Sean Strickland is the new UFC middleweight champion.

Not long after his bookie-busting upset over former 185-pound titleholder Israel Adesanya, which took place in the UFC 293 pay-per-view (PPV) main event last month in Sydney, UFC CEO Dana White teased an immediate rematch between “Tarzan” and “The Last Stylebender.”

Then had a change of heart in the days that followed.

“That fight just happened and a couple of fights are gonna play out here over the next month or so and then we’ll go from there and figure out what’s next,” White told reporters at the “Contender Series” press conference. “Whatever the best fight to make when all is said and done and who’s injured, who’s not injured, who can go, what time, where … there’s a lot of different factors that play into what we’re gonna do next.”

And a lot of different contenders with their eye on the prize.

That includes No. 1-ranked Dricus Du Plessis, who was offered the UFC 293 headliner but turned it down, paving the way for Strickland. He may now take a backseat to the Adesanya rematch, or perhaps the winner of Paulo Costa vs. Khamzat Chimaev, who collide at UFC 294 later this month in Abu Dhabi.

To see the rest of the middleweight Top 10 click here.

The post White Reveals Plans For UFC Middleweight Title appeared first on MMAInformed.

• 

  Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterOct 3, 2023, 11:56 AM ET

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  • MMA columnist for ESPN.com
  • Analyst for “MMA Live”
  • Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will be a licensed corner for Bellator MMA lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov at Bellator 300 on Saturday in San Diego.

California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster confirmed Velasquez’s license to ESPN. Velasquez, 40, is currently out on $1 million bail as he awaits a criminal trial on attempted murder and gun-related charges in Santa Clara, California. MMAFighting.com first reported the news.

It will mark Velasquez’s first licensed appearance at a mixed martial arts contest since he was charged with attempted murder in March 2022. Velasquez is being accused of chasing down a man, Harry Goularte, in his vehicle and shooting at him. Goularte is being charged with sexually assaulting Velasquez’s young son at a day care center.

Velasquez, who also wrestled at Arizona State University prior to a successful UFC career, pleaded not guilty to multiple charges in August. He spent eight months in jail in 2022 before being granted bail. Velasquez allegedly chased down and shot at Goularte and his step-father, Paul Bender, in their vehicle. Bender was hit with a bullet but did not sustain serious injury.

Velasquez (14-3) was one of the most respected athletes in the UFC during his peak between 2010 and 2013. He won the UFC’s heavyweight championship in a dominant performance against Brock Lesnar at UFC 121 in October 2010, and went on to become a two-time champion. He retired from the sport in 2019.

He continues to coach at MMA powerhouse American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose. Usman Nurmagomedov (17-0) is the younger brother of retired lightweight champion Khabib, and is considered one of the best fighters currently competing outside of the UFC. He defends his title against Brent Primus (12-3) in the main event of Bellator 300 inside Pechanga Arena.

The post Ex-UFC champ Velasquez to corner Bellator bout appeared first on MMAInformed.

O’Malley questions Pimblett vs Ferguson

“Initial reaction, I’m like, ‘Goddamn, that’s a lose-lose for Paddy,’” O’Malley said. “You go out there and beat Tony, who’s really good but on a six-fight losing streak. So if you beat him, you’re not going to get credit for beating Tony Ferguson. You’re not going to get credit for beating a guy you should beat him, but it’s a dangerous fight. It’s not that easy of a fight. It’s going to be a tough fight. Tony could 100 hundred percent win this fight. Now you’re coming off a loss to a guy – I mean, at least it’s still T-Ferg, but it’s like, is it T-Ferg? I don’t know.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

Do you agree with Sean O’Malley? Are you expecting to see Paddy Pimblett defeat Tony Ferguson, or will the veteran be able to roll back the years? Let us know, BJPENN Nation!

The post Sean O’Malley believes Paddy Pimblett is in a “lose-lose” situation against Tony Ferguson at UFC 296 appeared first on MMAInformed.

UFC Vegas 80’s co-feature sees Joe Pyfer look to continue his Middleweight rise at Abdul Razak Alhassan’s expense, while Alex Morono squares off with Joaquin Buckley in a high-octane Welterweight battle.

Five “Prelims” undercard bouts set UFC Vegas 80’s main stage this time around (thanks to this), which we’ve split evenly for easy analysis. Here’s the first batch …

115 lbs.: Vanessa Demopoulos vs. Kanako Murata

Though she fell short on Contender Series and subsequently dropped a close decision to Lupita Godinez in her first Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) title defense, Vanessa Demopoulos (9-5) soon found her way to the Octagon. A loss in her debut gave way to a three-fight win streak, which came to an end at the hands of Karolina Kowalkiewicz in May 2023.

