Tag: UFC News

Charles Oliveira Believes He Has More Weapons Than Dustin Poirier

Charles Oliveira Dustin PoirierCharles Oliveira believes he has more tools in his game than Dustin Poirier. Oliveira will look to defend his lightweight title for the first time when he faces Poirier in the UFC 269 headliner taking place December 11 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Despite being the champion, many still regard Poirier as the true king of […]

Charles Oliveira Dustin Poirier

Charles Oliveira believes he has more tools in his game than Dustin Poirier.

Oliveira will look to defend his lightweight title for the first time when he faces Poirier in the UFC 269 headliner taking place December 11 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Despite being the champion, many still regard Poirier as the true king of the 155-pound division following Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement.

Oliveira doesn’t care too much as he believes he’ll still have question marks even if he defeats Poirier.

“Someone else will show up when I win and be like, ‘Oh, you have to beat this one now, you have to beat that one,’” Oliveira said in a recent interview. “We’ll keep on fighting, keep on making history, staying focused and centered. Putting on great fights. I wanted to fight the best, and I’ve been doing that.

“No one has such a gigantic winning streak like me, nine in a row with only one decision — and you all saw it, you can’t debate it. Many people say I have to beat Dustin to prove I’m the champion. I am the champion. I won [the belt] earlier this year and I’ll defend my belt now.”

Charles Oliveira: You Know What Happens If I Take Him Down

For most observers, Poirier’s path to victory is getting the knockout.

However, with Oliveira, he not only has his improved striking — which earned him a second-round knockout win over Michael Chandler to win the belt earlier this year — but his dominant grappling and jiu-jitsu game.

And so, “Do Bronx” feels confident in his abilities to come out on top.

“On [December] 11, we’ll be there to prove who’s best and who’s not the best,” Oliveira said. “There’s not much to say. We’ll only know when we face each other. I trust myself, I believe myself. I think I have way more weapons than him. All you guys that think [he’s No. 1], watch his last fight and watch my last fight, see what I’m good at and what he’s good at, and match it all up to see what happens.

“Strikers took him down way too easily, and you know what happens if I take him down. If he trades on the feet with me, you know I’m hitting hard, brother. It will be fire on the 11th. I have firepower in my hands, I have my jiu-jitsu. I respect him a lot, but I want to remain champion, I want to keep this belt here. I couldn’t care less what others say or criticize. It’s about time I take all that inside my head and look at what people say on Instagram.”

Who do you have winning at UFC 269 between Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier?

Khamzat Chimaev Calls For ‘Big Drama Show’ With Conor McGregor, McGregor Responds

Khamzat ChimaevKhamzat Chimaev called for a fight with Conor McGregor — and got a surprising response. Chimaev returned to action for the first time in over a year after a dominant first-round submission win over Li Jingliang at UFC 267 last month. Eager to remain active again, Chimaev has called out a number of fighters and […]

Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev called for a fight with Conor McGregor — and got a surprising response.

Chimaev returned to action for the first time in over a year after a dominant first-round submission win over Li Jingliang at UFC 267 last month.

Eager to remain active again, Chimaev has called out a number of fighters and recently called to step in for the injured Jorge Masvidal to take on Leon Edwards at UFC 269.

That doesn’t look likely to be happening — at least at UFC 269 — and Chimaev is continuing his search for his next opponent. On Sunday, he decided to try his luck with McGregor.

“Let’s make Big drama show @TheNotoriousMMA ?”

McGregor Responds To Khamzat Chimaev

It didn’t take long for McGregor to respond who found some common ground with Chimaev in his response. The response has since been deleted.

“Bratha, no problem. I appreciate you reaching out to the team in 2018 to come and help me beat up the little scared pigeon b*tch. Chechnya knows! F*ck those eagles mma p*ssies, we are Akhmat MMA! Smash them up we will! Let’s go! The Mac and Akhmat! We take no sh*t! Never peace.”

McGregor, of course, is referring to his 2018 fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov. And with some past tension between Chimaev and Nurmagomedov, the former could do nothing but interestingly laugh at McGregor’s response.

Chimaev would then turn his attention to Nate Diaz.

“I’m coming 209 ? @NateDiaz209”

Who do you think Khamzat Chimaev should fight next?

