Israel Adesanya on Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury, reveals he’s going to Saudi Arabia for super-fight
Israel Adesanya recently weighed in on the highly anticipated Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury boxing match. ‘The Last Stylebender’ described how happy he was for his “big brother” and revealed that he will be traveling to Saudi Arabia to witness the heavyweight super fight live. ‘The Predator’ shockingly quit the UFC earlier this year after months of contract renewal negotiations failed to bear fruit. Upon becoming a free agent, Ngannou made no secret about his intentions to pursue his dream of boxing and was linked to several world-class pugilists like Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua. After months of speculation, he is booked to fight WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia on October 28. In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Israel Adesanya discussed the Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury fight. The Nigerian-born Kiwi revealed that he texted the Cameroonian as soon as he heard about the announcement and said: “As soon as I heard the news recently, I was the first person to text him. I was like, ‘I’m gonna be there to witness history.” Adesanya further added: “I think he’ll be back in the UFC. He has to make his bag elsewhere first… Dana and him have beef, but I feel like he’ll do what he has to do and be back in the UFC… That’s big bro… I’m going to Saudi Arabia. I’m witnessing that sh*t live.” Georges St-Pierre on Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury Widely considered among the greatest MMA fighters ever, Georges St-Pierre is a former two-division UFC champion, and few can rival his influence on the sport. The Canadian legend recently weighed in on the highly awaited Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury boxing match. Francis Ngannou proved many of his doubters wrong by securing an incredible big-money fight against arguably one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. The two combat sports superstars are slated to go ten rounds against each other under official professional boxing rules. However, it has been reported that Fury’s WBC belt will not be on the line. In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, ‘Rush’ took a neutral stance on the fight. He iterated that while he’s rooting for Francis Ngannou to beat Tyson Fury, it won’t be easy for the Cameroonian to take on the perennial heavyweight champion in the boxing ring. He said: “Well, I’m glad for Francis because he’s going to make a lot of money. Probably a lot more than all his fights in the UFC. On the other hand, my heart is with Francis, but he’s going to take on the champion. The best boxer in his sport. So he’s the one going into another sport and the odds will not favor him… But we never know.”
ALEXANDER VOLKANOVSKI
Former UFC champion apologizes to Dricus du Plessis for underestimating him going into UFC 290 – “Shame on me”
Henry Cejudo recently heaped praise on Dricus du Plessis for his masterful performance against Robert Whittaker at UFC 290. The former two-division champion also apologized to the South African star for underestimating his skills and shared some advice for his next fight. ‘The Reaper’ has long been considered the second-best middleweight in the UFC after Israel Adesanya. When the promotion announced du Plessis vs. Whittaker in a title eliminator last weekend, many dismissed the South African’s chances against the Australian. However, Dricus du Plessis put on an incredible performance against Robert Whittaker and secured a sensational second-round TKO victory. In a recent video uploaded to Twitter, Henry Cejudo apologized to ‘Stillknocks’ for being one of the doubters. ‘Triple C’ stated: “First of all, I want to apologize to you, du Plessis. I did not believe that you could beat Robert Whittaker… Shame on me… The fact that you were able to stop this dude in a round and a half. Kudos to you.” Cejudo then shared some advice with du Plessis for his inevitable title fight against Israel Adesanya: “I think you need to have a good game plan. I think the biggest thing with du Plessis is, he cannot stay in kicking range with Israel Adesanya. If I was in your position du Plessis, I would create positions to get ‘Stylebender’ to throw hands… I do believe Israel’s greatest weapon is his kicks.” Bo Nickal opens up about a potential fight against Dricus du Plessis Bo Nickal recently weighed in on a potential fight against Dricus du Plessis and the fast-rising middleweight contender is confident of beating the South African. Nickal and du Plessis are undoubtedly two of the most exciting fighters to watch in the UFC’s middleweight division. While ‘The Allen Assassin’ is an exceptional grappling phenom with thunderous striking at his disposal, ‘Stillknocks’ recently silenced his haters with a statement second-round TKO victory against former champion Robert Whittaker. While a Bo Nickal vs. Dricus du Plessis matchup promises to get combat sports fans excited, the three-time NCAA D1 wrestling champion doesn’t think it’s a major challenge for him. In a recent interview with Full Send MMA, Nickal opined that he’d breeze past du Plessis and stated: “Hats off to him. I feel like I respect Whittaker a lot. He’s such a tough dude. But, yeah, he [du Plessis] got it done. That’s a fight that I’ll have eventually, I’m sure. I don’t know that he beats the champion, but, you know, I’m sure we’ll fight, and I think that’s easy money for me.”
