Tag: UFC News

Dustin Poirier Uncertain Of Future After UFC 269 Loss

If anybody can come back from adversity, it’s Dustin Poirier, but that’s not the question Poirier will be confronting in the coming days.

At UFC 269, Dustin Poirier entered the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada as a man with a second chance. Two …

Dustin Poirier

If anybody can come back from adversity, it’s Dustin Poirier, but that’s not the question Poirier will be confronting in the coming days.

At UFC 269, Dustin Poirier entered the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada as a man with a second chance. Two years ago, Poirier contested for the undisputed lightweight title for the first time, and he lost via rear-naked choke to then-champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

UFC 242 results: Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Dustin Poirier to retain
Image Credit: Per Haljestam, USA TODAY Sports

In his second attempt at undisputed gold yesterday against Charles Oliveira, he would fall victim to the same hold in the same third round.

During the UFC 269 post-fight press conference, a brave and visibly emotional Poirier was asked about his future. The veteran is unsure what the future holds, but he is certain that if he chooses to be right back challenging for the world title again, he would.

However, he is still unsure if that will happen for reasons that go deeper than his abilities.

“I can do anything I put my mind to,” Poirier told reporters. “I can fight for another belt. I can go on another streak. I can claw, and climb, and get back to wherever I wanna be. It’s just, do I want to? That’s the question I have to look in the mirror and answer. Do I want to do it again? Do I want to go down that road again?

Dustin Poirier
Dustin Poirier (Photo: Chris Unger/Zuffa)

“And that answer will come in the next couple days, next couple weeks. I just need to let this pass and see what’s next for me. But if it’s in my heart and that’s what I wanna do, I’ll be here again fighting for another world title.”

Dustin Poirier has proven time and time again that he can pull himself up by the bootstraps and get right back to work, whether it’s in the middle of a taxing battle or if it’s after a major setback in the form of a loss. Poirier has hinted at retirement earlier this year, but leading up to this fight he sounded much more certain about sticking around.

However, those plans were uttered with the expectation that he would be the undisputed lightweight world champion. Now that he has come up short for the second time, it sounds as though everything hangs in the balance for Dustin Poirier, and fans will have to wait and see what the future holds for this living legend.

You can view Dustin Poirier’s full UFC 269 post-fight press conference scrum below.

Continue Reading Dustin Poirier Uncertain Of Future After UFC 269 Loss at MMA News.

Amanda Nunes Reacts To Stunning UFC 269 Loss To Julianna Peña

UFC superstar Amanda Nunes has spoken out on social media for the first time since her bantamweight title loss to Julianna Peña.

Nunes got off to a strong start against Peña at UFC 269, dropping her with a big right hand just minutes into the fight…

Amanda Nunes

UFC superstar Amanda Nunes has spoken out on social media for the first time since her bantamweight title loss to Julianna Peña.

Nunes got off to a strong start against Peña at UFC 269, dropping her with a big right hand just minutes into the fight. However, Peña was able to survive the early onslaught and come out strong in the second round.

After a wild flurry of strikes by both women on the feet, Peña earned a hard takedown and quickly got Nunes’ back with relative ease. Peña secured the stunning victory with a rear-naked choke to pull off the monumental upset.

Just minutes after the loss, Nunes spoke with Joe Rogan about what went wrong against Peña.

“Nothing was surprising at all,” Nunes said in her Octagon interview. “I knew she was going to come forward. Just today, I checked out. I need to work on a couple of things and fix it, get back in the gym, and come back soon. Congratulations to Julianna, she’s a warrior.”

Amanda Nunes Posted A Family Picture Following UFC 269

The day after the loss, Nunes took to Instagram to thank her fans and share a picture with her family and coach.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXY9r6jLBU3/

“Thank you so very much everyone!” Nunes said. “Life goes on.”

Nunes’ loss to Peña was undoubtedly one of the most stunning upsets in combat sports history. Nunes has dominated the competition for years and earned both the bantamweight and featherweight titles, which has defended simultaneously.

Before losing to Peña, Nunes hadn’t lost a fight since her defeat to Cat Zingano at UFC 178. This would be the turning point in her career as she would go on a 12-fight winning streak against some of the best female fighters in the UFC.

An immediate rematch is certainly warranted for Nunes, assuming that she wants to run it back right away with Pena. For now, she’s looking ahead to a bounceback in 2022.

What should be next for Amanda Nunes?

Continue Reading Amanda Nunes Reacts To Stunning UFC 269 Loss To Julianna Peña at MMA News.

O’Malley Slams Cormier’s ‘Amateur’ Commentary: “Don’t Say Stupid S**t”

You can add Sean O’Malley to the list of Daniel Cormier’s commentary critics.

Last week, Daniel Cormier was the subject of criticism for his performance as a UFC commentator by his own colleague, Dominick Cruz. Cormier and Cruz later hashed things …

Daniel Cormier, Sean O'Malley

You can add Sean O’Malley to the list of Daniel Cormier’s commentary critics.

