Tag: Top Stories

VIDEO: UFC 305 Countdown Episode Ahead Of Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya

Fight week for the UFC 305 pay-per-view this Saturday night has kicked off with the release of the promotion’s latest Countdown episode. Under the spotlight in this edition is the headliner between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya. Saturday’s lineup is topped by a championship rematch, with middleweight kingpin Du Plessis (21-2) looking to add a first […]

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Fight week for the UFC 305 pay-per-view this Saturday night has kicked off with the release of the promotion’s latest Countdown episode. Under the spotlight in this edition is the headliner between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya.

Saturday’s lineup is topped by a championship rematch, with middleweight kingpin Du Plessis (21-2) looking to add a first successful defense to his reign, which got underway with a victory over Sean Strickland at UFC 297 in Toronto, Canada, this past January. He earned that shot with a monumental triumph over the highly regarded Robert Whittaker during last year’s International Fight Week in Las Vegas.

If “Stillknocks” is to continue his rule atop the 185-pound mountain, he must record a victory over the returning Adesanya (24-3). “The Last Stylebender” will be making his comeback 11 months on from losing the middleweight gold in shocking fashion to Strickland in Sydney.

The Nigerian-New Zealander will be back competing on Australian soil once again, with Perth’s RAC Arena potentially hosting his historic crowning as three-time champ should he hand his South African rival the first loss of his career on MMA’s biggest stage.

Ahead of that contest Down Under, fans can catch a preview in the full episode of UFC 305 Countdown on the promotion’s YouTube channel.

UFC 305 Countdown: Full Episode

And below, check out the full card for this weekend’s numbered event.

Main Card:

  • Middleweight Championship Main Event: Dricus Du Plessis (C) vs. Israel Adesanya
  • Flyweight Co-Main Event: Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg
  • Lightweight: Mateusz Gamrot vs. Dan Hooker
  • Heavyweight: Tai Tuivasa vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
  • Welterweight: Li Jingliang vs. Carlos Prates

Preliminary Card:

  • Heavyweight: Junior Tafa vs. Valter Walker
  • Featherweight: Joshua Culibao vs. Ricardo Ramos
  • Women’s Flyweight: Casey O’Neill vs. Luana Santos
  • Featherweight: Jack Jenkins vs. Herbert Burns

Early Preliminary Card:

  • Lightweight: Tom Nolan vs. Alex Reyes
  • Welterweight: Song Kenan vs. Rick Glenn
  • Flyweight: Stewart Nicoll vs. Jesus Aguilar

Be sure to keep it right here on MMANews.com this week for all the updates and news on UFC 305!

Continue Reading VIDEO: UFC 305 Countdown Episode Ahead Of Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya at MMA News.

Jon Anik Differs From Dana White On Jon Jones’ Future: ‘If I Could Get A Betting Line On Jones vs. Aspinall Never F*cking Happening…’ 

Unlike UFC CEO Dana White, Jon Anik isn’t confident that Jon Jones sticks around to fight interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. Not many topics have remained at the surface of the mixed martial arts community in 2024 quite like the UFC’s heavyweight title picture, which currently boasts two champions but uncertainty regarding whether they will […]

Continue Reading Jon Anik Differs From Dana White On Jon Jones’ Future: ‘If I Could Get A Betting Line On Jones vs. Aspinall Never F*cking Happening…’  at MMA News.

Unlike UFC CEO Dana White, Jon Anik isn’t confident that Jon Jones sticks around to fight interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.

Not many topics have remained at the surface of the mixed martial arts community in 2024 quite like the UFC’s heavyweight title picture, which currently boasts two champions but uncertainty regarding whether they will ever face each other.

That problem arose after an injury to Jones late last year saw his planned defense against Stipe Miocic canceled and an interim titleholder crowned in his absence. And when Aspinall captured that belt, talk turned to a unification showdown.

However, both Jones and the UFC have other plans, remaining firm on rearranging the Miocic fight for the Madison Square Garden event this November. In the meantime, Aspinall has recorded the first successful defense of his gold, knocking out Curtis Blaydes in quick time at UFC 304 last month.

While the Brit — as well as plenty of fans and analysts — has expressed doubt over his dream fight with Jones reaching the Octagon, White recently predicted that the all-time great will delay a possible retirement should he defeat Miocic in order to face the challenge of Aspinall.

