Tag: Interviews

Dustin Poirier’s Teammate Hints At Date & Opponent For His Final UFC Fight (Exclusive)

A hunch or a leak? Dustin Poirier’s teammate appeared confident when predicting a month and opponent for his farewell fight in the UFC. It initially appeared as though fans had seen Poirier make the walk for the final time this past summer. After a vintage knockout of Benoît Saint Denis in March, the former interim […]

Continue Reading Dustin Poirier’s Teammate Hints At Date & Opponent For His Final UFC Fight (Exclusive) at MMA News.

A hunch or a leak? Dustin Poirier’s teammate appeared confident when predicting a month and opponent for his farewell fight in the UFC.

It initially appeared as though fans had seen Poirier make the walk for the final time this past summer. After a vintage knockout of Benoît Saint Denis in March, the former interim UFC lightweight champion had one last opportunity to achieve undisputed status.

But while he gave it his all through four rounds against Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 in Newark, “The Diamond” succumbed to a rear-naked choke in the final frame of the pay-per-view main event.

The veteran’s Octagon interview suggested that an official retirement was on the way, but the fire beneath Poirier has not fully diminished. And after pondering a farewell fight, the Louisianan has appeared to make that decision final.

Talk has since turned to which major matchup Poirier could depart the sport off the back of, and “The Diamond” himself narrowed down his options to seven big names.

A man who knows Poirier well from their ongoing stint as teammates over at American Top Team recently picked one out…

Dawson Predicts Poirier vs. Gaethje 3 In February 2025

During a recent interview with MMA News’ Ryan Jarrell, Dawson spoke on the current status of Poirier’s career and apparent plans to compete one final time before hanging up the gloves.

While reiterating his belief that “The Diamond” is not yet done, “KGD” predicted a February 2025 return for his ATT training partner but insisted that didn’t come from a place of insider knowledge.

“I think he’ll fight in February. I don’t have any insider information,” Dawson told MMA News. “I don’t know anything. There’s no (set) date or anything like that. I just don’t think he’s done. I’ve texted him a couple times and he sounds like a man who wants to fight again.”

But when pondering a date for his own next appearance inside the Octagon, the same month reared its head…

“Let’s do February, on Dustin’s card.”

In terms of an opponent, Dawson was 100 percent certain in stating that a rumored clash with former ATT standout Colby Covington is not on the table. Instead, the 30-year-old displayed a grin while producing a different name.

“I know for a fact he’s not fighting Colby Covington. I called him and asked him about it, and he said, ‘Heck no.’ He said something a little worse than ‘heck,’” Dawson said, before smiling and taking a long pause when asked who he thinks Poirier will face. “Justin Gaethje.”

Shot-in-the-dark prediction, educated guess or a statement of fact? We’ll let you decide.

Regardless, it would appear that Poirier’s mind is indeed made up and that his memorable championship clash with Makhachev won’t mark the final chapter in his story.

Continue Reading Dustin Poirier’s Teammate Hints At Date & Opponent For His Final UFC Fight (Exclusive) at MMA News.

Bryan Battle Assesses Skills Of Fellow UFC Welterweight Ian Garry: ‘I Think I’d Whoop His Ass’ (Exclusive)

UFC welterweight prospect Bryan Battle doesn’t see anything special in the arsenal of ranked contender Ian Garry. Garry, a former Cage Warriors champion, has extended his perfect professional record to 15-0 with eight victories since signing with…

UFC welterweight prospect Bryan Battle doesn’t see anything special in the arsenal of ranked contender Ian Garry. Garry, a former Cage Warriors champion, has extended his perfect professional record to 15-0 with eight victories since signing with mixed martial arts’ leading promotion in 2021. The latter half of the Irishman’s UFC career thus far has […]

Continue Reading Bryan Battle Assesses Skills Of Fellow UFC Welterweight Ian Garry: ‘I Think I’d Whoop His Ass’ (Exclusive) at MMA News.

Exclusive: Leah Gotti Eyeing MMA After Boxing Win: “I’ve wrestled and fought my whole life”

Leah GottiAfter a TKO victory in Misfits boxing, Leah Gotti may be looking at taking up MMA next. She defeated…

Leah Gotti

After a TKO victory in Misfits boxing, Leah Gotti may be looking at taking up MMA next. She defeated model and ring girl Amber Fields by TKO and was unimpressed with the challenge. With boxing experience, plus her collegiate wrestling background, Gotti could be a great fit for MMA.

