Tag: ufc 307

Photos – Ilia Topuria begins training camp ahead of UFC 307 title fight with Max Holloway in Utah

Ilia Topuria begins camp for UFC 307 title fight with Max Holloway in UtahExpected to make his return to the Octagon at the end of summer in Salt Lake City, undisputed featherweight…

Ilia Topuria begins camp for UFC 307 title fight with Max Holloway in Utah

Expected to make his return to the Octagon at the end of summer in Salt Lake City, undisputed featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria has begun his training camp for a title clash with Max Holloway – according to his physical therapist. 

Topuria, the current undisputed featherweight champion, headlined UFC 298 back in February of this year, landed the divisional title with a devastating second round win over common-foe, Alexander Volkanovski – felling the Aussie with a brutal knockout win.

Joe Rogan claims Ilia Topuria turned down UFC 305 rematch with Alexander Volkanovski in Perth
Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – USA TODAY Sports

As for Holloway, the former featherweight champion snatched the symbolic BMF championship on the main card of UFC 300 just months later, turning in a highlight-reel, buzzer-beating knockout win over Justin Gaethje in his return to the lightweight limit.

And planning a featherweight divisional drop amid his hellacious finish of former interim champion, Gaethje, Hawaiian star, Holloway is in line to take on unbeaten finisher, Topuria in October in the promotion’s yearly return to Utah – for a UFC 307 flagship card.

Ilia Topuria eyes biggest fight in history against Conor McGregor in UFC Spain debut
Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – USA TODAY Sports

Ilia Topuria’s physical therapist confirms camp is underway for UFC 307

Beginning training camp as per his physical therapist, Fran Ortega – Spaniard force, Topuria will attempt to land his first successful defense of the featherweight throne later this annum.

Max Holloway UFC 300 QA

“We start the training camp with the Matador @iliatopuia,” Ortega posted on his official Instagram account, accompanied by pictures of Ilia Topuria taking part in a medical check. “Assessment and measurement.”

Expected to make his return to 145lbs at the event in Salt Lake City, former divisional kingpin, Holloway’s most recent outing at the weight class saw him send veteran South Korean favorite, Chan Sung Jung into retirement with a brutal walk-off knockout at UFC Fight Night Singapore.

Prior to his wins over Gaethje and Jung with brutal striking, 32-year-old fan-favorite, Holloway would land an impressive unanimous decision win over then-streaking challenger, Arnold Allen in the main event of UFC Fight Night Kansas City in an impressive annum for the Honolulu native.

Who wins in a UFC 307 title clash: Ilia Topuria or Max Holloway?

Kayla Harrison On UFC Bantamweight Title Shot Snub: ‘Dana Is A Man Of His Word…’

Former PFL star Kayla Harrison is set to return at UFC 307 where she faces Ketlen Vieira in a huge fight for the bantamweight division. With Vieira being ranked at #2 and Harrison at #3, the next title contender will surely be whichever woman gets her …

Former PFL star Kayla Harrison is set to return at UFC 307 where she faces Ketlen Vieira in a huge fight for the bantamweight division. With Vieira being ranked at #2 and Harrison at #3, the next title contender will surely be whichever woman gets her hand raised in Salt Lake City. However, some fans, […]

Continue Reading Kayla Harrison On UFC Bantamweight Title Shot Snub: ‘Dana Is A Man Of His Word…’ at MMA News.

Aljamain Sterling Calls Movsar Evloev A Drug Cheat: ‘Same Thing People Were Saying About TJ Dillashaw…’

Aljamain Sterling may not hold any ill-will against his next opponent but he does have some serious accusations about him. At UFC 307, the former bantamweight champion will look to produce back-to-back wins since moving up to featherweight. In order to build on his UFC 300 victory over Calvin Kattar, he will need to hand […]

Continue Reading Aljamain Sterling Calls Movsar Evloev A Drug Cheat: ‘Same Thing People Were Saying About TJ Dillashaw…’ at MMA News.

Aljamain Sterling may not hold any ill-will against his next opponent but he does have some serious accusations about him.

