Tag: UFC 297

Khamzat Chimaev rips UFC enemy Sean Strickland: ‘Ask him who was beating him up every day in the gym’

Khamzat Chimaev rips Sean Strickland ask him who always beat him in the gym every day UFCGrowing increasingly frustrated at an apparently fleeting title shot promise from the promotion, Khamzat Chimaev has ripped an attack…

Khamzat Chimaev rips Sean Strickland ask him who always beat him in the gym every day UFC

Growing increasingly frustrated at an apparently fleeting title shot promise from the promotion, Khamzat Chimaev has ripped an attack on former titleholder, Sean Strickland at UFC 297 – pointing to prior dominant gym wins over the recent main event star.

Chimaev, the current number nine ranked middleweight contender, most recently turned in a close, majority decision win over former undisputed welterweight champion and previous pound-for-pound number one, Kamaru Usman in the pair’s short-notice co-main event clash at UFC 294 back in October.

And initially slated to make his return on the Abu Dhabi, UAE card in an officially-billed title-eliminator fight against former title challenger, Paulo Costa by UFC CEO, Dana White, Chimaev has since gone scorched-earth on the promotional boss, claiming he broke a promise of giving him a title fight in his return to the Octagon.

“All these guys fight me, but I’m not the only one undefeated and undisputed,” Khamzat Chimaev told ESPN MMA. “13-0, so I don’t know. They [the UFC] promised me after [the] (Kamaru) Usman fight, ‘You will for sure going to fight for the title’, and I win that fight. I don’t know what’s going on. I heard Dana White say stuff like, ‘I don’t think Khamzat is next for the title.’ That’s bullsh*t, man.” 

“If you promised me something, you have to answer for your words,” Khamzat Chimaev explained. “I’m the guy who always answers for my words so I don’t care if it’s some president or something, like a king. If you give me your word, you have to answer for that. So, I grow up, when I give word, you have to answer for it… We’re doing that. I will be happy to answer for my word about killing them, man. So, we’ll see – maybe in the USA, it’s a different mentally.” 

Sean Strickland receives flak from Khamzat Chimaev

And reflecting on Strickland’s loss to newly-crowned champion, Dricus du Plessis and the former’s reluctance to offer him a title fight if he won at UFC 297 last weekend, Chimaev pointed to apparent dominant gym wins over the former champion.

“Ask that guy (Sean Strickland), who was beating him up every day in the gym,” Khamzat Chimaev explained. “How many times I submit that guy? How many times I beat him up. He went to his coach, ‘Please, tell the guy, man, go easy, go easy.’ And the guy said I went crazy with some guy who was 166 [pounds] or this sh*t. He’s lying, man. He’s trying to say I am this, I am that. He’s trying to be some macho man. You are not a macho man.” 

Would you like to see Sean Strickland fight Khamzat Chimaev in the future?

Chris Curtis refuses to let Sean Strickland’s controversial views affect their friendship: ‘We disagree on a lot’

Sean Strickland and Chris CurtisDespite their vastly different personalities, outspoken middleweight star Sean Strickland and the much more reserved Chris Curtis have struck…

Sean Strickland and Chris Curtis

Despite their vastly different personalities, outspoken middleweight star Sean Strickland and the much more reserved Chris Curtis have struck up one of MMA’s most intriguing friendships.

Strickland and ‘The Action Man’ were both in action at UFC 297 in Toronto with the former suffering a razor-close split decision loss to Dricus Du Plessis, surrendering the 185-pound title in the process. Hours ahead of their entertaining five-round scrap, Strickland once again made headlines after being asked about his previous anti-LGBTQ comments during an appearance at the pre-fight press conference.

Strickland proceeded to roast the journalist who identified themself as an “ally” of the LGBTQ community.

Speaking about his friend’s often outrageous and sometimes vile commentaries during an interview with TMZ Sports, Curtis confirmed that there are plenty of topics that the two are far apart on.

“Me and Sean disagree on a lot,” Curtis said. “There’s a lot of things I’m like, ‘Nope, I’m not gonna back you on this one’ for one reason or another and it’s funny that people would be like, ‘You’re a bad friend.’ No, I’m a good friend. I’m not a yes man. I won’t be a yes man for anybody. I’ll call Sean on his bullsh*t the same way he’ll call me on my bullsh*t. Good friends don’t jump off a cliff right behind you.

“A good friend is like, ‘You’re a f*cking idiot for doing this, and here’s why.’ So I don’t have to agree with everything he says or does. There are some lines he crosses where I will step forward. We’ve had talks before about certain things like this personally offends me or trying to protect you from yourself and getting screwed over. But I don’t have to agree with everything he says. I’m a grown-ass man and he’s a grown-ass man.”

While Sean Strickland came up short in his outing in The Great White North, ‘The Action Man’ returned to the win column following a 15-minute slugfest with Marc-André Barriault. Curtis moved up one spot in the middleweight rankings as a result, landing in the No. 13 spot. He has alternated wins and losses in his last four Octagon appearances.