But the man who would be tasked with calling that monumental heavyweight clash doesn’t have high hopes…

Anik Doesn’t Share White’s Confidence On Jones vs. Miocic Coming To Fruition

During the latest episode of his podcast alongside ex-fighter Kenny Florian, Anik gave his take on the current status of the championship conversation at heavyweight.

The longtime play-by-play commentator shared White’s sentiment when it comes to Jones wanting to challenge himself against the division’s highly regarded interim champ. Anik doesn’t, however, believe that feeling will be stronger than the Rochester native’s desire to protect his legacy on MMA’s biggest stage.

“I would agree with Dana White in so far as that Jon Jones, if he beats Stipe Miocic, would want to challenge himself against someone like Tom Aspinall,” Anik said. “And what better way to put a capstone on your career as the consensus greatest MMA fighter of all time than to beat a guy in Tom Aspinall who is all the rage at present, and a guy who many forecast to be the greatest mixed martial arts heavyweight of all time. I think he wants the challenge — not at the expense of his legacy.

“If he can beat Stipe Miocic as a -350 betting favorite and ride off into the Albuquerque sunset, I am expectant that that is what he is going to do,” Anik continued. “I know Dana and others have said they’d be surprised if Jon doesn’t bite off that Aspinall challenge if he beats Stipe. I would, with respect, go the other way. If I could get a betting line on Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall never f*cking happening, I would ask my wife if I could, you know, spend several figures on that.”

For now, Jones appears to be ramping up his physical activity as he prepares to make his way back from injury later this year. What comes after a potential victory over the returning Miocic, however, remains to be seen.

Continue Reading Jon Anik Differs From Dana White On Jon Jones’ Future: ‘If I Could Get A Betting Line On Jones vs. Aspinall Never F*cking Happening…’  at MMA News.

VIDEO: Charles Bennett Finally Snaps 21-Fight Losing Skid Spanning 7 Years With Submission Win

While Charles Bennett is a known name from the classic days of MMA, particularly his time with PRIDE and King of the Cage, the combat sports world had not been kind to him with 21 straight losses between 2017 and 2024. But the man formerly known as “Krazy Horse,” now nicknamed “Felony,” was able to […]

Continue Reading VIDEO: Charles Bennett Finally Snaps 21-Fight Losing Skid Spanning 7 Years With Submission Win at MMA News.

While Charles Bennett is a known name from the classic days of MMA, particularly his time with PRIDE and King of the Cage, the combat sports world had not been kind to him with 21 straight losses between 2017 and 2024.

But the man formerly known as “Krazy Horse,” now nicknamed “Felony,” was able to finally snap that skid on August 9 with a win over Justin Howard under the Island Fights banner.

In the second round of the fight, Bennett was able to get into mount on Howard and land some ground-and-pound before locking in a rear-naked choke for the tap.

Charles Bennett Breaks Long 7-Year Losing Skid Across Combat Sports

Bennett made his professional MMA debut back in 1999, with his win over Howard marking “Felony’s” 79th in the sport.

His opponent history has included the likes of Duane Ludwig, Urijah Faber, K.J. Noons, Bobby Green, Luis Palomino, Ray Cooper III, Brok Weaver, Kevin Croom, and Jason Knight.

With an MMA record of 31-46-2 after the win over Howard, Bennett has rarely competed for championships. His most prominent high-stakes title fights were a loss to Dokonjonosuke Mishima in a 2005 PRIDE Lightweight Grand Prix replacement bout and his defeat to Faber, which was for the KOTC bantamweight championship.

Bennett, who has also competed in RIZIN and EliteXC, has been known for his pre-fight antics and his unpredictable fighting style.

Continue Reading VIDEO: Charles Bennett Finally Snaps 21-Fight Losing Skid Spanning 7 Years With Submission Win at MMA News.

Sean Strickland’s Coach Breaks Down Du Plessis vs. Adesanya: ‘You’re Not Gonna Find Many People That Fight Like Him…’

Sean Strickland’s coach, Eric Nicksick, recently offered insights on the upcoming title showdown between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya set for UFC 305. Du Plessis is set to make the first defense of his middleweight title in a much-awaited showdown of fierce rivalry against Adesanya, headlining the pay-per-view event on August 17 at the […]

Continue Reading Sean Strickland’s Coach Breaks Down Du Plessis vs. Adesanya: ‘You’re Not Gonna Find Many People That Fight Like Him…’ at MMA News.

