Category: Radio Highlight

Cris Cyborg open to face Claressa Shields in boxing and MMA: ‘I want to be doing the biggest fights’

Cris Cyborg is seeking the biggest fights possible in her career and Claressa Shields fits the bill.

[autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] is seeking the biggest fights possible in the final stages of her illustrious career, and [autotag]Claressa Shields[/autotag] fits the bill.

Cyborg faces Kelsey Wickstrum in a six-round, 154-pound boxing match Friday at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, Calif., marking her third fight in the ring.

With PFL acquiring Bellator, Cyborg and Shields are now under the same banner. In a recent interview with MMA Junkie Radio, Shields named Bellator featherweight champion Cyborg as her dream matchup in MMA, and Cyborg is willing to face her in both worlds.

“I think it can be good. We can do one boxing and one MMA,” Cyborg told MMA Junkie Radio. “I think it’ll be nice. I think the fans would like it. Much respect, Claressa is the GOAT in boxing. She’s the best in boxing but for me, it’s nice.

“Like MMA, it’s a different world in boxing. We’re in the same organization. For sure we can fight MMA one day. I don’t know. She’s young, I’m at the end of the line now, but for sure I love opportunities. I love to do great fights.”

Shields (1-1) makes her return to the cage when she faces Kelsey DeSantis (1-2) in the inaugural PFL vs. Bellator event Feb. 24 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Cyborg has held titles in just about every major MMA organization. With names like Shields, Kayla Harrison, and Larissa Pacheco on her radar, Cyborg just wants a fight that will pique the fans’ interest.

“For me, I want to complete 20 years fighting,” Cyborg said. “I’m going to 19 now, and I want to be doing the biggest fights. If it’s going to be in boxing or MMA, but I want to do the biggest fights in both.”

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Ex-UFC champ Junior Dos Santos says hardest punch he ever took was from Stipe Miocic

Junior Dos Santos’ pick for hardest hitter he’s ever faced might surprise a lot of people.

[autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag]’ pick for hardest hitter he’s ever faced might surprise a lot of people.

Dos Santos, the former UFC heavyweight champion, fought the who’s who of big men during his octagon tenure. From devastating knockout artist Francis Ngannou, to Cain Velasquez, to Mark Hunt, and the UFC record holder for most knockout wins, Derrick Lewis, Dos Santos has faced it all.

But it was none of those names who stand out to Dos Santos as the man who landed the hardest punch on him. Dos Santos revealed to MMA Junkie Radio that another ex-champ, [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag], landed a punch in their first fight in December 2014 that impacted him more than any other he’s ever been hit with.

“The hardest was Stipe Miocic in the first fight that I won,” Dos Santos told MMA Junkie Radio. “In the second round of the first fight, he connected with a cross on my face. It was very, very hard. I couldn’t see, and I couldn’t even hear. I was there, I was fine, I knew what was happening, but my vision was very blurry, almost black.

“The noise was bing (makes ringing noise) in my ear, and I couldn’t hear. I was trying to find him. Where is he? Luckily, he came closer to me, so then I held him for a little and I was breathing and kind of recovering. So, that was the hardest punch I ever took from a fighter. When they ask me this question, who hit me the hardest, it was Stipe Miocic who’s a very, very hard hitter of course.”

After earning a split decision win over fellow ex-UFC titleholder Fabricio Werdum last September, Dos Santos is set to take on former BKFC heavyweight champ Alan Belcher for the inaugural heavyweight title of Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA on March 2 at Kia Center in Orlando, Fla.

Meanwhile, Miocic is expected to challenge UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones next – a rebooking of their UFC 295 matchup that fell apart after Jones withdrew due to injury.

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Manager: Ex-UFC champ Rose Namajunas to stay at flyweight, will return in first half of year

Despite falling short in her divisional debut, Rose Namajunas is sticking around at flyweight.

Despite falling short in her divisional debut, former UFC strawweight champion [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] is sticking around at flyweight.