Dana White Criticizes Referee Herb Dean Following UFC Vegas 42 Blunder

Dana WhiteUFC president Dana White was not pleased with referee Herb Dean last night. During the co-main event of UFC Vegas 42, Marcos Rogerio de Lima blitzed Ben Rothwell in their heavyweight contest for a quick 32-second knockout victory. However, that was after Dean hesitated to call off the fight before ultimately doing so when Rothwell […]

Dana White

UFC president Dana White was not pleased with referee Herb Dean last night.

During the co-main event of UFC Vegas 42, Marcos Rogerio de Lima blitzed Ben Rothwell in their heavyweight contest for a quick 32-second knockout victory.

However, that was after Dean hesitated to call off the fight before ultimately doing so when Rothwell was dropped to the ground.

It was yet another blunder for Dean who has made them much more frequently in recent years. Dan Hardy — one of Dean’s staunchest critics — made sure to comment on it.

Dana White: Dean Needs To ‘Stop Touching Guys’

While White usually doesn’t comment on Dean, he had to after this event.

“He’s gotta pull the trigger and stop touching guys – don’t touch them unless you’re going to stop the fight,” White said at the post-fight press conference. “When they played it back in slow motion, he’s kind of like, dancing, like he doesn’t know what to do, whether he’s going to jump in or not jump in.

“I like him personally – he’s a nice guy. But he’s got to stop touching people until he’s ready to stop the fight.”

What do you think of Herb Dean as a referee?

Khamzat Chimaev Extends A Proposal To Conor McGregor

Khamzat Chimaev has apparently thrown his hat into the Conor McGregor Sweepstakes.

No fighter alive has been challenged more times than Conor McGregor. It is well known that a bout against the Irish Superstar is a red panty night, so it has been a…

Khamzat Chimaev Conor McGregor

Khamzat Chimaev has apparently thrown his hat into the Conor McGregor Sweepstakes.

No fighter alive has been challenged more times than Conor McGregor. It is well known that a bout against the Irish Superstar is a red panty night, so it has been a common occurrence for fighters of multiple weight classes to call McGregor out for a fight. Sunday afternoon, seemingly out of nowhere, UFC welterweight and rising star Khamzat Chimaev joined that list.

“Let’s make Big drama show @TheNotoriousMMA,” Chimaev tweeted along with an image of himself and McGregor hitting the scales prior to an imaginary bout.

Long before MMA fans knew who Chimaev was, he was already trying to pick a fight with McGregor. The story goes that Borz actually traveled to Ireland in 2018 to try to beat up the Irishman to defend the honor of Muslims during the controversial UFC 229 buildup. Chimaev says he was stopped in an airport and detained by police before he got the pleasure of violently introducing himself to The Notorious One. Now a certified professional, Chimaev is hoping to fight McGregor inside the confines of the UFC Octagon.

Although Chimaev competes at welterweight and McGregor at lightweight, McGregor has fought at welterweight multiple times in the past and has expressed an openness to doing so again. In fact, he has even teased making a run at the welterweight championship earlier this year. Therefore, a bout between Chimaev and McGregor is not implausible.

Chimaev picked a good time to challenge McGregor. The Irishman has never been more active on social media than he has been in recent months, so the callout may very well receive a response. McGregor suffered a broken leg during his UFC 264 bout against Dustin Poirier and has perhaps had more free time than usual during his recovery. That said, there could be some exchanges to come between these two colorful personalities in Twitterland, even if not in the Octagon or an Ireland airport.

How do you think a fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Conor McGregor would play out?

Continue Reading Khamzat Chimaev Extends A Proposal To Conor McGregor at MMA News.

Sean Strickland Records Nearly Violent Weekend Road Rage Incident

UFC middleweight contender Sean Strickland was apparently involved in a road rage incident that nearly turned into a brawl this weekend.

As shared by MMA journalist Alex Behunin, Strickland posted a brief clip on his Instagram story in which he sha…

Sean Strickland

UFC middleweight contender Sean Strickland was apparently involved in a road rage incident that nearly turned into a brawl this weekend.

As shared by MMA journalist Alex Behunin, Strickland posted a brief clip on his Instagram story in which he shared the interaction with a driver near his home. Following the traffic incident, Strickland allegedly threatened to fight the driver and asked if he had any guns or knives on his person.

