The main event for the UFC’s first show of the new year is official after the headliners made weight Friday.
LAS VEGAS – The main event for the UFC’s first show of the new year is official after the headliners made weight Friday.
Ahead of UFC Fight Night 249 (ESPN+), which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex, women’s strawweight standouts Mackenzie Dern (15-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) and Amanda Ribas (12-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC) stepped on the scale for their rematch at the official weigh-ins.
Check out the video from their trips to the scale above.
Check out the UFC Fight Night 249 weigh-in results from Las Vegas, featuring Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas 2.
LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie was on scene and reporting live from Friday’s official UFC Fight Night 249 (ESPN+) fighter weigh-ins.
Among those weighing in were women’s strawweight standouts Mackenzie Dern (15-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) and Amanda Ribas (12-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC), who meet in a rematch in the main event, and Carlston Harris (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and Santiago Ponzinibbio (29-8 MMA, 11-7 UFC), who fight in the welterweight co-feature.
All those fighters made weight, but that wasn’t the case for prelim fighters Jose Johnson and Ihor Potieria, who were each multiple pounds overweight for their respective matchups.
The full UFC Fight Night 249 weigh-in results include:
MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)
Mackenzie Dern (116) vs. Amanda Ribas (116)
Carlston Harris (170) vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio (171)
Abdul Razak Alhassan (185.5) vs. Cesar Almeida (185.5)
Chris Curtis (185.5) vs. Roman Kopylov (185.5)
Austin Bashi (145.5) vs. Christian Rodriguez (145)
Uros Medic (171) vs. Punahele Soriano (171)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)
Felipe Bunes (126) vs. Jose Johnson (128.5)*
Ihor Potieria (188)** vs. Marco Tulio (185.5)
Thiago Moises (155.5) vs. Trey Ogden (155.5)
Preston Parsons (171) vs. Jacobe Smith (170.5)
Nicolle Caliari (125.5) vs. Ernesta Kareckaite (126)
Magomed Gadzhiyasulov (205) vs. Bruno Lopes (205.5)
Viktoriia Dudakova (116) vs. Fatima Kline (116)
Nurullo Aliev (155.5) vs. Joe Solecki (155)
* Johnson missed flyweight limit by 2.5 pounds; fine amount TBD ** Potieria missed middleweight limit by 2 pounds; fine amount TBD
Steve Garcia isn’t about to “act a fool” in order to get more attention ahead of his UFC Seattle clash with Edson Barboza.
With a five-fight knockout streak inside the octagon, [autotag]Steve Garcia[/autotag] thinks he should be a bigger talking point going into UFC Fight Night 252.
After a string of definitive performances, Garcia (17-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) will get his biggest test to date when he takes on legendary striker Edson Barboza (24-12 MMA, 18-12 UFC) in a featherweight bout on the Feb. 22 card at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle (ESPN+).
Although some are acknowledging his work, as MMA Junkie did by naming him the 2024 Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year, Garcia admits he’s not feeling the love across the board.
“I’m definitely under the radar,” Garcia told MMA Junkie Radio. “I don’t feel like I get the respect that I’d like to think I probably deserve. But that said, each person’s opinion (is different). I’ve read articles where people don’t think I’m championship quality, people don’t think I’m ranked quality. They can think what they want to think. Every win in my UFC career is a finish. I’m not barely skating by. I’m not barely getting wins. I’ve been finishing all my opposition.”
Garcia, 32, understands the lack of attention around his name is partially of his own doing. As good as his fighting has been, Garcia, an honorable mention in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie featherweight rankings, said he could do a better job playing the game outside of the cage.
It’s not his nature to play that game, however, and if taking a longer road to the top is a consequence of not demeaning himself, then Garcia said he’s accepting of that fate.
“I want to be must-see TV,” Garcia said. “I’m not going to be acting a fool. If you want that out of me, and I’m not saying I won’t talk – there’s times and places for everything, but I’m not a clown. If I wanted to act a fool, I would’ve joined the circus. I’m not trying to make a fool out of myself. My parents didn’t raise me that way. I’m here to be as professional as I possibly can be, and if people want to hop on board, thank you very much. If you don’t, at least you’re going to have something to root for, whether it’s against me or for me. But I promise you’ll be entertained.”
Not much promotional effort is needed to generate excitement between Garcia and Barboza. The highlight reels on both sides are enough to know a Performance of the Night or Fight of the Night bonus is likely being issued after it’s done.
That’s what Garcia is chasing, he said, and he expects Barboza to be a willing participant in the style of fight he’s looking for.
“Sometimes you don’t got to control the chaos, you’ve got to thrive in it,” Garcia said. “I feel like, especially in my fights, that’s where I’ve been the most successful. The moment that chaos happens I seem to find my best shots. I’m hoping that’s what’s going to happen in Seattle. I think Edson’s notorious for welcoming a good striking match, and this is MMA, we get it, it can go up and down and it doesn’t matter, but at least in my eyes, let’s give the fans what they want to see and just go for it.”
