Thiago Moises knows how to wreck a leg – and crush a Dan Hooker callout, too

Thiago Moises called out Dan Hooker after his leg-kick TKO win over Mitch Ramirez at UFC Fight Night 239.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Thiago Moises[/autotag] beat Mitch Ramirez with a third-round TKO Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 239 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Moises, who put Ramirez away courtesy of leg kicks – a UFC rarity.

Former UFC champion Sean Strickland vents mental health struggles: ‘I feel like I’m a danger to people’

In a video posted online, Sean Strickland opened up about mental health issues and thoughts of harming others.

Former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] says he has everything he wants in life, but still struggles with mental health issues and thoughts of harming other people.

Despite openly admitting he has unresolved childhood trauma, Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) doesn’t believe therapy will help get him to a better mental state.

“The problem with therapy, I think they would just convince me to like f*cking start killing everybody,” Strickland said at a recent pre-fight news conference.

Well aware of his mental trauma and the effects it may have on his daily life, Strickland still balks at receiving help. As a result, he often goes down dark paths, especially with a microphone in his hand during UFC fight week media obligations.

Before UFC 297, Strickland went on an unhinged anti-LGBTQ rant after a reporter asked him about a previous statement when he said that having a gay son would mean he failed as a father. All while wearing a t-shirt that read, “A woman in every kitchen, a gun in every hand.” In no other major sport would that fly, but the UFC offers a unique space for fighters to say what they want without repercussion, for better or worse.

Fighting is a valuable outlet that helps Strickland exorcise his demons. He spars a lot in the gym, more than most of his peers. Typically, he’s getting his energy out against other pro fighters, but there’s also that time he recently went too hard on streaming influencer Sneako.

“Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose,” he wrote about battling demons in the caption of a video posted to Instagram on Monday. In that video, Strickland revealed how dark his thoughts can sometimes get. Despite reaching the peak of his division as a UFC champion and all of the money that comes along with headlining multiple events throughout his career, Strickland admits the mental fight is an ongoing daily struggle.

“All week I’ve been f*cked up, dude,” Strickland started. “I’ve been on the Twitter saying crazy sh*t, just f*cking spiraling. I woke up and I told my girl, I was like, ‘Babe, I feel like I’m a danger to people. Like I don’t feel like I should be out in the world.’ And I think that – I have everything. I’m rich, I’m famous, I have everything I ever f*cking wanted and I am still mentally unwell. I get in these mindsets to where like I want to burn everything down in the world. Like, I want to have nothing, so I can just f*cking lose it and just take out everything on people.

“I think that you guys, in a weird way, are like my family. Like I’ve shared some sh*t with you guys, and you guys have shared some sh*t with me. I feel more connected with my fans than I think most people feel just because we’ve gone through a lot together. I have everything I want, and I still struggle with mental health. My memory is so short that, like, when I go out into this week, I think to myself, like once I get past it, I think to myself, like, ‘Oh, man. That was a really rough time in my life.’ But then when I really think about it, this happens multiple times a month, every month.”

Strickland continued:

“Again, I don’t know why I’m telling you guys this. I’ve just been kind of going through some sh*t. I’m fine. I’ll be fine. I’m going to go train right now and try to hurt all of my friends, and all of the demons will go away. I just want you guys to know that I have everything I could ever want in the world, and I still struggle. So, whatever you guys are going through man, hope y’all feel better. Go to the gym, train. F*cking wish you all the best.”

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Alexandre Pantoja: Steve Erceg good name but ‘so lucky’ to get UFC 301 title shot

UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja thinks Steve Erceg’s title shot is a case of timing luck.

UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag]’s title shot is a case of timing.

It came as a surprise to many that Erceg wound up getting the next shot at Pantoja after notching just his third octagon win with a knockout of Matt Schnell at UFC Fight Night 238. He challenges Pantoja for the flyweight title in the UFC 301 headliner May 4 in Rio.

