Tag: UFC 269

REPORT | Jorge Masvidal vs. Leon Edwards Finally Set for UFC 269

Jorge Masvidal Leon EdwardsUFC welterweight rivals Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards will finally settle their beef in the octagon, as the two top welterweight contenders are targeted to faceoff at UFC 269 later this year, according to reports from Ariel Helwani and ESPN’s Brett Okamoto. Masvidal is coming off of back-to-back losses to welterweight champion Kamaru Usman but […]

Jorge Masvidal Leon Edwards

UFC welterweight rivals Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards will finally settle their beef in the octagon, as the two top welterweight contenders are targeted to faceoff at UFC 269 later this year, according to reports from Ariel Helwani and ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.

Masvidal is coming off of back-to-back losses to welterweight champion Kamaru Usman but is still hoping to get back in the title picture. Edwards was expected to be next in line for the title shot but will take a fight with Masvidal in the meantime.

The Masvidal vs. Edwards fight will take place just weeks after the Usman vs. Colby Covington title rematch at UFC 268. The winner, especially if Edwards comes out victorious, could get the next shot at the welterweight belt.

Masvidal and Edwards have quite a history with each other. Back in early 2019, the two got into a well-known verbal altercation that turned physical following a UFC card in London. This created the ‘three-piece and a soda’ moniker that Masvidal has thrived on ever since with the UFC fanbase.

It was originally expected that the Masvidal vs. Edwards fight talks had ended after Edwards recently posted a number of tweets seeming disinterested in a fight with Masvidal. This has changed in recent days and the two appear set on a collision course for the last UFC pay-per-view of 2021.

The fight will take place over three rounds and is on the same card as the women’s bantamweight title bout between Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena. It will definitely be considered by some UFC fans as the ‘people’s main event’, similar to that of Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler at UFC 266. The flyweight title between Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo is expected to shift to the UFC 270 card to make way for Masvidal and Edwards.

What are your thoughts on Jorge Masvidal vs. Leon Edwards?

Jorge Masvidal Out Of UFC 269 Fight Against Leon Edwards Due To Injury

Fans will have to wait for the “three-piece and a soda” rematch between Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards for a little bit longer.

ESPN reported Wednesday that the UFC 269 bout between Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards is off due to a Masvidal injury….

Jorge Masvidal

Fans will have to wait for the “three-piece and a soda” rematch between Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards for a little bit longer.

ESPN reported Wednesday that the UFC 269 bout between Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards is off due to a Masvidal injury.

There has been a pretty decent amount of interest in seeing Masvidal vs Edwards for a while. This all stemmed from a backstage incident at a Fight Night event, where the two scrapped backstage, birthing the infamous line from “Gamebred” and kicking off his meteoric rise in popularity.

This was viewed to be an important fight for both men, as Jorge Masvidal looks to stay relevant in the welterweight contender queue after suffering back-to-back losses to champion Kamaru Usman. As for Leon Edwards, he has been vying for his own title shot, but with Colby Covington next in line, this is the next best option for him to stay busy and have a big fight.

As the ESPN report states, there is currently no word on if the UFC will rebook the long-anticipated bout or if they will move in another direction. If the latter, it just so happens that Khamzat Chimaev is looking to fight in December, and he, too, was scheduled to face Leon Edwards in the past.

MMA News will keep you in the loop with any new updates on this developing story.

Continue Reading Jorge Masvidal Out Of UFC 269 Fight Against Leon Edwards Due To Injury at MMA News.

Poirier Sheds Light On Why He Thinks The UFC Stays Out Of Politics

Former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier explains that peace exists among MMA fighters despite political differences and various walks of life. Dustin Poirier is not only the #1-ranked lightweight in the division but is also responsible for some incredible philanthropy efforts. The 32-year-old started The Good Fight Foundation and has had great success with donations […]

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Former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier explains that peace exists among MMA fighters despite political differences and various walks of life.

Dustin Poirier is not only the #1-ranked lightweight in the division but is also responsible for some incredible philanthropy efforts. The 32-year-old started The Good Fight Foundation and has had great success with donations and auctioning off popular pay-per-view fight kits.

Following his two consecutive victories against Conor McGregor, Poirier was the shoo-in for the next shot against the current Brazilian champion Charles Oliveira. Last week, the 155-pound title bout was confirmed for UFC 269. UFC lightweight champion Oliveira is coming fresh off winning the vacant title in Houston, Texas, against the dangerous Michael Chandler.

Speaking with Valuetainment, the former title challenger spoke highly about MMA and mentioned how it has led to fewer barriers in social interactions. “The Diamond” explains that the UFC is truly a melting pot with so many different arrangements of life mixing together.

“I think it’s such a diverse talent pool from fighters and athletes from all over the world that there’s no room for hate,” Poirier said. “Everybody’s coming from around the world and fighting in the UFC. It’s not like a one-country sport. So many walks of life, so many religions, how could they have barriers? You can’t. When everybody’s so different and fighting, they couldn’t put up barriers. I think that’s why. Everybody just accepts each other.”

