Author: mmafighting
The “UFC 297” Countdown video shines a spotlight on the first two UFC title fights of 2024, featuring middleweight champion Sean Strickland vs. Dricus du Plessis in the main event, and top contenders Mayra Bueno Silva and Raquel Pennington battling for the vacant women’s bantamweight belt. Strickland shocked the world in 2023, soundly defeating Israel Adesanya to claim the middleweight title en route to MMA Fighting’s “Fighter of the Year” award. He defends for the first time when he takes on du Plessis this Saturday in Toronto. The hard-charging du Plessis is 6-0 in the UFC and not only is…
The Brazilian MMA community mourns the death of Diego Braga. The 44-year-old MMA veteran was killed by organized crime in Rio de Janeiro, police officially confirmed Monday. Braga revealed on his social media on Monday morning that he had his motorcycle stolen from his garage late Sunday night. According to witnesses, Braga decided to go to a favela looking for the vehicle, but was mistaken by members of criminal organization Comando Vermelho as a member of a rival militia. He was allegedly then killed. Braga, the leader of Tropa Thai team in Rio de Janeiro and a martial arts instructor…
Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou just got their first good look at each other. The hulking heavyweight stars faced off following a press conference Monday in London for their March 8 boxing match. Watch the staredown below. This is the first time that Joshua and Ngannou have come face to face since their match was announced earlier this month. The two engaged in a serious staredown, but other than that the former champions appeared to be cordial with one another. Joshua (27-3, 24 KOs) seeks another marquee win after five-round drubbing of Otto Wallin this past December. The British standout…
Howdy, friends! The first UFC event of the year is in the books! At UFC Vegas 84, Magomed Ankalaev obliterated Johnny Walker, Manel Kape obliterated his chances at a flyweight title shot, and Jim Miller continues to obliterate the UFC record book. Let’s talk about all of that, plus it’s on to UFC 297! Magomed Ankalaev I know this is pretty early, but Khamzat moving up to 205 to fight magomed a? Who does kadyrov root for?— andrew gorospe (@andrew_gorospe) January 14, 2024 Sidestepping the obvious Kadyrov bait (he’s not a good person but it’s also difficult to totally judge…
Dricus du Plessis has no regrets about his role in the bad blood that’s developed with Sean Strickland. This Saturday, du Plessis challenges Strickland for the middleweight title in the main event of UFC 297. Initially, the two men didn’t have much to say about one another, but things have taken a dramatic turn over the past month after a heated press conference in December that snowballed into a full-blown brawl while cageside at UFC 296. In the aftermath of the incident, some have wondered if the trash talk between the two went too far, but du Plessis isn’t buying…
Francis Ngannou’s days as an MMA fighter aren’t over yet. The former UFC heavyweight champion and PFL fighter was in London on Monday for a press conference to promote his upcoming boxing match with Anthony Joshua, which takes place March 8. Following the presser, Ngannou spoke to DAZN and declared that he still plans to return to MMA competition sometime in the future. “It’s a combination,” Ngannou said when asked to choose between MMA and boxing. “I’m a guy who fights, I mean, I don’t really like to get hit, but I like to hit people. Anytime when there’s some…
Johnny Walker hopes to see his nemesis win the UFC light heavyweight title next. The Brazilian talent came up short in a rematch with Magomed Ankalaev in the main event of UFC Vegas 84 this past Saturday in Las Vegas, losing via second-round knockout, and said he’s now hoping to see the Russian talent claim the gold. “It is what it is,” Walker said on a social media post. “We fight the best in the world, I’m one of the best in the world. I’m gonna face the best in the world. Could be me, could be him. He have…
Alex Pereira wants to stay busy in 2024. A day after Magomed Ankalaev dismantled Johnny Walker in the main event of UFC Vegas 84 to insert himself in the title conversation, “Poatan” took on social media to say that former titleholder Jamahal Hill is next in line, but reassuring Ankalaev that he won’t need to wait much longer. “People, let’s focus on what matters, which is Jamahal,” Pereira wrote in Portuguese, “and then I’ll focus on breaking another record and doing two title defenses in the least amount of time.” The UFC has yet to reveal a date for Pereira’s…
Colby Covington suffered a one-sided loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 296 after promising he would vanquish the Brit in impressive fashion to claim the welterweight title Not only that but Covington ratcheted up his usual trash talk to an abhorrent level when he went as far as insulting Edwards’ deceased father, who was murdered when the future UFC champion was just 13 years old. Despite doing his best to rattle Edwards and force him to fight emotionally, it was Covington who just couldn’t pull the trigger before losing a five-round decision in his third failed attempt at becoming an…
Magomed Ankalaev finished Johnny Walker in the first UFC main event of 2024 and sent a message to light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira in the process. While Pereira’s coach Glover Teixeira seemed to express interest in the potential championship matchup, will that be the next fight for Ankalaev, who is on a 12-fight unbeaten streak? MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee discuss what could be next for Ankalaev from a matchmaking perspective following Saturday’s UFC Vegas 84 event at the APEX. Additionally, future matchups are discussed for Jim Miller following his third-round submission win over Gabriel Benitez in…