While Pantoja (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) also didn’t foresee Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) being his next opponent, he argued that everyone is talented in the top 15.

“I didn’t expect it to be Steve Erceg, but it’s a good name, too,” Pantoja told MMA Junkie. “That’s funny because if you watch my interviews, all the time I was talking about in the flyweight division, you can take someone from No. 10 and fight with the champion or the No. 1 contender, and it’s going to be a good matchup. In this division, all the guys are so good.”

Pantoja also didn’t have too many fresh matchups as options. Erceg threw his name in the hat in an interview with MMA Junkie, and Muhammad Mokaev and Brandon Royval also campaigned.

“I fought with all the division,” Pantoja said. “I fought with the No. 1 (Royval) two times, the No. 2 (Moreno) three times, No. 3 right now is Amir Albazi, who has an injury. I fought Kai Kara-France before, Manel Kape, Alex Perez, Matt Schnell, I fought everyone. I think that guy is so lucky because all these things happened.”

Pantoja is motivated by the fact that Erceg hasn’t had to go through the trenches to get to him.

“He’s coming fresh for that fight because he didn’t fight the No. 8 or No. 6 or No. 4 like me,” Pantoja said. “I needed to fight with all these guys, and I had a lot of wars with Manel Kape, Brandon Moreno, Brandon Royval, that gives me a lot of emotion.

“I lost a couple of years of my life in those fights, and that guy Steve comes so fresh. He didn’t fight the guys at the top of the division. All the fighters in the flyweight division are very good. He has good boxing, good jiu-jitsu, it’s going to be very interesting for me.”

As for undefeated Mokaev, who notched a win over former title challenger Alex Perez at UFC Fight Night 238, Pantoja expects to see him very soon.

“I really thought at that time I’d fight with Mokaev, but I don’t know what plans the UFC prepared for me,” Pantoja admitted. “Maybe they want Mokaev to fight with Royval first. It’s going to be a very good matchup.

“Also, Mokaev is so young. He has a chance to prove he deserves to fight for the title. I know 100 percent if I defend my belt in Brazil, I’m going to see Mokaev next.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

UFC’s Mike Davis explains how ‘Halo’ video game helped overcome childhood bullying: ‘That saved my life’

Bullied as a child with no friends, UFC’s Mike Davis explains how the “Halo” video game helped him overcome bullying and self-harm.

LAS VEGAS – Long before [autotag]Mike Davis[/autotag] began making a name for himself in the UFC’s lightweight division, he was a kid from New York struggling with thoughts of self-harm as a result of bullying.

Today, Davis (11-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is an incredible mixed martial artist, who just recorded his fourth-consecutive victory at UFC Fight Night 239 by stopping Natan Levy in the second round with an arm triangle choke.

It was the first time anyone finished Levy (8-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC). Next, Davis aims to make two more appearances in 2024 and doesn’t really have a preference for an opponent.

In the meantime, Davis plans to return home and get back to streaming video games. He takes pride in this activity, as he loves communicating with people who join his streams. More importantly, it is an evolution of an outlet that he says saved his life.

“I like The Last of Us, but the game that saved my life was ‘Halo,'” Davis told reporters when asked about his favorite video game at a post-fight news conference.

Naturally, the second half of that sentence prompted follow-up questions, as it was a heavy way to finish the response. Davis proceeded to recall how he was bullied as a child, which led to self-harm.

“When I grew up as a kid – I’m from upstate New York. As you can probably guess, there’s not a lot of Black people, so I got picked on a lot,” Davis explained. “I was also really small, like a tiny child. So, I got stuffed in lockers, called names, got picked up and put in the basketball – bro, I got picked on.

“A lot of the times, I would find myself in the bathroom trying to inflict pain on myself. I would take a rubber band with toothpicks and shoot them into my leg. That could cause me pain. I didn’t have friends. I didn’t, I really didn’t.”

