Next Saturday night (Jan. 28) Francis Ngannou will undergo the most stern test of his young mixed martial arts (MMA) career. Ngannou will meet former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight title …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuidcIiGnng
Next Saturday night (Jan. 28) Francis Ngannou will undergo the most stern test of his young mixed martial arts (MMA) career. Ngannou will meet former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight title holder Andrei Arlovski at a UFC on FOX event in Denver.
Since losing the second fight of his career, the “Predator” has gone on an eight-fight winning streak. He told Flo Combat that “The Pit Bull” may be fighting for his UFC contract:
“I think that he really comes to fight every time. He lost the last three fights, but now he really wants to come back and he knows another loss will be really dangerous for him. If he loses it may put him out of the UFC and as you say, he has been a legend in MMA for many years now.”
Arlovski’s three-fight skid left him winless in 2016. He was finished by current UFC champion Stipe Miocic, Alistair Overeem and Josh Barnett. Ngannou is still taking Arlovski seriously heading into the bout.
“I think that for the fight I have to be careful and very smart because Arlovski has a lot of power like me. He’s got very dangerous striking and I’ve got to be careful of that. He also has good grappling so I must take care if he tries to take it to the ground.”
Ngannou currently sits at No. 10 in the heavyweight rankings, while Arlovski finds himself at No. 7. A win over Arlovski would certainly move Ngannou to a higher position. Still, he believes he will have to do more if he expects a chance at gold.
“I don’t think I will be getting a title shot until I can prove I can beat someone in the top-5 and I think I might even need to beat someone else before I can get into the top-5. That’s for sure. I will have to win and win well to get selected for a title shot.”
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight Francis Ngannou has made some noise since making his debut for the world leader of mixed martial arts (MMA). He knocked out Luis Henrique in the first round. Ngannou finished his next three opponents as well.
“Super Predator” told Bloody Elbow that after submitting Anthony Hamilton, he knew he needed a step up in competition:
“I need to go to the best to get my title shot. I know that to have a title shot you are supposed to fight a great one. I want for people to see I am a great fighter and I think to be a great fighter you are supposed to fight a great one. You’re supposed to fight one who people know, that has a good reputation or is a very tough fighter. And that is why I say now, after my fight with Hamilton, I feel now I need [a] top ten [opponent] because I need to be recognized as a great fighter.”
If there is one edge fight fans would give Arlovski, it’s his experience. “The Pit Bull” is a former UFC heavyweight champion and has had 39 professional fights. While Ngannou gives credit where it’s due, he feels he has the upper hand in another area.
“My advantage is in my mind. I know that a lot of people have experience because they are fighters that have fought in the UFC or for other organizations for many years. I don’t have that experience, but I have life experience and I think that’s what will make me triumph. That makes me tough. That makes me something different than Arlovski.”
Ngannou and Arlovski will compete at a UFC on FOX event in Denver, Colorado. The card will be held inside the Pepsi Center on Jan. 28. A women’s strawweight bout between Valentina Shevchenko and Julianna Pena will be the headliner.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyo9Z4R7-Xk&t=17s
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight Francis Ngannou has made some noise since making his debut for the world leader of mixed martial arts (MMA). He knocked out Luis Henrique in the first round. Ngannou finished his next three opponents as well.
“Super Predator” told Bloody Elbow that after submitting Anthony Hamilton, he knew he needed a step up in competition:
“I need to go to the best to get my title shot. I know that to have a title shot you are supposed to fight a great one. I want for people to see I am a great fighter and I think to be a great fighter you are supposed to fight a great one. You’re supposed to fight one who people know, that has a good reputation or is a very tough fighter. And that is why I say now, after my fight with Hamilton, I feel now I need [a] top ten [opponent] because I need to be recognized as a great fighter.”
If there is one edge fight fans would give Arlovski, it’s his experience. “The Pit Bull” is a former UFC heavyweight champion and has had 39 professional fights. While Ngannou gives credit where it’s due, he feels he has the upper hand in another area.
“My advantage is in my mind. I know that a lot of people have experience because they are fighters that have fought in the UFC or for other organizations for many years. I don’t have that experience, but I have life experience and I think that’s what will make me triumph. That makes me tough. That makes me something different than Arlovski.”
Ngannou and Arlovski will compete at a UFC on FOX event in Denver, Colorado. The card will be held inside the Pepsi Center on Jan. 28. A women’s strawweight bout between Valentina Shevchenko and Julianna Pena will be the headliner.
