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AUSTIN, Texas – Does MMA math apply to weight cutting? Because if it does, Julia Avila might be in for a big night Saturday. Avila (9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) returns from an absence of about 2.5 years when she closes out the preliminary card against former women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate (20-9 MMA, 6-6 UFC) at UFC on ESPN 52 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Where the MMA math on the scale comes into play is fascinating, and perhaps it will be just a footnote. But for now, consider this: Tate, an all-time great and women’s MMA pioneer, recently attempted a move to flyweight. She said this week the toll it took to drop 10 more pounds from 135 to 125 was too much. When Avila steps in the cage Saturday, she said it will by just about a year since she weighed 225 pounds after a knee surgery and, near the same time, her pregnancy with her first child. The drop to bantamweight means 90 pounds in roughly a year – a staggering number given that was a full 40 percent drop in weight. “I

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main event for UFC on ESPN 52 . UFC on ESPN 52 takes place Saturday at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+. from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/UmvdiLK via IFTTT

AUSTIN, Texas – Deiveson Figueiredo has moved to a different weight class, and with that comes many things – including new matchups. Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 52 , Figueiredo (21-3-1 MMA, 10-6 UFC), a former UFC flyweight champion, debuts at 135 pounds when he takes on longtime UFC fighter Rob Font (20-7 MMA, 10-3-1 UFC). Figueiredo said he is happy with his decision to move up a division, and being a powerful and respected striker, the Brazilian is excited to test his skills against the top strikers of the division. “I came to this division to test myself and to test my striking, so that’s what I’m focused on right now,” Figueiredo told reporters at the UFC on ESPN 52 media day Wednesday in Austin, Texas. “I’m focused on the fight on Saturday, and that’s what I’m here for. Let’s see how this one goes. I’m not looking at a title shot right now, I’m looking to win against Rob Font to place myself in the rankings and see where it goes from there. “I would love to h

Owen Roddy sees Colby Covington as a tougher puzzle to solve for Leon Edwards than Kamaru Usman . Covington (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) challenges Edwards (20-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) for the welterweight title in the UFC 296 main event on Dec. 16 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Edwards is coming off back-to-back title wins over Kamaru Usman, whereas Covington has lost twice to former champ Usman. But striking coach Roddy sees Covington’s style of wrestling potentially being a problem for Edwards. “It’s a tricky one, you know,” Roddy told The MacLife . “Two very intelligent fighters. I always said about Leon and Fabian that they always came with really good, really intelligent game plans. “I do believe that Colby’s a trickier fight than Usman. I think his chain wrestling might be a bit of a problem for Leon. But like I said, if Leon can nullify the wrestling and keep it on the feet, he’s got the power to put Colby away.” Covington rebounded from his second loss to Usman with a lopsided decisio

According to Brendan Allen , there’s footage of former Kill Cliff FC teammate Ian Machado Garry getting knocked out in the gym. Allen and Garry have shared the mats several times at Kill Cliff, but Garry no longer trains there after being matched up with his teammate, Vicente Luque. Garry (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) meets Luque (22-9-1 MMA, 15-5 UFC) at UFC 296 on Dec. 16 in Las Vegas. Allen, a rising contender in the middleweight division, doesn’t like how Garry portrays himself as invincible, especially after he was allegedly knocked out in training by a former teammate. “I’ve met Ian, I know Ian, and I feel like you can put this persona on, but actions speak louder than words, and I think this is also one of those actions to where it speaks louder than words,” Allen told ESPN . “He can say what he wants, he can make whatever excuse he wants, and then like, you get things like, someone post a video of Shavkat (Rakhmonov) and Jason (Jackson) wrestling, I was there on that day. I watched i

