Tag: UFC

UFC 311 Lineup Takes Another Hit At The Start Of Fight Week

The upcoming UFC 311 pay-per-view event has lost another fight days on from Johnny Walker’s forced withdrawal. Walker was scheduled to figure in the featured preliminary bout of Saturday’s card opposite Bogdan Guskov in a clash of ranked light heavyweights. But with the Brazilian ruled out, the Hungarian will now face UFC newcomer Billy Elekana. […]

The upcoming UFC 311 pay-per-view event has lost another fight days on from Johnny Walker’s forced withdrawal.

Walker was scheduled to figure in the featured preliminary bout of Saturday’s card opposite Bogdan Guskov in a clash of ranked light heavyweights. But with the Brazilian ruled out, the Hungarian will now face UFC newcomer Billy Elekana.

And that’s not the only replacement the promotion will need to secure on late notice.

The @octagonupdate account on X reported Monday that Sedriques Dumas has also pulled out from a UFC 311 prelim. “The Reaper,” who most recently outpointed Denis Tiuliulin last August in Abu Dhabi, was slated to face Zachary Reese inside Inglewood’s Intuit Dome.

It remains to be seen whether or not a new opponent will be found for Reese, a 30-year-old middleweight prospect who has gone 2-1 since earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023.

Merab Dvalishvili Won’t Repeat Control-Heavy Sean O’Malley Strategy At UFC 311: ‘I’m Going To Punch His Face’

UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili has provided insight into the approach he plans to take when sharing the cage with Umar Nurmagomedov this weekend. Dvalishvili is days out from his first title defense at UFC 311, which comes four months on from his capturing of the crown at the expense of Sean O’Malley last September. […]

UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili has provided insight into the approach he plans to take when sharing the cage with Umar Nurmagomedov this weekend.

Dvalishvili is days out from his first title defense at UFC 311, which comes four months on from his capturing of the crown at the expense of Sean O’Malley last September.

On that occasion, the Georgian utilized his smothering grappling game to get the better of “Suga” across five rounds. But with his undefeated Dagestani opponent boasting a renowned wrestling ability, the champ may not be able to repeat the feat come fight night this Saturday.

That much was acknowledged by Dvalishvili during a recent appearance on Michael Bisping’s Believe You Me podcast, as he outlined plans to defeat Nurmagomedov via the striking realm inside Inglewood’s Intuit Dome.

“I’m ready for striking. I’m not looking to take him down, control him, and lay on top like (Sean) O’Malley,” Dvalishvili said. “I’m going to punch his face, kick his legs, keep (the fight) on the feet, and I’m going to show a good fight. It’s going to be a great fight. A lot of scrapping, a lot of exchanges. I believe it’s going to be Fight of the Night or something.”

Dvalishvili initially pushed back on Nurmagomedov’s top contender status, instead pitching a number of other matchups for his first defense in the weeks and months after his title win inside the Sphere.

Nevertheless, the unbeaten Russian will be the first test to his reign, and “The Machine” has vowed to make a statement with his performance in Los Angeles.

Mark Smith Bashed by Fighter For Last-Second Chris Curtis Stoppage At UFC Vegas 101: ‘Got To Be The Lowest Graded Ref’

UFC Vegas 101 brought fight fans the first UFC card of 2025 and with that came the first set of highlight reel finishes, entertaining contests and yes, controversial refereeing decisions. The middleweight clash between Roman Kopylov and Chris Curtis earned the first fight of the night bonus of the year following their back-and-forth encounter on […]

UFC Vegas 101 brought fight fans the first UFC card of 2025 and with that came the first set of highlight reel finishes, entertaining contests and yes, controversial refereeing decisions. The middleweight clash between Roman Kopylov and Chris Curtis earned the first fight of the night bonus of the year following their back-and-forth encounter on the main card.

What the fight will likely be remembered for however is the call that Mark Smith made to wave the fight off with just one second left on the clock. Kopylov landed a head kick that knocked Curtis off balance but with the clock running down and his opponent on the floor, the Russian decided to back away rather than chasing his opponent to the ground to land more strikes.

Despite the fact that Curtis wasn’t in danger of taking any more damage, Smith stepped in and the stoppage was heavily disputed by “The Action Man” in the immediate aftermath. It’s also of note that the fight was tied at 19-19 across all three scorecards heading into the third round which would have been won by Kopylov if the fight had continued for one more second.

Curtis has since posted a statement on social media where he seemed less frustrated at the ending of the fight though he was still disappointed to have not secured the victory. Kopylov, on the other hand, believes that the official made the right decision, stating in his post-fight press conference that he chose not to follow-up with any more strikes because it wasn’t neccesary and that he’s open to the idea of a rematch if that’s what people want.

In a post on social media, UFC flyweight Charles Johnson criticized Smith by questioning the consistency of his decision making.

“Mark smith has got to be the lowest graded ref on roster. Constantly interjects himself and only thing consistent with calls is his inconsistency”

Some of the replies underneath Johnson’s post made reference to one of his previous fights which was refereed by Smith. In his fight with Sumudaerji last October, he believed that the fight should have been stopped but Smith didn’t step in and it ended up going the distance.