No. 1 ranked women’s bantamweight Valentina Shevchenko made her Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut in Dec. 2015. She stepped in as a late replacement for Germaine de Randamie. She clashed …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SENHPSZcNqc&t=0s
No. 1 ranked women’s bantamweight Valentina Shevchenko made her Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut in Dec. 2015. She stepped in as a late replacement for Germaine de Randamie. She clashed with former women’s Strikeforce bantamweight champion Sarah Kaufman.
“Bullet” entered the contest on a four-fight winning streak. Shevchenko’s clinch work and ground control told the story of this fight. Kaufman failed to find her range when she was standing and any time she found an opening, she was taken down. The former champion took her opponent to the ground in the final frame, but it was too late.
Shevchenko earned a split decision victory and improved her record to 12-1. She is now 13-2 and coming off the biggest win of her career, defeating Holly Holm by unanimous decision. She will meet Julianna Pena at a UFC on FOX event inside the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado on Jan. 28.
Julianna Pena hasn’t been shy about wanting a title shot. “The Venezuelan Vixen” has gone 4-0 in her professional bouts inside the Octagon. She also defeated all of her opponents on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 18.
Pena will be going toe-to-toe with Valentina Shevchenko at a UFC on FOX event inside the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The event will held on Jan. 28. The winner of that bout will likely move on to face current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s bantamweight title holder Amanda Nunes.
“The Venezuelan Vixen” told Bloody Elbow that she’ll be dumbfounded if she doesn’t receive a title opportunity with a win next weekend:
“I definitely think I’ve been deserving of a title shot for a long time now and if I don’t get a title shot [after beating Shevchenko] then I’ll be baffled. At the end of the day, my main focus right now, and my sole focus right now, is Valentina Shevchenko and that’s it.”
While Pena felt she deserved a title shot already, she acknowledges the toughness and skill of Shevchenko. She also sees some holes.
“I’ve seen her struggle in positions on the ground. Like, getting submissions and then letting them go and not really being too familiar with the finishes, but I know she’s working on the ground sharpening up her ground skills so I’m anticipating the best Valentina that there ever has been and that she’ll be covering all her bases as far as the wrestling and jiu-jitsu goes, as I have with the stand up.”
Pena said she was competing against Shevchenko because the fans wanted to see the bout. She hopes those watching can appreciate her efforts.
“I’m actually doing this fight for the fans and doing a fight which they have asked for and have requested for me for a long time now, so I hope that I make them happy and then they can be a little bit grateful for the fact I am putting it all on the line for them.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VpUxqS3FpU
Julianna Pena hasn’t been shy about wanting a title shot. “The Venezuelan Vixen” has gone 4-0 in her professional bouts inside the Octagon. She also defeated all of her opponents on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 18.
Pena will be going toe-to-toe with Valentina Shevchenko at a UFC on FOX event inside the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The event will held on Jan. 28. The winner of that bout will likely move on to face current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s bantamweight title holder Amanda Nunes.
“The Venezuelan Vixen” told Bloody Elbow that she’ll be dumbfounded if she doesn’t receive a title opportunity with a win next weekend:
“I definitely think I’ve been deserving of a title shot for a long time now and if I don’t get a title shot [after beating Shevchenko] then I’ll be baffled. At the end of the day, my main focus right now, and my sole focus right now, is Valentina Shevchenko and that’s it.”
While Pena felt she deserved a title shot already, she acknowledges the toughness and skill of Shevchenko. She also sees some holes.
“I’ve seen her struggle in positions on the ground. Like, getting submissions and then letting them go and not really being too familiar with the finishes, but I know she’s working on the ground sharpening up her ground skills so I’m anticipating the best Valentina that there ever has been and that she’ll be covering all her bases as far as the wrestling and jiu-jitsu goes, as I have with the stand up.”
Pena said she was competing against Shevchenko because the fans wanted to see the bout. She hopes those watching can appreciate her efforts.
“I’m actually doing this fight for the fans and doing a fight which they have asked for and have requested for me for a long time now, so I hope that I make them happy and then they can be a little bit grateful for the fact I am putting it all on the line for them.”
Surging UFC women’s bantamweight contender Julianna Pena will take on fellow red hot contender Valentina Shevchenko in the main event of January 28’s UFC on FOX 23 from Denver, Colorado. Pena hasn’t competed since last July when she scored a victory over former title challenger Cat Zingano, but she has been quite outspoken in the
Surging UFC women’s bantamweight contender Julianna Pena will take on fellow red hot contender Valentina Shevchenko in the main event of January 28’s UFC on FOX 23 from Denver, Colorado. Pena hasn’t competed since last July when she scored a victory over former title challenger Cat Zingano, but she has been quite outspoken in the media.