Sean Strickland’s coach, Eric Nicksick, recently offered insights on the upcoming title showdown between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya set for UFC 305.

Du Plessis is set to make the first defense of his middleweight title in a much-awaited showdown of fierce rivalry against Adesanya, headlining the pay-per-view event on August 17 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia.

“Stillknocks” was originally targeted to challenge Adesanya after his impressive victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 in July 2023. However, fate had other plans, as an injury sidelined the South African. In the meantime, “The Last Stylebender” suffered an unexpected defeat, losing the middleweight title to Strickland at UFC 293.

Du Plessis made a triumphant return by defeating Strickland in a razor-close split decision, clinching the 185-pound title at UFC 297 this past January. Now, the stage is perfectly set for these two adversaries to finally settle their scores in the Octagon as Adesanya gears up to make his return after an 11-month hiatus—the longest of his UFC career.

Nicksick believes that both fighters are evenly matched heading into UFC 305, but the outcome will hinge on just how much “The Last Stylebender” has sharpened his skills during his time away from the competition…

Nicksick Calls Du Plessis vs. Adesanya a ’50-50′ Battle

During a recent interview with MMAFightingonSBN, Nicksick dissected the highly anticipated clash between Du Plessis and Adesanya. The renowned MMA coach predicted that both fighters stand on equal footing with an even chance of victory. However, he emphasized that much will depend on how well the former UFC middleweight champion performs after such a lengthy hiatus from the sport.

“I kind of consider it a 50-50 coin flip, man. I really do. I’m very curious to see what type of Izzy comes back,” Nicksick said. “In a lot of ways, selfishly, I’m pulling for him because, you know, the division is much better with a talented and, you know, championship-level Israel Adesanya in the division.”

Nicksick went on to say that, based on Du Plessis’ performance against Strickland, he sees “Stillknocks” as the favorite. He noted that Du Plessis’ unorthodox style makes him a formidable challenge for Adesanya, potentially giving him the edge in this matchup.

“I really took a liking to Dricus over the last year or so. I wouldn’t say we’re close, but we’re friendly and very respectful towards one another, and I’m pulling for him in a lot of ways because I think he has been severely overlooked over the years. He’s a problem, man, and he’s only getting better. I think the way he’s starting to fight and understand who and what he is as a fighter—he’s awkward in a way like Sean is, but with more power, right? It’s hard—it’s very hard. It was very difficult for us to find particular sparring partners for Dricus’ camp. You’re not going to find many people that can fight like him.”

Du Plessis and Adesanya have been on a collision course long before their fiery face-off at UFC 290. Their upcoming showdown promises to be a captivating spectacle, as both fighters bring their own distinctive and formidable fighting styles to the table.

Continue Reading Sean Strickland’s Coach Breaks Down Du Plessis vs. Adesanya: ‘You’re Not Gonna Find Many People That Fight Like Him…’ at MMA News.

Javier Mendez Downplays ‘The Eagle’s’ Part In Belal Muhammad Title Win: ‘Khabib Only Put In A Week…’

During Belal Muhammad’s current winning streak which now sees him at the top of the welterweight division, a lot has been made about the company he has chosen to keep. “Remember The Name” has got a solid and small team around him but he has also decided in recent times to do some work alongside […]

Continue Reading Javier Mendez Downplays ‘The Eagle’s’ Part In Belal Muhammad Title Win: ‘Khabib Only Put In A Week…’ at MMA News.

During Belal Muhammad’s current winning streak which now sees him at the top of the welterweight division, a lot has been made about the company he has chosen to keep.

“Remember The Name” has got a solid and small team around him but he has also decided in recent times to do some work alongside the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev.

This was especially true heading into Muhammad’s fight with Sean Brady, which produced his best performance inside the Octagon at that time.

It was also a part of the narrative heading into his title fight with Leon Edwards last month.

Whilst the champion at the time had dealt with American wrestlers in Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington, how would he match-up with someone that has been training with some of the best grapplers in the sport?

Javier Mendez Says Belal Muhammad’s Coaches Deserve More Credit For UFC 304 Win

In a recent interview with Submission Radio, AKA head coach Javier Mendez said that people got too carried away with giving ‘coach Khabib’ credit for Muhammad’s recent title win.

