Tag: Top Stories

TJ Dillashaw Criticises Anthony Smith: ‘He Doesn’t Have That Dog In Him…’

TJ Dillashaw recently escalated his critique of Anthony Smith, backing up all of his previous fault-finding of the former UFC light heavyweight title challenger. Smith might have faced a sobering reality regarding his hopes for a second run towards the title after enduring a challenging unanimous decision loss to short-notice replacement Roman Dolidze at UFC […]

Continue Reading TJ Dillashaw Criticises Anthony Smith: ‘He Doesn’t Have That Dog In Him…’ at MMA News.

TJ Dillashaw recently escalated his critique of Anthony Smith, backing up all of his previous fault-finding of the former UFC light heavyweight title challenger.

Smith might have faced a sobering reality regarding his hopes for a second run towards the title after enduring a challenging unanimous decision loss to short-notice replacement Roman Dolidze at UFC 303 in June.

Interestingly, the former UFC bantamweight champion was highly critical of “Lionheart’s” performance during his appearance on the JAXXON PODCAST with former UFC champions Rampage Jackson and Luke Rockhold last month. Dillashaw mocked Smith’s moniker, bluntly stating that the 36-year-old Texan will never become champion because he lacks the resilience to persevere.

Smith swiftly responded to Dillashaw’s pointed remarks during an episode of the BELIEVE YOU ME Podcast. “Lionheart” didn’t hold back, taking a scathing jab at the 38-year-old Californian’s positive performance-enhancing drug test in 2019, which resulted in a two-year suspension from the UFC.

However, the exchange of verbal jabs didn’t end there. Dillashaw has returned with a fresh barrage of critiques, once again labeling Smith as a quitter…

Dillashaw Thinks Smith Becomes Defensive When Judged

During his recent appearance on the JAXXON PODCAST, Dillashaw sought to defend his previous comments about Smith, arguing that he lacks the attributes of a true championship contender—a reality Smith himself has acknowledged.

“I thought he was going to be a champion. I said no, and then you’re like, why not? It’s like, he gives up,” Dillashaw said. “He doesn’t have that fight, he doesn’t have that dog in him personally, and I think he admitted it himself without even hearing our podcast yet. He did a video after that, kind of like deciding he’s going to continue to fight.”

The bantamweight veteran further noted that while Smith frequently criticizes other fighters, he doesn’t handle criticism directed at himself with the same grace.

“I mean, dude, the guy’s got to sit there and be like, why are you wearing your feelings on your sleeve? I mean, he sits there and talks sht about people on the broadcast all the time. I’m no stranger to it; he said some sh*t about me. It’s like, whatever, dude. That’s just how I feel, and if you don’t like it, if the truth hurts, too f**king bad.”

Smith competed for the light heavyweight title in March 2019 against Jon Jones at UFC 235. In that bout, “Lionheart” decided to continue after being struck by an illegal knee from Jones and ultimately lost by unanimous decision.

Following his defeat to “Bones”, Smith struggled to find his footing, unable to gain any significant momentum in his subsequent outings.

Continue Reading TJ Dillashaw Criticises Anthony Smith: ‘He Doesn’t Have That Dog In Him…’ at MMA News.

Max Holloway Touted To Dispatch Ilia Topuria At UFC 308: ‘That’s Gonna Be His Downfall…’

Josh Thomson and “Big” John McCarthy recently predicted that Max Holloway could defeat Ilia Topuria at UFC 308, provided “Blessed” keeps the fight focused solely on striking. Topuria is poised to defend his featherweight title for the first time against Holloway in the main event of a highly anticipated pay-per-view showdown scheduled for October 26 […]

Continue Reading Max Holloway Touted To Dispatch Ilia Topuria At UFC 308: ‘That’s Gonna Be His Downfall…’ at MMA News.

Josh Thomson and “Big” John McCarthy recently predicted that Max Holloway could defeat Ilia Topuria at UFC 308, provided “Blessed” keeps the fight focused solely on striking.

Topuria is poised to defend his featherweight title for the first time against Holloway in the main event of a highly anticipated pay-per-view showdown scheduled for October 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

“El Matador” captured the 145-pound championship this past February, becoming the first UFC champion from Spain by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298. Undefeated in the Octagon with a 7-0 record, he boasts five finishes, including impressive victories over Bryce Mitchell and Josh Emmett.