“Lil’ Monster” has submitted four professional foes and knocked out one other.

The wrestling of Kanako Murata (12-2) carried her to victory in both her Invicta title shot against Emily Ducote and UFC debut against Randa Markos. It couldn’t do the same against fellow former Invicta champ Virna Jandiroba, who badly injured Murata’s arm on her way to a second-round doctor’s stoppage.

This marks her first bout in 30 months.

Demopoulos enjoys fighting off her back, but as anyone who’s had one too many of their favorite snack can tell you, there can be too much of a good thing. She’ll have few, if any, opportunities to utilize her improved standup before Murata slams her to the mat and goes to work from the top.

The big question, then, is whether Demopoulos can submit her from the bottom. We’ve seen Demopoulos pull it off before, notably against Silvana Gomez Juarez after getting badly rocked (watch it), and Murata’s inability to fully defend Jandiroba’s armbar proved the key to her defeat last time. Still, after watching Murata survive every submission Emily Ducote threw her way for five rounds, I think Murata’s got what it takes to grind her out. So long as she’s not too rusty, Murata escapes a near disaster (or two) to secure a comfortable decision.

Prediction: Murata via unanimous decision

125 lbs.: Nate Maness vs. Mateus Mendonca

Nate Maness (14-3) — the former TKO Bantamweight champ, battled his way to a perfect (3-0) UFC start that included bonus-winning finishes of Luka Sanders and Tony Gravely. His momentum failed to punch through a Dagestani wall in the form of Umar Nurmagomedov and Tagir Ulanbekov, who left Maness winless in the last two years.

He’ll enjoy four inches of height and a half-inch of reach on Mateus Mendonca (10-1).

“Bocao” capped off a pristine (10-0) professional start by smashing Ashiek Ajim just 48 seconds into their Contender Series bout to join teammate, Charles Oliveira, in the Octagon. His debut pitted him against Javid Basharat, who out-struck “Bocao” to claim a unanimous decision in Jan. 2023.

His six professional finishes are split evenly between knockouts and submission.

Though there’s no shame in losing to Basharat — Mendonca looked much shakier than expected in defeat, particularly in terms of endurance. If he fixes up his gas tank and makes a safe cut to 125 pounds, however, this is his fight to lose. Maness starts slow and has never been adept at dealing with aggressive strikers, habits that he doesn’t seem able to fix. He had to fight back from disastrously one-sided rounds in all three of his UFC victories, so it’s easy to see a focused Mendonca overpowering him through sheer persistence.

Again, this is all contingent on Mendonca being in shape. His power-punching and wrestling are excellent weapons in this matchup, but he only wins if they stay potent for all 15 minutes. Seeing as Maness’s red flags outnumber Mendonca’s, I’ll stick with “Bocao,” who bullies Maness to a wide decision.

Prediction: Mendonca via unanimous decision

125 lbs.: Montana De La Rosa vs. JJ Aldrich

Mixed success on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 26 didn’t stop Montana De La Rosa (12-8-1) from winning four of her first five UFC bouts, the lone loss coming to Andrea Lee. The run wasn’t to last, as she now sits at 1-3-1 in her last five.

All but one of her nine professional finishes have come via submission.

JJ Aldrich (12-6) quietly put together a 7-3 UFC start before running afoul of Erin Blanchfield and Ariane Lipski. She returned to form against Na Liang, pounding out “Dragon Girl” to claim her first finish in nearly seven years.

She steps in for Stephanie Egger on around two weeks’ notice for her second bout in six weeks.

As ugly as De La Rosa’s record looks, she hasn’t lost to a bad fighter since her winless (0-2) professional start. I still don’t like her chances here because her chances of victory hinge entirely on her ability to consistently take down and control her opponents, something Aldrich has historically proven resistant to. Indeed, Gillian Robertson had nothing for Aldrich and I’d tab “The Savage” as a superior grappler to De La Rosa.

Lipski did admittedly take down Aldrich twice, but “Violence Queen” is a serious threat on the feet, which is not a descriptor I’d apply to De La Rosa. In short, against a one-note takedown artist, Aldrich has all the tools she needs to sprawl-and-brawl her way to victory.

Prediction: Aldrich via unanimous decision

Three Two more UFC Vegas 80 “Prelims” undercard bouts remain to preview and predict, including an A+ Bantamweight matchup pitting Chris Gutierrez against Montel Jackson. Same time tomorrow, Maniacs.

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 80 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance (also on ESPN+) at 7 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 80: “Dawson vs. Green” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

The post Predictions! UFC Vegas 80 ‘Prelims’ Preview – Pt. 1 appeared first on MMAInformed.