Leah Gotti in MMA

After her debut victory in boxing, Leah Gotti sat down for an interview with LowKickMMA’s Tim Wheaton on MMA After Dark. Gotti is a lifetime athlete. In college, she competed in football and softball but was a standout in wrestling. In preparation for her boxing match, she moved to Colorado to dedicate herself to training. Whatever she does, she commits herself fully to it. Right now, she is training for a half-marathon.

In an interview, Leah Gotti explained:

They kept asking me questions like, ‘How do you feel about her experience in the combat world?’ The thing is, she has no real experience in combat sports—she’s been a ring girl, and that’s not the same. I’ve wrestled and fought my whole life, and that is real experience in combat sports.”

Leah Gotti
Leah Gotti

She continued and explained that whatever she does next, it will be taken with the utmost gravity:

“A lot of different fight promotions have been asking if I’d be interested in fighting. I’m open to trying a different style of fighting if the opportunity arises, but they need to give me time to train properly. I’m not going to just say, ‘Yeah, I’ll take an MMA fight right now.’ No, I need to get back in the gym and practice the basics—single legs, double legs, and all that. I need to get my fundamentals right.

“Training for one sport is one thing, but when you’re competing at this level, you have to be on point. I’ve always been good at learning different mechanics in sports because I’ve played multiple sports, but this level of competition requires meticulous preparation.”

Amber Fields
Amber Fields

She concluded by saying:

“You need to be able to tap into your anger and aggression. At the beginning of my boxing and wrestling training, I was often timid. It usually took someone slamming me or hitting me hard enough to bring out that aggression. Being able to channel that intensity is crucial for success.”

Exclusive: Leah Gotti Eyeing MMA After Boxing Win: “I’ve wrestled and fought my whole life”

Leah GottiAfter a TKO victory in Misfits boxing, Leah Gotti may be looking at taking up MMA next. She defeated…

Leah Gotti

After a TKO victory in Misfits boxing, Leah Gotti may be looking at taking up MMA next. She defeated model and ring girl Amber Fields by TKO and was unimpressed with the challenge. With boxing experience, plus her collegiate wrestling background, Gotti could be a great fit for MMA.

Leah Gotti in MMA

After her debut victory in boxing, Leah Gotti sat down for an interview with LowKickMMA’s Tim Wheaton on MMA After Dark. Gotti is a lifetime athlete. In college, she competed in football and softball but was a standout in wrestling. In preparation for her boxing match, she moved to Colorado to dedicate herself to training. Whatever she does, she commits herself fully to it. Right now, she is training for a half-marathon.

In an interview, Leah Gotti explained:

They kept asking me questions like, ‘How do you feel about her experience in the combat world?’ The thing is, she has no real experience in combat sports—she’s been a ring girl, and that’s not the same. I’ve wrestled and fought my whole life, and that is real experience in combat sports.”

Leah Gotti
Leah Gotti

She continued and explained that whatever she does next, it will be taken with the utmost gravity:

“A lot of different fight promotions have been asking if I’d be interested in fighting. I’m open to trying a different style of fighting if the opportunity arises, but they need to give me time to train properly. I’m not going to just say, ‘Yeah, I’ll take an MMA fight right now.’ No, I need to get back in the gym and practice the basics—single legs, double legs, and all that. I need to get my fundamentals right.

“Training for one sport is one thing, but when you’re competing at this level, you have to be on point. I’ve always been good at learning different mechanics in sports because I’ve played multiple sports, but this level of competition requires meticulous preparation.”

Amber Fields
Amber Fields

She concluded by saying:

“You need to be able to tap into your anger and aggression. At the beginning of my boxing and wrestling training, I was often timid. It usually took someone slamming me or hitting me hard enough to bring out that aggression. Being able to channel that intensity is crucial for success.”

UFC Fighter Francis Marshall Opens Up About Career As Fire Fighter: ‘You’re Going Into Someone’s House On The Worst Day Of Their Life!’ [Exclusive]

Francis Marshall is living the dream of being a UFC fighter after competing four times inside the Octagon as a member of the lightweight roster. His latest appearance saw him bounce back from consecutive defeats by besting Dennis Buzukja on short notice this past weekend at the UFC Apex. Though Marshall is focused on keeping […]

Continue Reading UFC Fighter Francis Marshall Opens Up About Career As Fire Fighter: ‘You’re Going Into Someone’s House On The Worst Day Of Their Life!’ [Exclusive] at MMA News.