Meanwhile, Holloway is set for his third attempt to reclaim the featherweight title, which he lost to Volkanovski in December 2019, followed by two unsuccessful rematches. “Blessed” has since bounced back with three consecutive impressive victories, the latest being a dramatic last-second knockout of Justin Gaethje in a lightweight bout, earning him the BMF title at the landmark UFC 300 in April.

Thomson and McCarthy contend that despite Topuria’s formidable prowess, he will encounter significant difficulty in connecting his strikes against Holloway…

Thomson Sees Holloway As ‘Stylistically’ Challenging Opponent For Topuria

During a recent episode of the WEIGHING IN podcast, Thomson previewed the highly anticipated matchup between Topuria and Holloway. The former UFC lightweight fighter lauded “El Matador” for his exceptional striking abilities but pointed out that he will face significant challenges in chasing down the BMF titleholder and finding the right angles to land his shots.

“Max on the feet, what we saw with him against Justin Gaethje, he can handle the power, he can handle the movement, he can handle the aggressiveness,” Thomson said. “Topuria is going to stalk after him, he’s just going, and Max Holloway is going to be on his bike, sticking and moving, using that long-range jab right in his face… My point is that when Topuria is gonna start stalking after him, he’s gonna start taking those jabs in the opening rounds.”

“The Punk” added that although Topuria might be relentlessly pursuing the Hawaiian, he is likely to absorb some significant punishment in the process, which could prove decisive.

“He’s going to be reaching and lunging to get in on Max Holloway, and that’s going to be his downfall. He’s got fight IQ and knows how to use his movement, how to put his combinations together, and how to threaten the body as well as the head. He throws everything at you, including the kitchen sink, and it lands. He’s accurate with his strikes, with no wasted movements. He knows what he’s doing. Topuria, right now, I think is a fantastic fighter; I just think stylistically this is a bad matchup for him.”

Continue Reading Max Holloway Touted To Dispatch Ilia Topuria At UFC 308: ‘That’s Gonna Be His Downfall…’ at MMA News.

Arman Tsarukyan Names 3 Opponent Options For Interim UFC Title Fight In Light Of Islam Makhachev Injury

Should his expected shot at Islam Makhachev’s UFC lightweight title be delayed until 2025, Arman Tsarukyan is open to facing another contender for interim status. Tsarukyan secured his first opportunity at gold on MMA’s biggest stage by recording his biggest win to date at the expense of former champion Charles Oliveira on the milestone UFC […]

Continue Reading Arman Tsarukyan Names 3 Opponent Options For Interim UFC Title Fight In Light Of Islam Makhachev Injury at MMA News.

Should his expected shot at Islam Makhachev’s UFC lightweight title be delayed until 2025, Arman Tsarukyan is open to facing another contender for interim status.

Tsarukyan secured his first opportunity at gold on MMA’s biggest stage by recording his biggest win to date at the expense of former champion Charles Oliveira on the milestone UFC 300 card this past April.

With the promotion always looking to have Makhachev defend his belt in Abu Dhabi, Tsarukyan was expected to challenge his former opponent in the main event of UFC 308 this coming October.

Disaster stuck recently, however, after Makhachev suffered a severe hand injury that could leave him on the sidelines until late 2024 or even the next calendar year.

While a patient wait until December would be welcomed by Tsarukyan, the top contender wouldn’t mind returning to action in the meantime should the latter of those two timelines come to fruition…

Tsarukyan Open To Poirier, Gaethje, Chandler Matchups For Interim Title

During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Tsarukyan provided an update on the status of his title shot following confirmation that Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway for the featherweight belt will instead top the UFC 308 lineup on Oct. 26.

The Russian-Armenian acknowledged that he may need to wait until 2025 to compete with undisputed gold on the line. And if that’s the case, he’d be open to adding a second champ to the division by facing either Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, or Michael Chandler for an interim strap.

“My manager told me I was gonna fight in October versus Islam, and then he said to UFC that he got injured. Now, they’ve moved that fight to December or maybe next year,” Tsarukyan said. “Of course it’s sad, because I already started training really hard and I’m in shape. … But it is what it is.

“If it’s December, for me it doesn’t matter. I’m gonna wait and train as much as I can,” Tsarukyan continued. “If Islam can’t fight this year, for sure I would like to fight for the interim title, and it doesn’t matter who is gonna be in front of me. Dustin Poirier, he is a solid fighter and he has a lot of experience. Yeah, it would be great. Dustin, Gaethje — Michael Chandler as well.”

During his rise up the lightweight ladder, Tsarukyan frequently accused the likes of Gaethje and Chandler of holding their top five positions hostage by not fighting up-and-comers.

