Ian Machado Garry will have a fan favorite assisting him against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310.
[autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] will have a fan favorite assisting him at UFC 310.
Machado Garry (18-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) takes on former Kill Cliff FC teammate Shavkat Rakhmonov (15-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in Saturday’s co-main event (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Although Machado Garry trained at Bangtao Muay Thai and MMA in Phuket, Thailand for this fight, he will have former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] in his corner, whom he previously spent extensive time training with at Chute Boxe Diego Lima in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
“I read a stat the other day: Charles Oliveira went to the fourth round for the first time in his career after his 46th UFC fight,” Garry said on his YouTube channel. “That’s insane. The guy is a machine. … I f*cking love and adore Charles Oliveira with all of my heart.
“He is absolutely the most entertaining fighter in the UFC. … Man has never been in an un-entertaining fight. He’s an absolute savage, I love him, and he’s going to be in my corner for this fight.”
“I think God has a plan, and if God wants me to finish Shavkat, he will give it to me,” Machado Garry said. “But I have no problem thumping it out of Shavkat for 25 minutes and making a statement.”
According to Shavkat Rakhmonov, he’s already gotten the best of Ian Machado Garry before they meet inside the cage at UFC 310.
According to [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag], he’s already gotten the best of [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag].
Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) takes on former teammate Machado Garry (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in a five-round welterweight bout on Saturday in the UFC 310 co-main event (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+) from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
In 2023, Machado Garry posted footage of him sparring Rakhmonov at Kill Cliff FC. Rakhmonov said the pair sparred about three or four times during the Irishman’s time there and revealed that the footage does not paint the entire picture of what happened.
“At the time, his wife asked me if she can film the footage of us sparring, and I accepted it,” Rakhmonov said on “The Ariel Helwani Show” through an interpreter. “But they didn’t ask me if they can release it or not. I wonder why they didn’t release the other part of the sparring.”
So what really happened during their sparring session?
“Ian Garry taps,” Rakhmonov said. “It was a submission, choke.”
However, Rakhmonov is not focused on what happened in their past training sessions. The big betting favorite is aware that Machado Garry has also continued to find ways to get his hand raised and doesn’t necessarily expect the same outcome from their sparring.
“The most important for me is the win,” Rakhmonov said. “Sparring is sparring. The fight is different. Ian Garry is a very tough opponent who is a good tactician, who comes in with a good game plan. So for me, it doesn’t matter submission or the stoppage. For me, what’s most important is to win.”
Conor McGregor’s time in the UFC has been the best of times and the worst of times, although the glory days feel like a distant memory.
(This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccurate headline.)
[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]’s time in the UFC has been the best of times and the worst of times, although the glory days feel like a distant memory.
McGregor went from being on welfare to joining the UFC in April 2013, and he talked a big game from the moment he stepped foot in the octagon. Fight fans overwhelmingly loved him. And in the ensuing three years after his debut, McGregor quickly rose to a level of stardom not quite achieved before in mixed martial arts, which peaked when he became the first fighter in UFC history to simultaneously hold two championship belts.
Below is a timeline of key events that have transpired between the highest and lowest points of his career.
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November 12, 2016: McGregor becomes UFC’s first simultaneous two-division champ
Conor McGregor became the first UFC fighter to win titles in two divisions at UFC 205. (USA TODAY Sports)
Already the promotion’s featherweight champion, McGregor reaches the pinnacle of the sport with a brilliant performance against then-lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in the promotion’s first visit to Madison Square Garden. McGregor puts on a striking clinic to dominate Alvarez before winning by second-round TKO. It’s a historic victory for McGregor, who becomes the first UFC fighter to hold two belts at the same time with the addition of the 155-pound title.
November 26, 2016: McGregor stripped of UFC featherweight title
McGregor’s champ-champ status lasts all of two weeks as the UFC announces on a Fight Night broadcast that McGregor is stripped of the featherweight title. The move is part of a shakeup that includes Jose Aldo, whom McGregor knocked out to claim the title in December 2015, being promoted from interim to undisputed champ and a new UFC 206 headliner between Max Holloway and Anthony Pettis for the interim 145-pound title.
August 26, 2017: McGregor loses monumental boxing match to Mayweather
April 5, 2018: McGregor stripped of UFC lightweight title
Dana White announces at a fight-week news conference that McGregor is stripped of the lightweight title ahead of the UFC 223 main event, sealing the fact that McGregor never defended either of the UFC two belts he’d won. McGregor responds in a crude post on Twitter.
