Category: Hablemos MMA

Javier Mendez responds to Merab Dvalishvili claiming Umar Nurmagomedov doesn’t deserve UFC 311 title shot

Javier Mendez responds to critics claiming Umar Nurmagomedov doesn’t deserve the title shot vs. Merab Dvalisvili at UFC 311.

[autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] has been very vocal about his thoughts on the merit of [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s title shot.

The UFC bantamweight champion doesn’t see Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) deserving of the title opportunity, which is set to play out in the co-main event of UFC 311 on Jan. 18 in Inglewood, Calif. (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) thinks there are better deserving contenders in line, and some fans have agreed with his rhetoric.

[autotag]Javier Mendez[/autotag], trainer of Nurmagomedov, disagrees with Dvalishvili’s claims.

“This is what I say: When he fought Cory Sandhagen, UFC said that whoever wins that fight would fight for the title – whether it was going to be )Sean) O’Malley or Merab,” Mendez told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. “That’s what the UFC told Umar and Sandhagen. So why now that the fight is over, and Umar won, why is it that what UFC had said should no longer be true? UFC wants this fight. That’s why they brought Umar to the Sphere, right?

“When (Dvalishvili) won, and they interviewed him, and they said this is your next challenge, Merab said, ‘Oh, Dana needs to talk to me. He needs to get to know me as a person, and then we’ll talk about it.’ Why? The UFC wanted this fight. Umar didn’t say, ‘Hey, I need to fight for the title if I beat Sandhagen.’ No, they were the ones that said the winner would go for the title next, so that’s all we’re doing. Umar told me, ‘Look, coach. If they don’t give me the title, I just want to fight before Ramadan.’ That’s all. He just wanted to fight.”

On the flip side of this debate, some fans have suggested that Dvalishvili’s criticism doesn’t come from a place of wanting to see fairness play out in the division, but fear of losing his title.

“I don’t believe he’s scared of Umar. He’s a champion, and the champion doesn’t fear anyone,” Mendez said.

The Team Eagle camp has been famous for its high-level, sambo-based Dagestan fighters. It’s often assumed that a Team Eagle fighter will always enter about with a wrestling advantage.

However, this UFC 311 matchups is interesting, given that Dvalishvili is one of the most effective wrestlers today, and even out wrestled Olympic wrestling gold medalist Henry Cejudo last February at UFC 298.

Mendez thinks Nurmagomedov will have the advantage in both the striking and grappling department. He doesn’t think Nurmagomodov will struggle on the ground.

“The path to victory for us is both – we need to do both,” Mendez said. “Merab is really good at taking the fight to the ground, so I think we’ll have to fight in both areas, and I know that we’re going to beat in both striking and grappling. The thing that he has better than us is the conditioning, but you know what, we don’t need to do more than five rounds. We’re not doing 10 or seven, we’re doing five – only five. Umar can do five hard rounds no problem.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

Javier Mendez explains why Islam Makhachev is No. 1 pound-for-pound best, not Jon Jones

For Javier Mendez, there’s little debate on who’s the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter today.

There were several storylines that remained consistent throughout 2024 with one of the biggest being the debate of who is the No. 1 pound-for-pound best fighter in MMA today.

The biggest instigator of that discussion was none other than UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag], who insisted [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] was the only choice for the debate and didn’t entertain the possibility of other UFC champions, including [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] – who many believe is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world today.

[autotag]Javier Mendez[/autotag], Makhachev’s trainer, thinks there shouldn’t be much of a debate, even if in reality it’s a discussion that will carry over for the majority of 2025.

“This is what I always say: How many fights does Jon Jones have in the last four years? Tell me. How many?” Mendez told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. “If you said six or seven, OK. But how many does he have? Two in four years.

“No, you need to fight more than that (for pound-for-pound best). If Islam were to do the same, I’d put Jon Jones at No. 1 – but he hasn’t fought (as much). If he had been active, then it’s a different conversation – but he’s barely fought. That why, that reason alone, I put Islam at No. 1.”

For Mendez, it’s also not only the activity level. Yes, Jones has only fought twice since 2021, while Makhachev has fought eight times. It’s also the level of competition.

“Islam’s fights have always been against No. 1,” Mendez said. “Alexander Volkanovski was the best featherweight in the world and pound-for-pound, and he fought him, and everyone he’s fought has been very tough. The styles of all those guys were very good.

“Jon Jones fought Miocic, who was (42), and hadn’t fought in like four years, so he wasn’t the same. Jon Jones is supreme. He’s an excellent talent and has never lost in his whole life. It’s tough to critique him, because he’s fought everyone, but he just hasn’t fought much in the last four years.”

