Tag: Khabib Nurmagomedov

Six Huge Messes The UFC Should Have Avoided

Sometimes, the UFC shoots itself in the foot with problems that were easily avoidable. Whether it’s just bad matchmaking or more nefarious issues, the UFC has gone into crisis mode more often than they’d like to admit, and it seems like its been happening with concerning regularity lately. With mainstream media attention and publicity at […]

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Sometimes, the UFC shoots itself in the foot with problems that were easily avoidable.

Whether it’s just bad matchmaking or more nefarious issues, the UFC has gone into crisis mode more often than they’d like to admit, and it seems like its been happening with concerning regularity lately.

With mainstream media attention and publicity at an all-time high, the UFC needs to learn from their mistakes of the past to ensure a better product, but even as the world’s best MMA promotion by a wide margin, they could sometimes do much better in dealing with the curveballs the notoriously volatile fight game throws their way.

We broke down the six biggest messes the UFC could have easily avoided, and the results may surprise you:

Photo Credit: MMA Weekly

6. Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen

This match-up never made sense in the first place, yet the UFC insisted on putting it together.

They tried it at UFC 151 on short notice after Dan Henderson was forced out with a knee inury, which Jones declined. The UFC then canceled the entire card altogether.

Ignoring fate, they put on the fight at UFC 159 instead, and Jones predictably smashed Sonnen in the first round. However, Jones did break his toe in a freak accident while defending a takedown, and one wonders whether Sonnen could have won the belt had the bout gone past the first round. Jones’ big toe was completely broken in the most grotesque way; he had snagged it in a tear in the Octagon canvas.

But the writing was on the wall the entire time the UFC insisted on putting together a Jones vs. Sonnen title fight.

They tried to punish Jones for not accepting the bout on a week’s notice, yet in reality, it was the fans and other fighters on UFC 151 who were punished.

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Kevin Lee Reacts To Missing Weight For UFC Atlantic City

Earlier today the MMA world was hit with the news that top lightweight Kevin Lee had missed weight during the early weigh-ins for his main event with Edson Barboza at this weekend’s (Sat., April 21, 2018) UFC Atlantic City. The miss, where ‘The Motown Phenom’ came in one pound over the non-title fight limit of […]

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Earlier today the MMA world was hit with the news that top lightweight Kevin Lee had missed weight during the early weigh-ins for his main event with Edson Barboza at this weekend’s (Sat., April 21, 2018) UFC Atlantic City.

The miss, where ‘The Motown Phenom’ came in one pound over the non-title fight limit of 156 pounds, was significant in that he had nearly missed weight for his interim title fight with Tony Ferguson at last year’s UFC 216, coming in extremely late and weighing following a weight cut that ‘damn near killed him’ while he was dealing with a staph infection.

But he wasn’t dealing with such an ailment this time around, so the inevitable questions of if he should move up to welterweight are swirling this afternoon. Lee issued a statement on Instagram to clarify that this was actually the first time he had ever missed weight, apologizing to the UFC, Dana White, and his opponent before saying he just ran out of time:

“For the first time ever in my athletic career since high school I’ve missed weight this morning. I just ran outta time. I apologize @Ufc @danawhite@edsonbarbozajr tomorrow Imma go put on a show”

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Max Holloway Unveils Target Date For Brian Ortega Fight

UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway did his best to save the day after Tony Ferguson pulled out of his lightweight title fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov at April 7’s UFC 223, but weight cutting issues prevented him from doing so. After medical officials deemed him unfit to compete, Holloway is moving on and looking forward to […]

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UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway did his best to save the day after Tony Ferguson pulled out of his lightweight title fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov at April 7’s UFC 223, but weight cutting issues prevented him from doing so.

After medical officials deemed him unfit to compete, Holloway is moving on and looking forward to his next fight, which he’s hoping will take place at the blockbuster UFC 226 event this summer.

Holloway last defended his belt against Jose Aldo for a second time at UFC 218 late last year, and since his removal from UFC 223 wasn’t injury-related unlike his UFC 22 withdrawal a month prior, ‘Blessed’ is ready to go.

The obvious candidate for Holloway’s next title defense is Brian Ortega, who replaced Holloway and knocked out the always-durable Frankie Edgar at UFC 222.

Holloway (19-3) is gunning for a spot on UFC 226 on July 7, which will feature a super fight between light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.

Holloway would have had the chance to win the lightweight title if his weight cutting hadn’t prevented him from taking on Nurmagomedov, who ultimately took on Al Iaquinta and defeated him to win the interim UFC lightweight strap.

How does Holloway vs. Ortega at UFC 226 sound to you?

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Top Lightweight Predicts He’d Beat Khabib ’10 Out Of 10? Fights

Former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler has every intention of re-signing with the promotion he’s fought for more than eight years. Chandler has fought more than any other fighter for Bellator and has won the lightweight strap on two separate occasions. Although ‘Iron’ Mike plans on resigning with the Paramount Network-based promotion, he’s still contemplated how […]

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Former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler has every intention of re-signing with the promotion he’s fought for more than eight years.