Luckily, Davis found his escape from bullying and negative thoughts through video games, specifically “Halo.” The first-person sci-fi shooter is one of the highest-grossing gaming franchises of all time, and is one that helped a now-talented UFC lightweight find a purpose to keep living.

“What saved my life was after school, I would go home, I would turn on the Xbox that I was gifted from my Mom – it was amazing. She worked hard to get it, and I got ‘Halo,'” Davis said. “I met friends. I met friends in the area, I met friends across the globe. Every day, the only thing that made me want to keep going was to jump on Halo and play with my friends.”

Years after the bullying ceased, Davis has transformed into a high-level UFC athlete, currently riding high on a four-fight winning streak in one of the sport’s toughest divisions. However, some of those bullies have tried to keep in touch with Davis, offering remorse for their actions.

“There’s all the apologies,” Davis said. “‘Hey Mike, sorry for picking on you back in the day. You know I was only trying to help you grow into a better man.’ Bro, it’s been dumb. It’s dumb stuff.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 239.

Kamaru Usman: Belal Muhammad ‘only thing that makes sense’ for UFC champ Leon Edwards

Add Kamaru Usman to the list of fighters that think Belal Muhammad deserves the next title shot.

Add [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] to the list of fighters that think [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] deserves the next title shot.

Muhammad, who’s on a 10-fight unbeaten streak, has been heavily campaigning for a shot at UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, but a fight is yet to materialize for him. The only asterisk in his run is a no contest against Edwards in March 2021.

Former champion Usman agrees with Muhammad (23-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC), and sees him as the most logical option next for Edwards (22-3 MMA, 14-2 UFC).

“The only thing that makes sense right now is Belal Muhammad – because Belal has been there for a while, has been in that top 10, that top five,” Usman said on UFC Live. “Who else makes sense? I think it’s going to take time to be able to build someone to challenge the champion.”

After falling short in his middleweight debut against Khamzat Chimaev this past October at UFC 294, Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) finds himself in a quandary.

“I never thought I’d be in this position,” Usman said. “I never thought I would just have a body of work to the point where I can sit back a little bit and let things kind of unfold. For a long time, I was like, ‘I need to get there and be that guy. I need to be champion.’ Now I’m in a position where I don’t have to.

“I definitely want to, but I’m taking time to just kind of see how things unfold because right now the welterweight division is kind of clouded and the middleweight division as well. … I’m just taking some time, letting some things heal and plotting my next move.”

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Chelsea Chandler: ‘Week from Hell’ led to UFC Fight Night 239 weight miss – complete with attempted home break-in

Chelsea Chandler missed weight ahead of UFC Fight Night 239. The reasons why will likely surprise you.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Chelsea Chandler[/autotag]’s ‘Week from Hell’ actually ended on a high note.

At UFC Fight Night 239, Chandler (6-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) became the first to defeat fellow bantamweight Josiane Nunes (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in the promotion. She did so by unanimous decision.

Smiling ear-to-ear in victory, Chandler addressed the underlying issue head-on during her post-fight news conference: a one-pound weight miss.

Chandler voiced confidence that the issue would not persist. She attributed the scale blunder to a variety of simultaneous issues that emerged throughout the week, including an alleged home break-in.

“Oh God, we can get into it,” Chandler told MMA Junkie. “I’ve had the Week of Horror. My car was vandalized when I left my house. People tried to break into it. That was Monday. I’ve got that time of the month, too. So this has been… I was ready to go, and just little hiccups. I have it dialed in. My nutritionist, my weight, everything is good. So next time, I’ll be here on time, on weight, ready to go.”

Chandler’s alleged home invasion attempt comes less than two weeks after Marlon Vera said the same thing happened to him while he was away for his UFC 299 title fight vs. Sean O’Malley.

“People say, ‘Hey this fighter is going to be gone. Let’s take advantage of it.’ It sucks, but (I’ve) got to get those cameras up,” Chandler said. “… I’ve got to let someone else move into my house when I’m gone and take care of it and babysit the house.”