Kayla Harrison cut a promo after returning to the win column but didn’t get the response she wanted from Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg . Harrison (16-1) called out Cyborg (27-2 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) after defeating ex-UFC fighter Aspen Ladd at the 2023 PFL Championship this past Friday. With PFL acquiring Bellator, Harrison is hoping the long-desired Cyborg superfight could finally happen. But Cyborg’s response on X (formerly Twitter) seemed rather dismissive, which disappointed Harrison. I’m a women. Not a girl. Women don’t refer to themselves as bitch. https://t.co/0MtigVKg66 You basic. https://t.co/hlEG3qGhTj — CrisCyborg.Com (@criscyborg) November 25, 2023 I’m a women. Not a girl. Women don’t refer to themselves as b*tch. You basic. “I wasn’t surprised,” Harrison said on ESPN’s “DC & RC.” “She only talks sh*t when we’re in different promotions and there’s somewhere to hide. Now that we’re under the same roof, I feel she’s going to get real q

Loopy Godinez will look to continue her momentum when she takes on a top 10 ranked strawweight. Godinez will next face Virna Jandiroba at an unannounced UFC Fight Night event on March 30, which doesn’t yet have a publicly known venue or location. MMA Junkie verified the matchup with a person close to the situation after Jandiroba confirmed the matchup on social media after an initial report from MMA Melotto . The person requested anonymity because the promotion hasn’t made an official announcement. Winner of six of her past seven bouts, Godinez (12-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) went 4-0 in 2023, capping the year off with a split decision win over Tabatha Ricci at UFC 295. Prior to that, the 30-year-old scored a Performance of the Night submission of Elise Reed. Brazil’s Jandiroba (19-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) has also had recent success, but hasn’t matched Godinez’s activity. The former Invicta FC champion is coming off back-to-back wins over Angela Hill in May 2022, followed by a unanimous decision of

Gilbert Burns believes he would’ve easily beaten Belal Muhammad had he not been compromised. Burns (22-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) lost a lopsided unanimous decision to Muhammad this past May at UFC 288 , where he suffered a torn left shoulder early in the fight. Burns is eager to run things back with Muhammad (23-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) someday and vows the outcome will be drastically different if he got the chance. Muhammad also revealed that he entered their fight with a sprained ankle . “One hundred percent me healthy, I would destroy Belal Muhammad, and I would get that win back,” Burns told TMZ . “I don’t know if it’s going to happen right now, but it’s going to happen, and I’ll show everybody that I’m way better than him.” Burns avoided surgery, and is now ready to jump into a training camp and book a fight, preferably in one of the upcoming pay-per-views early next year. “I’m clear, no pain, shoulder is moving good,” Burns said. “All range of motion is back, strength. I’d say anything Ma

Michael Bisping sees UFC 296 as Colby Covington ’s final opportunity at becoming champion. Covington (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) challenges Leon Edwards (20-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) for the welterweight title in the Dec. 16 headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Covington, a former interim champion, challenged for the undisputed welterweight title twice against Kamaru Usman but fell short in valiant efforts both times. “Here’s what is going to make Colby very, very dangerous come fight night,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel . “He’s (35) years old; this is his last title fight. It’s as simple as that. This will be his third time fighting for the belt, twice against Kamaru Usman, didn’t get the job done. “Got stopped once, went to a decision the next time. Very competitive fights, though, but it doesn’t matter. He didn’t win. He didn’t become the champion. … This is going to be the last chance for Colby Covington, OK? This really is.” Bisping believes Edwards’ key to victory is simply keep

The UFC travels to Austin, Texas for the fifth time in its history Saturday with UFC on ESPN 52 , which takes place at Moody Center with a main card that airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+. Elite lightweights will meet in the main event of the card, with Beneil Dariush (22-5-1 MMA, 16-5-1 UFC) looking to start a new winning streak against the surging Arman Tsarukyan (20-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) in a five-round bout that will have significant implications on the divisional rankings. For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 52. * * * * from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/DqJ8WZM via IFTTT

undefined Alexander Volkanovski has had his first sparring session ahead of UFC 298 and, at least according to him, all went well. Featherweight champion Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) defends his title against unbeaten Ilia Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) on Feb. 17 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Volkanovski is coming off a knockout loss to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev this past October at UFC 294, causing many to be concerned over his relatively quick turnaround. But Volkanovski assures that he’s undergoing all the necessary health protocols and provided a positive update ahead of his first spar. “Just had my first spar,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel . “So, obviously had to follow all the protocols, concussion, back to training. So, followed all the protocols to a tee, no symptoms, kept it rolling, kept it rolling. Felt real good. No knocks, no symptoms still. So, we’re rolling. We’re going to keep this baby rolling. Very, very happy with it. “Very thankful

