Tag: UFC News

Cejudo: Volkanovski vs. Ortega Is The Greatest Fight In MMA History

Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo believes the UFC 266 main event between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega is the “greatest fight” in MMA history.

At the start of one of the most memorable sets of final pay-per-views a year has se…

Henry Cejudo, UFC 266: Volkanovski vs. Ortega

Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo believes the UFC 266 main event between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega is the “greatest fight” in MMA history.

At the start of one of the most memorable sets of final pay-per-views a year has seen in the UFC, reigning featherweight titleholder Volkanovski met with top contender Ortega in the September 25 headliner. The pair were originally set to clash at UFC 260 six months prior, but a positive COVID-19 test forced the Australian out.

In the end, the pair coached the 2021 return of The Ultimate Fighter. Whilst it certainly wasn’t the most thrilling season of the show, it did add an extra pinch of animosity and helped build the matchup more heading into their eventual showdown at UFC 266.

When they did enter the Octagon together, they brought a firework display that is certainly worthy of a spot in the Hall of Fame Fight Wing. Across five rounds, we saw why Volkanovski is unbeaten in the UFC and in his past 20 fights. After five rounds, he successfully defended his title for the second time through a unanimous decision verdict.

But even in defeat, we saw why “T-City” has a spot among the elite at 145 pounds, with two tight submission attempts in the third round providing one of the most memorable frames in history.

Cejudo Believes Volkanovski vs. Ortega Had Everything

In the eyes of many, the UFC 266 main event was certainly a top contender for the Fight of the Year, in the conversation with the likes of Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler at UFC 268, Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 42, and Ji?í Procházka vs. Dominick Reyes at UFC Vegas 25.

But while many didn’t have Volkanovski’s one and only defense of 2021 in their top spot for the year, one former UFC champion had it there and more. Cejudo, who held both flyweight and bantamweight gold simultaneously during his UFC career, believes the memorable September five-rounder was not only the FOTY, but the greatest fight in the history of mixed martial arts.

“The one I really like the most, I’m going to have to go to with Alexander ‘The Average’ (Volkanovski) and Brian Ortega,” Cejudo said on his podcast with The Schmo. “That isn’t, to me in my eyes, the Fight of the Year, but this is the greatest fight in my eyes in mixed martial arts history. It displayed striking, defense, escaping from submissions, takedowns, takedown defense, I mean, it was everywhere.” (h/t BJPenn.com)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYXgZgqpeu3/

Having extended his win streak and featherweight reign with victory over Ortega, Volkanovski is now in need of a next challenger after Max Holloway had to withdraw from their UFC 272 bout.

As fate would have it, Cejudo, who has been lobbying to fight Volkanovski for several months, has thrown his name into the ring as a potential short-notice replacement. If selected, maybe Cejudo will be the one on the other end of an all-time classic against Volkanovski.

Do you agree with Henry Cejudo? Is Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega the greatest fight in MMA history?

Continue Reading Cejudo: Volkanovski vs. Ortega Is The Greatest Fight In MMA History at MMA News.

Giga Chikadze Blasts ‘Chump’ Alexander Volkanovski In Twitter Rampage

Giga Chikadze isn’t happy with Alexander Volkanovski after the featherweight champion alluded to ‘The Korean Zombie’ getting the next title shot.

Volkanovski was originally supposed to fight Max Holloway in their trilogy at UFC 272 before Holloway …

Giga Chikadze

Giga Chikadze isn’t happy with Alexander Volkanovski after the featherweight champion alluded to ‘The Korean Zombie’ getting the next title shot.

Volkanovski was originally supposed to fight Max Holloway in their trilogy at UFC 272 before Holloway reaggravated an injury in recent days. Chikadze is slated to face Calvin Kattar in a UFC Fight Night main event on Jan. 15 and could potentially get a title shot if he wins.