“If you only have friends that you completely agree with 100% of the time, you’re probably a pretty sh*tty [and] shallow person and I just whatever,” Curtis continued. “I don’t have to agree with him and in a way, I think our vastly different personalities keep each other more centered, but it is what it is. He’s a f*cking grown man. He’s gonna say sh*t I don’t agree with. I’m gonna say sh*t he doesn’t agree with. It doesn’t matter. Grow up.”

Paulo Costa lobbies Dana White for title fight with Dricus du Plessis after UFC 297: ‘Give me him, papa’

Paulo Costa Dricus Du PlessisPaulo Costa is interested in a fight with Dricus Du Plessis, and he recently let it be known. Becoming…

Paulo Costa Dricus Du Plessis

Paulo Costa is interested in a fight with Dricus Du Plessis, and he recently let it be known.

Becoming the first-ever South African UFC champion, Du Plessis made history at UFC 297 with his decision victory over Sean Strickland. After the judges’ scorecards were announced, ‘Stillknocks’ could barely contain himself due to overwhelming joy at his achievement.

While the new South African champion didn’t mention Paulo Costa, that didn’t stop ‘Borrachina’ from attempting to get his name into the fray. Taking to the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, ‘Borrachina’ retweeted a post of Dana White attempting to place the belt on Du Plessis after the scorecards were read. “Give me him Papa,” Costa wrote.

Fans Troll Paulo Costa after Dricus Du Plessis Call Out

While Costa’s callout of Du Plessis could’ve just been an attempt to keep his own name relevant, fans were not having it. “Wasn’t your last fight in 2017?” One fan joked.

“Breaking: Paulo Costa has pulled out of his DDP callout,” another laughed.

“You can’t fight for a title with one win in the last two years,” scoffed another.

So, it seems obvious that Costa has left fans wanting more. ‘Borrachina’ has had a career riddled with fight cancellations, and it’s left a lot to be desired. For a fighter so talented, with such a colorful personality, fans just want to see him perform more. Costa probably despises the amount of times a fight of his has been called off, but sometimes things are beyond control.

With a confirmed bout with Robert Whittaker at UFC 298, fans may finally get their chance to see ‘Borrachina’ back in action. With a win over the former champion Whittaker, his callout of Du Plessis would always carry a lot more weight.

Do you think Paulo Costa will ever fight twice in a single year again?

Raquel Pennington opens as betting favorite to beat Julianna Peña after championship win at UFC 297

Raquel Pennington opens as betting favorite to beat Julianna Peña after UFC 297 title winNewly minted undisputed bantamweight champion, Raquel Pennington has opened as a betting favorite to beat former titleholder, Julianna Peña…

Raquel Pennington opens as betting favorite to beat Julianna Peña after UFC 297 title win

Newly minted undisputed bantamweight champion, Raquel Pennington has opened as a betting favorite to beat former titleholder, Julianna Peña in a future title fight – following her coronation at UFC 297 over the course of the weekend in Toronto.

Pennington, who co-headlined UFC 297 over the course of the weekend in ‘The Great White North’ – turned in a one-sided unanimous decision win over Mayra Bueno Silva in her second pursuit of the bantamweight crown.

Sidelined herself for the prior year, former champion and The Ultimate Fighter winner, Peña has yet to feature since July 2022, most recently suffering a championship fight loss to common-foe, Amanda Nunes in the pair’s title clash rematch.

And forced from a title trilogy rubber match with Nunes at UFC 289 back in June of last year amid an injury, Peña was replaced by Irene Aldana, with the Mexican suffering a unanimous decision loss in what came as Brazilian favorite, Nunes’ final fight.

Welcoming a first title defense against Peña after her one-sided judging win over Bueno Silva at UFC 297 over the course of the weekend, Raquel Pennington has opened as a -150 betting favorite to beat the +130 betting underdog and former gold holder, Peña if they share the Octagon.

Raquel Pennington backed to beat Julianna Peña in UFC title fight

And mentioning her intentions to score a fight with Raquel Pennington as soon as the summer – Julianna Peña has one eye on a potential International Fight Week event in June, which is slated for Las Vegas, where fans and spectators can choose to play the best slots to play online for real money.

Voicing her interest in a quickfire turnaround against Peña in the immediate aftermath of her title fight victory against Bueno Silva in Canada, Pennington notably pointed to the pair’s stint on the above-mentioned Ultimate Fighter – as an interesting storyline for the duo’s expected grudge fight for gold. 

“That’s the fight that makes sense,” Raquel Pennington said of a bout with Julianna Peña whilst speaking after UFC 297. “ I honestly thought that for the world title it was going to be me and Julianna, but she’s still injured.”

“That relationship just goes back to 2013 when we were both back in The Ultimate Fighter,” Raquel Pennington explained. “Let’s just say, I learned Julianna’s personality then, and it’s kind of one of those where you stay your way, and I’ll stay mine, but you get under my damn skin, I’ve been waiting for that fight for 13 years – whether the title is on the line or not.” 

