Tag: Global MMA

Sean Strickland thinks Khamzat Chimaev doesn’t even need to train to beat Nate Diaz: ‘Just go and you know, destroy him’

Sean StricklandUFC middleweight Sean Strickland has downplayed any chances for Nate Diaz to beat Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC 279. Sean Strickland has been training alongside the undefeated welterweight in preparation for his next match up and given what he has seen of him in the gym he gives Diaz very little chance […]

Sean Strickland

UFC middleweight Sean Strickland has downplayed any chances for Nate Diaz to beat Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC 279.

Sean Strickland has been training alongside the undefeated welterweight in preparation for his next match up and given what he has seen of him in the gym he gives Diaz very little chance of success come fight night. Training alongside the likes of Chimaev Chris Curtis and Darren Till, Strickland was full of praise for the effort and intensity Chimaev brings into his sessions.

The 7th ranked middleweight knows Diaz is at the tail-end of his career inside the UFC not only due to this being the last remaining fight on his contract but given the steep difference in ability between him and one of the division’s top prospects.

Sean Strickland says Chimaev doesn’t need to train to fight Diaz

Chimaev steamrolled his way into the UFC looking unstoppable at times. The Swedish fighter first stopped John Phillips in the second round of his promotional debut before returning just 10 days later to finish Rhys McKee inside the first round.

Next, it was onto to face Gerald Meerschaert who since has found his form following his 17-second loss at the hands of Chimaev. Covid and other health complications would keep ‘Borz’ out of action for nearly a year but when he returned, he made quick work of his toughest test to date by submitting Li Jingliang at UFC 267.

Fast forward to UFC 273 where Chimaev alongside Gilbert Burns would produce a fight of the year contender as the pair battled over three grueling rounds ultimately ending with Chimaev getting his hand raised in the unanimous decision victory over the Brazilian.

Given his performances, it comes as no surprise that Sean Strickland is just as high on Chimaev’s potential along with many of the UFC fanbase. Ahead of his training partners bout against Diaz, Sean Strickland spoke to The Schmo about the difference in ability between the two men.

“I don’t know man, do you have to get ready for Nate Diaz? Did the UFC just say hey, Khamzat, we love you, come f–king beat up this old man,” Strickland said. “When’s the last time he won a fight? But either way, so I don’t even think Khamzat really has to get ready for it. He’s probably just gonna roll in not even training coming off the couch and just go and you know, destroy him.” (Transcribed by Middleeasy)

Strickland himself is working hard ahead of his recently announced matchup. The American will take on former title challenger Jared Cannonier on October 15th and will be looking to return to the win column himself following his loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 276.

Do you give Nate Diaz a chance against Chimaev? What will happen with Diaz if he were to win?

‘DC’ thinks Leon Edwards should ‘big league’ Jorge Masvidal: ‘All of a sudden, you’re the man and he wants to fight you”

Leon EdwardsFormer UFC double champ Daniel Cormier has advised Leon Edwards to pay Jorge Masvidal back with some of his own medicine. Leon Edwards, who recently became the UFC welterweight champion, has recently stated that he would not be against making his first title defense against long-time rival Jorge ‘Gamebred’ Masvidal. Edwards and Masvidal have previously […]

Leon Edwards

Former UFC double champ Daniel Cormier has advised Leon Edwards to pay Jorge Masvidal back with some of his own medicine.

Leon Edwards, who recently became the UFC welterweight champion, has recently stated that he would not be against making his first title defense against long-time rival Jorge ‘Gamebred’ Masvidal. Edwards and Masvidal have previously traded blows, although not inside the UFC octagon.

Backstage at a UFC London event, Masvidal landed the now notorious ‘three piece and a soda’ combination on Edwards. The stage seemed perfectly set for a classic rival vs. rival clash, similar to how the UFC promoted Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, Masvidal would instead be matched up with Ben Asken, and then later Nate Diaz, as he basked in the fame he had acquired as a result of a KO victory over Darren Till.

Edwards was left to face off against the likes of Rafael dos Anjos, failing to capture that same limelight that Masvidal held at the time.

Now times have changed, Masvidal is on a losing streak, whilst Edwards is coming off an incredible title-winning KO over the former P4P No.1.

