about whom Fletcher had the following to say:

“That fights bound to happen. I think it’s building up to it. The divisions very interesting at the minute, because obviously, we’ve got (Michele) Martignoni – there was like a little triangle with me, (Dominque) Wooding and Martignoni. Like, I beat Martignoni, Wooding beat me, then Martignoni beats Wooding. Wooding’s out the picture now, he’s signed with PFL. That’s a fight I would have liked to gotten back, obviously, being a competitor. But that’s not gonna happen now.”

“So my focus has kinda switched. I’ve got the Martignoni rematch, which obviously the enticement there for me is the belt, because I’ve already got a win over him… In terms of the competitor in me, the only reason I want that fight is because he’s got the belt. (Caolan) Loughran, again, I beat him, but that was amateur. That was a long time ago. Obviously, he’s improved a lot since then. I’ve improved a lot since then. And he’s got a bit of hype behind him, he’s got a bit of a name. So that fight does really interest me. And the c*** keeps calling me out. He’s called me out a good few times. So, I reckon that’s the fight that’s going to happen at some point next year, definitely.”

Nathan Fletcher defeated Caolan Loughran at Cage Warriors Academy Ireland 1, whilst both men were still on the amateur circuit. He was able to claim a unanimous decision victory over the Irish prospect.

Check out Nathan Fletcher’s full interview with LowKickMMA right here:

Nathan Fletcher reveals he defeated Michele Martignoni whilst suffering from food poisoning!

Whilst a fight with Caolan Loughran may be at the top of his list, a title shot against Michele Martignoni is surely too good a prospect to turn down for Nathan Fletcher.

However, this is a fight the 25-year-old from Southport would be immensely confident in taking. In the same interview, he revealed that he had been suffering from food poisoning the entire day of his original fight with Martignoni, and was still able to overcome ‘The Italian Thunder.’

“So facing him again, it’s not like I want to prove myself, that I can beat him. I’ve already beat him. And actually, when I fought Martignoni, I had food poisoning going into that fight. I was absolutely f***ed. Ask all me teammates, all my coaches. Matt Bonner was there. I didn’t eat a thing all day. And after the fight I was being sick. I came out in a big anaphylactic shock. The doctor had to give me a load of medicine, stuff like that. I was in a bad way. And I still beat him on my worst day.”

Who would you like to see face-off against Nathan Fletcher next? Caolan Loughran, Michele Martignoni, or someone else!?

Luke Rockhold hints at a return to competition this upcoming year: “2023 Could Get Interesting.”

Luke RockholdDespite retiring from the sport only last year, Luke Rockhold has already suggested that he could return to competition in 2023. After laying down his gloves in the center of the cage following a heartfelt performance against Paulo Costa at UFC 278, many of the community believed that was the last we had seen of […]

Luke Rockhold

Despite retiring from the sport only last year, Luke Rockhold has already suggested that he could return to competition in 2023.

After laying down his gloves in the center of the cage following a heartfelt performance against Paulo Costa at UFC 278, many of the community believed that was the last we had seen of Luke Rockhold inside an octagon.

Now it seems this may not be the case. Teasing on his social media about a potential return Rockhold posted saying ‘Putting the old rig to the test. 2023 could get interesting.’

Now whether that return is inside an octagon or not remains to be seen. Given his tenure with the UFC you can expect that he would be welcomed back to competition there should he choose to do so.

However, the former UFC middleweight champion did speculate an entry into boxing following his initial retirement from the UFC.

This was fuelled by several posts to his social media around the time fellow UFC veteran and former champion, Anderson Silva competed against Jake Paul.

Luke Rockhold Suggest A Return To Competition In 2023

Rockhold’s time with the UFC concluded after the former champion suffered a three-fight losing spell. After dropping his middleweight title to Michael Bisping in 2016, Rockhold bounced back by finishing David Branch.

However, things would begin to go downhill for the former champion quickly. The American Kickboxing Academy fighter’s first defeat came at the hands of Cuban powerhouse Yoel Romero who dispatched him at UFC 221.

He would then be tasked with taking on Jan Blachowicz who was beginning his ascent up the light heavyweight division. Rockhold would suffer the same fate as previously being stopped in the second round. The former champion would then take a three-year hiatus from the sport and return in August 2022 to take on Brazilian powerhouse, Paulo Costa.

A matchup that many of the community had written him off in before the bell had even sounded. Rockhold delivered a truly heartful performance which won over many in the fanbase on his final outing, despite him losing via unanimous decision.

Would you like to see Luke Rockhold return to competition in the UFC?

Muhammad Mokaev Suffers Setback With Dislocated Shoulder, Still Hopeful To Compete At UFC 286.

