Tag: UFC 303

Paul Craig Reacts To Reasoning Behind Joe Pyfer’s Fiery Post-UFC 303 Callout: ‘This Guy’s F*cked In The Head!’

UFC middleweight veteran Paul Craig was left confused by Joe Pyfer’s agitated callout following his UFC 303 victory. Pyfer made a statement in his return to the win column late last month at the International Fight Week pay-per-view, bouncing back from his first UFC setback in emphatic and violent fashion. Months on from a decision […]

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UFC middleweight veteran Paul Craig was left confused by Joe Pyfer’s agitated callout following his UFC 303 victory.

Pyfer made a statement in his return to the win column late last month at the International Fight Week pay-per-view, bouncing back from his first UFC setback in emphatic and violent fashion.

Months on from a decision defeat to Jack Hermansson in their UFC Fight Night main event at the Apex, “Bodybagz” was back putting his finishing ability on full display at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, where he stopped Canada’s Marc-André Barriault in less than 90 seconds.

In the aftermath, a fired up Pyfer set his sights back on securing a place in the middleweight top 15, this time by targeting the formerly ranked Paul Craig.

More than just a random callout, the New Jersey native revealed a grudge he’s held for months as the motive behind his desire to share the cage with the Scottish vet.

“He just looked at me weird one time and I don’t even think he remembers, but I hold grudges, so f*ck him,” Pyfer said at the UFC 303 post-fight press conference. “I don’t like the dude. That’s the only thing I can say is I don’t really like the guy. There’s something about his f*cking face. It’s also his antics. He gets in your face and be all theatrical, but then he gets touched, and he falls on to the ground like a back princess.

“I think it makes sense, too. Logistically, I think it makes sense. He was number 14, and then he fought Caio (Borralho) and lost. I don’t know where he’s at, if 15 or just outside the rankings, and I’m number 19, so let’s line it up,” Pyfer continued. “That’s what I’m interested in, so why not?”

Craig Bemused By Pyfer’s Reasoning For ‘Disliking’ Him

During a recent episode of his Leather’d Podcast, Craig was shown Pyfer clarifying his reasoning behind calling him out during an appearance on The MMA Hour.

The clip showed “Bodybagz” recalling crossing paths with Craig while in attendance at Boston’s TD Garden for UFC 292 last August. Pyfer appeared offended not to have been given some sort of nod of respect from “Bearjew.”

Suffice to say, Craig was baffled by that justification.

“I don’t (know who he is). A guy nods at me, ‘What the f*ck, who is this guy?’” Craig said. “So what was it, in Boston I didn’t give him a nod? That’s f*cking — this guy’s f*cked in the head (laughs). Man, if that’s what gets you hard.

“So he’s been since Boston thinking about this, ‘This guy never gave me a nod. How could he do that?!’ Like, who the f*ck are you?” Craig continued. “It was a good knockout (at UFC 303). Gotta give him props for that.”

It remains to be seen whether Pyfer will get the opportunity to settle what appears to be a firmly one-sided feud, and one which Craig didn’t even know existed until a couple of weeks ago.

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Chael Sonnen Accuses Ji?í Procházka Of ‘Being A Baby’ In Reaction To UFC 303 Loss

Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen believes Ji?í Procházka is producing a great example for other fighters when it comes to how not to handle a defeat. Just over two years on from his memorable crowning in Singapore at the expense of Glover Teixeira, Procházka looked to regain the light heavyweight crown in the main […]

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Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen believes Ji?í Procházka is producing a great example for other fighters when it comes to how not to handle a defeat.

Just over two years on from his memorable crowning in Singapore at the expense of Glover Teixeira, Procházka looked to regain the light heavyweight crown in the main event of UFC 303 this past weekend.

In what marked his second attempt at achieving two-time champ status opposite Alex Pereira, “BJP” once again fell short. While their first showdown at Madison Square Garden last year had some controversy owing to cries of early stoppage, there was no doubt about “Poatan’s” superiority on June 29.

In the aftermath of his sophomore setback to the Brazilian knockout artist, Procházka released his first statement in the form of a video on his social accounts. In it, the Czech star gave an honest assessment of his defeat in Las Vegas, admitting that he either has to “evolve” or not return to the Octagon.