Namajunas (11-6 MMA, 9-5 UFC) was outlasted by top contender Manon Fiorot in her flyweight debut this past September in Paris.

Namajunas dismissed the notion that she’s too small for 125 pounds after the loss, and her manager, Brian Butler, confirmed that she won’t be dropping back down to strawweight.

“She’s going to stay at flyweight,” Butler told MMA Junkie Radio. “You’ll see her first half of this year.”

Namajunas revealed that she dislocated her pinky finger in Round 1 of her fight against Fiorot. “Thug Rose” still managed to stand toe to toe with Fiorot, winning Round 3 on two of the three judges’ scorecards.

Namajunas holds two wins over current UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili, but Butler said Namajunas likes her chances at flyweight.

“Unfortunately in her last fight, she popped her finger in the very first round and was not really able to get her groove going until a little too late,” Butler said. “It didn’t deter her at all, and she felt very confident that if she had all of her tools that she could have won that fight.

“If Rose is confident, if Rose’s mind is into it, nobody’s beating her. Like I said, if Rose is on a mission and Rose wants to do something and she’s motivated for it, that’s a problem for everybody.”

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UFC contender Belal Muhammad says he’s better all around when he trains, fights during Ramadan

Belal Muhammad explains what it’s like to prepare for a UFC fight while observing Ramadan.

[autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] is one of the few Muslim fighters, if not the only one, who doesn’t opt out from preparing for fights during Ramadan.

Muhammad, a top contender in the UFC’s welterweight division, has prepared for fights in the past and will continue to do so while observing Ramadan.

The monthlong Muslim holiday involves fasting and not drinking from dawn to sunset, among other spiritual components. This year, Ramadan is from March 10 until April 9.

Being a professional fighter, one could imagine how hard this may be for an athlete training at their fullest. Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, and other Muslim fighters, have opted out from fighting during the Ramadan. But for Muhammad, he feels it enhances his fighting.

“I think that I’m a better version of myself as a human, as a person, as a Muslim,” Muhammad told MMA Junkie Radio. “When I’m in the right state of mind and at peace, that’s when I’m at my best. In Ramadan, that’s when I’m at my best. Every single fight, every single camp I’ve had doing that – even in the Gilbert Burns fight, I had to do it in the last week. Mentally, the power that I gain from it, it comes into the cage with me.

“The tranquility I have all week leading up, it’s a different feel. I’m not stressing about the fight. I’m giving my time and energy and spirit to God that whole month, so I don’t have to sit there and stress about the stuff I shouldn’t be stressing about. I think it makes me that much better.”

Muhammad is currently unbeaten in his past 10 fights, including nine wins and one no contest to current UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag]. Although it hasn’t been officially announced, many expect Muhammad to fight Edwards next. Recently, Edwards said he’s working with the promotion for a return at UFC 300 in on April 13, which is four days after Ramadan.

Muhammad has no problem fighting Edwards at UFC 300, and feels, if anything, the fasting will give him an edge over the English man.

“Mentally, physically, it’s going to tell me I’m doing things that these guys are not doing,” Muhammad said. “Leon is not doing that. Leon, who’s already weak mentally, he’s going to need a sip of water after every freaking round in practice. Me, I’m going to push through it.”

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Aaron Pico starting to give up hope for a Jeremy Kennedy rematch in PFL

Aaron Pico would love the gift of a rematch this holiday season, but he’s not getting his hopes up that Santa will come through.

[autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] would love the gift of a rematch this holiday season, but he’s not getting his hopes up that Santa will come through.

Pico (12-4 MMA, 12-4 BMMA) had a six-fight winning streak snapped in 2022 when a shoulder injury at Bellator 286 led to a TKO after the first round against [autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 4-1 BMMA). Because of that unique circumstance, Pico wants to run it back – and says Kennedy is being elusive about it.

