Tag: Global MMA

Rodtang Uses Brutal Elbow Strikes To Cut Open Jacob Smith On The Route To A Unanimous Decision Victory – ONE 157 Highlights

RodtangRodtang Jitmuangnon puts on yet another clinical display of violence as he booked his place in the semi-finals of the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix. The ONE flyweight Muay Thai champion dominated Jacob Smith over three rounds, leaving the Englishman bloodied and battered by the end of the bout. The first two minutes […]

Rodtang

Rodtang Jitmuangnon puts on yet another clinical display of violence as he booked his place in the semi-finals of the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix. The ONE flyweight Muay Thai champion dominated Jacob Smith over three rounds, leaving the Englishman bloodied and battered by the end of the bout.

The first two minutes of the fight were relatively competitive, but Rodtang soon began to employ a series of hellacious elbow strikes, cutting Smith open. The second and third rounds were more of the same, as he continued to use his elbows to lethal effect, mixing in a spearing rear straight and debilitating leg kicks.

Credit to Smith for making it to the final bell, but it was not a hard decision for the judges, as Rodtang’s hand was raised, and he progressed into the semi-finals. He was also granted a 50k bonus for his efforts.

Check out the highlights of Rodtang’s dominant victory over Jacob Smith below:

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Khabib Nurmagomedov Believes Charles Oliveira Has One More Opponent To Beat Before He Can Call Himself ‘Undisputed’ Lightweight Champ

KhabibFormer UFC lightweight titleholder Khabib Nurmagomedov has admitted that Charles Oliveira is the uncrowned champ at 155lbs right now, but he believes that ‘Do Bronx’ must overcome one more opponent before he can call himself “undisputed UFC lightweight champion.” It will come as little surprise to most that the opponent Nurmagomedov is referencing here, is […]

Khabib

Former UFC lightweight titleholder Khabib Nurmagomedov has admitted that Charles Oliveira is the uncrowned champ at 155lbs right now, but he believes that ‘Do Bronx’ must overcome one more opponent before he can call himself “undisputed UFC lightweight champion.”

It will come as little surprise to most that the opponent Nurmagomedov is referencing here, is his close friend and teammate, Islam Makhachev. Boasting a record of 22-1, and riding an impressive 10-fight winning streak, Makhachev has as good a claim to the title as any other 155lb contender.

However, UFC President Dana White has stated that Makhachev must first overcome Beneil Dariush before getting a shot at the lightweight title.

Khabib Nurmagomedov Gives His Thoughts On The UFC Lightweight Title Picture

In a recent interview with Brett Okamoto of ESPN MMA, Khabib Nurmagomedov laid out why he believes that Islam Makhachev should be next to fight Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title. He stated that:

“If Charles wins, Islam will have to give him credit. Then he’s gonna be undisputed UFC lightweight champion. Right now, I believe he’s champion, I believe. People talk about half pound [missing weight], he deserves it. Right now in this moment, he deserves to be champion. He’s doing a very good job, but he’s not undisputed. When I finished, I was undisputed. I was undisputed. I fight with Conor, interim champ Dustin Poirier, interim champ Justin Gaethje, who just beat primetime Tony Ferguson. These guys were in a different time in a different prime, not like now when they fight Charles Oliveira. It was like one and a half, two years ago. That time when I finished, I was undisputed.”

Khabib went on to reiterate his point, by saying:

“Charles is champion, I agree with him. But, he’s not undisputed, brother. If he beats Islam of course I’m gonna feel bad, but people are gonna talk about oh Khabib can come back, please, leave me alone. Let these guys fight! This is different time.” (H/T BJPENN.COM).

Do you agree with Khabib’s comments here?

Khabib Nurmagomedov Agrees To Coach Opposite Tony Ferguson On The Ultimate Fighter

Tony FergusonThe long-standing rivalry between Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov appears to be far from over. Between 2015 and 2020, Nurmagomedov and Ferguson were scheduled to square off a total of five times, but they never made it to the Octagon for varying reasons. The two were first set to compete at The Ultimate Fighter season […]

Tony Ferguson

The long-standing rivalry between Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov appears to be far from over.

Between 2015 and 2020, Nurmagomedov and Ferguson were scheduled to square off a total of five times, but they never made it to the Octagon for varying reasons. The two were first set to compete at The Ultimate Fighter season 22 finale. Seven years later, Ferguson and Nurmagomedov are still eager to close the book on one of MMA’s biggest what-ifs. 

During an appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Ferguson laid down another challenge to ‘The Eagle’, this time as opposing coaches on a season of The Ultimate Fighter.

“I believe that when his dad [Khabib’s] said we were supposed to compete, I believe that. I would love to be able to coach against him in The Ultimate Fighter, how about that? You know, best man wins on the team. I guarantee my coaching is a lot better than yours, Khabib. Not a lot of people understand that.”