While some have praised that mindset, one former fighter was not impressed…

Sonnen Questions Procházka’s Focus On ‘Outcome,’ Not ‘Performance’

During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen looked back on Procházka’s performance in Las Vegas and assessed his first post-fight statement on social media.

“The Bad Guy” pointed to the former champ’s statement regarding the need to evolve, suggesting that usually leads to changes such as a team switch, which in turn signals the “beginning of the end” for a fighter.

In simple terms, Sonnen described “BJP’s” remarks as the defeated light heavyweight “being a baby.”

“Ji?í Procházka, already talking to the fans, already doing some weird Ji?í stuff, and I don’t know, man, being a baby. I don’t know,” Sonnen said. “I turned this camera on, I wanted to make a nice piece about Ji?í. I haven’t met him but I appreciate him. And I recognize the incredible grit to that guy. I mean, a real tough guy. … He is not going to give up. He says he’s got to either evolve or he’s got to quit. It’s just a very interesting statement.

“I do understand what Ji?í’s saying…he’s talking about, you know, ‘I’m not going to settle in. I’m here to be champion, and I don’t have the skills and tools needed right now to deal with this threat,’ which is Pereira. … That’s a very dangerous game. In theory, that is absolutely right…it’s just an interesting game in practice,” Sonnen continued. “When you attempt to evolve, the first thing that traditionally happens is you leave your current situation. … It’s generally the beginning of the end. … You can’t, when you lose a contest, decide that that’s the time you’ve got to change things. You can’t be outcome-based. It’s a huge mistake. Champions don’t make it but the top contenders do. If you are outcome-based as opposed to performance-based, you’re really missing the number one philosophy that you need to be successful.”

It remains to be seen when Procházka will look to get back into the cage following his latest setback to Pereira, or even if.

Should he take time away and return once again in pursuit of two-time champ status, however, it stands to reason that the Czech star will do so looking to show new wrinkles and improvements to his game.

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Jamahal Hill All Praise For ‘Evolved’ Alex Pereira After UFC 303 Performance: ‘Beautiful Adjustments, Bro!’

Jamahal Hill was sure to have a close eye on the main event of UFC 303 this past weekend when the light heavyweight title was on the line. “Sweet Dreams” was unsuccessful in reclaiming the title at UFC 300 after he was stopped by Alex Pereira in the main event. Saturday night saw “Poatan” secure […]

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Jamahal Hill was sure to have a close eye on the main event of UFC 303 this past weekend when the light heavyweight title was on the line.

“Sweet Dreams” was unsuccessful in reclaiming the title at UFC 300 after he was stopped by Alex Pereira in the main event.

Saturday night saw “Poatan” secure another title defense, this time in a rematch with former champion Ji?í Procházka where he beat him even more impressively than the first time around.

Hill broke the fight down in a video on his YouTube channel where despite his hunger to avenge his loss and take back the title, he gave lots of credit to his former opponent.

Jamahal Hill Says Alex Pereira Looked Better Than Ever At UFC 303

In his breakdown of the fight, Hill spoke about a few things that he noticed from Pereira that were different to his previous fights inside the UFC.

Heading into this highly anticipated rematch, a lot was said about how Procházka was winning the first fight against “Poatan” until he was caught by his opponent’s lethal left hook.

Hill pointed out how Pereira was able to take control of the fight much earlier on this occasion and dominate the contest until it was over, unlike many of his other fights.

“Great main event, absolutely dominant performance by Alex from start to finish. I believe this is honestly probably the first that I’ve seen where Alex came out and won the fight from start until he got the finish. He didn’t have to come back and, it was still some adversity, Ji?í still presented his challenges in it but he adapted and he made good adjustments.”

Hill also spoke about the technique that Pereira used to set up his left hook that once again spelled the beginning of the end for Procházka.

Having been on the end of an advancing, lunging left hook from the champion in April, Hill analyzed how his former foe made the adjustment in order to land the strike as a counter whilst moving away from his opponent, different to what he did back at UFC 295.

“The adjustment that I seen that Alex made from that was the check hook. More so before, you see him in come like he steps in with that hook and he tries to land it leaning in and throwing his power forward. This time we seen him implement it from more of a defensive and a counteractive manner in this particular fighting sequence.