Dan Hooker expects Renato Moicano to struggle against Beneil Dariush at UFC 311.
[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] expects [autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] to struggle against [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] at UFC 311.
Lightweights Moicano (20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC) and Dariush (22-6-1 MMA, 16-6-1 UFC) square off in a lightweight bout on Jan. 18 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+).
Moicano and Dariush are currently on vastly different career trajectories. Moicano is on a four-fight winning streak, most recently a dominant stoppage win over Benoit Saint Denis at UFC Fight Night 243. Meanwhile, Dariush is coming off back-to-back first-round knockout losses to Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan.
However, despite his losing skid, Hooker sees Dariush as a bad stylistic matchup for Moicano.
“The way in which (Moicano) beat BSD, (Jalin) Turner and Drew Dober, the style in which he enacted to get those three wins, he cannot do against Beneil Darirush,” Hooker said on Israel Adesanya’s YouTube channel. “He cannot outgrapple Beneil Dariush like he outgrappled those three guys because he’s too good.
“In my opinion, Beneil is technically the best grappler, I would say. Do I see Moicano outgrappling Dariush? Nah. Do I see him even outstriking him? That would be a hard night in the office. Beneil, obviously the question there is about his chin. But is Moicano any way, shape or form a talented striker? No. You cannot say he is.”
Moicano has used his ground game to take out his opponents, but Hooker doesn’t see that being a successful path to victory against Dariush.
“I feel like (Dariush) just shuts Moicano’s game down,” Hooker said. “I feel like positionally, he’s better on the feet. I don’t even see how Moicano gets Beneil to the ground, let alone holding him on the ground. I just believe Beneil shuts Moicano down and kind of cruises to victory and gets back to the win column.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.
On “Spinning Back Clique,” the panel breaks down the UFC Fight Night 249 main event rematch between Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas.
[autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] and [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] are running this back this weekend.
The two UFC strawweight contenders meet in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 249 at the UFC Apex. It’s a rematch that’s been five years in the making. The two first met in October 2019, and Ribas was able to hand Dern her first professional defeat.
How much have these two fighters evolved since their first fight? Can Dern even out the score against Ribas?
MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King, Danny Segura and host “Gorgeous” George Garcia break down Saturday’s UFC main event, along with some other highlighted bouts on the card.
Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube or in podcast form.
Merab Dvalishvili’s former teammate is helping Umar Nurmagomedov prep for UFC 311.
[autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag]’s former teammate is helping [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] prep for UFC 311.
Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) defends his bantamweight title against Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the Jan. 18 co-main event from Inglewood, Calif. (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).
A post on social media from Georgian reporter Giorgi Kokiashvili brought light to the situation, where he claimed that Magdi Amachov is now training with Nurmagomedov after Dvalishvili helped him settle in the United States and gave him a place to stay.
This pic broke my heart a little bit.
Magdi Amachov is helping Umar Nurmagomedov to prepare for Merab Dvalishvili.
Merab helped Magdi to live like a human being in the US. He didn’t had a home and Merab gave him a room for free in his own house and helped a lot.
Dvalishvili was asked about his former training partner, and was very understanding towards the situation.
“I love him and I did help him but I didn’t do it because I own him you know? He’s a big man and he can do whatever he wants,” Dvalishvili told The Schmo. “He’s from Dagestan, and I know he loves Islam Makhachev, I know he loves Khabib Nurmagomedov, of course Umar Nurmagomedov.
“They call each other Muslim brothers, and I’m not surprised, of course. That’s his country, that’s his friends. I mean, I will not do that, but I will also not judge him. I love him, and I understand this, and I’m not mad at him. That’s OK.”
UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey and husband Travis Browne welcome daughter Liko’ula Pā’ūomahinakaipiha Browne into the world.
There’s a new addition to the Browne-Rousey family.
On Thursday, former UFC star [autotag]Ronda Rousey[/autotag] announced she and her husband [autotag]Travis Browne[/autotag] welcomed daughter Liko’ula Pā’ūomahinakaipiha Browne into the world. The exact date of birth is unclear.
“Our little girl came into this world during a windstorm into a city on fire, so grateful she made it safe and sound,” Rousey wrote. “Liko’ula Pā’ūomahinakaipiha Browne.”
The newest addition to the family is Rousey and Browne’s second child together. In September 2021, the couple announced the birth of daughter La’akea Makalapuaokalanipō Browne, who is now three-and-a-half.
Rousey shared a video of herself and her two daughters in the hospital, along with the announcement.
