Tag: UFC Welterweight

Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson On Shavkat Rakhmonov Lie That Got Under His Skin

Stephen Thompson recently disclosed the one fib from Shavkat Rakhmonov that truly irked him after their matchup. “Wonderboy” is gearing up to square off against Joaquin Buckley in a welterweight clash on the preliminary card of UFC 307, scheduled for October 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Thompson is set to […]

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Stephen Thompson recently disclosed the one fib from Shavkat Rakhmonov that truly irked him after their matchup.

“Wonderboy” is gearing up to square off against Joaquin Buckley in a welterweight clash on the preliminary card of UFC 307, scheduled for October 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Thompson is set to make his comeback to the Octagon after a 10-month hiatus, having not competed since his second-round submission defeat to the unbeaten Rakhmonov at UFC 296 in December 2023.

In the lead-up to their clash, both fighters had agreed to engage exclusively in striking. However, Rakhmonov chose to grapple and ultimately secured a swift victory.

While Thompson respects the 29-year-old Kazakh fighter’s skills, he feels disheartened by his opponent’s attempt to rationalize his change in approach, claiming he suffered a serious ankle injury before their bout despite having promised to prove he was the superior striker.

Thompson Critiques Rakhmonov & Team For Justifying Change In Strategy After Their Bout

During a recent interview with MMAFightingonSBN, Thompson reflected on his defeat to Rakhmonov, voicing his dissatisfaction with “Nomad’s” coach, Henri Hooft, for attempting to explain the decision to pursue takedowns during the fight.

“Wonderboy” noted that he recalls Hooft making similar remarks following his bout against Gilbert Burns at UFC 264.

“It was funny because afterward the same coach as Gilbert Burns, and after the Gilbert Burns fight, the coach came up and was like, ‘I’m sorry the fight was boring, but that’s the only way to beat you,’” Thompson said. “He said the same thing after the Shavkat fight.”

Thompson acknowledged that grappling is an integral aspect of the sport and emphasized that he should have been better prepared for it. However, he expressed disappointment that Rakhmonov didn’t honor his commitment to keep their bout strictly to striking.

“So I knew that’s what they were planning on. He was not planning to strike with me. He wanted to hem me up, get me to the floor, and submit me, which he did very well. That’s part of the game. I’ve got to be ready for that. But especially after the fight, they’re saying that. You can say that during the fight to get me thinking one thing, but after the fight, you’re saying, ‘I was going to strike with the guy, but I hurt my ankle.’ Nah, dude. It got me a little bit. Very few things frustrate me — that got me a little bit. Just admit it.”

“Wonderboy” once enjoyed an impressive seven-fight win streak. However, since his title rematch loss to Tyron Woodley at UFC 209 in March 2017, the 41-year-old South Carolina native has struggled to reclaim his former glory. In his last 10 bouts, he has tallied a disappointing record of 4-6.

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Gilbert Burns Admits ‘Mistake’ Of Listening To Multiple Nutritionists Cost Him In Sean Brady Fight

Gilbert Burns recently confessed that his decision to follow advice from multiple nutritionists was a costly error, one that ultimately contributed to his loss against Sean Brady. “Durinho” stepped into the main event of UFC Vegas 97 last weekend, hoping to reignite one final push for the welterweight title. However, his plans were decisively derailed […]

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Gilbert Burns recently confessed that his decision to follow advice from multiple nutritionists was a costly error, one that ultimately contributed to his loss against Sean Brady.

“Durinho” stepped into the main event of UFC Vegas 97 last weekend, hoping to reignite one final push for the welterweight title. However, his plans were decisively derailed as Brady overwhelmed him over five punishing rounds with a relentless barrage of takedowns and grappling mastery, ultimately handing Burns a unanimous decision loss—his third consecutive defeat.

Burns was hopeful that a victory over Brady would put him back on the road to championship contention. Heading into fight week, he was confident in both his training and recovery, feeling physically prepared. Yet, he still wasn’t able to perform at his full potential when it mattered most.

