Category: Radio Highlight

Dan Ige on Bryce Mitchell, his DWCS snub and the ‘100 percent beatable’ UFC featherweight champ

Ahead of UFC Fight Night 227, co-main event featherweight standout Dan Ige talks about his opponent, title aspirations and more.

At long last, [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag] finally gets to step into the cage with Bryce Mitchell next week.

The two have been talking up a potential fight for years, and it finally is set for UFC Fight Night 227’s co-main event in Las Vegas.

Mitchell (15-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) is just the latest in a string of featherweight standouts to get in the cage with Ige (17-6 MMA, 9-5 UFC), who hasn’t gotten any favors from the UFC’s matchmakers. Consecutively, he’s fought Kevin Aguilar, Mirsad Bektic, Edson Barboza, Calvin Kattar, Gavin Tucker, Chan Sung Jung, Josh Emmett, Movsar Evloev, Damon Jackson and Nate Landwehr.

To put that list of names in perspective, the combined records of the 15 opponents Ige has been matched up with in the UFC when they’ve stepped into the cage with him, including Mitchell next week, is 248-54-1. That’s an .821 winning percentage and an average record of roughly 16-3.

And sometimes, it might feel to Ige like he’s being overlooked. Even going back to 2017, he won on Dana White’s Contender Series by submission, but didn’t get a contract. He could let that motivate him, but he’s over it.

“For me, it’s all perspective,” Ige recently told MMA Junkie Radio. “It’s one of those things you could use as fuel – put that chip on your shoulder like, ‘Man, I didn’t get picked.’ But I have almost 15 fights now in the UFC – I’m far past it. Honestly, I’m a little guilty – I haven’t even watched one episode of the Contender Series this season. I’ve just been so busy. I’m focused on myself. But I’m grateful. I’ve been in this game for a minute. I’ve made over $1 million fighting in the UFC. I’m grateful. I’m blessed.”

Ige, 31, will be looking to extend his winning streak to three. He had a rough patch of three consecutive losses and four setbacks in five fights, all by decision. But in 2023, he’s back on track after a bonus-winning knockout of Jackson and a decision over Landwehr.

A third straight win over a name the caliber of Mitchell, who will be trying to bounce back from the first loss of his career, could have Ige starting to sniff the title picture.

Mitchell is a slight favorite in the fight, but Ige said he’ll be prepared to be busy no matter where the fight goes.

“Mitchell’s good at what he does when he gets on top – his top pressure. His wrestling game, I think, is really underrated. He doesn’t have really pretty wrestling, but he can fight from long, extended positions and find a way to get the takedown, get the body lock, get the back,” Ige said. “… I think people underestimate his standup a little bit. His standup’s real herky-jerky – weird timing, but he hurts guys. He hurt Edson Barboza on the feet, so it’s not one of those fights of, ‘Just don’t get taken down and you win.’ You’ve got to be cautious and mindful everywhere the fight goes.”

And maybe then, with a win, Ige will start thinking longer term title aspirations. He thinks current champion Alexander Volkanovski is dominant – but not invincible.

“I think Alex Volkanovski is obviously one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world,” Ige said. “I don’t think about that, like he’s unbeatable. He’s 100 percent beatable – he has lost before. I think it was his first fight, and he’s won every (featherweight) one since. But he’s beatable. It’s the right strategy and the right timing.

“Right now, it’s not my time. It’s not my time to be the one to beat him. But when my time does come, that’s something I can focus on.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 227.

Aaron Pico sees ‘straightforward’ Pedro Carvalho as good style matchup at Bellator 299: ‘I have fought better strikers’

Aaron Pico doesn’t expect Pedro Carvalho to pose too many problems for him.

[autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] doesn’t expect [autotag]Pedro Carvalho[/autotag] to pose too many problems for him.