After hearing of Ferguson’s comments, Nurmagomedov appeared to accept the challenge and even offered Ferguson the opportunity to step inside the Eagle FC cage. 

“Tony I like the idea about TUF, call your bosses and let them make an offer, but if they don’t have ideas, I myself will offer you a deal on the [Eagle FC] platform, we doing some business here you know,” Nurmagomedov tweeted.

Tony Ferguson Snaps Back on Twitter

Shortly after Khabib posted his response to the challenge, Tony Ferguson snapped back at the former lightweight champion and stirred the pot even more.

“We’re Private Contractors Fathead Remember? We Can Smell Ya From All The Way Over Here Lay Of The Sweets Meat Head,” Ferguson replied. “Now You Work For Me, BTW You Still Owe Me 200K & 20 Push-Up For The Homeless Keep Runnin’ It’s Tiramisu Tuesday- Champ -CSO- Merica MF.”

Following the successful defense of his lightweight championship at UFC 254, Nurmagomedov retired from the sport with an undefeated record of 29-0. Since then, ‘The Eagle’ has turned his attention to coaching fighters including lightweight contender Islam Makhachev.

Once considered the two best lightweights in the world, the highly anticipated match between Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov never materialized due to injuries, weight cutting issues and COVID. It appears there now may be a way for fans to finally see the two lightweight icons go toe-to-toe.

Would you like to see Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov compete on The Ultimate Fighter?

Paul Daley Names Jorge Masvidal & Nick Diaz As The Only Two Fights He Would End His Retirement For

Paul DaleyThis past weekend, former UFC, Strikeforce, and Bellator MMA fighter Paul Daley fought what he has stated will be his last professional fight. ‘Semtex’ eviscerated Wendell Giacomo with a series of lethal hooks in the second round of his main card bout at Bellator 281. This win brought Paul Daley’s record to 44-18-2 and was […]

Paul Daley

This past weekend, former UFC, Strikeforce, and Bellator MMA fighter Paul Daley fought what he has stated will be his last professional fight. ‘Semtex’ eviscerated Wendell Giacomo with a series of lethal hooks in the second round of his main card bout at Bellator 281.

This win brought Paul Daley’s record to 44-18-2 and was his 35th win via knockout. Now at the age of 39, Daley has seen fit to hang up his gloves. However, he has stated that there are two fights that would make him return to MMA.

In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Daley revealed that a rematch against former foe Nick Diaz would tempt him out of retirement, as would a bout against ‘BMF’ titleholder, Jorge ‘Gamebred’ Masvidal. He stated that:

“I don’t wish I can get back any fight in terms of changing what already happened. But, I think if I was to pick a fight to have a rematch, it would definitely be Nick Diaz or [Jorge] Masvidal. Because they’re the ones that have turned into pay-per-view stars and I could get the most money from.”

“Nick Diaz was a great fight and I beat Masvidal, and he holds the BMF belt, even though he’s lost his last fight or so. Those are the ones that if someone came to me and said, ‘What’s going to get you out of retirement?’, those two fights. That’s it, those are the only two fights that would pull me out.” (H/T BJPENN.COM).

Paul Daley vs. Nick Diaz 1

Paul Daley and Nick Diaz’s first fight is known for being one of the greatest MMA wars of all time. The two welterweights faced off under the Strikeforce banner in 2011 for the 170lb title.

The fight may have only lasted one round, but both men hit the canvas at various points. Diaz may have ultimately won, dropping Daley at the end of the round and forcing ‘Big’ John McCarthy to stop the fight, but Daley gave as good an account of himself as one could hope for.

Fans would certainly love to see these two veterans run it back in one last hurrah for both their careers. Check out the iconic first fight below:

Martyn Ford Plans MMA Run With KSW Following Cancelled Fight Against Iranian Hulk

Martyn FordBritish bodybuilder, Martyn Ford has confirmed that he plans to pursue a run in professional mixed martial arts under the banner of European promotion, KSW – after a scheduled boxing match against fellow bodybuilder, Sajad Gharibi, otherwise known as the ‘Iranian Hulk’ was shelved recently.  Ford, a native of Minworth, who turns 40 years of […]

Martyn Ford

British bodybuilder, Martyn Ford has confirmed that he plans to pursue a run in professional mixed martial arts under the banner of European promotion, KSW – after a scheduled boxing match against fellow bodybuilder, Sajad Gharibi, otherwise known as the ‘Iranian Hulk’ was shelved recently. 

Ford, a native of Minworth, who turns 40 years of age later this month, was scheduled to fight Gharibi in a boxing matchup, with the two engaging in a face-off prior to the bout, which included in a pre-fight scuffle – before the planned pairing was ultimately cancelled.

