Tag: Manny Pacquiao

Khabib Nurmagomedov Dominates Tough-As-Nails Al Iaquinta To Win Belt

Finishing the all-out insanity that went down in the UFC this entire week, undefeated top contender Khabib Nurmagomedov took on last-minute replacement Al Iaquinta in the main event of tonight’s (Sat., April 7, 2018) UFC 223 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The scene was unlike any other ever witnessed in MMA, as “The […]

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Finishing the all-out insanity that went down in the UFC this entire week, undefeated top contender Khabib Nurmagomedov took on last-minute replacement Al Iaquinta in the main event of tonight’s (Sat., April 7, 2018) UFC 223 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The scene was unlike any other ever witnessed in MMA, as “The Eagle” had faced five potential opponents in only six days – starting with his original opponent, longtime rival Tony Ferguson, who was forced out of the fourth time the fight was booked after tripping over a cord in a dark room while wearing sunglasses fulfilling his UFC-mandated media obligations for the fight.

Yes, that really happened, but it actually got worse. Ferguson’s replacement Max Holloway had the courage to fill in for “El Cucuy,” but the featherweight champ’s weight cut to even lightweight was too big, and he was deemed medically unfit to compete at Friday morning’s early weigh-ins.

From that finding spun a chaotic sequence of events where former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, who was scheduled to fight Michael Chiesa but had no fight when “Maverick” was injured in Conor McGregor’s illegal bus melee, was targeted to replace Holloway, then Paul Felder, who was turned down because he was unranked, and finally settling on Iaquinta, who could not win the title because he weighed in early 155.2 pounds, 0.2 pounds over the title limit of 155.

As for the actual fight, it was another dominant showing from Nurmagomedov despite some incredible toughness shown by ‘Ragin’ Al.’

The main event bout began with Iaquinta throwing a jab. ‘Ragin” pressed the pace early, landing a good punch. Khabib shot and Iaquinta avoided. A big right missed from Iaquinta before Khabib shot and got the takedown to smother Iaquinta. “The Eagle” took Iaquinta’s back but he got back up. Khabib dumped him again and went to the mount. Iaquinta got up a bit as Khabib hit him with ground punches. Shots rained down and “The Eagle” rode Iaquinta down when he tried to stand back up. Iaquinta stood up but was taken down again as Khabib stuck on him and unleashed more ground damage. “Ragin’ Al” stood back up to end the first round, but it was a dominant showing for Nurmagomedov.

Iaquinta came out pressing the action to start the second, landing a right hand and staying low to hopefully avoid the takedown. Nurmagomedov dove for a takedown and Iaquinta defended it, but Khabib persevered to get another. “The Eagle” rode Iaquinta’s back until the path for another double leg came, and Khabib was on his back instantly. “The Eagle” went for a choke but Iaquinta got out only to be back-mounted. Flattened out, Khabib rained down big shots and went for another choke, yet Iaquinta survived to see the third frame.

The third frame kicked off with Iaquinta landing a jab and missing a big left. He scored a right and the fighters traded strikes. Khabib snapped two jabs and Iaquinta taunted him a bit before Nurmagomedov landed a few strikes. Iaquinta shook off a takedown and landed a solid right. Nurmagomedov kept scoring jabs and threw a kick. Both competitors landed leg kicks. Iaquinta grabbed a Khabib kick and countered with a right hand before Nurmagomedov threw a spinning kick. Nurmagomedov scored with a two-piece combination and continued snapping his jab. The third ended with Iaquinta just missing on a big right hook.

The feature bout headed into the championship rounds, and they started with “Ragin’ Al” stalking Khabib. Nurmagomedov went for a takedown that was defended and then landed a shot. Nurmagomedov walked Iaquinta down but Iaquinta countered. Nurmagomedov snapped a jab and a hook but was countered. He kept scoring jabs, but another takedown was shucked. Iaquinta worked the body, and Khabib went for a wild combo. Iaquinta attempted a takedown but landed a left hand to roars. Iaquinta landed a big shot, Nurmagomedov a combination, and a strong strike from “Ragin’ Al” ended the fourth.

The fifth and final frame started with a takedown from Nurmagomedov that was stuffed. A nice combination scored from “The Eagle,” but “Ragin’ Al” landed a good body shot followed by a left. Iaquinta scored with a strong uppercut and another strike, throwing a missing spinning backfist. A body shot and jabs landed from Nurmagomedov. “The Eagle” sought a takedown on the fence but was defend again. Khabib in the striking then took Iaquinta down. Taking his back, he rained punches and looked for the choke, but the bloodied Iaquinta defended well. The five-round battle ended with Khabib on Iaquinta’s back.

When the dust settled, Khabib was crowned the lightweight champ by a wide margin on a game Iaquinta.