After Holloway pulled out, the UFC and Volkanovski immediately began looking for potential replacements. Chan Sung Jung, otherwise known as ‘The Korean Zombie’, is reportedly at the top of the list, along with possibly Yair Rodriguez.

This appeared to irk Chikadze, who is coming off a dominant win over Edson Barboza. He aired his frustration in a recent Twitter rant.

Giga Chikadze Roasted Alexander Volkanovski On Twitter

Many believe that it’s only a matter of time until Chikadze gets a featherweight title shot, but he may be impatient.

Volkanovski most recently defeated Brian Ortega at UFC 266 via unanimous decision, in one of the most gritty performances of 2021. Before that, he had earned back-to-back wins over Holloway inside the Octagon.

It’s still unknown who will get the short-notice bout at UFC 272, but Chikadze appears ready and willing to step up if he can get past Kattar.

How close is Giga Chikadze to a title shot?

Continue Reading Giga Chikadze Blasts ‘Chump’ Alexander Volkanovski In Twitter Rampage at MMA News.

Tuivasa Enjoys Being On The Same Cards As “Showman” O’Malley

UFC heavyweight contender Tai Tuivasa fought at the same event as rising bantamweight star Sean O’Malley twice in 2021, a trend he hopes continues this year.

Like O’Malley, Tuivasa has been in fine form as of late. He’s built a destructive four-fig…

Sean O'Malley, Tai Tuivasa

UFC heavyweight contender Tai Tuivasa fought at the same event as rising bantamweight star Sean O’Malley twice in 2021, a trend he hopes continues this year.

Like O’Malley, Tuivasa has been in fine form as of late. He’s built a destructive four-fight win streak that has seen him climb to within one spot of the top 10 at heavyweight.

Since a submission loss to Sergey Spivak in 2019 added a third straight loss to his skid, “Bam Bam” has knocked out Stefan Struve, Harry Hunsucker, Greg Hardy, and Augusto Sakai.

His latest victory took place at UFC 269 last month. With another brutal finish, Tuivasa sent Sakai’s unconscious body to the canvas, before mounting the cage for one of his patented shoeys.

Tuivasa Appreciates The Presence Of O’Malley

Tuivasa’s other 2021 win, a first-round KO against Greg Hardy at UFC 264, provided another memorable moment inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, with members of the crowd pouring their beers into their shoes and either chugging it themselves, or giving it to a victorious Tuivasa as he made his way to the back.

As well as two knockouts and two Octagon shoeys, another constant for Tuivasa’s 2021 was the presence of fellow entertainer Sean O’Malley. Like the Australian heavyweight, “Sugar” recorded triumphs at both UFC 264 and UFC 269.

Discussing O’Malley’s recent comments, in which he suggested Tuivasa is the only fighter universally loved by the UFC fanbase, “Bam Bam” said it’s great to share cards with a fellow “showman” like O’Malley.

“Yeah, me and Sean, we talk, and it’s good that we’ve been fighting on the same card the last few times,” Tuivasa told Ariel Helwani on a recent edition of The MMA Hour. “Like I say, he’s a showman as well, so it’s good we’re on the same card. We give the fans what they want.”

Tuivasa and O’Malley also took home 1/3 of the Performance of the Night bonuses for UFC 269. While “Bam Bam” collected a handsome extra $50,000 for his finish of Sakai, “Sugar” left the arena with his third successive bonus check in the bag for his KO of Raulian Paiva.

With their performances last year, both men achieved an impressive 100% bonus record. Out of their five combined appearances, The UFC dished out an additional $250,000. They’ll be hoping for similar success in 2022, and if they believe in lucky charms, both men will be pushing to be on the same card given their results in 2021.

Unless O’Malley is booked swiftly, Tuivasa will be making his first 2022 appearance on a card that will not feature “The Suga Show.” That is because, as of yesterday, it was revealed that Tuivasa will be facing another showman, Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis at UFC 271 next month.