Recently speaking with Brian Stann on SiriusXM Rush, Pena ripped former champion Ronda Rousey, who was recently stopped by Amanda Nunes in just 48 seconds, saying that the “Rowdy” one has had everything handed to her:
“It just sucks that Ronda’s been dodging me this whole time. When I was on The Ultimate Fighter and Dana allowed women to fight in the UFC, she was fighting one girl while I fought four girls in seven weeks. The reason why they don’t count those fights as real is because it would be illegal. It would be absolutely illegal to allow that many fights in that short amount of time.
“The thing that drives me crazy is that I took out her whole team. She should’ve wanted to fight me in vengeance for her team right after I beat every member on her team. I dismantled all of them. It drives me crazy that it wasn’t me that was able to do it and it drives me crazy that she’s been dodging me this whole time and that I wasn’t the one to be able to dethrone her. To show everyone that this girl’s been spoiled. She’s been handpicking her fights from day one. She’s been getting everything handed to her because her name is Ronda Rousey and she’s been brought up to be this glorious god that was untouchable and it just drives me crazy that I wasn’t able to be the one to dethrone her from the beginning.”
As far as her upcoming fight goes, the “Venezuelan Vixan” said that she’s obsessed with proving a point against Shevchenko:
“I’m constantly studying video on this girl. I think I’ve dug up every single video out of the depths of the internet on Valentina. I wake up thinking about her, I got to bed thinking about her. She’s always constantly on my mind. I stalk this girl for Pete’s sake. It’s kind of scary. The obsession that I have with her is a bit freaky. And it’s just because I want to prove a point to myself that I am the force to be reckoned with in this division like I’ve been saying since day one. I am the one to be feared. They do not want to get locked in the cage with me because I’m a freakin’ animal and I’m a machine and I’m coming to kill you.”
Do you expect Pena to prove that point later this month?
Julianna Pena is set to compete in an expected title eliminator against Valentina Shevchenko on Jan. 28. The two will share the Octagon in the main event of UFC on FOX in Denver, Colorado.
While “The Venezuelan Vixen” is on the cusp of a big title opportunity, she wasn’t shy about turning her attention to the once dominant women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. She went on “Toe-2-Toe with Brian Stann” (via MMAFighting.com) to express her disappointment in not facing “Rowdy:”
“It just sucks that Ronda’s been dodging me this whole time. When I was on The Ultimate Fighter and Dana allowed women to fight in the UFC, she was fighting one girl while I fought four girls in seven weeks. The reason why they don’t count those fights as real is because it would be illegal. It would be absolutely illegal to allow that many fights in that short amount of time.”
During her time on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 18, Pena bested Rousey’s team to win the tournament. She feels that fact alone should’ve pushed her to a bout with “Rowdy.”
“The thing that drives me crazy is that I took out her whole team. She should’ve wanted to fight me in vengeance for her team right after I beat every member on her team. I dismantled all of them. It drives me crazy that it wasn’t me that was able to do it and it drives me crazy that she’s been dodging me this whole time and that I wasn’t the one to be able to dethrone her. To show everyone that this girl’s been spoiled. She’s been handpicking her fights from day one. She’s been getting everything handed to her because her name is Ronda Rousey and she’s been brought up to be this glorious god that was untouchable and it just drives me crazy that I wasn’t able to be the one to dethrone her from the beginning.”
https://youtu.be/jPYW8bjw6dM?t=119
Julianna Pena is set to compete in an expected title eliminator against Valentina Shevchenko on Jan. 28. The two will share the Octagon in the main event of UFC on FOX in Denver, Colorado.
While “The Venezuelan Vixen” is on the cusp of a big title opportunity, she wasn’t shy about turning her attention to the once dominant women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. She went on “Toe-2-Toe with Brian Stann” (via MMAFighting.com) to express her disappointment in not facing “Rowdy:”
“It just sucks that Ronda’s been dodging me this whole time. When I was on The Ultimate Fighter and Dana allowed women to fight in the UFC, she was fighting one girl while I fought four girls in seven weeks. The reason why they don’t count those fights as real is because it would be illegal. It would be absolutely illegal to allow that many fights in that short amount of time.”
During her time on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 18, Pena bested Rousey’s team to win the tournament. She feels that fact alone should’ve pushed her to a bout with “Rowdy.”
“The thing that drives me crazy is that I took out her whole team. She should’ve wanted to fight me in vengeance for her team right after I beat every member on her team. I dismantled all of them. It drives me crazy that it wasn’t me that was able to do it and it drives me crazy that she’s been dodging me this whole time and that I wasn’t the one to be able to dethrone her. To show everyone that this girl’s been spoiled. She’s been handpicking her fights from day one. She’s been getting everything handed to her because her name is Ronda Rousey and she’s been brought up to be this glorious god that was untouchable and it just drives me crazy that I wasn’t able to be the one to dethrone her from the beginning.”
