Tag: UFC 304

Exclusive – Caolan Loughran bolted from Atlantic City after first UFC win: ‘It’s not the best place in the world’

Caolan Loughran got out of Atlantic City as fast as possible following his first UFC victoryAfter a rough go in his UFC debut, Irish standout Caolan Loughran is ready to make it two-in-a-row inside…

Caolan Loughran got out of Atlantic City as fast as possible following his first UFC victory

After a rough go in his UFC debut, Irish standout Caolan Loughran is ready to make it two-in-a-row inside the Octagon.

‘The Don’ was dealt the first loss of his professional mixed martial arts career at UFC Paris last year, suffering a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Taylor Lapilus. Six months later, he bounced back with a win over Angel Pacheco in Atlantic City, securing his first victory inside the Octagon and moving his overall record to 9-1.

Caolan Loughran

Speaking with Jordan Wright in a LowKick MMA exclusive interview, Loughran revealed that taking his first loss was more of a relief than anything, but he’s ready to continue his climb up the bantamweight ladder at UFC 304 on July 27.

“At the time it was just relief after I took my first professional loss,” Loughran said. “When you win, it wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I’m the f*cking man.’ Honestly, you’re just thinking, ‘Thank f*ck’ and then move forward, but once you get a new fight signed and you look to move up in the division, it’s very quickly back to business. But I’m feeling really good and I’m well prepared for this one.”

Caolan Loughran

Caolan Loughran was not a fan of Atlantic City

Asked if he spent any time celebrating his first UFC win in Atlantic City, Loughran made his feelings about the ‘Vegas of the East Coast’ pretty clear.

“Truth be told, Atlantic City is a sh*thole,” Loughran added. “Not much goes on. We had planned to spend the next day in AC, but very quickly realized it’s not the best place in the world so the next day we all got up and left straight to New York. That was the plan anyway, but we were going to go on Monday. So me, my brother, my sister, and my woman all went up there.

… It was really nice. We got to take it [all] in. That’s the best thing about fighting. Bringing people on the trips and the experiences that come with it, like traveling the world and fighting in the UFC. It’s unbelievable.”

Fortunately, Loughran won’t have to make another 3,000-mile trek to a “sh*thole” for his next fight. On July 27, ‘The Don’ will head to Manchester for a clash with Ramon Taveras, a 10-2 fighter who, like Loughran, will be looking for win number two on MMA’s biggest stage.

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Watch the full exclusive interview with Caolan Loughran below:

Chael Sonnen Laughs Off Daniel Cormier’s Claim About Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall: ‘Is He Drunk?!’

UFC legend Chael Sonnen could not disagree more with a recent opinion Daniel Cormier shared about the heavyweight title picture. The main throne is currently occupied by Jon Jones, who collected the then-vacant belt with a submission of Ciryl Gane in his divisional debut last March. Next to him, however, sits an interim champ in […]

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Laughs Off Daniel Cormier’s Claim About Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall: ‘Is He Drunk?!’ at MMA News.

UFC legend Chael Sonnen could not disagree more with a recent opinion Daniel Cormier shared about the heavyweight title picture.

The main throne is currently occupied by Jon Jones, who collected the then-vacant belt with a submission of Ciryl Gane in his divisional debut last March. Next to him, however, sits an interim champ in the form of Tom Aspinall.

The Manchester, England, native captured that gold after Jones’ scheduled defense against Stipe Miocic last November was canceled due to an injury. With Aspinall capitalizing by knocking out Sergei Pavlovich, many initially expected Jones to meet the Brit in a unification showdown upon his return from the sidelines.

But both the Rochester native and the UFC have other plans. While Aspinall gears up to defend his interim strap against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 on July 27, Jones is expected to welcome Miocic back to the cage in November.

That situation has left many in the community — fighters, fans, and pundits — less than pleased, with plenty expressing a lack of interest in the Miocic fight and disdain at the champ’s dismissal of his interim counterpart.

According to Cormier, a former heavyweight titleholder himself, those voices will only get louder should Aspinall run through Blaydes in Manchester, so much so that the UFC could be forced into a change.

Sonnen To Cormier: ‘Did You Hurt Your Head? Fall Off A Ladder?’