Muhammad MokaevMuhammad Mokaev has revealed he has had to undergo surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder he suffered in training. Despite this, the prospect still remains hopeful he will be able to compete at UFC 286, London. Muhammad Mokaev has suffered a major setback as he was aiming to build upon his impressive run in 2022. […]

Muhammad Mokaev

Muhammad Mokaev has revealed he has had to undergo surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder he suffered in training. Despite this, the prospect still remains hopeful he will be able to compete at UFC 286, London.

Muhammad Mokaev has suffered a major setback as he was aiming to build upon his impressive run in 2022. Signing with the promotion in 2022 Mokaev went an impressive 3-0 last year as he introduced himself to the flyweight division.

Mokaev started the year off with an impressive finish of Cody Durden and UFC London. The former IMMAF champion would then follow up this victory with a win over Charles Johnson before closing the year out by submitting Malcolm Gordon at UFC 280.

However unfortunately for the rising contender, he has suffered a setback, damaging his shoulder in training which resulted in a dislocation that ultimately needed surgery.

Muhammad Mokaev Reveals Dislocated Shoulder Injury

Taking to his social media to announce the news, Mokaev recalled a similar position he found himself in prior to UFC London last year.

“Unfortunately I have dislocated my shoulder, now I will wait for the operation!” Mokaev wrote on Twitter. “Thanks to all my supporters I will be back as soon as possible, I promise you! Love you all!

“Exact same day last year I [broke] my hand before my UFC debut in London, I will do everything to fight on [the] UFC London card! I tried to keep the operation till after the fight but I can’t even lift my arm.”

It remains unknown how long Muhammad Mokaev will be sidelined despite the undefeated Brit still aiming to compete at UFC 286, scheduled to take place on March 18th.

Should Mokaev miss out on the London card, you can guarantee that he will aim to return to competition soon after as he aims to continue climbing up the flyweight rankings.

Who would you like to see Muhammad Mokaev face in his next outing?

Henry Cejudo lists his top 5 fighters to watch out for in 2023

Henry CejudoFormer UFC Flyweight and Bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo has shared his views on several fighters you should keep eye on as we enter 2023. Prospects such as Jack Della Maddalena and Muhammad Mokaev broke through in 2022 and introduced themselves to the mixed martial arts world. As the number of fighters on the UFC roster […]

Henry Cejudo

Former UFC Flyweight and Bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo has shared his views on several fighters you should keep eye on as we enter 2023.

Prospects such as Jack Della Maddalena and Muhammad Mokaev broke through in 2022 and introduced themselves to the mixed martial arts world. As the number of fighters on the UFC roster grows so does the talent pool and with it comes the likelihood of new champions being on the rise.

One man who knows exactly what it takes to become a champion is Henry Cejudo. The former flyweight and bantamweight champion is anticipated to return to competition himself this year with a potential matchup against Aljamain Sterling to be had.

Cejudo is well aware of the challenge he faces returning to the bantamweight division, a weight class that many perceive to be holding the greatest depth of talent across the promotion.

So much so that in an interview with The Schmo, Henry Cejudo listed his five fighters whom he considered to be some of the best prospects heading into 2023. Including fellow bantamweight contender, Umar Nurmagomedov.

Henry Cejudo Lists Five Prospects For 2023

“I’m gonna have to say Khamzat Chimaev, Bo Nickal, Umar Nurmagomedov, the 125-pounder [Amir Albazi] that just knocked out the Brazilian… I call him ‘The Iraqi Nightmare’,” Henry Cejudo said. “Who was number five? Oh, [Rafael] Fiziev.” (Transcribed by MMANews)

For anyone following the sport the names he suggested should come as no surprise with each contender on the list having an extremely successful 2022.

Should Cejudo follow through on his claim to return to competition this year, it is likely he will expect to walk straight into a title shot against Aljamain Sterling. However, should the UFC want for him to earn his shot at the 125-pound belt a matchup against surging contender Umar Nurmagomedov may be a great place for him to do so?

Of the five Henry Cejudo listed, who do you believe has the best chance at becoming a UFC champion?

Opinion | 5 rising MMA stars to watch out for in 2023

Five MMA ProspectsMixed Martial Arts is forever growing and improving as a sport, from the promotions that provide this to us, to the stars and future contenders who make it exactly what it is. Longstanding champions were overthrown by current stars and future prospects announced themselves to the world. Contenders such as Muhammad Mokaev, Jack Della Maddalena, […]

Five MMA Prospects

Mixed Martial Arts is forever growing and improving as a sport, from the promotions that provide this to us, to the stars and future contenders who make it exactly what it is. Longstanding champions were overthrown by current stars and future prospects announced themselves to the world.

