Tag: UFC

Sean Strickland & Dricus Du Plessis Team Up To Blast ‘Clown’ Jake Paul Over Mike Tyson Clash

UFC rivals Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis unexpectedly united to slam Jake Paul for fighting Mike Tyson. Paul is primed to collide with Tyson in an eight-round heavyweight bout scheduled for Friday at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The highly debated boxing showdown has dominated headlines since its announcement, though not for the […]

UFC rivals Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis unexpectedly united to slam Jake Paul for fighting Mike Tyson.

Paul is primed to collide with Tyson in an eight-round heavyweight bout scheduled for Friday at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The highly debated boxing showdown has dominated headlines since its announcement, though not for the most favorable of reasons. The focal point has been the jaw-dropping 31-year age gap between the YouTuber-turned-boxer and the former undisputed heavyweight champion, a record-breaking divide that has sparked widespread skepticism about the competitiveness of the matchup.

Among the many critics of the Paul vs. Tyson bout, Strickland, who is no stranger to bashing “The Problem Child,” has joined the chorus. The former UFC middleweight champion recently took to X and lashed out at Paul over his matchup with the boxing legend in a series of tweets.

“@jakepaul [Jake Paul] is a clown,” Strickland tweeted. “Your ability to make money off stupid people is impressive, but being rich won’t buy you dignity. You’re fighting a 60-year-old man who is just trying to make a dollar by risking his life.. scum bag.”

Strickland then reacted to the Netflix promotional video for the fight, taking issue with the “All it takes is one punch” tagline.

“You’re fighting a 60-year-old… are you a f**king idiot?? This should be illegal… The man had a medical emergency a month before this because he’s too f**king old. F**king clown.”

Surprisingly, reigning UFC 185-pound champion Du Plessis chimed into the conversation, backing Strickland’s criticism of “The Problem Child”.

“I don’t always agree with you, but I second that,” Du Plessis wrote. “Still, believe Iron Mike KO’s him.”

“Iron Mike” hung up his gloves after a loss to Kevin McBride in June 2005. However, Tyson made a comeback to the ring for an exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr. in November 2020, a bout that ultimately ended in a draw.

The Paul vs. Tyson fight was originally scheduled for July 20 but was delayed to November after Tyson experienced an ulcer flare-up during a flight from Miami to Los Angeles in May.

UFC 309: Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream

UFC 309 takes place on Saturday night, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins! The upcoming pay-per-view event at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City provides a chance for UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones to record his first successful title defense. After capturing the gold […]

UFC 309 takes place on Saturday night, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins!

The upcoming pay-per-view event at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City provides a chance for UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones to record his first successful title defense.

After capturing the gold in March 2023 by quickly submitting Ciryl Gane, “Bones” is next tasked with stalling Stipe Miocic’s ambitions of a return to the 265-pound mountaintop in what will mark the Ohio native’s first outing in three and a half years.

The stakes will also be high in the co-main event, which will see former lightweight champ Charles Oliveira look to secure another shot at regaining the crown by once again getting the better of Michael Chandler.

Elsewhere on the UFC 309 card, middleweight prospect Bo Nickal, rising flyweight Karine Silva, the always entertaining Mauricio Ruffy and former champion Chris Weidman have their next assignments inside the Octagon.

Ahead of the event, 25 of the 26 fighters successfully made weight, with James Llontop’s 1.2-pound miss of the 165-pound catchweight limit marking the sole indiscretion on the scale. Nevertheless, every fight is intact, and all that remains on Friday is for the athletes to face off one final time at the UFC 309 ceremonial weigh-ins!

Check out a live stream via the official UFC YouTube channel below, commencing at 5 PM ET.

UFC 309 Ceremonial Weigh-In Live Stream

UFC 309 Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Jones vs. Miocic, Oliveira vs. Chandler 2, & More

UFC 309 is almost upon us, and MMA News is here to keep you updated with the current odds for this weekend’s lineup. The upcoming pay-per-view takes place Saturday, November 16, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The main card begins at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at […]

UFC 309 is almost upon us, and MMA News is here to keep you updated with the current odds for this weekend’s lineup.

The upcoming pay-per-view takes place Saturday, November 16, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The main card begins at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 6 PM ET/3 PM PT.

Topping the lineup will be reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones, who is tasked with getting the better of former kingpin Stipe Miocic if he’s to record a first successful title defense.

Before they go to battle, the co-main event will see ex-lightweight titleholder Charles Oliveira in action for the second time this year. After failing to get past Arman Tsarukyan, “Do Bronx” must add a second win over Michael Chandler to his record if he’s to keep his name in the title conversation.

Also set to make the walk on Saturday will be the likes of elite wrestling specialist Bo Nickal, rising women’s flyweight contender Karine Silva, the entertaining Mauricio Ruffy and former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman.

Ahead of the event, you can get some help from the group of experts at MMA News by checking out their predictions for the UFC 309 main card here.

