UFC 292 pre-fight press conference: All the details
The highly anticipated UFC 292 pay-per-view event is right around the corner. The event will go down at the TD Garden in Boston this weekend and will feature two exciting title fights. The card will be headlined by a bantamweight title fight between reigning champion Aljamain Sterling and the No.2-ranked Sean O’Malley. Meanwhile, women’s strawweight champion Weili Zhang will face Amanda Lemos in the co-main event. Elsewhere on the card, Ian Garry will fight Neil Magny in a middleweight contest. Marlon Vera will also lock horns with Pedro Munhoz in a bantamweight fight. Da’Mon Blackshear will fight Mario Bautista, replacing an injured Cody Garbrandt. With the event coming up fast, the UFC 292 pre-fight press conference is set to take place on August 17 at 6 pm ET at the TD Garden in Boston. The presser will be free and open to the public. Competing fighters will answer questions from fans and journalists before facing off against their opponents on stage. Fans can catch the pre-fight press conference live on the official UFC website. Alternatively, the media event can be accessed for free on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, and TikTok. Catch the UFC 292 presser live below: Aljamain Sterling says Sean O’Malley needs a win at UFC 292 to “validate” himself in the bantamweight division Aljamain Sterling recently weighed in on his upcoming fight against Sean O’Malley at the UFC 292 pay-per-view event. The ‘Funk Master’ sounded off on the Montana native for his weak resume while promising to show him levels when they face each other in the octagon. There is no love lost between the two mercurial bantamweights. Over the past few weeks, Sterling and O’Malley took their rivalry up a notch. After their heated face-off in the octagon after Sterling’s win over Henry Cejudo at UFC 288, they continued to exchange personal insults on social media. Given O’Malley’s renowned striking skills and Sterling’s world-class grappling, many are hyped to see the two finally settle their differences in the cage. Aljamain Sterling is looking for his fourth consecutive title defense against Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 this weekend. As one of the most decorated champions in divisional history, Sterling will be eager to secure a statement victory to cement his spot in the history books. In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, the ‘Funk Master’ claimed he wasn’t impressed with O’Malley’s resume. Promising a dominant victory, he said: “Obviously Sean wants this [win] really really bad to validate himself finally, as a worthy person in this UFC bantamweight division. Let’s be honest, the matchups he’s had, there’s only one guy he’s beaten, by split decision, that’s still in the UFC. And that’s Petr Yan… You can look at my resume, everyone is still here.” Watch the full interview below:
Mike Perry calls out former UFC champion Robbie Lawler for a bare-knuckle boxing match
Mike Perry wants to go up against Robbie Lawler in a bare-knuckle boxing match. After their initial matchup at UFC 255 in November 2020 was scrapped due to ‘Ruthless’ picking up an injury, Perry wants to fulfill his desire to fight the UFC great under the BKFC banner. Perry was notably hyped about the opportunity to fight Lawler at UFC 255. ‘Platinum’ had been calling out the former welterweight champion for several years before the promotion obliged. Unfortunately, Perry’s hopes were dashed after Lawler was forced out of the bout due to an injury. Almost three years later, Mike Perry has reignited his interest in Robbie Lawler. The undefeated BKFC contender recently took to Twitter to call out the retired UFC fighter for a bare-knuckle fight. He wrote: “Come to @bareknucklefc and fight me @Ruthless_RL.” While it’s highly unlikely that Robbie Lawler would accept Mike Perry’s callout, given his advanced age, stranger things have happened in combat sports. Lawler was notably inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame after his last fight against Nike Price at UFC 290. Mike Perry quit the UFC after losing to Daniel Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 23 in April 2021, his second consecutive loss. He signed with the BKFC a few months later and is undefeated in the bare-knuckle boxing promotion. Sean O’Malley on a potential Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry boxing match Sean O’Malley recently shared his two cents on Jake Paul’s next boxing opponent and named Mike Perry as an option. ‘The Problem Child’ recently bounced back from his maiden career defeat against Tommy Fury with a dominant win against Nate Diaz. Given his dominant performance against the former UFC star, many believe the YouTuber-turned-boxer will stick to fighting MMA fighters from here on out. While an MMA rematch against Nate Diaz is on the cards, Sean O’Malley believes Jake Paul should consider fighting Mike Perry or Jorge Masvidal next. In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, O’Malley stated: “That was f***ing impressive from both of them. I just want to see Jake keep winning and fighting motherfu**ers… It depends [on which UFC fighters]. Jorge Masvidal?! Mike Perry?! Like dude, there are still fights [to make]. Watch the full video below: While Jake Paul has more experience in the boxing ring, Perry holds an MMA record of 14-8 and is undefeated as a bare-knuckle boxer. It remains to be seen if such a matchup materializes.