Last week, Daniel Cormier was the subject of criticism for his performance as a UFC commentator by his own colleague, Dominick Cruz. Cormier and Cruz later hashed things out to some degree with the aid of mediator Michael Bisping. Cormier would then go on to call Cruz’s UFC 269 victory over Pedro Munhoz alongside Joe Rogan and Jon Anik without missing a beat.

However, there is another fighter who competed at UFC 269 who has something to say about Cormier’s commentating skills or perceived lack thereof.

“Suga” Sean O’Malley defeated Raulian Paiva to kick off the pay-per-view and was then asked how the fight played out relative to his expectations during the post-fight press conference. Here is what O’Malley said in response.

“I did see [the Paiva fight] playing out like that. And I want to thank myself for looking at the clock and seeing how much time was left because some people, Daniel Cormier—my last fight, he’s like, ‘Oh, my god! He’s looking at the clock!’ It’s like, what are you talking about, dude? Of course. Yeah, I’m gonna look at the clock. If I didn’t look at the clock, I wouldn’t know how much time I have left. I landed a big shot. I  don’t know much time I got left. I gotta know, should I empty my tank and try to take this dude out, or should I wait and have the rest of the fight—save my energy. 

Kris Moutinho O'Malley
PHOTO: MMA FIGHTING

“So that kinda bugged me (that he) kept bringing that up. ‘Oh, he looked at the clock! Oh, he looked at the clock!’ It’s like, dude’s a double-champ. It’s like, where’s your IQ, your fight IQ? You think LeBron James is gonna fuckin’ drive the ball down and not look at the clock? It’s amateur…

“Don’t say stupid shit,” O’Malley later added about Cormier’s commentary.

O’Malley Shares Theory To Explain His Perception Of DC’s Commentary

In the above comments, O’Malley is referencing his UFC 264 victory over Kris Moutinho in July. Cormier pointed out that O’Malley was repeatedly looking at the clock during the fight, with the implication being that O’Malley was tiring to Moutinho’s relentless forward pressure.

The more O’Malley thought about it, he eventually landed on a theory that could explain Cormier’s commentary.

“I’ve always felt like DC wants me to lose,” O’Malley said. “I don’t know. I could be completely wrong. I just sat down with him the other day. It’s not like he doesn’t like me personally. I just feel like he kinda wants to see me lose. I don’t know what it is, if I remind him of a young Jon Jones—but for some reason, I feel like he wants me to lose.”

O’Malley would taper these criticisms by saying there’s a chance he is being overly sensitive and is way off base. He also confessed that he himself would be terrible at the gig and that UFC commentators have a very difficult job to do.

Commentary aside, O’Malley has now moved to 15-1 as a professional and is now on a three-fight winning streak. As O’Malley awaits his next fight, perhaps now he and Cormier could hash out these criticisms in the public eye with or without the aid of Michael Bisping.

What are your thoughts on these comments from Sean O’Malley regarding Daniel Cormier’s commentary?

Continue Reading O’Malley Slams Cormier’s ‘Amateur’ Commentary: “Don’t Say Stupid S**t” at MMA News.

Hasbulla Shuts Down Abdu Rozik Fight Talk

HasbullaHasbulla Magomedov has distanced himself from talk of a fight against Abdu Rozik. Hasbulla and Rozik became global stars off the back of a mock press conference that was posted to YouTube touting a fight between the Russian duo who suffer from the same rare form of dwarfism. Since then, Hasbulla has publically clashed with […]

Hasbulla

Hasbulla Magomedov has distanced himself from talk of a fight against Abdu Rozik.

Hasbulla and Rozik became global stars off the back of a mock press conference that was posted to YouTube touting a fight between the Russian duo who suffer from the same rare form of dwarfism.

Since then, Hasbulla has publically clashed with his rival frequently, most recently the two teenagers were both in attendance at UFC 267 and came to blows following the conclusion of the light-heavyweight title main event at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. According to reports Dana White is interested in staging a fight between Hasbulla and Rozik but the man himself doesn’t think it will happen.

Hasbulla Pours Cold Water On A Potential Fight With Abdu Rozik

“Yes some people want to organise it but they won’t be able to,” Hasbulla said during his first media scrum. “Because it is too expensive and not too many people will be able to pay for it.

“And I don’t want the fight at the moment, no we haven’t discussed it and Dana White didn’t discuss it,” Hasbulla added. “Abdu Rozik he is a bum and he is a singer. This fight doesn’t make sense.” (Transcribed by Mirror Fighting)

These comments will be music to the ears of many including The Russian Athletic Association For Dwarfs who have expressed their disdain for what they call an “unethical” match-up.

“It’s not even like a show fight — they (Magomedov and Rozik) get paid a lot of money and it’s a show to make people laugh,” Uliana Podpalnaya said. “There’s nothing serious about this, this isn’t sport. This is unethical, wrong, from my point of view. It seems to be that only on the one hand it can be correct and beautiful — if martial arts among small people are made a Paralympic sport.“

“It could be Judo, Karate, and people will understand that this is a serious sport, serious performances, and not some kind of laughing show,” Podpalyana explained. “Events like this don’t draw attention to the sport of little people. If interest in this appears, it’s only business a lot of money is being invested in it. And from the point of view of the sports career growth of these guys, there are no prospects.“ 

Do you think we’ll ever see Hasbulla vs. Abdu Rozik?

