Tag: UFC

Alexandre Pantoja Jokes That He’s Ready To Start Trash Talking Kai Asakura To Secure UFC 310 Main Event

It currently isn’t known whether a new fight will be scheduled for UFC 310 in December following the cancellation of the original main event. Belal Muhammad was set to make the first defense of his welterweight title against the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov in Las Vegas. With Muhammad withdrawing due to an injury, Rakhmonov is hoping […]

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It currently isn’t known whether a new fight will be scheduled for UFC 310 in December following the cancellation of the original main event. Belal Muhammad was set to make the first defense of his welterweight title against the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov in Las Vegas.

With Muhammad withdrawing due to an injury, Rakhmonov is hoping to stay on the card in an interim title fight against the former champion, Kamaru Usman. There was also talk of whether the UFC would try to pull together a totally different main event but this doesn’t look to be an option following the update surrounding Alex Pereira.

The promotion does of course already have a title fight booked for the card with flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja facing off with new arrival, Kai Asakura. The issue from the UFC’s perspective is likely that Asakura will be making his debut so will be a relatively unknown fighter to a lot of fans in the US and there’s a language barrier there also.

With Pantoja not being the kind of champion who is going to sell the fight all by himself, it seems unlikely that they will be elevated into the main event. In a recent interview with Shakiel Mahjouri, Pantoja said that he’s ready to be the headliner if that’s what the UFC wants.

He even jokingly remarked that he’s prepared to start calling out Asakura and going against who he is in order to start hyping up the card and generating headlines.

“I’m ready for that, I’m ready to make my trash talk with Asakura and say he come from Japan, he don’t know, whatever you know. Whatever I need to say to him to make this show like everybody enjoy, you know. But you know about me, I’m not that guy. I’m not going to say anything. I say with my fists in the Octagon. I talking about that before, I’m another part of the coin. You have UFC is entertainment, of course, but I’m the good fighter. I’m fighter and I go for that.”

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Former Opponent Says Valentina Shevchenko May Struggle With One Aspect Of Fighting Manon Fiorot

Following the conclusion of her trilogy with Alexa Grasso, flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko is ready to move on to her next challenger. Fortunately for her, in the time between her first and final encounters with Grasso, a new contender has emerged at the top of the division that she is yet to face. French striker […]

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Following the conclusion of her trilogy with Alexa Grasso, flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko is ready to move on to her next challenger. Fortunately for her, in the time between her first and final encounters with Grasso, a new contender has emerged at the top of the division that she is yet to face.

French striker Manon Fiorot has won seven in a row since arriving in the UFC to mark her out as the clear and obvious next challenger for Shevchenko. In her last two fights, she beat Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield who faced off with one another this past weekend in Edmonton.

After Blanchfield secured the decision win, she called out Grasso for a title eliminator whilst she waits for Fiorot to get her long deserved title shot. In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Fiorot’s former opponent gave her thoughts on how she might fare against the champion.

Blanchfield drew attention to the size of the challenger as an interesting problem for Shevchenko to try and solve with her efficient and varied toolbox. In what many will expect to be Fiorot’s striking versus Shevchenko’s grappling, the size difference between them could end up being a crucial factor in the fight.

The champion may have previously competed as a bantamweight but she isn’t the biggest fighter in this weight class and that could be an issue for her because of how good Fiorot is at using this to her advantage.

“I think Manon can use her size. I think she’s a very big flyweight and she knows how to use her range and like her length. I think Valentina is more like dynamic and has more skills so I’m curious how Valentina is going to deal with her size because I know in the past, let’s say with like Taila, I remember complaining about how big Taila is and I feel like Manon’s significantly bigger so yeah, I think it’s a good match-up and I’m curious to see how it goes.”   

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Shavkat Rakhmonov Doubts Belal Muhammad Had To Withdraw From UFC 310: ‘I Think He Was Able’ 

Top UFC welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov believes champion Belal Muhammad could have made their planned fight date if he really wanted to. Rakhmonov entered November with a first shot at title glory on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage in the calendar. The undefeated “Nomad” was booked in as the first challenger in the reign of […]

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Top UFC welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov believes champion Belal Muhammad could have made their planned fight date if he really wanted to.