UFC 309: Jones vs. Miocic Betting Odds

Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC 309 (as of 11/15), courtesy of DraftKings.

Main Card:

  • Jon Jones (-625) vs. Stipe Miocic (+455)
  • Charles Oliveira (-245) vs. Michael Chandler (+200)
  • Viviane Araújo (+240) vs. Karine Silva (-298)
  • Bo Nickal (-1350) vs. Paul Craig (+800)
  • Mauricio Ruffy (-900) vs. James Llontop (+600)

Preliminary Card:

  • Jonathan Martinez (+120) vs. Marcus McGhee (-142)
  • Eryk Anders (-115) vs. Chris Weidman (-105)
  • Jim Miller (+150)vvs. Damon Jackson (-180)
  • David Onama (-850) vs. Roberto Romero (+575)

Early Preliminary Card: 

  • Marcin Tybura (-148) vs. Jhonata Diniz (+124)
  • Mickey Gall (-142) vs. Ramiz Brahimaj (+120)
  • Bassil Hafez (+230) vs. Oban Elliott (-285)
  • Veronica Hardy (-135) vs. Eduarda Moura (+114)

UFC 309 Fighter Recalls ‘Traumatizing’ Weight Cut In Her Last Fight That Won’t Prevent Her From Trying Again

Brazil’s Eduarda Moura returns for her third outing inside the Octagon this weekend at UFC 309 where unlike in her previous UFC bouts, she isn’t expecting to battle with the scales before fight night comes around. Having signed to the promotion last year via the Contender Series, the 30-year old failed to hit the strawweight […]

Brazil’s Eduarda Moura returns for her third outing inside the Octagon this weekend at UFC 309 where unlike in her previous UFC bouts, she isn’t expecting to battle with the scales before fight night comes around. Having signed to the promotion last year via the Contender Series, the 30-year old failed to hit the strawweight limit in both of her previous fights.

Her return at Madison Square Garden on November 16 sees her move up a weight class to flyweight where she will open the card in a bout with Veronica Hardy. Though she has gone 1-1 thus far in the UFC, her attempt to make strawweight last June was a clear indicaton that something needed to change.

In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, she spoke in detail about the brutal 17-pound weight cut that she went through in order to face Denise Gomes in Louisville, Kentucky. Despite everything that she went through only to lose a split decision, Moura says competing at 115-pounds isn’t out of the question if she can do it right but for the time being, her focus is on staying active and that makes flyweight a better fit.

“My body rejected it and I felt so many cramps I basically didn’t sleep during fight week. I’m traumatized, but I’ll go back to 115—but not right now [laughs]. I think we can change a few things and study more. Truth is, I just want to fight. I think I’ll have more fights at 125 and I need to work.”

Moura believes that along with it negatively impacting her performance against Gomes physically, she thinks her struggles gave her opponent a mental advantage after she handed Moura a bucket to throw up in before they stood face-to-face after the weigh-ins.

“I kept remembering that scene, her getting me a bucket. That was the first time I felt like crying before a fight. I was so frustrated I couldn’t make weight. I was so nervous, and I kept trying to disguise. I was singing as I walked out to play cool, and I never do that. I was completely lost. I felt in my heart something was wrong.”

Like many fighters, Moura believes that she has more advantages at strawweight because of the size difference between her and her opponents. She’s not ready to fully commit to flyweight but that could all change with a big win on Saturday.

“I want to be champion and I believe I have great advantage at strawweight. I’m tall and have good reach, and the power, too, but I’m still traumatized [laughs]. We will think about it. It depends on the opportunity.”

Ngannou’s Coach Highlights Jon Jones & Stipe Miocic’s Best Attributes Ahead Of UFC 309

Both Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic are not the kind of fighters that have too many questions surrounding their fighting styles and key attributes. There may be questions ahead of UFC 309 this weekend regarding how Jones looks at heavyweight and whether Miocic will be able to roll back the years but we know a […]

Both Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic are not the kind of fighters that have too many questions surrounding their fighting styles and key attributes. There may be questions ahead of UFC 309 this weekend regarding how Jones looks at heavyweight and whether Miocic will be able to roll back the years but we know a lot of the other variables.

In a recent piece for UFC.com, E. Spencer Kyte sat down with Eric Nicksick, who knows a thing about heavyweight title fights as the coach of Francis Ngannou, to break down this Saturday’s headline bout at Madison Square Garden. Starting with “Bones”, the Xtreme Couture head coach gave his opinion on what the consensus greatest of all time does better than the rest.

“For Jon, obviously, I think it’s his Fight IQ — that’s definitely gonna be No. 1, but the way that he’s able to apply different arts to the game plan; I think that’s what makes him the most intriguing fighter ever. He can beat you in any facet of the game and do it very, very well. He has an ego about him too, where if you watch the Cormier fight, ‘Oh, you’re the best wrestler? Okay, I’ll take your a** down. Gustafsson, you’re the best striker? I’m gonna out-strike you.’ There is an edge and an aura to him where he likes to beat his opponent at their best attribute, and that’s what makes him freakin’ amazing.”

