Tag: UFC 274

Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson – UFC 274 LowKick MMA Staff Predictions

UFC 274UFC 274’s main card features two electric lightweight bouts that both have fans abuzz. Whilst the main event between Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje will take the headlines, the ‘co-co-main’ event between Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson has the potential to steal the show. Both men are riding losing streaks right now, and a win […]

UFC 274

UFC 274’s main card features two electric lightweight bouts that both have fans abuzz. Whilst the main event between Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje will take the headlines, the ‘co-co-main’ event between Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson has the potential to steal the show.

Both men are riding losing streaks right now, and a win at UFC 274 is imperative for either man to reinstate himself into the 155lb title picture. Chandler is a heavy betting favorite, but Ferguson has been in fine form for the entirety of fight week, looking exceptional on the scales.

Let’s see who the Lowkick MMA staff see winning this one:

LowKick MMA Staff Predictions for Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson at UFC 274

Frank Bonada

Contrary to what I imagine will be the popular opinion, I’m going to go with Tony Ferguson for this one. ‘El Cucuy‘ is undeniably out of his prime, but Michael Chandler is no spring chicken either. I believe the first round will determine how the fight plays out, in that there is a solid chance Chander will simply finish Ferguson before the start of the second. However, should Ferguson make it to round 2, Chandler will begin to lose his explosivity. It is then that Ferguson can begin to implement his own gameplan, landing lethal attritional damage on his opponent, only increasing the pressure as the fight goes on. It may be a long shot, but Ferguson by decision is my official prediction for UFC 274.

Prediction: Tony Ferguson

Ross Markey

Personally, I’ve seen something entirely different from former interim champion, Tony Ferguson this week ahead of UFC 274. I’d lean away from a cerebral moniker, and lean to a dialed-in, motivated, and composed Ferguson, even reminiscent of his most recent wins against Donald Cerrone and Anthony Pettis. However, walking the walk and appearing reinvigorated is only half the battle. Michael Chandler has proven to be one of the fastest starters in an opening round we’ve seen in the last couple years. Stylistically, it’s a less than straightforward matchup for both, to be honest, but as for Chandler – he really needs to be met with a version of Ferguson, I myself am not wholly sure exists anymore. I think collectively fans and pundits alike are hoping for a better showing from Ferguson, but the early exchanges will go a long way in determining how this one plays out. It’s really difficult to look beyond Chandler given what we know regarding Ferguson’s form and skid, so anything less than a decision choice in his favor would be naive of me.

Prediction: Michael Chandler

Lewis Simpson

Personally, Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Chandler is my most anticipated bout at UFC 274. As of late, the game-plan to beat Ferguson has been put out there. With Chandler’s wrestling credentials, I expect him to hand Ferguson a fourth straight loss, which I never thought I’d say years back. The fight is there to be won relatively comfortably for Chandler if he fights smart and doesn’t play up the crowd. Ferguson thrives in the chaos and on the crowd’s energy. Chandler can not get drawn into that, which will heavily favor Ferguson. Chandler by decision for me, with Ferguson being too tough for his own good.

Prediction: Michael Chandler

Nikhil Sharma

Another great fight on UFC 274. I feel like it’s an important fight for both, especially if they want to be considered for the title again. Tony presents a big threat striking wise and while Chandler comes off as a better wrestler, I doubt he’ll take Tony down. It’ll be a fan-friendly fight that I see Chandler winning by decision. The only way Chandler loses this one is if he throws caution to the wind and gets caught.

Prediction: Michael Chandler

Alex Nikollaj

Two of the most dangerous men on the UFC roster are clashing in what could be another potential fight of the year. Chandler and Ferguson will, without a doubt, meet in the middle of that octagon and push each other to the absolute limit to see who really wants to take the steps back towards the belt. I believe the time off for Tony may have been just what he needed, but Chandler knows the danger and the challenge he has in front of him at UFC 274 and for that reason I’m picking Chandler to win. I believe he will be very smart in the cage on Saturday and will be too fast for Ferguson, beating him to the punch and controlling the action the whole time.

Prediction: Michael Chandler

Michael Gingrich

This bout has all the makings to be the fight of the night. Ferguson and Chandler just love violence and that gets everyone excited. Ferguson has lost his last few fights by being dominated on the ground. I don’t think Chandler is going to wrestle Ferguson and will be going for the finish. With that being said, I think that works in the favor of Ferguson. I think Ferguson has something to prove in this fight and will be the more technically sound fighter. I have Ferguson winning by decision. With that being said, this fight is going to be awesome and I could see it going either way.