Rakhmonov entered November with a first shot at title glory on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage in the calendar. The undefeated “Nomad” was booked in as the first challenger in the reign of Muhammad, which got underway with a dominant display opposite Leon Edwards this past July.

But their UFC 310 main event is no more following an injury to the champ, who revealed this past weekend that he had been hospitalized with a gruesome bone infection that will prevent him from training for the next six weeks.

With that, the Dec. 7 headline spot is in limbo, as is Rakhmonov’s place on the lineup for the promotion’s final pay-per-view of the year.

But the Kazakh contender evidently doesn’t believe this difficult scenario had to come to fruition.

During Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Rakhmonov addressed the current situation, questioning if Muhammad really did have to withdraw.

“I think he was able to fight on Dec. 7, but he wasn’t sure and is being extra careful,” Rakhmonov said. “I was just envisioning myself getting the win and it doesn’t matter how or which way. Belal is a good opponent, but I believe I can work with him in any field. I can counter him, I can pressure him, I just only see my (hand) getting raised in a fight against him.

“I don’t believe it’s going to be six weeks (to recover), to be honest. I believe Jack Della (had) the same problem with infection and he’s still not back. It can take a while,” Rakhmonov continued. “Belal doesn’t need to be greedy. If I become interim champ, he’s still going to have a belt too.”

Nevertheless, should he capture an interim title in Muhammad’s absence, Rakhmonov believes that will only make his eventual showdown with “Remember the Name” even bigger in 2025.

“It’s good for Belal, too. It’s only going to make the fight bigger,” Rakhmonov stated. “Champ vs. champ whenever Belal is ready. Obviously, after I secure the interim title, I’m going to fight him. First quarter of next year I believe is already scheduled and taken so he cannot come back soon, anyway.”

“Nomad” appeared more sympathetic toward his division’s champ soon after news of his injury emerged, taking to social media to wish Muhammad well in his recovery.

The Kazakh fighter can likely now expect some backlash from Muhammad after questioning the serious nature of his bone infection.

Continue Reading Shavkat Rakhmonov Doubts Belal Muhammad Had To Withdraw From UFC 310: ‘I Think He Was Able’  at MMA News.

Michael Chandler Makes Bold Promise To Fans Ahead Of UFC 309 Return: ‘What You Will See…’

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler evidently isn’t worried about increasing the pressure on him to perform well next weekend. “Iron” will feel the Octagon floor beneath his feet for the first time in over two years on Nov. 16, when he co-headlines the UFC 309 pay-per-view inside New York City’s Madison Square Garden. The former […]

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UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler evidently isn’t worried about increasing the pressure on him to perform well next weekend.

“Iron” will feel the Octagon floor beneath his feet for the first time in over two years on Nov. 16, when he co-headlines the UFC 309 pay-per-view inside New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

The former three-time Bellator champion spent 2023 and much of this year awaiting a planned showdown with Conor McGregor, whom he coached against on The Ultimate Fighter.

After plenty of rumored fight dates and one officially booked one passed by without the pair meeting inside the cage, Chandler finally decided to move on. That decision has left him with a chance for redemption opposite Charles Oliveira.

When the pair first met, “Do Bronx” mounted a memorable comeback to capture the then-vacant lightweight crown at UFC 262 in May 2022. 30 months on, the Kill Cliff FC standout is promising to avenge that result with a never-before-seen display.

“What you will see Nov. 16 will be something you have never seen from me,” Chandler wrote on X. “Something exceptional. Something mind blowing. Champ in 2025. #ufc309“

While both Chandler and UFC CEO Dana White haven’t ruled out revisiting the McGregor matchup in 2025, hopes of the Irishman making a return to the Octagon appear to be dwindling with every public appearance the former two-division champion makes.

And should “Iron” have his hand raised next weekend, he expects to be sitting behind Arman Tsarukyan as next in line for a shot at Islam Makhachev’s lightweight crown.

Continue Reading Michael Chandler Makes Bold Promise To Fans Ahead Of UFC 309 Return: ‘What You Will See…’ at MMA News.

Khalil Rountree Reveals Latest Image Of Facial Injuries Suffered At The Hands Of Alex Pereira

UFC light heavyweight contender Khalil Rountree is still sporting the wounds of what a war with champion Alex Pereira will bring. Rountree had his first title opportunity on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage early last month in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he headlined the UFC 307 pay-per-view in competition for Pereira’s 205-pound strap. While […]

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UFC light heavyweight contender Khalil Rountree is still sporting the wounds of what a war with champion Alex Pereira will bring.

