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PARIS –  Ciryl Gane is hoping to recreate last year’s magic in Paris. Gane (11-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) meets Serghei Spivac (16-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 226 main event at Accor Arena in Paris. The event streams on ESPN+. Gane has put on some great performances throughout his career – including an interim title-winning finish of Derrick Lewis. He looks to have another flawless showing against Spivac. “I just hope this weekend I’m going to do a masterclass, like we say,” Gane told MMA Junkie. “A perfect performance, and I’m going to do my best for that.” Gane also headlined the UFC’s debut show in Paris, where he slugged it out with knockout artist Tai Tuivasa before getting the finish in Round 3 . It was a special moment for “Bon Gamin” in front of his home crowd, but can he top it? “Top it? It’s going to be hard,” Gane admitted. “The scenario of the last fight unfortunately was really dangerous, but it was perfect. It was like a movie – a bad thing coming, but y

PARIS – Ciryl Gane says he’s made sure to learn a lesson from the biggest hiccup of his career. On the grandest stage of his run as an MMA fighter, Gane had arguably his worst performance – a quick and lopsided submission loss to Jon Jones back in March. It took just about two minutes for Gane to tap to a guillotine choke against Jones, and at no point did he have the fight going in his favor. “Me at first, I was really disappointed,” Gane said at UFC Fight Night 226 media day. “I’m a competitor. Of course, I was really disappointed and the people in the social media, but also the people in real life were disappointed. A lot of people were behind me for this fight against Jones, and everybody knows it’s not exactly the result we expected, because everyone knows I could put some more difficulty against Jon Jones. “So everybody was really disappointed, and some people expressed themselves on social media and stuff like that. Yeah, at first I was really disappointed, and that’s wh

PARIS – Manon Fiorot sees Rose Namajunas as the perfect test to earn a UFC title shot. Fiorot (10-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) welcomes two-time UFC strawweight champion Namajunas (11-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) to the flyweight division in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 226 co-main event at Accor Arena in Paris. The event streams on ESPN+. Fiorot is coming off back-to-back wins over former title challengers Jennifer Maia and Katlyn Chookagian. But going up against a notable name in former champ Namajunas excites France’s Fiorot. “It’s one of the biggest fights of my life against the biggest-name opponent I’ve fought until now,” Fiorot told MMA Junkie on Thursday. “So I really want to put on a great fight in front of my people.” Namajunas knows what it’s like to rebound. She won gold, lost it, reclaimed it, then lost it again in her most recent outing against Carla Esparza in May 2022. “She’s the most experienced opponent to date,” Fiorot said of Namajunas. “She’s a former champion so for me, it’s a good

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the co-main event for UFC Fight Night 226 . UFC Fight Night 226 takes place Saturday at Accor Arena in Paris. The event streams on ESPN+. from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/7FH198l via IFTTT

Henry Cejudo simply believes Marlon Vera is just a bad matchup for newly crowned UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley . Vera (21-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC) is the only person to beat O’Malley, stopping him by first-round TKO in August 2020 . O’Malley (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) hasn’t lost since then, dethroning Aljamain Sterling with a second-round TKO to claim the 135-pound title in the UFC 292 main event. O’Malley wants his first title defense against “Chito,” who defeated Pedro Munhoz on the same night O’Malley claimed gold. Cejudo lauded O’Malley for his movement, feints, ability to set traps, and precision, but he doesn’t see him having the durability to handle Vera. “Let’s get down to Sean O’Malley’s weaknesses,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel . “Weakness No. 1, to me, is the durability, his threshold, him looking at the clock, him fighting three-round fights, but yet he’s looking at the clock. “He’s been fed a lot of tomato cans up to his last two fights, but stil …  his No

Check out these photos highlighting two-time UFC champion Rose Namajunas ’ career through the years. from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/a3VT9sQ via IFTTT

PARIS – Yanis Ghemmouri has high hopes for his UFC debut – the kind that come with an extra $50,000. Ghemmouri (12-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) takes on William Gomis (12-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in a featherweight bout Saturday in France, but it’s one that was hastily assembled with opponent switches. Ghemmouri went from fellow UFC debutant Caolan Loughran to Gomis, who has a pair of UFC wins under his belt. And to add another wrench to the works, Gomis, like Ghemmouri, is from France. But he thinks all the elements are in place for the pair to have the kind of performance that leads to bonuses. Ghemmouri talked about that and more at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 226 media day in Paris. Check out the full interview in the video above. UFC Fight Night 226 takes place Saturday at Accor Arena and is the UFC’s second visit to France. The event streams on ESPN+. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 226 . Related UFC Fight Night 226: Make your predictions for Gane v