UFC champion gives his prediction for Aljamain Sterling v. Sean O’Malley at UFC 292
Alexander Volkanovski recently weighed in on the highly anticipated Sean O’Malley vs. Aljamain Sterling title fight. The UFC featherweight champion broke down the stylistic differences between the two contenders and shared his prediction for the fight. O’Malley is set to challenge Sterling for the undisputed bantamweight title at UFC 292 at the TD Garden in Boston this weekend. After a highly controversial win over Petr Yan at UFC 280, ‘Suga’ will face the toughest test of his career against the reigning 135-pound champion. While Sean O’Malley is widely considered among the best strikers in the UFC today, many have questioned his ability to hold his own against an excellent grappler like Aljamain Sterling. In this classic striker vs. grappler matchup, Alexander Volkanovski is leaning toward the grappler. In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, ‘The Great’ shared his predictions for the matchup. Predicting Sterling to defend his title for the fourth consecutive time, he said: “I’m leaning towards Aljamain because I just think that, that wrestling and that control is going to eventually get there. I’d have to lean toward him… I feel like it could definitely be a TKO for Sean O’Malley because his striking is that good, but I will lean toward Aljamain. I think he has got a safer way to victory… We know he’s gonna turn up. This is a massive fight for him.” Catch Volkanovski’s comments below (6:50): Aljamain Sterling confident of a victory against Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 Aljamain Sterling isn’t afraid of Sean O’Malley and recently promised to show him levels when they fight at UFC 292. There is no love lost between Sterling and O’Malley. The two bantamweights have been at loggerheads for a while now and have exchanged some ruthless barbs on social media. Given their contrasting fighting styles, many are looking forward to seeing the two settle their differences in the octagon. While Sean O’Malley is one of the best strikers in the UFC and poses a major threat to any opponent who slacks, Aljamain Sterling isn’t worried. The ‘Funk Master’ recently predicted an early finish over ‘Suga’ and claimed he’d put O’Malley through the wringer this weekend. In a recent episode of UFC Embedded, Sterling stated: “I’m excited about this opportunity, my second main event in a row. They gonna start calling me Aljamain Event after this one… Sean’s a stud, but there’s levels, man. I’m going out there, I’m going to put it on this man from round one. I think it will be a second-round TKO. Henry Cejudo was the last victim. I took him from Triple C to Double C, and I can’t wait to make the UFC Sugar-free.” Watch the full video below:
Boxing promoter labels Nate Diaz vs. Jake Paul fight “awful”
Eddie Hearn wasn’t impressed with the boxing skills displayed by Nate Diaz and Jake Paul earlier this month. The Matchroom Boxing chairman recently weighed in on the recent Diaz vs. Paul boxing match and expressed his disappointment at their lack of skills and technique. Diaz made his highly anticipated boxing debut against ‘The Problem Child’ on August 5 in Manchester, England. After ten rounds, Paul emerged victorious via unanimous decision. While there were flashes of promise from the Stockton slugger, he didn’t offer Paul much of a challenge and even got knocked down in the fifth round. While many expected this result, given Diaz’s lack of boxing experience, Eddie Hearn was expecting more from them both. In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, the veteran boxing promoter lambasted Nate Diaz and Jake Paul for their lacklustre performance and said: “It was awful. Don’t get me wrong, the event was unbelievable. You did a great job. Brilliant… The reason that Nate Diaz didn’t get stopped is that Jake didn’t have the ability. He doesn’t know how to break a fighter down, cut off the ring, beat