The 38-year-old Brazilian was dismayed by his showing. However, in the aftermath of the loss, he has finally pieced together what went wrong in the lead-up to the bout…

Burns Attributes Bad Weight Cut On Confusion With Multiple Nutritionists

During a recent video on his YouTube channel, Burns opened up about his loss to Brady, revealing that his preparation was compromised by poor decision-making. “Durinho” admitted that leading up to the fight, he consulted several nutritionists and then complicated matters by blending their advice with his own approach.

This misstep led to a problematic weight cut, which ultimately reflected in the fight, as he felt lethargic and lacked his usual sharpness in movement.

“Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, I had a lot of energy; I felt great,” Burns said. “But Thursday I had a hard weight cut at night, and Friday morning I had a very hard weight cut in the morning, and I think that was the result. That’s why I think I felt very sluggish. I felt bad, but I do believe it was my recovery. Before I point fingers at everyone, I have my nutritionist, Marcelo Ferro, who does an amazing job. But my mistake was listening to two other nutritionists and the UFC a little bit.”

“So, another nutritionist that is a good friend of mine, Lucas, and coach Carl Gebhardt—I went to California to do all the tasks, and instead of doing the things that I do with Marcelo, I was kind of doing a little bit of coach Carl, a little bit of Marcelo, and a little bit of Lucas. So, at the end of the day, I didn’t follow through with anyone’s plan. I took a little bit from each one and kind of did my own plan. So when I made weight, I did great, but when I saw the recovery, I did a little bit from all three nutritionists, and it kind of didn’t work out.”

Burns said in a backstage interview with the UFC that he’s uncertain about the future of his career. His last victory came at UFC 287 in April 2023 against Jorge Masvidal. “Durinho” once rode the momentum of a six-fight win streak, but since his failed bid at the title against former champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 258 in February 2021, he has struggled to regain his footing with a consistent winning run.

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Belal Muhammad Explains Why He’s Happy To Kick Leon Edwards When He’s Down

Belal Muhammad recently shared why he still relishes trading verbal jabs with Leon Edwards, even after securing a victory over “Rocky”. Muhammad scored a controlling unanimous decision win over Edwards, capturing the UFC welterweight crown in their much-anticipated rematch in Manchester this past July. The clash at UFC 304 was a re-run, as their first […]

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Belal Muhammad recently shared why he still relishes trading verbal jabs with Leon Edwards, even after securing a victory over “Rocky”.

Muhammad scored a controlling unanimous decision win over Edwards, capturing the UFC welterweight crown in their much-anticipated rematch in Manchester this past July.

The clash at UFC 304 was a re-run, as their first meeting in March 2021 ended in controversy when a brutal eye-poke from Edwards prevented “Remember the Name” from continuing past the second round, resulting in a no-contest.

Muhammad was riding an impressive 10-fight unbeaten streak, boasting victories over tough opponents like Gilbert Burns, Sean Brady, and Stephen Thompson. However, despite his dominant run, he had to tirelessly campaign for over a year to secure a title shot, as “Rocky” and his team continuously dismissed him as an unworthy challenger for the belt.

“Remember the Name” faced a barrage of criticism and skepticism throughout his journey, and since toppling Edwards at UFC 304, he hasn’t held back in voicing his disdain…

Muhammad’s Grudge Against Edwards Stems From Being Overlooked

During a recent interview with UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping, Muhammad was questioned why he continues to take digs at Edwards even after decisively defeating him. The newly crowned welterweight champion explained that his frustration with the Jamaican-born Brit arose from being repeatedly dismissed in the title conversation.

Now that he’s beaten “Rocky”, Muhammad says Edwards’ teammates have begun making excuses, which only fuels his desire to keep taking shots at his former opponent.

“It got to me, it pissed me off,” Muhammad said. “And that’s why even now, where I hate to even bring up fights, when I beat a fighter, I never want to kick a man when he’s down. But Leon, I’ll kick when he’s down, I don’t care. I’m gonna make him pay because they said I wasn’t worth it, they said he was gonna walk through me, they said I was going to be an easy fight.”