A potential spanner may be thrown into the works for Peña, however, with the above-noted former duel-weight champion, Nunes appearing not so committal on her June retirement, amid her prior TKO win over Pennington, and failing to close the door completely on a return to the sport. 

“We’ll see what happens, you know,” Amanda Nunes told Megan Olivi following UFC 297. “I’m still young, you know – fresh. You know, like, you never know. We have a lot of things to do, I have a lot of things to figure out at home still – what I’m gonna do. And, we’ll see what happens.”

“I don’t know, you know,” Amanda Nunes explained when asked if the door remained open on her return. “I’m a fighter, you know. This is my job. And I love this so much, and I don’t know.”

Khamzat Chimaev rips Dana White after UFC 297: ‘You promised me I was gonna fight for the title’

Khamzat Chimaev rips Dana White after UFC 297 you promised me a title fightUnbeaten middleweight contender, Khamzat Chimaev has blasted promotional CEO, Dana White following UFC 297 over the weekend, claiming the…

Khamzat Chimaev rips Dana White after UFC 297 you promised me a title fight

Unbeaten middleweight contender, Khamzat Chimaev has blasted promotional CEO, Dana White following UFC 297 over the weekend, claiming the former “promised” him a shot at divisional gold next, and any talk of another challenger to Dricus du Plessis is simply “bullsh*t”.

Chimaev, the current number nine ranked middleweight contender, most recently turned in a close, majority decision win over former undisputed welterweight champion and prior pound-for-pound number one, Kamaru Usman – improving his unbeaten record to 13-0 as a professional to boot.

Khamzat Chimaev frustrated with UFC boss, Dana White

Initially billed to fight former title chaser, Paulo Costa in an official billed title eliminator at UFC 294 until the Brazilian was forced from the bout due to a bursitis injury, Chimaev has hit out at promotional boss, White, for seemingly breaking a “promise” he made of guaranteeing him a title fight after his win over Usman.

“All these guys fight me, but I’m not the only one undefeated and undisputed,” Khamzat Chimaev told ESPN MMA. “13-0, so I don’t know. They [the UFC] promised me after [the] (Kamaru) Usman fight, ‘You will for sure going to fight for the title’, and I win that fight. I don’t know what’s going on. I heard Dana White say stuff like, ‘I don’t think Khamzat is next for the title.’ That’s bullsh*t, man.” 

“If you promised me something, you have to answer for your words,” Khamzat Chimaev explained. “I’m the guy who always answers for my words so I don’t care if it’s some president or something, like a king. If you give me your word, you have to answer for that. So, I grow up, when I give word, you have to answer for it… We’re doing that. I will be happy to answer for my word about killing them, man. So, we’ll see – maybe in the USA, it’s a different mentally.” 

What do you make of Khamzat Chimaev’s spat with Dana White?

Sean Strickland Shows Off Nasty Eye Injury, Disputes Split-Decision Loss at UFC 297: We All Know I Won’

Sean StricklandSean Strickland remains adamant that an illegal headbutt is what changed the trajectory of his UFC 297 title tilt…

Sean Strickland

Sean Strickland remains adamant that an illegal headbutt is what changed the trajectory of his UFC 297 title tilt with Dricus Du Plessis.

After 25 minutes of entertaining action, Strickland came up short on two of the three scorecards, surrendering his middleweight title four months after his shocking upset of Israel Adesanya in September. Like the judges, practically everyone who watched the fight was split on the outcome, including UFC CEO Dana White and Joe Rogan who both suggested that Strickland had done enough to leave Toronto with his title intact.

The stats certainly make a case for Strickland as he outlanded Du Plessis 183 to 140 in significant strikes. Those who agreed with the decision cited the six takedowns from ‘Stillknocks’ as being the difference-maker, but ‘DDP’ was only able to muster up two minutes of control time and zero strikes on the ground.

Does Sean Strickland Have a Legitimate Case For an immediate rematch?

However, if that’s not convincing enough, perhaps an illegal headbutt will have you rethinking the outcome. Taking to social media, ‘Tarzan’ showed off a nasty cut he sustained in the main event. He also presented some pretty compelling evidence to suggest that the course-changing injury came as the result of a clash of heads against the fence.

“We all know I won,” Strickland wrote on X. “The only reason why it wasn’t one sided for 5 rounds is the headbutt took my eye….. Wasn’t touched till the blood took my vision..”

Strickland has an undeniably strong case for an immediate rematch. Unfortunately, it looks as though the UFC will be looking to book Israel Adesanya for Du Plessis’ first defense.

“I’m really enjoying this,” Du Plessis said when asked how winning the championship felt in a post-fight interview. “I would love… There’s another guy who tried to take my shine. He lost his shine. Now I have your shine. Didn’t get into the cage tonight, but Israel Adesanya, get your ass back to the UFC so we could settle the score.