Francis Marshall is living the dream of being a UFC fighter after competing four times inside the Octagon as a member of the lightweight roster.

His latest appearance saw him bounce back from consecutive defeats by besting Dennis Buzukja on short notice this past weekend at the UFC Apex.

Though Marshall is focused on keeping this dream going by continuing to pick up wins and evolve as a martial artist, he does have another pursuit and passion.

The 25-year-old doesn’t carry the nickname “Fire” just because that’s what he always looks to bring when stepping inside the cage.

Alongside his MMA career, Marshall works as a firefighter, though for obvious reasons, that’s currently on hold because of his fight career.

Francis Marshall Talks About The Rewarding Nature Of Being A Fire Fighter

In a recent interview with MMA News, Marshall spoke about his love for being a firefighter where getting to help others is incredibly rewarding for him.

Competing as a professional athlete has become a career option for him at this stage in his life so his other job has had to be left in the background for the time being.

That being said, it isn’t something that he plans on leaving behind for good depending on what happens during his MMA journey.

The 155-pound fighter said that being there for others in their most desperate time of need isn’t something he takes for granted, even if he’s competing at the highest level in MMA.

“Right now, I’m on the leave of absence from work so I’m training full-time. I got to see where my future goes. Obviously, I would love to fight forever and then see what happens after that but I mean, it’s a great career. It’s a great job, it’s great to help people like that. It was always like, you’re going to someone’s house on the worst day of their life like nobody wants that. So you kind of go there with the respect of that, with the courtesy, like you don’t wanna ruin their day anymore than it is. You’re going there to help so whatever that homeowner or that resident needs in that time, that’s what we’re kinda there for.”

Read also: Undefeated UFC Contender Targets Michael ‘Venom’ Page Having Emulated Him In The Past: “I Know The Way To Knock The Guy Out”

Continue Reading UFC Fighter Francis Marshall Opens Up About Career As Fire Fighter: ‘You’re Going Into Someone’s House On The Worst Day Of Their Life!’ [Exclusive] at MMA News.

Exclusive: Leah Gotti Unimpressed with Amber Fields’ Weak Punches: “Is she joking?”

leah gotti vs. amber fieldsJust this past week, Leah Gotti took out Amber Fields, defeating her opponent in an impressive TKO victory. However,…

leah gotti vs. amber fields

Just this past week, Leah Gotti took out Amber Fields, defeating her opponent in an impressive TKO victory. However, one thing that shocked the model and influencer Gotti was how weak her opponent hit.

Leah Gotti vs. Amber Fields

In Misfits Boxing, performer Leah Gotti was booked to take on model Amber Fields in a boxing match with 16 oz gloves. Gotti does not do anything halfway. She committed herself to boxing and trained with serious intent. She moved her life to Colorado to have a dedicated training camp in preparation for this fight.

Additionally, Leah Gotti is no stranger to hard work in athletics. In college, she received a scholarship in wrestling. Plus, she was competitive in both softball and football. In addition to her boxing fight, she is currently preparing for a half marathon.

Leah Gotti was disappointed when she stepped in the ring against Amber Fields as she was ready for war. Speaking with LowKickMMA’s Tim Wheaton on MMA After Dark, Leah Gotti explained:

“I trained so hard. I took this seriously for it to turn out to be the worst sparring match I’ve ever had. I was sparring with girls who are actual fighters, so they weren’t treating me like a princess. They’re f*ing me up. They were really giving it to me—bloody noses, black eyes, and punches that had me falling to the ground, feeling like I was dying, especially in the stomach. They weren’t just shoulder-checking me or light sparring; they were really going at it.”

Leah Gotti
Leah Gotti

Then, when she faced Amber Fields:

“When she hit me in the first round, I was like, ‘Is this for real right now? Is she joking?’ She hit me so lightly that I don’t even have to block this. I could just throw punches wildly if I wanted to because this isn’t going to hurt me; this isn’t going to cause any real damage.’”

“When I finished the fight, I wasn’t even really sweating it. I was like, ‘Damn, this just feels like I trained so hard.’ That’s what it felt like.”

Leah Gotti was victorious with a TKO in her Misfits Boxing debut. Now, she is speaking with various organizations to book her next fight which could be in boxing or MMA. See the full interview below:

Amber Fields
Amber Fields