“I want to make something clear: I’ve asked to fight Kennedy so many times,” Pico recently told MMA Junkie Radio. “Him and I have the same manager, Ali (Abdelaziz). … I’ve asked: ‘I want to fight a rematch with Kennedy. That wasn’t a clean win.’ I’ve said it time and time again. But you know who doesn’t want that fight is Kennedy. He doesn’t want that.”

Pico, a standout high school wrestler who skipped the college wrestling scene to move straight into MMA, dislocated his shoulder at Bellator 286, and though he was willing to fight with it into the second round, the bout was called off.

Pico said then-Bellator president Scott Coker said the nature of the loss wouldn’t be counted against him.

“That night when I was in the hospital, I got a call from Scott Coker. He said, ‘Hey, that win didn’t count for Kennedy. I don’t even count that. You were worried. You wanted to fight. But I want to run that fight back ASAP.’ I said, ‘You got it, boss. I want that fight as bad as you do.'”

Instead, once he was recovered, Pico said he started hearing no.

“I had the surgery. I’m calling for the fight, asking Ali: ‘No, no, no. You have to fight (James Gonzalez).’ OK. I fight him. I win. I said, ‘OK, I want to fight Kennedy.’

‘Now you’ve got to fight Pedro Carvalho.’ I beat Pedro Carvalho. I said, ‘OK, I’m ready to fight Kennedy.’ Now Kennedy is going to fight for the championship, so I really don’t know what’s going on. Then the rankings come out. I’m above Kennedy, so explain that to me.”

Pico implied Kennedy’s own win over Carvalho 10 months ago in Dublin had him in line to fight champion Patricio Freire, which would explain not jumping at the chance to fight Pico again – and possibly lose and fall out of the immediate title race.

But regardless, Pico said he recognizes he’s in the prime time to be busy in the sport.

“I haven’t really heard anything for PFL, just in Bellator,” he said. “I believe I should fight for the title, and just because you believe it doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily going to happen. But I can say I’m not sitting at my house whining or complaining. I’m in the gym getting better. I’m getting better in my personal life, I’m getting better in the gym, I’m spending time with my son – so in all aspects of my life, I’m trying to enhance myself so when that time does come and they say you’re going to fight, for example, in March, I’m ready to go, and against anybody, and we’ll be ready.”

Anthony Pettis excited to ‘jump off’ Karate Combat pit vs. Benson Henderson

Anthony Pettis will try and recreate his infamous “Showtime Kick” when he makes his Karate Combat debut.

[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] will try and recreate his infamous “Showtime Kick” when he makes his Karate Combat debut.

Pettis meets familiar foe [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] in the main event of Karate Combat 43 on Dec. 15 at the Expo at World Trade Market in Las Vegas, marking their third combat sports encounter.

Pettis defeated Henderson twice in title fights – once in WEC where he landed the “Showtime Kick,” and the other by submission to capture the UFC lightweight title.

“He’s not an easy opponent, bro,” Pettis told MMA Junkie. “We fought twice already. The first fight was such a close fight. Even standing, striking. The ground portion was a very close fight. Second fight I obviously had my success with the body kicks, but Ben’s a competitor. Nothing but respect for that dude. We’ve been doing this for 10-years-plus now each, and he’s still competing at the highest level.

“I know he’s coming to bring it. Obviously he has something to prove. Every time that ‘Showtime’ Kick – they basically made that promo off the ‘Showtime’ Kick. I heard the pit was designed off that, the Karate Combat pit. So I’m sure Ben is going to try to go out there and even the score up. So I’ll be ready for whatever he brings.”

Pettis also used the cage to his advantage when he became the first man to knock out Stephen Thompson, landing a perfect Superman punch to shut his lights out.

“I feel like offensively I’m going to be able to use it to my advantage,” Pettis said. “I’ll be able to jump off that thing. I’ll be able to climb up it, move around it. So I’m going to be able to have some fun with that.”

With the Karate Combat ruleset involving striking only, Pettis expects to shine against Henderson.

