Tag: ufc 310

Kai Asakura’s Last Opponent Analyzes How He Will Fair At Flyweight    

In the build up to UFC 310 on December 7, a lot of fights fans are going to get introduced to Kai Asakura for the very first time. The Japanese star is set to challenge Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight title on his debut with the promotion after signing to the UFC from RIZIN. Alongside […]

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In the build up to UFC 310 on December 7, a lot of fights fans are going to get introduced to Kai Asakura for the very first time. The Japanese star is set to challenge Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight title on his debut with the promotion after signing to the UFC from RIZIN.

Alongside fighting in Las Vegas for the first time, this massive opportunity for Asakura also comes with a change in weight class. During his career in RIZIN, the 31-year old competed mostly at bantamweight against the likes of Manel Kape and Kyoji Horiguchi.

In his last outing in Japan before making the switch to his new home, Asakura defeated former Bellator champion Juan Archuleta to win the bantamweight title. He secured the second round finish on New Year’s Eve to cap off his run in style.

Speaking in a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Archuleta gave his thoughts on Asakura signing to the UFC and how he believes he will compete at the top of the flyweight division. Having remained in contact with his former opponent since their fight in December, he was able to share some first-hand impressions of what the UFC’s new arrival will look like at 125-pounds.

“I think he’s very explosive. It seems like he’s really getting his body in tune. Last time I seen him when I was in Japan, he was a lot smaller than when we fought and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, you’re doing well’. I reached out to him last night actually because he was posting some Instagram pictures. I was like, ‘Hey, how you feeling?’ He’s like, ‘Oh I’m so ready, I’m so excited,’ and this is a new venture for him, this is something that he wanted and wanted to do going forward and I’m super excited.

“I mean, and it’s a title fight right off the bat like not many guys get a title right in the UFC right off the bat and so it’s like go get it man. You have the tools and the athleticism to go get it done and I think he’s well prepared now. I think he got down to a weight class, Japanese guys aren’t very dense in their muscles but they’re very explosive.”   

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Jon Jones Eager to Unleash Now-Legal 12-6 Elbows Against Stipe Miocic: ‘It’s a Devastating Strike’

Jon Jones Eager to Unleash Now-Legal 12-6 Elbows Against Stipe Miocic: ‘It’s a Devastating Strike’Jon Jones can’t wait to use 12-to-6 elbows in his return to the Octagon. On November 16, ‘Bones’ will…

Jon Jones Eager to Unleash Now-Legal 12-6 Elbows Against Stipe Miocic: ‘It’s a Devastating Strike’

Jon Jones can’t wait to use 12-to-6 elbows in his return to the Octagon.

On November 16, ‘Bones’ will compete for the first time since scoring a quickfire submission victory over Ciryl Gane to claim the undisputed UFC heavyweight title 20 months ago. In the time since, much has changed when it comes to the MMA rule set.

Jon Jones

As of the first of the month, 12-to-6 elbows are no longer an outlawed maneuver, much to the chagrin of Daniel Cormier.

Of course, Jones’ only professional loss in his career came as the result of a controversial DQ for using 12-to-6 elbows against opponent Matt Hamill at The Ultimate Fighter 10 finale in 2009.

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Now that Jones can freely let his downward elbows fly, he plans on using them to punish Stipe Miocic when the two heavyweights headline UFC 310 in Madison Square Garden.

“It just makes me wish that disqualification was overturned — that’s the biggest feeling I had when I learned that rule is no more,” Jones told Kevin Iole. “On the other hand, I accept the move more than ever now, and I’ve been training extensively on different 12-6 elbow attacks.

“It’s funny because it’s been such a no-no move, so you train yourself not to go there,” Jones continued. “Now that I’m able to use that strike … it’s a very devastating strike because it opens up so many more options, both on the feet and on top. I’m excited to be one of the first UFC athletes to legally display it at Madison Square Garden” (h/t MMA Mania).

Jon Jones

Jon Jones’ controversial DQ loss likely to never be overturned despite recent rule change

For what it’s worth, the California State Athletic Commission’s executive director Andy Foster fully supports the idea of overturning Jones’ lone loss.

“I didn’t like the way it was enforced back then, but that was 14 years ago,” Foster told Ariel Helwani. I think there were — look, we’re talking about 14 years later. At the time, I thought there were other ways you could handle that situation rather than flat giving the guy a loss,” Foster said. “The rule is what it was then; it’s different now. It would be hard to go back…I’d be actually supportive of getting rid of [his loss], but it’s not my decision.”

Unfortunately, it’s not likely to happen. Perhaps we’ll see ‘Bones’ take out some of that frustration on the consensus heavyweight GOAT in New York City.