At UFC 307, the former bantamweight champion will look to produce back-to-back wins since moving up to featherweight.

In order to build on his UFC 300 victory over Calvin Kattar, he will need to hand Movsar Evloev the first loss of his career.

The 18-0 Russian has clearly been one of the best in the division since his arrival in the UFC but in “Funkmaster”, faces a very tough test.

Sterling recently made some comments to suggest that all of Evloev’s accomplishments have been unfairly assisted during his career.

Aljamain Sterling Says He’s Heard Stories Of Movsar Evloev Being A Drug Cheat, Teaching Others His Methods

In a recent interview with Jake Noecker for Home of Fight, Sterling said that he believes that Evloev has been cheating at some stage in his career by using performance-enhancing drugs.

He said that he has his suspicions as to whether his upcoming opponent in Salt Lake City on October 5 is a clean athlete because of things that he has been told in the past.

Though he did make it very clear that he has no firm evidence of this, Sterling says that they have mutual friends that he used to train with, who are now a part of Evloev’s camp or were, at one point in time.

The former 135-pound king compared what he has heard to when Cody Garbrandt acted as a whistle-blower against his former teammate TJ Dillashaw and wasn’t taken seriously, only for the former champion to later test positive for EPO.

“I just think, from what I’ve heard through the grapevine, he’s not a clean athlete and I think that’s just what it comes down to and people can say whatever, ‘You have no proof.’ I’m like dude, the same thing people were saying about TJ Dillashaw from years ago, him teaching people how to do it, Cody Garbrandt calling him out at the press conference and everyone sweeping it under the rug, telling TJ to his face that you taught everyone how to do it. Those conversations are not very different from what I’ve had about Movsar and I think where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

“Do I have any hard evidence like did I see the guy stick a needle up his a**? No. Did he pop for anything yet? No, maybe he never will but at the day, only him and his consciousness will know if he’s truly a clean athlete or not and I really so believe, I truly do believe he knows he’s cheating. It is what it is, I’m gonna fight him, I’ve fought multiple guys who’ve done stuff, whether or not they got caught.”

Read also: Alex Pereira Reiterates Plan For Middleweight Return Post-UFC 307, Magomed Ankalaev Reacts With Anger

Continue Reading Aljamain Sterling Calls Movsar Evloev A Drug Cheat: ‘Same Thing People Were Saying About TJ Dillashaw…’ at MMA News.

Khalil Rountree Receives Lighter Sentence After Self-Reporting PED Usage

Khalil Rountree can now breathe a sigh of relief, having recently received a reduced penalty for self-reporting his use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). “The War Horse” withdrew from his scheduled bout against Jamahal Hill in the co-main event of UFC 303 on June 29, after disclosing that he had tested positive for a banned substance […]

Continue Reading Khalil Rountree Receives Lighter Sentence After Self-Reporting PED Usage at MMA News.

Khalil Rountree can now breathe a sigh of relief, having recently received a reduced penalty for self-reporting his use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).

“The War Horse” withdrew from his scheduled bout against Jamahal Hill in the co-main event of UFC 303 on June 29, after disclosing that he had tested positive for a banned substance known as Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a type of steroid hormone.

Rountree explained that he had been using a customized supplement and that the provider had mistakenly delivered a tainted product containing the prohibited substance.

However, according to a recent report by MMA journalist John Morgan, the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) announced on Thursday that Rountree’s ongoing sanction, which began on May 4, has been reduced to four and a half months.

Alongside the suspension, which wraps up on September 18, “The War Horse” has been ordered to pay prosecution fees amounting to $157. The NAC highlighted that Rountree’s proactive self-reporting played a crucial role in mitigating his penalty.

With the reduced suspension, Rountree is now cleared to participate in his eagerly awaited title bout against reigning light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, slated to headline UFC 307 on October 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Rountree is coming off a third-round knockout victory over former title challenger Anthony Smith at a Fight Night event in December 2023. He is currently riding a five-fight win streak, including finishes over Chris Daukaus, Karl Roberson, and Modestas Bukauskas.