Pico (11-4 MMA, 11-4 BMMA) faces Carvalho (13-7 MMA, 6-4 BMMA) in the co-main event of Bellator 299, which takes place Sept. 23 at 3Arena in Dublin. The main card will air on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Pico, one of the most highly touted contenders in Bellator, is coming off a unanimous decision win over James Gonzalez in April. He was able to rebound from a TKO loss due to shoulder injury against Jeremy Kennedy, which was his only loss since 2019. He is 7-1 in his past eight.

Former title challenger Carvalho has lost four of his past six. But the SBG Ireland fighter will mark one of Pico’s most experienced opponents to date, and Pico won’t underestimate him.

“I think he’s pretty straightforward,” Pico told MMA Junkie Radio. “He’s southpaw (but) he switches to orthodox, as well – looks for a lot of guillotines and left body kicks. I think I have fought better strikers.

“But this game is crazy, and with 4-ounce gloves, this crazy sport, anything can happen. But we’ve really studied him and I’m really excited for this one. I think it’s a good style matchup for me so, I can’t wait.”

Pico says he’s been working a lot on his kicks recently, and would love to notch a spinning back kick knockout – even though his corner was shouting at him when he failed to effectively land them in his past fight against Gonzalez.

“That would be a great knockout, a spinning back kick,” Pico said. “You know what? I have a really good spinning back kick, to be honest with you, on the pads and things like that. It’s good, but it’s different in a fight. It’s really hard to get the timing down and to make sure he’s in the right spot to hit it. It’s a powerful kick, but it’s also a really hard kick to land. But I can do it pretty good on the pads.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 299.

Johnny Eblen doesn’t see Fabian Edwards winning in any circumstance: ‘I’m going to overwhelm him’

Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen doesn’t see a scenario where Fabian Edwards beats him.

[autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] doesn’t see a scenario where [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] beats him.

Middleweight champion Eblen (13-0 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) defends his title against Edwards (12-2 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) in the main event of Bellator 299, which takes place Sept. 23 at 3Arena in Dublin. The main card will air on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Edwards is enjoying his best career-run after scoring a decisive win over former champ Gegard Mousasi, but undefeated Eblen thinks he’ll be too much for him.

“He’s been training, got a few more fights under his belt, definitely gained some more experience,” Eblen told MMA Junkie Radio. “(He’s) probably made a few adjustments, learned from those losses, probably learned from his wins because the best guys in the world learn from their wins and their losses. I just don’t see him beating me in any circumstance.

“He has gotten better and I have seen a progression in him, but it’s just not relative to the progression I’ve made even since my last fight. I’m going to be too much for him. I’m going to overwhelm him. I’m a different animal when I’m in there and he’s going to feel it.”

Eblen notched his first title defense February when he defeated Anatoly Tokov by unanimous decision in the Bellator 290 co-main event. That’s when he gained confidence that he’ll be a tall order for anyone at 185 pounds.

“I would say since after my Tokov fight – actually, leading up to that fight I started to feel like, ‘Damn, dude – I’m getting good,'” Eblen said. “‘I’m sparring with really high-level guys and doing better than I thought.’ It’s hard to digest sparring when you’re in it, but luckily enough Mike Brown likes to film a lot of my sparring, so I get to watch back and get to learn. I get to see how well I do and sometimes I’m too hard on myself, and I think it’s a good thing though.

“I think it’s the reason why I’m accelerating and getting so much better. Basically, I’m seeing how well I’m doing and how much better I’m getting exponentially, especially in the timeframe I’m doing it in. I truly think I’m the best or one of the best in the world, and I’m here to prove it. I can’t wait to prove it. I’m just going to keep winning fights and getting better.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 299.

Sean Strickland’s coach disagrees with Eugene Bareman: Israel Adesanya needs more than ‘minor adjustments’

Eric Nicksick thinks Israel Adesanya will need to change up a lot in order to beat Sean Strickland.

Eric Nicksick thinks [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] will need to change up a lot in order to beat [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag].

Strickland (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) scored a massive upset win when he dethroned middleweight champion Adesanya (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) by unanimous decision in this past Saturday’s UFC 293 main event at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.

