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.”
Sean O’Malley blasts MMA managers, claims they’re “stealing money from fighters”
Sean O’Malley recently sounded off on MMA managers for fleecing the fighters under their management. The UFC bantamweight, who has been negotiating his own deals since last year, has been speaking out against MMA managers for a long time. O’Malley has long accused such managers and agencies of taking disproportionate cuts from fighters’ pay. ‘Suga’ surprisingly reignited his feud with managers via social media. He sent fans into a frenzy by tweeting a cryptic message, threatening to expose such corrupt managers soon. He wrote: “MMA managers are so bad. Stay tuned.” In a recent interview with MMA journalist Aaron Bronsteter, Sean O’Malley was asked about the expose. The 28-year-old bantamweight stated: “I’m waiting to release it the right way. I think it’ll be a big deal, it will be massive, and it will hurt someone’s business, and rightfully so. So I’m gonna put it out there the right way. You know, I’m gonna talk to my legal team and make sure doing everything right. But MMA managers are so bad, it’s horrible, it embarrassing. You know, they are stealing money from fighters. They are talking percentages of these guys’ bonuses. That pi**es me off, to be honest.” Sean O’Malley is confident of getting a win over Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 Sean O’Malley recently weighed in on his upcoming title fight against Aljamain Sterling. The mercurial striker is slated to challenge Sterling for the undisputed UFC bantamweight title at UFC 292 on August 19 at the TD Garden Arena in Boston. Given Sterling’s resume and the fact that ‘Funk Master’ is one of the most decorated bantamweights in divisional history, ‘Suga’ is seemingly unbothered about the noise and recently expressed his confidence going into the bout. While many believe Sterling’s wrestling pedigree will prove too much for O’Malley, he’s confident of finding a way. In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Sean O’Malley stated: “It is what it is, I’m not really too worried about what people say… I agree, I think his wrestling and grappling are very f****** good. It’s whether I can crack him and put his f****** lights out before he grabs me. He continued: “It’s a striker vs. grappler matchup, there’s no secret in our game plans. I truly believe I’m 100 percent capable of putting his lights out…You look at my UFC career, whether I’ve finished them in the first round or not, I’ve dropped a lot of people in the first round.” Watch the full interview below:
Vicente Luque discusses return to the octagon following traumatic brain injury
Vicente Luque is raring to return to action. The perennial UFC welterweight was forced to the sidelines for a year after suffering a brain hemorrhage following his knockout loss to Geoff Neal at UFC Vegas 59 in August last year. Following his diagnosis, Luque was given a mandatory one-year medical suspension. However, ‘The Silent Assassin’ has now been cleared by the Nevada Athletic Commission to compete again. He is slated to face former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos at UFC Vegas 78 this weekend. At a recent pre-fight presser, Vicente Luque opened up about his life-threatening injury and how grateful he is to be able to fight again. He stated: “That was definitely unfortunate, but I was 100 percent blessed to be able to recover very well. Since the first day, right after the fight when I got the news, they did all the testing, all the exams and everything went well. My body was recovering… Now I’m back and 100 percent. I would even say I’m better than 100 percent. I feel a much better fighter than I was before. I’m definitely blessed.” As a result of the brain bleeds, Vicente Luque was forced to lay off sparring for six months. Explaining how his training routine has changed as a result, he stated: “Even the way I spar has changed. It’s much more technical, and I know how to work in a way where I’m not getting into brawls in sparring anymore.” Watch the full interview below: Vicente Luque says he will be throwing everything he has at Rafael dos Anjos at UFC Vegas 78 Vicente Luque isn’t planning on holding back during his fight against Rafael dos Anjos this weekend. The two welterweights are set to fight at UFC Vegas 78 and will be headlining the Fight Night event. As mentioned above, Luque is returning to action after a year on the sidelines. After suffering a nasty brain hemorrhage as a result of his last loss, the 31-year-old American had to make many changes to his training and sparring regime. However, Luque is confident that he’ll be ready for Dos Anjos on fight night and recently claimed he’ll be using every weapon in his arsenal to secure a victory. In the same UFC Vegas 78 media day presser, Vicente Luque was asked about his game plan going into the fight. He stated: “I definitely agree with him in the sense that he’s the more experienced guy, but at the same time, I think I’ve been in 31-32 MMA fights… So I also got experience on my side. My plan is to go in there and try to beat him with all the tools that I have… Two of us are really well-rounded, and it’s going to be about who wants it more. I believe I’ll want it more that night.”