More recently, his focus has been on Chandler’s continued wait for Conor McGregor’s comeback, which was recently scrapped from the UFC 303 card in June due to an injury to the Irishman.

With talk of Chandler finally moving on, perhaps the former three-time Bellator champ will be receptive to Tsarukyan’s interim title pitch.

Continue Reading Arman Tsarukyan Names 3 Opponent Options For Interim UFC Title Fight In Light Of Islam Makhachev Injury at MMA News.

Israel Adesanya’s Coach Feels ‘Real African’ Comments From Dricus Du Plessis A Smart Marketing Ploy: ‘Conor Not Being Able To Get Inside Khabib’s Head…’

The main event of UFC 305 features one of the biggest rivalry match-ups of the year finally take place as middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis meets former titleholder Israel Adesanya. August 17 in Perth would have been a fight that fans were looking forward to regardless but comments that were made over a year ago, […]

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya’s Coach Feels ‘Real African’ Comments From Dricus Du Plessis A Smart Marketing Ploy: ‘Conor Not Being Able To Get Inside Khabib’s Head…’ at MMA News.

The main event of UFC 305 features one of the biggest rivalry match-ups of the year finally take place as middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis meets former titleholder Israel Adesanya.

August 17 in Perth would have been a fight that fans were looking forward to regardless but comments that were made over a year ago, at this point, have made this one drastically more tense.

Before he was even the number one contender, Du Plessis spoke about bringing the belt back to Africa as the first true African champion because he lives and trains in South Africa to this day.

A coach of Adesanya’s at City Kickboxing in New Zealand gives the champion credit for what he believes was an intentional move to stir the pot.

Michael Angove Says That Dricus Du Plessis’ Comments Were Intentional

Michael Angove spoke in a recent interview with The Scrap about Du Plessis’ comments that made this fight mean a whole lot more than Adesanya becoming a three-time champion.

Angove suggested that given Adesanya’s personality and pride, the current champion must have known that he would get a reaction by saying what he did.

“We may as well start there as that’s what kicked it all off. Dricus is many things but he isn’t stupid. That was a calculated statement, I make no apologies for suggesting that’s calculated. You know that a guy from Nigeria with ‘broken native’ written across his chest, with the continent of Africa across his chest, is going to feel very, very attached to his homeland.

“Clever marketing, well done Dricus, he knows the whole history of South Africa as well. That’s going to motivate people, it’s great, it’s built this fight to a much higher level than it might have been otherwise and here we are and I think there is a pretty fair degree of animosity there based on that. Great marketing, great way to get under someone’s skin and the world is now watching.”

Despite believing that Du Plessis made this personal on purpose, Angove doesn’t necessarily blame him for doing so.

He explained how both selling the fight and trying to emotionally manipulate an opponent are two aspects of the sport and they both matter at this level.

“That’s the nature of the fight game, it’s smart. Everyone plays both marketing and mind games and at the highest level, at the elite level, those things can make a difference. Conor not being able to get inside Khabib’s head made a difference. Conor not being able to get inside Nate Diaz’s head made a difference. You saw the difference when Conor made people insane with rage versus guys who were just focused and let it wash over them.”

Read also: Sean O’Malley Puts Umar Nurmagomedov Among ‘Lot Of Options’ For Future Opponent: ‘Max, Ilia, Figgy…’

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya’s Coach Feels ‘Real African’ Comments From Dricus Du Plessis A Smart Marketing Ploy: ‘Conor Not Being Able To Get Inside Khabib’s Head…’ at MMA News.

Conor McGregor Brands Donald Trump’s Pick For His Favorite UFC Fighter A ‘Campaign-Ending Decision’

Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor was not pleased to see the name Donald Trump produced when asked for his favorite fighter. The former United States president recently appeared for an interview with Internet personality Adin Ross, during which he named legendary former UFC lightweight kingpin Khabib Nurmagomedov as top of his fighter list. Among […]

Continue Reading Conor McGregor Brands Donald Trump’s Pick For His Favorite UFC Fighter A ‘Campaign-Ending Decision’ at MMA News.

Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor was not pleased to see the name Donald Trump produced when asked for his favorite fighter.

The former United States president recently appeared for an interview with Internet personality Adin Ross, during which he named legendary former UFC lightweight kingpin Khabib Nurmagomedov as top of his fighter list.

Among those snubbed were Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal, both of whom have pledged heavy public support for Trump across recent years.