April 5, 2018: McGregor attacks fighter bus at UFC 223 media day
Conor McGregor looks on next to his lawyer, Jim Walden (R) and John Arlia (L), during his arraignment at the Kings County (Brooklyn) Criminal Court on April 6, 2018 in New York. (Photo by Mary Altaffer/Pool via Getty Images)
Looking for revenge against Khabib Nurmagomedov, who two days earlier confronted his then-good friend Artem Lobov, McGregor goes berserk on a bus carrying Nurmagomedov and other UFC 223 fighters. The incident took place after McGregor and members of his team entered the bowels of Barclays Center, which hosted the aforementioned press event, where fighters boarded busses to return to the host hotel. Once inside, McGregor incited a chaos that included him throwing a dolly through a bus window, causing injuries to Ray Borg and Michael Chiesa (Borg withdrew from UFC 223 afterward), and immediately fled the scene. McGregor was arrested by the New York Police Department and charged with multiple counts of assault after turning himself in the next day. McGregor eventually reached a plea deal in the case and served his sentence of community service at at churches.
October 6, 2018: McGregor submitted by Khabib at UFC 229, brawl ensues
March 11, 2019: McGregor arrested after smashing fan’s phone
Conor McGregor’s mug shot in Florida. (Miami Beach Police Department)
McGregor is arrested in Miami Beach, Fla., after being caught on video grabbing a fan’s cell phone and throwing it to the ground. Charges against McGregor were dropped two months later, and the man, whose phone was destroyed in the incident, dropped his lawsuit after reaching a settlement with McGregor.
March 26, 2019: McGregor under investigation for sexual assault in Dublin
October 19, 2019: McGregor faces second sexual assault allegation
After revealing McGregor’s name in a report of an alleged sexual assault earlier in the year, the New York Times reports that McGregor is under investigation for a second sexual assault allegation in Ireland. The Times report includes the detail that a woman in her 20s was sexually assaulted, allegedly by McGregor, outside a Dublin pub while in a vehicle.
January 18, 2020: McGregor finishes Cerrone in 40 seconds
Conor McGregor moves in to finish Donald Cerrone during UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena. (Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)
McGregor returns from a 15-month layoff and wins his first fight in more than three years when he beats Donald Cerrone by TKO in 40 seconds at UFC 246.
June 6, 2020: McGregor ‘decided to retire from fighting’
July 10, 2021: McGregor suffers gruesome broken leg in Poirier trilogy at UFC 264
Conor McGregor is carried out of the arena on a stretcher after injuring his ankle in the first round of his lightweight bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. (Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports)
Six months after losing to Poirier, McGregor returns for the trilogy and loses by injury TKO after suffering a gruesome broken leg in the final seconds of the first round. McGregor undergoes surgery the next day and is out of action indefinitely while he recovers.
March 22, 2022: McGregor arrested for ‘dangerous driving’ in Dublin
June 9, 2023: McGregor punches Miami Heat mascot in skit gone wrong
While attending Game 4 of the NBA Finals, a promotional stunt goes wrong when the man wearing the Miami Heat mascot costume is injured by McGregor, who punches him twice. The man was hospitalized but not seriously hurt.
June 15, 2023: McGregor accused of sexually assaulting woman at NBA Finals game
Conor McGregor during Game 4 of the NBA Finals in June 2023. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images)
At the same NBA Finals game where the mascot stunt went wrong, a woman accuses McGregor of “violently” raping her inside of a bathroom at Kaseya Center. McGregor was arrested and charged, but the charges were later dropped after prosecutors concluded there was “insufficient evidence” and “contradicting and/or no corroborating witnesses” to prove beyond a reasonable that McGregor assaulted the woman.
October 11, 2023: McGregor controversy at center of UFC-USADA program ending
McGregor, who had exited the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s drug-testing pool while recovering from his broken leg, reenters the program as the UFC announces that it will end its partnership with USADA. In a statement, USADA indicates at the center of the split is a disagreement with the UFC over a potential McGregor exception to return to the cage without having to pass two tests in six months. The UFC later accuses USADA of using McGregor to advance a “false narrative.”
June 3, 2024: McGregor vs. Chandler press conference called off
After booking his highly anticipated return to the cage against Michael Chandler at UFC 303, a press conference to promote the event in Dublin is suddenly called off hours beforehand. It’s initially announced to have been postponed for unknown reasons.