“I am a lifelong martial artist,” Pettis said. “This is something I’ve done forever. I come from a point sparring background, so I feel like this favors me definitely. Having the ability to throw any strike I want without having to worry about getting taken down or getting pressed against the fence. If you watch our first couple fights, a lot of his success came from that.

“Pushing me against the fence, holding me on the fence. Doing some moves I’ve never seen before on the fence, but he won’t have that opportunity this one round. That’s why I said yes to this. It plays well into what I’ve done my whole life.” I think he definitely wants to win and with these rule set, we’ve got three-minute rounds. I’ve just got to be on my game the whole time.”

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Michael Chandler doubts Conor McGregor delays UFC return until July but has patience to keep waiting

Michael Chandler seems intent on holding out for as long as it takes until the Conor McGregor fight is finally made.

When it comes to his highly anticipated matchup with Conor McGregor, one thing is certain for Michael Chandler.

“Nobody wants a fight announcement more than me,” Chandler told MMA Junkie Radio.

Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has been tabbed as McGregor’s (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) return opponent for a while now, but the fight has yet to formally materialize since they coached Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter” against each other this year.

McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, recently said on “The MMA Hour” that McGregor might not return until July, which might not ideal for Chandler considering he hasn’t fought since a November 2022 submission loss to Dustin Poirier.

Chandler, however, isn’t buying that timeline.

“I’m solely focused on McGregor,” Chandler said. “I was merely saying that I believe it’s smoke and mirrors, and I don’t think they have any intention on waiting until July. I’ve been asked numerous times, ‘What’s the hard date that you say, ‘Hey, when I get to this date, I’m calling up Hunter (Campbell), I’m calling up Dana (White), and I’m going to say screw Conor, I want to fight somebody else?’ I don’t have that date in mind.

“We’re going to get to the end of the year, I’m going to enjoy a beautiful Christmas with my family here in Nashville, Tennessee, which I don’t always get to do in this beautiful thing we call the fight game, and once the first of the year hits, we’re really going to start putting rubber to the road and try to figure this thing out. Hopefully we’ll get an announcement in that first month or so of 2024.”

Chandler and McGregor have been linked to UFC 300 in April, which Chandler would love. But despite no concrete date being set, Chandler hasn’t run out of patience just yet.

“When you have a card such as UFC 300, which people have rumored us to be on, I have not been told UFC 300, but I sure would not say no because that’s going to be a nice, big card,” Chandler said. “Obviously I would prefer that. That would be awesome. But you guys know me. I’m always at the gym. I’m always training.

“At this point, I’ve already waited a year or so, so what’s waiting another couple of months? Each month that goes by, I’m like, ‘Whatever, man.’ I’m still on hiatus. I’ve been on this hiatus for a year, and there’s been a lot of good things that have come from this hiatus.”

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Dan Hardy sees Denis Goltsov, Renan Ferreira as ‘interesting problems’ for Francis Ngannou

Dan Hardy expects the winner of Denis Goltsov vs. Renan Ferreira to be Francis Ngannou’s PFL debut opponent.

[autotag]Dan Hardy[/autotag] expects the winner of [autotag]Denis Goltsov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] to be [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]’s PFL debut opponent.

Goltsov (32-7) takes on Ferreira (11-3) in Friday’s heavyweight final at 2023 PFL Championship, which takes place at The Anthem in Washington D.C. The main card airs on pay-per-view (ESPN+) following prelims on ESPN+.

Hardy thinks both Goltsov and Ferreira have the ability to trouble former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou, and sees them as worthy opponents.

“They would be a clear option for us, and I think both of them are interesting problems for Ngannou – especially with Goltsov and his experience,” Hardy told MMA Junkie Radio. “He’s got great footwork, he’s got great boxing skills (and) probably the best jab in mixed martial arts – certainly the heavyweight divisions. I think he’s very problematic, especially given the fact that he’s got the ground game to match if he chooses to use it.