Continue Reading Khalil Rountree Receives Lighter Sentence After Self-Reporting PED Usage at MMA News.

Alex Pereira Defends UFC Against Backlash To Khalil Rountree Title Shot: ‘The Way Ankalaev Has Been Acting…’

Alex Pereira has taken to playing defense on behalf of the UFC following the announcement of his next title defense. In the days prior to UFC 305, UFC CEO Dana White officially announced UFC 307 on Oct. 5 in Salt Lake City, with Alex Pereira defending his UFC light heavyweight championship in the main event […]

Continue Reading Alex Pereira Defends UFC Against Backlash To Khalil Rountree Title Shot: ‘The Way Ankalaev Has Been Acting…’ at MMA News.

Alex Pereira has taken to playing defense on behalf of the UFC following the announcement of his next title defense.

In the days prior to UFC 305, UFC CEO Dana White officially announced UFC 307 on Oct. 5 in Salt Lake City, with Alex Pereira defending his UFC light heavyweight championship in the main event against Khalil Rountree.

The UFC was met with backlash over the selection of Rountree as the title challenger. “The War Horse” has won five straight and has Performance of the Night bonuses in three of his last four wins. Rountree, however, is only ranked #8, coming off back-to-back finishes of Chris Daukaus and Anthony Smith.

Many were instead clamoring and believing that the next challenger would be Magomed Ankalaev, who will instead face Aleksandar Raki? at UFC 308 later that month. The Russian, ranked #2 at light heavyweight, is coming off a huge knockout of Johnny Walker from the start of 2024.

The decision to pick Rountree over Ankalaev has left many feeling that the UFC and CEO Dana White still hold a grudge against him for the UFC 282 light heavyweight title fight with Jan B?achowicz that ended in a draw. That was despite many feeling Ankalaev deserved the nod that night.

In a new YouTube video, however, Pereira claimed that while he also hoped for a fight with Ankalaev, the Dagestani does not want to fight him.

“I always wanted to fight against Ankalaev,” Pereira said via translation. “I threw that to the organization, left it very clear, but Ankalaev didn’t want to fight against me. I don’t know the reason — if it was the location, if he just didn’t want to.

“He isn’t the champion; he can’t pick anything. I think it’s the opportunity that shows up; he didn’t want it. He has his reasoning. I don’t know what it is,” Pereira continued. “Came to tell you guys, I’m not scared of anyone, and everyone knows my history.

Alex Pereira Claims Magomed Ankalaev Refused To Fight Him, Promises Striking War With Khalil Rountree

Pereira added that the way Ankalaev is acting, in his mind, could result in him not taking the fight with Raki? seriously and costing himself an eventual title shot.

“Ankalaev is talking about Ji?í (Procházka), saying he is a false fighter, that he isn’t good since he lost two times to me. Everyone knows my story, seen my fights, not just UFC but also in (GLORY) Kickboxing, what I did to my opponents. He is taking these two fights to talk bad about the guy. I think Ankalaev has to be very careful with Raki?. The way Ankalaev has been acting his last fights, no one likes it. Fight was a tie, everyone saw it.

“I think he should watch out for Raki?. He is talking a lot about me, he is going to knock me out and all that. It’s what he says, but at the time, we’ll see if that’s what it is. But I think he should watch out with this fight. (It’s a) very dangerous fight for him; maintain focus on this fight because he is getting a tough opponent.”

Pereira added that despite Rountree’s ranking, the UFC thinks it’s the best matchup stylistically and that he is confident they will put on an entertaining performance.

Pereira, furthermore, pointed out his own meteoric rise to the top of the UFC as reason people should not count Rountree out.

“I think he is a guy showing work,” Pereira said. “It is going to be a good fight for us both. We both like to strike. Not just good for us, but for who is watching. Like I said, I thought it was going to be Ankalaev, but I think the organization sees it as a guy who will give a good fight. They are doing all this for you guys, to please you guys. Same way how I wasn’t ranked. Things happen very fast; look at what you guys get whenever I fight.