Ahead of his massive pay-per-view fight, it appears Dustin Poirier is at peace. Since all walks of life participate in MMA, Poirier suggests that the type of diversity you see in the UFC might be hard to find in some other sports. While at times there are obvious differences in MMA as well, it seems the 32-year-old is relishing the diversity his sport offers.

Do you agree that the UFC stays out of politics?

Continue Reading Poirier Sheds Light On Why He Thinks The UFC Stays Out Of Politics at MMA News.

EXCLUSIVE | Adrian Yanez Believes Sean O’Malley Has ‘Cherry-Picked Super Comfortable’ Fights

Adrian YanezUFC bantamweight contender, Adrian Yanez has given his thoughts on the recent surge of polarizing striker, Sean O’Malley — claiming that the Montana native has enjoyed almost flawless success recently, by way of picking quite comfortable fights for himself stylistically. Yanez, akin to O’Malley, is a product of Dana White‘s Contender Series — debuting in the organization […]

Adrian Yanez

UFC bantamweight contender, Adrian Yanez has given his thoughts on the recent surge of polarizing striker, Sean O’Malley — claiming that the Montana native has enjoyed almost flawless success recently, by way of picking quite comfortable fights for himself stylistically.

Yanez, akin to O’Malley, is a product of Dana White‘s Contender Series — debuting in the organization back in October of last year scoring a stunning high kick knockout victory over Victor Rodriguez. 

The Texan has managed to lodge three straight knockout wins during his year UFC tenure, earning Performance of the Night bonuses in each of his Octagon walks. Most recently, the 27-year-old met with fellow fan favorite, Randy Costa at UFC Vegas 32 in July, rallying to lodge a second round knockout success.

Yanez, a staple of Metro Fight Club, is slated to make his fourth Octagon appearance in November at UFC Fight Night 198 — taking on Davey Grant, with the pair hoping to crack the bantamweight top-15 with a victory.

Speaking with LowKick MMA reporter, Jordan Ellis ahead of his matchup with Grant, Yanez touched on the rise of the above-mentioned, O’Malley — pointing out how the striker has managed to make a steady ascension toward the rankings, by more or less “cherry-picking” his opponents.

“See, what I think Sean O’Malley is doing is smart, but at the same time, he’s picked all of the right fights for the right time for him,” Adrian Yanez said. “But also those guys — he has some really super favorable fights. Like, I’m not like, looking for the guy who’s coming off the couch in like four years in Eddie Wineland just so I can knock him out in his first comeback fight. And then get another guy who was already on a losing streak in Thomas Almeida, who’s already been away from the fight game for a couple years, comes back and gets knocked out by Sean O’Malley.“

“No disrespect to (Louis) Smolka but stylistically, I don’t think that was a good fight for Smolka, ’cause I definitely think O’Malley was gonna be able to — like, those type of fights to me, were super favorable. He was probably like a -500 (favorite) for a lot of those fights, like I don’t want any of those fights.“

Approaching his fourth contest under the UFC’s banner, Yanez has stressed that he does not want to find himself sharing the Octagon with the same type of fighter O’Malley has. 

“I definitely wanna fight and I definitely wanna have those tough opponents,” Adrian Yanez explained. “I don’t want the easy route of having those fights being picked, those — to me those are cherry-picked fights for Sean, but at the same time, he’s being smart in his business decision. He’s doing it ’cause he wants the most money. … It’s smart, but if you’re an absolute fight fan, you don’t like it, you don’t respect it. Like, if you’re a fighter’s fighter, you don’t care (about opponents).“

For O’Malley, the striker is on the cusp of bantamweight rankings as well, and is currently booked to feature at UFC 269 on December 11. — taking on the #15 ranked contender, Raulian Paiva.

In regards to Yanez’s comments, O’Malley hit the headlines last month, detailing how when it comes to fighting contenders, he receives the exact same money based on his current contract for fighting an unranked opponent, as he would if he contended against the #1 ranked former champion, Petr Yan.

Do you agree with Adrian Yanez? Is Sean O’Malley cherry-picking his opponents?

Sean O’Malley Is Receiving Criticism Despite Fighting A Ranked Fighter

Sean O’Malley returns at UFC 269 against the #15-ranked Raulian Paiva on Dec. 11 but is still catching flak for not fighting ranked fighters. After the masses called for O’Malley to face a ranked opponent, they got their wish–even though Paiva isn’t the most recognizable name, O’Malley maintains he’s a ranked opponent nonetheless. Fresh off […]

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley Is Receiving Criticism Despite Fighting A Ranked Fighter at MMA News.

Sean O’Malley returns at UFC 269 against the #15-ranked Raulian Paiva on Dec. 11 but is still catching flak for not fighting ranked fighters.

After the masses called for O’Malley to face a ranked opponent, they got their wish–even though Paiva isn’t the most recognizable name, O’Malley maintains he’s a ranked opponent nonetheless. Fresh off his beatdown of UFC newcomer Kris Moutinho, O’Malley’s stock couldn’t be higher.