him up, and stop him. But I give my props to Nate: super tough. Super tough. But you’re talking about low, low level in terms of standard.” Jake Paul convinced he can beat Nate Diaz in MMA with a year of training It looks like Jake Paul has unfinished business with Nate Diaz and wants to settle accounts in an MMA fight. The YouTuber-turned-boxer recently discussed a potential MMA rematch with the Stockton native and expressed his confidence about beating the former UFC star after a year of training. Paul and Diaz have been feuding for a long time. Prior to their boxing match, Jake Paul relentlessly called out Nate Diaz for a two-fight boxing and MMA deal. With their boxing fight done and dusted, it seems Paul is eager to secure an MMA-rules rematch with the Stockton slugger. During an appearance on the IMPAULSIVE podcast, Paul confidently claimed he could beat Nate Diaz after a year of training. He stated: “Not right now, but in a year maybe. Honestly, I will will it into existence and I will work so f****** hard that I can do it… He can’t hurt me with punches, if his punches aren’t strong how are his kicks going to be?… I have way higher wrestling experience than his. He’s not going to be able to take me down…. Seriously, with eight to nine months of training, I know I can beat Nate Diaz in MMA.” Watch the full video below:
Aljamain Sterling claims there’s “99.9 percent chance” he leaves bantamweight division after Sean O’Malley fight
Aljamain Sterling may be done with the bantamweight division. The ‘Funk Master’ recently claimed that his next fight would probably be his last in the 135 pounds division. Sterling is widely considered to be the most dominant bantamweight champion in UFC history. Boasting one of the most incredible resumes in divisional history, Sterling will become the first bantamweight champion to successfully defend his 135-pound title for the fourth time if he beats Sean O’Malley. The UFC bantamweight champion is set to defend his title against ‘Suga’ at UFC 292 this weekend. The exciting grappler vs. striker matchup will go down at the TD Garden in Boston. While it’s no secret that Aljamain Sterling has wanted to move up to featherweight for a long time now, it seems his fight could be his final outing at bantamweight. In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Aljamain Sterling reiterated his wish to fight at featherweight. He said: “This is most likely my last fight at 135… There’s a 99% chance this is my last fight at 135… Well, that’s if I win for sure. I win this for sure, Ariel, I’m out of here… It’s Merab’s [Dvalishvili] time.” Sterling further stated he doesn’t want to cut as much weight anymore and said: “I’m a little bit over-cutting weight. This much weight.” Aljamain Sterling vows to make Sean O’Malley pay for “Dana White privilege” at UFC 292 Aljamain Sterling is looking to dominate Sean O’Malley through and through during their bout at UFC 292. Sterling and O’Malley have no love for each other and have exchanged verbal insults on social media for a long time. After Sterling’s last title defense against Henry Cejudo at UFC 288, ‘Suga’ also barged into the octagon for a tense face-off against ‘Funk Master.’ Given their heated rivalry and contrasting fighting styles, many expect fireworks when they share the octagon. In a recent Q&A session, Aljamain Sterling weighed in on his upcoming title defense. Promising to teach O’Malley a lesson for abusing his relationship with UFC president Dana White, Sterling said: “I want to smash this guy’s face. I want to smash the ugly mole rat, the naked mole rat that he is. When I take this man down, that naked mole rat is getting smashed. Smashed. I want him to pay for everything that he said, all the trash talk, everything, all his Dana White privilege. I didn’t have none of that, and I can’t wait to take it out on him.” He continued: “My prediction, second-round TKO. But if he gives me his neck… I’m going to strangle his ass.” Watch the full video below:
Israel Adesanya claims Khamzat Chimaev can leapfrog Dricus du Plessis with a win at UFC 294
Israel Adesanya is ready to test himself against Khamzat Chimaev. ‘The Last Stylebender’ recently claimed that he’d be willing to give the Chechen-born Swede a title shot if he puts on a dominant performance against Paulo Costa at UFC 294. After Dricus du Plessis defeated Robert Whittaker at UFC 290, he was highly expected to get a middleweight title shot. The Adesanya-du Plessis matchup was hyped even more after the Nigerian-born Kiwi shared a heated face-off with du Plessis. While they were expected to fight at UFC 293 in Sydney, ‘Stillknocks’ was forced to pull out due to injury. Israel Adesanya is now booked to fight Sean Strickland instead. However, the reigning middleweight champion is already looking ahead to his next potential challenge. Khamzat Chimaev has been inactive since September 2022 and has been vocal about his eagerness to move up to middleweight. If Chimaev were to breeze past Costa at UFC 294, a middleweight title shot against Adesanya isn’t off the table. In a video posted to his YouTube channel, ‘The Last Stylebender’ was asked if he’d pass on Dricus du Plessis to fight ‘Borz’ instead. He replied: “Definitely. Again, I do want to fight Dricus. But he has to know he’s not calling the shots here. That’s the thing. I am. So again, a guy who, ‘Oh, my foot is this. My foot’s that.” Catch Adesanya’s comments below (4:40): Israel Adesanya confident about dominating Sean Strickland at UFC 293 Israel Adesanya wants to teach Sean Strickland a lesson. The Nigerian-born Kiwi recently claimed that he plans to make ‘Tarzan’ look like an easy fight and is working hard in camp to make that happen. There is no love lost between Strickland and Adesanya. The two feisty middleweights famously got into it at the UFC 276 pre-fight presser and have beefed ever since. After much trash-talking and a bit of luck, the two are finally booked against each other. Fans are also excited to see them go at each other in the build-up before they settle their differences in the octagon. While Israel Adesanya is already a favorite going into this bout, he wants to make sure everyone remembers just how easy it was for him. In the same YouTube video, he said: “I don’t take this lightly. You guys will see me, see I’ve been working… I want to make this look easy. I’m gonna make this look easy cause of the work that we’re doing right now and the way that I’m working right now… If he’s talking to me [mid-fight] he’s gonna get his jaw broken… My work will do the talking and he’ll feel me. I hope he talks to me because he’ll get his jaw broken.”
Dana White revisits first-ever place he worked and early days in Boston in latest edition of Lookin’ For A Fight
Dana White wasn’t always the face of the world’s biggest MMA promotion. Before he became an authority in combat sports, White worked a humble job in one of Boston’s popular luxury hotels. In a recent episode of the hit series Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight, which the UFC supremo hosts along with former champion Matt Serra and former contender Din Thomas, White visited his old workplace and revisited some memories from his time there. In the episode, Dana White took viewers on a tour of the Boston Harbour Hotel. White revealed that he worked there as a bellman during his teenage years and his job required him to welcome guests, carry their luggage and act as a concierge. Speaking about his first job, he said: “So I worked at the Boston Harbour Hotel, it was one of the first jobs that I ever had. I was a bellman there. We used to take people’s bags up to their rooms. When they came in, we would check them in and check them out. I was like 18 or 19 years old when I worked there. It’s a 5-star hotel. Beautiful. The rooms are incredible. Restaurant’s great. Room service is amazing. It’s cool that I once worked