Final Result: Khabib Nurmagomedov def. Al Iaquinta via unanimous decision (50-44, 50-43, 50-43)

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Khabib Issues Warning Message To Conor McGregor

The UFC is still digesting the fallout of by far their craziest week ever, one that started by the last-minute knee injury to Tony Ferguson, who was forced out of his fourth scheduled fight with longtime rival Khabib Nurmagomedov at tomorrow’s UFC 223. But that was just the tip of the iceberg when it came […]

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The UFC is still digesting the fallout of by far their craziest week ever, one that started by the last-minute knee injury to Tony Ferguson, who was forced out of his fourth scheduled fight with longtime rival Khabib Nurmagomedov at tomorrow’s UFC 223.

But that was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to craziness for this week.

Yes, lightweight champion Conor McGregor went off in an over-the-top, illegal tirade where he threw a metal dolly and guardrail at a bus containing Nurmagomedov following UFC 223 media day yesterday, for which he eventually turned himself in on assault charges and was bailed out and approved to go back to Ireland.

Yet it didn’t stop there, as UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway, the man tabbed to replace Ferguson, was ruled out of the UFC 223 main event when NY doctors deemed him unfit to continue cutting weight for the fight. So began a twisting, turning chain of events involving three top lightweights that ultimately resulted in an impromptu title fight between Nurmagomedov and Al Iaquinta, a fight where Dana White says ‘Ragin’ Al’ can win the title but the commission says he can’t.

It’s all compiled upon itself to result in the most hectic two days the sport of MMA has ever seen, and perhaps no one was affected more than the No. 2 Khabib, who was tasked with five potential opponents this week and the subject of McGregor’s unnecessary outburst of danger. ‘The Eagle’ rapidly issued a response to those who said he was “scared” of McGregor yesterday, and during today’s (Fri., April 6, 2018) UFC 25th-Anniversary Press Conference, Khabib reiterated that McGregor could give him a location to come find him:

“If you wanna find me, please, just send me location. Send me location. Of course, I am UFC fighter, lotta people follow me, I have to be perfect for example, but nobody perfect. when somebody like you, UFC fighter, talk about you bad, or he try to go bully with him, one hundred percent I’m gonna give him back.”

Asked exactly what message he had for ‘The Notorious,’ the wrestling technician said he hoped McGregor took care of his business so they could settle their smoldering beef once and for all – whether it was inside the cage or out of it:

“To be honest, I hope he’s gonna he’s gonna fix his problem and we gonna fix between me and him problem – inside the cage or outside the cage, it doesn’t matter – we have to fix this.”

Following the events that transpired this week, there’s little doubt that a McGregor vs. Khabib lightweight bout would be the most anticipated fight this year, with the possibility of being one of the biggest UFC fighters ever staged.

The rivalry appears to be a real one after Khabib cornered McGregor’s training partner and teammate Artem Lobov in a hotel earlier this week, and the rest is history after ‘The Notorious’ did what he did in Brooklyn.

He has to sort out his legal standing, and Khabib, of course, has to get past Iaquinta at UFC 223 tomorrow night, but if the stars do align, McGregor’s insane antics may actually create a clear path to the biggest fight in the octagon in quite a few years.

If it does, ‘The Eagle’ insists he’s ready to settle the score.

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Dana White Confirms Al Iaquinta Can Also Win Lightweight Title At UFC 223

Earlier today, the main event for tomorrow’s (Sat., April 7, 2018) UFC 223 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, was thrown into an outright mess when featherweight champion Max Holloway was forced out of his short-notice lightweight title fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov. The UFC worked through many twists and turns to find a replacement […]

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Earlier today, the main event for tomorrow’s (Sat., April 7, 2018) UFC 223 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, was thrown into an outright mess when featherweight champion Max Holloway was forced out of his short-notice lightweight title fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The UFC worked through many twists and turns to find a replacement for “Blessed,” and after much consideration, No. 11-ranked ‘Ragin” Al Iaquinta was chosen as “The Eagle’s” unlikely rival.

The catch was, however, that he could not win the title considering he had weighed in for his scheduled fight with Paul Felder at 155.2 pounds – 0.2 over the title bout limit – with his underwear on because he thought he had to be under 156 for a non-title fight.

Only Khabib could win the belt, but UFC President Dana White refuted that notion at the outset of today’s UFC 25th-Anniversary Presser, revealing that Iaquinta made weight when the commission weighed his underwear:

“The problem with Al was, he was 155.2, which isn’t fight, that was with his underwear on. The commission literally weighed his underwear, and they were .2, so he made weight.”

Pressed if that meant “Ragin’ Al” could also win the title, White said he could – even if it wasn’t necessarily sanctioned by the commission – because if he beat the undefeated Nurmagomedov, everyone would know he was the one and only champion:

“It is on the line, so the title is on the line. As far as the commission goes, Khabib is the one who is eligible for the title, but obviously, if “Ragin Al” wins this fight, he’s the champ. If you beat the man, you are the man, so.