For Mendez, there’s no debate. He thinks that people misunderstand the point of the discussion, which is why there’s a debate triggered. He respects Jones and sees him as the greatest fighter of all time, which is a different label than the pound-for-pound best.

“The pound-for-pound conversation is now,” Mendez said. “I’m not going around saying that Islam is the greatest of all time. I’m just saying he’s the pound-for-pound best right now. That’s all. I’m not saying anything else.”

Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) returns to the octagon on Jan. 18 in the main event of UFC 311, which goes down in Los Angeles, Calif. Makhachev defends his lightweight title in a rematch against Arman Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC).

The two fought back in April 2019. It was Tsarukyan’s UFC debut, which he took on short notice. The fight ended up going all 15 minutes, with Tsarukyan coming up short in a unanimous decision, but putting on an admirable effort.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

UFC 311: Javier Mendez unsurprised to see Arman Tsarukyan rematch Islam Makhachev for title

Coach Javier Mendez had a feeling Islam Makhachev would fight Arman Tsarukyan again after their first bout in 2019.

[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] has worked his way back to a rematch with [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag], and this time it’s for the UFC lightweight title. [autotag]Javier Mendez[/autotag] is not surprised one bit.

Mendez, leading coach at American Kickboxing Academy and Eagles MMA, had a feeling his student Makhachev would cross paths once again with Tsarukyan after the conclusion of their first bout in Saint Petersburg, Russia, back in 2019.

Makhachev welcomed Tsarukyan to the UFC in what’s safe to say was a very difficult debut. Yet, despite the tough task, the then 22-year-old Tsarukyan gave plenty of work to Makhachev and was able to see out a decision – something few fighters have done in recent years. Even in defeat, the Armenian fighter impressed many.

“I thought, ‘Man, that kid is very good, and he’s just going to get better with time as he continues fighting,'” Mendez told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. “That’s what I thought. Now, this time around, he’s in front of us, and I knew this was going to happen because he was at a good level when he first fought Islam and was very young. He didn’t have the experience.

“He’s going to make us work in this fight, but Islam is pound-for-pound No. 1, so I know he’s going to beat him. I feel very confident in Islam’s style. He’s the best of them all.”

Fast-forward almost six years, and Makhachev and Tsarukyan will run things back in the main event of UFC 311 – which takes place on Jan. 18 in Los Angeles. Mendez knows it’s going to be a tough fight, but contrary to what many are saying in the build up to the rematch, he doesn’t think it’ll be the toughest fight in Makhachev’s title reign.

“I don’t know if he’s the toughest fight,” Mendez explained. “Maybe he is, maybe he’s not. I do think he’s already had the toughest fight, which was against Dustin. Dustin brought the dog.

“If Arman brings the dog as well, Islam will have to bring out the dog in him if needed. Hopefully he doesn’t have to because it’s rough to fight like that. He can beat him in a much easier way, but if it comes down to it, I know Islam can bring out the dog in him, too.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

UFC on ESPN 63: Joel Alvarez plans to move up to welterweight following Tampa event

Don’t expect to see Joel Alvarez stick around lightweight.

TAMPA, Fla. – It looks like [autotag]Joel Alvarez[/autotag]’s days as a lightweight will soon come to an end.

Although competing in a 155-pound bout at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 63, “El Fenomeno” doesn’t see himself doing more future cuts to his long-time division. Alvarez (21-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC), who takes on Drakkar Klose (15-2-1 MMA, 9-2 UFC) on the preliminary card, has come to that realization in the lead-up to his return on Saturday.

“I spoke about it with my team on the way here, the truth is that it’s a reality,” Alvarez told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “I believe that’s a reality now. I’m going to do the fight on Saturday, and I think at most do another at 155, then after, due to everything that implies to get down, I’m going to move up to 170 to compete.”

Alvarez has competed eight times under the UFC banner and has missed weight on two occasions. Although he’s made weight for his last three bouts, and he seemed to have his cuts dialed in, the Spanish fighter would like to be more active, which is something he just can’t do fighting at 155 pounds.

“The cuts are very hard, they’re hard,” Alvarez explained. “I’m a guy that’s 1.90 m (6’2), I’m very tall, so the cut is very tough. In the end, you have to get fights that are 10 weeks out.

“For example, a fight with a six-week training camp, I wouldn’t be able to accept it because I wouldn’t have enough time to cut. I naturally walk around 85-88 kg, that’s 185, 190 pounds, so it’s a big cut. I think it is better for me to move to 170, and I’d probably end weighing more, but I’d be stronger, and it would definitely be more natural.”

