Tag: UFC

Deiveson Figueiredo Down For Flyweight Return To Challenge Alexandre Pantoja: ‘I’m The Best Option’

It seems UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja may not be devoid of exciting options for his next fight after all. Pantoja further cemented his grip on the crown at 125 pounds this past weekend when he headlined the UFC 310 pay-per-view inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. “The Cannibal” closed out the final numbered event of […]

It seems UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja may not be devoid of exciting options for his next fight after all.

Pantoja further cemented his grip on the crown at 125 pounds this past weekend when he headlined the UFC 310 pay-per-view inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

“The Cannibal” closed out the final numbered event of 2024 in style, submitting UFC newcomer Kai Asakura in round two with a rear-naked choke. The victory over the ex-Rizin champion, who was left unconscious by the fight-ending sequence, marked Pantoja’s third successful defense.

With that, the Brazilian has defeated many of the notable names toward the top of the division, leaving him somewhat short of fresh and intriguing options.

There might be one rematch, however, that gets the champ’s fire lit…

During a recent interview with Brazilian reporter Laerte Viana, former two-time flyweight champ and current top-10 bantamweight contender Deiveson Figueiredo threw his name in the hat to be Pantoja’s next challenger.

While “The Cannibal” already boasts victories over many vying for a shot in the flyweight rankings, he lost his 2019 contest with “Deus da Guerra” on the scorecards. And feeling that things were comfortable back then, Figueiredo likes his chances of repeating the feat in a championship scenario.

“Since Pantoja is looking for someone, I think I’m the best option,” Figueiredo said in Portuguese (translated by @Home_of_Fight). “I’m available, man. In my entire career in the UFC, I only missed weight once. If I have to make weight, I’ll go there and fulfill my commitment. And our first fight wasn’t easy for Pantoja. It was a three-round fight and I certainly won all three.”

Figueiredo departed the weight class following the end of his second reign on the flyweight throne at the hands of Brandon Moreno early last year. He began life at the more comfortable weight of 135 pounds in strong fashion, dominating Rob Font and submitting Cody Garbrandt.

But while that put the Brazilian on the cusp of an opportunity to achieve two-division glory, his push for a shot at Merab Dvalishvili’s belt was stalled last month in Macau, where he was comfortably beaten across five rounds by Petr Yan.

9-Fight UFC Veteran Announces Shock MMA Retirement At 29

UFC featherweight Jack Shore has suddenly called time on his career as a professional fighter. Shore (17-3), a former bantamweight champion under the Cage Warriors banner, began life on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage in impressive fashion, winning all five of his opening UFC bouts en route to a ranking at 135 pounds. But after […]

UFC featherweight Jack Shore has suddenly called time on his career as a professional fighter.

Shore (17-3), a former bantamweight champion under the Cage Warriors banner, began life on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage in impressive fashion, winning all five of his opening UFC bouts en route to a ranking at 135 pounds.

But after Ricky Simón took his ‘0’ by way of submission in 2022, the Welshman bid farewell to the bantamweight division and started anew at 145 pounds. The 29-year-old has since gone 1-2 in the featherweight class, first defeating Makwan Amirkhani but then suffering consecutive setbacks versus Joanderson Brito and Youssef Zalal.

And the moment he tapped to the latter’s arm-triangle choke in Canada early last month will surprisingly mark Shore’s final action inside the Octagon.

After fighting out his UFC contract, “Tank” has opted against re-signing with the MMA leader — or any other organization for that matter.

Taking to social media this week, Shore announced in a lengthy and heartfelt post that his time competing as a professional MMA fighter is over.

“Hello guys, been quiet for a while enjoying time with my friends and family,” Shore wrote. “As what may come as a surprise to a few I’ve decided to hang up the gloves on my professional fighting career. After fighting out my contract and taking some time to think about what’s next it’s clear to me that my time with professional fighting is done. Although I had the chance to re sign with ufc I’ve decided my times done. I want to thank the ufc for letting me live out my childhood dream of fighting for the worlds biggest organisation and against some of the best in the world, I’ve enjoyed every minute!

“From what started as a kid with a dream lead me to amateur titles, world titles and living out my dream of fighting in the ufc. I can truly say for every single fight I gave the training and the fights my all, never said no, never asked questions just kept my head down, stayed true to myself and achieved more than I ever thought possible,” Shore continued. “For the entirety of my 20’s fighting and training was my life and sole focus, however the last few weeks/months have showed this is no longer the case. And I always promised myself when I was mentality checked out I would retire from the sport rather than the sport retire me. Injures have caught up with me after a lifetime in the sport. I’m leaving with my mental in check, good health, financially stable and am fully ready to move onto the future.”