Despite Anthony Smith stepping in on short notice, UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping gives him the advantage over Khalil Rountree . After Rountree (12-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) lost his opponent for UFC on ESPN 52 this Saturday, he was booked against short-notice replacement Smith (37-18 MMA, 12-8 UFC) a week later at UFC Fight Night 233 on Dec. 9 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Bisping, a good friend and podcast co-host of Smith’s, lauds the former title challenger for taking the opportunity against the streaking Rountree. “He’s rolling the dice, he’s daring to be great, he’s stepping up on short notice,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel . “Khalil Rountree is the real deal. He’s a tough guy. He’s got big power.” But with Smith having fought the likes of former UFC light heavyweight champion and current heavyweight champ Jon Jones and top contender Magomed Ankalaev, he sees Smith’s experience playing a big factor. He also thinks “Lionheart” has the well rounded skillset to prevail. “You’

Eddie Alvarez expects his speed to be a problem for Mike Perry . Alvarez meets Perry in the main event of BKFC 56 on Dec. 2 in Salt Lake City. Perry has found success in the BKFC ring, going 3-0 with wins over Julian Lane, Michael Page, and most recently a second-round TKO of ex-UFC champ Luke Rockhold this past April. Alvarez thinks Perry’s toughness got him by in those fights, but says that’s an attribute he won’t outmatch him in. “Mike’s tough as hell,” Alvarez told Middle Easy . “A lot of people say, ‘Mike don’t move his head … Mike don’t do this.’ He makes up for a lot of the lack of his stuff with his toughness, his grit, his will – that kind of stuff. “He cleans it up with that. But when you’re going against another fighter like myself, who has all that, and all of them boxes are checked, then you’re going to have to rely on your skill and your game plan, and something more than just grit and will to get you by.” One the same night Perry beat Rockhold, former Bellator an

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 52 event in Austin. Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT). Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC on ESPN 52 main card staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC on ESPN 52 takes place Saturday at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+. Make your picks for the main card fights below. from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/L6I2lPY via IFTTT

Things got all sorts of nasty during an ACA welterweight grand prix bout Friday in St. Petersberg, Russia. A hard elbow from Edil Esengulov (24-5-1) against Vinicius Cruz (12-6-1) on the ground in Round 4 kicked off the gory scene at ACA 166 . Upon impact, Cruz’s ear partially disassociated from his head. As the ear flopped over, blood shot across the canvas and poured all over Cruz. The referee immediately called timeout at the site of the injury. Upon a quick examination, the cageside doctor called the bout off, much to the frustration of Cruz. Check out video of the madness below, once again courtesy of the great Caposa. EXPLODING EAR WARNING Edil Esengulov bursts the cauliflower ear of Vinicius Cruz forcing the doctor to call a stop the fight in R4. Esengulov will advance in the ACA welterweight grand prix. #ACA166 pic.twitter.com/aEtisO4524 — caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) November 24, 2023 from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/eqWGw2y via IFTTT

The court case involving longtime UFC star Tony Ferguson has reached a resolution. Monday, Judge Shannon K. Cooley, of Superior Court of Los Angeles County (Calif.), ruled on a plea deal reached by the prosecution and defense, according to online court records. A misdemeanor DUI charge against Ferguson was dismissed by the court. In turn, Ferguson pleaded nolo contendere to one misdemeanor charge of wet reckless driving upon a highway. As a result, Ferguson will be required to serve one year of probation. Conditions of probation include not driving after drinking alcohol in any measurable amount and paying restitution to the victim, among other terms. Ferguson, 39, was  arrested and booked into jail in the early morning hours of May 7 after he allegedly crashed his truck into two cars parked outside a nightclub in Hollywood, Calif. There were no injuries, according to a police spokesperson. Ferguson previously pleaded not guilty. Ferguson is slated to make his return in a highly