Chandler has fought more than any other fighter for Bellator and has won the lightweight strap on two separate occasions. Although ‘Iron’ Mike plans on resigning with the Paramount Network-based promotion, he’s still contemplated how a fight with newly crowned UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov would go.

Recently speaking with MMA Junkie Radio, Chandler confidently brashly predicts he would beat Nurmagomedov 10 times out of 10:

“(You) can’t deny that I’m one of the top lightweights in the world. It’s exciting. It’s enticing. There are a lot of great fights in the lightweight division, and I want to see what happens next.”

“That’s the thing: From the outside perspective, people always think, ‘Bellator, UFC, ONE FC, blah blah blah. I don’t think about promotions, I think about the guys. How do I match up against Khabib? How do I take exactly what Al Iaquinta did, except with my wrestling, and my striking, and my wrestling offense and defense.

“How I would nullify his takedowns, how I would even take him down, how I would get in his face, and how he would finally have somebody put hands on him and hurt him like Michael Johnson did? I think that picture has been painted a couple of times, of how to beat Khabib. And I think I beat him 10 times out of 10.”

Chandler only lost his belt after he rolled his ankle in a title defense against Brett Primus last year but has since rebounded with victories over Goiti Yamauchi and Brandon Girtz.

Meanwhile, in the UFC’s lightweight division, Nurmagomedov defeated Al Iaquinta in a short-notice title fight at April 7’s UFC 223 after Tony Ferguson and initial replacement Max Holloway couldn’t make it to the fight due to injury and weight issues, respectively.

Do you think Chandler could beat Nurmagomedov once, let alone 10 times in 10 match-ups?

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UFC Rankings Update: Conor McGregor Finally Falls On P4P List

Conor McGregor’s outrageous antics – and his overall lack of any in-cage activity – have finally begun to affect his ranking on the official pound-for-pound list. In the newest rankings released this week, McGregor fell one spot to No. 4 as heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic overtook him at No. 3. McGregor, of course, was last […]

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Conor McGregor’s outrageous antics – and his overall lack of any in-cage activity – have finally begun to affect his ranking on the official pound-for-pound list.

In the newest rankings released this week, McGregor fell one spot to No. 4 as heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic overtook him at No. 3. McGregor, of course, was last seen throwing a metal dolly through a bus window before UFC 223, resulting in his arrest and pending court date on a felony and multiple misdemeanors. “The Notorious” was also stripped of his lightweight title after the event, marking the second title of which he’s been relieved of without a single defense.

Miocic, meanwhile, has been a picture of consistency in an otherwise inconsistent heavyweight division, defending his title three times since winning it with a first-round knockout of Fabricio Werdum at 2016’s UFC 198. The Cleveland-based firefighter will face light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier in the main event of July 7’s UFC 226 after the two coach The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 27, which debuted last night.

The other significant rankings movement took place in the currently booming lightweight division, with rising contender Dustin Poirier moving up one spot to No. 4 after his exciting fourth-round TKO finish over Justin Gaethje, who dropped down to No. 7 for his second straight UFC loss.

That shakeup forced previous No. 4 Edson Barboza down to No. 5 and allowed Kevin Lee, Barboza’s upcoming opponent in the main event of this weekend’s (Sat., April 21, 2018) UFC Fight Night 128 from Atlantic City, New Jersey, to rise up to No. 6, creating a No. 5 vs. No. 6 match-up at 155 pounds for the second straight week.

You can check out the full updated rankings from the UFC’s official website here:

POUND-FOR-POUND
1 Demetrious Johnson
2 Georges St-Pierre
3 Stipe Miocic +1
4 Conor McGregor -1
5 Daniel Cormier
6 Max Holloway
7 TJ Dillashaw
8 Tyron Woodley +1
8 Khabib Nurmagomedov
10 Cris Cyborg
11 Tony Ferguson
12 Amanda Nunes
13 Robert Whittaker
14 Cody Garbrandt
15 Rose Namajunas

FLYWEIGHT
Champion: Demetrious Johnson
1 Joseph Benavidez
2 Henry Cejudo
3 Ray Borg
4 Jussier Formiga
5 Sergio Pettis
6 John Moraga +4
7 Brandon Moreno
8 Wilson Reis -2
9 Ben Nguyen -1
10 Dustin Ortiz -1
11 Matheus Nicolau +1
12 Alexandre Pantoja -1
13 Tim Elliott
14 Deiveson Figueiredo
15 Magomed Bibulatov

BANTAMWEIGHT
Champion: TJ Dillashaw
1 Cody Garbrandt
2 Dominick Cruz
3 Raphael Assuncao
4 Jimmie Rivera
5 Marlon Moraes
6 John Lineker
7 John Dodson
8 Aljamain Sterling
9 Bryan Caraway -1
10 Pedro Munhoz
10 Cody Stamann +1
12 Rob Font
13 Thomas Almeida
14 Brett Johns
15 Eddie Wineland

