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Paddy Pimblett Believes Tony Ferguson Fight is a ‘Lose-Lose’ Situation

Paddy Pimblett views his upcoming fight against Tony Ferguson as a lose-lose situation, regardless of the outcome of the bout.

Pimblett will bring a six-fight winning streak into his matchup with Ferguson — who is on a six-bout skid — at UFC 296 on Dec. 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Despite their starkly contrasting records in recent times, some fans expect “El Cucuy” to defeat Pimblett, especially after the Liverpudlian’s controversial decision win over Jared Gordon in his last outing back in December 2022.

Pimblett believes he’s going to receive flak from fans regardless of the outcome of his clash against Ferguson. “The Baddy” noted that despite Ferguson having lost only to elite opponents in his recent skid, the former interim lightweight champ is being viewed as well past his prime. Hence, Pimblett would be slammed for losing to a washed-up Ferguson if he lost, and a win would also be dismissed on similar grounds.

“I don’t even…

Michael Morales Wants To Fight Ian Garry: ‘There’s Nothing I Like About Him’

Michael Morales doesn’t like anything about fellow welterweight contender Ian Garry.

Morales previously called out Garry after his unanimous decision win over Max Griffin at UFC on ESPN 48 in July. Reiterating his callout in a recent interview, Morales shared that he wants to fight Garry due of his dislike for the Irishman.

“Ian Garry, Ian Garry. If I get the opportunity to fight him, I’ll welcome that,” Morales told MMAjunkie.com. “He’s someone I want to fight. If I get the opportunity to fight him, that would be great. I really dislike that guy. There’s nothing I like about him, but it’s not whatever I like or dislike, it’s whatever the UFC wants for me next. So if I get the chance to fight him, then thank you very much, but if it’s not him, I also welcome it. Whoever is next can get it.”

In addition to his personal dislike for Garry, Morales also remembers “The Future” mentioning him as a potential opponent in the past.

“He said some…

PFL Founder: Larissa Pacheco Likely Next Opponent for Bellator Champ Cris ‘Cyborg’

It appears that Larissa Pacheco, not Kayla Harrison, will be Cristiane Justino’s first opponent on the heels of Professional Fighters League’s acquisition of Bellator MMA.

Pacheco became the first two-division champion in PFL history when she defeated Marina Mokhnatkina in their featherweight final on Friday night in Washington, D.C. “Cyborg,” meanwhile, is coming off a first-round stoppage of Cat Zingano in a 145-pound title defense at Bellator 300.

Although Harrison has long been mentioned as an opponent for “Cyborg,” PFL founder Donn Davis believes it makes more sense for Pacheco to face Justino first. While Bellator will continue to run separately in 2024, it was announced that there will also be a champions vs. champions event featuring both promotions. That could be the ideal time to book Pacheco vs. Justino. In the meantime, Harrison vs. “Cyborg” isn’t off the table — it will just be planned for a later date.

“It’s champ vs. champ,” D…

ONE Championship to Hold ‘Record Number of Events’ in 2024, Return Focus to MMA

Further details regarding ONE Championship’s plans for its 2024 schedule have come to light.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong revealed that the Singapore organization will return its focus to mixed martial arts following a 2023 that saw a heavy emphasis on muay thai and other combat sports.

“You’re going to see MMA back in full force,” Sityodtong said. “We have our U.S. stadium shows, we have Qatar, Japan. In the Philippines we have one or two shows.

“ONE Friday Fights and the muay thai product are very much on a firm footing now. We’ve laid the groundwork and feel very comfortable it’s running on autopilot, and now we’re able to scale up. We’ve firmly established we have the No. 1 striking property on the planet. The focus will be sharply back onto mixed martial arts.”

If all goes as planned, ONE will have a busy itinerary in the coming year. Sityodtong revealed that Christian Lee will return to a…

Video: UFC Champ Sean Strickland Holds Man at Gunpoint in Front of His Home

pic.twitter.com/P7lUWbVbfP

— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) November 27, 2023

UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has posted a video of him holding a man at gunpoint in front of his Las Vegas home.

In the footage from Ring.com, a man is initially seen stumbling into Strickland’s driveway before crouching in between two cars. The UFC veteran — along with another individual in a red shirt — follow the man into the street, where Strickland appears to shove him to the ground while pointing a gun in his direction. “Sit the f—k down,” Strickland can be overheard saying. Sirens also appear to be flashing in the background.

According to Strickland, he initially thought the man was trying to steal his car. Instead, Strickland claims that the man was involved in a domestic violence incident where he “was drunk stomping out a girl.”

