Category: Radio Highlight

Cody Durden unsure why he was bumped out of top 15: ‘I don’t think I’ve lost a round in the past four fights’

Cody Durden is confused why he’s no longer a ranked UFC flyweight.

[autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag] is confused why he’s no longer a ranked UFC flyweight.

Winner of four in a row, Durden (16-4-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) meets Tagir Ulanbekov (14-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at UFC 296 on Dec. 16 in Las Vegas.

Durden says he was ranked in the UFC’s flyweight division at one point, but was replaced by David Dvorak. Considering Dvorak currently is on a losing skid, Durden finds that decision strange. Either way, Durden still has his sights set on the top.

“It gets me one step closer to my goal, and my goal is top five now,” Durden told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’ve reached the top 15, even though I got bumped out by David Dvorak – which, he’s on a three-fight losing streak and he’s 3-3 in the UFC. I just believe that should be my spot, personally. But I think it gets me closer to my goal, which is top five.”

Durden’s past three unanimous decision wins have been pretty dominant, and a win over Ulanbekov likely will lead to a number next to his name.

“I don’t think I’ve lost a round in the last four fights,” Durden said. “It’s been good, man, taking it one fight at a time, one day at a time, one week at a time, and just being the best person I can be every day.”

Durden, who trains at American Top Team, recently has been spending time on the mats with top contenders Calvin Kattar and Rob Font. He thinks his high-level training will help him reach his goal of facing the upper echelon of the division.

“I do have a goal in mind and that’s to get in the top five and fight one of the top five guys: Kai Kara-France, Amir Albazi, Brandon Royval,” Durden said.  “There’s some studs out there.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.

Vicente Luque happy to draw Ian Machado Garry at UFC 296, wants fights that put eyes on him

Vicente Luque has already had a taste of being a top-ranked UFC welterweight, but now he’s targeting big names – and Ian Machado Garry is perfect.

[autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] already has experienced being a top-ranked UFC welterweight, but now he’s targeting big names.

Luque (22-9-1 MMA, 15-5 UFC) faces teammate [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) at UFC 296, which takes place Dec. 16 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims expected on ESPN and ESPN+

Luque is coming off a win over former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on ESPN 51. He sees undefeated, brash Garry as the perfect opponent to continue building his name.

“I’ve been in the top five. I’ve been the No. 4 ranked in the welterweight division, so I’ve gotten there,” Luque told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’ve moved down. So for me right now, what makes more sense are fights that are going to put eyes on me, are going to put eyes on what I can show, what I can do. I think RDA was a fight like that – former champ, a guy that wasn’t ranked in my division, but still regardless, he was No. 9 in the lightweight division, was a guy that had a lot of history.

“We were fighting a main event, and people had eyes on that. That was a fight that made a lot of sense for me, and I think Ian is the same kind of fight that makes sense. Why? He’s an up-and-coming, undefeated, young guy, young prospect. He has a lot of people that back him, that are going to be cheering for him. And at the same time, he is a guy that talks a lot, and that brings you hate, as well. So there are a lot of guys that want to see him lose. Regardless, people are going to be watching.”

Although Luque is no longer a top-five welterweight, he holds big finishes over former champion Tyron Woodley, top contender Belal Muhammad, and Michael Chiesa. He prides himself on not being a trash talker and wants his fighting to do the talking.

That has been the case so far for Luque, who has eight bonuses to his name. Now he wants more people tuning into his fights.

“I’ve already proven that I can fight against the toughest guys,” Luque said. “I’ve already proven I can reach the top five of the division. What I need now is people to watch me, people to know who I am, know my style, and start getting behind that.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.

Derek Brunson on what led him to PFL free agent signing: ‘There’s no lobbying for what you want’

Derek Brunson likes that in PFL, winning solves everything.

[autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] likes that in the PFL, winning solves everything.

Brunson (23-9) signed with PFL after parting ways with the UFC. The 39-year-old makes his promotional debut at 2023 PFL Championships on Nov. 24 when he takes on Ray Cooper III (25-8-1) in a middleweight bout at The Anthem in Washington, D.C.

Despite stringing together five-fight winning streaks on two different occasions in the UFC, Brunson never fought for the title. He likes the tournament format of PFL, where he only has to worry about winning.