Prediction: Tony Ferguson

Keelin McNamara

Man, oh man. When is Tony Ferguson going to catch a break? ‘El Cucuy’ has faced absolutely monstrous matchups in his last three fights, and he doesn’t exactly face an easier task here. Michael Chandler is on a slide, yes, but he still has massive firepower in his hands. Plus, he can utilize his wrestling if he really wants to. I love Tony, and the biased side of me wants to see him win. However, I see Michael Chander pushing the pace and eventually being too much. Late stoppage for Chandler at UFC 274.

Prediction: Michael Chandler

Who do you see coming out on top in this UFC 274 lightweight clash?

This Week In BOAT Talk Ep. 3: Namajunas Already The Best, Not Greatest

At the start of the year, we published a piece differentiating between the terms GOAT and BOAT. As the GOAT, an athlete was able to achieve sustained greatness through their accolades, records, championships, etc. But what’s this talk about a BOAT? The BOAT is the Best of All Time. Unlike the GOAT, you aren’t bound by…

Continue Reading This Week In BOAT Talk Ep. 3: Namajunas Already The Best, Not Greatest at MMA News.

At the start of the year, we published a piece differentiating between the terms GOAT and BOAT. As the GOAT, an athlete was able to achieve sustained greatness through their accolades, records, championships, etc. But what’s this talk about a BOAT?

The BOAT is the Best of All Time. Unlike the GOAT, you aren’t bound by the laws of longevity. There’s no need to wait for a decade or more to begin a conversation that you can plainly see is going to happen anyway. Nope, you can strictly go by talent and the likelihood to win any given contest, no matter the circumstances.

You can view Ep. 1 of “This Week In BOAT Talk” here.

You can view Ep. 2 of “This Week In BOAT Talk” here.

This week in BOAT talk, Rose Namajunas dishes on her strides toward GOAT status, even though she’s already the “best!”

UFC on BT Sport on Twitter: ""I'm the best!" 🥀 "You're the best mother****** - ever!" @RoseNamajunas chanted her mantra before the fight started at #UFC261. There was no doubt in Pat
Rose Namajunas

At UFC 261, Rose Namajunas could be found in the corner shouting to herself, “I’m the best.”

With a flush head kick to Zhang Weili one minute into the first round to reclaim her strawweight title, “Thug Rose” proved her self-affirmation true.

Later that year at UFC 268, Namajunas would cement her status as the #1 strawweight in the world by defeating Weili once again. With this victory, Namajunas is now a two-time world champion with wins over Zhang Weili (2), Jéssica Andrade, Michelle Waterson, and others, including Joanna J?drzejczyk (2).

There was a time when Joanna J?drzejczyk was in a class all by herself in the strawweight division. The nickname “Strawweight Queen” suited her just as well as “Joanna Champion,” as ruling over every 115er in the UFC seemed to be J?drzejczyk’s calling, until Namajunas earned back-to-back wins over her, cementing herself as the best.

Rose Namajunas proves UFC title win was no fluke
Rose Namajunas, Joanna J?drzejczyk

But as great as those two wins were, even Rose Namajunas herself acknowledged that while her self-belief in being the “best” remains clinched in her mind, there is a difference between being the best and being the greatest.

“If you’re a fan, you’re in for a great ride. I think what I see is: I’m clearly the best, obviously. It’s just a question of whether I’m the greatest in the division of all time,” Namajunas began during her UFC 274 media scrum.

One reason tonight’s fight against Esparza carries such magnitude for Namajunas’ legacy is because this will be her opportunity to have two consecutive title defenses for the first time in either of her reigns.

And of course, it will also present her with an opportunity to get back one of the biggest losses of her career, which came to her UFC 274 opponent Carla Esparza eight years ago when the interim strawweight title was hanging in the balance.

Rose Namajunas vs. Carla Esparza strawweight title rematch in the works for UFC 274 co-main event - MMAmania.com
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

“And I think this is a huge step towards that for me,” Namajunas continued. “And that’s the big test. So I think everybody, when they think about the strawweights, they think about Joanna [J?drzejczyk]. During her time, she came around at a time where the level of competition just wasn’t even close to her.

“So I guess what I’m looking to do is try to set myself apart because I’m clearly the best, but I think in the last fight, maybe it was kinda close. So I’ve really been working my butt off to just make sure that I can set that distance between all of us.”