“Suga” holds a professional record of 11-1. The 26-year-old was tasked with fighting Marlon Vera in his fifth UFC appearance. During the fight, O’Malley was doing well with kicks from range. However, while trying to disengage from the clinch, the rising star twisted his ankle and “Chito” capitalized. Shortly after O’Malley fell to the ground, Vera rained elbows from guard until the referee stepped in to stop the contest.

O’Malley, who is now on a two-fight winning streak, spoke on his podcast, the TimboSugarShow to address all of the antagonists giving him guff about not fighting ranked fighters.

“Now I’m fighting someone ranked, they’re like who’s this? O’Malley said.

Former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt was the latest to attack O’Malley. The two sparked up some tension after gabbing back and forth on social media a little over a month ago.

“I hope you don’t get knocked out at strawweight because it won’t look as good when I knock you out. Good luck.” O’Malley posted.

Garbrandt was last seen in the Octagon against Rob Font in May. While the former 135-pound titleholder lost a unanimous decision, Garbrandt at least showcased his renewed durability. Following his most recent loss to Font, Garbrandt is taking his services to flyweight against Kai Kara-France at UFC 269.

As of this writing, it appears Garbrandt and Sean O’Malley are headed in different directions but will be fighting on the same card when December arrives. With the rivalry in their back pocket for now, perhaps the two will meet down the line.

Do you think Cody Garbrandt could grind Sean O’Malley out with wrestling?

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley Is Receiving Criticism Despite Fighting A Ranked Fighter at MMA News.

Cody Garbrandt Admits Fear Ahead Of Flyweight Debut At UFC 269

Former UFC Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt has admitted that he’s “scared” ahead of his move down to the flyweight division later this year. After over six years as part of the 135-pound weight class, Garbrandt will be dropping down in an effort to rejuvenate his faltering career. Since extending his unbeaten record to 11-0 and […]

Continue Reading Cody Garbrandt Admits Fear Ahead Of Flyweight Debut At UFC 269 at MMA News.

Former UFC Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt has admitted that he’s “scared” ahead of his move down to the flyweight division later this year.

After over six years as part of the 135-pound weight class, Garbrandt will be dropping down in an effort to rejuvenate his faltering career. Since extending his unbeaten record to 11-0 and dethroning Dominick Cruz to become champ, “No Love” has lost four of his last five fights. Back-to-back defeats to T.J. Dillashaw left him beltless and on a losing skid, before a crazy first-round knockout at the hands of Pedro Munhoz succumbed him to three consecutive setbacks. A KO of the year contender in 2020 against Raphael Assunção brought Garbrandt back into the win column, but a five-round loss against surging contender Rob Font earlier this year left the 30-year-old at a crossroads.

As many expected, Garbrandt decided to work towards a flyweight switch. The division, which looked at threat of being abolished following Henry Cejudo’s departure last year, has developed into one of the exciting in the promotion. Given the opponent he’ll be facing for his divisional debut, it stands to reason Garbrandt’s first appearance at 125 pounds will fit with that narrative.

At UFC 269, Garbrandt will meet #6-ranked Kai-Kara France. The new Zealander never fails to entertain, and he’ll be looking to use the former bantamweight champ as a leapfrog to a shot at Brandon Moreno’s 125-pound gold. With two bonuses in his last two bouts, France will certainly be bringing the fight to Garbrandt come December 11.

In a recent episode of his Rollin with the Homies podcast, Garbrandt admitted that he has to make a statement against France. The Ohio native also suggested that he fears the unanswered questions heading into his flyweight debut. Despite that, he revealed he’s feeling good about making the new weight limit and finding success at 125 pounds.

“I’ve got to make a statement, and I’m known to,” Garbrandt said. “This is a huge fight for me, (a) huge opportunity for my career. I’m as scared of this as any fight because I’ve never made 125. I’ve never fought here. There’s a lot of unanswered questions. Just like going into the Dominick Cruz fight – yeah, I could go in there and knock him out. But could I go five rounds? Could I do this? Could I do that?

“There’s so many unanswered questions that it scares me and motivates me in the sense of doing the extra. Not that I haven’t in the past, but it’s more. You have to add more onto it, then figure it out. So I think that this will be a great weight for me. My energy levels feel good. I’ve been on a diet for about two months now, so I’ve already shaved off five to seven pounds, give or take. I’m feeling good.” (h/t MMA Junkie)

UFC 269, which will be the final pay-per-view of 2021, is stacked. Alongside Garbrandt’s flyweight debut, three title fights will go down inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In the main event, Charles Oliveira will look to make his first title defense against top contender Dustin Poirier. Elsewhere, Amanda Nunes will finally face Julianna Peña in their rearranged bantamweight bout. Completing the trio will be a trilogy fight between Mexico’s first UFC champ Brandon Moreno and “Deus Da Guerra” Deiveson Figueiredo.

Despite three belts being on the line after his bout, Garbrandt will be hoping to steal the show with an impressive first appearance at the lowest men’s weight class in the UFC.

Do you think Cody Garbrandt will be successful in his flyweight debut at UFC 269?

Continue Reading Cody Garbrandt Admits Fear Ahead Of Flyweight Debut At UFC 269 at MMA News.