Shore now plans on continuing his involvement in the sport by coaching the next generation of United Kingdom fighters alongside his father.

During his career in the cage, “Tank” defeated notable names like Hunter Azure and Timur Valiev. He departs active competition with a 6-3 UFC record and his health intact.

9-Fight UFC Veteran Announces Shock MMA Retirement At 29

UFC featherweight Jack Shore has suddenly called time on his career as a professional fighter. Shore (17-3), a former bantamweight champion under the Cage Warriors banner, began life on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage in impressive fashion, winning all five of his opening UFC bouts en route to a ranking at 135 pounds. But after […]

UFC featherweight Jack Shore has suddenly called time on his career as a professional fighter.

Shore (17-3), a former bantamweight champion under the Cage Warriors banner, began life on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage in impressive fashion, winning all five of his opening UFC bouts en route to a ranking at 135 pounds.

But after Ricky Simón took his ‘0’ by way of submission in 2022, the Welshman bid farewell to the bantamweight division and started anew at 145 pounds. The 29-year-old has since gone 1-2 in the featherweight class, first defeating Makwan Amirkhani but then suffering consecutive setbacks versus Joanderson Brito and Youssef Zalal.

And the moment he tapped to the latter’s arm-triangle choke in Canada early last month will surprisingly mark Shore’s final action inside the Octagon.

After fighting out his UFC contract, “Tank” has opted against re-signing with the MMA leader — or any other organization for that matter.

Taking to social media this week, Shore announced in a lengthy and heartfelt post that his time competing as a professional MMA fighter is over.

“Hello guys, been quiet for a while enjoying time with my friends and family,” Shore wrote. “As what may come as a surprise to a few I’ve decided to hang up the gloves on my professional fighting career. After fighting out my contract and taking some time to think about what’s next it’s clear to me that my time with professional fighting is done. Although I had the chance to re sign with ufc I’ve decided my times done. I want to thank the ufc for letting me live out my childhood dream of fighting for the worlds biggest organisation and against some of the best in the world, I’ve enjoyed every minute!

“From what started as a kid with a dream lead me to amateur titles, world titles and living out my dream of fighting in the ufc. I can truly say for every single fight I gave the training and the fights my all, never said no, never asked questions just kept my head down, stayed true to myself and achieved more than I ever thought possible,” Shore continued. “For the entirety of my 20’s fighting and training was my life and sole focus, however the last few weeks/months have showed this is no longer the case. And I always promised myself when I was mentality checked out I would retire from the sport rather than the sport retire me. Injures have caught up with me after a lifetime in the sport. I’m leaving with my mental in check, good health, financially stable and am fully ready to move onto the future.”

Shore now plans on continuing his involvement in the sport by coaching the next generation of United Kingdom fighters alongside his father.

During his career in the cage, “Tank” defeated notable names like Hunter Azure and Timur Valiev. He departs active competition with a 6-3 UFC record and his health intact.

Dricus Du Plessis Reveals What Sets Him Apart: ‘I Don’t Mind Getting Punched in the Face’

Dricus Du Plessis Reveals What Sets Him Apart: ‘I Don’t Mind Getting Punched in the Face’Dricus Du Plessis, the UFC Middleweight Champion, has made it clear that his approach to fighting sets him apart…

Dricus Du Plessis Reveals What Sets Him Apart: ‘I Don’t Mind Getting Punched in the Face’

Dricus Du Plessis, the UFC Middleweight Champion, has made it clear that his approach to fighting sets him apart from others in the division. In a recent interview, Du Plessis shared the unique mindset that has propelled him to the top of the middleweight world, and it’s something that could give him the edge in his upcoming title rematch against Sean Strickland.

Dricus Du Plessis

“I don’t mind getting punched in the face,” Du Plessis said. “That was, that was the biggest difference, you know? That was it. I’ll take one to give one, because I know mine’s harder. And I think that was the biggest difference. As I went and I fought Strickland on his strength, I made him go backwards.”

Look at Paulo Costa and Izzy. They were running, they were running, trying to set something up. Strickland is too good. If you’re gonna try and do that, he’s too good. Now, if you give him that momentum, he’s gonna keep on coming and coming. He’s a bully fighter. He likes to bully people, and if you don’t put him in his place quickly, now you are gonna be bullied.”

Sean Strickland

Dricus Du Plessis made a huge statement by defeating Strickland by Split Decision to capture the middleweight belt in January 2024. Since then, he successfully defended his title against the legendary Israel Adesanya in August 2024, submitting him in the fourth round.

