Tag: UFC 304

Tom Aspinall, Jon Jones, Miocic, and Pereira – Aspinall outlines his heavyweight tournament

Tom Aspinall, Jon Jones, Miocic, and Pereira - Aspinall outlines his heavyweight tournamentAfter smashing his way through Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304, Tom Aspinall wants Jon Jones and Alex Pereira —…

Tom Aspinall, Jon Jones, Miocic, and Pereira - Aspinall outlines his heavyweight tournament

After smashing his way through Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304, Tom Aspinall wants Jon Jones and Alex Pereira — on the same night.

Aspinall added another first-round knockout to his highlight reel on Saturday night, dispatching ‘Razor’ in 60 seconds to retain his interim heavyweight title and further establish himself as the best heavyweight on the planet.

Tom Aspinall

Immediately following his eighth career win inside the Octagon, the UK fan favorite once again called for a clash with undisputed king Jon Jones.

However, it was what he said during the post-fight press conference that had everyone talking.

“So, they’re saying Jon Jones and Stipe are going to fight at MSG in November, why don’t we do a tournament: Jon vs. Stipe and me vs. Alex,” Pereira said. “Do a four-man tournament, two fights in one night, and let’s find out who the real Heavyweight champion is.

“We got the greatest Heavyweight of all time, we got the greatest MMA fighter of all time, we got the Light Heavyweight champion, and me who is just a poxy Interim champion. Let’s do that…wouldn’t that be a cool little thing, two fights in one night. I got the lowest average fight time in the UFC, and it’s even lower after tonight; my chances in that tournament are pretty good” (h/t Bloody Elbow).

As epic as that sounds, good luck getting Jon Jones — or the New York State Athletic Commission — to sign off on it.

Jon Jones

Tom Aspinall is on a collision course with Jon Jones

With his win over Bladyes, Aspinall has teed himself up for a clash with the winner of Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, a fight expected to go down at UFC 309, though not yet officially announced.

Over the last several months, rumors have run rampant that Aspinall may never get his chance to fight ‘Bones’ with the consensus GOAT teasing retirement once he takes care of business with Miocic. But considering his response to Aspinall’s big win in Manchester, it looks like Jon Jones may stick around long enough to give fight fans the heavyweight showdown they’re clamoring for.

Jon Jones

“Supply and demand at its finest, I love it,” Jones wrote on X.

Check out highlights from Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 below:

Curtis Blaydes Releases First Statement On 60-Second UFC 304 Loss To Tom Aspinall: ‘Got Greedy When I Touched Him Early’

UFC heavyweight Curtis Blaydes is understandably frustrated to have had his first shot at gold come to a crashing end in quick time. Blaydes was back across the pond this past weekend to share the Octagon with Tom Aspinall in England for the second time. “Razor” previously had his hand raised in 2022 after a […]

Continue Reading Curtis Blaydes Releases First Statement On 60-Second UFC 304 Loss To Tom Aspinall: ‘Got Greedy When I Touched Him Early’ at MMA News.

UFC heavyweight Curtis Blaydes is understandably frustrated to have had his first shot at gold come to a crashing end in quick time.

Blaydes was back across the pond this past weekend to share the Octagon with Tom Aspinall in England for the second time. “Razor” previously had his hand raised in 2022 after a knee injury to the Brit after just 15 seconds.

The American targeted a more definitive victory this time around, as well as the capturing of Aspinall’s interim UFC heavyweight championship. But Blaydes was unable to succeed in that goal at the UFC 304 pay-per-view in Manchester.

In the early hours of Sunday in the UK, Blaydes became the latest victim on Aspinall’s run of rapid finishes, being dropped by a stiff jab and finished with an onslaught of ground-and-pound on the one-minute mark of the very first round.

Having worked so hard to earn his first opportunity at winning gold on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage, Blaydes bemoaned his failure to make the most of it.

Blaydes On UFC 304 Loss: ‘I Threw Out The Amazing Gameplan…That Would’ve Worked

Following his setback in the UFC 304 co-main event, Blaydes released his first public statement on his Instagram Stories.

“Razor” maintained that the strategy devised by his team would have worked and ensured his crowning as interim champ but admitted to deviating from it after catching Aspinall on the feet early.