Although J?drzejczyk has two losses to Namajunas on her résumé, she remains widely separated from the strawweight pack in terms of consecutive title defenses, with a total of five turned in against her opposition.

In Namajunas’ comments, she did not specify that she was the best ever (BOAT) or just the best among her contemporaries. But given the relatively short lifespan of her division and the only other name she compared herself to being J?drzejczyk, it’s fair to deduce that she was implying that she is the best of all time at strawweight and is now setting her sights on becoming the greatest of all time (GOAT).

Is Rose Namajunas the best? Right now that’s difficult to argue against. There’s no other strawweight in the world whose skill set can compare to Namajunas’ versatility. Whether on the feet or on the mat, Namajunas isn’t just elite but she is a proven finisher who continues to improve. And most importantly, she has beaten three former champions to showcase her consistency and supremacy.

But will she go down as the greatest? It’s nights like tonight that will help determine that in the years to come.

You can check out Rose Namajunas’ full UFC 274 media scrum below.

Continue Reading This Week In BOAT Talk Ep. 3: Namajunas Already The Best, Not Greatest at MMA News.

UFC 274 Results & Highlights: Oliveira Submits Gaethje

UFC 274 took place tonight from The Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, and we’ve got you covered with all the results and highlights! In the main event, Charles Oliveira faced Justin Gaethje. Once the fight begun, Oliveira was officially stripped of his UFC lightweight title and wasn’t eligible to win the belt due to missing…

Continue Reading UFC 274 Results & Highlights: Oliveira Submits Gaethje at MMA News.

UFC 274 took place tonight from The Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, and we’ve got you covered with all the results and highlights!

In the main event, Charles Oliveira faced Justin Gaethje. Once the fight begun, Oliveira was officially stripped of his UFC lightweight title and wasn’t eligible to win the belt due to missing weight by 0.5 pounds. Gaethje, however, could have become the undisputed lightweight champion with a victory.

The co-main saw Rose Namajunas look to retain her strawweight title against past foe Carla Esparza. Another feature bout showcased fan favorites Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson, as both fighters attempted to snap their current losing skids.

You can check out all the results and highlights from UFC 274 below!

Early Preliminary Card Highlights

Andre Fialho def. Cameron VanCamp

Portugal’s Andre Fialho delivered the first finish of the night with a first-round KO of Cameron VanCamp in their welterweight clash. Catch the highlights below.

Preliminary Card Highlights

Brandon Royval def. Matt Schnell

In a quick but wild flyweight bout, Brandon Royval got the win against Matt Schnell after locking in a guillotine choke. Catch the highlights below.

Main Card Highlights

Randy Brown def. Khaos Williams

To open the main card, Jamaica’s Randy Brown earned a split decision victory over Khaos Williams in their welterweight bout. In round one, Williams caught Brown and and attempted a D’arce choke, but the Jamaican survived.

Round two saw Brown dominate on the feet, frustrating Williams with some slick footwork. In round three, Williams sent Brown to the canvas, but he recovered to land some big shots of his own. Catch the decision below.

Ovince Saint Preux def. Shogun Rua

In this light heavyweight clash, Ovince Saint Preux earned a split decision victory over Shogun Rua. A cagey first round saw Saint Preux take the advantage, landing a series of heavy leg kicks.

Round two continued at a plodding pace, with Saint Preux throwing body kicks and Rua showing some bursts of success, landing a few combinations. And it was much of the same in round three, with Saint Preux the busier fighter. Catch the decision below.

Michael Chandler def. Tony Ferguson

Michael Chandler landed what will likely be the KO of the year to defeat Tony Ferguson in their lightweight bout. A wild first round saw Ferguson rock Chandler several times, before Chandler got a huge takedown and proceeded to inflict some nasty ground and pound. Then only 17 seconds into round two, Chandler landed a spectacular soccer kick to the chin that knocked Ferguson out cold. Catch the highlights below.

Carla Esparza def. Rose Namajunas

Carla Esparza regained the women’s strawweight title with a very uneventful split decision victory over Rose Namajunas. A cagey first round saw little action from both fighters. In round two, Namajunas stuffed a takedown early on, but other than that, there was very little action.

Round three saw both fighters open up a little, with Esparza getting a takedown and Namajunas landing a few sparing combinations. In round four, Esparza almost took Namajunas’ back, but Namajunas shook her off and landed a right hand. Round five saw Namajunas get a takedown late on, but otherwise, the action was very lackluster. There weren’t many of them, but you can catch the highlights below.