Apart from wanting to fight more frequently, there’s also a health aspect involved. Alvarez knows these weight cuts can’t be good for his long-term health, and that’s also something that’s played a role in his decision-making.

“You take the body to the extreme,” Alvarez said. “You cut 15 kilos in just 10 or nine weeks, and that’s a ton of weight, especially for a person that’s already in shape. I’m not losing weight because I have weight issues, and I’m obese. I’m already in shape, and yet I still do the cut. So from a health aspect, this is not good. These last few weeks are tough, and especially the last day when you have to dehydrate your body. You start seeing everything different, you even wonder if this is all worth it.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 63.

Daniel Marcos vows to KO Adrian Yanez at UFC on ESPN 63, break into bantamweight rankings

Daniel Marcos sees a big opportunity to further his MMA career in his UFC on ESPN 63 matchup vs. Adrian Yanez.

TAMPA, Fla. – [autotag]Daniel Marcos[/autotag] sees his return at UFC on ESPN 63 as an opportunity to punch his ticket into the UFC official bantamweight rankings.

“Soncora,” an undefeated fighter from Peru, takes on Adrian Yanez – arguably the biggest name he’s ever faced in his career. This key bantamweight bout goes down on the main card of UFC Tampa. Marcos (16-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) recognizes Yanez (17-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is a skilled rival, but he expects to put him away in impressive fashion and prove he’s among the elite at 135 pounds.

“He’s a very tough rival,” Marcos told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “Once you get close to the top 15, and you’re in the top 20 of the division, all the opponents are tough. However, I’ve trained so hard spiritually and physically that he has no chance against me.

“I’m very strong. We know he’s a boxer and has good hands, but this is MMA. I can fight standing, on the ground; I have knees, elbows and kicks. I’m very versatile. All I can say is that I’m going to finish him in the second round. I’m ready for the next level. I believe I’m at the next level, and I don’t say that with ego, I just have so much trust in my work.”

Stopping Yanez would maintain Marcos’ undefeated status and put him 4-0 in the UFC. He believes this is more than enough to earn him a spot in the UFC official bantamweight rankings.

“Yes, I’m definitely fighting for a spot in the rankings,” Marcos said. “I think winning this fight, I’m in the rankings. I have four fights in the UFC. I’m an undefeated fighter that’s 16-0, but should be 17-0 because my opponent in February backed out because of a (illegal) hit that wasn’t all that. I consider that as a win. But definitely, you’re talking about someone that’s undefeated, 16-0, four fights in the UFC, this is definitely a great opportunity to enter the top 15 of the division.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 63.

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Diego Lopes reacts to UFC champ Ilia Topuria’s call for 155 move: ‘He has work to do in the division’

Diego Lopes gives his opinion on UFC featherweight champ Ilia Topuria wanting to move up to lightweight.

[autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] caused many reactions with his comments on wanting to leave the UFC featherweight division behind for a move up to lightweight.

UFC contender [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag] was one of the many who were caught off guard by the 145-pound champion’s bold remarks. Lopes, who’s knocking on the door of a title shot at featherweight, doesn’t care if Topuria stays or leaves the division. However, he does find Topuria’s potential move premature.

“From my point of view, I think he has work to do in the division,” Lopes told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “We have several contenders that have their sight on him, and I’m one of those. I would like a fight against him, and if he stays in the division, that’s a fight that I’ll look for. But if he is really leaving, he needs to make that decision, and let’s see what happens with the division.”

Given Topuria’s success in winning and defending the UFC featherweight title, plus the number of rising contenders in the weight class, Lopes admits he was surprised by Topuria’s recent comments.

Still, Lopes is still not sold that the move is 100 percent happening next. But if it does come to fruition, he’d like for the UFC to match him uop against former champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag].

“I think those comments caught everyone by surprise since he had said he was going to defend his title against Volkanovski for his next fight,” Lopes explained.” But who knows, we don’t know what’s going to happen with the division, and we’re even asking the UFC what’s going to happen, and we haven’t gotten an answer, so maybe he’s losing his patience and that’s why he made that comments about wanting to move to 155 to see if something happens or UFC gives him an answer.

“If he truly is going to move up to 155, I’d like to fight against Volkanovski – whether it’s a title fight or not or an interim title. I’d want to fight him. If he’s going to be left without a fight, I’m here.”

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Jorge Masvidal: Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA up to par in quality with PFL, Bellator

Jorge Masvidal feels Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA is now among the big dog promotions in MMA.

Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA has been putting on some of the biggest bouts outside the UFC in recent years, and its owner and creator [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] thinks the promotion is now up to par with the likes of PFL and Bellator.