Adesanya’s head coach Eugene Bareman said they’d be ready for a rematch next week, and that Adesanya would need a few minor adjustments to avenge his loss to Strickland. But Nicksick disagrees.

“I don’t really care,” Nicksick told MMA Junkie Radio. “I think from an outsider’s perspective, I think Israel always deserves a rematch just from his history alone and his body of work. I think kind of hearing their thoughts on some minor adjustments and they win that fight, I think it’s a lot more than minor adjustments.

“I think there’s a lot more to be done. But with that being said, I still think Israel ranks up there No. 1, No. 2 best middleweights to ever do it. If he wants to run it back, by all means I think that’s a fight that needs to happen then.”

Dana White said that a rematch between Strickland and Adesanya should be next. While Nicksick doesn’t necessarily disagree, he thinks Aljamain Sterling should then also get an immediate rematch against Sean O’Malley, who dethroned him by second-round knockout to win the bantamweight title at UFC 292.

“I mean, this guy was being talked about as the bantamweight GOAT,” Nicksick said. “Everybody was throwing that around for him and at this level, people are going to have off nights. People are going to have a night where they maybe underperformed.

“It’s so crazy how they get thrown to the wayside like, ‘Oh, this guy wasn’t really this good.’ There’s so many factors that go into an eight-week camp, sometimes even a short-notice fight. There’s a lot of things that go on behind the scenes that we’re not always predicated in knowing and understanding.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 293.

Brad Tavares’ UFC wish list includes rematch with Dricus Du Plessis or ‘far-fetched’ Conor McGregor fight

Brad Tavares knows his wish list isn’t too realistic, but that didn’t stop him from laying it out.

[autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag] knows his wish list isn’t too realistic, but that didn’t stop him from laying it out.

Tavares (20-9 MMA, 15-8 UFC) snapped a two-fight losing skid by spoiling Chris Weidman’s return in a unanimous decision win less than two weeks ago at UFC 292 in Boston.

The longtime middleweight contender has fought just about every notable name in the division, from current middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, to former champ Robert Whittaker, and top contender [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag], who he would love to avenge his loss to. Du Plessis defeated Tavares at UFC 276 by decision – the only opponent he was unable to finish throughout his career.

“Obviously, I would love to get it back with some of the people I dropped to, one of those being Dricus,” Tavares told MMA Junkie Radio. “After me, he went on a run, and if I could get that fight back, I would love that.

“Obviously where he is and where I’m at – well, I’m coming off a win, but before that two losses, it doesn’t make a lot of sense. … But somewhere in the near future, if somehow I could run that back, oh yeah, I would love that.”

During Tavares’ fight with Weidman, [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] provided some commentary on his social media. He was actively rooting for Weidman, who suffered the same leg break as him. He also called Tavares a “little arse wipe,” and the Hawaiian would love the opportunity to fight McGregor – even if it’s wishful thinking.

“I’m serious, I would love to fight the juiced-up Conor McGregor,” Tavares said. “I know that’s far-fetched. I know that will never happen. But if you’re asking me my wishlist, that would be on it.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.

Coach Eric Nicksick: Francis Ngannou needs to be unpredictable vs. Tyson Fury, not look to outbox

Eric Nicksick brings some insight on Francis Ngannou’s preparation for Tyson Fury.

[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]’s coach, [autotag]Eric Nicksick[/autotag], is well aware of the monster challenger the team has on their hands.

Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, will face WBC heavyweight champion [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] in a non-title professional boxing match on Oct. 28 in Saudi Arabia.

Although Nganngou is a top-tier talent in MMA, he will be an unproven debutant in the world of boxing. Nicksick understands what they’re up against, and that’s why he doesn’t think Ngannou can have a traditional approach to this bout.