Daniel Cormier advises Leon Edwards to ‘big league’ Jorge Masvidal

Despite his bad run of form, Jorge Masvidal remains a big name in the sport, which may well explain why Leon Edwards is still interested in a fight with him. However, speaking on the DC & RC Show, Daniel Cormier has urged ‘Rocky’ to avoid the Masvidal fight, and to give ‘Gamebred’ the same treatment he had received when he was on top.

“Bro, don’t fight him because for two years – when he was the man, he could not say your name. All of a sudden he’s like ‘if you become the champ’… he should not fight Jorge Masvidal. He literally should just big league him and not even say his name.”

“Why would you do that when a guy struck you backstage but then never fought you? Then, all of a sudden, you’re the man and he wants to fight you.” (Quotes via Sportskeeda).

Edwards’ next fight seems much more likely to be against the man he just knocked out, Kamaru Usman. Both Edwards and Usman hold a win over the other, so a trilogy bout, in front of an English crowd, seems the most logical next step.

Who would you rather see Leon Edwards fight next?

Exclusive: Stephen Thompson reminisces on the one ‘special fight’ that never came about: ‘It’s crazy how that didn’t happen’

Stephen ThompsonStephen Thompson has truly fought a who’s who of the UFC welterweight division. However, there is one fight he always thought would happen, but now appears to no longer be an option. Over the course of his UFC career, ‘Wonderboy’ has faced off with the likes of Vicente Luque, Tyron Woodley, Rory MacDonald and Anthony […]

Stephen Thompson

Stephen Thompson has truly fought a who’s who of the UFC welterweight division. However, there is one fight he always thought would happen, but now appears to no longer be an option.

Over the course of his UFC career, ‘Wonderboy’ has faced off with the likes of Vicente Luque, Tyron Woodley, Rory MacDonald and Anthony Pettis. However, there is one Brazilian legend that he never squared off with, that man being BJJ specialist, Demian Maia.

In a recent exclusive interview with LowKickMMA, Stephen Thompson discussed the ‘fight that got away,’ stating:

“Oh man, that would have been a special fight, for sure. Yeah man, that was always in the back of my head, and always one of those things where it was like, man, we could be facing each other. But it’s weird how our career paths just didn’t come across each other. My buddy Rory MacDonald fought him on the very first card (I fought on), UFC 143… Rory MacDonald fought him, ended up beating Demian Maia. But I was like, man, this guy was a beast, I’ll probably end up fighting this guy. I think he’s retired… It’s just crazy how that didn’t happen.”

Stephen Thompson currently targeting a rematch with Jorge Masvidal

Whilst a fight against Demian Maia is no longer an option, there is another veteran of the welterweight division that Stephen Thompson would like to face. ‘Wonderboy’ already has a win over Jorge Masvidal, but is now targeting a rematch with ‘Gamebred.’ He stated:

“He’s improved, I’ve improved. The last time we faced each other I think was UFC 217 at Madison Square Garden, they got another one of those coming up.“

In an attempt to market the fight, Thompson has billed it as ‘the NMF vs. the BMF.’

“I know he’s going through allegations right now with Colby Covington well see how that turns out and I don’t think he’ll be fighting until that is over. He’s still looking for them big money fights at this point, but I think that would be exciting, the NMF vs. the BMF? Let’s go!”

Conor McGregor credits Anthony Joshua following AJ’s ‘great speech’ after Oleksandr Usyk battle

Anthony JoshuaConor McGregor has come to the defence of Anthony Joshua after the Brit bizarrely took to the microphone following his disappointing split decision loss to Oleksandr Usyk. A disappointing night turned worse for Joshua after he fell short in his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk. The 32-year-old took to the opportunity to share his thoughts with […]

Anthony Joshua

Conor McGregor has come to the defence of Anthony Joshua after the Brit bizarrely took to the microphone following his disappointing split decision loss to Oleksandr Usyk.

A disappointing night turned worse for Joshua after he fell short in his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk. The 32-year-old took to the opportunity to share his thoughts with those in attendance and the mass watching online after his match-up. Joshua referenced the ongoing conflict in Ukraine amongst other issues relating to his fight after originally throwing two belts to the ground and leaving the ring.

