Category: UFC

Video: What should the UFC do with Khamzat Chimaev after his big weight miss?

Khamzat Chimaev certainly had an eventful fight week for UFC 279. But what should the UFC do with him now?

[autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] certainly had an eventful fight week for UFC 279.

Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) stayed unbeaten when he submitted Kevin Holland (23-8 MMA, 10-5 UFC) in the first round in dominant fashion in the UFC 279 co-main event. But that wasn’t what was supposed to happen. Far from it, in fact.

Chimaev was supposed to fight Nate Diaz in the main event, in which he was as much as a 14-1 favorite. But after several days of incidents involving Chimaev – an altercation with Paulo Costa at the UFC Performance Institute, then backstage shenanigans at the UFC 279 news conference that helped lead to the decision to cancel the press event altogether – he missed weight in massive fashion Friday.

His 7.5-pound miss was so big that the Nevada Athletic Commission wasn’t going to let him fight Diaz, who hit his mark on the scale. So the UFC had to shuffle things around, and Diaz fought Tony Ferguson, and Chimaev fought Holland at a 180-pound catchweight.

[lawrence-related id=2581341,2581019,2580997]

The pre-fight antics aside, as well as his post-fight interview antics in which he seemed to be very much intent on making himself the UFC’s newest villain that many fans will love to hate, the weight miss could be a problem for Chimaev if he wants a shot at the welterweight title. If he can’t be trusted to make weight, the UFC might be reluctant to count on him to be on target when it really counts for a title fight.

So should the members of the UFC brass let him back to welterweight? Or should they push him up to middleweight?

That’s the question we asked our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and Danny Segura, who discussed the topic with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch their conversation in the video above, or check out this week’s full episode below.

[listicle id=2579386]

[vertical-gallery id=2579744]

DWCS 54 winner Farid Basharat: ‘If you’re fighting the Basharat brothers, you better pack a second lunch’

Farid Basharat thinks few will be able to match his or his brother Javid’s pace now that both of them are in the UFC.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Farid Basharat[/autotag] thinks few will be able to match his or his brother Javid’s pace.

Basharat (9-0) joined his brother, Javid Basharat, on the UFC roster after he defeated Allan Begosso by unanimous decision at Dana White’s Contender Series 54 on Tuesday.

It was a well-rounded performance from Basharat, who swept the judges’ scorecards.

“I haven’t seen the fight yet, but I’m very satisfied,” Basharat told reporters, including MMA Junkie. “It’s just once the fight finished, it was such a fast-paced fight, I just kind of crashed a little bit, energy wise. We do this a lot in training. We simulate these kind of crazy cardio rounds. It reminded me of that. Once the fight finished, I was exhausted because I really left it all on the line.

“It’s tough to keep up with my pace, and I think you’re going to see a lot more of this – this Basharat pace. You’ve seen Javid, who’s got an even more sickening pace than I have, so this is very common with us. So if you’re fighting the Basharat brothers, you better pack a second lunch.”

Javid Basharat (12-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) fights Saturday against Tony Gravely (23-7 MMA, 4-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 210 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

“Javid’s also fighting this week, and that’s just going to make it such a special week when he goes out there and gets the ‘W,’ as well,” Basharat said.

“As far as I’m concerned, job’s not done. Job’s done when Javid gets his hand raised on Saturday. He’s got a tough opponent, though he is so prepared. And Saturday night when he wins, that’s when we can sit back and just reminisce on the past few months. This is a special fight because it’s a landmark because we’re both in the UFC now.”

[vertical-gallery id=2581122]

[listicle id=2581119]

Brendan Schaub trashes ‘low budget Vince McMahon’ Dana White after UFC 279 conspiracy dig

Brendan Schaub didn’t take kindly to Dana White’s shot at him after UFC 279.

[autotag]Brendan Schaub[/autotag] didn’t take kindly to [autotag]Dana White[/autotag]’s shot at him in the aftermath of UFC 279.

Following a chaotic week in Las Vegas where the promotion was forced to shuffle the top three fights of its pay-per-view event following Khamzat Chimaev’s infamous weight miss, a portion of the MMA community thought the entire situation was pre-planned.