“I think just understanding that if we’re going to try to outbox Tyson Fury and out-jab this guy, and out-footwork this guy, I think we’re at a loss,” Nicksck told MMA Junkie Radio. “I just feel our approach just needs to be a little more unpredictable and a little more relevant to MMA, things we’ve been working on his MMA career.

“So those were my thoughts, and he was understanding and receptive to what I was bringing up. Whether he uses it or not, we’ll see, but I think some of that stuff could work.”

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Nicksick revealed he’s been involved in Ngannou’s preparation, but not much, at least for now. He just helped prepare Brad Tavares for his win over Chris Weidman this past Saturday at UFC 292, and now has to help Sean Strickland get ready to take on champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 on Sept. 9 in Australia.

After that’s over, Nicksick plans to get more hands-on with Ngannou. For now, Dewey Cooper has been leading the charge in preparation for Fury.

Regardless, Nicksick has done his due diligence and has poked around in the boxing world.

“I’ve talked to a lot of my friends in the industry before I presented anything,” Nicksick said regarding preparation. “I talked with Chris Algieri for quite a while and just people that I know and trust in the industry and people who are more prevalent in boxing.

“I just picked their brains. I just wanted thoughts and ideas on kind of what my mindset was in this situation and checks and balances like, ‘What do you think about this? What do you think about that?’ I presented those things to Francis and the team and I brought up sparring partners and other bodies I think would be good and stuff like that. But I haven’t sat down and gone over X’s and O’s.”

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Cub Swanson changes tune on Hakeem Dawodu decision, would have contemplated retirement with loss

Cub Swanson’s opinion on his fight with Hakeem Dawodu changed after rewatching it.

[autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag]’s opinion on his fight with [autotag]Hakeem Dawodu[/autotag] changed after rewatching it.

Swanson (29-13 MMA, 14-9 UFC) defeated Dawodu by decision in what was a close fight less than two weeks ago at UFC on ESPN 51. It was a decision that stirred controversy, even getting Swanson to question the result himself.

But after getting a chance to watch it back, he agrees with the judges.

“I watched the fight, and I thought it was very close, but I definitely feel like I won the first and third round,” Swanson told MMA Junkie Radio. “Second round I’d give to him just because of basically controlling me, but he really didn’t do any damage from there.

“I was actually letting him control me because I didn’t think that anything he was doing was hurting me, and I felt like he was spending more energy than I was. So I was kind of letting him do that. But in the moment, I thought that I lost the first just because I was disappointed in what I had done, in myself. Then I thought I lost the second. So, in my mind, going into the third I was like, ‘I need to finish him.'”

Swanson, 39, knows he’s in the tail end of his career. Had he lost to Dawodu (14-3-1 MMA, 6-4 UFC), Swanson revealed that he likely would have called it a career.

“I think it’s probably safe to say that if I would have lost, I probably would have been done,” Swanson said.

While Swanson would like at least one more big fight in front of a crowd, he has to assess how his body feels first.

“I got some injuries that I need to address that I’m going to real soon here,” Swanson said. “Honestly, I’ve had this cyst on my spine that’s been causing me quite a bit of pain that I’ve been dealing with, and so I think I need to get that removed.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 51.

Randy Couture happy to get behind Jake Paul if he’s ‘poking Dana White in the chest’ over fighter pay

Randy Couture is not a fan of Jake Paul’s antics, but praises him for helping MMA fighters get paid.

[autotag]Randy Couture[/autotag] is not a fan of [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag]’s antics, but praises him for helping MMA fighters get paid.

Paul thinks [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] is severely underpaying his fighters, and has ripped the UFC president at every available opportunity. “The Problem Child” went as far as becoming a brand ambassador for PFL to help MMA fighters get an increase in pay and a larger share of the revenue.

UFC Hall of Famer and current PFL commentator Couture sees Paul’s moves as pivotal for the sport, and credits him for kicking things off by boxing MMA fighters, and giving them the opportunity for much larger paydays.

