Dricus Du Plessis Addresses Ability to Get Into Opponents’ Heads

Daniel Cormier asks Dricus du Plessis how he's getting his opponents emotional:

"I think I might be the problem. Obviously because it's 2/2." 😭😭

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🎥 @ufc #UFC305 #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/fnjV5eJWsq — Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 16, 2024

Dricus Du Plessis certainly has a knack for making his opponents emotional.

This initially surfaced prior to Du Plessis’ title win over Sean Strickland at UFC 297 this past January, when he touched a nerve with his opponent during a pre-fight press conference. “Stillknocks” broached the tender subject of Strickland’s abusive childhood, which led to the then champ threatening to stab Du Plessis.

Du Plessis is now scheduled to defend his title against former champ Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia. The two have long been feuding over the legitimacy of their status as real African champs. While Du Plessis, who lives and trains in South Africa, claims to be the …

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UFC 305 Weigh-in Results: Title Fight Set; 1 Fighter Heavy

[embedded content] The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Australia with a middleweight championship fight atop the card.

Both champion and challenger made weight for the main event grudge match. Middleweight titleholder Dricus Du Plessis came in at 185 pounds on the dot, while former champ Israel Adesanya weighed 184 pounds. All other fighters on the 12-fight card also made weight with the exception of would-be flyweight Jesus Santos Aguilar, who came in 1.5 pounds over the limit for his fight against Stewart Nicoll. Aguilar will be fined a percentage of his purse as a result.

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Du Plessis (21-2) is undefeated inside the Octagon. The South African fighter is on an impressive nine-fight win streak that includes his title win over Sean Strickland and a TKO shocker over Robert Whittaker. "Stillknocks" is looking to cement his title reign at the young age of 30.

Adesanya (24-3) is looking to bounce back after a lackluster decision defeat to Stric…

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2024 PFL Finals Set for Light Heavyweight, Lightweight Brackets

The Professional Fighters League determined its light heavyweight and lightweight finals during its PFL Hollywood card.

The 11-fight card was headlined by an intriguing light heavyweight rematch between 2023 champion Impa Kasanganay and Joshua Silveira. Kasanganay (17-4) won the first encounter less than a year ago, which caused Silveira (13-3) to come out far more aggressively and find success during the first frame. Kasanganay would have a much better second round, although "Coninha" landed some slick uppercuts late. The final five minutes saw both men land hard shots and the result was up in the air as it went to the judges' scorecards.

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Ultimately, the judges preferred the work of Kasaganay, who took a unanimous decision with scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 in his favor. He'll advance to his second-straight light heavyweight final and will look to repeat.Yagshimuradov Decisions Wilkinson The co-main event saw former champion Rob Wilkinson battle…
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PFL 8 2024 Playoffs Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sherdog's live PFL 8: 2024 Playoffs coverage will begin Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:

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Round 3 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round: Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the…
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Cain Velasquez Enters Plea of No Contest for Attempted Murder, Gun Charges

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship great Cain Velasquez has entered a plea that should keep him out of prison for life.

The Santa Clara District Attorney’s office released a statement on Friday announcing that Velasquez has pleased no contest for his charges of attempted murder, felony assault and additional gun charges. Due to this, he will not need to go to trial that was scheduled for Sept. 9, in front of a jury. His sentencing hearing is set for Oct. 18, according to the East Bay Times.

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In 2022, Velasquez fired a handgun at a truck holding multiple people including a man Velasquez accused of molesting his son. Velasquez, who himself was driving while chasing after the other vehicle, fired several shots from his .40 pistol that struck another individual. During the excursion, the former UFC fighter shot at the man accused of molestation near a school, and was apprehended by police in Morgan Hill, California, shortly thereafter.

“This defend…

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UFC Books Thompson vs. Buckley, Slots Dolidze in Against Holland at UFC 307

Pereira vs Rountree! #UFC307 from the @deltacenter, Utah on October 5th!@StateofSport pic.twitter.com/EJJcjJgUMf

— danawhite (@danawhite) August 16, 2024 The Ultimate Fighting Championship is making sure that its big October show will be one to remember.

On Friday, the UFC announced a slew of matchups for its UFC 307 show on Oct. 5. While it also revealed its main and co-headlining attractions for the evening at Salt Lake City’s Delta Center, a few additional fights worthy of headlining their own Fight Nights were set for this card. It is currently unclear the card placement of the bouts, but Roman Dolidze (13-3, 1 NC) will step in to replace Chris Curtis against Kevin Holland (26-11, 1 NC) at middleweight, and welterweights Stephen Thompson (17-7-1) and Joaquin Buckley (19-6) will throw down.

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In June, Georgia’s Dolidze stepped up on short notice to replace Carlos Ulberg in a round robin affair of changed matches to u…
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Pereira-Rountree, Pennington-Pena Locked as Headliners for UFC 307 on Oct. 5

Utah, we're back for #UFC307 in a BIG way 🏆@AlexPereiraUFC vs @KhalilRountree@RockyPMMA vs @VenezuelanVixen@StateOfSport | #StateOfSport | @DeltaCenter | #DeltaCenter pic.twitter.com/HjFbqbxtTx

— UFC (@ufc) August 16, 2024 Alex Pereira is the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s most reliable champion these days.