“The guy was drunk stomping out a girl, a security guard seen it, he jumped in his car and drove off,” …

Erin Blanchfield Calls for Interim Flyweight Title Fight Against Manon Fiorot

Erin Blanchfield expects her next fight to be against fellow contender Manon Fiorot — preferably for the interim UFC women’s flyweight title.

Both Blanchfield and Fiorot are undefeated in six UFC appearances, making them the top two female contenders in the promotion at 125 pounds. However, the title picture is complicated due to the status of reigning flyweight queen Alexa Grasso and ex-champ Valentina Shevchenko. The two rivals battled to a split draw in their rematch at Noche UFC, and the controversy regarding the scorecards in that bout left the door open for a trilogy. The third meeting could be delayed after both Grasso and Shevchenko recently underwent hand surgeries.

Blanchfield is fairly certain that a matchup against Fiorot is next for her, but she wants it to have interim title relevance if the Grasso-Shevchenko trilogy is delayed.

“Yeah, it’s definitely stalling. I feel like I’ve had a couple No. 1 contender fights now. But you …

Barcelona Soccer Star Ferran Torres Expresses Admiration for Ilia Topuria

Spanish soccer star Ferran Torres recently shared details about what he called a life-changing interaction with Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight contender Ilia Topuria.

Torres had the chance to meet with his fellow Spaniard during a visit to the United States. When the FC Barcelona standout asked Topuria about his expectations from his upcoming bout, the ever-confident fighter said he didn’t see it going past the opening frame. Ferran admitted that he aspires to achieve that same same sense of invincibility.

"I arrived as Ferran and I returned as another…I met Ilia Topuria and saw his circle of trust and how they always made him believe he was the best, unconditional support,” Torres said on "The Wild Project” podcast. “I asked him how he looked ahead of the fight and he said, 'He's not going to make it past the first round.’ I want to be like that.”

Undefeated in 14 professional outings, Topuria has only gone the distance twice in his entire …

Petr Yan Considering Change in Camp, Targets Return at UFC 299

Petr Yan believes he needs a new team to bounce back from his recent slump.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight title holder was undefeated in the promotion leading up to a disqualification title loss to Aljamain Sterling in 2021. While Yan bounced back from that loss with a decision win over Cory Sandhagen, the former champ never managed to fully regain his momentum.

“No Mercy” subsequently went on a three-fight skid, including a unanimous decision loss against Merab Dvalishvili in his most last outing at UFC Fight Night 221.More recently, an undisclosed injury forced Yan out of a rumored headlining bout opposite Yadong Song on Dec. 9.

Yan claims that he is healthy and that he has a date in mind for his UFC return.

“The health is great,” he told XTRA MMA. “There’s no preparation at this moment. Yes, I am ready. I’m waiting for the information [from the UFC]. I plan on fighting in March at UFC 299 ... I’d like it to …

Sean O’Malley: Aljamain Sterling Might Be Too ‘Insecure’ to Move Up to Featherweight

Sean O'Malley believes that Aljamain Sterling might do well at featherweight but is unsure whether we will get to find out.

In an appearance on The MMA Hour, O’Malley expressed his doubts over whether Sterling, whose Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight title he took via second-round knockout at UFC 292 in August, has enough confidence to move up to featherweight. While “Funkmaster” initially lobbied for an immediate rematch, he has since changed course towards a possible move up to 145 pounds. Sterling recently revealed that he has been offered a booking against perennial featherweight contender Calvin Kattar but is keener on a clash against former champ Max Holloway.

O’Malley believes going up makes sense for Sterling given the latter’s natural size. While “Sugar” believes Sterling also the required skillset for featherweight, he believes the former champ might prefer sticking around at bantamweight for the size advantage. O’Malley said o…

UFC Lightweight Tony Ferguson Reaches Plea Deal, Has DUI Charge Dismissed

Tony Ferguson recently had a misdemeanor DUI charge dismissed in the Superior Court of Los Angeles after reaching a plea deal.

The UFC lightweight star pleaded nolo contendere to a misdemeanor charge of wet reckless driving on the highway and will serve one year of probation as a result of the deal, which was ruled upon by Judge Shannon K. Cooley on Monday. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the resolution of the case.

Ferguson was arrested in May after allegedly crashing his truck into a pair of parked cars in Hollywood, California. The fighter was booked into jail after refusing a field sobriety test, and a law enforcement officer stated that Ferguson “reeked of alcohol” and had “bloodshot eyes.” Ferguson, who initially pleaded not guilty to the DUI charge, was released on his own recognizance.