Spectators were left with a sour taste in their mouths following Joshua’s actions however former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor has defended his actions following his disappointing outing. McGregor even went on to credit Joshua for the ‘great speech’ he delivered post-fight.

“You are all going on ridiculous over this. That is a great speech right there. Fair play to him he made it yet he is still in there keeping that cog going. If they wanted the mic they could’ve tried get it back. Then he gives me a shout out. Great fight, thank you! #champchamp”

Usyk along with those in attendance were caught off-guard by Joshua’s comments having initially embraced following the pair’s 12-round battle.

Anthony Joshua reflects on the disappointing defeat to Oleksandr Usyk

Following on from this having had time to collect his thoughts and process what would have been a difficult night for him Anthony Joshua took to his social media to update his following on his status.

“I wish @usykaa continued success in your quest for greatness. You are a class act champ.

Yesterday I had to mentally take myself into a dark place to compete for the championship belts! I had two fights, one with Usyk and one with my emotions and both got the better of me.”

In a follow-up post, Anthony Joshua would reflect upon his post-fight statements.

“I’ll be the first to admit, I let myself down. I acted out of pure passion and emotion and when not controlled it ain’t great.

I love this sport so so much and I’ll be better from this point on.

Respect”

Joshua is expected to take some time away from the sport to recover but is expected to return in the future after some speculated this may be time to call a curtain on the former champion’s career.

Similar to Joshua, McGregor is expected to make his return to the octagon next year having not stepped inside the cage since his loss to Dustin Poirier in their trilogy match at UFC 264.

What did you make of Anthony Joshua’s comments? Do you agree with Conor McGregor?

Leon Edwards open to a trilogy bout with Kamaru Usman in Wembley Stadium: ‘It has to be done’

Leon EdwardsAt UFC 278, Leon Edwards defied the odds and the expectations of many, as he landed a clinical head kick KO over the now former P4P No.1, Kamaru Usman. ‘Rocky’ is now down to run it back with ‘The Nigerian Nightmare,’ this time on his home soil. When Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman first faced […]

Leon Edwards

At UFC 278, Leon Edwards defied the odds and the expectations of many, as he landed a clinical head kick KO over the now former P4P No.1, Kamaru Usman. ‘Rocky’ is now down to run it back with ‘The Nigerian Nightmare,’ this time on his home soil.

When Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman first faced off, they were both fresh-faced prospects, new to the UFC and not yet fully rounded fighters. That night, Usman’s dominant wrestling would see him pick up a unanimous decision victory.

Years later, the two elite welterweights would find themselves squaring off against one another in the UFC octagon once again. However, this time, the result would be very different. Edwards would find great success in the first round, becoming the first UFC fighter to take Usman down. The now former champ would then rally, claiming the next three rounds with a mixture of heavy strikes and his top-heavy wrestling game.

In the final round, it looked as though history would repeat itself, with Edwards down on the scorecards and appearing fatigued. That is until ‘Rocky’ landed the perfect feint-head kick combination that saw Kamaru Usman knocked unconscious for the first time in his pro career.

Leon Edwards is ready to face Kamaru Usman a third time

Speaking in the post-fight presser, Leon Edwards was asked if a rematch with Kamaru Usman was likely. The newly crowned champ had the following to say:

” I knew going into it, that more than likely we’re gonna have a rematch down the line. Whether it’s next or down the line, we’re gonna have a rematch. He’s been a long champion, they’ve been saying he’s the pound-for-pound best all week… He believed it. As I said in the octagon, the belt belongs to no one.”

In terms of a venue for this trilogy bout, ‘Rocky’ had one place on his mind.

“I heard Wembley. Wembley for sure. One hundred percent. Make it at Wembley, it has to be done. This has never been done before. To have a guy from Birmingham, in the UK, do it from the UK. I know (Michael) Bisping did it first. But he did it from living in America, you know? So it was hard for people like me to relate and say look, we can do it as well. I made a point to stay in the UK to achieve this, to show the other guys coming after me, that look, if you believe in your country, believe in your team, you can achieve it.“

Are you looking forward to a trilogy bout between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman?