Diaz and McGregor Take Shots At Dustin Poirier Over “Embarrassing” Loss

Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor both had something to say about Dustin Poirier’s loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 269.

In last night’s UFC 269 main event, Dustin Poirier and champion Charles Oliveira went to war to solidify who was the best lightweight…

Nate Diaz, Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier

Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor both had something to say about Dustin Poirier’s loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 269.

In last night’s UFC 269 main event, Dustin Poirier and champion Charles Oliveira went to war to solidify who was the best lightweight in the world. It was Oliveira who had his hand raised in the end to log his first successful title defense. Poirier was gracious and classy in defeat, but grace was not something extended to the Louisianian by two familiar faces to him, Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor.

First, Diaz took an indirect shot at nemesis Conor McGregor in his reaction to the outcome of the UFC 269 main event.

“How Conor let Dp fuck him up hella times he sucks”

It’s up for interpretation if the “he” is in reference to McGregor or Poirier, but judging by the overall context, it would seem the insult could apply equally to either gentleman.

Poirier had more pressing issues to deal with at the moment than what Nate Diaz had to say about him, but McGregor continues to have plenty of time to fire back at his rival while also launching an indirect shot at Poirier in this instance.

“you lanky string of piss he got lumped around and got lucky twice. That’s it. Is what it is. Embarrassing night for him alright. That closed guard game. Wtf was that. Wow! Shocking. All good happy Sat night horse yupya it’s proper twelve day tomorrow 12/12. New Paddy’s Day!,” McGregor said in response to Diaz.

Nate Diaz and Dustin Poirier have been linked together in the past. The two were supposed to fight at UFC 230 in 2018, but that fight fell apart, with both fighters pointing the finger at the other as far as who was to blame for the collapse.

Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier have fought three times, with Poirier getting the better of McGregor twice, as Diaz alluded to in his tweet. The last time Poirier and McGregor competed against one another was at UFC 264. At the close of this trilogy bout, McGregor suffered a gruesome leg injury that resulted in a Poirier TKO victory via doctor’s stoppage.

What do you make of these remarks from Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor about Dustin Poirier’s UFC 269 loss?

Continue Reading Diaz and McGregor Take Shots At Dustin Poirier Over “Embarrassing” Loss at MMA News.

Julianna Pena Explains Why She Not Amanda Nunes Is The First Mom Champ

Julianna PenaJulianna Pena scored one of the biggest upsets of all-time at UFC 269 when she beat Amanda Nunes to become the bantamweight champion. ‘The Venezuelan Vixen endured a pretty tough first frame before turning the tide in round two. Pena put hands-on Nunes before taking the fight to the floor and choking out the now-former […]

Julianna Pena

Julianna Pena scored one of the biggest upsets of all-time at UFC 269 when she beat Amanda Nunes to become the bantamweight champion.

‘The Venezuelan Vixen endured a pretty tough first frame before turning the tide in round two.

Pena put hands-on Nunes before taking the fight to the floor and choking out the now-former dual-weight UFC champion.

Speaking to media at the UFC 269 post-fight press conference, Pena claimed that she is the first mom champion in UFC history despite the fact Nunes has a one-year-old daughter.

“The UFC absolutely needs to create a new belt for me and it needs to be The Baddest Mom On The Planet,” Pena said. “You know, I’m not trying to take anything away from Amanda, she’s a wonderful mother, but I gave birth to my daughter. I feel like for giving birth I am the first mom champ and that to me is also a little feather in the cap.”

No-One Was Backing Julianna Pena Heading Into UFC 269

Amanda Nunes was -1000 to defend the bantamweight belt against Pena who until now had not shown herself to be championship material.

The Ultimate Fighter winner had gone 2-2 in her last four fights and was considered by some lucky to be getting a crack at Nunes, especially after she suffered a submission loss to striking specialist Germaine de Randamie.

Even Nunes was dismissive of Pena ahead of UFC 269.

“She’s a clown, (She) wants attention. That’s it,” Nunes said during fight week. “She’s delusional, What about her best friend Miesha Tate? What about Sara McMann? Sara McMann almost beat her. Sara McMann gave up in the fight. If she didn’t give up, she would have beat Julianna. But I beat Sara McMann years ago.”

“I feel like she can talk whatever she wants. I feel like she has to do that to be able to bring all the attention, but I’m going to tell her, she can have all the attention she wants. All of it. Because Saturday is my night, December is my month. Nobody’s going to take this belt from me.”

“Julianna has all the holes where I can finish her on the floor as well, Germaine (de Randamie) finished her. Germaine de Randamie is a striker and she finished Julianna Pena (on the ground). I feel like my game is way above all those girls she fought.

“We’re going to see what’s going to happen. I just need a mistake from her. In striking, in the floor, whatever she brings up, I’m going to have the answers and I’m going to finish the fight.”

Do you consider Julianna Pena the first mom champ?