Sean O’Malley praises Bo Nickal for his UFC 290 performance – “He’s at that level”
Sean O’Malley has nothing but nice things to say about Bo Nickal. The three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion and the 2019 Dan Hodge trophy recipient is undeniably the fastest-rising star in the UFC’s middleweight division. ‘The Allen Assassin’ recently faced Val Woodburn at UFC 290. He dispatched ‘The Animal’ via TKO just 38 seconds into the first round. His incredible performance was lauded by fans and fighters alike, with many touting him to be the next big thing in MMA. In a recent episode of the BROMalley Show, Sean O’Malley heaped praise on the 27-year-old grappling phenom. ‘Suga’ reflected upon Nickal’s impressive performance against Woodburn last weekend and stated: “We didn’t even talk about Nickal. Came out and knocked that dude out. That dude looked short. But for Bo to go out there and knock him out in that fashion, he reminds me of a young me… The dude is at that level. He can compete with these guys at the highest level. He’s got hands, he can wrestle like a motherf**ker, and lives a championship lifestyle at an early age.” Meanwhile, Sean O’Malley is slated to face Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 for the UFC bantamweight championship on August 19 at the TD Garden in Boston. ‘Suga’ last beat Petr Yan at UFC 280 via a controversial split decision. Sean O’Malley predicts a knockout win over Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 Sean O’Malley is confident of taking the UFC bantamweight belt away from Aljamain Sterling after their fight at UFC 292 in August. O’Malley is currently on an impressive five-fight undefeated run, and last tasted defeat against Marlon Vera at UFC 252 in August 2020. After three consecutive knockout wins, O’Malley secured a razor-sharp split decision against former bantamweight champion Petr Yan at UFC 280 to secure a title shot. Meanwhile, Sterling is on a nine-fight win streak, last beating former two-division champion Henry Cejudo via split decision at UFC 288. Despite ‘The Funk Master’s incredible run as the 135-pound champion, Sean O’Malley is sure about securing a knockout victory. At the UFC 290 media day last weekend, ‘Suga’ outlined his strategy for the upcoming title fight. He said: “I’m going to do what I do. It’s no secret, this is a striker vs. grappler matchup… I’m going to go out there and try to put his lights out. I do that every time I fight… I built a career off knocking people out in the first round… It can take one shot right on the chin to put him down and I know I’m capable of that, so that’s how I see it going down.”
