Tag: UFC

UFC Vet Chimes In On Pereira vs. Topuria Fighter Of The Year Debate: ‘Alex Didn’t Knock Out P4P Greats’

Matt Brown believes that Ilia Topuria has the edge over Alex Pereira in the discussion for UFC Fighter of the Year. “El Matador” secured the featherweight title by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February. Subsequently, Topuria successfully retained his belt last Saturday in the main event of UFC 308, making history as […]

Continue Reading UFC Vet Chimes In On Pereira vs. Topuria Fighter Of The Year Debate: ‘Alex Didn’t Knock Out P4P Greats’ at MMA News.

Matt Brown believes that Ilia Topuria has the edge over Alex Pereira in the discussion for UFC Fighter of the Year.

“El Matador” secured the featherweight title by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February. Subsequently, Topuria successfully retained his belt last Saturday in the main event of UFC 308, making history as the first fighter to knock out Max Holloway.

Meanwhile, “Poatan” successfully defended his light heavyweight title three times in just six months, with all victories coming by way of knockout. He began this impressive streak by stopping Jamahal Hill in the first round at UFC 300 in April. He then defeated Jiri Prochazka on two weeks’ notice at UFC 303 in June. Most recently, Pereira stopped Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307 earlier this month.

With less than two full months remaining in 2024, Pereira stood out as the leading contender for Fighter of the Year. However, “The Immortal” contends that Topuria’s impressive knockout victories over two of the top 145-pounders in history had already secured him the year-end accolade, placing him ahead of the Brazilian and all other contenders.

During a recent episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer (via MMA Fighting), Brown noted that while “El Matador” might have one fewer win than Pereira this year, the caliber of his opponents in title fights has set a new benchmark for competitive excellence.

Continue Reading UFC Vet Chimes In On Pereira vs. Topuria Fighter Of The Year Debate: ‘Alex Didn’t Knock Out P4P Greats’ at MMA News.

Top-5 UFC Contender Battling Mystery Illness Preventing Octagon Return: ‘Over 15 Different Doctors…’ 

UFC women’s flyweight contender Maycee Barber has revealed the battle she’s been enduring away from the Octagon. When it comes to activity inside the cage, Barber has endured nothing but triumphs for the past three years. Since defeats to Roxanne Modafferi and Alexa Grasso stalled her rise, “The Future” has won six straight fights. Most […]

Continue Reading Top-5 UFC Contender Battling Mystery Illness Preventing Octagon Return: ‘Over 15 Different Doctors…’  at MMA News.

UFC women’s flyweight contender Maycee Barber has revealed the battle she’s been enduring away from the Octagon.

When it comes to activity inside the cage, Barber has endured nothing but triumphs for the past three years. Since defeats to Roxanne Modafferi and Alexa Grasso stalled her rise, “The Future” has won six straight fights.

Most recently, Barber followed a a memorable, Performance of the Night-winning display opposite Amanda Ribas last year by getting the better of former title challenger Katlyn Cerminara at UFC 299 in Miami this past March.

But while that result thrust the 26-year-old into the top five at 125 pounds and left her calling for a title shot, she’s since been struck down by factors away from the fight game.

Barber first experienced a mystery infection days on from her UFC 299 victory. After being hospitalized, the illness resulted in a bout of pneumonia. Having overcome that scare, she was booked to headline the UFC Fight Night in Denver against Rose Namajunas in July.

Ongoing health issues saw the Colorado native withdraw, however, and she’s now lifted the lid on her continuing struggle to return to fitness and get past the issue, which Barber says 15 doctors have been unable to diagnose.

“A bit of transparency. The last several months have been some of the most mentally challenging, frustrating, and discouraging times that I have experienced,” Barber wrote on Instagram. “I have worked with over 15 different drs and medical professionals searching for answers and a path back to not just fighting but the gym itself. I’ve been staying patient, praying daily and trusting in the fact that God has a plan and a purpose for everything in life. But to be honest it’s hard and it hasn’t gotten easier.

“I’ve had so many ups and downs and been told so many different things about what could be going on. So many emotions going into each day and many days where I’m mentally exhausted and just want to sleep,” Barber continued. “I never thought that I would be in a position where I feel so close to the belt while feeling so far away at the same time. I definitely didn’t see the path to being a Champion looking like this but nonetheless I will continue to push forward and I WILL BE THE FLYWEIGHT CHAMPION. It’s on God’s time not mine. ?”

When the #4-ranked contender does recover and make her return to the Octagon, the flyweight division will have significantly shifted.

Valentina Shevchenko returned to the throne by avenging her past defeat to Grasso at UFC 306 last month, and “Bullet” is expected to face the challenge of France’s Manon Fiorot next year.

Beyond that, Namajunas seemingly has the chance to book her first shot at two-division glory should she get the better of Erin Blanchfield in Edmonton this weekend for her third victory of the year.