• 

  Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterOct 3, 2023, 05:09 PM ET

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  • MMA columnist for ESPN.com
  • Analyst for “MMA Live”
  • Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is scheduled to defend his title against a familiar foe at UFC 294 on Oct. 21, and would like to challenge for the welterweight strap with a win.

Makhachev (24-1) faces former champion Charles Oliveira (34-9) in the main event of UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, while UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards will see Colby Covington at UFC 296 in December. Makhachev, who ESPN ranks the No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, told ESPN he would like to face the winner, especially since the UFC allowed featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski a chance to face him in February. Makhachev won via decision.

“I don’t know what the UFC has planned, but my dream fight is for the second belt,” Makhachev told ESPN. “Of course, I am under contract, so whatever the UFC says, I will fight, no problem. But Edwards vs. Colby — I really believe I can beat [the winner]. I look at their skills and what they have as champion and I know my skills. It’s going to be a good fight. I’m not saying I’m going to beat them easy. It’s going to be a hard, tough fight against a big guy. But I believe I can finish those guys.

“I gave a chance to that guy, so they have to give me a chance, too. I gave a chance to a guy from another division to come to my weight and to try to take this belt, and he lost. I want my chance, too.”

Edwards (21-3) has mostly ignored Makhachev’s interest in a champion vs. champion matchup, but Covington (17-3) recently disparaged Makhachev’s skills in an interview with My MMA News. Makhachev said he hopes Covington will win and the UFC will book that matchup.

“I hope [Covington] wins, because I don’t know what Leon says about [fighting me],” Makhachev said. “I’ve never heard Leon say he wants this fight. But Colby wants it. That’s why I want Colby to win and we can meet one day. It would be a very good fight, he has good wrestling. It’s going to be U.S. wrestling vs. Dagestan wrestling. He’s a good fighter. He has good wrestling and good conditioning, but in my opinion, I stop his wrestling and land many good punches.”

As for the job currently ahead of him, Makhachev said he’s not overlooking Oliveira, but is understandably very confident after submitting the Brazilian fighter exactly one year ago at UFC 280. Oliveira earned a title rematch by knocking out Beneil Dariush in June, and has admitted he had an off night against Makhachev the first time they fought. Oliveira has even said he refuses to watch the replay of that loss. Makhachev believes there is a reason behind that.

“That fight reminds him of the time he gave up,” Makhachev said. “When he watches this fight, he remembers everything that happened there. He tried to push me and land some punches, but when he doesn’t have insurance, he just gives up. … This fight is interesting for the people, everybody wants to see this match again. But if I follow the plan, I can beat this guy easy, again. I believe that.”

The post Makhachev eyes 170-lb shot after defense at 155 appeared first on MMAInformed.

‘Darth’ was originally scheduled to face Linton Vassell at Bellator 300 this weekend. The bout was going to be a rematch of their prior clash in 2017, at Bellator 186. That night, Ryan Bader won by second-round knockout, and he was hoping to score the same result up at heavyweight this time around.

However, ‘The Swarm’ withdrew due to illness, and the fight was removed from the card. Many questioned why Ryan Bader was being removed from the historic event, as it could’ve used his star power. Furthermore, light-heavyweight contender Corey Anderson offered to step into the main event.

Now fans have a bit of an answer to why. On Instagram, Ryan Bader responded to a fan who asked why he wasn’t fighting a replacement opponent this Saturday. According to the Bellator heavyweight champion, he was down, but Viacom refused to pay for it. He also added that the parent company is expected to be ‘out’, starting this month.

RELATED: CAIN VELASQUEZ GETS COURT ORDER TO ALLOW HIM TO CORNER TEAMMATE USMAN NURMAGOMEDOV AT BELLATOR 300

Image via: @ryanbader on Instagram

“We told Bellator we are good with anything, and it looks like Viacom doesn’t want to pay. They are out Oct and this falling through saves them money”

While Ryan Bader’s comment about Viacom isn’t entirely clear, it does show signs of Bellator’s instability. As many fans are aware, the company has been linked to a potential sale to PFL for months now. However, the deal hasn’t yet been finalized.

Furthermore, Scott Coker has previously stated that they plan to keep holding events well into 2024. However, with these comments from Ryan Bader, one has to wonder if that is the case. Regardless, Bellator 300 is scheduled to go ahead as of now, with three title fights.

What do you make of these comments from Ryan Bader? Are you excited about Bellator 300?

The post Ryan Bader reveals that Viacom wouldn’t pay replacement opponent for Bellator 300: “They are out” appeared first on MMAInformed.

Some combat sports fans are just plain weird.

I don’t understand the appeal of buying used panties, or well-seasoned socks, and I don’t even want to talk about what happened to the poop-stained shorts worn by Justine Kish. But with the advances in genetics and DNA manipulation, some fighters could be facing a new troubling trend.