Just when you think you’ve seen it all in MMA, you realize you’ve barely scratched the surface. Friday at Open Fighting Championships 36 in St. Petersberg, Russia, an all-time odd moment occurred when one of the on-duty cameramen got stuck in the cage, where he remained for a few seconds during live action. The incident took place at the start of the fourth round of a professional flyweight title bout between Gadzhimurad Gairbekov (5-0) and Dilshot Norkuziev (3-1). The transition angle panned down from the rafters, but when the camera shifted to the normal, above-cage visual, something was not right. A large wire ran from one side of the cage to the other, as the fighters tumbled to the canvas. Finally, the referee noticed what was wrong, called timeout, and emphatically told the camerman to exit. When the videographer was out of the cage, the action resumed exactly where it left off. Check out video of the madness below, courtesy of the great Caposa. Today in Russian MMA thi

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Kayla Harrison successfully rebounded from the first loss of her professional MMA career, and once again has her sights set on Cris Cyborg. A year ago, two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL champion Harrison (16-1) came up short in a trilogy bout against Larissa Pacheco for the 2022 PFL women’s lightweight championship. She returned to the cage for the first time since that moment at 2023 PFL Championship to face Aspen Ladd (11-5), and largely dominated the contest from beginning to end. With the sting of her first career setback firmly behind her, Harrison called out “bad b*tch” Cris Cyborg during her in-cage post-fight interview, without specifically mentioning her by name. Cyborg, who purchased the domain “ JudoKayla.com ” to hype up their potential fight, responded by calling Harrison “basic” and posted a video reaction on X , essentially dismissing the call out. “First of all, I’m blocked on everything, but someone sends me what she Tweets abou

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Magomed Magomedkerimov wants in on PFL’s newest acquisition. After winning the 2023 PFL featherweight title, Magomedkerimov (33-6) is hoping to be done competing under the promotion’s season format and wants to move on to the one-off Bellator fights. PFL recently purchased rival promotion Bellator and will continue to run it simultaneously with their traditional season. “I’m definitely looking for something more interesting, more title opponents like Jason Jackson because I already had 16 fights in PFL, and I’ve pretty much done all that I can show,” Magomedkerimov told MMA Junkie through an interpreter. “I’m looking for the next level.” Magomedkerimov submitted Sadibou Sy (16-6-2) this past Friday to claim the 2023 PFL featherweight title on the main card of 2023 PFL Championship at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. This was his second PFL title win, as he first won the belt back in 2018. After his win, Magomedkerimov faced off against Bellator welterweight

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Renan Ferreira wants to be the man standing across the cage from Francis Ngannou when he makes his PFL debut in 2024. At 2023 PFL Championship , Ferreira (12-4) won the heavyweight title with a second-round TKO of Denis Goltsov. Now that he has gold around his waist and the $1 million prize that came along with it, the 6-foot-8 Brazilian heavyweight wants to be the first to fight former UFC champion Francis Ngannou under the PFL banner. “For me, this fight makes sense because I’m the best heavyweight in the world, and I’m the right guy to welcome him to the PFL,” Ferreira told MMA Junkie through an interpreter. Ngannou has many options to choose from in his PFL MMA debut following a close split decision loss to WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in his professional boxing debut. Ferreira would be an opponent of similar height to that of Fury, who stands at 6-foot-9, although their athleticism and body types are different. Related 2023 PFL champ Olivier Au

WASHINGTON, D.C. – It looks like Olivier Aubin-Mercier has hit the end of his fighting career, at least for now. After winning his second season under the PFL, Aubin-Mercier (21-5) told MMA Junkie that he’s retiring from MMA, but leaving the door for a potential return if he changes his mind down the line. Aubin-Mercier defeated Clay Collard (24-11) in a unanimous decision in the main event of 2023 PFL Championship this past Friday at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. It was his second title win at lightweight, as he had won the season prior. “I don’t know what I’m feeling to tell you the truth,” Aubin-Mercier told MMA Junkie. “It’s so weird, the sensation. I felt that I don’t have it anymore. I don’t feel the butterflies anymore. It feels like it’s just a normal day for me. Look, I knew it was my last time, but it was a strange feeling to tell you the truth. According to Aubin-Mercier, he felt like the $1 million stage was just like another day in the gym. “I still have the d