During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen reacted to Cormier’s take with utter bemusement.

“The Bad Guy” insisted that no manner of victory for Aspinall could outdo his title-winning performance against Pavlovich last November. And seeing that such a display on that occasion did little to budge Jones and the UFC from their plans, Sonnen laughed off the suggestion a win over Blaydes could.

“Is he (Cormier) drunk? Did he hurt his head? Did he fall off a ladder or something like this? Is he working on a comedy routine? I ask because he thinks that Tom Aspinall, with a proper victory, could take Stipe’s fight against Jon Jones away,” Sonnen said. “He can’t be serious, right?! He said with a proper performance, gotta be an absolute drubbing…Aspinall’s gotta go out there in front of his people and whip Curtis Blaydes, and there could be such an uprising by you, the crowd, that UFC would have no choice but to give Tom the fight.

“There’s no way he believes that, right? Sometimes you say things and it’s on accident. In a normal situation you’d cut, edit that out, give me another shot. But, you’re live. And you look back and go, ‘That’s not at all what I meant.’ I’m assuming that’s what happened here,” Sonnen continued. “There’s nothing that can be done to Curtis Blaydes that would be worse than what happened to Sergei. And there is no amount of eyes on this match that is going to have the focus and the interest, thus making a victory potentially by Tom more incredible. To act as though that could interfere with a contractual agreement on a fight…what in the blue hell are you talking about?!”

Nevertheless, Aspinall will hope to give Cormier’s theory the chance to play out by delivering a devastatingly dominant performance in his rematch against Blaydes later this month on home soil.

The interim heavyweight title will be contested in the first of two championship fights at UFC 304, with Leon Edwards subsequently defending his welterweight belt against Belal Muhammad in the main event.

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Laughs Off Daniel Cormier’s Claim About Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall: ‘Is He Drunk?!’ at MMA News.

Manel Kape Not Impressed With Muhammad Mokaev’s Undefeated Run Ahead Of UFC 304: ‘There Always Has To Be Bad Blood!’

Manel Kape recently downplayed Muhammad Mokaev’s undefeated streak in the Octagon, expressing that he remains unfazed by his opponent’s record ahead of their highly anticipated showdown at UFC 304. The two elite flyweight contenders are set to clash on the main card of the UFC’s upcoming pay-per-view event, scheduled for July 27 at the Co-op […]

Continue Reading Manel Kape Not Impressed With Muhammad Mokaev’s Undefeated Run Ahead Of UFC 304: ‘There Always Has To Be Bad Blood!’ at MMA News.

Manel Kape recently downplayed Muhammad Mokaev’s undefeated streak in the Octagon, expressing that he remains unfazed by his opponent’s record ahead of their highly anticipated showdown at UFC 304.

The two elite flyweight contenders are set to clash on the main card of the UFC’s upcoming pay-per-view event, scheduled for July 27 at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England.

“Starboy” enters the fight, riding a four-fight win streak. However, his momentum has been hampered in recent years due to a series of injuries, fight cancellations, and a weight miss. In his last outing, Kape secured a unanimous decision victory over Felipe dos Santos after an intense, back-and-forth battle at UFC 293 in September 2023.

In contrast, Mokaev has faced no issues with staying active since his promotional debut in 2022. He is currently on a six-fight win streak in the Octagon and remains unbeaten throughout his amateur and professional career.

Despite being overlooked for a title shot at UFC 301 in favor of Steve Erceg, who fought reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja, “The Punisher” has a chance to cement his title aspirations with another victory. He is coming off a dominant unanimous decision win against Alex Perez at the UFC Apex this past March.

Mokaev has long been calling out Kape on social media, stoking the fires of their rivalry to a fever pitch. Ahead of their fight, the verbal jabs are already flying, with the 30-year-old Portuguese fighter believing his opponent still lacks the qualities needed to impress him…

Kape Brands Himself ‘Biggest Test,’ Insists Mokaev’s Game Has Weaknesses

During a recent interview with InsideFighting, “Starboy” was questioned about his preference for matchups that come with a built-in grudge.

“There always has to be a bad blood,” Kape replied. “Because he is coming to take what is mine, you know, I’m coming to take what is yours, so there is no peace by the way between me and my opponents. Only after the fight, there is peace, but before that, there is no peace; we all want to win.”