Chandler hopes the UFC won’t use the weight issues against her. A win over a previously UFC-unbeaten should earn Chandler a marquee fight next, she thinks.

“Listen, I don’t like begging for fights, but I want to fight,” Chandler said. “I want fight offers. After that last fight, there was a bad taste in my mouth. I went up. I took a risk going up in a weight class fighting a bigger girl. This is my home and I’m hoping to get a fight as soon as possible. I’m No. 13 in the world now and I feel like a couple of the girls below me are either out injured. I’m hoping to get someone in the top 10, big top 10 opponents, and get my way through this division. It’s wide open.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 239.

Arman Tsarukyan thinks Islam Makhachev trying to avoid him by wanting Dustin Poirier next

Arman Tsarukyan thinks he’s a bad matchup for UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.

[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] thinks he’s a bad matchup for UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag].

Tsarukyan (21-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) made his UFC debut against Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) in April 2019. He lost a competitive Fight of the Night decision, and has since gone 8-1, with wins over the likes of Damir Ismagulov and Beneil Dariush.

Tsarukyan is booked to fight Charles Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) at UFC 300 on April 13 – a matchup that was dubbed a No. 1 contender by UFC CEO Dana White. But with Makhachev looking to return in June, a quick turnaround could be tough for the winner, hence why Makhachev said he’s open to fighting Dustin Poirier next. But Tsarukyan thinks there’s a reason for that.

“I feel like Islam wants to avoid us,” Tsarukyan said in an interview with Morning Kombat. “He feels like I’m going to win, and for him it’s better to fight Poirier than me because I am more dangerous for him.

“I know wrestling, and maybe he can make more money with Dustin. Probably because of that, he’s interested. Anyway, for me, it doesn’t matter. I just focus on Charles Oliveira. After that fight, we’re going to talk.”

Former interim champion Poirier is coming off a knockout of Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299. He would present a fresh matchup for Makhachev, who already beat Tsarukyan and Oliveira.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Video: UFC legend Mark Coleman returns to gym less than a week after nearly dying in house fire

UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman’s recovery from near death is trending up.

UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Mark Coleman[/autotag]’s recovery from near death is trending up.

Just last week, Coleman was incapacitated and connected to a breathing tube caused by smoke inhalation while rescuing his parents from their burning home in Freemont, Ohio. Six days later on Monday, Coleman returned to Matt Brown’s Immortal Martial Arts Center on his own power as seen in a video posted on Brown’s Instagram page.

Two days after he was readmitted to the hospital for pneumonia, Coleman physically appeared well and also in good spirits after delivering a one-liner for the camera.

“Never left,” Coleman said. “… Well, for a second.”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4qYpjvrB9w/?igsh=MWl3cDhrNXhoaG13cA%3D%3D

Coleman, 59, was airlifted to a nearby hospital after his heroics in the house fire. He was sedated and intubated, and a GoFundMe was launched to assist with his medical bills.

For two days, Coleman lay in a hospital bed “battling for his life” while doctors worked to clear his lungs. Last Thursday, a video of Coleman alert and speaking in the hospital was posted on social media. An emotional Coleman called himself “the happiest man in the world” as he embraced his daughters.

In video on his own Instagram page, Coleman expressed appreciation to all of his fans and followers who sent well wishes and prayed for his recovery.

“I’m not totally sure how I was able to go back in and out four separate times and still be here today able to tell you about it,” Coleman said. “It truly is a miracle, and it’s in His hands for me to move forward.”

Conor McGregor suggests communication breakdown with UFC about return fight: ‘No talk about anything’

The latest comments from Conor McGregor regarding his return to the UFC are a mixed bag, at best.

If you’re a [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] fan anxiously awaiting the return of the UFC’s biggest star to the octagon, here’s some good news: He’s at least somewhat optimistic about fighting before 2024 comes to a close.