“Sorry guys, I got greedy when I touched him early and threw out the amazing gameplan that my coaches Vinnie Lopez (and) Cody Donovan came up with that would’ve worked I’m sure of it. No excuses Tom was on point tonight I know this isn’t the end of my journey but damnit, I know I’m better than tonight’s performance. I appreciate all the support truly it’s been an eye opening experience to have so many ppl rocking with me,” Blaydes wrote.

Curtis Blaydes
Image: @razorblaydes265/Instagram

Having insisted that he is far from done, Blaydes will soon turn his attention to the pursuit of a second chance at reaching the heavyweight mountaintop.

Aspinall, meanwhile, has ensured that his reign as interim champ goes on and continues to call for a unification showdown with champion Jon Jones.

While Dana White stated that the Brit will face the winner of Jones’ expected title clash with Stipe Miocic later this year, backlash to that matchup from the community has only grown after Aspinall’s emphatic performance at UFC 304.

Continue Reading Curtis Blaydes Releases First Statement On 60-Second UFC 304 Loss To Tom Aspinall: ‘Got Greedy When I Touched Him Early’ at MMA News.

Israel Adesanya Reacts To Belal Muhammad’s Title Win Over Leon Edwards At UFC 304: ‘I’m A Fan Now!’

Belal Muhammad earned at least one new supporter in the form of Israel Adesanya thanks to his championship crowning at UFC 304. Muhammad upset the odds against home country favorite Leon Edwards to emerge from this past weekend’s pay-per-view event in Manchester, England, with the welterweight title in his possession. Amid doubt from plenty in […]

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya Reacts To Belal Muhammad’s Title Win Over Leon Edwards At UFC 304: ‘I’m A Fan Now!’ at MMA News.

Belal Muhammad earned at least one new supporter in the form of Israel Adesanya thanks to his championship crowning at UFC 304.

Muhammad upset the odds against home country favorite Leon Edwards to emerge from this past weekend’s pay-per-view event in Manchester, England, with the welterweight title in his possession.

Amid doubt from plenty in the MMA community, “Remember the Name” vowed to unseat “Rocky” with a dominant and one-sided display at the Co-op Live. He achieved that feat against most pre-fight predictions, avoiding a few scares across five rounds to secure a convincing victory on the scorecards.

The new champ quickly began his ‘I told you so’ tour in the aftermath of his title win, and among those who could expect a visit given their pre-UFC 304 thoughts on Muhammad’s chances is former two-time middleweight champ Adesanya…

Adesanya Will ‘Remember The Name’ After Muhammad’s UFC 304 Triumph

During a video recently uploaded to his FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel, Adesanya reacted live to the major matchups that played out in the UK this past weekend.

During UFC 304 fight week, “The Last Stylebender” laid his support behind Edwards, a friend of his who is managed by the same team. Adesanya predicted that “Rocky” would simply have too much for the challenger.

Having been proved wrong, the Nigerian-New Zealander had nothing but praise for the victorious Muhammad, noting that he is now a fan of the newly crowned welterweight kingpin.

“He put him on his head! Bro, that rocked him. His head, that was bad. Look at it. That’s bad, bro! Spiked him,” Adesanya said after Muhammad dropped Edwards on his head. “Jesus Christ, Belal. Even if he loses this fight, I’m a fan of him now. I knew his name, of course, but I’ll remember the name.

“Bro, what the f*ck. Yo, Belal’s nice. What Michael (Bisping) just said; he’s fighting fearlessly. He’s fighting in Leon’s home country, coming for his belt, and fighting like this,” Adesanya continued. “Leon knows. But that, what a rally at the end though. … What a story though, Belal, to do that after coming back from the eye poke, now this in his (Edwards’) backyard. Everybody doubting him, including me. Give it up to him, what a story.”

Adesanya certainly doesn’t mark the only doubter whom Muhammad proved wrong on fight night in Manchester. “Remember the Name” made good on his promise to dominate the champ in his backyard — a prediction that not many had entertained pre-fight.

Having extended his unbeaten streak and completed his goal of having the gold wrapped around his waist, Muhammad will now turn his attention to a first defense and beginning to build his championship legacy.