Charles Oliveira def Justin Gaethje

In the main event of the evening, Charles Oliveira earned an impressive first-round submission win over Justin Gaethje. It was a frenetic, back-and-forth fight while it lasted. Oliveira rocked Gaethje early, before the American returned the favor, sending Oliveira to the canvas.

But soon after, the Brazilian took Gaethje’s back, landed some wicked elbows, attempted a triangle choke, and when that didn’t work, sunk in a rear-naked choke to get the win. Due to missing weight, Oliveira was stripped of his lightweight title before the fight, but he will now be the division’s No. 1 contender. Catch the highlights of the fight below.

UFC 274 MAIN CARD

Main Event – Lightweight Title: Charles Oliveira def. Justin Gaethje via submission: R1, 3.22

Co-Main Event – Strawweight Title: Carla Esparza def. Rose Namajunas via split decision (47-48, 49-46, 48-47)

Lightweight Bout: Michael Chandler def. Tony Ferguson via KO: R2, 0.17

Light Heavyweight Bout: Ovince Saint Preux def. Shogun Rua via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

Welterweight Bout: Randy Brown def. Khaos Williams via split decision (29-28×2, 28-29)

PRELIMINARY CARD

Welterweight Bout: Francisco Trinaldo def. Danny Roberts via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-26, 30-27)

Women’s Featherweight Bout: Macy Chiasson def. Norma Dumont via split decision (30-27×2, 28-29)

Flyweight Bout: Brandon Royval def. Matt Schnell via submission: R1, 2.14

EARLY PRELIMS

Heavyweight Bout: Blagoy Ivanov def. Marcos Rogerio de Lima via unanimous decision (29-28×3)

Welterweight Bout: Andre Fialho def. Cameron VanCamp via KO: R1, 2.35

Women’s Flyweight Bout: Tracy Cortez def. Melissa Gatto via unanimous decision (29-28×3)

Flyweight Bout: CJ Vergara def. Kleydson Rodrigues via split decision (29-28×2, 28-29)

Women’s Strawweight Bout: Loopy Godinez def. Ariane Carnelossi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26×2)

Bantamweight Bout: Journey Newson def. Fernie Garcia via unanimous decision (30-27×2, 29-28)

Continue Reading UFC 274 Results & Highlights: Oliveira Submits Gaethje at MMA News.

UFC 274 Fighters Reportedly Claim Weigh-In Scale Was Tampered With

Several UFC 274 fighters have reportedly come out to suggest there was some tampering with the event’s official weigh-ins. TV Globo’s Evy Rodrigues took to Twitter to report that several fighters are suggesting that the official weight check scale, that is available to fighters during the week to check their weight, was one pound off…

Continue Reading UFC 274 Fighters Reportedly Claim Weigh-In Scale Was Tampered With at MMA News.

Several UFC 274 fighters have reportedly come out to suggest there was some tampering with the event’s official weigh-ins.

TV Globo’s Evy Rodrigues took to Twitter to report that several fighters are suggesting that the official weight check scale, that is available to fighters during the week to check their weight, was one pound off from the official scale.

It was added that someone tried to change the scale from pounds to kilograms during the week, and de-calibrated the scale as a result. This certainly would have impacted the card tremendously if proven true. As noted, the biggest story out of weigh-ins was Charles Oliveria’s weight miss.

Oliveira was scheduled to defend his featherweight title against Justin Gaethje in the main event. However, Oliveira weighed-in half a pound over championship weight. As a result, Oliveira has been forced to vacate the title. The fight will go on as planned, however, Oliveira is not eligible to win the title, while Gaethje is.

Only one other fighter on the card missed weight as well. That being Norma Dumont, who also weighed in half a pound over the women’s featherweight limit at 146.5. UFC women’s strawweight competitor Ariane Carnelossi took to Twitter as well to chime in on the scale controversy.

Carnelossi claims that fighters were informed the scale would be half a pound off right before making their weigh downstairs for the weigh ins. Carnelossi ended up making weight.

“Congrats to the “genius” that messed with the fighter’s scale leaving it with a 0.5lb difference. We only found out when we were informed as we were coming down to check our official Weight. Luckly I was under so that didnt hurt me.”

UFC 274 goes down live on pay-per-view (PPV) tonight (Sat. May 7, 2022) from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Continue Reading UFC 274 Fighters Reportedly Claim Weigh-In Scale Was Tampered With at MMA News.