Eddie Alvarez doubts Michael Chandler is interested in completing their trilogy. Alvarez, who meets Mike Perry in the main event of BKFC 56 on Dec. 2 in Salt Lake City, is open to an MMA return. He suggested a rubber match with Chandler potentially in the UFC, and Chandler seemed all for it . Chandler is currently slated to welcome Conor McGregor back to the octagon in 2024, but Alvarez thinks he’s avoiding a rubber match with him. “He’s interested in Conor,” Alvarez told Morning Kombat of Chandler. “The last thing that guy wants to do is fight me. I’ve been trying to fight him. Wherever I go, he goes later on.” Alvarez and Chandler fought in two title-fight barnburners under the Bellator banner, with Chandler winning their first meeting in 2011 by fourth-round submission and Alvarez exacting his revenge two years later in a close fight. Alvarez revealed he had a phone call with Chandler to discuss the possibility of a trilogy bout, which he says was received with enthusiasm at

UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira expects Jamahal Hill to resort to grappling like most of his past opponents. At UFC 295, Pereira (9-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) knocked out Jiri Prochazka to claim the vacant light heavyweight title that Hill relinquished after he ruptured his Achilles tendon. Hill (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) is expected to challenge Pereira for the title in his return, and “Poatan” suggests he might be his most favorable matchup at 205 pounds. “I think I proved myself in the light heavyweight division with the fight against Jiri, winning the title, and obviously as well with the fight against Jan Błachowicz,” Pereira said on his YouTube channel through an interpreter. “If I would compare these three fighters – Jamahal, Jan and Jiri – and someone would tell me, like, ‘Hey, choose one you would like to fight,’ I would choose Jamahal because I think he’s a good opponent for me.” Hill vowed to put Pereira to sleep when they fight. However, the former two-division Glory Kic

Patchy Mix hopes to lock horns with Sean O'Malley someday. In Bellator’s final show this past Friday, Mix (19-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) submitted Sergio Pettis (23-6 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) by second-round rear-naked choke to unify the promotion’s 135-pound titles. O’Malley (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) captured the UFC bantamweight title by knocking out Aljamain Sterling in August. With both their abilities to take people out, Mix thinks their contrasting styles would make for an interesting fight. “Sean O’Malley, that’s the dream fight,” Mix told The Schmo . “It’s a big fight: similar records, similar size, he knocks everyone out, I submit everyone. It would be a crazy fight.” O’Malley runs things back with Marlon Vera for his first title defense at UFC 299 in March. Meanwhile, Mix’s next move is unclear. With PFL and Bellator merging, Mix will continue competing against Bellator fighters since PFL doesn’t have a bantamweight division. He sees multiple options. “Maybe Raufeon Stots,” Mix said on hi

The UFC’s 30th anniversary date has come and gone, and in the build-up to the milestone date, MMA Junkie counted down its 30 greatest fighters of all time to compete for the promotion. There was plenty of debate about the entire list from top to bottom, and one point of contention was recency bias and specifically which fighters on our list benefitted the most from it. The final list was tabulated through a points system after voting from MMA Junkie’s 12-person staff. Fighters that might’ve raised eye brows with their placement and discussed as benefitting from recency bias were Alexander Volkanovski (No. 9), Henry Cejudo (No. 17) and Francis Ngannou (No. 28). Related MMA Junkie's 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time companion video: Part 1 (Nos. 15-1) MMA Junkie's 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time companion video: Part 1 (Nos. 30-16) 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time: Should Ronda Rousey have been higher on our list? 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time

Tom Aspinall would love to lace up the boxing gloves if he’s forced to wait for Jon Jones to come back. Aspinall (14-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC)  captured the interim heavyweight title by knocking out Pavlovich at UFC 295, but will have to wait for heavyweight champion Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) to defend his belt against Stipe Miocic in 2024 before unifying the belts. Aspinall called for Jones to vacate his belt so he can keep the division moving, since Jones is expected to be sidelined for at least eight months after needing surgery for a torn pectoral muscle. With that option unlikely, Aspinall suggests he compete in boxing in the meantime. “I want to be active. I’m healthy,” Aspinall said in an interview with Fight Disciples about boxing. “I’ll absolutely do that. If I can pass that with the UFC, I’ll do that. I think it’s a good idea. I like it – I like it a lot. “If they want me to do it, I’ll do it. But I want to be active. I had a year off with the knee injury and stuff. I’ve come