Kamaru Usman Discusses Fighting Shavkat Rakhmonov On Short Notice At UFC 310: ‘The UFC Knows Who To Call’

Kamaru Usman seems ready to step up on short notice to face Shavkat Rakhmonov and keep the UFC 310 main event intact. The headliner for the final UFC pay-per-view event between reigning welterweight champion Belal Muhammad and Rakhmonov was called off last month after “Remember the Name” disclosed he had to pull out due to […]

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Kamaru Usman seems ready to step up on short notice to face Shavkat Rakhmonov and keep the UFC 310 main event intact.

The headliner for the final UFC pay-per-view event between reigning welterweight champion Belal Muhammad and Rakhmonov was called off last month after “Remember the Name” disclosed he had to pull out due to a bone infection in his foot.

Since then, “Nomad” has voiced his desire to remain on the card, even campaigning for an interim title showdown, ideally against former longtime champion Usman. Rakhmonov’s manager, Sayat Abdrakhmanov, confirmed that the UFC is currently in talks and has proposed “The Nigerian Nightmare” as a possible opponent for the matchup.

During a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Usman discussed the possibility of stepping in on just a month’s notice to face Rakhmonov at UFC 310. He stated that the UFC would reach out to a fighter primed to challenge the undefeated Kazakhstani, and should the promotion come calling, he would unquestionably accept.

“I’m still in that gym, you know,” Usman said. “If the UFC is going to call who they think is going to be legit tough enough and man enough to step in there on this crazy enough to step in there on short notice and go out there and possibly shock the world, definitely the UFC knows who to call when that situation happens. And if they do give me a call, I’m going to answer the call. We get a couple of things straight, and if we have to do it, I don’t shy away from any of that.”

“The Nigerian Nightmare” is no stranger to stepping in on short notice to face undefeated fighters. Usman took on the challenge of fighting Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 in October 2023 with less than two weeks’ notice, ultimately suffering a majority decision loss.

Usman is currently enduring the most challenging phase of his career, having lost his 170-pound title to Leon Edwards at UFC 278 in August 2022. Since then, he has gone 0-2 in his last two Octagon appearances.

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Colby Covington Claims He Offered To Fight Shavkat Rakhmonov At UFC 310: ‘They Can Call Me On A Week’s Notice’ 

UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington has claimed to have thrown his name in the hat to face the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov on short notice next month. Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is scrambling for a new main event to close out its pay-per-view schedule for 2024. That’s after the withdrawal of UFC Welterweight Champion Belal […]

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UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington has claimed to have thrown his name in the hat to face the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov on short notice next month.

Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is scrambling for a new main event to close out its pay-per-view schedule for 2024. That’s after the withdrawal of UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad from the Las Vegas-held UFC 310 on Dec. 7.

“Remember the Name” was scheduled to put his 170-pound belt on the line for the first time opposite Rakhmonov, but a severe bone infection has forced him out.

Since then, “Nomad” has outlined his hopes to remain on next month’s numbered card in competition for interim gold. Among the possible opponents, the Kazakh has specifically pointed to Kamaru Usman as the most likely.

And according to a man who knows “The Nigerian Nightmare” well, those plans are firmly in motion, and have even stopped him from stepping up to the plate.

During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Covington addressed his absence from the Octagon and suggested a comeback in the first quarter of 2025 is likely.

He did, however, claim that fans could have seen him extremely soon had the UFC accepted his apparent offer to save the day at UFC 310.

“I offered (to replace Muhammad). I told the UFC that I was willing to step up to the plate. … They know they can call me on a week’s notice and I’m stepping up to the plate,” Covington said. “I would love to save the show and put on a good show for the fans. They pay their hard-earned money for big mega fights, they need a mega fight, that’s not a mega fight. They need someone who is going to put asses in seats and entertain people. So, I was excited. I wanted the fight and I asked for it but I think they have other plans.”

And had that come to fruition, “Chaos” doesn’t think he’d have had much trouble dispatching of Rakhmonov — something he expects to prove down the line.

“I can walk him down and pressure him and he’s not going to like my pressure. He doesn’t do very well with southpaws,” Covington explained. “We saw how he did with the busboy Geoff Neal. That was a very competitive fight. He hasn’t fought a top contender yet. He has fought some gatekeepers of the division, some guys on the cusp of the top 10. But he’s never fought a champion like me and a guy who’s going to come at him for five straight rounds and just walk him down.

“I match up well, he stands very tall. I don’t see anything special with him. He has some good submissions, he’s slick, but that’s when he can control the wrestling. He’s not going to control the wrestling on me,” Covington continued. “I think I can beat him pretty easily and I think it’s a favorable fight, and it’s a fight I win in the future whether he wins or loses in December.”

Whether or not his claim is true has been quickly debated in the MMA community, with many suggesting that he’s simply capitalizing on an opportunity knowing that different plans are already in the works for Rakhmonov.

Either way, the American is seemingly eyeing a 2025 return. During the same interview, he put his absence this year down to his work on the campaign trail prior to Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election this week.