June 13, 2024: McGregor vs. Chandler UFC 303 headliner canceled
November 22, 2024: McGregor found liable in 2018 sexual assault case
Conor McGregor arrives at court, on the day he attends a civil trial on allegations of sexual assault, in Dublin, Ireland November 19, 2024. (REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo)
Is Jon Jones ducking a matchup with Tom Aspinall? Not according to the UFC heavyweight champ’s coach, Brandon Gibson.
UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]’ coach [autotag]Brandon Gibson[/autotag] is confident his fighter would take care of business inside the octagon against interim champ [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag].
Gibson has been alongside Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) for the entirety of Jones’ run atop two divisions in the UFC. From their perspective, Jones, 37, is done showing and proving. Now, it’s about getting the most out of the game before calling it a career. According to Gibson, it has nothing to do with Jones being a “duck” and avoiding a matchup against Aspinall.
“I think it’s about timing,” Gibson told Din Thomas and Alan Jouban on SiriusXM Fight Nation. “I think it’s about getting the most out of this fight game. I’ve been in it for a long time, as I know you guys have, and it’s not always a fair game. People don’t always get what they deserve in this game.
“I think Jon’s in a powerful position right now to really hold the cards in his favor and make sure that he gets out of it what he wants.”
Year after year, there’s another contender who pops up as a legitimate threat to Jones’ title. Gibson believes Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) is not too different from every challenger who tried and failed to knock Jones off in the past.
Despite Jones stating he has a higher interest in facing light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira over a title unification bout against Aspinall, Gibson says that has nothing to do with worrying about how that fight would play out. Even with limited game film on Aspinall, Gibson is confident Jones would win the fight, it just has to make sense for them from a business perspective.
“I think the fans want that from a lineal standpoint,” Gibson said. “You want to see the belt get passed, not just a belt get vacated. But I always tell Jon like, ‘Dude, you don’t owe anybody anything.’ We owed Stipe Miocic and the UFC that night on Nov. 16. That’s what we owed. We’ll see if negotiations can get done right, but Jon’s not ducking anybody.
“I actually think Jon is a tough matchup for Tom Aspinall. Obviously, we haven’t seen Tom with an average fight time of two and a half minutes – we haven’t see much out of Tom, but that’s also a positive on our part. Jon is great at taking champion-level caliber fighters into deep waters. Jon is great in that fourth round and that fifth round. It’s not a matchup that scares us at all. It’s a matter of what’s best for Jon and his family.”
Clemson is losing a talented wide receiver to the transfer portal.
Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football team will head to the ACC Championship game without a veteran wide receiver.
Redshirt junior wide receiver Troy Stellato will be entering the transfer portal, ending his time with the Tigers. According to reports from multiple sources, the young wide receiver was not happy with his role on the team.
Stellato’s 2024 campaign was cut short after he played just eight snaps against Pitt due to a thumb injury that required surgery. Head coach Dabo Swinney announced afterward that Stellato would miss the remainder of the season.
Stellato joined Clemson as a highly-touted recruit in the 2021 class but played in only two games his first season and missed all of 2022 due to an ACL injury. He broke out in 2023, tallying 38 receptions for 321 yards and a touchdown. This season, he added 25 catches for 264 yards and another score, with career highs of seven receptions and 72 yards in the win over Virginia.
The speedy receiver will enter the portal next week with two years of eligibility remaining.
If not a UFC title shot next, Petr Yan would like to avenge one of his most heartbreaking losses vs. Sean O’Malley.
If he’s not granted a title shot next, [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] would like to avenge one of his most notable losses.
Yan (18-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) picked up his second-straight win when he earned a unanimous decision over former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo in the UFC Fight Night 248 headliner in November.
UFC bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili was impressed with Yan’s performance, and called for a title defense against him next. However, if UFC opts to give Umar Nurmagomedov the next shot, as is expected, then Yan is interested in running things back with former champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag], who beat him by controversial split decision in their Fight of the Night battle at UFC 280 in October 2022.
“You know, if (Nurmagomedov title shot) is going to happen, I would lean towards a rematch with Sean O’Malley, but I don’t know what’s going on with him,” Yan told “The Ariel Helwani Show” through an interpreter on Tuesday. “He’s out for nine to 12 months, so maybe he got pregnant.”
After losing the 135-pound strap to Dvalishvili at UFC 306 in September, O’Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) underwent surgery for a torn labrum in his left hip. If Yan the rematch goes happen, he hopes to get two extra rounds scheduled compared to last time, so he can leave no doubt.
“I really want five rounds,” Yan said. “I believe it should be a good main event or a featured bout on some big event. I think five rounds and it will be very interesting if it’s going to happen.