Continue Reading Top-5 UFC Contender Battling Mystery Illness Preventing Octagon Return: ‘Over 15 Different Doctors…’  at MMA News.

Top-5 UFC Contender Battling Mystery Illness Preventing Octagon Return: ‘Over 15 Different Doctors…’ 

UFC women’s flyweight contender Maycee Barber has revealed the battle she’s been enduring away from the Octagon. When it comes to activity inside the cage, Barber has endured nothing but triumphs for the past three years. Since defeats to Roxanne Modafferi and Alexa Grasso stalled her rise, “The Future” has won six straight fights. Most […]

Continue Reading Top-5 UFC Contender Battling Mystery Illness Preventing Octagon Return: ‘Over 15 Different Doctors…’  at MMA News.

UFC women’s flyweight contender Maycee Barber has revealed the battle she’s been enduring away from the Octagon.

When it comes to activity inside the cage, Barber has endured nothing but triumphs for the past three years. Since defeats to Roxanne Modafferi and Alexa Grasso stalled her rise, “The Future” has won six straight fights.

Most recently, Barber followed a a memorable, Performance of the Night-winning display opposite Amanda Ribas last year by getting the better of former title challenger Katlyn Cerminara at UFC 299 in Miami this past March.

But while that result thrust the 26-year-old into the top five at 125 pounds and left her calling for a title shot, she’s since been struck down by factors away from the fight game.

Barber first experienced a mystery infection days on from her UFC 299 victory. After being hospitalized, the illness resulted in a bout of pneumonia. Having overcome that scare, she was booked to headline the UFC Fight Night in Denver against Rose Namajunas in July.

Ongoing health issues saw the Colorado native withdraw, however, and she’s now lifted the lid on her continuing struggle to return to fitness and get past the issue, which Barber says 15 doctors have been unable to diagnose.

“A bit of transparency. The last several months have been some of the most mentally challenging, frustrating, and discouraging times that I have experienced,” Barber wrote on Instagram. “I have worked with over 15 different drs and medical professionals searching for answers and a path back to not just fighting but the gym itself. I’ve been staying patient, praying daily and trusting in the fact that God has a plan and a purpose for everything in life. But to be honest it’s hard and it hasn’t gotten easier.

“I’ve had so many ups and downs and been told so many different things about what could be going on. So many emotions going into each day and many days where I’m mentally exhausted and just want to sleep,” Barber continued. “I never thought that I would be in a position where I feel so close to the belt while feeling so far away at the same time. I definitely didn’t see the path to being a Champion looking like this but nonetheless I will continue to push forward and I WILL BE THE FLYWEIGHT CHAMPION. It’s on God’s time not mine. ?”

When the #4-ranked contender does recover and make her return to the Octagon, the flyweight division will have significantly shifted.

Valentina Shevchenko returned to the throne by avenging her past defeat to Grasso at UFC 306 last month, and “Bullet” is expected to face the challenge of France’s Manon Fiorot next year.

Beyond that, Namajunas seemingly has the chance to book her first shot at two-division glory should she get the better of Erin Blanchfield in Edmonton this weekend for her third victory of the year.

Continue Reading Top-5 UFC Contender Battling Mystery Illness Preventing Octagon Return: ‘Over 15 Different Doctors…’  at MMA News.

Top Middleweight Contender Thinks He Has An Advantage Over Khamzat Chimaev Due To Previous Training Experience

Khamzat Chimaev presents a challenge to his fellow middleweight contenders that is unlike anything else they have faced in the division. We saw at UFC 294 last year that Kamaru Usman was able to make the fight competitive after weathering the early storm. The problem is that surviving the opening round against the aggressive grappling […]

Continue Reading Top Middleweight Contender Thinks He Has An Advantage Over Khamzat Chimaev Due To Previous Training Experience at MMA News.

Khamzat Chimaev presents a challenge to his fellow middleweight contenders that is unlike anything else they have faced in the division. We saw at UFC 294 last year that Kamaru Usman was able to make the fight competitive after weathering the early storm.

The problem is that surviving the opening round against the aggressive grappling of the undefeated mauler is far easier than done. UFC 308 this past weekend was the best example of this to date.

Despite all of his high level experience, former champion Robert Whittaker was unable to stop Chimaev from taking him down early on and submitting him, causing significant damage to his jaw in the process. The difficulty in preparing for someone like “Borz” is that not many people can match his skillset so fighting him comes with an element of battling the unexpected.

This isn’t a concern for the #6-ranked contender at 185-pounds, Brazil’s Caio Borralho. Borralho previously spent some time in Sweden training with Chimaev for his bout against Nate Diaz that was scheduled for UFC 279 in 2022 but ended up with him facing Kevin Holland instead.

Borralho isn’t trying to pursue a fight with his former training partner for this exact reason but he’s not opposed to squaring off with him in the future if it means that one of them leaves with the middleweight belt. In a recent interview with Submission Radio, he said that his previous experience training with Chimaev only helps him as both men continue to climb up the ranks.