Nicksick continued, adding what side of Jones’ game he believes will be the most important for this fight in particular.

“I think the attribute for him is his length — keeping this fight long and at a pace that favors him. I think he’s the ultimate puppet master in the way that he fights — he gets you into his style of fight, he controls that pace, and that’s where I think a lot of guys have problems with him because they get snake-charmed.”

Ngannou’s coach also highlighted Jones’ offense which has seen him showcase a wide array of weapons, many of which have become adopted by other fighters.

“It’s in his creativity too that you see how good he is because you don’t get to train a lot of that. You don’t get to prepare for a spinning back elbow off a right cross. That’s natural instinct like Saquon Barkley jumping over a guy; you look at it and go, ‘That’s the level of creativity in his mind that he’s doing that,’ and you can’t train for that, you can’t prepare for that.”

Nicksick then turned his attention to the challenger in this Saturday’s main event. Having trained Ngannou to fight the former two-time heavyweight champion twice before, analyzing Miocic’s game is something that he has plenty of experience doing already.

“His best traits are his boxing, his toughness, his durability and his heart, all those things, but as someone that had to game-plan for the guy — when you and I were talking about this fight last week, I was looking at some stuff, and it brought back an anxiety like I was going back and preparing for Stipe again. If you look at the trilogy with Cormier, Stipe looked better in every fight and got better in every fight. He was winning the first fight until he wasn’t, he was losing the second fight until he wasn’t, and then the third fight was a complete wash, but in that third fight, I saw so many different technical evolutions from him in that time.”

Nicksick believes that based on Miocic’s ability to adapt in the past, we could see even more developments in his game after he’s spent over three years outside of the Octagon.

“A lot of switch stances, a lot of lateral movement, a lot of shake steps — things that I think are more predicated to lighter weight fighters, and he was implementing these things and very much confused Cormier. So I also think it’s his evolution, and that’s a big question: how has he evolved these last three years? What has he been doing? I have to assume that he’s only gotten better. With the type of personality and champion that he is, (I have to assume) that he’s been working, doing new things.”

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Carlos Ulberg – Odds and Match Preview

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Carlos Ulberg - Odds and Match PreviewA light heavyweight bout between Volkan Oezdemir and Carlos Ulberg is set to take place at UFC Macau on…

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Carlos Ulberg - Odds and Match Preview

A light heavyweight bout between Volkan Oezdemir and Carlos Ulberg is set to take place at UFC Macau on November 23, 2024. This matchup pits two top-10-ranked fighters against each other in what promises to be an explosive contest.

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Carlos Ulberg

Switzerland’s Volkan Oezdemir is currently ranked 6th in the division and is known for his knockout power. He’s a former title challenger who has recently found his form again, winning his last two fights impressively. Oezdemir’s background is primarily in kickboxing, which translates to his hard-hitting style in MMA. With another win, there are many options ahead of him, just as you have many options when it comes to the best crypto betting sites that you can see here.

He’s looking to continue his winning streak and potentially work his way back into title contention With two first-round finishes, he is looking for a continuous climb. Most recently, he knocked out Johnny Walker and submitted Bogdan Guskov.

On the other side, a rising star from New Zealand Carlos Ulberg, ranked 10th, with a professional kickboxing background. Training out of the renowned City Kickboxing gym alongside champions like Israel Adesanya, Ulberg has shown tremendous potential in the UFC. He’s currently on a six-fight win streak, with five of those victories coming by way of finish. 

Interestingly, Carlos Ulberg is a part-time model and was offered a role on the TV series The Bachelor. Most recently, he only needed twelve seconds to knock out Alonzo Menifield. Prior to that, he stopped Jung Da-un, Ihor Potieria, Nicolae Negumereanu, and Tafon Nchukwi all by way of KO/TKO or submission in the UFC.

A win for Oezdemir could solidify his position in the top 5 and put him back in the title conversation. For Carlos Ulberg, a victory over a seasoned veteran like Oezdemir would be a significant step up.

Ulberg opened as the favorite with odds of -205, meaning you would need to bet $205 to win $100 on him. These odds have since shortened, with some bookmakers now offering him at -255. This shift indicates that more money has been placed on Ulberg, causing oddsmakers to adjust their lines to balance their books.

On the other hand, Volkan Oezdemir started as the underdog with odds of +175, which means a $100 bet would return $175 in profit if he wins. His odds have also moved, with some bookmakers now offering +215. This movement suggests that while Oezdemir is still the underdog, the betting market sees him as having a slightly better chance than initially thought.

Both men are primarily strikers, but they bring different attributes to the table. Oezdemir has the edge in experience and power, while Ulberg possesses superior youth and momentum. 

The odds imply that Ulberg has about a 70% chance of winning the fight, while Oezdemir’s chances are around 30%. These probabilities are based on the betting market’s perception and don’t necessarily reflect the actuality.