“So I think they are thinking the same thing for Khalil, giving him this opportunity. Ranking doesn’t matter. What matters is the work he has been doing, giving a show. I think it will be a good fight.”

Continue Reading Alex Pereira Defends UFC Against Backlash To Khalil Rountree Title Shot: ‘The Way Ankalaev Has Been Acting…’ at MMA News.

Chael Sonnen Feels Khalil Rountree Fight Will Fast Track Alex Pereira’s Heavyweight Move: ‘The Best Way, Get Him Beat!’

Chael Sonnen recently suggested that Alex Pereira’s upcoming clash with Khalil Rountree could be the ideal launchpad for the Brazilian’s much-anticipated leap into the UFC heavyweight division. “Poatan” is gearing up to defend his light heavyweight crown for the third time as he faces Rountree in the headline bout at UFC 307, slated for October […]

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Feels Khalil Rountree Fight Will Fast Track Alex Pereira’s Heavyweight Move: ‘The Best Way, Get Him Beat!’ at MMA News.

Chael Sonnen recently suggested that Alex Pereira’s upcoming clash with Khalil Rountree could be the ideal launchpad for the Brazilian’s much-anticipated leap into the UFC heavyweight division.

“Poatan” is gearing up to defend his light heavyweight crown for the third time as he faces Rountree in the headline bout at UFC 307, slated for October 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

However, numerous fans have voiced their apprehensions about the matchup, pointing to Rountree’s ongoing suspension for the unintentional intake of the banned substance Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Meanwhile, others argue that Magomed Ankalaev, currently on a 12-fight unbeaten streak, would have been a more fitting contender for the 205-pound title.

As for Pereira, anticipation is swirling around his future, with many wondering what’s next for the striking phenom who has already claimed titles in two weight classes. He has hinted at the possibility of moving up to the heavyweight division, where he could potentially become the UFC’s first-ever three-division champion.

However, before he can chase that historic milestone, “Poatan” must first conquer the formidable challenge posed by the heavy-hitting Rountree. Sonnen believes that the fight with “The War Horse” could be pivotal in shaping Pereira’s path forward…

Sonnen Thinks Pereira Will Jump To Heavyweight If Rountree Hands Him A Loss

During a recent video on his YouTube channel, Sonnen delved into the upcoming title clash between Pereira and Rountree. The former UFC middleweight title contender remarked that “The War Horse” might be the most stylistically challenging opponent Pereira has faced to date.

“Khalil Rountree is going to roll over Alex Pereira,” Sonnen said. “So all of this talk about Khalil not deserving a [title shot], Khalil should not be in those positions—there’s only one person that needs to believe that, and that is Alex Pereira. It’s a very, very dangerous fight, and why on Earth take the risk? We think that we know, whether we do or not, but we have a consensus as to why not Ankalaev?”

Sonnen went on to suggest that the quickest and most efficient path for “Poatan” to transition to the heavyweight division would be if he suffers a defeat at the hands of Rountree at UFC 307. Such a loss would relieve him of the obligation to defend his 205-pound title.

“The best way to get Alex to heavyweight—because we can’t make him a heavyweight tomorrow if he’s got the 205-pound belt—is to remove the 205-pound belt from the equation. We could all agree with that, right? Anyone not fighting for a title can move weight classes right now. So, the best way to get him to heavyweight is not to clean out the division and keep doing more work and saying all the right things on social media. That is a way, but it takes a lot of time and some luck. The best way? Get him beat, get the belt off him, and he’s free to become a heavyweight.”

Pereira has been an unstoppable force since his commanding entrance into the 205-pound division, starting with a decision victory over Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291. He went on to capture the vacant light heavyweight title in a showdown with Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295 and has since successfully defended his crown, notching two defenses within just two months. Most recently, he delivered a stunning second-round knockout against Prochazka in a rematch at UFC 303.

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Feels Khalil Rountree Fight Will Fast Track Alex Pereira’s Heavyweight Move: ‘The Best Way, Get Him Beat!’ at MMA News.