LAS VEGAS – Now a UFC fighter, Thomas Petersen hopes he gets to run things back with Waldo Cortes-Acosta. Petersen (8-1) earned a UFC contract Tuesday when he submitted Chandler Cole with a second-round keylock in their heavyweight bout at Dana White’s Contender Series 60. That’s now three wins in a row for the LFA veteran, who has only one loss on his record to fellow Contender Series graduate Cortes-Acosta – and he wants it back. “Oh yes, but the time will come whenever it happens,” Petersen told reporters during the DWCS 60 post-fight press conference. “But hopefully we meet at the belt. I wish Waldo Cortes the best. I like his coach, he’s a good man too. Yeah, I’d like to fight him, I’d like to beat him, but I have nothing bad to say about the guy.” The majority of Petersen’s finishes have come in the first round. But going up against a fellow furious finisher, he knew he had to be cautious. “I know Chandler Cole is a very good opponent, and he’s gotten way better since h

PARIS – William Gomis not only has been accustomed to winning, he’s been accustomed to finishing his opponents. Before he came to the UFC, Gomis was on an eight-fight winning streak with six stoppages. But in his promotional debut in Paris in front of his home fans a year ago, he had to settle for a majority decision win. His next time out in April, he missed weight, then took a split call from Francis Marshall. Now Gomis (12-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is hoping he can get back to finishing people when he meets fellow French fighter Yanis Ghemmouri (12-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) on Saturday. Gomis talked about that and more at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 226 media day in Paris. Check out the full interview in the video above. UFC Fight Night 226 takes place Saturday at Accor Arena and is the UFC’s second visit to France. The event streams on ESPN+. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 226 . Related UFC Fight Night 226: Make your predictions for Gane vs. Spivac

Chris Weidman left the octagon at UFC 292 knowing his lower limb was damaged, but did not know to what extent. The former UFC middleweight champion returned to action earlier this month after a lengthy recovery period following a nasty right leg break . In his return bout against Brad Tavares in Boston, Weidman was hobbled by leg kicks over the course of the 15-minute fight that he lost by unanimous decision. Weidman completed testing on both of his legs to discover how much damage was sustained during the fight, fearing a ligament tear might be present. Weidman says the results of his tests have come back, and while he received some good news, he did not receive a clean bill of health. “I got MRIs done on my tibia and fibula on both legs, got MRIs on both of my knees, X-rays, and I’ve been waiting for a result – and I got the results back,” Weidman said on the “Won’t Back Down” podcast . “There was no ligament tears at all. So, ACL, LCL, MCL, PCL, all those ‘Ls’ that you do not w

Some of the PFL’s biggest fights will head to the Middle East next year as part of a deal struck by the promotion and SRJ Sports Investments, a company launched earlier this month by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. It was announced Wednesday that SRJ has acquired a minority stake in the PFL. Although figures weren’t released, Sportico reported that SRJ’s investment is worth more than $100 million. PFL broadcast partner ESPN subsequently confirmed the amount. As part of the agreement, the PFL pay-per-view super fight events will be held in Saudi Arabia in 2024, with the first show expected to take place during the first quarter of the new year. This means the PFL debuts of former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and YouTuber-turned-pro-boxer Jake Paul , who signed with the promotion earlier this year, are expected to take place overseas. SRJ will be invested in PFL MENA, a new branch of the promotion that will launch in 2024 and support the PFL’s expansion into Saudi

PARIS – Don’t expected Benoit Saint Denis to fight more conservatively now that he’s finding success and rising up the UFC lightweight rankings. Saint Denis (11-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has reeled off three straight wins – all by stoppage – as he heads into Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 226 matchup with Thiago Moises (17-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC), which takes place at Accor Arena and streams on ESPN+. The Frenchman values winning above all else, but he also knows entertainment is a significant part of gaining traction with the UFC brass and fans of the sport. For that reason, he enters the cage each time willing to go out on his shield. “If I need to go through a fight and I’m not winning it, I will do everything I can to win it,” Saint Denis told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 226 media day. “If I need to get knocked the f*ck out or I need to get submitted by doing that, I will go through. All I want is a victory. If there’s a 1 percent chance of getting the victory by putting myself in