UFC 311 Headliner Islam Makhachev Reveals Longtime Khabib Rival As His Dream Fight

Islam Makhachev is set to defend his lightweight title at UFC 311 in a fight that fans have wanted to see for a long time. Considering their first encounter back in 2019, many have believed for a while now that a rematch with Arman Tsarukyan will be the toughest test for the pound-for-pound number one. […]

Islam Makhachev is set to defend his lightweight title at UFC 311 in a fight that fans have wanted to see for a long time. Considering their first encounter back in 2019, many have believed for a while now that a rematch with Arman Tsarukyan will be the toughest test for the pound-for-pound number one.

Beating Tsarukyan will see Makhachev break the record for consecutive lightweight title defenses at four, passing the streak of his training partner and coach, Khabib Nurmagomedov. A win for the defending champion on Saturday night in Los Angeles also means that as of right now, there isn’t a clear next step for him.

Makhachev recently spent some time with streamer Adin Ross where he was asked if there is a dream fight that is out there for him. Whilst there isn’t anything that comes to mind right now, the 155-pound titleholder did look back on a contest that he wanted to pursue several years ago.

At 29-0, Nurmagomedov was totally dominant but if there’s one opponent that got away, it is Tony Ferguson. The matchup might be the best example of the fight that the fans wanted the most that never happened despite the fact that it was booked multiple times.

Makhachev said that at the time when his close friend was at the top of the lightweight division, he also wanted to face off with “El Cucuy” in order to bring that win back for his team.

“Not like many years ago but my brother, Khabib, was supposed to fight with Tony Ferguson like five times, they both have injuries or fight is cancelled five times and my dream to fight this guy in that moment because I always with Khabib. When Khabib have injury, I ask my manager, I say ‘Hey, can I step in to fight with Tony,’ and you know, Tony in that moment is like very good athlete, very good fighter. He have like almost more than 10-fight win streak in the UFC and this is one of the fights which I want like 3-4 years ago but not right now because he has 8-fight lose streak. I wish him the best but couple years ago, he’s one of the high-level fighters from our division.”

Michael Chandler Backs Khabib Nurmagomedov After Viral Plane Removal: ‘If You’re Going To Kick Our GOAT Off…’

UFC 311 is set to be a huge week for Khabib Nurmagomedov but before he corners back-to-back title fights on Saturday night, he has had some complications to get through on his way to Los Angeles. A video on social media showed “The Eagle” being asked to either move seats or leave the plane following […]

UFC 311 is set to be a huge week for Khabib Nurmagomedov but before he corners back-to-back title fights on Saturday night, he has had some complications to get through on his way to Los Angeles. A video on social media showed “The Eagle” being asked to either move seats or leave the plane following a conversation with a flight atendant.

This altercation stemmed from the fact that the former UFC lightweight champion was seating on the emergency exit row which requires the passengers to listen, understand and potentially participate in the safety procedures regarding the emergency door. Nurmagomedov did not see what the issue was but there seemed to be some caution regarding his understanding of English.

Nurmagomedov can even be heard saying in the video that he was asked ahead of time whether he knows English and he does so it wouldn’t be an issue. A fellow mixed martial artist has stuck up for the fighter turned coach on social media by outlining where some airlines may have double standards.

Michael Chandler made the argument that if there is an issue about Khabib sitting in the emergency row due to his English, why is that not the same for people who may not be physically or mentally dependable in that same situation. “Iron” Mike even referred to the retired athlete as the greatest of all time in his statement on the matter.

“If you’re going to kick our GOAT off the plane for a little accent, please start making passengers do a physical and mental fitness aptitude test before you let them sit in the exit row after uttering a one word, one syllable, ‘yes.’ Because I’ve seen some slugs in the exit row on flights. @TeamKhabib“

Amanda Ribas Gives Short & Sweet Reaction To Mackenzie Dern Loss At UFC Vegas 101

Amanda Ribas suffered a loss in the first UFC main event of the year this past Saturday night at the Apex in Las Vegas. The 31-year old was looking to return to strawweight with a big win against an opponent that she has got the better of once before. Unfortunately, this wasn’t to be as […]

Amanda Ribas suffered a loss in the first UFC main event of the year this past Saturday night at the Apex in Las Vegas. The 31-year old was looking to return to strawweight with a big win against an opponent that she has got the better of once before.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t to be as the #8-ranked contender was beaten by the #6-ranked Mackenzie Dern. Having handed Dern the first loss of her MMA career back in 2019, the jiu-jitsu specialist evened the score by becoming the first person to submit Ribas in her 19-fight pro career.

There were some competitive grappling exchanges between the two women but ultimately, it was the submission skills of Dern that made the difference as she produced a beautiful armbar to earn a quick tap in the third round.

Ribas has got some big wins under her belt with victories over the likes of Dern, Virna Jandiroba, Viviane Araujo and Luana Pinheiro but she has struggled to beat the top contenders. After fighting three times in 2023 where she picked up wins on either side of a loss to Maycee Barber, she only fought once last year in a five-round defeat to Rose Namajunas at 125-pounds.

Despite this latest setback, the Brazilian appears to be in good spirits following her first outing of the new year. She posted a simple message on Instagram to stay connected to her fans and supporters even though she didn’t get her hand raised at UFC Vegas 101.

“Off to the next one! Thanks to all the support, messages and barbecues that you’ve done”