there and now I get to stay there.” Catch White’s comments below (1:50): Dana White on why he quit his bellman job at the Boston Harbour hotel As mentioned above, UFC president Dana White worked in the hospitality industry as a teenager. While his time as a bellman at the Boston Harbor Hotel was rewarding in its own way, White knew he wanted to make it big in the fight business. As an 18-year-old on the clock, White had a moment of clarity. Considering the monotony of his job and the lack of growth potential, White decided it was time to quit his job and pursue his dreams. In an interview with political analyst Candace Owens, Dana White opened up about his time working as a bellman. During their conversation, the UFC president outlined why and how he decided to leave his job, saying: “One day, I was standing in the lobby, and I was like, ‘What the hell am I doing here?’. It was good money, a great hotel, great place to work, great place to stay. I just said, ‘This isn’t me. This isn’t what I want.’ I literally walked out the door and quit. I loved fighting, and I always wanted to be in the fight business.” He continued: “You work at a hotel, you gotta stand up against the lobby. Wait for people, ‘Can I help you with the bags’. I literally said, ‘What the hell am I doing here? Why am I doing this?” Watch the full interview below:
Sean O’Malley previews upcoming title fight, hails Aljamain Sterling as “greatest bantamweight of all time”
Sean O’Malley has words of praise for his next opponent. The mercurial UFC bantamweight striker hailed Aljamain Sterling as the greatest bantamweight of all time ahead of their upcoming fight. O’Malley will challenge Sterling for the UFC bantamweight title at UFC 292 on August 19 at the TD Garden in Boston. Despite Aljamain Sterling’s incredible resume, Sean O’Malley is confident of coming out on top. Given his next opponent’s achievements, O’Malley is careful of overestimating himself and recently recognized Sterling as the greatest bantamweight champion the UFC has ever had. In an interview with Brett Okamoto for ESPN MMA, ‘Suga’ stated: “Aljamain Sterling’s the best bantamweight the UFC’s ever known. He’s in his prime, he is 33. That’s pretty much prime age right now, all the male UFC champions are in their thirties. He’s the best grappler in the division. I’m a striker. This is a striker vs. grappler matchup. It gets me excited.” Catch O’Malley’s comments below: While Sean O’Malley is widely considered to be among the UFC’s most exciting strikers today, fans are eager to him go up against the first and only bantamweight champion to defend his 135-pound title thrice successfully. Aljamain Sterling confident of securing another title defense against Sean O’Malley Aljamain Sterling recently weighed in on his upcoming title defense against Sean O’Malley at UFC 292. The ‘Funk Master’ As mentioned above, Sterling has been the most dominant bantamweight titleholder in UFC history and will become the first to successfully defend his crown for the fourth time if he beats O’Malley. Meanwhile, ‘Suga’ will become the first to defeat Sterling since Marlon Moraes’ stunning knockout victory against him in 2017. In an interview with TMZ Sports, Aljamain Sterling warned Sean O’Malley of wading into unfamiliar waters. Expressing his confidence about beating ‘Suga’ dominantly, he said: “I’m just saying the Booger Show is over. After August 19th you can do all the Booger Suga you want. No one is going to give a s**t about you. That’s what it’s about. I’m sorry, there’s levels to this, there’s a reason why I’m the champ… There’s a reason why there are a lot of people who don’t think that you deserve to be fighting for the belt. So you should be thanking me, and when I’m done, you can kiss my shoes after I boot your a** and drag you up and down that octagon.” Watch the full video below:
Conor McGregor lays out next three fights -“Chandler next, December… Gaethje BMF, and then Nate!”
