Author: mmafighting
Sean O’Malley won’t put a lot of thought into a future matchup against Merab Dvalishvili just yet – he’s still got business to handle with Chito Vera at UFC 299. That said, the reigning UFC bantamweight champion still kept a close eye on Dvalishvili’s unanimous decision victory over Henry Cejudo at UFC 298, which marked the Georgian fighter’s 10th consecutive win. Dvalishvili wasted no time calling for a future fight with O’Malley, who sat cageside just a few feet away. “It’s interesting watching fights live compared to on the TV,” O’Malley said addressing Dvalishvili vs. Cejudo on the UFC 298…
Merab Dvalishvili picked up the biggest win of his career at UFC 298. But it could have ended a lot sooner if it wasn’t for Mark Zuckerberg. At Saturday’s post-event press conference, Dvalishvili was asked about the interaction he had with Zuckerberg, who was seated cageside at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., to witness Dvalishvili defeat Henry Cejudo by unanimous decision. Dvalishvili actually noticed Zuckerberg during the fight, and while he was thrilled that the Facebook founder was so invested in his fight, it might have distracted him from locking in a finishing choke in Round 2. “Mark Zuckerberg, we…
Ilia Topuria is the new king of the featherweights. Yes, after months of trash talk, the confident Spaniard made good on his promises, toppling Alexander Volkanovski and seizing the UFC featherweight strap with a brutal second-round knockout at UFC 298. Topuria’s history-making win headlined an action-packed trip to Anaheim’s Honda Center, which also included the rise of several contenders young and old alike, plus much more. With so much to discuss, let’s dive right into our seven biggest takeaways from UFC 298. 1. One mistimed back step, one perfect right hook to the jaw, and poof — it’s gone. A…
The UFC 300 main card is finally official. Following months of announcements and speculation about which fights would end up on the pay-per-view portion of the historic event, the UFC revealed the six bouts that will take place on the main card on April 13 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It’s not usual for the UFC to feature six fights on the main card, especially with the final three bouts all having five rounds but that’s exactly what will happen in April. The main event will see Alex Pereira defend his light heavyweight title against former champion Jamahal…
Before a reporter could even get the question out, Ian Machado Garry shut down the idea that Colby Covington would escape his clutches. Garry put Covington front and center following his win over Geoff Neal at UFC 298, and he wasn’t thrilled to entertain other potential opponents. “He doesn’t have a choice,” Garry said at the post-fight press conference for UFC 298. “He’s lost three title fights. He doesn’t have a choice. Sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt, but there is no other f****** option for him. Who else are they gonna put? He’s not going to sign the fight…
Alexander Volkanovski has a clear explanation for how he lost his featherweight title: He just got beat. The UFC 298 main event saw a changing of the guard as Ilia Topuria left Volkanovski lying after landing a knockout blow against the fence, a result that made Topuria the new UFC champion at 145 pounds. Volkanovski was attempting to defend his title for a sixth consecutive time, but instead suffered his first-ever loss competing at featherweight. Volkanovski has kept a busy schedule in recent years, including a pair of high-profile title fight losses to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, who knocked Volkanovski…
UFC 300 finally has a main event, but it’s tough to say if many predicted Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill would headline the historic card on April 13. UFC CEO Dana White made the surprising announcement just after UFC 298 ended following rumors that initially swirled about Pereira defending light heavyweight title at UFC 301, which takes place in his native Brazil in May. Instead, Pereira takes the top spot at UFC 300, while Hill returns to action for the first time since suffering a torn Achilles tendon that forced him to relinquish the light heavyweight title in 2023. Addressing…
Former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski led the disclosed payroll for UFC 298, cashing a $750,000 purse for his main event bout against Ilia Topuria on Saturday. Volkanovski suffered a devastating second-round knockout loss to Topuria to end his lengthy featherweight reign in UFC 298’s headliner. For his handiwork, new champ Topuria earned a flat $350,000 purse with no win bonus. Volkanovski also cashed a flat fee and would not have earned a win bonus had he emerged victorious. The California State Athletic Commission released the event’s salary report on Saturday in the aftermath of UFC 298, which took place…
Ilia Topuria talked a big game heading into his UFC 298 main event fight against Alexander Volkanovski, and he sure backed it up with a sensational knockout to become the brand new UFC featherweight champion. What is the ceiling on the 27-year-old featherweight title holder? Following Saturday’s pay-per-view event, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, Shaun Al-Shatti, Jed Meshew, and José Youngs react to Topuria’s crowning moment, discuss where he goes from here, and what comes next for Volkanovski after his second straight knockout loss. Additionally, they’ll discuss Robert Whittaker’s hard fought victory over Paulo Costa in the co-main event, takeaways from…
The UFC 300 headliner sweepstakes is over: Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill are the winners. UFC CEO Dana White (finally) announced the April 13 pay-per-view headliner after months of speculation, rumors, and even betting odds released on the matchup that would crown the blockbuster pay-per-view from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. BREAKING!!!The #UFC300 main event will be Pereira vs Hill April 13th from Las Vegas pic.twitter.com/YrfTxLWsZ2— danawhite (@danawhite) February 18, 2024 Pereira will make the first defense of the light heavyweight title he claimed this past November at UFC 295 by facing off with Hill, who never lost the vacant…