Kape proclaimed himself as the toughest challenge “The Punisher” will ever encounter in the Octagon. The Portuguese fighter acknowledged Mokaev’s solid technique yet remained unimpressed by his undefeated streak, suggesting that the Russian-born Enlishman’s skills lack the necessary depth to truly challenge him.

“He wanted a bigger test; I’m the biggest test of this division, so there you go, you ask for something they deliver… I can’t say he impressed me because it’s difficult very for someone to impress me, but he’s doing well. I’m not impressed because I see a lot of mistakes that show the difference between an excellent fighter and a championship-material.”

Continue Reading Manel Kape Not Impressed With Muhammad Mokaev’s Undefeated Run Ahead Of UFC 304: ‘There Always Has To Be Bad Blood!’ at MMA News.

MMA News Today: UFC 304 Star Paddy Pimblett Becomes Latest To Request Custom Shorts, Two Former UFC Champs Could Box In ONE Championship, & More

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 10, 2024, we’re taking a look at: Paddy Pimblett Requests Signature Orange Shorts For His UFC 304 Return In recent times, certain high profile UFC fighters have been granted custom shorts from Venum that they […]

Continue Reading MMA News Today: UFC 304 Star Paddy Pimblett Becomes Latest To Request Custom Shorts, Two Former UFC Champs Could Box In ONE Championship, & More at MMA News.

Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 10, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

  • Pimblett has a special request ahead of June 27
  • ‘Rampage’ vs Rashad Evans could potentially box in ONE Championship
  • Ankalaev resumes pursuit of Pereira

Paddy Pimblett Requests Signature Orange Shorts For His UFC 304 Return

In recent times, certain high profile UFC fighters have been granted custom shorts from Venum that they helped design.

The likes of Max Holloway, Justin Gaethje, Zhang Weili, Dustin Poirier and Alex Pereira have all stepped inside the Octagon with their own distinct looks.

Paddy Pimblett is hoping that he will be able to add his name to this list when he returns at UFC 304 later this month.

“The Baddy” put a post up on Instagram of him reaching out to the UFC’s apparel partner to make a special request before facing King (formerly Bobby) Green in Manchester.

During his days in Cage Warriors, before he signed to the UFC, Pimblett was known for competing in bright orange shorts – which he wants to bring back in front of the UK fans.

‘Rampage’ Jackson Says Boxing Clash With Rashad Evans Is Being Spoken About For Later This Year

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has had to wait a long time to make his debut in boxing due to the saga with Shannon Briggs that never led anywhere.

Now, he has changed his focus and could be set to square off with one of his greatest rivals once again.

Jackson and Rashad Evans fought back at UFC 114 where Evans won via a unanimous decision following one of the most memorable seasons of The Ultimate Fighter.

“Rampage” recently stated during an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast that he could be set to box Evans, with ONE Championship potentially hosting the contest at their event (ONE 169) in Atlanta on November 8.

“He’s still trying, but I lost my faith in Shannon [Briggs],” Jackson said. “I don’t know if he’s going to get it done. He talks a good game. I hope he get it done. If he ever gets it done, I’ll be game to fight him, but right now, I guess my first boxing match is going to be against Rashad. I need to get that win back.”

Magomed Ankalaev Continues To Call Out Alex Pereira Following UFC 303

Magomed Ankalaev has been as vocal as ever following the UFC light heavyweight title fight that took place at UFC 303 on June 29.

After missing out on the title shot with the champion Alex Pereira instead facing Ji?í Procházka in a rematch, Ankalaev believes that he is the next in line.

He believes that “Poatan” does not want to fight him and is therefore continuing to call him out whilst making bold predictions for the fight.

His latest post spoke about why this fight needs to happen next, reaffirming that he will stop Pereira once they meet inside the Octagon.

“@AlexPereiraUFC kept away from me for a reason, and I do understand this is business @ufc best fight the best and he is the best for now I will keep my (word),” Ankalaev wrote on X. “I will knock him out. @Mickmaynard2 @danawhite nothing better than you’ve seen an event somebody going to sleep”

Read more on the story here.