“Why is Jake Paul the mouth for MMA when he hasn’t fought in MMA yet?,” Couture told MMA Junkie Radio. “Because he brought in some MMA guys like Tyron Woodley, and Ben Askren, and Anderson Silva to do these Trillers, and those guys made more money from that one boxing match than they’ve ever made in MMA which is ridiculous.

“And if it takes a guy like Jake Paul to shine a light on the disparaging difference in our sports, and the issue in our sport, then I’ll get behind that guy all day long. I’m not a fan of the trolling and the rhetoric, but he’s backed it up. He’s stepped in there, he’s done the work, he’s talented, he’s got a great platform, and he’s helping all of us as MMA fighters by shining a light on that and by poking Dana White in the chest the way he does.”

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Paul is expected to compete in MMA under the PFL banner. After defeating ex-UFC fighter Nate Diaz by unanimous decision in a boxing match this past Saturday at American Airlines Center, Paul offered Diaz a $10 million purse for an MMA rematch – something he vows he’s very serious about.

For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s hub for Paul vs. Diaz.

Mario Bautista: Cody Garbrandt’s had ups and downs, and I can capitalize on that at UFC 292

Mario Bautista is not overwhelmed by the opportunity of facing a former champion at UFC 292 in Boston later this month.

[autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag] is not overwhelmed by the opportunity of facing a former champion.

Bautista (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) got his wish and will take on [autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) at UFC 292 on Aug. 19 at TD Garden in Boston. Garbrandt, a former UFC bantamweight champion, will be arguably the biggest name Bautista has faced to date.

But the 30-year-old MMA Lab fighter says Garbrandt is no longer the undefeated phenom that was running through guys. “No Love” has lost five of his past seven, but was able to rebound in his most recent outing against Trevin Jones at UFC 285.

“It’s just another fight,” Bautista told MMA Junkie Radio. “That’s all it is to me. He’s had some ups and downs lately, so I’m looking to capitalize on that. I’m not putting too much pressure on myself. It’s just another fight to me, and he’s someone that can be beat and that has been beat before. All I can do is just work as hard as I can and roll the dice out there just like I do every time – and it usually works out pretty good for me.”

Bautista has quietly climbed the bantamweight ladder. Most recently, he submitted Brian Kelleher, Benito Lopez and Guido Cannetti all in the first round. He’s OK if people overlook him.

“I don’t mind it too much,” Bautista said. “I’ve been kind of flying under the radar, and that’s fine. But now I get the opportunity to really showcase my skills and have a good card to be on for everyone to see.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.

Demetrious Johnson: A fight with UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja ‘would be very, very tough’

Demetrious Johnson thinks fighting Alexandre Pantoja would have been no easy task.

[autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] thinks fighting [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] would have been no easy task.

Johnson defended his UFC flyweight title a promotion record 11 times until he lost to Henry Cejudo in a split decision setback in 2018. “Mighty Mouse” would part ways with the UFC, and go one to capture the ONE Championship flyweight belt.

Johnson never crossed paths with newly crowned UFC flyweight champ Pantoja (25-5 MMA, 9-3 UFC), but if he did, he thinks the Brazilian would have posed a stern test.

“It would be very, very tough,” Johnson told MMA Junkie Radio. “The biggest thing I think Pantoja has is very good jiu-jitsu. He’s very tough. He’s got a great chin. I think I would have to use all my skill set to beat him at that time when I was in the UFC. But he’s well-rounded, he hits hard, he’s dropped people, he’s knocked people out – it would have been a great fight.”

Johnson dominated the UFC flyweight division for years, but is happy to see new talent emerge. Pantoja became the fourth fighter to claim UFC flyweight gold since Johnson lost his belt.

“I’m always happy that any athlete succeeds – especially Pantoja. He just beat Brandon Moreno,” Johnson said. “I’ve always felt Pantoja was the dark horse in the division. A lot of times, not the best athlete gets the opportunity to shine under the big lights or under the big stage, and I was very happy for Pantoja.”

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