BJJ savant Gordon Ryan talks about his experience training with UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones
Jon Jones has enlisted the very best to help him train for his next title defense. The UFC heavyweight champion was recently seen sharpening his grappling skills with Brazilian jiu-jitsu maestro Gordon Ryan. ‘The Iron Dragon’ is widely considered the greatest no-gi jiu-jitsu practitioner ever. The 28-year-old’s unparalleled dominance and expertise have resulted in him winning multiple world championships in major competitions. Jon Jones is set to face former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 285 on November 11. The bout will mark Jones’ first title defense as the heavyweight champion. ‘Bones’ has roped in Gordon Ryan to help him prepare for the championship fight. Given Jones’ status as one of the greatest MMA fighters ever, it’s unsurprising to see the three-time ADCC champion starstruck. In a recent Instagram post, Ryan described his experience training with Jon Jones and wrote: “There’s nothing I enjoy more than surrounding myself with people who are exceptional in their given field. This week, I had the luxury of training with Jon Jones, the absolute best in his field, and the baddest MMA fighter on the planet… I threw some complicated sequences at him, and he learned as fast as anyone. By day 3, he was exponentially better at drilling than he was on day one. He is truly an exceptional athlete, and I’m very thankful I could be a very small part of this upcoming camp.” Dana White claims Jon Jones doesn’t get enough credit for his greatness Dana White recently showered praise on Jon Jones and explained what made ‘Bones’ such a unique fighter. Jones is widely considered to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, fighters to ever step foot in the cage. ‘Bones’ became the youngest-ever UFC champion when he captured the light heavyweight title at UFC 128 in March 2011. Jones defended his light heavyweight title a record-breaking ten times and later captured the heavyweight title in March 2023. His dominance, technical skills, and ability to adapt to various opponents solidified his status as one of the greatest MMA fighters ever. In a recent episode of Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson, Dana White claimed Jones’ greatness often went under the radar and stated: “He’s one of the greatest fighters of all time period. I don’t think people give him enough credit. The guy is undefeated. He’s never lost. Went right through murderer’s row at light heavyweight as a young f**king guy, then moves up to heavyweight and wins.” He continued: “What makes Jon Jones so f**king unique and so special is if you look at all the things that he did outside of the octagon and outside of the sport yet still destroyed everybody that he fought, it’s pretty fascinating.” Watch the full episode below:
Geoff Neal out of bout with Ian Garry at UFC 292 due to medical issue
UFC 292 will no longer feature a welterweight bout between Ian Garry and Geoff Neal. ‘Hands of Steel’ was forced to pull out of the fight due to an undisclosed injury and will be replaced by Neil Magny on short notice. They were booked to fight at UFC 292 which goes down on August 19 at the TD Garden in Boston. A bantamweight title fight between Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley will headline the pay-per-view event. Meanwhile, Zhang Weili will defend her strawweight title against Amanda Lemos in the co-main event. Ian Garry confirmed Geoff Neal’s withdrawal via a video posted to his Twitter account. The post was captioned: “Geoff Neal has bitched out… I will still show up in Boston on August 19.” Interestingly, Garry had initially called out Magny for his next fight. However, the promotion was already in the process of matching up the Irish star with Geoff Neal for UFC 292. Ian Garry is coming off a first-round TKO win over Daniel Rodriguez at UFC on ABC 4. The undefeated star is now 5-0 in the UFC and will be looking to break into the top-ten ranks of the 170-pound division. Meanwhile, Neil Magny is coming off a split decision win against Philip Rowe at UFC on ABC 5. ‘The Haitian Sensation’ leads the promotion’s all-time welterweight victories chart and has alternated wins and losses over his last five outings.
Logan Paul’s next fight date confirmed with Dillon Danis
Logan Paul is scheduled to Face Dillon Danis in Upcoming Boxing Match in Manchester, England on Oct 14 in an event titled The Prime Card. A New Challenge awaits Logan Paul Fresh off his victory at WWE SummerSlam against Ricochet, Logan Paul is ready for his next significant challenge. He is set to step back into the boxing ring against former MMA fighter and submission grappler, Dillon Danis, in a highly anticipated pay-per-view boxing match scheduled for October. Logan Paul’s Boxing Journey: From Mayweather to Danis After his exhibition bout with Floyd Mayweather, which ended in an eight-round draw in June 2021, Logan Paul is returning to professional boxing. This upcoming match against Dillon Danis marks Paul’s first official boxing bout since his encounter with Mayweather. In his professional career, Paul currently holds a 0-1 record, having suffered a split decision loss to KSI in 2019. The Announcement and Trash-Talking: Paul vs. Danis Logan Paul took to his platform to announce the upcoming matchup, expressing his anticipation for the fight against Dillon Danis. He declared, “On October 14th, I am making my boxing comeback following my bout with Floyd Mayweather more than two years ago. While I have doubts about this individual even participating, if he does step up, I am determined to eliminate his presence entirely.” The social media banter has already commenced between the two fighters as they promote their showdown. Dillon Danis: MMA Expertise Meets Boxing Arena Dillon Danis, a notable mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator, brings his expertise to the boxing ring for the first time. Danis, recognized as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion and training partner of UFC superstar Conor McGregor, has previously secured two victories in MMA with first-round submission wins. His debut in boxing against Logan Paul adds a new dimension to his combat sports journey. Confidence and Banter: Danis Fires Back In the lead-up to the fight, both Logan Paul and Dillon Danis engaged in verbal exchanges on social media. Danis took a jab at the Paul brothers, suggesting they avoid genuine fights despite having faced opponents like Floyd Mayweather Jr., Nate Diaz, and Tommy Fury. He asserted that the October 14th fight marks his boxing debut and hinted at the Paul brothers’ reluctance to engage in real combat. Expectations and Aspirations: Paul’s Quest for Victory Logan Paul aims to secure his first boxing victory against Dillon Danis, while his commitments to WWE remain unaffected after re-signing with the company in April. Despite his recent statement that wrestling is tougher than boxing, Paul looks forward to proving his capabilities in the boxing arena once again. Danis’ Confidence and Predictions: An Unfazed Fighter Dillon Danis, though relatively unknown in the boxing world, remains confident in his ability to triumph over Logan Paul. He dismisses Paul’s WWE success and emphasizes the distinct challenges of the boxing ring. Danis believes that on October 14th, in Manchester, he will dominate the fight and prove that Paul is entering his world of pain and defeat. Conclusion: The Awaited Showdown The much-anticipated boxing match between Logan Paul and Dillon Danis is scheduled for October 14th in Manchester, England. This event, titled The Prime Card, will be available for pay-per-view viewing on DAZN. As the excitement builds and the verbal exchanges continue, fans eagerly await the clash between these two fighters from different combat sports backgrounds.