“I’m The Chosen One”: Oliveira Reacts To Having Title Stripped

Charles Oliveira has issued a defiant statement insisting that he remains the lightweight champ despite being stripped of his title for failing to make weight. Earlier today, the 32-year-old tipped the scales half a pound over the 155-pound cut-off for his UFC 274 title fight with Justin Gaethje on Saturday. The botched weight cut means…

Continue Reading “I’m The Chosen One”: Oliveira Reacts To Having Title Stripped at MMA News.

Charles Oliveira has issued a defiant statement insisting that he remains the lightweight champ despite being stripped of his title for failing to make weight.

Earlier today, the 32-year-old tipped the scales half a pound over the 155-pound cut-off for his UFC 274 title fight with Justin Gaethje on Saturday. The botched weight cut means the lightweight title will be officially vacated once the UFC 274 main event begins. However, since Gaethje successfully made weight, he’s still eligible to win the belt tomorrow night.

In his first reaction to today’s drama, Oliveira took to Instagram to tell fans that he still remains the lightweight champion.

“The champion has a name and his name is Charles Oliveira. Let’s go with all we got, Brazil. God is god and he’s never abandoned me and he wont do it now. I’m the chosen one,” said Oliveira in an Instagram messaged translated from Portuguese.

Oliveira now holds the dubious honor of being the first UFC champion to be stripped of their title after failing to make weight. As per a statement made by the UFC, he will forfeit a percentage of his UFC 274 fight purse, and if Oliveira wins tomorrow night, he will be the number one contender for the vacant lightweight title.

Charles Oliveira
PHOTO: ZUFFA

Today’s botched weight cut was Oliveira’s first since moving up to the lightweight division in 2017. However as a featherweight, the Brazilian struggled with weight issues, having missed the 145 pound cut off four times.

The most egregious of those occasions was in 2016, when Oliveira took on Ricardo Lamas at The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 Finale. That bout had to be fought at a catchweight of 155 pounds after Oliveira missed weight by almost 10 pounds. The Brazilian lost via submission in the second round.

What do you think of Charles Oliveira’s reaction to being stripped of his title?

Continue Reading “I’m The Chosen One”: Oliveira Reacts To Having Title Stripped at MMA News.

“I’m The Chosen One”: Oliveira Reacts To Having Title Stripped

Charles Oliveira has issued a defiant statement insisting that he remains the lightweight champ despite being stripped of his title for failing to make weight. Earlier today, the 32-year-old tipped the scales half a pound over the 155-pound cut-off for his UFC 274 title fight with Justin Gaethje on Saturday. The botched weight cut means…

Continue Reading “I’m The Chosen One”: Oliveira Reacts To Having Title Stripped at MMA News.

Charles Oliveira has issued a defiant statement insisting that he remains the lightweight champ despite being stripped of his title for failing to make weight.

Earlier today, the 32-year-old tipped the scales half a pound over the 155-pound cut-off for his UFC 274 title fight with Justin Gaethje on Saturday. The botched weight cut means the lightweight title will be officially vacated once the UFC 274 main event begins. However, since Gaethje successfully made weight, he’s still eligible to win the belt tomorrow night.

In his first reaction to today’s drama, Oliveira took to Instagram to tell fans that he still remains the lightweight champion.

“The champion has a name and his name is Charles Oliveira. Let’s go with all we got, Brazil. God is god and he’s never abandoned me and he wont do it now. I’m the chosen one,” said Oliveira in an Instagram messaged translated from Portuguese.

Oliveira now holds the dubious honor of being the first UFC champion to be stripped of their title after failing to make weight. As per a statement made by the UFC, he will forfeit a percentage of his UFC 274 fight purse, and if Oliveira wins tomorrow night, he will be the number one contender for the vacant lightweight title.

Charles Oliveira
PHOTO: ZUFFA

Today’s botched weight cut was Oliveira’s first since moving up to the lightweight division in 2017. However as a featherweight, the Brazilian struggled with weight issues, having missed the 145 pound cut off four times.

The most egregious of those occasions was in 2016, when Oliveira took on Ricardo Lamas at The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 Finale. That bout had to be fought at a catchweight of 155 pounds after Oliveira missed weight by almost 10 pounds. The Brazilian lost via submission in the second round.

What do you think of Charles Oliveira’s reaction to being stripped of his title?

Continue Reading “I’m The Chosen One”: Oliveira Reacts To Having Title Stripped at MMA News.