“They’ve got the $1 million tournament – guys stay busy,” Brunson told MMA Junkie Radio. “There’s no lobbying for what you want. You go out and get it. UFC, man – I think in some of these title eliminators, I was on these huge five-fight winning streaks twice and I never got a title shot. Right after the fight, I felt like, ‘OK, I win this one, I get a title shot,’ and I didn’t get it and I felt kind of dejected, lacking motivation. I wasn’t getting up for the fights where now, I’ve got a new motivation.”

A UFC belt would have been nice for Brunson’s career, but he would rather get an opportunity at $1 million.

“Give me the million dollars every day of the week,” Brunson said. “I can go out here, fight a couple of times, get my million, and just chill for a little bit, recover. So, yeah, I definitely like that format – and it goes back to I don’t have to lobby for anything. All I have to do is just win fights.

“I can knock somebody out, I can submit somebody, I can win an ugly fight. But at the end of the day, I move on and advance, and I can improve in the next fight. I don’t have to, ‘Oh it wasn’t a great fight, so maybe I have to fight another one.’ I don’t have to do all that. I just go out there and win.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2023 PFL Championships.

UFC’s Roman Dolidze on Jared Cannonier: ‘Winner of this fight needs to fight for title’

UFC middleweight standout Roman Dolidze sees a big opportunity against Jared Cannonier in December.

[autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag] sees a big opportunity against [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag].

Dolidze (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) takes on former title challenger Cannonier (17-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) at UFC Fight Night on Dec. 2, which is expected to take place in Austin, Texas.

Cannonier holds a recent win over current UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland and is coming off an impressive showing against Marvin Vettori. He was also the official backup for Strickland’s title fight against Israel Adesanya at UFC 293. So, if Dolidze can get past Cannonier, he expects to earn a title shot.

“We all know that Sean Strickland is champion and Jared has a win over him,” Dolidze told MMA Junkie Radio. “When I go and do what I need to do, just be myself there, and if everything will happen like I’m planning, it will be a very interesting situation how everything will happen because I think the winner of this fight, he need to fight for title. Let’s see what will happen.”

Dolidze’s road in the UFC hasn’t been easy since joining the roster in 2020, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. In fact, he’s the one asking for it.

“I’m just very grateful that they’re always giving me good names,” Dolidze said. “From the first day when I come to the UFC, I was asking, ‘Guys, just give me good names. I don’t care who they are, just give me good names’ because I don’t want to be the strongest in the middle of average fighters.

“I want to be the best and fighting the best guys. Jared Cannonier is a really good fighter, good opponent, strong. He’s well rounded, big experience, big name, he fought the champion, he beat the champion, and I’m very thankful for the UFC. Of course, it’s a very big fight for my career. I was ready for anybody.”

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UFC’s Rob Font excited for Deiveson Figueiredo’s ‘coming to knock your head off kind of style’

Rob Font is very much looking forward to welcoming Deiveson Figueiredo to the UFC bantamweight division.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] is looking forward to throwing down with [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag].

Font (20-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) meets Figueiredo (21-3-1 MMA, 10-3-1 UFC) in a bantamweight clash Dec. 2 at a UFC Fight Night event, which is expected to take place in Austin, Texas.

Font got his wish in welcoming former UFC flyweight champion Figueiredo to 135 pounds as he adds another marquee name on his resume.

“Another three-round fight, another war, another ex-champion, another big fight, so I’m excited,” Font told MMA Junkie Radio. “We asked for this fight after the Adrian Yanez fight and from what I heard, he was still staying at 125, but then I guess he’s coming back up.”

Although he got what he asked for, Font knows it won’t be an easy task. Figueiredo has finished 17 of his 21 professional wins with an array of both knockouts and submissions.

“He’s vicious,” Font said. “He has that Brazilian, I’m coming to knock your head off kind of style, solid guillotine, ex-champion, back-to-back wars. He’s tough. It’s not an easy fight at all. Obviously none of these fights are. Big name, talks a lot of sh*t.”

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With Figueiredo entering uncharted waters at 135 pounds, Font hopes he can capitalize on any potential adjustments he struggles to make.

“I hope so,” Font said. “I think the range is going to be different, I’m assuming he’s going to be a little quicker, I got to adapt to that too. I think I’m going to be a lot longer than him, a lot quicker than him, a little more polished with the striking.

“I assume he’s going to be shooting. I assume he’s going to try and chop my leg down. I think he’s going to have to figure his way out. I’ve just got to make sure I don’t let him get his rhythm going in that first round, especially leading into that second round.”