“The first hook that he landed on Ji?í, he hit him and you could see the eyes roll, you could see him get dazed a little bit. From there, he landed another one that kind of wobbled him, that kind of shook the legs a little bit and then he landed the one at the end of the round that put him out, that put him on his back. It’s beautiful adjustments bro, beautiful adjustments. He looked evolved, he looked like he’s taking more steps and getting better as a fighter.”

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Henry Cejudo Still Unconvinced By Alex Pereira Despite UFC 303 KO Win: ‘He’s Not Mentioning Jon Jones Because I Think He Knows…’

Alex Pereira saved UFC 303 by knocking out Ji?í Procházka in the second round with a vicious head kick. He walked out of the Octagon with minimal damage, and fans are already discussing his next fight. At light heavyweight, Magomed Ankalaev is seemingly the only fighter with a case for a title challenge. However, more […]

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Alex Pereira saved UFC 303 by knocking out Ji?í Procházka in the second round with a vicious head kick. He walked out of the Octagon with minimal damage, and fans are already discussing his next fight.

At light heavyweight, Magomed Ankalaev is seemingly the only fighter with a case for a title challenge. However, more fans want “Poatan” to move up a weight class and have a super fight with Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall.

Apart from the loss to Israel Adesanya, Pereira has mostly looked invincible in the UFC. Is he really that good or is he yet to be properly tested by a superior grappler? Here’s Henry Cejudo’s two cents on the matter…

Henry Cejudo Expects Alex Pereira To Fight ‘Well-Rounded Wrestler’ Before Taking On Jon Jones

In a recent episode uploaded on the Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry, the former UFC champions discussed the UFC 303 main event. “Triple C” congratulated the Brazilian but quickly pointed out how the outcome wasn’t surprising because the fight didn’t go to the ground.

According to Cejudo, Procházka should’ve avoided a battle on the feet as Pereira will always have an edge there. He also thinks that the UFC light heavyweight champion still needs to beat a remarkable wrestler like Ankalaev to prove his well-roundedness.

“It’s not until Alex Pereira really fights somebody like Ankalaev where I’m gonna say, ‘okay, this guy is the…’ is he the real deal? 100 percent but, could he get past a well-rounded wrestler? Someone who’s going to bring in the grappling?”

“Triple C” criticized Pereira’s past opponents in the UFC’s light heavyweight division for trying to strike with him. Like many, he believes that fights with heavyweights Jones and Aspinall will truly test his mettle because of the wrestling.

“The IQ of the light heavyweight division, dude, I think everybody just wants to strike, Kamaru. I think that’s where everything goes wrong.”

Cejudo claims that Pereira hasn’t talked about fighting Jones because it won’t be his ideal matchup. This is also why the former UFC double champ is excited to see Pereira vs. Ankalaev at light heavyweight first.

“Either way, Alex Pereira, he’s not mentioning Jon Jones because I think he knows that Jon Jones has that special sauce, and it’s called wrestling. But that being said, I want to see the fight with Ankalaev.”

Continue Reading Henry Cejudo Still Unconvinced By Alex Pereira Despite UFC 303 KO Win: ‘He’s Not Mentioning Jon Jones Because I Think He Knows…’ at MMA News.

Dan Ige Reveals He Didn’t Even Know Weight Class For Short-Notice UFC 303 Fight: ‘The Only Thing I Read Was Numbers…’

Dan Ige stepped in on four hours’ notice to fight Diego Lopes in the co-main event of UFC 303. The fight was a fairly entertaining affair, with Lopes securing the first two and Ige bouncing back in the third. On June 13, 2024, Ortega vs. Lopes was announced as the co-main event for UFC 303. […]

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Dan Ige stepped in on four hours’ notice to fight Diego Lopes in the co-main event of UFC 303. The fight was a fairly entertaining affair, with Lopes securing the first two and Ige bouncing back in the third.

On June 13, 2024, Ortega vs. Lopes was announced as the co-main event for UFC 303. Just before the weigh-ins, the bout was shifted to lightweight from featherweight.

Things took another turn as Ortega pulled out due to illness on fight night. This is when Ige agreed to fight Lopes at a catchweight of 165 pounds – only he didn’t even know that that was the weight limit for the fight.