BREAKING: UFC Champion suffers long-term injury, hints at vacating title
The UFC light heavyweight title is back up for grabs! Jamahal Hill recently dropped a bombshell on the MMA community by announcing that he has relinquished his light heavyweight championship due to suffering a brutal Achilles injury that will require surgery and extensive rehabilitation. Hill won the 205-pound strap against Glover Teixeira at UFC 283 in January, securing a dominant unanimous decision win over the Brazilian veteran. While he was expected to face top-ranked contender and former champion Jiri Prochazka for his first title defense later this year, it seems ‘Sweet Dreams’ has suffered a similar fate to ‘Denisa.’ In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Jamahal Hill stated: “Everyone knows that I’ve been waiting for months now to face Jiri Prochazka and defend my belt and my title – unfortunately we’re going to have to wait a little bit. I’ve ruptured my Achilles… It’s one that will require surgery and time and rehab and things to be out for a while.” Like Prochazka vacated the light heavyweight title after his shoulder injury last year, Hill announced that he would also relinquish the strap to ensure the division progresses. “Jiri Prochazka was the champion. He suffered an injury… He gave up the belt and allowed for others to not hold the division up, to keep the division moving forward to make sure the people had a champion. I’ll do the same.” Hill thanked the UFC for their support and said he’d been promised a title shot on his return. Now that the Jamahal Hill vs. Jiri Prochazka title fight is undeniably off the table, the light heavyweight division will see a new champion being crowned soon. It’s worth noting that Alex Pereira is scheduled to face former 205-pound champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291. Given that fans are already hyped about the two former champions trading blows in the octagon, it would be unsurprising to see the UFC turn that bout into a title fight. Watch Jamahal Hill’s announcement below:
Georges St-Pierre on Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou boxing match – “My heart is with him”
Georges St-Pierre is widely considered to be one of the greatest mixed martial artists ever. The former two-division UFC champion recently weighed in on the highly anticipated Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury boxing match. ‘The Predator’ will finally see his dream of boxing a world-class pugilist come true. Earlier this week, it was reported that Ngannou will face Fury in the boxing ring on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 10-round fight is slated to take place under official professional boxing rules, including three ringside judges using the 10-point must system. Undoubtedly a massive development in combat sports, fans are hyped to see the former UFC heavyweight champion go head-to-head against the reigning WBC heavyweight champion. In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Georges St-Pierre was asked for his thoughts on the Ngannou vs. Fury matchup. ‘Rush’ stated: “Well, I’m glad for Francis because he’s going to make a lot of money. Probably a lot more than all his fights in the UFC. On the other hand, my heart is with Francis, but he’s going to take on the champion. The best boxer in his sport. So he’s the one going into another sport and the odds will not favor him… But we never know.” “I think he’s the best right now” – Georges St-Pierre names Alexander Volkanovski as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world The MMA world continues to give Alexander Volkanovski his flowers. After several legends of the sport showered praise on the Australian for his masterful performance against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290, Georges St-Pierre has now shared his opinion on ‘The Great.’ Volkanovski put his arsenal of fighting skills on full display against ‘El Pantera’ in their featherweight title fight last weekend. The Australian secured an incredible third-round TKO, proving why he’s the undisputed featherweight champion. In the same interview with Ariel Helwani, Georges St-Pierre agreed with Helwani when asked if he saw a bit of himself in Volkanovski. St-Pierre compared the Australian’s ability to adapt to his opponent’s weaknesses and stated: “The way I see Alexander Volkanovski, he’s not a specialist… He’s very good everywhere. For me, when I was fighting, that was my strength… He’s one of my favorite fighters to watch. I love watching him, I think he’s the best right now. Probably the best active fighter, the best pound-for-pound right now.” Meanwhile, Georges St. Pierre is set to compete in a grappling-only event at the UFC Fight Pass Invitational event in December. While St-Pierre’s next opponent isn’t fixed yet, he has expressed an interest in fighting notable names like Kamaru Usman, Anderson Silva, and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Manager throws shade at UFC brass for attempting to spoil Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury negotiations – “It’s no surprise”
Francis Ngannou has finally landed the fight of his dreams. It was recently announced that the Cameroonian will face WBC heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury in the squared circle on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After months of contract renewal negotiations, Ngannou opted not to continue fighting in the UFC and left the promotion earlier this year. According to Dana White, ‘The Predator’ refused an offer that would’ve made him the highest-paid heavyweight in promotional history. In the following months, White dismissed Ngannou’s boxing pursuits as “gimmicks” and clarified that he wasn’t welcome in the UFC anymore. In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Francis Ngannou’s manager Marquel Martin was asked about Dana White calling for a Jon Jones vs. Tyson Fury fight after labeling Ngannou vs. Fury a gimmick fight. Martin replied: “It’s no surprise. Dana is one of the best promoters that we’ve ever seen. I’ll always say that. So when we saw that, we were like, ‘Of course, you would say it’s a gimmick fight… I’m sure that they wanted that fight but at the end of the day, the result is that we’ll be fighting Tyson Fury come October 28.” Daniel Cormier on Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury Daniel Cormier recently weighed in on the highly anticipated Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury matchup. While the UFC Hall-Of-Famer was among those who doubted ‘The Predator’ and urged him to return to the UFC, Cormier recently apologized for his cynicism and praised Ngannou for believing in himself. After his exit from the UFC, Francis Ngannou signed a historic deal with the PFL, which allowed him to pursue to boxing dreams independently. The deal also guaranteed Ngannou company equity and executive leadership roles within the promotion. He is now set to go ten rounds against boxing icon Tyson Fury in October. In a recent episode of the DC & RC Show on ESPN, Daniel Cormier lauded ‘The Predator’ for securing the massive fight and said: “First off, I’m sorry, Francis. I want to fumble your bag, too, Francis… He’s going to make more money than he ever could have imagined making in his entire life… They’re fighting in Saudi Arabia, which, somehow, literally just bought the PGA. … Francis and Tyson Fury are going to make so much money, it’s crazy… It’s a crazy turn of events for Francis Ngannou… I’m happy that he’s getting paid in that way.” According to reports, Francis Ngannou will be making the biggest paycheck of his career, one bigger than all of his previous UFC fights combined.