He believes that he has somewhat of a head start on figuring out how to beat him compared to the other top names in the division.

“Yes, definitely. This is something that I’m ahead of all the fighters in because I know what to expect, I know what’s coming, I know how Khamzat works on his wrestling, his wall work and all this. I was with him for like one month so I was dealing with this every day, you know, so definitely I’m ahead of all the guys in the division about it.”

Continue Reading Top Middleweight Contender Thinks He Has An Advantage Over Khamzat Chimaev Due To Previous Training Experience at MMA News.

Top Middleweight Contender Thinks He Has An Advantage Over Khamzat Chimaev Due To Previous Training Experience

Khamzat Chimaev presents a challenge to his fellow middleweight contenders that is unlike anything else they have faced in the division. We saw at UFC 294 last year that Kamaru Usman was able to make the fight competitive after weathering the early storm. The problem is that surviving the opening round against the aggressive grappling […]

Continue Reading Top Middleweight Contender Thinks He Has An Advantage Over Khamzat Chimaev Due To Previous Training Experience at MMA News.

Khamzat Chimaev presents a challenge to his fellow middleweight contenders that is unlike anything else they have faced in the division. We saw at UFC 294 last year that Kamaru Usman was able to make the fight competitive after weathering the early storm.

The problem is that surviving the opening round against the aggressive grappling of the undefeated mauler is far easier than done. UFC 308 this past weekend was the best example of this to date.

Despite all of his high level experience, former champion Robert Whittaker was unable to stop Chimaev from taking him down early on and submitting him, causing significant damage to his jaw in the process. The difficulty in preparing for someone like “Borz” is that not many people can match his skillset so fighting him comes with an element of battling the unexpected.

This isn’t a concern for the #6-ranked contender at 185-pounds, Brazil’s Caio Borralho. Borralho previously spent some time in Sweden training with Chimaev for his bout against Nate Diaz that was scheduled for UFC 279 in 2022 but ended up with him facing Kevin Holland instead.

Borralho isn’t trying to pursue a fight with his former training partner for this exact reason but he’s not opposed to squaring off with him in the future if it means that one of them leaves with the middleweight belt. In a recent interview with Submission Radio, he said that his previous experience training with Chimaev only helps him as both men continue to climb up the ranks.

He believes that he has somewhat of a head start on figuring out how to beat him compared to the other top names in the division.

“Yes, definitely. This is something that I’m ahead of all the fighters in because I know what to expect, I know what’s coming, I know how Khamzat works on his wrestling, his wall work and all this. I was with him for like one month so I was dealing with this every day, you know, so definitely I’m ahead of all the guys in the division about it.”

Continue Reading Top Middleweight Contender Thinks He Has An Advantage Over Khamzat Chimaev Due To Previous Training Experience at MMA News.

Carla Esparza Holds Firm On Retirement Despite Controversial UFC 307 Decision: ‘I’m Good With How I Left Things’

Former two-time strawweight champion Carla Esparza announced ahead of time that UFC 307 would be the final outing of her career. After losing the title to Weili Zhang at UFC 281 in November of 2022, she took a long break from her career in order to give birth to her first child. At the start […]

Continue Reading Carla Esparza Holds Firm On Retirement Despite Controversial UFC 307 Decision: ‘I’m Good With How I Left Things’ at MMA News.

Former two-time strawweight champion Carla Esparza announced ahead of time that UFC 307 would be the final outing of her career. After losing the title to Weili Zhang at UFC 281 in November of 2022, she took a long break from her career in order to give birth to her first child.

At the start of the month, she returned for one last dance, coming up against Tecia Pennington in Salt Lake City. Many felt that she deserved to get her hand raised following the final bell but this isn’t how the judges saw it.

The fight was scored as a split decision in Pennington’s favor after judges Stephen Faragher and Dan Furse overruled Sal D’Amato. Faragher gave Esparza the opening round whilst Furse saw all three rounds for Pennington and the fans in Utah certainly let their thoughts on the scorecards be heard.

Esparza obviously wouldn’t wanted to go out with a win but the controversial nature of her final bout hasn’t changed her decision to walk away at this stage. Regardless of the result, the former champion was still treated to a retirement video package from the UFC that capped off an emotional send off for her.

In an interview with MMA Fighting looking back on how things ended, she said that though she didn’t quite get the storybook ending, it’s not something that’s going to keep her up at night.

“It’s just hard. Even if I won in the first round via finish or lost a controversial decision, it’s hard to not want to go back no matter what the outcome was. I love fighting but that’s the last one for me regardless. I’m just glad I went out on a good note. It would have been much sweeter to go out with my hand raised but I’d say I’m good with how I left things.”

Continue Reading Carla Esparza Holds Firm On Retirement Despite Controversial UFC 307 Decision: ‘I’m Good With How I Left Things’ at MMA News.