Check out the clip of Strickland below.

Sean Strickland Has Made Several Controversial Remarks In 2021

Strickland has been in the headlines for arguably the wrong reasons for a good portion of the year, due to several controversial statements he’s made about his past along with his unusual post-fight interviews.

During a post-fight interview following his recent win over Uriah Hall at UFC Vegas 33, Strickland alluded to his desire to kill someone in a fight. This immediately drew strong reactions from media, fans, and fellow athletes alike.

Strickland also claimed that he would probably be the last person the UFC would want as a champion and hinted at an open obsession with pornography.

Strickland was supposed to fight Luke Rockhold at UFC 267 before Rockhold pulled out of the fight due to a lingering back injury. Strickland opted not to remain on the card and he is still awaiting a booking for his next Octagon appearance.

What are your thoughts on Sean Strickland’s latest antics?

Continue Reading Sean Strickland Records Nearly Violent Weekend Road Rage Incident at MMA News.

Charles Oliveira: I Do Not Have To Beat Poirier To Prove I’m The Champ

UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira feels he has nothing to prove headed into his first title defense against Dustin Poirier.

Oliveira will defend the title against Poirier in the main event of UFC 269, which is easily the biggest fight of hi…

Charles Oliveira Dustin Poirier

UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira feels he has nothing to prove headed into his first title defense against Dustin Poirier.

Oliveira will defend the title against Poirier in the main event of UFC 269, which is easily the biggest fight of his career to this point. Poirier earned the No. 1 contender spot after earning back-to-back wins over Conor McGregor earlier this year.

Poirier was offered the shot at the then-vacant lightweight title before opting to take a trilogy fight with McGregor. Some believe that Poirier is the unofficial lightweight champion over Oliveira because he turned down the original title shot offer.

During a recent interview on MMA Fighting’s Trocacao Franca podcast, Oliveira said he doesn’t believe a win over Poirier would assert himself as the true king of the 155-pound division. He feels he’s rightfully earned that title.

“Someone else will show up when I win and be like, ‘Oh, you have to beat this one now, you have to beat that one,’” Oliveira said. “We’ll keep on fighting, keep on making history, staying focused and centered. Putting on great fights. I wanted to fight the best, and I’ve been doing that.

“No one has such a gigantic winning streak like me, nine in a row with only one decision — and you all saw it, you can’t debate it,” Oliveira said. “Many people say I have to beat Dustin to prove I’m the champion. I am the champion. I won [the belt] earlier this year and I’ll defend my belt now.”

Charles Oliveira Had A Difficult Path To The UFC Title

Charles Oliveira
Charles Oliveira, Credit: Getty Images

Even though Charles Oliveira had a difficult climb to the top of the lightweight division, he isn’t worried about being unanimously respected by the MMA community for his accolades.

“Eleven years to become champion, nine wins in a row, most bonuses and submissions [in UFC history], the man that took the longest to fight for the belt,” he said. “I think that demands respect. Everybody said I didn’t deserve the Michael Chandler fight. I was coming off eight straight wins. Who had more wins that me in the division? I don’t leave if up to the judges. … How do I not get the respect?

“Many people outside and inside of Brazil respect me, they know my history, but many people won’t respect me,” Oliveira said. “If God didn’t please everyone, why should I? I’ll continue to make history, continue to make it happen, and continue to fight the best.”

Oliveira earned the belt over Michael Chandler at UFC 262. Oliveira and Chandler battled for the vacant title after Khabib Nurmagomedov retired following his win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.

Oliveira rose to the top of the lightweight division after going on a historically great winning streak. He defeated top contenders such as Tony Ferguson, Kevin Lee, and veteran Jim Miller to get to the title.

Oliveira made the full-time move to lightweight after an up-and-down tenure at featherweight. He had a series of issues cutting to 145 pounds which resulted in him moving up a division.

Oliveira vs. Poirier will be the last UFC pay-per-view of 2021, and all eyes will be on the two top lightweights in MMA as they go to battle in the Octagon.

What is your prediction for Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC 269?

Continue Reading Charles Oliveira: I Do Not Have To Beat Poirier To Prove I’m The Champ at MMA News.