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya Reacts To Belal Muhammad’s Title Win Over Leon Edwards At UFC 304: ‘I’m A Fan Now!’ at MMA News.

Jon Jones Gives First Reaction To Tom Aspinall’s 60-Second Knockout At UFC 304, Post-Fight Callout

UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones didn’t have much to say after his interim counterpart emerged victorious in Manchester this past weekend. With the calls of him and many in the fanbase for a unification showdown with Jones falling on deaf ears, Tom Aspinall returned in the co-main event of UFC 304 to defend his interim […]

Continue Reading Jon Jones Gives First Reaction To Tom Aspinall’s 60-Second Knockout At UFC 304, Post-Fight Callout at MMA News.

UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones didn’t have much to say after his interim counterpart emerged victorious in Manchester this past weekend.

With the calls of him and many in the fanbase for a unification showdown with Jones falling on deaf ears, Tom Aspinall returned in the co-main event of UFC 304 to defend his interim title.

In front of his home fans, the Brit ran it back with Curtis Blaydes, seeking redemption for the setback he fell to after his knee gave way just 15 seconds into their first fight two years ago.

It didn’t take long for Aspinall to succeed in that goal, dropping “Razor” and pummeling him with ground-and-pound for the TKO stoppage in just 60 seconds at the Co-op Live.

The dominant nature of his first interim title defense has only increased calls for the UFC and Jones to abandon plans for a Stipe Miocic fight upon his return from injury.

Jones On UFC 304 Co-Main Event: ‘I Love It…’

A day on from Aspinall’s latest quick night at the office inside the Octagon, Jones took to social media to give his first reaction to the performance and the Englishman’s post-fight callout.

“Supply and demand at its finest, I love it,” Jones wrote.

Pre-fight, Jones had been vocal in dismissing Aspinall’s confidence. The former two-time light heavyweight kingpin suggested that Blaydes was getting the better of the early exchanges in 2022 and could take the Brit down en route to a ground-and-pound stoppage at UFC 304.

“Bones” didn’t directly address Aspinall proving that prediction wrong in emphatic fashion.

Judging by his reaction and Dana White’s words at the UFC 304 post-fight press conference, the plan remains for Jones to face Miocic for the title in November. Miocic hasn’t competed since a knockout loss to Francis Ngannou in 2021.

Continue Reading Jon Jones Gives First Reaction To Tom Aspinall’s 60-Second Knockout At UFC 304, Post-Fight Callout at MMA News.

Dana White Gives Muted Reaction To Belal Muhammad’s Title Win At UFC 304: ‘Wasn’t A Barnburner’

Those who are not fans of Belal Muhammad must have felt justified upon seeing UFC CEO Dana White’s mood at the UFC 304 post-fight press conference immediately following his title win. Muhammad toppled Leon Edwards in the card’s main event via unanimous decision to capture the UFC welterweight championship. Though he was able to get […]

Continue Reading Dana White Gives Muted Reaction To Belal Muhammad’s Title Win At UFC 304: ‘Wasn’t A Barnburner’ at MMA News.

Those who are not fans of Belal Muhammad must have felt justified upon seeing UFC CEO Dana White’s mood at the UFC 304 post-fight press conference immediately following his title win.

Muhammad toppled Leon Edwards in the card’s main event via unanimous decision to capture the UFC welterweight championship. Though he was able to get his shots in on the feet, perhaps his best work came with his strong wrestling background.

“Remember the Name” constantly pressured Edwards, bringing him to the fence on multiple occasions to score takedowns. Muhammad controlled Edwards in a way no one had ever seen before, though Edwards landed nasty elbows in the fight’s closing seconds that could have troubled Muhammad had the fight had more time.

Muhammad’s wrestling-heavy offense has led to him being negatively received by many fans, and it appeared from the moment White wrapped the belt around his waist in the Octagon that the UFC CEO was not impressed.

“It wasn’t a barnburner,” White said matter-of-factly at the press conference.

Dana White Says Belal Muhammad Gameplan Was ‘What You Would Expect’

After that comment, a reporter followed up by asking White if Edwards’ performance — along with others on the card — were compromised by a late start time. The card aired in its usual pay-per-view slot, so the pay-per-view did not begin until 3:10 AM in England after being delayed by 10 minutes due to the prelims running over time.