Daniel Cormier ranks Alexander Volkanovski as the top featherweight of all time following his UFC 290 victory
Alexander Volkanovski is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with. The featherweight champion recently defeated Yair Rodriguez in a title unification bout at UFC 290. The Australian secured a third-round TKO over the ever-dangerous Mexican and is currently on an impressive eleven-fight win streak. Given that Volkanovski has the second-longest win streak in the featherweight division in UFC history, former two-division champion Daniel Cormier recently claimed that ‘The Great’ is the greatest featherweight ever. The UFC Hall-of-Famer was stunned by the Australian’s consistency in the octagon and believes it won’t be long before Volkanovski surpasses Jose Aldo’s featherweight record in the promotion. In a recent episode of the DC & RC Show, Cormier was asked where he ranked Alexander Volkanovski in the greatest featherweights of all time list. ‘DC’ replied: “I got to put him at No.1… It’s literally just an eventuality that he’s going to pass Jose Aldo and defend that belt eight times. Or at least it feels that way… Eventually, he will defend that title more times than Jose Aldo.” Michael Chandler labels Alexander Volkanovski as the “most unbeatable guy in the entire world.” Michael Chandler is blown away at how good Alexander Volkanovski is in the octagon. Volkanovski defended his featherweight title for the fifth consecutive time against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290, once again employing his stellar skill set to secure a third-round TKO. His incredible performance impressed fans and fighters alike, especially lightweight contender Michael Chandler. In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, ‘Iron’ claimed that he couldn’t see any fighter beating Volkanovski anytime soon. Stating that there is no fighter better than ‘The Great’ in the UFC at the moment, he continued: “Is Alexander Volkanovski unbeatable?… I break it down to three C’s why I think Alexander Volkanovski is the most unbeatable, not just unbeatable champion, but the most unbeatable guy in the entire world. There’s a reason why he’s the pound-for-pound No. 1.” Chandler further explained: “I break it down to three C’s. Completeness, cardio, and composure. He is the most complete fighter that we have on the roster in the UFC. The most complete fighter in the entire world. The ability to be at home and be two to three to four steps ahead of his opponents in every single position in a fight… He doesn’t try to get crazy out of his comfort zone even with how dominant he has been.” After his UFC 290 victory, Alexander Volkanovski called out fast-rising featherweight Ilia Topuria. He also reiterated his intention to fight for the lightweight title again. It remains to be seen who the Australian faces next.