Bolaji Oki is one of the newest additions to the UFC roster after his performance at Dana White’s Contender Series 60 , and is willing to jet across the globe to make his promotional debut this week. Oki (8-1), a 27-year-old Belgian lightweight, made quick work of his DWCS opponent Dylan Salvador (5-1), finishing their fight at the UFC Apex at 2:46 of Round 1. It was a quick and powerful display, and Oki was one of three fighters to earn a UFC contract at the end of the event. Aside from being on the receiving end of a small number of strikes, “The Zulu Warrior” Oki appears unscathed and ready to get back into action as a UFC newcomer. How soon? He’s game to debut this week in Paris at UFC Fight Night 226 . “Whatever, whenever, with whoever,” Oki told reporters during the DWCS 60 post-fight press conference about making his UFC debut. “If it’s in Europe, of course, it’s going to be better for me. France, Paris, I can even go, you know? First round, I don’t have nothing on my f

PARIS – Ahead of his second straight UFC main event, Serghei Spivac thinks he could be inching closer to a heavyweight title shot. Spivac (16-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) has a tall order in front of him Saturday when he takes on former interim champ Ciryl Gane (11-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) in front of Gane’s home fans in France. But a win would give him four straight – and he already has his sights set on a possibility for what could be No. 5. If Spivac beats Gane, he said he’d love another shot at Tom Aspinall, who recently returned from a yearlong injury layoff with a dominant finish of Marcin Tybura in London. Aspinall put Spivac away halfway through the first round nearly two years ago. Spivac hasn’t lost since. Spivac talked about that and more at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 226 media day in Paris. Check out the full interview in the video above. UFC Fight Night 226 takes place Saturday at Accor Arena and is the UFC’s second visit to France. The event streams on ESPN+. For more on the card, v

Check out these photos from the fights at Dana White’s Contender Series 60 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, where 10 combatants fought to impress Dana White and the matchmakers for a UFC contract. (Photos courtesy of Jeff Bottari, UFC) from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/5m2wQLo via IFTTT

With a new champion crowned and a rising star continuing to turn in impressive performances, the latest rankings update features a few key movements on the pound-for-pound lists. At UFC 292, Sean O'Malley became the UFC bantamweight champion by stopping Aljamain Sterling in the second round of the main event title fight. Naturally, knocking off the now-former champion elevated O’Malley to No. 1 in the divisional rankings, but he also debuted on the men’s P4P rankings at No. 8. The following week, Erin Blanchfield continued to prove a real threat to the top of the women’s flyweight division. At UFC Fight Night 225, Blanchfield picked up a unanimous decision win over Taila Santos. She now holds the No. 4 spot in the division, but also rises in the women’s P4P ranks to No. 14. Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above. from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/yUdMZ3v via IFTTT

This week, the UFC travels to France for UFC FN 226 . The event at Accor Arena in Paris features a heavyweight tilt between former interim champion Ciryl Gane and Serghei Spivac . Elsewhere, many other combat sports events are taking place that feature a number of familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner. Check out which veterans of the global MMA leader are competing in MMA and kickboxing this week from Sept. 1-3. Check out the names and details about their bouts below. Upcoming event information from  Tapology . from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/fFAYjID via IFTTT

It’s a reasonably quick turnaround from the time it became official to the fight itself, so the UFC wants to make sure you’re hyped up. The UFC 293 main event was announced Aug. 8, only about a month before it’s set to take place Sept. 9 in Sydney. That’s when Israel Adesanya will put his middleweight title on the line against challenger Sean Strickland . Adesanya (24-2 MMA, 13-2 UFC) seemed to be on a collision course with South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis, but the time frame wasn’t going to work for him to headline in Sydney with Adesanya, who lives and trains in New Zealand. Instead, it’s Strickland (27-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC). Ahead of the fight, which is less than two weeks away, check out the UFC’s official trailer for its return Down Under. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 293 . from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/X4Obfde via IFTTT