Calvin Kattar not focused on who’s next but ideally wants opponent that propels him up UFC rankings

Calvin Kattar is not one to pick opponents, but someone ranked above him would be ideal for his first UFC fight in more than a year.

LAS VEGAS – UFC featherweight [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] is not one to pick opponents, but someone ranked above him would be ideal for his next fight.

Kattar (23-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) is hoping to return before the end of the year after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL, which he suffered in a TKO loss vs. Arnold Allen in October 2022. The 35-year-old Massachusetts native will look to rebound from a two-fight losing skid. His most recent win came in January 2022 when he snapped the winning streak of rising contender Giga Chikadze in dominant fashion.

“I don’t really focus on that,” Kattar told MMA Junkie Radio. “Just staying ready, being the best version of myself, and whoever we fight, we adapt. Keeps my job simple. I don’t really worry about the other stuff.”

Kattar already has fought the elite of the division, from former champion Max Holloway to former interim title challenger Josh Emmett to top contender Allen. If it was up to him, he’d like to continue fighting the upper echelon of the division.

“Ideally, what I would be most in favor of is fighting up and then trying to – anything that’ll get you closer to the title, things like that,” Kattar said. “I really don’t care. It’s just ideally, if we can fight up and something that’ll get you to the title faster, that’s what I would prefer. But other than that, it’s whoever.”

Although Kattar is on a bit of a skid, he’s using his recent unfortunate setbacks as fuel.

“I feel like I’m the best I’ve ever been,” Kattar said. “I feel like training is at a great point. Obviously setbacks happen on the way, but that only kind of hardwires me more. I think right now is the best version of myself.”

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Stipe Miocic says Jon Jones hasn’t felt heavyweight power yet: ‘With small gloves, anything can happen’

Ahead of their UFC 295 heavyweight title fight, Stipe Miocic warns Jon Jones that power is different in his new weight class.

[autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] warns [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] that power is different at heavyweight.

Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) challenges heavyweight champion Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) in the UFC 295 headliner Nov. 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Jones reigned over the UFC’s light heavyweight division for almost a decade before he decided to relinquish his belt and challenge himself at heavyweight. He only absorbed seven total strikes in his submission win over Ciryl Gane to capture the vacant belt, but Miocic says heavyweight will be a different story once he properly experiences it.

“Power, there’s no question,” Miocic told MMA Junkie Radio. “You’ve got a big man in there throwing bombs. It doesn’t matter if you throw hard or not. All that weight behind a punch with small gloves, anything can happen.”

Two-time UFC champion Miocic widely is considered by many to be the greatest heavyweight of all time. He holds the record for consecutive UFC heavyweight title defenses with three. At 41, what’s the motivation to keep fighting? Miocic says his knockout loss to Francis Ngannou left a sour taste in his mouth.

“There’s a lot of reasons: One, I want to fight the best,” Miocic said. “I’m a competitor. I love to compete and I love fighting. I’m still having fun. My last fight didn’t go as well as I wanted it to. I’m ready to bounce back and get that win.”

Although he didn’t get to see much, Miocic says Jones’ win over Gane proved he also still has the drive to compete.

“He’s there to win,” Miocic said. “He’s a fighter. He’s one of the best of all time so, he’s going to be ready to go.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.

Manel Kape still wants Kai Kara-France fight: ‘All this talk is not for nothing’

Manel Kape says he needs to settle his differences with Kai Kara-France.

[autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] says he needs to settle his differences with [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag].

Kape (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) was booked to face Kara-France earlier this month at UFC 293 in Sydney, but Kara-France was forced out due to concussion symptoms. Kape faced newcomer Felipe Dos Santos instead, winning the bout by unanimous decision.

Kape hinted that a rebooking between him and Kara-France (24-11 MMA, 7-4 UFC) is in the works, but claims that the former interim title challenger isn’t signing the contract.

“All this talk is not for nothing,” Kape told MMA Junkie Radio. “We have to fight. I know he doesn’t want to fight because I’m still waiting two weeks for him to sign the contract – but still, no response. It’s going to be a good fight. Looking at the bigger picture, it’s a fight people right now want to see.

“All this talk, they want to see a big pay-per-view, and I think it’s going to be good business. He has to fight, but if he denies, we have Brandon Moreno. I don’t know if he’s scheduled with someone else, but we have Brandon Moreno out there.”