Whilst the welterweight challenger did manage to get some work in with “The Eagle” before heading to Manchester, Mendez revealed that it was only for a very small amount of time in the grand scheme of the training camp.

He said that while Nurmagomedov did contribute and would have added some extra value, the credit for this win on the coaching side of things deserves to be aimed at Muhammad’s long-time team instead.

“What about his coaches? What about Lou? What about his other coaches? Mike Valley, you know, what about them? I mean they were with him through this whole time so to me, it isn’t anything other than what they did as coaching staff because Khabib only put like maybe a week – two weeks to help him on this one and the rest he spent with his coaches. So, to me, I don’t like the narrative when they make it look like Khabib made the big difference when yeah he helped him but his coaches made the difference.”

Read also: Javier Mendez Chooses Between Khabib & Umar Nurmagomedov In Striking, Grappling, Mental Toughness, & Chin

Continue Reading Javier Mendez Downplays ‘The Eagle’s’ Part In Belal Muhammad Title Win: ‘Khabib Only Put In A Week…’ at MMA News.

Francis Ngannou’s Touching Gesture To Coach Who ‘Doesn’t Have A Family’: ‘It Was Enough To Move This Man To Tears…’

When MMA fans first came across Francis Ngannou, many bought into him because of his destructive one punch knockout power that made him a must-watch addition to the UFC’s roster. It was then his story, and some incredible highlight reel knockouts, that really helped to turn “The Predator” into a big star in the combat […]

Continue Reading Francis Ngannou’s Touching Gesture To Coach Who ‘Doesn’t Have A Family’: ‘It Was Enough To Move This Man To Tears…’ at MMA News.

When MMA fans first came across Francis Ngannou, many bought into him because of his destructive one punch knockout power that made him a must-watch addition to the UFC’s roster.

It was then his story, and some incredible highlight reel knockouts, that really helped to turn “The Predator” into a big star in the combat sports world.

As a result of his incredible journey in life to achieve his dreams after coming from humble beginnings, it’s no surprise that Ngannou is a great person.

He represents combat sports so well by being a tremendous human being so it was no surprise to see the amount of support he received after what he went through earlier this year.

Eric Nicksick Shares Recent Moment From The Gym Where Francis Ngannou Shared His Appreciation For One Of The Coaches

There is sure to be many people that have crossed paths with Ngannou that would be able to talk about the character of the former UFC champion.

Not many know him better than Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick who described his fighter in an interview with MMA Fighting as a “forward thinker” who is “always trying to leave people better off than when he found them”.

When asked to give an example of the kind of person Ngannou is behind closed doors, a moment that recently took place in the gym jumped right into his mind.

Nicksick told the story of how a potentially underappreciated member of the coaching team at the gym, Nathan Pettit, was a recent recipient of Ngannou’s kindness and gratitude.

“Oh 100%. Nate Pettit is one of our coaches at the gym and Nate’s just one of the hardest workers you’re going to see in the room like the guy’s constantly holding the pads for people, constantly on the road. He’s a dog like he’s just a guy that’s like if you walk in the gym right now, Nate’s working and he doesn’t have a family, doesn’t have a life, his life is this gym. So Nate came up to me, we were putting the new cages together, Nate came up to me with like tears in his eyes, this is like two weeks ago and he’s like, ‘Dude, Francis just handed me a cheque and just said thank you for everything that you do.’

“I don’t know what the amount was, I didn’t even ask but it was enough to move this man to tears, to an emotion. I said to Francis later on, I was like hey, thanks for hooking up Nate. He’s like, ‘Of course bro, I see how hard he works and I want to pay him for all the time he’s given to others that maybe it’s not reciprocated back to him.’ So you know, just keeping it in the house, keeping it in the family the way he takes care of his coaching staff and the people around him. Nate had a huge role in helping Francis beat Stipe Miocic, Nate ran those wrestling practices along with Dennis Davis so paying it forward to Nate man, that’s just the type of person that Francis is.”

Read also: Opening Betting Odds Released For Francis Ngannou & Cris Cyborg’s PFL Debuts

Continue Reading Francis Ngannou’s Touching Gesture To Coach Who ‘Doesn’t Have A Family’: ‘It Was Enough To Move This Man To Tears…’ at MMA News.