O’Malley took to social media following Yan’s comments to dismiss his wish, but gave a potential timeline update on his return, with expectations of a title shot (via X):
“I predict it will be early Q2. Against Merab. Thanks for asking.”
Andy Reid reflects on his experience in Hallmark’s ‘Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story’ | @EdEastonJr
The release of Hallmark’s ‘Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story‘ was more than a movie as the film embraced everything Kansas City. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid appeared in front of the media on Monday for his weekly Zoom press conference to reflect on his experience in the holiday movie.
“(Laughs) I didn’t have a real big part in it, thank goodness, or the movie probably wouldn’t have been as good as it was, so that’s a good thing, but I enjoyed the people with Hallmark,“ said Reid. “They sure do a nice job with things, and it’s a local group here, so they’re Kansas City grown, and I appreciate their support.”
Reid had a brief cameo towards the film’s end, coaching the Chiefs in the big Christmas Day game. To support the film, he attended Hallmark’s red carpet special during the premiere in Kansas City.
“I think we have a unique relationship between the two organizations, which is something. I mean, Hallmark is one of those (businesses) we all grew up with. If you needed a Christmas card, you knew where to go.“ said Reid. “You go to Hallmark, and you knew you were in good hands there. Anyway – it was fun. It was fun forwhat I did there. They (Hallmark) made it painless.”
Kansas City #Chiefs secondary played a significant role in the Week 13 victory over the Las Vegas #Raiders | @EdEastonJr
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid provided an update about the defense during his weekly Zoom press conference with reporters on Monday. He addressed questions regarding his secondary and the decision to have Joshua Williams take over for Nazeeh Johnson in the second half of the Week 13 victory.
“Listen, I’m glad we have both (Nazeeh Johnson and Joshua Williams). I think both of them can still work in there and do some things,” said Reid. “We haven’t given up on Nazeeh (Johnson) or anything of that sort. I mean, he’s coming off a pretty major knee surgery, so we’ve kind of kept an eye on him with that. I think as we go forward, we can use both of them, I’m sure.”
While there is uncertainty at cornerback, the secondary has shown improvement, especially with the emergence of safety Jaden Hicks.
“He’s (Jaden Hicks) a good player, and so him working in there, I think, is a positive. Again, he’s a young guy, and he just keeps progressing and challenging himself that way,” said Reid. “I know the coaches have trust in him, so we’ll just see how things go moving forward. He’s earned that right to play more, and so he’s got the confidence of (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) Spags that way – and(Defensive Backs Coach) Dave (Merritt).”
Kansas City’s 19-17 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders has them playoff-bound for the 10th consecutive season. The streak is the second-longest in NFL history, trailing only New England’s record of 11 consecutive playoff berths from 2009 to 2019.
Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following 2024 PFL Championship in Riyadh.
2024 PFL Championship took place this past Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and it produced a massive update in the women’s rankings.
[autotag]Dakota Ditcheva[/autotag] stopped Taila Santos in the women’s flyweight championship bout in a stellar performance to claim the title and $1 million.
Entering the week at No. 14, Ditcheva’s performance vaulted her to No. 5, replacing Santos.
Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.
What is the #Chiefs’ clearest path to winning the No. 1 seed for the AFC playoffs in January?
The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills have both clinched their spots in the postseason, but the race to earn the coveted No. 1 seed in the AFC — and the home-field advantage that comes with it — is still playing out.
While the Chiefs (11-1) have maintained the best record in the conference, the Bills (10-2), who defeated Kansas City in Week 11, are hot on the defending Super Bowl champions’ tails.
According to win probability charts from Pro Football Network, Buffalo has an 18% chance of winning out and clinching the top seed compared to Kansas City’s odds of 7.5%.
The Bills’ most likely outcome — at 23% — would involve one loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 15.
The Chiefs’ win probability is currently at its lowest in Weeks 17 and 18, where they have a 50.7% and 49.3% chance to win respectively.
In the aggregate, Kansas City is equally likely to win out or go 4-1 over its last five games at 7.5%.
Check out the full win probability charts for both the Chiefs and Bills below:
Kansas City is favored in all but its last two games where it currently faces 50-50 odds. As such, the Chiefs’ most likely path to the No. 1 seed will involve a loss to either the Pittsburgh Steelers or Denver Broncos in Weeks 17 or 18, respectively, and a Buffalo loss to Detroit in Week 15.
Should Kansas City and the Bills end the regular season with the same record, Buffalo would win the No. 1 seed due to its head-to-head victory over the Chiefs.