As part of his probation, Ferguson will not consume alcohol and has agreed to pay restitution to the victim for damage caused as a result of the a…

Ilia Topuria Eyes Future Fight vs. Canelo Alvarez: ‘I Think I Have a Chance with Him’

While Ilia Topuria is the latest in a long line of mixed martial artists eyeing crossover boxing fights, “El Matador” is aiming for the very best.

Topuria is currently slated to challenge Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title in the main event at UFC 298 on Feb. 17. The undefeated Spanish prospect hopes to keep his record intact and ideally go on to defend his throne against former champ Max Holloway in front of his home fans.

“So, that’s what I think is going to happen that I’m going to beat ‘Volk’ on Feb. 17, and then I’m going to fight Max Holloway here in Spain. That’s my goal right now, and I think it’s going to happen,” Topuria recently said in an appearance on the OverDogs Podcast.

While defeating arguably the two greatest featherweights of all time would be no small feat, Topuria’s aspirations don’t stop there. Once he has the credibility of a UFC title to make his case, Topuria wants to fight Canelo Alvarez in the future…

Impa Kasanganay Willing to Move to Heavyweight to Face Francis Ngannou in PFL

A lot has changed for Impa Kasanganay since he was released from the Ultimate Fighting Championship two years ago.

Until recently, Kasanganay was best known for his viral knockout loss to Joaquin Buckley at UFC Fight Night 179 in 2020. While he bounced back with a submission win over Sasha Palatnikov, Kasanganay was released following a subsequent loss to Carlston Harris.

“Tshilobo” fought twice on the regional circuit before signing with the Professional Fighters League, where he went on a six-fight winning streak that culminated in a light heavyweight title win over Joshua Silveira at the PFL World Championships on Friday.

Following his unanimous decision victory against Silveira, Kasanganay proceeded to call out Francis Ngannou. While some dismissed Kasanganay's callout as a publicity stunt due to the difference in weight classes, “Tshilobo” claims he is serious.

“I don’t just say things to say things,” Kasanganay told MMAjunkie.com.…

Glover Teixeira Explains Decision to Remain Retired, Focus Energy on Alex Pereira

Although he misses fighting at times, Glover Teixeira is content with retirement and focusing all his energies on close friend Alex Pereira.

Teixeira hung up his gloves in January following a unanimous decision title loss against Jamahal Hill at UFC 283. This marked the second consecutive title loss for the Brazilian, who was submitted by Jiri Prochazka in a nailbiter at UFC 275 last year.

Teixeira has since turned coach and mentor for Pereira, who recently won his second UFC title within a year. While Pereira was walking out for his light heavyweight championship victory over Prochazka at UFC 295, Teixeira admitted to “Poatan” that he misses fighting sometimes.

However, the former UFC light heavyweight champ chooses to stay retired for one major reason: Father Time. Teixeira, who has contemplated coming out of retirement for the right amount of money, claims that his younger self would have easily run through his last two opponents.

“I told …

Anthony Smith Steps in for Short-Notice Clash Against Khalil Rountree on Dec. 9

An Ultimate Fighting Championship event set to go down at the promotion’s Apex facility in Las Vegas will undergo a significant change two weeks before fight night.

Undefeated Russian prospect Azamat Murzakanov (13-0) was originally scheduled to take on Khalil Rountree (12-5) in a light heavyweight clash in the co-main event at UFC Fight Night 233 on Dec. 9. However, UFC CEO Dana White announced that Murzakanov is now out of the matchup due to pneumonia and will be replaced by Anthony Smith (37-18).

Smith is coming off a split-decision win in a rematch against Ryan Spann at UFC Fight Night 233 that saw him bounce back from consecutive losses against top contenders Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker. The former title challenger’s last win prior to that also came against Spann via first-round submission in September 2021.

Meanwhile, Rountree is riding a four-fight win streak, which includes technical knockout wins over Modestas Bukauskas, Karl …

Colby Covington: ‘I Took the Fight Out of Usman’ Before He Faced Leon Edwards

Colby Covington claims his two title losses against Kamaru Usman played significant role in Leon Edwards’ eventual victory over “The Nigerian Nightmare.”

Covington is currently scheduled to challenge Edwards for the welterweight strap at UFC 296 on Dec. 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Covington will receive that opportunity despite not having fought since outpointing Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272 in March 2022. “Chaos” is 2-2 in his last four Octagon appearances, with both of those defeats coming at the hands of Usman in welterweight title bouts.