“And for me to go out there and beat him the way I did, and now for him to go ghost—nobody even knows what happened to him—and for his team to come out with little excuses, like saying, ‘Oh, he had a bad back the whole time,’ and Leon comes out and says, ‘Oh, I didn’t get good sleep,’ like bro, just own up to it. I was better than you. I am better than you. That’s the difference between great fighters and the ones that fizzle out—they always come up with excuses for every loss.”

Since his recent victory, Muhammad has elevated his trash-talking game, regularly firing back at critics on social media. The 37-year-old Chicago native has also been locked in a heated war of words with former champion Kamaru Usman, stoking the flames for a potential showdown, while also teasing his first title defense against Shavkat Rakhmonov.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Coach: ‘King’ Belal Muhammad Turned The Tables On UFC

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coach, Javier Mendez, recently expressed that Belal Muhammad has earned the right to dictate his own terms now that he has claimed the UFC welterweight championship. “Remember the Name” made waves by toppling 170…

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coach, Javier Mendez, recently expressed that Belal Muhammad has earned the right to dictate his own terms now that he has claimed the UFC welterweight championship. “Remember the Name” made waves by toppling 170-pound champion Leon Edwards with a commanding unanimous decision victory at UFC 304 this past July in Manchester. The highly […]

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Belal Muhammad Told To Hand Out ‘A Couple Of 10-7s’ To Ian Garry On Social Media: ‘But Keep The Wife Out Of It…’

Josh Thomson and “Big” John McCarthy recently offered insightful counsel to Belal Muhammad, urging him to elevate his mic game and suggesting that sharpening his verbal skills could be the key to skyrocketing his popularity. “Remember the Name” realized his dream of dethroning welterweight champion Leon Edwards at UFC 304 last month at the Co-Op […]

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Josh Thomson and “Big” John McCarthy recently offered insightful counsel to Belal Muhammad, urging him to elevate his mic game and suggesting that sharpening his verbal skills could be the key to skyrocketing his popularity.

“Remember the Name” realized his dream of dethroning welterweight champion Leon Edwards at UFC 304 last month at the Co-Op Live arena in Manchester. This showdown marked their second clash, following their initial encounter in March 2021, which ended in a no-contest after an accidental eye-poke prevented Muhammad from continuing beyond the second round.

Although Muhammad has consistently showcased his prowess in the Octagon, evidenced by his impressive 11-fight unbeaten streak, he seems to lack the gift of gab—a skill many UFC fighters masterfully wield to sell fights and win the hearts of fans.

However, the newly crowned UFC welterweight champion appears to have shifted his approach in recent times, as evident on his X account, where he’s been unleashing unrelenting jabs at his naysayers. For the past few days, he’s been locked in a heated war of words with former long-reigning champion Kamaru Usman.

Muhammad’s revamped strategy has certainly caught the attention of Thomson and McCarthy, who view it positively but believe he can still fine-tune his verbal game even further…

Thomson & McCarthy Believe Muhammad’s Edwards Victory Was Two-in-One Success

In a recent episode of the WEIGHING IN podcast with McCarthy, Thomson delved into Muhammad’s rising popularity following his victory over Edwards. The former UFC lightweight champion remarked that “Remember the Name” has undeniably silenced his critics with this win, solidifying his place among the sport’s elite.

“I think overall he’s doing a great job because if you look, the one knock—not one, there were two knocks on him—interviews were cringe, okay? Like, ‘oh, it’s just too much; he’s forcing it too much, and he’s a boring fighter,’” Thomson said. “I’m sorry, he stood toe-to-toe with Leon, had some great wrestling, had some good standup—he fought a great, well-rounded fight. He’s a true MMA fighter, and he’s proving that now. Put him on the mic, maybe just take away the mic then if you don’t like what he has to say, but man, he’s lighting up Twitter right now.”

“The Punk’ also noted how Muhammad is now playfully clapping back at his trolls on social media, adding a new dimension to his public persona.