After beating Dos Santos, Kape used his mic time to callout Kara-France, accusing him of ducking him. Kara-France, who was in attendance, stood up and responded with his signature tongue thrust.

But Kape sensed fear in his reaction.

“I see his body language after my interview post-fight,” Kape said. “I see his body language and it was not the same. He just showed his ugly tongue, to show a fake something he does all the time. But after he showed the tongue, you could see his body language.

“If he really wanted to fight, he would have stepped in the cage. … If it was me and someone approached me like that, I don’t know what’s going to happen. I will step in the cage and I will murder this guy there. We’re going to fight in the same night. So he showed that he really doesn’t want to fight.”

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Ahead of first UFC headliner, ‘Apex predator’ Grant Dawson sees perks to competing without crowd

“I’m very comfortable at the UFC Apex, so it only makes sense that my first main event is going to be at the Apex.”

[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] is happy to continue fighting at the UFC Apex.

Dawson (20-1-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) meets Bobby Green (30-14-1 MMA, 11-9-1 UFC) in a lightweight main event at UFC Fight Night 229 on Oct. 7 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Dawson’s past five outings have come at the UFC Apex, and his first octagon headliner will also take place at the Apex.

“Honestly right now, I’m just considering myself this Apex predator because my last, like, five have all been in the Apex,” Dawson told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’ve come away with wins at the Apex, I’m very comfortable at the Apex, so it only makes sense that my first main event is going to be at the Apex.”

He experienced the incredible French crowd when he cornered his teammate Thiago Moises earlier this month in Paris, but Dawson said fighting at the Apex means he actually gets to hear his corner. So, he likes it and sees it as an advantage.

“It really doesn’t matter to me,” Dawson said. “If we’re going off of purely just would I rather fight at the Apex or in front of a crowd, I’d rather fight at the Apex. The crowd is great, I love it, and they definitely have their place. I’ll get more followers fighting in front of a crowd.

“I’ll get more hyped up fighting in front of a crowd, but when you’re fighting guys at this level, being able to hear your coach and being able to have them coach you through things is such a cheat code. I absolutely think it’s a huge advantage for me to fight at the Apex.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 229.

UFC’s Grant Dawson doesn’t see unranked Bobby Green as step back, eyes Dan Hooker with win

Bobby Green might be unranked, but Grant Dawson still views him as a dangerous opponent at UFC Fight Night 229.

[autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] might be unranked, but [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] still views him as a big fight.

Lightweights Dawson (20-1-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) and Green (30-14-1 MMA, 11-9-1 UFC) will headline UFC Fight Night 228 on Oct. 7 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Dawson is currently ranked in the UFC’s top 10 at 155 pounds but sees a win over fan favorite Green propelling him forward regardless. Green is coming off a submission win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 291, and Dawson thinks underestimating him would be a grave mistake.

“Rankings, to me, doesn’t make any difference,” Dawson told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’m not fighting backwards in this fight, I’m not fighting forward, I’m just fighting. That’s what it is. Islam Makhachev got a title shot off of beating Bobby Green, so anything can happen in this sport. Bobby Green, if I’m not on my game and if I don’t respect him like he deserves to be respected, I’m going to be looking up at him off of my back getting woken up by the referee.

“I know how dangerous he is. I know how much experience he has. I know what a big following he has. I am ready for a very, very competitive and a very, very strong fight. I don’t like it when people are like, ‘Oh, you’re fighting behind.’ There is no fighting behind. We’re just fighting, that’s it. The only spot that matters is who’s champion. That is really the only thing that matters.”

If Dawson gets past Green, he hopes to draw [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] next. Hooker (22-12 MMA, 12-8 UFC) returned to the win column in July when he edged out Jalin Turner in a thrilling battle at UFC 290.

“After Bobby Green – obviously I’m only focused on Bobby Green, but after Bobby Green, we’re looking to fight against Dan Hooker,” Dawson said. “Assuming everything goes well, and I think that would be one of my breakout performances.”

Although a risky approach, Dawson thinks his willingness to fight anyone and remain active will eventually pay off and lead to his goal of becoming champion. Dawson is unbeaten in his past 12 fights.

“As long as I keep winning, I don’t think that they’ll be able to deny me much longer,” Dawson concluded. “I think that by the end of 2025, we will have a new champion and his name will be Grant Dawson.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 229.