Also not getting a mention was McGregor, who unsurprisingly had something to say after hearing the name of his biggest rival on the ex-president’s lips…

McGregor Has Expected Response After Trump Picks Khabib

McGregor and Khabib had one of the most heated UFC feuds of all time, with public altercations and controversial remarks from the Irishman fueling an immense amount of bad blood in the lead-up to their UFC 229 main event in 2018.

And that boiled over following the Russian’s submission win, with Nurmagomedov vaulting the Octagon fence and attacking McGregor’s corner, sparking a brawl inside T-Mobile Arena.

In the years since, McGregor has kept his sights on “The Eagle,” frequently targeting him, his teammates, his religion, his late father, and his country on social media.

That trend continued in response to Khabib’s selection as Trump’s favorite fighter, with the Irishman jokingly branding it a “campaign-ending decision” from the Republican presidential nominee.

Conor McGregor

“Campaign ending decision, McGregor wrote. “A smelly fat mountain monkey from the inbred mountains of Dagestan is your favorite UFC (AMERICAN COMPANY) fighter? Wow. Abysmal.”

McGregor previously expressed support for Trump after he was the target of an assassination attempt while speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania last month.

Evidently, the Irishman’s hatred for Khabib is enough to put anyone in the firing line should they express admiration or appreciation for the Russian’s career.

Continue Reading Conor McGregor Brands Donald Trump’s Pick For His Favorite UFC Fighter A ‘Campaign-Ending Decision’ at MMA News.

UFC Rankings Report: Belal Muhammad Jumps Sean O’Malley On Pound-For-Pound List

As always, the latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the ladder toward contention and others fall away. And in the aftermath of UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings. Men’s Pound-For-Pound: A week after entering the P4P […]

Continue Reading UFC Rankings Report: Belal Muhammad Jumps Sean O’Malley On Pound-For-Pound List at MMA News.

As always, the latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the ladder toward contention and others fall away.

And in the aftermath of UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.

Men’s Pound-For-Pound: A week after entering the P4P rankings at #6, Belal Muhammad has had another boost. The welterweight champion has now moved above his bantamweight counterpart, Sean O’Malley (#6), to occupy the #5 position.

Women’s Pound-for-Pound: Bantamweight queen Raquel Pennington is expected to defend her title for the first time opposite ex-champ Julianna Peña this fall. And the pair now sit on the same step of the pound-for-pound rankings, with “Rocky” joining “The Venezuelan Vixen” to share #5.

Women’s Strawweight: Mackenzie Dern bounced back from a two-fight skid on Saturday, but she’s still fallen further at 115 pounds. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace has dropped one place to #8, with her compatriot Amanda Ribas moving up to #7.

Women’s Flyweight: While on the rise at strawweight, Ribas has taken a hit at 125 pounds, slipping one spot to #10 below Viviane Araújo (#9).

Women’s Bantamweight: At 135 pounds, Miesha Tate and Norma Dumont have both been boosted to #8, leaving a three-way tie for the position with Karol Rosa.

Flyweight: No changes.

Bantamweight: Umar Nurmagomedov secured the biggest win of his young career to date in Abu Dhabi, outpointing the highly ranked Cory Sandhagen across five rounds. As a result, the Dagestani has climbed a mammoth eight places to #2. “The Sandman,” meanwhile has remained in the top five after a one-spot drop to #4.

Also on the rise at 135 pounds is Deiveson Figueiredo (#5), who secured a top-five position with his comfortable victory over former title challenger Marlon Vera this past weekend.

Featherweight: At 145 pounds, Movsar Evloev is down one step to #6, no longer sharing the #5 place with Arnold Allen. Further down, Bryce Mitchell has moved up to share #12 with Diego Lopes.

Lightweight: Despite having his return announced for 170 pounds at UFC 308 later this year, former champ Rafael dos Anjos has received a boost at 155 pounds. He’s climbed to #13, swapping positions with Jalin Turner (#14).

Welterweight: No changes.

Middleweight: No changes.

Light Heavyweight: He’s had to wait a while but Roman Dolidze is finally ranked in two weight classes following his triumph over Anthony Smith at UFC 303. The Georgian has arrived at 205 pounds in the #15 position, three spots below “Lionheart.”

Elsewhere in the division, Azamat Murzakanov is knocking on the door of the top 10 after climbing three spots to #11 courtesy of his knockout win over Alonzo Menifield on August 3.

Heavyweight: No changes.

You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.

Continue Reading UFC Rankings Report: Belal Muhammad Jumps Sean O’Malley On Pound-For-Pound List at MMA News.