Jon Anik believes victory over Paulo Costa at UFC 278 could earn Luke Rockhold a title shot: “There’s no doubt”

Jon AnikAhead of one of the more anticipated cards of the year, Jon Anik revealed he could see a world where a victory over Paulo Costa at UFC 278 is enough to earn the returning Luke Rockhold a title shot. A sentiment that Rockhold shares himself. Having not competed inside the octagon since 2019, Rockhold will […]

Jon Anik

Ahead of one of the more anticipated cards of the year, Jon Anik revealed he could see a world where a victory over Paulo Costa at UFC 278 is enough to earn the returning Luke Rockhold a title shot. A sentiment that Rockhold shares himself.

Having not competed inside the octagon since 2019, Rockhold will be looking to propel himself back into the winning column as well as title contention if he can best ‘Borrachinha’ at UFC 278. Rockhold returns to the octagon on the back of two defeats at the hands of Yoel Romero and former light-heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz.

Speaking to MMA Fighting,  Jon Anik revealed he could see a world where the former middleweight champion earns himself a shot at the title he once held with an impressive performance over the 6th-ranked middleweight Paulo Costa.

“It’s a great question and there’s no doubt about it, certainly Adesanya has business to attend to with Alex Pereira, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that those guys fight twice in a row if Alex is able to get him. There’s a lot of different balls in the air, but absolutely [Rockhold can earn a title shot].”

“Izzy is a champion that wants the stiffest challenges, and two names that he wants on his resumé, on his Wikipedia page with green stripes is Darren Till — a name he’s injected in the mix every chance he gets — and Luke Rockhold as a former undisputed champion, and a guy in Luke Rockhold that a lot of us put on a pedestal, and who a lot of us projected to be one of the greatest middleweight champions of all-time. He didn’t defend the belt successfully a singular time, but in terms of potential for greatness, I think some people would argue it’s still engrained in Luke Rockhold.

“It would absolutely be an appetizing fight — not just promotionally, but for the champion as well.”

Jon Anik says there is an ‘Avalanche of pressure’ on Paulo Costa ahead of UFC 278

Both men will be looking to snap a two-fight losing streak when they enter the octagon and despite having not competed since his KO loss to Blachowicz Anik believes the pressure is firmly on Paulo Costa ahead of this middleweight clash given it is the final fight on the Brazilians contract.

“There’s so much pressure on both of these athletes big picture,” Jon Anik told MMA Fighting.

“Luke Rockhold is 37, so the time really has to be now, even though he’s the guy — unlike Paulo Costa — who has the UFC undisputed championship belt on the mantle at home. This is very interesting because both guys have lost two consecutive fights, and I think you can argue that Paulo Costa has underachieved a little bit relative to the expectations coming in — even though he’s just getting going in a lot of respects, when it comes to his career, the championship performance against Adesanya was very underwhelming, and obviously, the follow-up act against Marvin Vettori wasn’t great either.

“I think there’s an avalanche of pressure on Paulo Costa as the more primed, and primal athlete right now to get the job done and try to prove that he’s somebody they can really count on to carry the torch for Brazil and this middleweight division.”

There’s immense pressure on both fighters to succeed, but when it comes to the questions being asked in regards to this highly anticipated matchup, the longtime lead voice of the UFC feels that the most glaring questions are towards the Rockhold side of things.

“With Rockhold, I don’t really know what we’re getting,” Jon Anik said. “If social media is an indicator, then clearly the hay is in the barn, a lot of hard work has been done on the strength and conditioning side. You see in terms of Rockhold’s physical recovery, he has put a lot of resources and finances into making sure that he is ready to go.

“Some people will tell you that chins never recover. I don’t know if that’s necessarily the case, but where is Luke Rockhold’s chin? What is his ability to take a shot from Paulo Costa?”

“I think that’s the rub for a lot of people in this fight: if Luke Rockhold can take a shot or two, work his game, and potentially creating some grappling transitions because we know how good he is on top with his ground and pound, we’ll see. I just don’t know where Rockhold is at mentally, and where his chin is physically. I just feel like there’s a lot more variables on the Rockhold side and that’s why he’s a +250 [or higher] as the betting underdog this weekend. I can’t wait for that fight.” (Transcribed by MMAFighting).

Do you agree with Jon Anik’s comments?