One of MMA’s biggest and most influential stars ever, Rousey (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) has not competed under the UFC banner since a 48-second knockout loss to Amanda Nunes in December 2017. She has since dabbled in pro wrestling and acting. In April, she released “Our Fight: A Memoir,” an autobiographical book.
One of the most highly-touted prospects on the UFC roster doesn’t really care.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Austin Bashi[/autotag] has heard the media praise. He’s seen the fan reactions. He recognizes he’s a sizeable favorite as he enters his UFC debut.
Despite the elevated level of attention, Bashi (13-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) remains unfazed. That’s not to say he doesn’t think it’s deserved. His self-belief runs parallel to the hype he’s received. But it’s nothing new. He’s grown used to it.
“Something about me is that no matter what the media is saying, no matter how big someone is trying to hype me up, I think the reason I’m undefeated and I continue to keep beating these guys is because I throw all that out the window and I’m not thinking about any of that,” Bashi told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a UFC Fight Night 249 news conference Wednesday.
“… If you go look at my regional scene fights, you go see who I fought, I fought nothing but tough guys. Literally, since my debut, I’ve been thrown to the wolves. Here I am, 13 fights later, 13-0.”
That trend will continue Saturday at the UFC Apex when Bashi steps into the UFC cage for the first time against [autotag]Christian Rodriguez[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), a fighter with perhaps more experience than a usual newcomer would get as an opponent.
Rodriguez was put into a similar position against a surging youngster Raul Rosas Jr. in 2023. That time, Rodriguez played spoiler, something Bashi doesn’t expect him to repeat here.
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When we got this opponent, I was actually really happy. I remember on the regional scene this name came up and it never happened because I’m pretty sure he just got signed (to the UFC). Making my debut against him, I’m actually happy about it.
“A lot of people try to compare me to Raul,” Bashi said. “I’m nothing like him. I feel like my game is completely different. My I.Q., my pace, my cardio, my everything about me is different than Raul. I just feel like I’m a whole different fighter than him. … I see myself finishing him either via TKO or rear-naked choke at the end of the second or early third.”
Joe Rogan walked back what he says is a falsehood from his podcast and said he “felt obligated to tell everybody” it’s not factual.
[autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] on Thursday walked back what he now says was a falsehood he reported on his podcast and said he “felt obligated to tell everybody” it was not factual.
On his his “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, Rogan recently said heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] is rumored to be seeking $30 million to fight interim champ Tom Aspinall, “and the UFC is going to pay it, hopefully. I hope they pay it.”
But after Rogan went public with the $30 million number he now says was merely a rumor, it caused enough of a ripple effect that UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] reached out to Rogan to refute the claim.
“I had heard a rumor that Jon Jones wanted $30 million to fight Tom Aspinall. And I did hear that rumor. And I did hear that the UFC said yes,” Rogan said on his latest podcast. “But that’s not true. Dana contacted me and said that rumor is bullsh*t. So I felt obligated to tell everybody that was a fake rumor. … We did that podcast two weeks ago; I don’t remember who told me that.”
In the wake of admitting to reporting the rumor and retracting it, Rogan now said he thinks the MMA collective – the UFC brass, Aspinall’s side, the media, presumably – should give Jones space to decide what he wants his next move to be, rather than speculating and, perhaps, putting pressure on him to make a move.
“Apparently Jon is thinking about retiring,” Rogan said. “… He should think about it. Give the man all the time he wants. He can fight whenever he wants to fight. That’s Jon Jones – he’s the GOAT. So leave him alone. If he decides one day to come back and he comes back and he wants to fight Tom Aspinall for the heavyweight title … The question is, how long are you allowed to hold onto that title before they start having that conversation?”
According to Chris Curtis, things escalated pretty badly with Sean Strickland at one point.
LAS VEGAS – According to [autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag], things escalated pretty badly with [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] at one point.
Curtis and Strickland are good friends and training partners at Xtreme Couture, but that doesn’t stop them from occasional spats. Curtis revealed that tensions once flared so much that he considered putting his hands on Strickland.
The pair have now made up as they both prepare for their upcoming fights.
“You guys know the character of Sean. I’ve been in this for like 10 years now, and there are times where I have debated hitting him with a brick,” Curtis told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 249 news conference. “Like, not even joking. I’m like, ‘Bro, I’m going to hit you with a f*cking brick.’
“Like, I don’t care where it goes. This time led to a fistfight, as well, and we were really about to throw down, and the entire gym was like, ‘Are you guys really doing this?’ We’re about to throw down, and I’m like, threatening to cripple him before he fights Dricus (Du Plessis). I was like, ‘I will f*cking cripple you.’ So, we get out of hand.”
Strickland (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC) rematches middleweight champion Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) Feb. 8 in the UFC 312 headliner at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
Meanwhile, Curtis (31-11 MMA, 5-3 UFC) takes on Roman Kopylov (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 249 (ESPN+) main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