Dan Ige Reveals How He Happened To Be On Weight To Fight Diego Lopes At UFC 303

Ige recently appeared on the Michael Bisping YouTube channel and discussed his initial reaction to fighting on four hours’ notice. His first thought was to eat for energy and get hydrated.

“I was in the kitchen, just grabbing things, like what am I doing? What do I do with my hands? I was just like, I gotta eat, I gotta fuel. I’m like, starting to grab things. I’m like, what do I, what do I need? I start hydrating because I was like, if I’m gonna fight, need to be hydrated.”

Amidst these worries, “50k” admits to not even checking the weight mentioned on the contract before signing it. He claims to be more intrigued by the paycheck and the opportunity to do something unprecedented.

“I didn’t even know I had to weigh in Bisping. I didn’t know how this was working. They told me, they’re like, what do you weigh? I was like, I was 164-165 this morning, somewhere along those lines. So, they sent me the contract, it said 165 for the bout agreement, I didn’t read. Only thing I read was numbers because I was like sweet, the money’s in there, we’re good.”

Ige then revealed he wasn’t expecting to weigh in officially for the fight. However, his concerns regarding missing weight and its impact on his purse were cleared as he stepped on the scale at 164.5 lbs.

The new UFC 303 co-main event was announced as soon as the short-notice fighter made weight, and the rest is history.

Read More: Ian Garry Frustrated At Getting Another Decision

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Colby Covington Reacts To Ian Garry’s Latest Victory At UFC 303: ‘Anybody Could Be 15-0 Fighting 15 Bums’

UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington unsurprisingly had a firm take on rival Ian Garry’s recent success inside the Octagon. Garry emerged victorious from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas this past weekend, where he opened the UFC 303 pay-per-view card alongside striking specialist Michael “Venom” Page. The pair didn’t set the cage alight as some were expecting, […]

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UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington unsurprisingly had a firm take on rival Ian Garry’s recent success inside the Octagon.

Garry emerged victorious from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas this past weekend, where he opened the UFC 303 pay-per-view card alongside striking specialist Michael “Venom” Page.

The pair didn’t set the cage alight as some were expecting, with the Irishman instead utilizing his grappling to get the better of “MVP” in rounds one and three to secure a unanimous decision triumph on the scorecards.

In the lead-up, the former Cage Warriors champion expressed absolutely no interest in squaring off with Page at UFC 303, an event at which he’d initially hoped to face Covington as the co-headlining act for Conor McGregor’s return.

“Chaos” publicly dismissed that matchup, branding Garry a “nobody.” And he believes that stance has been vindicated having seen the Dubliner’s efforts on Saturday night…

Covington On Garry’s UFC 303 Performance: ‘That Was Pathetic!’

During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Covington provided his thoughts on Garry’s decision win over Page on June 29, which extended his perfect professional record to 15-0.

“Chaos” laughed off mention of that unblemished slate, suggesting that Garry has built it by fighting “bums.” And while insisting that “The Future’s” performance was well below requirement, Covington mentioned UFC CEO Dana White’s take on the UFC 303 main card opener to support his point.

“Fighting cans from the Indian Casinos league, oh, big deal,” Covington said. “Anybody could be 15-0 fighting a bunch of 15 bums. Even Dana White himself said what he thought of the performance. He thought it was a draw. He doesn’t think there should have been a winner.

“I feel bad for the fans. The fans got robbed of a pay-per-view opener. That was pathetic. That guy’s fighting the number 14 guy in the world and barely scraping by,” Covington continued. “I think he lost the fight. I feel bad for the fans. They got robbed. But it just shows how much of a bum he is. … He was willing too do whatever he wanted to get on the Conor McGregor card because his name’s ‘Corner McGregor,’ the Conor McGregor wannabe. He pulled all these strings to get on the Conor card and then Conor left him on the alter. … The guy’s an absolute nobody and he’s a bum.”

Although much of Garry’s focus following his win over Geoff Neal in February was on Covington, it would appear that he’s accepted the sailing of that ship.

Rather than reiterating a desire to face “Chaos” post-UFC 303, the Irishman instead mentioned Shavkat Rakhmonov and Kamaru Usman as desirable next foes. It remains to be seen who Garry will share the cage with next, but after a third straight decision, he’ll no doubt be looking to finish whoever it is inside the distance. 

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