Michael Chandler celebrates seventh consecutive victory against Conor McGregor’s team on TUF – “seven and ohhhhh…”
Conor McGregor’s second coaching stint on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) isn’t going as he hoped. The Irishman is coaching TUF 31 opposite Michael Chandler this year and is now 0-7 against his rival coach. McGregor is tutoring a team of lightweight and bantamweight prospects, whereas Chandler is coaching a team of UFC veterans in the 31st installment of TUF. In the latest episode of the UFC’s hit reality show, veteran fighter Jason Knight helped ‘Iron’ get another win over the Irishman. Knight faced team McGregor’s Landon Quinones in the penultimate quarterfinal fight of the season. The UFC veteran managed to submit his opponent with a triangle choke less than a minute into the bout. Following his team going 7-0 up against McGregor’s team, Michael Chandler was undoubtedly over the moon and took to social media to let everyone know. Given how much Conor McGregor trash-talked Chandler since the show’s beginning, it’s unsurprising that ‘Iron’ decided to rub it in his competitor’s face. He tweeted: “Seven and Ohhhhhh… #tuf31.” In the next episode of TUF 31, UFC veteran Hunter Azure will go up against team McGregor’s Rico DiSciullo. It remains to be seen if Michael Chandler manages to sweep Conor McGregor with a clean 8-0 result. Michael Chandler defends Conor McGregor amidst allegations that the Irishman was an absentee coach While Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler are rarely seen sharing kind words, ‘Iron’ recently rushed to the Irishman’s defense after he was accused of not showing up for his teammates. It is no secret that McGregor has had a dismal run as a coach on TUF 31. ‘The Notorious’ has gone 0-7 against his rival coach and is in danger of being the first coach to see his team lose all eight fights. To make matters worse, fans of the show have noticed his absence from important occasions like weigh-ins and face-offs. As a result, the Irishman has been brutally slammed on social media and continues to be criticized for his coaching. While many are blaming Conor McGregor for his team’s less-than-impressive performances, Michael Chandler recently came to his defense. In an interview with TMZ Sports, Chandler blamed editing for showing McGregor in a bad light and said: “Ultimately, he was there in the training sessions, they are showing a lot of him training with his guys. I think they definitely could be filtering it a little more… I know I was there, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t there for his guys. He was in every training session, he was training with his guys. It is reality TV, it can be cut any way they want.”
Alexander Volkanovski goes off on “delusional” Ilia Topuria – “Can you believe that guy?”
Alexander Volkanovski is hyped for an opportunity to face fast-rising featherweight contender Ilia Topuria. The UFC’s reigning featherweight champion is undefeated in the 145-pound weight class and is widely considered to be among the greatest featherweights to ever step into the octagon. ‘The Great’ recently faced Yair Rodriguez in a title unification bout at UFC 290. Volkanovski successfully defended his status as the undisputed champion by securing an incredible third-round TKO over the Mexican. This marked his fifth consecutive title defense. In the aftermath, Ilia Topuria spoke to MMA journalist Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour and downplayed the Australian’s performance. He stated: “I don’t have any doubts that I can beat him pretty easy. The people think that this is the toughest fight. He says that I’m the easiest fight he’s going to have in his whole career… We’ll see.” Alexander Volkanovski found the Georgian-Spanish fighter’s comments amusing. When Helwani interviewed the Australian later, he labeled Topuria as “delusional” and stated: “What is that man on about? Can you believe that guy? Can I say one thing, and I’m talking to Ilia… Please don’t fight Max [Holloway]. Let me be the guy to beat you up…There’s confidence, and then there’s delusional…. Like, ‘I’d beat him in the first round.’ Like, do you watch me fight?” Michael Bisping on Alexander Volkanovski vs. Islam Makhachev 2 Michael Bisping recently weighed in on a potential rematch between Alexander Volkanovski and lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. ‘The Count’ claimed that the two champions shouldn’t be fighting each other anytime soon to allow other contenders to get their shot. In February, Volkanovski and Makhachev went head-to-head in a lightweight title match at UFC 284. The champion vs. champion super fight was an immensely entertaining fight, with Volkanovski testing Makhachev unlike anybody else. While the Dagestani grappling phenom ultimately won a razor-sharp decision, many opined that the Australian deserved to get his hand raised. While combat sports fans have long been calling for a rematch between the two, Michael Bisping recently dismissed the idea. In an interview with BT Sport, the Englishman stated: “He tried last time out. He has a division to defend, so does Islam Makhachev. There’s a lot of contenders certainly at lightweight and there’s a clear number-one contender, Ilia Topuria. That is the guy that he should fight next.” Interestingly, Alexander Volkanovski called for another shot at the 155-pound title during his post-fight octagon interview at UFC 290. However, only time will tell if ‘The Great’ will defend his featherweight title against Ilia Topuria next or chase his dream of becoming a simultaneous two-division champion.