Masvidal, the original BMF champion and UFC star, has been slowly transitioning into a promoter role as he winds down his fighting career. Through Gamebred Promotions, Masvidal has been putting on boxing, bareknuckle boxing, and primarily bareknuckle MMA with big names in the sport. Notable fighters such as Junior Dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum, Anthony Pettis, Alan Belcher, Roy Nelson, and others are just some of the names that have fought under his banner.

With several events and fights crossing the million views threshold on YouTube – where the fights stream – and having recognized names, Masvidal feels comfortable saying his promotion is now formidable competition in the MMA space.

“We get more numbers than Bellator and PFL on YouTube,” Masvidal told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “We get more views than them compared to their big show. I’m not trying to insult them or anything. I’m the only one that has this product, and I’m doing it at the highest level possible. There are other promotions that do bareknuckle, but their fighters records are not that impressive. They are novices. I’m getting a lot of fighters who are known and fought for the UFC, and other big promotions around the world. I get those people or fighters who are doing well and are on the come up with 5-0, 6-0 records. We get a lot of promising talent.

“So I think with our matchmaking, we’re up to par with all the other big shows. I don’t see a big difference between them and us. Now, the UFC is something else – everyone wants to fight for them. But after the UFC, as far as talent, I’m there with all the other organizations.”

Although the Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA events are free on YouTube and feature recognized names in the MMA space, Masvidal says feels the appeal of the promotion goes beyond that. Unlike the rest of the major MMA promotions, he strongly believes the bareknuckle aspect has made his product must-watch TV.

“Brother, I’d say that bareknuckle MMA, if you just watch it one time, I don’t have to do nothing else,” Masvidal said. “That’s it. I just need to get people to watch an entire event one time, and you’re a client for life. You’re not missing a single show. When the fight hits the ground, the action continues because you can go for submissions much quicker, so there’s more action. There’s no time to be on your phone or anything, it keeps people hooked the entire time. Also, on the feet, without any gloves, you can land a shot that ends the fight at any time. There’s just more chances to finish the fight at any moment. I think anyone that watches becomes a fan for life.

“I see it from the first show we had, getting 100,00 views, then 200,000, and now we’re getting 3 or 4 million views a show. And it’s not like we’re having a former UFC fighter once and that’s it, we’re constantly getting UFC names on the card and getting good numbers.”

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Jorge Masvidal aims for Conor McGregor or Leon Edwards in UFC return fight

With a UFC comeback seemingly imminent, Jorge Masvidal shares his plans for 2025.

[autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] wants to make a big splash for his return to the UFC.

The original BMF champion, Masvidal plans to return next April at the UFC’s expected pay-per-view event in Miami, and he’s specifically targeting a couple of big names in star [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and former welterweight champion [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag].

Masvidal (35-17 MMA, 12-10 UFC) has history with both fighters, but ideally he’d like to face McGregor.

“I’d like for it to be Conor (McGregor) because I heard he also wants to fight on that same date,” Masvidal told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “He’s never mentioned my name because he knows I’ll rip his head off. However, if him and the UFC make that mistake, I’ll take his head off in Miami in April. But I don’t know if he wants it. He knows I’ll break him and make him look bad. I won’t take him down. I’ll strike with him and take him out of this orbit. He’s never mentioned my name, and it’s for a reason. …

“They’re saying he might want to do it, but I’m chilling. If he wants to do it, great, I’ll kill him. If not, Leon Edwards. He and I have history, and it’s time to settle it. He’s not booked, and neither am I. Let’s go, sign the contract, and I’ll break your face.”

McGregor vs. Masvidal: Big UFC business?

Masvidal promises a UFC return in the first half of 2025. It would be his first MMA fight after announcing his retirement from the sport in 2023. Masvidal did compete once in 2024 but in a boxing match against Nate Diaz – a fight he lost by majority decision.

“Gamebred” has been one of the biggest stars in MMA in recent years. Although interested in the fight against Edwards, he ideally would like to fight McGregor, as the two could put on a blockbuster event for the promotion.

“He knows I’m the best pay-per-view draw right behind him,” Masvidal said. “He’s No. 1, and then it’s me in terms of who’s sold the most pay-per-views in recent years. What would a fight between me and him do? That would break all records.

“He’s a b*tch. He’s a b*tch. Plus, he likes to snort cocaine all day. Let’s see if he wants to throw down with a true dog. Training is what I do. I’ll bust my ass to be in the best shape possible. That guy is a clown.”

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Roberto Romero reflects on gutsy UFC 309 debut loss vs. David Onama

Mexico’s Roberto Romero has been asking himself “what if” since losing his UFC debut against David Onama.

