Author: mmafighting
Belal Muhammad will keep a close eye on the welterweight title fight headlining UFC 296 with plans to challenge the winner in 2024. Currently riding a 10-fight unbeaten streak, which includes a no contest with reigning champion Leon Edwards, Muhammad earned his spot as the No. 1 contender in the division after the blanked Gilbert Burns at UFC 288 in May. More recently, however, UFC CEO Dana White hinted at Muhammad booking another fight before the end of the year while Edwards prepares to face Colby Covington in December. While anything is possible where UFC matchmaking is concerned, Muhammad’s longtime…
Francis Ngannou has a lot of options for his next fight. Taking heavyweight champion Tyson Fury to a split decision in his pro boxing debut opened all kinds of doors for Ngannou when he returns in 2024. He already had a lucrative multi-fight deal with PFL in place for MMA, but he arguably solidified himself as the most attractive opponent for top heavyweights in boxing, including Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder. UFC welterweight Matt Brown believes Ngannou should only entertain a return to MMA under one very specific condition. “If somehow – [and] we know it’s not going to happen…
Chihiro Suzuki joined the 2023 “Knockout of the Year” discussion on Saturday. Suzuki challenged Vugar Karamov for the RIZIN featherweight title in the main event of RIZIN Landmark 7 in Azerbaijan. In the opening round, Karamov had Suzuki on his back and was looking to improve position, but Suzuki kept his defensive awareness sharp. Then, Suzuki turned that defense into vicious offense as he landed a ferocious upkick that badly hurt his opponent before landing a vicious barrage of punches off of his back to claim the title. Check out the wild finish in the video below. The 24-year-old Suzuki…
Dustin Poirier couldn’t have been more impressed with what Francis Ngannou accomplished in the boxing ring. Ngannou lost a razor close split decision to Tyson Fury, the lineal boxing world heavyweight champion, in a 10-round boxing match this past Saturday in Saudi Arabia. Despite the scorecards not going in Ngannou’s favor, Poirier believes his former UFC fighting colleague-turned-PFL heavyweight scored a big win for the sport of MMA. “To see a mixed martial artist who had a short time in his mixed martial arts career – it’s not like he’s been doing it since he was 16 or 15 or…
Israel Adesanya was as impressed as the rest of us at Francis Ngannou nearly pulling off the upset of a lifetime. The two-time UFC middleweight champion had front row seats for Ngannou’s boxing debut against Tyson Fury, having been part of Ngannou’s walk to the ring in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. That meant he was close enough to feel the ripples of Ngannou’s third-round knockdown of Fury, not to mention the rest of his friend’s valiant performance that ended in Fury winning a narrow split decision. While Adesanya can’t give you a round-by-round breakdown of his scoring, he knows an unforgettable…
Charles Oliveira won’t rush back into the gym after suffering a gruesome gash over his eye that cost him the chance to rematch Islam Makhachev in UFC 294’s main event. The former lightweight champion was in attendance at UFC Sao Paulo and offered an update on his expected return after the cut forced him out of his rematch in October. While Oliveira got the necessary medical attention needed, he’s taking his time to ensure he doesn’t face any other issues that would prevent him from re-booking the fight with Makhachev in the near future. “It was quite a deep cut,”…
Despite holding mount on Derrick Lewis for long stretches of time, Jailton Almeida earned just one 10-8 score in his UFC Sao Paulo victory. That was a reflection of Almeida’s performance in that domination position. Although the Brazilian phenom appeared to be in perfect position to pound out a finish, Lewis survived until the final bell on Saturday in Brazil. “It was a tough fight,” Almeida said via translator on the UFC Sao Paulo post-fight show. “I was surprised that he never backed down. Derrick fought all the way. Although he fought last minute, he really put on a good…
Photo by Pedro Vilela/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Watch Derrick Lewis vs. Jailton Almeida full fight video highlights from their UFC Sao Paulo clash above, courtesy of the UFC. Lewis vs. Almeida took place Nov. 4 at Ginasio Do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo. Derrick Lewis (27-11) and Jailton Almeida (19-2) collided in the UFC Sao Paulo main event. The fight aired live on ESPN+. A full recap of the fight can be found here. Catch more video highlights below. Our #UFCSP main event is up next!It’s a heavyweight battle you don’t want to miss! pic.twitter.com/vp0Iprvarn— UFC (@ufc) November 5, 2023…
This is the UFC Sao Paulo live blog for Jailton Almeida vs. Derrick Lewis, the heavyweight main event Saturday in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Almeida (19-2) has yet to taste defeat in five UFC appearances, and all 19 of his career victories have come by way of knockout or submission. “Malhadinho” has rarely been in danger inside the octagon thus far, absorbing a total of two significant strikes since making his UFC debut in 2022. He currently stands at No. 6 in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings after a first-round submission of Jairzinho Rozenstruik this past May. Eight spots behind Almeida…
Jailton Almeida reigned supreme over Derrick Lewis at UFC Sao Paulo, but given his advantage in grappling, fighters weren’t thrilled when the heavyweights went to the scorecards. Almeida earned scores of 50-45 and 50-44 twice for smothering Lewis on the canvas. And yet, his UFC colleagues weren’t thrilled by the Brazilian’s performance despite his sixth straight win in the octagon. Here’s what fighters had to say about the UFC Sao Paulo main card on Saturday. Jailton Almeida vs. Derrick Lewis We watch heavy weights for the ko’s — Jalin Turner (@JalinTurner) November 5, 2023 I think if @RazorBlaydes265 made it…