Contenders such as Muhammad Mokaev, Jack Della Maddalena, and Sergei Pavlovich were just a few of the brightest stars that emerged in 2022. This year has allowed many prospects to announce themselves into the mixed martial arts world, and 2023 will be no different.

Therefore, let us take a look at five prospects you should definitely be keeping your eye on throughout 2023.

MMA Prospects To Watch In 2023

Salahdine Parnasse

This one should come as no surprise for the avid MMA fan. Ranked on our ‘Top 10 MMA Prospects To Watch in 2022’ list, Salahdine Parnasse is an extremely talented mixed martial artist.

Parnasse is the current KSW Featherweight champion and interim lightweight champion. Amassing an impressive 17-1 record at just 25, including a defense of the full featherweight title, the Moroccan French fighter has achieved a great amount already. Signing with KSW in 2017, Parnasse would secure three victories inside the promotion before claiming the interim featherweight title, defeating Roman Szymanski via TKO. A defense of the interim belt would follow before Parnasse would face his first professional defeat being knocked out by Daniel Torres.

Parnasse would bounce back from his defeat and secure a submission victory over Filip Pejic like a true champion. Following this up, the 25-year-old would then successfully defeat the only man to beat him inside a cage when he reclaimed the featherweight title from Daniel Torres.

He would close his year out by claiming double champion status after he defeated Sebastian Rajewski at KSW 76 to win the KSW Lightweight title. Four wins in a row now for Parnasse puts him in a good position to continue his fine form heading into 2023.

Lerone Murphy

‘The Miracle’ may be one of the more known names on our list but that doesn’t prevent him from being a true prospect heading into 2023. Murphy was signed to the UFC after going 8-0 on the UK regional scene. A disappointing debut that resulted in a draw left fans unable to realize the 31-year-olds full potential.

However, he quickly showed them exactly who he was when he returned to the octagon. A first-round knockout of Ricardo Ramos came back in 2020 which he would then follow up with a dominant decision victory over the extremely tough, Douglas Silva De Andrade.

Murphy was not in competition for almost ten months following that victory but returned at UFC 267 to face Makwan Amirkhani. Closing the year out in style the Manchester Top Team fighter landed a devastating knee to put Amirkhani out cold and record his seventh stoppage victory since turning professional.

No octagon appearances in 2022 left admirers of the British fighter devastated, but we are hopeful we will get to see this talent return to the cage in 2023.

Christian Leroy Duncan

Christian Leroy Duncan may be one of the next top contenders to emerge from Cage Warriors. Currently championing their middleweight division, Duncan has looked better with every single outing.

The 27-year-old currently sits 7-0 as a professional and will be looking to extend that undefeated record even further when he takes on American veteran, Jesse Taylor at Cage Warriors 148. A lick striker on the feet has seen five of Duncan’s seven professional bouts end inside the distance, most recently landing a beautiful spinning elbow and combination of punches when he defeated Marain Dimitrov at Cage Warriors 146.

Should Duncan notch another defense in impressive fashion at CW 148, do not be surprised in the UFC comes knocking for this extremely talented prospect.

Tatiana Suarez

Tatiana Suarez is one of the top prospects in WMMA and thankfully, she looks set to return to competition in 2023. Having not competed since 2019 it is understandable for news fans to not be familiar with her name, but for those of us who have been following the sport longer we know just how talented Suarez is. Undefeated at 8-0, the American fighter is a serious threat to the strawweight champion, Zhang Weili.

UFC Fight Night 129 in 2018 saw Suarez take out one of the top contenders in the division when she submitted Alexa Grasso in the very first round. Following up on this Suarez would face former title holder, Carla Esparza, in what was her biggest challenge to date. She passed this test with flying colors when she was able to TKO the former champion in the third round. One outing in 2019 when she defeated Nina Nunes via unanimous decision would be the last time Suarez was seen in competition.

Should the rumors be true of her return in 2023, the strawweight division will certainly be put on notice.

Michael Morales

22-year-old Michael Morales is most definitely one MMA prospect to keep your eye on in 2023. A perfect 14-0, Morales carries devastating power which has seen him stop 12 of his 14 opponents so far in his career. Competing across multiple regional promotions, Morales signed with the UFC following a victory on Dana White’s Contender Series 2021, since signing he has not looked back.

A first-round devastating finish of Trevin Giles helped announce Morales to the mixed martial arts community. He would then follow up on this impressive victory when he stopped short-notice opponent, Adam Fugitt, at UFC 277.

The Ecuadorian fighter has a bright future ahead, still, early on in his career, you can only expect Morales to improve and build a well-rounded style that will help see him climb to the very top of the welterweight division.

Are there any MMA prospects you would have liked to see included in this list? Leave them in the comments below!