The Sean O’Malley Era in the UFC’s bantamweight division got started earlier this month in Boston. O’Malley (16-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) took out 135-pound champion Aljamain Sterling (23-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) in the second round of their UFC 292 main event. Going into the fight, Sterling was being talked about as perhaps the greatest bantamweight of all time. In the co-main event, Zhang Weili (23-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) put on one of the most overwhelming performances in women’s MMA history when she dominated Amanda Lemos (13-2-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) to defend the strawweight title. Plus, Ian Machado Garry (12-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) continued his unbeaten rise through the welterweight division with a shutout of Neil Magny (28-10 MMA, 21-9 UFC) on the scorecards. Check out all the highlights in super-slow motion in the UFC 292 “Fight Motion” video highlights above from TD Garden. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292 . from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/1V24LFy via IFTTT

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is open to fighting the next crop of contenders, but it will ultimately come down to the magnitude of potential fights. If Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) is able to defend his belt against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 in November and opts not to retire, he has some potentially intriguing opponents on the horizon in Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich. Jones admits he’s impressed by what both men are doing in the division, but at 36 and with a long UFC career already behind him, he’s not fighting just for the sake of it. He needs it to be significant, and in his mind, that falls on contenders like Aspinall (13-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and Pavlovich (17-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) to bring their public notoriety to a certain level. “They’re amazing – don’t get me wrong,” Jones said on the OverDogs Podcast . “They’re starching people in the first round. But as I get older, I have to look at it as a business and not just speak out of pride, but speak as my legacy and as a business

“The Korean Zombie” went out in a blaze of glory – just as you might expect. After an entertaining first 10 minutes of action, Max Holloway scored a brutal third-round knockout of Chan Sung Jung this past Saturday in the UFC Fight Night 225 headliner, a finish that may not have been made possible without “The Korean Zombie” relentlessly bringing the fight to Holloway at the onset of Round 3. Afterward, Jung laid down his gloves and announced his retirement , making the fight a fitting way to conclude his career that was all about action. He never won a UFC title, but what made him so cool and so beloved? Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Danny Segura and Farah Hannoun answer that with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch their discussion in the video above or check out this week’s full episode below. from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/IRSnoye via IFTTT

The UFC travels to France for the second time in promotional history Saturday with UFC Fight Night 226 , which takes place at Accor Arena in Paris and streams entirely on ESPN+. Former interim heavyweight champion and France’s own Ciryl Gane (11-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) headlines the card on home soil for the second consecutive year. In his first fight since losing to Jon Jones in March, “Bon Gamin” will face the streaking Serghei Spivac (16-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in a five-round clash. The event also features the return of former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas (11-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) making her flyweight debut against top contender Manon Fiorot (10-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC). For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC Fight Night 226. * * * * from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/kW0NBaU via IFTTT

As long as former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway isn’t fighting Alexander Volkanovski, he apparently can’t be beat. After an entertaining first 10 minutes of action, Holloway scored a brutal third-round knockout of Chan Sung Jung this past Saturday in the UFC Fight Night 225 headliner to reaffirm his spot as the No. 1 contender at 145. Understandably, Holloway would like another crack at champ Volkanovski . Thing is, we’ve seen that fight play out three times already, with Holloway on the losing end of a decision all three times, including when he lost his belt to Volkanovski back in December 2019, which means the Hawaiian finds himself in a less-than-ideal scenario in his career at just 31. Does Holloway have a path to another UFC title shot? And if so, what is it? Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Danny Segura and Farah Hannoun answer that with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch their discussion in the video above or check out this w

Gilbert Burns expects Khamzat Chimaev to have a hard time against Paulo Costa if he can’t get him down. Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) returns for his first fight since September 2022 when he takes on Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) at UFC 294 on Oct. 21 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Burns gave Chimaev the toughest test of his career, when he pushed him to the brink in a war at UFC 273. Burns ended up losing by unanimous decision , but had unbeaten Chimaev in trouble during the fight. “That is a good one,” Burns said during a Q&A in Singapore . “I’m even going to make a big breakdown of that on my YouTube channel, but it’s a very close fight. I think it’s going to be decided in the clinch. “I think Khamzat will come with a lot of pressure, try to take Costa down. If he’s able, it’s going to be a big problem for Costa. But if Costa defends and can get away and use the striking, it’s going to be a long night for Khamzat.” If the fight stays on the feet, Burns sees Costa getting the be