It seems Conor McGregor will make his highly awaited return to action before the year ends. The Irishman recently claimed he has three massive fights in mind when he returns and will enter the UFC octagon in December. McGregor has been on the sidelines since suffering a leg fracture during his fight against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. After more than a year of physical rehabilitation and recovery, the former two-division champion is ready to return. However, his absence from the USADA testing pool is a major hurdle to his plans. While hasn’t fought in the octagon, Conor McGregor returned to the UFC as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter opposite Michael Chandler. And that’s who he’ll be fighting first. While Chandler was always expected to welcome McGregor back to active competition, the Irishman has been teasing alternative opponents. In a recent interview with talkSPORT, Conor McGregor finally confirmed that he’ll be fighting Michael Chandler first on his return. He then claimed he’ll challenge Justin Gaethje for the BMF title before completing his trilogy fight against Nate Diaz. He said: “December, Chandler, I have to do it. I’ve just got to grab him by the chest…That’s what I’ve got to do… Chandler next in December and then Gaethje, BMF and then we’ll do the Nate trilogy.” Conor McGregor to train Dillon Danis for Logan Paul fight Conor Mcgregor recently revealed that he will be training Dillon Danis for his upcoming boxing match against Logan Paul. Opening up on Danis’ highly anticipated return to combat sports, ‘The Notorious’ also expressed his confidence about Danis beating Paul. Danis and Paul are set to face each other in the squared circle on October 14 at the Misfits x DAZN: The Prime Card in Manchester, England. Their bout will be part of a unique “double main event” with KSI vs. Tommy Fury as the other headliner. During a media interaction at the Anthony Joshua vs. Robert Helenius boxing event at The O2 last weekend, McGregor said: “Dillon will win for sure. They’re already backtracking right now. They woke an animal. I know Dillon for years and I’ve trained with him many times. I’m guiding him. I’m gonna train him for this and I guarantee a win. So, I hope the lad [Logan Paul] shows up. He tried to pull a bill on us if we don’t show up… We’re gonna come at him with a bill if he don’t show up.”
RDA claims he’s “overqualified” to compete for the BMF title
Rafael dos Anjos isn’t interested in fighting for the BMF title. The former UFC lightweight champion recently weighed in on the lofted ‘Baddest Motherf**ker’ status and claimed he’s overqualified to compete for the symbolic championship. Dos Anjos is a battle-hardened veteran of the sport. Having fought world-class opponents at lightweight and welterweight, he secured the 155-pound strap after a dominant decision win over Anthony Pettis at UFC 185 in 2015. Three years later, he came up short against Colby Covington in a bid to secure the interim welterweight title. The Brazilian’s resume includes names like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Nate Diaz, Anthony Pettis, Tony Ferguson, Colby Covington, and Leon Edwards. Given his impressive career as an MMA fighter, many believe Rafael dos Anjos deserved to fight for the BMF title. However, ‘RDA’ isn’t keen on wasting time on a symbolic title after holding undisputed status in the past. He is now slated to face Vicente Luque at UFC Vegas 78 this weekend. At the media day presser, he was asked if he’s ever considered challenging for the BMF title. He stated: “I don’t think I make the requirements for that fight, to fight for the BMF. I’m a former champion, I held the undisputed belt. Guys that fight for the belt never held a championship before.” Rafael dos Anjos on Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler Rafael dos Anjos recently weighed in on a potential Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler bout. The Brazilian is of the opinion that ‘Iron’ doesn’t deserve the fight and believes he got lucky due to the tradition of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) coaches fighting after the show ends. McGregor has been away from the octagon since 2021 due to suffering an injury against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. After over two years of physical rehabilitation, the Irishman is apparently ready to make his long-awaited return. McGregor and Chandler were roped in as coaches on TUF 31 and the former Bellator lightweight champion is expected to welcome ‘The Notorious’ back to competition. In the same UFC Vegas 78 media day presser, Rafael dos Anjos was asked for his thoughts on the proposed matchup. He stated: “He fights whoever he wants, he picks his fights. I think it makes sense because of the show. To be honest with you, I don’t think Chandler deserves that fight. There’s other guys that deserve that fight. But I think it will make sense because of the show and all of that. Usually, all of the coaches fight at the end of the show. Nothing against Chandler, but I think there are other guys that deserve that fight. Justin Gaethje is a guy who fought everybody, would make sense if he got that fight.”