It should be worth noting that the decision to not move the start time to something more UK-friendly is widely believed to have been an ESPN decision, not UFC’s. Although the extent to which the promotion could have forced alternative plans has been widely debated.

White declined to comment on that matter, suggesting to reporters in Manchester that they’d have to ask Edwards himself about his performance.

The UFC did, however, suggest that he was not surprised by Muhammad’s gameplan given his training time with former undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

“I know Belal has been training with Khabib,” White said. “So his performance is…what you would expect.”

Muhammad and Edwards were competing in a rematch from their initial 2021 battle that ended in a no contest after the former was hit with a bad eye poke.

Both men were on big unbeaten runs. UFC 304 marked “Rocky’s” first loss since his first fight with Kamaru Usman in December 2015. Muhammad, meanwhile, has not lost since a defeat at the hands of Geoff Neal in January 2019.

Continue Reading Dana White Gives Muted Reaction To Belal Muhammad’s Title Win At UFC 304: ‘Wasn’t A Barnburner’ at MMA News.

Paddy Pimblett Sends Message To His Haters Following UFC 304 Win Over King Green: ‘People Are Going To Move The Goal Posts’

Paddy Pimblett made a huge statement at UFC 304, scoring an easy first-round submission of King Green in under four minutes and likely clinching a spot in the UFC’s lightweight rankings. After Pimblett nailed Green with several low kicks early in the fight, the veteran American made a questionable decision by trying to take down […]

Continue Reading Paddy Pimblett Sends Message To His Haters Following UFC 304 Win Over King Green: ‘People Are Going To Move The Goal Posts’ at MMA News.

Paddy Pimblett made a huge statement at UFC 304, scoring an easy first-round submission of King Green in under four minutes and likely clinching a spot in the UFC’s lightweight rankings.

After Pimblett nailed Green with several low kicks early in the fight, the veteran American made a questionable decision by trying to take down “The Baddy,” who is a grappling expert. Pimblett countered with a guillotine before transitioning into a triangle choke, which Pimblett told ESPN MMA’s Megan Olivi after the fight is his favorite kind of submission.

As Pimblett looked for an armbar, Green could be seen unconscious, giving him a submission win.

When Pimblett reflected on how the fight played out, he expressed concern that others might move the goal posts and say that Green, who was ranked No. 15, is not the kind of quality opponent to get him into the rankings.

The Liverpool native, however, had a counterargument in mind.

“First person in the UFC to submit Bobby Green, and that’s like his 25th UFC fight or something like that,” Pimblett said. “Even Islam [Makhachev] couldn’t do that. But people are going to keep underestimating me. People are going to move the goal posts now and say, ‘Oh Bobby is finished, Bobby this, Bobby that,’ when last week it was, ‘Bobby’s going to beat Paddy up. Bobby’s going to do this to him, he’s going to do that, he’s going to dog-walk him.’ What happened?”

Paddy Pimblett May Be Cageside For Renato Moicano vs. Benoît Saint Denis In Paris After UFC 304 Win

In the Octagon at UFC 304, Pimblett called out Renato Moicano for his next fight. Though the two have had exchanges on social media, the Brazilian s currently booked to face Benoît Saint Denis in Paris on September 28.

While Pimblett hopes to be placed at No. 10 in the rankings, he will take being at No. 15, as he looks up toward other contenders to continue his momentum and rise up the 155 ranks.

“Before this Bobby Green fight got made, me and Renato were speaking about each other on Twitter,” Pimblett said. “A lot of people up front of me in the rankings can’t really say no. The only thing about Renato now is that he’s got a fight. He’s fighting BSD in Paris. You never know, might end up going out there. Might end up being cageside for that.”

Moicano and Saint Denis are set to headline the upcoming UFC Fight Night in the French capital, with the former looking to build on his momentum from a knockout of Jalin Turner at UFC 300 and “God of War” hoping to bounce back from his loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 299.

Continue Reading Paddy Pimblett Sends Message To His Haters Following UFC 304 Win Over King Green: ‘People Are Going To Move The Goal Posts’ at MMA News.