Joe Pyfer will look to notch his third octagon win when he takes on one of the hardest-hitting middleweights. Pyfer (11-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) meets Abdul Razak Alhassan (12-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) at a UFC Fight Night event on Oct. 7 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie after Pyfer initially shared it on Instagram . Since punching his ticket through the Contender Series in July 2022, Pyfer has scored back-to-back first-round TKO stoppages of Alen Amedovski, and most recently Gerald Meerschaert at UFC 287 in April . All but one of his pro wins have come by finish. One of the most devastating knockout artists in the division, Alhassan is coming off a second-round knockout of Claudio Ribeiro at UFC Fight Night 217. All 12 of Alhassan’s career wins have come by knockout. With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for Oct. 7 includes: Drew Dober vs. Ricky Glenn Chris Gutierrez vs. Montel Jackson Bill Algeo vs. Alexander H

Yazmin Jauregui went under the knife. The UFC strawweight prospect had a surgery earlier this month to repair an umbilical hernia that surfaced during her preparation for UFC 290 in July. Jauregui (10-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) recently revealed the news to MMA Junkie. “I just got a surgery done. I went under the knife less than (three) weeks ago because I had an issue on my stomach,” Jauregui said in Spanish . “I got an umbilical hernia, and it was bothering me, so I had to do a surgery, and now I’m in recovery. I’m here (vacationing) with my family, taking it easy, so I can recover and be able to return. Health always comes first.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yazmin Jauregui (@yasminjitsu) Jauregui suffered her first professional defeat at UFC 290 in Las Vegas. She was stopped in a TKO by Brazil’s Denise Gomes just 20 seconds into the fight. The Mexican fighter said the hernia didn’t bother her too much ahead of UFC 290, an

It’s UFC Fight Night 226 fight week, and the promotion is seeking two last-minute replacements. The event, which takes place Saturday at Accor Arena in Paris and streams on ESPN+, is down a featherweight and a bantamweight as Lucas Almeida and Muin Gafurov are out of their respective bouts. Almeida (14-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) announced Monday on Instagram his withdrawal from his bout vs. France’s William Gomis (12-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC), which was scheduled to be one of six main-card bouts. The announcement came one day after Gafurov (18-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC) withdrew from his bout against France’s Taylor Lapilus (18-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) due to visa issues, according to multiple French news outlets, including La Sueur . The promotion is currently seeking replacements to keep the two Frenchmen on the card, although it is unclear at this time what the options are just six days away. With the changes, below is the UFC Fight Night 226 lineup: MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 3 p.m. ET) Ciryl Gane vs. Serghei Spivac Ma

LAS VEGAS – The pre-fight activities are in the books for Dana White’s Contender Series 60 following Monday’s official weigh-ins and faceoffs. Ten fighters will vie for UFC contracts in their fights, including welterweights Mitch Ramirez (7-0) and Carlos Prates (16-6), who headline the show at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. At the conclusion of the official weigh-ins, the fighters came face to face for staredowns. Check out the highlights in the video above and a photo gallery from the weigh-ins and faceoffs below. Dana White’s Contender Series 60 takes place Tuesday and streams on ESPN+. Gallery Photos: Dana White's Contender Series 60 weigh-ins and faceoffs view 15 images from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/gXLkaFy via IFTTT

UFC featherweight veteran Alex Caceres walked out of Singapore with more than just a loss on his record. On the main card of UFC Fight Night 225 at Singapore Indoor Stadium, Caceres (21-14 MMA, 16-12 UFC) welcomed Giga Chikadze (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) back to action after his 18-month layoff. The fight went the distance and Chikadze won a clear unanimous decision , but Caceres has since learned he suffered a fractured arm in the first round. “I broke my forearm blocking a head kick in the first round and tried my best to win even through the pain,” Caceres wrote on Instagram. “Hat’s off to Giga Chikadze for a great fight.” The injury appeared to occur at the 1:24 mark of Round 1, when Chikadze threw a hard right head kick. Caceres blocked the attempt with his left forearm, but the impact still caused significant damage. Caceres can be seen shaking the arm out immediately after, and then was hesitant to land punches with the left hand from that point forward. Caceres also shared his X