Baris Adiguzel hopes activity can fast track him to the UFC. Adiguzel is coming off a 16-second highlight reel knockout at Cage Warriors 162 on Oct. 28. The 24-year-old Turkish fighter trains out of Boxing Squad in Nice, France – home to UFC flyweight contender Manon Fiorot. Cage Warriors has produced UFC superstars such as Conor McGregor, Michael Bisping, and Tom Aspinall. Adiguzel hopes the same promotion can springboard him to the octagon too. “If I can stay active, I can fight every three months. For sure I’m going to be in a really big organization,” Adiguzel told MMA Junkie Radio. “I don’t know where, I would like to be in the UFC, I’m not going to lie. “I don’t want to do like 20 fights before going to the UFC. I want to win, win, win and go to the UFC pretty quickly. I really believe that I can do really good things in the UFC. Just talking about this, I’m really excited.” Baris Adiguzel with the KNOCKOUT KOs his opponent in less than 20 seconds! Watch #CW162 live

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The six $1 million finals at the 2023 PFL Championship are set after Thursday’s official weigh-ins. For the final PFL event of the season, 12 fighters will vie for PFL titles in six weight classes with $1 million to each winner. Check out the highlights of their trips to the scale in the video above. The 2023 PFL Championship takes place Friday and streams on ESPN+. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2023 PFL Championship . from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/NrifLJH via IFTTT

Ilia Topuria sees his ground game posing problems for UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski . Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) challenges Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) for the 145-pound title in the UFC 298 headliner on Feb. 17. Topuria started his career with seven consecutive submission wins but has relied more on his striking in recent octagon bouts. But against Volkanovski, he sees the ground as his path to victory. “That’s where I really think I have the advantage with him because he’s a good striker, but he’s not a natural wrestler. or he’s not good on the ground,” Topuria said on the Overdogs Podcast . “That’s where I’m going to make a difference.” Volkanovski will make less than a four-month turnaround after suffering a first-round knockout to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 294. However, Topuria isn’t putting too much stock into that. “For me, what happened in his last fight doesn’t change anything,” Topuria said. “I know the result will be the same

Sean O'Malley is one of the UFC’s most popular fighters today. There are many reasons why that’s come to be, but perhaps the biggest was how his UFC-contract-winning performance was presented. O’Malley joined the UFC after his impressive first-round knockout of Alfred Khashakyan was enough to seal the deal on the second season of Dana White’s Contender Series in 2917. What really pushed O’Malley into the spotlight that night was rapper Snoop Dogg’s reaction while he served as an alternative commentator – along with Urijah Faber – for the event. “Oh, huge. Massive, massive,” O’Malley told “The Breakfast Club” when asked what role played Snoop Dog in his rise to stardom. “It’s crazy how my career has played out. That was the beginning of the craziness. Snoop Dog is commentating on my fight when I was 21, 22 on the Contender Series. “It’s the first time they’ve done it. I knock that dude out, and he yells ‘O’Malley’ like 30 times. That was crazy.” View this p

The UFC’s 30th anniversary date has come and gone, and in the build-up to the milestone date, MMA Junkie counted down its 30 greatest fighters of all time to compete for the promotion. There was plenty of debate about the entire list from top to bottom, and one of the major discussion points was about our top 10: Who doesn’t belong there? Related Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time reaction show MMA Junkie's 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time: Full list and videos 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time: Alexander Volkanovski ranked No. 9 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time: Stipe Miocic ranked No. 10 The final list was tabulated through a points system after voting from MMA Junkie’s 12-person staff. Two names brought up as being too high were Alexander Volkanovski at No. 9 and Stipe Miocic at No. 10, a major point of conversation on MMA Junkie’s special edition of “Spinning Back Clique,” where the majority of our staff came together