Covington claims that his UFC 245 and UFC 268 losses against Usman took the fight out of “The Nigerian Nightmare,” which led to him getting dethroned by Edwards at UFC 278.

“No doubt about it, I took the fight out of Usman,” Covington told UFC.com. “His chin was never the same, and I’m the one that loosened up that chin. I head kicked him and had him on wobbly legs, then he calls timeout. It’s not…

Kayla Harrison Hopes to Face ‘Cyborg’ Next but ‘Not Waiting for Anybody’

Two-time Professional Fighters League women’s lightweight champion Kayla Harrison wants to face reigning Bellator MMA women’s featherweight titleholder Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino next. However, the decorated judoka has no plans to sit around and waste her prime while she waits for the highly anticipated bout to come to fruition.

Harrison (16-1) returned to action from a year of inactivity following her first pro defeat against Larissa Pacheco. The two-time Olympic gold medalist outpointed Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Aspen Ladd to a unanimous decision in a 2023 PFL Championships catchweight showcase on Friday at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. Despite Ladd’s relentless spirit and durability, Harrison comfortably rolled to 30-27 scores across the board. Harrison outstruck her counterpart by a 165-27 margin.

Afterward, she proceeded to call out Cyborg.

“I’m excited that PFL just acquired Bellator,” Harrison said. “I heard there’s a girl in…

Olivier Aubin-Mercier Announces Hiatus from MMA Following Second PFL Championship

The mixed martial arts world may have witnessed Olivier Aubin-Mercier step foot inside the cage for the last time.

Aubin-Mercier (21-5) clinched his second consecutive Professional Fighters League lightweight title against Clay Collard in the 2023 PFL Championships main event on Friday at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. While Collard (24-11) had his moments early in the bout while regularly landing damaging leg kicks and body shots, Aubin-Mercier racked up a significant amount of control time on the ground and even came close to submitting the American with a rear-naked choke in the final frame. In the end, “The Canadian Gangster” secured a unanimous decision, with 49-46 marks on all three judges’ scorecards.

Afterward, Aubin-Mercier declared his intention to take a hiatus from the sport.

“Sand in between my toes I would say [is next],” he said. “I’m going to take a break. Two years ago, I told my little girl it was the last summer I was going to w…

Derek Brunson Calls Out Jake Paul Following Successful PFL Debut

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight Derek Brunson has taken aim at a showdown with YouTube star turned boxer Jake Paul following a triumphant Professional Fighters League debut against Ray Cooper III at the 2023 PFL Championships on Friday in Washington, D.C.

Brunson (24-9) signed with the PFL in October after he “mutually” parted ways with the UFC. The North Carolina native entered his first assignment with the company on the heels of back-to-back losses to Jared Cannonier and Dricus Du Plessis inside the Octagon. Brunson rebounded and found his way back into the win column in his catchweight clash with Cooper at The Anthem.

Apart from facing some adversity in the first round, where Cooper staggered him while countering a takedown, Brunson managed to control and beat up the Hawaiian throughout the three-round affair. Judges awarded him 30-27, 30-25 and 30-25 marks on the scorecards. Afterward, Brunson looked forward to partaking in the biggest fights…

Olivier Aubin-Mercier Grinds Out Clay Collard in 2023 PFL Championships Main Event

Five new Professional Fighting League world champions took home a belt and a $1 million payday Friday night at the 2023 PFL Championships in Washington D.C.

However, the main event saw a familiar face claim championship glory. Last year’s lightweight champion Olivier Aubin-Mercier (21-5, 10-0 PFL) defended his title against the surging “Cassius” Clay Collard in a competitive scrap. Collard dug in stinging body shots and pushed the Canadian back to the fence, but Aubin-Mercier routinely worked Collard (24-11, 6-3 PFL) on the ground. This resulted in "OAM" taking a unanimous decision win with a trio of 49-46 scorecards in his favor.