Would you like to see Sean O’Malley and Tai Tuivasa fighting on the same card again this year?

Continue Reading Tuivasa Enjoys Being On The Same Cards As “Showman” O’Malley at MMA News.

Lewis Just Wants Fun & Pressure-Free Fights For The Rest Of His Career

UFC heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis is hoping to avoid fights like the UFC 265 main event for the remainder of his career in the Octagon.

After falling to back-to-back losses versus then-champion Daniel Cormier and former titleholder Junior dos…

Derrick Lewis

UFC heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis is hoping to avoid fights like the UFC 265 main event for the remainder of his career in the Octagon.

After falling to back-to-back losses versus then-champion Daniel Cormier and former titleholder Junior dos Santos, Lewis found the form of his life on the way back to the top of the division.

Between late 2019 and early 2021, “The Black Beast” secured victories over Blagoy Ivanov and Ilir Latifi on the scorecards and knocked out Alexei Oleinik and Curtis Blaydes with his devastatingly-powerful hands. That four-fight win streak cemented his spot as number-one contender, a status that was expected to see him challenge former opponent Francis Ngannou for the gold.

But with the UFC’s desire to have Lewis headline Houston’s UFC 265 pay-per-view, and the champion’s inability to make that date, Ciryl Gane was drafted in for a contest for the interim title. In an incredibly disappointing night in front of a home crowd, Lewis was comfortably controlled and beaten throughout, falling to a third-round TKO.

Four months later, he managed to right some of those wrongs with another brutal KO, this time against rising contender Chris Daukaus inside Las Vegas’ Apex facility at UFC Vegas 45.

Lewis: “I Don’t Have To Prove Anything”

For Lewis, it was a relief to return to the atmosphere and setting of a building he described as “perfect” for him. Not only did his December win, which saw him break the record for most KO triumphs in UFC history, provide an instant rebound from his August failing, but it made his future clearer.

During a recent appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, Lewis suggested he is finished with the high-intensity fight weeks and pressure-loaded matchups. For the rest of his career, he’s targeting fun and easy-going fights.

“This last fight helped me. (It was) a big experience difference, coming into this fight. I just really wanted to go into a fight week and not have pressure on myself, and it felt great. I plan on doing that for the rest of my career now. I can just go out there and just have fun. I feel like I don’t have to prove anything. That’s one of the reasons I wanna fight Stipe (Miocic) next.”

Discussing his experience leading up to his main event clash with Gane at UFC 265, Lewis admitted the pressure put on him was too much for him to handle. To put his nerves into perspective, “The Black Beast” revealed he’d even tried to acquire marijuana to calm him on fight day.

“I don’t wanna experience that ever again. It was too much pressure. To the point where I was really calling people up like, ‘Let me get some weed off you so I can relax my nerves,’ during fight day; that type of pressure. Never felt it that bad… It felt embarrassing.”

With his latest remarks, it seems like it’s victory dances, cup-throwing, and a laid-back attitude for Lewis moving forward. If that means more brutal KOs, not many fans will be complaining, that’s for sure.

Next, Lewis will begin putting his new fun-fight resolution into motion when he faces fellow fan-friendly banger Tai “Bam Bam” Tuivasa at UFC 271.

What other fights do you still want to see Derrick Lewis in before he departs MMA’s biggest stage?

Continue Reading Lewis Just Wants Fun & Pressure-Free Fights For The Rest Of His Career at MMA News.

Charles Oliveira Open To Volkanovski, Usman Title Fights

Charles OliveiraUFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira wants to cement himself as an all-time great with a potential run at ‘champ-champ’ status in MMA. Oliveira most recently defeated Dustin Poirier at UFC 269 via third-round submission, in what many felt was the true lightweight title matchup after Khabib Nurmagomedov retired. After a rocky start to his UFC […]

Charles Oliveira

UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira wants to cement himself as an all-time great with a potential run at ‘champ-champ’ status in MMA.