Du Plessis’ career has been characterized by his willingness to take risks in the cage, his mindset is also rooted in his belief that he can outlast his opponents. It’s this mentality that allowed him to stand his ground against Strickland, who is known for his pressure and ability to push opponents.

Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland Early Odds

“I made him go backwards,” Dricus Du Plessis continued. “Strickland’s strength lies in his ability to press forward and bully his opponents, but I took that away from him. You can’t let him get that momentum. If you give him an inch, he’ll take a mile.”

Khamzat Chimaev

Looking ahead to a potential rematch with Strickland, Dricus Du Plessis’ approach is clear: he won’t let the former champion dictate the pace of the fight. Instead, Du Plessis plans to once again impose his will and make Strickland fight on his back foot. Also, Du Plessis has voiced a keen interest in facing another threat: Khamzat Chimaev.

dricus du plessis

“I would have rather faced Khamzat,” Du Plessis said, hinting that he feels Chimaev would offer the kind of challenge he thrives on. Chimaev, who is undefeated in the UFC and has shown his dominance in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions, is a fighter that many see as a future champion. Du Plessis, however, remains confident in his ability to handle any challenge.

Joaquin Buckley Expects To Leapfrog Rakhmonov For Next Title Shot With KO Over Covington

The final UFC events of 2024 come with some big stakes attached for the welterweight division. Last weekend at UFC 310 in Las Vegas, Shavkat Rakhmonov cemented his status as the number one contender. In the battle of the undefeated 170-pounds in the co-main event on December 7, “Nomad” earned his first decision win to […]

The final UFC events of 2024 come with some big stakes attached for the welterweight division. Last weekend at UFC 310 in Las Vegas, Shavkat Rakhmonov cemented his status as the number one contender.

In the battle of the undefeated 170-pounds in the co-main event on December 7, “Nomad” earned his first decision win to defeat Ireland’s Ian Machado Garry. Having been set to face Belal Muhammad for the title on this date until the champion withdrew, the two men shared a face-off inside the Octagon after Rakhmonov got his hand raised.

UFC Tampa is up next where in the main event of the Octagon’s final stop of the year, Joaquin Buckley will look to continue his career-best form when he takes on the former interim champion, Colby Covington. “New Mansa” was originally set to face Garry on this card but against a returning Covington, he believes he still has the opportunity to shake up the division by making a statement.

With a five-fight winning streak and the #9-ranking next to his name, Buckley told UFC.com in a recent interview that he believes he could insert himself into the title picture if he becomes just the second man to knockout “Chaos” at the Amalie Arena on Saturday night.

“We saw the performance that Ian Garry and Shavkat put on, it wasn’t that fun to watch right. I feel like for me, it’s just like the performance that I’m gonna put on Colby Covington, I can probably take the opportunity to fight for the belt one day. Even though Shavkat earned his spot, sometimes things happen, some things fall out so with that being said, once I get a good knockout over Colby Covington, I feel like I’m next to fight for that belt.”

UFC’s Nate Diaz Faces Battery Charge After Violent Vegas Nightclub Clash

UFC's Nate Diaz Faces Battery Charge After Violent Vegas Nightclub ClashFormer UFC star Nate Diaz has been charged with battery after an alleged altercation with a Las Vegas nightclub…

UFC's Nate Diaz Faces Battery Charge After Violent Vegas Nightclub Clash

Former UFC star Nate Diaz has been charged with battery after an alleged altercation with a Las Vegas nightclub employee. The incident occurred on August 25, just after midnight, at Omnia nightclub in Caesars Palace.

Nate Diaz Faces Charges

According to court documents obtained by TMZ Sports, Nate Diaz and his group were causing a delay in the cashier line when an Omnia security guard approached them. Witnesses claimed Diaz became physical, pushing the guard.

After the guard shoved him back, Diaz allegedly struck the man in the face with an open right hand. This description aligns with a video that surfaced in September, showing Diaz involved in a shoving match with the man, followed by a swipe that knocked the man’s glasses off.

Nate Diaz, fromStockton, California, gained fame during his 15-year career in the UFC, where he won The Ultimate Fighter season 5 and competed in both lightweight and welterweight divisions. He has notable victories over high-profile opponents like Conor McGregor. Known for his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills and boxing skills, Diaz has earned multiple Fight of the Night awards and challenged for the UFC Lightweight Championship. He has since fought in boxing matches, losing to Jake Paul but defeating Jorge Masvidal.

Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz

The altercation was broken up by other security guards, and when officers arrived, Diaz had already left the scene. A misdemeanor arrest warrant has since been issued for the 39-year-old.

Fanmio issue statement after Nate Diaz files lawsuit the truth with triumph