“He’s crushing X, and I love it. I love that he’s smashing dudes, I love that he’s handing out L’s, I love that he’s dishing out 10-8 rounds. I want to see a couple of 10-7s to Ian Garry, though. I’d like to see that—if he can hand a 10-7 to Ian Garry, I’d like to see it because that’s another guy who’s very cringe. They’ve got to take the mic away from that guy.”

McCarthy nodded in agreement with Thomson’s remarks and playfully suggested that if Muhammad ever engages in a war of words with Garry, he should steer clear of bringing up his spouse in the trash talk.

“Okay, I’m all for him handing out a 10-7 to Garry, but keep the wife out of it.”

Since his victory, Muhammad has welcomed the prospect of facing Shavkat Rakhmonov for his first title defense, while simultaneously sparring with Usman in a heated social media back-and-forth.

However, with “The Nigerian Nightmare” reeling from three consecutive losses, a title shot seems unlikely. Meanwhile, Garry, who remains undefeated and vocal about his ambitions for a title fight, could soon find himself in the welterweight title mix.

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Vicente Luque On How Experience Of Fighting Three UFC Fighters Should Help Him Against Nick Diaz: ‘Throw All Those Into A Blender…’

Vicente Luque recently expressed confidence that his past encounters with three seasoned UFC veterans have equipped him to manage the pressure in his upcoming fight against Nick Diaz. Luque is gearing up for a high-stakes showdown against former welterweight title challenger Diaz. This five-round bout will serve as the co-main event at UFC Fight Night […]

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Vicente Luque recently expressed confidence that his past encounters with three seasoned UFC veterans have equipped him to manage the pressure in his upcoming fight against Nick Diaz.

Luque is gearing up for a high-stakes showdown against former welterweight title challenger Diaz. This five-round bout will serve as the co-main event at UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi, scheduled for August 3 at the Etihad Arena.

Luque’s recent career has experienced significant ups and downs. Since April 2022, “The Silent Assassin”, known for his formidable and versatile fighting abilities, has managed to secure only one victory. That triumph came when he defeated Rafael Dos Anjos via unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 74 last August.

Before his victory, Luque endured consecutive defeats to Belal Muhammad and Geoff Neal. The loss to “Handz of Steel” was particularly significant as it marked the first knockout loss of his career and led to an injury that kept him out of action for almost a year.

The 32-year-old Brazilian is coming off a second-round knockout defeat against Joaquin Buckley this past March at UFC Fight Night Atlantic City. Despite this setback, Luque remains confident in his ability to turn his fortunes around.

Drawing on his past victories over several notable opponents, Luque believes that his experience and resilience will be key factors in his bout against the former Strikeforce welterweight champion…

Luque Trusts Experience To Overcome Diaz Challenge

During a recent interview with InsideFighting, “The Silent Assassin” was queried about his strategy for facing a high-profile opponent like Diaz.

Luque acknowledged that the intensity Diaz brings to fights is exceptionally different from that of other opponents. However, he expressed confidence that his victories over veterans like Tyron Woodley, Dos Anjos, and Bryan Barberena will provide him with the edge he needs on August 3.

“I think he’s a big name. I fought Woodley, I fought RDA, and these guys were big champions. They have big names, but I feel like the energy that Nick brings is different.”

“I think it’s a little bit different, and I don’t know if I would mix the experience that I have from fighting Woodley and RDA with the fight I had with Barberena. It’s kind of that, you know, throw all those into a blender, and you come out with something like Nick, a guy with big, a legend, but he’ll stand there in front of you and try to pressure you.”

The Brazilian also noted that the five-round matchup will work to his advantage against Diaz, who has been out of the octagon for an extended period of time.

“It’s gonna be five rounds, not gonna be three rounds. So it’s gonna be nice. I mean, if he can, what I’m gonna bring, and I think he can and I can take what he’s gonna bring, then we’re gonna put on a show for everyone.”

Diaz returned to active competition after a six-year hiatus, facing off against his former rival Robbie Lawler in a rematch at UFC 266 in September 2021. The 40-year-old Stockton native unexpectedly dropped to the canvas in the third round and chose not to continue, leading the referee to stop the fight.

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