With multiple Bellator MMA champions in the crowd to promote eventual cross-promotional fights as a part of PFL’s takeover of the former rival promotion, the future of PFL looked exciting Friday night.Ferreira Shocks Goltsov You never know what’s bound to happen when giants face off. 244-pound Dennis Goltsov locked heads a…

2023 PFL Championships Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

The 2023 Professional Fighters League Playoffs wrap up on Friday in Washington D.C. at the 2023 PFL Championships. The undercard airs live on ESPN+ at 5:30 p.m. ET, with the main card starting on ESPN Pay-per-View at 8 p.m ET. Round 1 A featherweight tilt pitting Blyden (9-2, 0-0 PFL) against Stirn (15-6, 0-2 PFL) kicks off festivities for the 2023 PFL Championships. Blyden, who missed weight by 0.8 pounds, enters his promotional debut on the strength of a three-fight winning streak. Stirn, 31, has won four in a row. Jerin Valel serves as the third man in the cage. They touch gloves, and we are underway. Blyden presses forward behind jabs and leg kicks, shoots in for takedown and sneaks behind his counterpart. He drags Stirn down to the mat and climbs to the back. Stirn stands and breaks away from danger, only to concede a pair of mat returns. Blyden feeds knees to the back of the legs with the two men once again upright. He continues to win the hand battle and maintains an…

Rizin Adds 4 Bouts to NYE Card, Including Seika Izawa vs. Miyuu Yamamoto

#RIZIN45 Press Conference #3📸

4 more matchups for New Year's 👀 pic.twitter.com/dp9dulOS2l

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) November 24, 2023 Rizin Fighting Federation’s year-end show has gained four matches and lost one a bit over a month before it takes place.

Per a press release provided by the organization on Friday morning, Rizin 45 will be gaining four matches, including one involving a pound-for-pound talent. The Dec. 31 show will take place in its annual showcase site of the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and multiple championship tilts will play out across the evening. Four new fights have graced the lineup, while one additional match has been scratched.

Bouts added to the billing include a major women’s super atomweight tilt (108 pounds) between no. 1 atomweight Seika Izawa (11-0) and aging divisional stalwart Miyuu Yamamoto (6-7). Izawa claimed the top spot by knocking off Ayaka Hamasaki at Rizin 33 to end 2021…

Pedro Munhoz, Kyler Phillips Collide at 135 Pounds on UFC 299

“The Young Punisher” might not be as young anymore, but he wants to show he still has plenty of punishment left to give.

Brazil’s Pedro Munhoz (20-8, 2 NC) will be returning to the Octagon on March 9 at UFC 299 against Kyler Phillips (11-2) in a significant bantamweight matchup. This is just the second fight reported for this event, one that does not officially have a location or venue on the books. The fight card will be headlined by a 135-pound championship rematch between Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera. News of this Munhoz-Phillips tilt broke courtesy of Phillips’ management team of Iridium Sports.

Munhoz has struggled the last few years, with just two wins since 2020 over Jimmie Rivera and Chris Gutierrez. In that three-year stretch, he has lost decisions to Frankie Edgar, Jose Aldo, Dominick Cruz and Marlon Vera in a veritable murderer’s row of bantamweight opposition. Before this rough patch, Munhoz registered victories over the likes of Cody Garbrandt, Rob Font a…

Joe Pyfer to Headline UFC Fight Night Event on Feb. 10 Against Jack Hermansson

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will be putting on the Joe Pyfer show in February.

Currently unranked as a middleweight with the company, Pyfer (12-2) will be snagging a main event spot against Sherdog’s no. 15-ranked Jack Hermansson (23-8) on Feb. 10. The two 185ers will battle it out atop an evening scheduled at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on the currently unnamed UFC Fight Night card. News of this pairing was announced by the UFC on Thursday.

Since making his debut off of his second chance on Dana White's Contender Series, Pyfer has rattled off three straight stoppages in the Octagon. Pyfer introduced himself to the promotion by blasting Alen Amedovski in under four minutes. “Bodybagz” returned to the cage over six months later to lay waste to Gerald Meerschaert, and he earned win no. 3 in the UFC by rendering Abdul Razak Alhassan unconscious with an arm-triangle choke in October. As a pro, Pyfer has only gone the distance one time, in his second bout against Dere…

UFC 298 Booked for Anaheim’s Honda Center on Feb. 17, Volkanovski-Topuria Headlining

The time and place of Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria is now official.

Per the promotion on Thursday, UFC 298 will take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Feb. 17. The Ultimate Fighting Championship had previously announced that the featherweight championship clash of Volkanovski (26-3) vs. Topuria (14-0) would sit atop the billing, and its date of Feb. 17 had been discussed as well. However, the destination of California was not official until its announcement.

This event will be the first at this venue since UFC 270 in early 2022, when Francis Ngannou beat Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight strap. The home to NHL team Anaheim Ducks has played host to a number of major UFC cards over the years, from UFC 76 titled “Knockout” which did not feature a single knockout to UFC 157 which brought women’s MMA to the organization. This fight card will feature the first men’s headliner in a division below light heavyweight for the building,…

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