Martyn Ford plans a professional mixed martial arts birth in October

Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ford intended to embark on a professional mixed martial arts run with KSW – and is still hoping to land a fight under the Polish-based banner, later this year, in fact.

“One hundred per cent I am planning on getting involved in MMA,” Martyn Ford told Mirror Fighting during a recent interview. “I am already speaking to KSW. This is something that was set pre-COVID. I have still been doing pieces of Jiu-Jitsu and stuff. They (KSW) are looking at coming to London in October, and that is an event I would love to get involved with.” 

As far as potential opponents are concerned, Ford insisted that any potential fight would have to come against the right calibre of fighter for him.

“It just needs to be the right person and right time, my feelers have been put out there to try and get this set up as soon as possible,” Martyn Ford said. “I understand the frustration from people about not yet seeing me fight. I am still training, (the) only thing I am not doing is active sparring. I have switched back into its resistance and explosive power.”

“If something does happen which I am hoping I can sign up too soon, I have been training and dedicating so much time and effort to it,” Martyn Ford said. “I need to do it for my own mental state, to be honest, anyone will understand the frustration I am going through at the moment.”

Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Raki? – LowKick MMA Staff Predictions

Jan BlachowiczThis weekend’s UFC main event features two elite light heavyweights clashing in what could well be a No.1 contender bout, with the victor likely to go on and face the winner of Glover Teixeira and Jiri Prochazka. Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz will take on surging contender Aleksandar Rakic. The two European giants […]

Jan Blachowicz

This weekend’s UFC main event features two elite light heavyweights clashing in what could well be a No.1 contender bout, with the victor likely to go on and face the winner of Glover Teixeira and Jiri Prochazka.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz will take on surging contender Aleksandar Rakic. The two European giants are known for their finishing ability, and will undoubtedly put on an exciting and dynamic performance as they attempt to assert dominance over the 205lb landscape.

Who will pick up the win and take that next step towards title contention? Let’s see what the LowKickMMA staff have to say:

LowKick MMA Staff Predictions for Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Rakic

Frank Bonada

Excellent matchmaking here from the UFC between two elite contenders both hailing from Europe – If only the fight were taking place in Poland or Austria. Regardless, it still has the makings of an extremely competitive bout. I am currently leaning towards Blachowicz. Rakic has a reputation for being a lethal knockout artist, but since his split decision loss to Volkan Oezdemir in 2019, ‘Rocket’ has become considerably more tentative in his approach. This did allow him to pick up wins over Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith, but against the ferocious tenacity of Blachowicz, I believe this approach will crumble. Blachowicz has demonstrated the ability to keep a high pace throughout and has a number of additionally damaging attacks in his arsenal. Blachowicz by decision or late stoppage.

Prediction: Blachowicz

Ross Markey

Former champion, Jan Blachowicz has been sidelined since losing the undisputed UFC light heavyweight championship last October to Glover Teixeira – and appears to be entering this weekend’s UFC Vegas 54 rescheduled headliner against Aleksandar Rakic with a certain chip on his shoulder. Suffering a surprising submission loss to the Brazilian, a combination of age and the fact that he’s surrounded by surging contenders at 205lbs, the Pole is faced with somewhat of a crossroads fight at light heavyweight. Experience will likely play a sizeable factor in his fight with Austrian-born upstart, Rakic – as well as a certain technical edge which will force Rakic to consider all means of offense beyond his composed striking, rangy shots, and the eventual utilization of his wrestling game. Blachowicz can, however, take solace in the fact that he’s faced the likes of fellow athletic strikers such as Israel Adesanya, and former champion, Luke Rockhold – and has emerged with victories in both. I’m expecting Blachowicz to land a decision victory over Rakic in a composed outing, without an overabundance of risking taking over the course of five rounds.

Prediction: Blachowicz

Michael Gringich

Rakic is ready to take that next step and will walk away with his hand raised. He’s been lights out since his loss to Volkan Oezdemir. I see Rakic fighting a smart fight and staying along the outside while technically picking Blachowicz apart. Although, one thing that is worrisome is Rakic’s long absence from the cage. With that being said, I believe youth prevails in this one and Rakic will most likely fight the winner of Glover Teixeira and Jiri Prochazka for the title.

Prediction: Rakic

Olli Brockett

The main-event show at UFC Vegas 54 is set to be an interesting affair. Aleksander Rakic will be looking to further establish himself in the Lightweight division, with a win over the former champion Jan Blachowicz. However, despite the fact that Blachowicz is in the latter stages of his career. I believe the 39-year-old still has miles in the tank and will aim to utilize his high-level wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu to reduce Rakic’s ability to use his length and come out with a convincing decision victory this Saturday evening.

Prediction: Blachowicz

Who do you see winning this weekend?