[autotag]Roberto Romero[/autotag] might’ve taken a loss Saturday at UFC 309, but many were still impressed with what they saw from the newcomer.

Romero debuted for the UFC against veteran [autotag]David Onama[/autotag] on the preliminary card of UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden. It was a fight he took the Tuesday before the event with basically no preparation, as he replaced Lucas Almeida.

Little chance was given to Romero (8-4-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) as Onama entered as a -1000 betting favorite. Yet, despite the odds, the Mexican fighter put it on Onama and nearly finished him in the first round.

“Believe me, that’s something I’ve analyzed a lot,” Romero told MMA Junkie in Spanish when asked about his decision take the back rather than finish a rocked Onama. “In fact, yesterday was the first day I was able to sleep since the fight because it ended on Saturday and all the adrenaline and mix of emotions just kept me thinking and going over things in my head. I gave it a lot of thought, and yeah, f*ck, if I would’ve kept hitting him, just taken a step back and kept hitting him. But the ‘what if’ doesn’t exist. …

“At the end of the day this is a learning experience, and yeah, analyzing it, maybe if I would’ve kept hitting him, maybe I would’ve picked up the finish. But yeah, you learn and keep moving forward.”

After a hot first start where he almost finished Onama, the veteran survived and went on to win the rest of the fight, but with stiff resistance from Romero.

Romero admits the defeat stung, and he was disappointed he couldn’t get his hand raised in the octagon. But after getting embraced by the fan base and his family, Romero can say he’s proud of what he was able to display that night in New York City.

“Honestly, I’m very happy,” Romero said. “I did go in there to win. I didn’t go in there with a mediocre mentality like, ‘Oh, let’s just see what happens.’ No, I went to win. I studied him as much as I could in the few days I had, and I tried to make the most of this opportunity. I was 100 percent focused, and I gave it my all in that cage. I went there to win, but unfortunately it didn’t happen. There’s just so much you can control and is not like Onama is a walk in the park. He’s a lion, who was coming in there to win as well. We both left it all in there.

“I admit I was a little sad and disappointed din myself because I’m a bit of a perfectionist, but after hearing mu coaches and seeing people’s messages, and from my family and wife, they all lifted me and I feel very thankful. It’s not the result I wanted, but I don’t think my performance was too bad.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

UFC 309’s Veronica Hardy won’t stress over rankings or title contention, focused on improving

Despite being on a three-fight wining streak, Veronica Hardy doesn’t want to focus too much on UFC title contention.

Step by step, or in her case, fight by fight. That’s how [autotag]Veronica Hardy [/autotag] is approaching things now that she’s in the best moment of her  career.

Hardy rides a three-fight winning streak heading into her return to the octagon Saturday at UFC 309 from Madison Square Garden in New York. The Venezuelan women’s flyweight takes on Eduarda Moura in the opening bout of the card.

A potential four-fight winning streak is no joke in the women’s 125-pound division. Yet, Hardy (9-4-1 MMA, 4-4 UFC) doesn’t want to get too far ahead and start projecting herself into the rankings or the UFC title picture.

“I think if you look too ahead, the road just seems so long like, ‘Wow, I’m not even ranked,'” Hardy told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “So for me, I’m just taking it fight by fight and focused on improving.

“It’d be a waste to get to the title and not be ready because I needed something in my game. Imagine getting so far just to come up short. So for me, if I’m ready, then yes. Right now I just want to get tough fights, keep climbing up the rankings and keep improving as a martial artist.”

Hardy doesn’t think a win alone on Saturday will get her a spot in the official UFC rankings for her division. She thinks it can get her a future fight to compete for a spot, but given the right performance, maybe she can squeeze in the world’s best.

“I don’t think I will enter the rankings, but maybe I’ll get a fight to enter the rankings,” Hardy said. “I think the fighters in the rankings are all very skilled and have picked up big wins, so I don’t think me winning will get someone out. I also think it comes down to whether or not they like your fights because you might just need more to enter the rankings. So I think the performance itself is very important.”

Taking things back to her fight-by-fight approach, Hardy can’t wait to compete Saturday. She likes the matchup with Moura (10-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), but more importantly she’s fighting in a legendary arena.

“I’m so excited, so excited, especially because I asked for this fight so much,” Hardy said. “I asked for it last year to fight at this (MSG) event, and they said no. I was more persistent in asking for this one.

“I train here in New York, so it makes it more special. Going to training every day and seeing the arena right there, because it’s a giant monster, it’s something that’s helped me because it’s such an impactful city, and I feel right at home. I think it will help me a ton.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.