Oliveira most recently defeated Dustin Poirier at UFC 269 via third-round submission, in what many felt was the true lightweight title matchup after Khabib Nurmagomedov retired. After a rocky start to his UFC career, he’s managed a dramatic turnaround and is widely regarded as one of the best fighters on the planet.

Oliveira began his career at featherweight, falling short against top names such as Max Holloway and Frankie Edgar. A series of weight-cutting issues forced the Brazilian to move up to lightweight, and it has paid off in a big way.

Many, including Oliveira himself, have speculated what could be next for the UFC champion. Justin Gaethje is the clear No. 1 contender at lightweight, but a Conor McGregor money fight is also apparently on the table.

But during a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Oliveira pointed to the possibility of pursuing multiple world titles, including fights with Alexander Volkanovski and Kamaru Usman.

Charles Oliveira Hints At Double Champion Pursuit

“I really thought I couldn’t drop to 145 anymore,” Oliveira said, “But this last weight cut, I was really [close to] 155 before the fight with this work we’ve been doing, with lots of water in the body, and we believe we could easily make 145.

“If I had the opportunity to go straight for the 145 belt, I’d move down to fight. Also, if I had the opportunity to go straight for the 170 belt, I’d also move up to fight, but I believe it’s more viable to [drop down] to 145 instead of going to 170 at this moment.”

Both Usman and Volkanovski are awaiting their next title challengers in 2022. Volkanovski was supposed to fight Holloway in a trilogy before an injury canceled the bout, and is targeting a potential fight with Chan Sung Jung at UFC 272. Usman is fresh off his rematch win over Colby Covington.

Oliveira has bigger ambitions than solely the lightweight title, and he has the potential to add to his accolades in 2022.

Who should Charles Oliveira face next?

Robert Whittaker Attributes Loss To Israel Adesanya To His Ego

Robert Whittaker, Israel AdesanyaFormer UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker may have gotten into his way when he lost the title to Israel Adesanya at UFC 243. Whittaker’s first path to the UFC middleweight belt was messy, to say the least. After earning the interim title over Yoel Romero at UFC 213, he was slated to face Romero again […]

Robert Whittaker, Israel Adesanya

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker may have gotten into his way when he lost the title to Israel Adesanya at UFC 243.

Whittaker’s first path to the UFC middleweight belt was messy, to say the least. After earning the interim title over Yoel Romero at UFC 213, he was slated to face Romero again for the belt that Georges St-Pierre had vacated but held onto the title in a split decision at UFC 225 after Romero failed to make weight.

After pulling out of his originally scheduled title defense against Kelvin Gastelum, he would go on to eventually face Adesanya for the unified belt at UFC 243. He would love via a vicious knockout in the second round in front of the hometown crowd in Australia.

During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Whittaker explains what he thinks went wrong with his approach to Adesanya.

“I think (Adesanya) even mentioned it – that my ego was something that affected me,” Whittaker said. “As much as I don’t want to acknowledge my opponent for insight, my ego probably was a big thing, was a big part of why my headspace wasn’t where it should’ve been for that fight – why I was letting the debate between Australia and New Zealand get to me, why I was letting all these little things get to me. It showed. The results of that showed in the way I was behaving, in the way, I put the fight together, and the way I was fighting at the moment. I’ve acknowledged all of that and you can see obviously I’ve come to terms with all of that and I’m a different fighter now than I was then.”

Robert Whittaker Has Worked His Way Back To Israel Adesanya

Whittaker has rebounded well since his loss to Adesanya, putting together three-straight wins over the likes of Gastelum, Jared Cannonier, and Darren Till. Now, he’ll get his chance for revenge at UFC 271.

It’s clear that Whittaker and Adesanya have some level of dislike for each other, but it’ll be up to Whittaker to not fall for the mind games and focus on the task at hand.

What is your prediction for the Robert Whittaker vs. Israel Adesanya rematch at UFC 271?