Think “Jurassic Park” but replace the dinosaurs with scantily-clad boxers like Elle Brooke.

“Some guy wanted to buy sweaty clothes, to the point where you could ring them out. Like training gear, socks, anything like that. I was just like oh man, that’s a bit unhygienic cause I work out really hard,” Brooke told OnlyAccounts.io. “I always think, what if someone wants to clone me? Elle Brooke vs. Elle Brooke? Or make it a tag team with four of us? I’d love to do a tag-team with my sister. I sparred her recently.”

One of many downsides to clones? You never know what they’re gonna touch.

The 25 year-old Brooke is a 3-1 boxer on the influencer circuit and even has her own page on YouTube Boxing Rec (yes, it exists). Her last fight ended in a decision loss to Jully Poca under the Kingpyn banner last July, which led to allegations of “crazy mistreatment” from penny-pinching promoters.

Fortunately, her unborn children will be too busy with their Ferraris to notice.

The post Steal DNA, Create TnA appeared first on MMAInformed.

• 

  Jeff Wagenheim, ESPNOct 2, 2023, 12:05 PM ET

Bellator 300 was to be headlined by an unprecedented four championship bouts. Now it’s down to three.

Linton Vassell, who was to challenge heavyweight champion Ryan Bader at Saturday’s event in San Diego, withdrew from the fight because of illness, a Bellator official confirmed Monday.

The fight was to be a rematch of a 2017 TKO win by Bader, who at the time was defending the light heavyweight title.

Vassell (23-8-1) was to enter this title challenge on a hot streak, having won five in a row at heavyweight, including four by knockout.

Bader (31-7, 1 NC) will not get a new opponent. He last fought in February, when he knocked out Fedor Emelianenko in his fourth defense of the heavyweight belt he won in 2019.

Bellator 300 will proceed with three title bouts: Lightweight champ Usman Nurmagomedov defends against Brent Primus in the main event, Cris Cyborg takes on women’s featherweight challenger Cat Zingano in the co-main event, and Liz Carmouche puts the women’s flyweight title on the line against former champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane.

The post Vassell out of Bellator 300 title bout due to illness appeared first on MMAInformed.

It’s safe to say that within combat sports, Dillon Danis is seen as a pretty controversial figure. From his unconventional MMA career to his friendship with Conor McGregor and beyond, he’s had quite the journey.

Now, he’s set for a venture into boxing, as he gears up for a showdown with Logan Paul. The two men will collide later this month following a bitter lead-up that has seen both men throw some big shots at one another.

RELATED: PHOTO | DILLON DANIS SHARES HIS PHYSIQUE TWO WEEKS OUT FROM BOXING MATCH WITH LOGAN PAUL

Of course, that’s part of the fight game, but we rarely get to see what goes on behind the scenes. In a candid interview, Danis recently revealed that he’s had some real issues with his mental health as a result of some bad injuries.

The post Dillon Danis reveals he considered suicide after having to undergo multiple knee surgeries appeared first on MMAInformed.

Melanie Shah just might be built differently.

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) touched down in Salem, Virginia for BKFC 51 this past weekend (Sept. 29, 2023). The promotion’s Strawweight title was on the line in the event’s headliner, featuring the champion, Britain Hart, defending opposite the previously undefeated 2-0 Shah. Unfortunately for Shah, she suffered a punishing five round beating from the title holder, resulting in a unanimous decision (and tooth) loss (watch highlights).

Despite the facial rearrangements Hart provided her with on the night, Shah had no regrets.

“I think after the first round, I realized that she was a lot tougher than I was expecting,” Shah told Bareknucklenewstv in the embedded video above. “Although I expected her to be tough, I just expected her to show a bit more tiredness. It didn’t go the way I wanted, but I was still happy that I went all the five rounds.

“Even if I don’t look like it, I enjoyed the whole process,” she continued. “I enjoyed being in the ring and challenging myself. If I could fight Brit again, I think what I’d do is — although I fought the way I like to fight — I’d have backed off a little bit more than maybe I should have. I’d probably try to do other things I wouldn’t normally do.”

The 2-1 Shah had an uphill battle ahead of her when matched with Hart. The reigning champion has come into her own as a bare-knuckle boxer, winning eight of her last nine matches (8-3 overall). Hart has earned notable wins on her run over the likes of former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweights, Paige VanZant, Bec Rawlings, and Pearl Gonzalez. Hart already has her next match lined up as she’ll head to Thailand to face Chisakan Ariphipat on Nov. 4, 2023. Meanwhile, Shah will likely take a decent amount of time to let herself heal up before getting back into action. Well, we sure hope so, anyway.

The post Video: No Teeth, No Problem! ‘I Enjoyed The Whole Process’ appeared first on MMAInformed.