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UFC Vet Pushes Back On Shavkat Rakhmonov’s Interim Talk: ‘Belal Has The F*cking Title’

Shavkat Rakhmonov is campaigning for an interim title fight after Belal Muhammad withdrew from their scheduled UFC 310 clash, but a UFC veteran has a contrasting viewpoint. Rakhmonov was slated to challenge reigning welterweight champion Muhammad in the headline fight of the final UFC pay-per-view event of 2024, set for Dec. 7 at the T-Mobile […]

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Shavkat Rakhmonov is campaigning for an interim title fight after Belal Muhammad withdrew from their scheduled UFC 310 clash, but a UFC veteran has a contrasting viewpoint.

Rakhmonov was slated to challenge reigning welterweight champion Muhammad in the headline fight of the final UFC pay-per-view event of 2024, set for Dec. 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

However, just last week, “Remember the Name” revealed that he had been forced to withdraw from the bout due to a bone infection in his foot.

In light of this regrettable circumstance, Rakhmonov recently turned to social media to advocate for an interim title fight, proposing former champion Kamaru Usman as the ideal opponent to rescue the UFC 310 main event.

While the prospect of an interim title fight has sparked considerable intrigue within a significant portion of the MMA community, Muhammad was quick to dismiss the idea. Having only claimed the welterweight title four months ago, he believes an interim title would be premature — and Matt Brown shares the same sentiment.

During a recent episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast (via MMA Fighting), “The Immortal” recognized the necessity of addressing the void created by Muhammad’s absence but firmly expressed that, from his perspective, an interim title is unnecessary at this juncture.

“I think we all know at least it’s not a title,” Brown said. “Belal has the f**king title. He’ll be back soon. He’s going to fight the winner. This is a title contender match. Great. It’s a great fight. I’m stoked to see the fight. I’m just as stoked to see Shavkat and Usman as I would be for Shavkat and Belal, except it would be for the actual title with Belal.

“They usually do that because they need to sell the pay-per-view and put a title on it, right? I feel Usman would be selling PPVs. We all know who Usman is. We all want to watch Usman fight. I don’t think putting a title in front of that fight really changes the dynamic of that fight,” Brown continued. “I get why they would do it, and I understand the logic behind it and maybe it makes it a bigger fight, but I don’t see why you can’t keep it five rounds and just say it’s not for the title. … Unfortunately, it kind of diminishes what an interim title is.”

“Remember the Name” secured the welterweight title with a commanding unanimous decision victory over Leon Edwards at UFC 304 in July. Muhammad is now riding an impressive 11-fight unbeaten streak.

Meanwhile, Rakhmonov is fresh off a second-round submission victory over Stephen Thompson at UFC 296 in December 2023. “Nomad” has yet to taste defeat in his professional career, boasting a flawless 6-0 record inside the Octagon.

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Michael Chiesa Offers Advice To Struggling Fighters After Nearly Retiring Before Recent Bounce Back Win

Before his last fight inside the Octagon in August, Michael Chiesa found himself in the worst patch of form of his career. The former winner of The Ultimate Fighter has overcome losses in the past and did suffer back-to-back defeats to Kevin Lee and Anthony Pettis once before. However, in three consecutive outings, he was […]

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Before his last fight inside the Octagon in August, Michael Chiesa found himself in the worst patch of form of his career. The former winner of The Ultimate Fighter has overcome losses in the past and did suffer back-to-back defeats to Kevin Lee and Anthony Pettis once before.

However, in three consecutive outings, he was without a win after being submitted by Vicente Luque and Kevin Holland with a decision loss to Sean Brady in between. Chiesa was able to get back in the win column in Abu Dhabi when he submitted Tony Ferguson in the first round.

He’s now set to return at UFC 310 in search of a second win when he faces Max Griffin to keep his momentum pushing forward. In the build up to this fight, the commentator and desk analyst revealed that he seriously contemplated retirement during his losing streak.

If he wasn’t able to compete at the highest level anymore, he would hang up the gloves and look to continue pursuing the avenues that he’s already started to go down in recent years. In an interview with Shakiel Mahjouri, Chiesa spoke about working with a sport psychologist and what his biggest takeaways from that were.

When asked what advice he would pass on to struggling fighters that may find themselves in a similar position to the one that he was in, he spoke about the importance of having goals but focusing on the present rather than looking too far ahead.

“I think the biggest thing that I would say is focus on being in the present moment. That is something that I struggled with. Looking too far ahead like I’m looking too far ahead at the title or I’m looking too far ahead at the fight and worrying about getting hurt or like just looking too far ahead and not being present. It’s very important to be present in the moment every single day with your training. It’s good to have goals but you don’t have to dwell on the future and what’s yet to come or what you want to happen. You set the goals and then you put them aside and just focus on being in the moment.”

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