Last week, the promotion officially confirmed that UFC 307 would be held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Oct. 5. A number of bouts were set in stone at that time, including Kayla Harrison vs. Ketlen Vieira at 135 pounds. The organization announced on Friday the main card lineup, including two championship affairs that would sit atop the billing. In the co-main attraction, Raquel Pennington (16-8) will be putting her 135-pound throne up for grabs against ex-champ Julianna Pena (11-5). The headliner will see Pereira (11-2) defend his light heavyweight crown against Khalil Rountree (13-5, 1 NC).

“Poatan” has twice saved th…

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Chris Curtis Announces Fractured Foot, Withdrawal From UFC 307

A little over two weeks after the matchup came together, a scintillating Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight tilt is on ice.

At the end of July, the promotion booked Chris Curtis (31-11, 1 NC) against Kevin Holland (26-11, 1 NC) for the UFC 307 card on Oct. 5. Due to a foot injury revealed by “The Action Man” on Wednesday, Curtis has been forced out of the matchup. Curtis sustained the injury during sparring, fracturing his foot and also suffering a Lisfranc injury where small ligaments were torn or damaged. As a result, Curtis will be on the shelf for a few months, and he hopes to return to action in December. The UFC has not yet announced a replacement opponent for Holland.

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"I'm fine, guys," Curtis wrote. "Bit of a fracture in my left foot, caught [Caio Borralho] on the knee, at the very end of the last round of sparring. The bigger problem is I have something called a Lisfranc injury as well, which means I'm not even supposed to be walking…
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Adesanya on UFC’s Treatment of Ngannou: ‘You Can Never Erase History’

The first rule of UFC Fight Club: don’t mention Francis Ngannou’s name…

Here’s a look at the clip from the UFC 305 Countdown episode versus what Adesanya actually said at the UFC 305 Pre-Sale Press Conference.

It’s no surprise, but the UFC’s attempt to erase Ngannou from its… pic.twitter.com/PZpA7UAtSe — AFeldmanMMA (@afeldMMA) August 13, 2024 Former Ultimate Fighting Championship champ Israel Adesanya is not pleased by how his company is handling Francis Ngannou’s legacy.UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

At UFC 305 media day on Wednesday, Adesanya spoke up on the UFC seemingly erasing mentions of Ngannou on its broadcasts and postings. This was partially in response to AFeldmanMMA, who posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, a side-by-side video comparison on Tuesday, showing that the promotion had edited out Adesanya invoking the name of Ngannou when talking about legacy for African fighters. Dur…

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PFL 8 Weigh-in Results: Light Heavyweight & Lightweight Semifinals Set

⚖️ #PFLPlayoffs Light Heavyweight Main Event is official!

Impa Kasanganay: 203.8 lbsJosh Silveira: 205.2 lbs

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[ #PFLHollywood | Fri, Aug 16th | 9pm ET on ESPN ] pic.twitter.com/MpdW0q3xMi — PFL (@PFLMMA) August 15, 2024 The Professional Fighters League returns with an 11-fight card featuring four semifinal fights.

Headlining the card is a light heavyweight fight between Impa Kasanganay and Joshua Silveira. Both men have proved to be finishers, so it should end the night with some excitement. The winner of Kasanganay (17-4) and Silveira (13-3) will face whoever emerges victorious between Rob Wilkinson and Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov in the co-main event. All four men successfully made weight.

Additionally, all four lightweight semifinals made weight. Brent Primus will face off against Clay Collard in what will be a fan-friendly striking matchup. Meanwhile, Gadzhi Rabadanov, who is undefeated within the PFL, will l…

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UFC Returns to Macau in November

The Octagon is headed BACK to Macau 🚨#UFCMacau is locked in for Nov 23 at Macau Galaxy Arena!

Learn more 👉 https://t.co/Em93FXMmKe pic.twitter.com/YvVTcEcEdw

— UFC (@ufc) August 15, 2024 After over 10 years away, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will be heading back to the “Las Vegas of the East.”

Per the organization on Wednesday night, a UFC Fight Night event on Nov. 23 is planned for the Galaxy Arena in Macau, China. This non-pay-per-view offering will serve as the organization’s first trip to the special administrative region in China since UFC Fight Night 48 in 2014. While that last event was held in the Cotai Arena, the promotion has upgraded to the Galaxy Arena, which serves as Macau’s largest indoor arena sporting 16,000 seats. No fights have been announced as of yet.

Once in 2012 and twice in 2014, the company traveled to Macau to stage an event. Cung Le sparked Rich Franklin in the inaugural Macau show, which also was …

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Blanchfield vs. Namajunas, Lewis vs. Romanov Set for UFC Edmonton on Nov. 2

THE RETURN TO THE NORTH! 🇨🇦

We’re back in Canada with #UFCEdmonton Saturday November 2nd!

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[ Tickets On Sale Sept. 20th | Register your interest at https://t.co/AeOlqnw9GM ] pic.twitter.com/IJneFSivIB — UFC (@ufc) August 15, 2024

A women’s flyweight clash pitting Erin Blanchfield against Rose Namajunas will serve as the main event for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s return to Edmonton on Nov. 2.

UFC CEO Dana White initially confirmed the news to Sportsnet on Wednesday night. In the co-main event, Derrick Lewis will square off against Alexander Romanov at heavyweight. The UFC Fight Night event will be held at Rogers Place and will also include the following four bouts: Ariane da Silva vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius; Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Dustin Stoltzfus; Jamey-Lyn Horth vs. Ivana Petrovic and Chad Anheliger vs. Cody Gibson.

GET READY EDMONTON! 🗣️

In an interview with @aaronbronsteter,…

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