“We as fans, and as fight fans, and as the people, know who the champ is if you win the fight. I mean if you win the fight, you’re the champ. To be the man, you beat the man, and if you beat the man, it’s hard to deny that he’s not the champion, so all technicalities, we will figure out after the fight.”

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UFC 223 Ceremonial Weigh-In Video Live Now

After a dramatic soap opera of twists and turns, tomorrow night’s (Sat., April 7, 2018) UFC 223 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, finally got a new main event when Al Iaquinta vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov was finalized this afternoon after featherweight champion Max Holloway was forced off the event by cutting too much weight. […]

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After a dramatic soap opera of twists and turns, tomorrow night’s (Sat., April 7, 2018) UFC 223 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, finally got a new main event when Al Iaquinta vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov was finalized this afternoon after featherweight champion Max Holloway was forced off the event by cutting too much weight.

It came on the heels of Conor McGregor’s New York City bus attack and his subsequent arrest and release on assault charges, marking without a doubt the most insane two days in UFC history.

The event will go on, however, and the fighters will square off at the ceremonial weigh-in streaming live at 6 p.m EST here:

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Khabib vs. Al Iaquinta Finalized For UFC 223

Following an all-out soap opera that was set into motion earlier today when featherweight champion Max Holloway was forced out of his short-notice lightweight title fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov at tomorrow’s (April 7, 2018) UFC 223 from Brooklyn, New York, “The Eagle” finally has a new opponent for the featured bout. First, it was former […]

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Following an all-out soap opera that was set into motion earlier today when featherweight champion Max Holloway was forced out of his short-notice lightweight title fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov at tomorrow’s (April 7, 2018) UFC 223 from Brooklyn, New York, “The Eagle” finally has a new opponent for the featured bout.

First, it was former champion Anthony Pettis who was tabbed to replace Holloway, but the UFC reportedly would not agree to “Showtime’s” asking price. Next up was rising contender Paul Felder, who was scheduled to meet Al Iaquinta at the pay-per-view event, but that fight was denied by the NYSAC because Felder was unranked.

The event was running low on viable 155-pound competition after Pettis’ original foe Michael Chiesa was forced off the card due to lacerations suffered in Conor McGregor’s bus attack at Barclays Center yesterday, leaving only Iaquinta, who weighed in at 155.2 pounds – 0.2 of a pound over the championship limit – at early weigh-ins.

But apparently, that wasn’t enough to keep him from stepping into the main as an unlikely challenger.

Word arrived via Ariel Helwani his afternoon (Fri. April 6, 2018) that Iaquinta will face Khabib in the UFC 223 main event tomorrow night, signifying a wholly unexpected rise for the Long Islander:

Iaquinta won’t be able to win the belt, however, as he weighed in at 155.2 pounds earlier in the day, albeit with his underwear on.

Nurmagomedov will be able to win the gold, however:

According to Helwani, Iaquinta definitely would have made the title fight weight, as we only 0.2 over in his underwear and weighed in early, but no one could have seen the necessity unfolding:

UFC 223 finally has a main event, even if it took what can legitimately be called the most hectic week in UFC history.

I guess it’s all part of the fight game, fans. Stay tuned for what will certainly be more big news surrounding UFC 223 tonight.

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Details Emerge About Conor McGregor’s First NY Court Appearance

As the UFC attempts to collect itself following the two most chaotic days in their nearly 25-year existence, some details about Conor McGregor’s first court appearance in New York have arrived. After McGregor turned himself in last night and was arrested on assault charges (check out the mugshot here) for his chaotic bus attack that ultimately […]

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As the UFC attempts to collect itself following the two most chaotic days in their nearly 25-year existence, some details about Conor McGregor’s first court appearance in New York have arrived.

After McGregor turned himself in last night and was arrested on assault charges (check out the mugshot here) for his chaotic bus attack that ultimately forced three fights off of tomorrow’s UFC 223 at the Barclays Center in New York yesterday, the superstar was set to appear before a judge for his first court date this afternoon.

And he’s not making any enemies in police custody, as Ariel Helwani tweeted that McGregor had been cooperative with the police, many of whom are fans, and was eyed shadowboxing while waiting for his arraignment:

As for that arraignment, Helwani revealed that bail and a future court date would most likely be set for McGregor, yet it was unclear if he’d be able to fly back to Ireland:

So McGregor’s fate is now in the New York legal system, although it appears he’ll be released after paying bail and will have to wait some time to find out his final punishment.

What do you think should be handed to the controversial star for his dangerous actions in New York City this week?

We’ll keep you updated as any new developments arise.

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