Rountree had his first title opportunity on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage early last month in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he headlined the UFC 307 pay-per-view in competition for Pereira’s 205-pound strap.

While his shot came as a surprise to many given his position in the rankings, “The War Horse” rode a wave of confidence into the chance for glory owing to a destructive five-fight win streak.

And against the odds and expectations of many, the challenger got off to a strong start and was on track to extending that run with the addition of some gold.

But Rountree’s early lead was quickly pulled back in the third frame as “Poatan” began to find a home for his strikes. In the fourth, the show was closed by a brutal onslaught from the Brazilian that left his American opponent bloodied and bruised.

Rountree wasn’t short on gruesome battle scars in the aftermath, with the worst injury being a severely deviated septum that required a painful procedure to fix.

And almost exactly a month on from his setback in the “Beehive State,” the 34-year-old has provided the latest update on his condition, posting an image on Instagram of the scars that remain on his nose and around his eyes.

While he ultimately did not leave the Octagon with the light heavyweight title wrapped around his waist, it certainly seemed that Rountree boosted his stock among the MMA masses with a valiant display at the Delta Center.

He’ll look to build on that with a return to winning ways in his return. Pereira, meanwhile, appears likely to meet the challenge of Magomed Ankalaev in his fourth defense of the 205-pound championship next year.

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UFC Rankings Report: Dominick Cruz Makes Way For UFC Edmonton Winner

As always, the latest action on offer inside the UFC Octagon has been followed by the release of the updated rankings. And in the aftermath of UFC Fight Night: Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings. Men’s Pound-For-Pound: No changes. Women’s Pound-for-Pound: Erin Blanchfield may have stayed […]

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As always, the latest action on offer inside the UFC Octagon has been followed by the release of the updated rankings.

And in the aftermath of UFC Fight Night: Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.

Men’s Pound-For-Pound: No changes.

Women’s Pound-for-Pound: Erin Blanchfield may have stayed put at flyweight following her win over Rose Namajunas this past weekend, but she has received a small boost up the P4P ladder. “Cold Blooded” has climbed one place to #6. Her defeated opponent, meanwhile, is two spots worse off at #8.

In a bizarre UFC rankings switch further down, Jéssica Andrade (#13) has leapfrogged Natália Silva (#14). That’s despite the former strawweight queen losing to Silva this past September.

Women’s Strawweight: No changes.

Women’s Flyweight: While she’s been the victim of an odd change on the P4P list, Silva has completed her ascent into the top five at 125 pounds. That’s courtesy of Namajunas’ loss in Edmonton, which has seen her fall to #6.

Toward the bottom of the top 15, Jasmine Jasudavicius has continued to rise following an impressive submission win over Ariane da Silva. The Canadian now finds herself in the #13 position, one place above her Brazilian counterpart.

Women’s Bantamweight: Following Germaine de Randamie’s retirement, the former champ has been removed from the UFC rankings at 135 pounds and replaced by Jacqueline Cavalcanti (#15).

Flyweight: Having been released, Matheus Nicolau has departed the 125-pound list. In his place comes Matt Schnell at #15, despite “Danger” exiting recently after announcing his retirement earlier in the year. The changes have paved the way for the in-form Charles Johnson to climb two places to #13.

Within the top 10, Manel Kape has further fallen months on from his loss to Muhammad Mokaev. He’s now ranked #9, with Australia’s Steve Erceg benefitting with a small boost to #8.

Bantamweight: Aiemann Zahabi extended his winning run on home soil this past weekend, and it’s secured a number next to his name for the first time. The Canadian 36-year-old has debuted in the UFC rankings at #14, replacing the legendary Dominick Cruz on the list.

Featherweight: No changes.

Lightweight: No changes.

Welterweight: No changes.

Middleweight: No changes.

Light Heavyweight: No changes.

Heavyweight: After their prelim in the “Great White North,” both the defeated Rodrigo Nascimento and out-of-contract Alexandr Romanov have found themselves outside the rankings. As a result, Waldo Cortes-Acosta (#14) and the undefeated Mick Parkin (#15) have arrived in the heavyweight contenders’ list.

You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.

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