FEATHERWEIGHT
Champion: Max Holloway
1 Brian Ortega
2 Jose Aldo
3 Frankie Edgar
4 Cub Swanson
5 Jeremy Stephens
6 Josh Emmett
7 Ricardo Lamas
8 Chan Sung Jung
9 Renato Moicano
10 Darren Elkins
11 Yair Rodriguez
12 Mirsad Bektic
13 Dooho Choi
14 Zabit Magomedsharipov
15 Myles Jury

LIGHTWEIGHT
Champion: Khabib Nurmagomedov
1 Conor McGregor
2 Tony Ferguson
3 Eddie Alvarez
4 Dustin Poirier +1
5 Edson Barboza -1
6 Kevin Lee +1
7 Justin Gaethje -1
8 Nate Diaz
9 Michael Chiesa
10 Al Iaquinta
11 James Vick
12 Anthony Pettis
13 Alexander Hernandez
14 Paul Felder
15 Olivier Aubin-Mercier

WELTERWEIGHT
Champion: Tyron Woodley
1 Stephen Thompson
2 Rafael Dos Anjos
3 Colby Covington
4 Robbie Lawler
5 Demian Maia
6 Jorge Masvidal
7 Kamaru Usman
7 Darren Till
9 Neil Magny
10 Santiago Ponzinibbio
11 Donald Cerrone
12 Gunnar Nelson +1
13 Alex Oliveira *NR
14 Leon Edwards
15 Dong Hyun Kim

MIDDLEWEIGHT
Champion: Robert Whittaker
1 Yoel Romero
2 Jacare Souza
3 Luke Rockhold
4 Chris Weidman
5 Kelvin Gastelum
6 Michael Bisping
7 Derek Brunson
8 David Branch
9 Vitor Belfort
10 Uriah Hall
10 Brad Tavares +5
12 Thiago Santos -1
13 Lyoto Machida -1
14 Paulo Costa
15 Antonio Carlos Junior *NR

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Champion: Daniel Cormier
1 Alexander Gustafsson
2 Volkan Oezdemir
3 Glover Teixeira
4 Ilir Latifi
5 Jan Blachowicz
6 Jimi Manuwa
7 Mauricio Rua
8 Ovince Saint Preux
9 Misha Cirkunov
10 Corey Anderson
11 Patrick Cummins
12 Tyson Pedro
13 Gadzhimurad Antigulov
14 Gian Villante
15 Jordan Johnson

HEAVYWEIGHT
Champion: Stipe Miocic
1 Francis Ngannou
2 Alistair Overeem
3 Alexander Volkov
4 Curtis Blaydes
5 Fabricio Werdum
6 Mark Hunt
6 Derrick Lewis
8 Marcin Tybura
9 Andrei Arlovski
10 Aleksei Oleinik
11 Stefan Struve
12 Tai Tuivasa
13 Shamil Abdurakhimov
14 Junior Albini
15 Justin Ledet

WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHT
Champion: Rose Namajunas
1 Joanna Jedrzejczyk
2 Jessica Andrade
3 Claudia Gadelha
4 Karolina Kowalkiewicz
5 Tecia Torres
6 Carla Esparza
7 Michelle Waterson
8 Felice Herrig
9 Alexa Grasso
10 Cortney Casey
11 Randa Markos
12 Tatiana Suarez
13 Joanne Calderwood
14 Nina Ansaroff
15 Angela Hill

WOMEN’S FLYWEIGHT
Champion: Nicco Montano
1 Valentina Shevchenko
2 Sijara Eubanks
3 Lauren Murphy
4 Alexis Davis
5 Roxanne Modafferi
6 Barb Honchak
7 Liz Carmouche
8 Katlyn Chookagian
9 Jessica-Rose Clark
10 Jessica Eye
11 Ashlee Evans-Smith
12 Mara Romero Borella
13 Paige VanZant
14 Montana De La Rosa
15 Rachael Ostovich

WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHT
Champion: Amanda Nunes
1 Holly Holm
2 Raquel Pennington
3 Julianna Pena
4 Ketlen Vieira
5 Germaine de Randamie
6 Cat Zingano
7 Marion Reneau
8 Sara McMann
9 Leslie Smith
10 Aspen Ladd
11 Bethe Correia
12 Irene Aldana
13 Lucie Pudilova
14 Sarah Moras
15 Lina Lansberg

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Edson Barboza: ‘I Believe Khabib Could Lose to Anybody in The Top 10’

Edson Barboza thinks highly of the elite fighters at lightweight. In his last outing, Barboza was no match for Khabib Nurmagomedov. While Barboza’s striking advantage going into the fight was clear, Nurmagomedov’s grappling was unlike anyth…

Edson Barboza thinks highly of the elite fighters at lightweight. In his last outing, Barboza was no match for Khabib Nurmagomedov. While Barboza’s striking advantage going into the fight was clear, Nurmagomedov’s grappling was unlike anything the crafty 155-pounder had ever seen. “The Eagle” nabbed a unanimous decision victory. Nurmagomedov would go on to capture […]

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