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Continue Reading MMA News Today: UFC 304 Star Paddy Pimblett Becomes Latest To Request Custom Shorts, Two Former UFC Champs Could Box In ONE Championship, & More at MMA News.

Leon Edwards open to super fight with Islam Makhachev after UFC 304: ‘I can see that happening’

Leon Edwards open to super fight with Islam Makhachev after UFC 304 I can see that happeningAhead of his return at the end of the month in the main event of UFC 304, incumbent welterweight…

Leon Edwards open to super fight with Islam Makhachev after UFC 304 I can see that happening

Ahead of his return at the end of the month in the main event of UFC 304, incumbent welterweight champion, Leon Edwards has welcomed a potential super fight against current lightweight kingpin, Islam Makhachev, claiming he can definitely forsee a pairing between himself and the Russian soon.

Edwards, the current undisputed welterweight champion, returns this month in Manchester, headlining UFC 304 in a rematch against his fellow surging star, Belal Muhammad in a re-run of their official ‘No Contest’ showdown back in 2020.

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Sidelined since last December, Birmingham native, Edwards most recently racked up his second successful defense of the 170lbs championship, turning in a one-sided unanimous decision shutout win over former interim gold holder, Colby Covington.

makhachev title

Leon Edwards welcomes super fight with Islam Makhachev after UFC 304

And forever linked with a super fight against current pound-for-pound lightweight champion, Makhachev for his own welterweight crown, Edwards admitted that while both himself and the 155lbs kingpin has some more work to do, they will likely meet down the line.

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“For sure, for sure,” Leon Edwards said of a title fight with Islam Makhachev during an interview with talkSPORT. “I feel like we’ve both got work to do within our division… We’re both on similar paths so I can see that happening in the future. I would like to move up as well, and challenge for the middleweight belt.”

Earlier this week to boot, Team Renegade MMA & BJJ mainstay, Edwards received a call out from former foe, Nate Diaz – who welcomed the chance to take on his past rival in a welterweight championship rematch, off the back of his own boxing win over Jorge Masvidal. 

Who would win in a future title super fight: Leon Edwards or Islam Makhachev?

‘Me When I Lie’ – Fans React To Belal Muhammad’s Manager Predicting Finish In Leon Edwards Title Fight At UFC 304

Betting on the main event of UFC 304 to go the full five rounds on July 27 likely isn’t going to offer you large returns. Both Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad have been on dominant winning streaks in the welterweight division but neither the champion nor the challenger are particularly known for finishing fights. With […]

Continue Reading ‘Me When I Lie’ – Fans React To Belal Muhammad’s Manager Predicting Finish In Leon Edwards Title Fight At UFC 304 at MMA News.

Betting on the main event of UFC 304 to go the full five rounds on July 27 likely isn’t going to offer you large returns.

Both Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad have been on dominant winning streaks in the welterweight division but neither the champion nor the challenger are particularly known for finishing fights.

With Edwards’ very composed and calculated striking style and Muhammad’s brand of heavy and relentless grappling, they have seven finishes between them inside the Octagon.

That being said, just under half of the Brit’s professional wins have come by stoppage, whereas Muhammad has 17 wins by decision and six finishes to his name, the last of which came against Sean Brady at UFC 280 in 2022.

Despite this track record, the challenger’s managed recently made the bold prediction that his fighter will become the new welterweight champion without the need of the championship rounds.

“@bullyb170 will stop Leon Edwards under three rounds,” Ali Abdelaziz wrote.

MMA Fans React To Ali Abdelaziz Claiming Belal Muhammad Will Finish Leon Edwards

If there is one criticism that is often thrown the way of Muhammad, it’s that he doesn’t finish enough fights or that his style isn’t the most exciting.

It’s undeniable that he is incredibly effective, but there is an argument to be made that this approach has made it harder for him to find himself in position for a title shot.

Fans reacted on social media to Abdelaziz believing that Muhammad will earn his fourth finish in the UFC against the man that he last faced in 2021.

“Belal can’t finish a sandwich.”

“Fight goes to decision is gonna be like -1000”

“Even Belal said that’s not happening”

“Me when I lie”

Continue Reading ‘Me When I Lie’ – Fans React To Belal Muhammad’s Manager Predicting Finish In Leon Edwards Title Fight At UFC 304 at MMA News.