“And then Ferreira, his nickname (‘Problema’), kind of says it all. He’s problematic on a multitude of levels. Now he’s working at ATT, you know his ground game, his grappling skills are on the rise. That’s going to give him confidence in his striking. Just the size and the reach of the individual, his ability to cover distance, and cover distance with accurate strikes. Whether it’s kicks or punches. They’re both very, very dangerous individuals.”

According to BetMGM, Ferreira is a +200 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on The Brazilian would net a $200 profit. Goltsov is a -250 favorite, meaning a $250 bet would be needed on the sambo champion to return $100 profit. But Hardy thinks the fight is closer than the odds suggest.

“We could run this heavyweight fight back a few times and we could get very different results each time,” Hardy said. “I think both of them are good contenders for Ngannou in the future, but certainly the one that wins is most likely going to be the frontrunner.”

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

Kenny Florian credits PFL finalist Olivier Aubin-Mercier for recent finishes: ‘Dude is an absolute problem’

Kenny Florian is impressed by the killer instinct Olivier Aubin-Mercier has recently shown.

[autotag]Kenny Florian[/autotag] is impressed by the killer instinct [autotag]Olivier Aubin-Mercier[/autotag] has shown in recent performances.

Aubin-Mercier (20-5) will look to claim his second consecutive $1 million lightweight season win when he meets Clay Collard (24-10-1) at 2023 PFL Championship on Friday at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. The event streams live on ESPN+ PPV.

Aubin-Mercier has scored knockouts or TKOs in three of his past four fights – his first finishes since April 2018. PFL analyst and commentator Florian thinks the UFC veteran is arguably one of the top three greatest Canadian fighters of all time, and raved about his evolution as a fighter.

“I think he’s without a question top five,” Florian told MMA Junkie Radio. “Certainly I think there’s a strong argument that he’s top three. You have Rory MacDonald, Georges St-Pierre, and he still has a bunch of years ahead of him, I think. I think when you talk about his overall game, his durability, his intelligence, and now his finishing ability, dude is an absolute problem.

“His size, he’s massive as a lightweight, and it seems like he always has an answer. Now he’s gotten to the point confidence-wise, momentum-wise where he can pick you apart then finish you. Whereas before, he’d pick you apart, outsmart you, outpoint you. But now, he’s really coming into his own as a mixed martial artist.”

Although Aubin-Mercier, who’s undefeated under the PFL banner, is only getting better as a fighter, he recently told MMA Junkie that’s he’s contemplating retirement after the 2023 PFL Championship.

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

Jordan Leavitt before UFC Fight Night 232: ‘I would love to be the first person to submit Chase Hooper’

Jordan Leavitt as a feeling that his UFC Fight Night 232 bout with Chase Hooper “is going to be a weird one.”

[autotag]Jordan Leavitt[/autotag] hopes to hand Chase Hooper his first submission loss.

Leavitt (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) meets Hooper (12-3-1 MMA, 4-3 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 232 main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event streams on ESPN+.

Leavitt admits he’s a fan of Hooper, which makes him unsure of how their fight will play out.

“This is my first time fighting somebody that I like and I’ve been a fan of,” Leavitt told MMA Junkie Radio. “I was a fan of Matt Wiman, but also it was my UFC debut, and I was a little scared.

“But this fight, I’m not sure what to anticipate because I feel like we might both be going in there like, ‘OK, no empathy, go for the kill.’ So, I think it’ll be a little more uncharacteristically violent as we compensate for those nice feelings, but I can’t tell you how this fight is going to go.”

Both the majority of Leavitt and Hooper’s wins have come by submission, and Leavitt wants to add another one to his resume. But Leavitt thinks their similar approach could end up neutralizing each other and their fight plays out on the feet.

“I would love to be the first person to submit Chase Hooper,” Leavitt continued. “I’m not sure many people will get that opportunity in his career, but I definitely feel inclined to believe it’s going to be a very awkward kickboxing fight, and I’m down for that. We’re both coming off our best striking performances, and we both never really fought another grappling specialist. So, it’s going to be a weird one.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 232.