The bad news? An announcement doesn’t appear to be imminent based on his latest public comments.

In an interview with talkSPORT released Monday, McGregor alluded to having to get through a current period of promoting the upcoming release of the “Road House” remake – in which he co-stars with Jake Gyllenhaal – before he can turn his attention completely to a return to fighting.

“After that, it’s a closed door,” McGregor said. “So I get to go in and close the door and map my plan. And then gym-home, gym-home, gym-home. And I hope we get some clarity with a date, and I can push towards it. I’m sure we will get something in by year’s end. That’s what I’m hoping.”

Back on New Year’s Day, McGregor announced on social media that he would return June 29 at UFC 303 to fight Michael Chandler, a long-anticipated showdown after the two men coaches against each other last year on “The Ultimate Fighter 31.” But the UFC never officially co-signed on the date, with promotion CEO Dana White only speaking ambiguously about potential negotiations.

Since then McGregor has openly talked about wanting a fourth fight with Dustin Poirier and a trilogy with Nate Diaz, in addition to meeting Chandler as planned. McGregor was even so specific as to say his ideal scenario is to fight Chandler on June 29 in Las Vegas and then return to “Sin City” in September to fight Diaz at the promotion’s highly anticipated Noche UFC event from the Sphere.

McGregor, who has two fights left on his UFC contract, reiterated his desire for that timeline in the talkSPORT interview, but his words cast doubt that he’s been in any serious discussions with the UFC.

“That would be great for me – June 29th and then the Sphere,” McGregor said. “And then what? What happens then? I don’t know. And I wonder do they know? There’s been no talk about anything. So I wonder what next. …

“There was cold water put on (fighting Diaz at the Sphere) publicly off the bat, and I wasn’t happy with that. I need discussion or conversation, because if I lose interest – and I’m not getting anything back – I just drift off, my man. So I hope I can get something in and get dialed in.”

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Paddy Pimblett eyes summer return vs. Renato Moicano: ‘You owe me money, lad’

Paddy Pimblett wants his ticket to the top 15 through Renato Moicano.

[autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] wants his ticket to the top 15 through [autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag].

Pimblett (21-3 MMA, 5-0 UFC) is a fight Moicano has wanted on numerous occasions, and Pimblett is now reciprocating that interest.

Moicano (18-5-1 MMA, 10-5 UFC) is currently booked to face Jalin Turner at UFC 300 on April 13. Summer would be a relatively quick turnaround for the popular Brazilian, but that’s the fight Pimblett is eyeing next.

“I saw something the other day on Twitter, that I’m meant to be fighting Renato Moicano at UFC 301,” Pimblett said on his YouTube channel. “No. My kids will be about 2 weeks old. I’m not fighting that soon. I won’t be fighting until June or July. … That is who I want next: Renato Moicano. ‘Money’ Moicano, you owe me money, lad. I’m coming for you, you little sausage.”

Moicano posted on “X” to respond to Pimblett’s callout.

Even though most likely I will be on the top 10 of the best division in UFC I show you that’s levels to this game!!! As far as I’m concerned pimpleton is easy money 👍 you little Oliver Twist…. #ufc #mma.”

Paddy pimblett always a tough guy when someone gets booked to a fight!!! He’s representing everything that’s wrong with society!!! Our grandparents heroes were military generals and statesmen our parents hero’s were sport athletes and now this generation heroes are clowns! #ufc.”

Pimblett is coming off a lopsided decision win over the skidding Tony Ferguson this past December at UFC 296. “The Baddy” revealed he entered that fight injured.

“I went into that last fight injured, but I just never said nothing. I just got on with it,” Pimblett said. “I’m back in the gym, training in the new year. My shoulders are still sore even after two, three weeks off. So I got them looked at, had an MRI on both. I’ve got a tear in both shoulders, so all I’ve done for the past month is lots of kicking.”

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