Schaub, as well as former UFC champion Pat Miletich, were among those to chime in with their opinions. They theorized a conspiracy for the UFC to improve the card due to low pay-per-view interest.

Following Tuesday’s episode of Dana White’s Contender Series, the UFC president lashed out at Miletich and called him “the dumbest motherf*cker on the planet.” White also was informed told Schaub had offered his own theories, which he said “makes sense” (via Twitter):

Schaub didn’t appreciate the tone in which White delivered his comment, and Wednesday posted on social media to offer his response.

Schaub held nothing back, and went after White from every angle from personal to professional, and brought fighter pay and the UFC’s association with various media outlets into the fold.

Check out the statement below (via Instagram):

Oh god… here we go again. I’ve been nothing but cool and thought you’d learn from the last time you mentioned my name and got destroyed. Unfortunately, not surprised you’re a bully. Always have been. You put on a pair of designer jeans and some “hip sneakers” and think you’re cool. You’re still a dork with a frat bro vocabulary. Calling me and numerous people “dummy” “dumbass” “f*cking idiot” cause we have questions about “the chaos” at UFC279? Also, no one is talking about *gate tickets,* I was referring to *pay per view buys* and how UFC 279 was *trending*… which you don’t release to the public, but will say “it went F*ckin great bros!” Sorry, we just don’t buy what you’re telling us after lying numerous times but the sheep media you pick to attend events don’t have the balls to call you out. Just in the recent press conference you were caught lying about extra compensation to the fighters. You need a reality check. You’re surrounded by “Yes men.” You’re not special, you’re not original. You’re a low budget Vince McMahon. Every move you make is a copy cat of that dude. Only thing you have in common is you’re both on steroids and dress like assholes. Need I remind you, your origin story is a failed cardio kick boxing instructor who had two rich friends in high school to fund this business. Now go make a “cool” video with the Nelk boys to stay relevant or have your PR team come up with a good press story to distract the fans away from fighter pay and how they have to wear those awful under armor Rock shoes and won’t see a dime. “Dummy”
PS. Quit stealing my shows on thicccboy network and recreating it on Fight pass, k?
Also… leave Pat Miletich alone.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CiftNSipPj6

[vertical-gallery id=329266]

Dana White: Khamzat Chimaev didn’t have a bad UFC 279 week ‘by any stretch’

Despite a huge weight miss and altercation, Dana White thinks Khamzat Chimaev came out of UFC 279 fight week looking good.

All things considered, [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] doesn’t think Khamzat Chimaev had a bad fight week for UFC 279.

Chimaev was on many headlines last week ahead of his return to the octagon, and not all, were positive ones – at least according to some. Yet, despite all the things that went down in the days ahead of the UFC pay-per-view in Las Vegas, White is still very high on the unbeaten contender.

“It was a nutty week, I mean, the whole week was nutty in every way that it could possibly be nutty, but I wouldn’t say by any stretch that it was a bad week for Khamzat Chimaev,” White said at a press conference following Dana White Contender Series 54 on Tuesday. “He came in, and you all know what I think about Kevin Holland and what I think about him as a person and as a fighter, and God damn, Khamzat made that looked easy and very quick. He’s an absolute beast.”

[lawrence-related id=2580997,2580781,2580787]

Chimaev dominated Holland in their co-main event bout, adding another impressive win to his record. But that wasn’t supped to be Chimaev’s opponent.

The Chechen fighter was supposed to meet MMA star Nate Diaz on the top billing of the card, but he missed weight by 7.5 pounds on Friday morning. His failure to make the welterweight limit promoted chaos that forced UFC to shuffle three matchups on the card, including his.

On top of that, Chimaev got into an altercation on Thursday with Holland, which spewed and ended up involving other fighters on the card – along with their teams. The incident forced the cancelation of the UFC 279 press conference, and the incident is now being investigated by the Nevada Athletic Commission.

[vertical-gallery id=2581122]

[pickup_prop id=”23164″]

Sodiq Yusuff off UFC Fight Night 210, booked to face promotional newcomer Don Shainis on Oct. 1

Sodiq Yusuff won’t get to compete at UFC Fight Night 210, but has been booked two weeks later.

[autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag] won’t get to compete at UFC Fight Night 210, but has been booked two weeks later.

Yusuff (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) was scheduled to face Giga Chikadze on Saturday’s card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, but the bout was scrapped when Chikadze withdrew due to injury.

Instead, Yusuff will meet promotional newcomer [autotag]Don Shainis[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 211 on Oct. 1, promotion officials announced Tuesday.

Winner of seven of his past eight, Yusuff rebounded from his first octagon setback to Arnold Allen with a unanimous decision win over Alex Caceres at UFC Fight Night 203 in March.

Shainis will enter his UFC debut on a five-fight winning streak with three straight knockouts. He currently holds the Cage Titans featherweight title and the FAC lightweight belt.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for Oct. 1 includes:

  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Yan Xiaonan
  • Chris Daukaus vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
  • Brendan Allen vs. Krzysztof Jotko
  • Randy Brown vs. Francisco Trinaldo
  • Ilir Latifi vs. Aleksei Oleinik
  • Jessica Penne vs. Tabatha Ricci
  • Guido Cannetti vs. Randy Costa
  • Chelsea Chandler vs. Julija Stoliarenko
  • John Castaneda vs. Daniel Santos
  • Cody Garbrandt vs. Rani Yahya
  • Raoni Barcelos vs. Trevin Jones
  • Jesse Ronson vs. Joaquim Silva
  • Mike Davis vs. TBA
  • Don Shainis vs. Sodiq Yusuff

[vertical-gallery id=481407]

UFC Fight Night 210 pre-event facts: Can Cory Sandhagen snap his skid?

Check out the numbers behind UFC Fight Night 210, where Cory Sandhagen looks to avoid a three-fight skid in the main event.

The UFC hosts its final event of September on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 210, which goes down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams entirely on ESPN+.

A crucial bantamweight matchup serves as the main event. [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) will attempt to snap his two-fight skid when he takes on the surging [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (19-6-1 MMA, 8-1-1 UFC) in a showdown scheduled for five rounds.

For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC Fight Night 210.

UFC Fight Night 210 free fight: Song Yadong KOs Marlon Moraes with brutal combination

Watch Song Yadong put away former UFC title challenger Marlon Moraes.

[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] enters his first UFC main event on a high note.

The 24-year-old rising UFC bantamweight contender headlines UFC Fight Night 210 this coming Saturday against Cory Sandhagen. This main event placement comes after Yadong (19-6-1 MMA, 8-1-1 UFC) knocked out veteran Marlon Moraes in the first round of their bout at UFC Fight Night 203 in March.

It was a spectacular finish that earned Yadong a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus. You can watch the finish in the video above.

[lawrence-related id=2580785,2572163]

Sandhagen (19-6-1 MMA, 8-1-1 UFC), 30, will look to rebound from back-to-back decision losses against T.J. Dillashaw and Petr Yan. The losing skid followed back-to-back knockout victories of Moraes and Frankie Edgar. It is the first multifight skid of Sandhagen’s professional career.

Yadong has been on a roll since a 2021 loss to Kyler Phillips. One of the youngest fighters on the roster, Yadong rides a three-fight winning streak, which includes a split decision over Casey Kenney, a TKO of Julio Arce, and the knockout of Moraes.

[vertical-gallery id=520226]

[pickup_prop id=”27486″]

Jared Cannonier vs. Sean Strickland to headline UFC Fight Night event on Dec. 17

Jared Cannonier vs. Sean Strickland has been re-scheduled.

[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag]’s return has been booked.

The UFC middleweight contender is set to fight against [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] in the main event of the last UFC event of 2022, which goes down on Dec. 17 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

UFC president Dana White confirmed the news following an initial report by Helen Yee. MMA Junkie also confirmed the booking with sources after the first report.

The two middleweights were originally scheduled to fight in the main event of a UFC Fight Night on Oct. 15, but an infection on one of Strickland’s fingers forced the fight to get canceled. The promotion has kept the matchup and the headlining status intact, as the fight now lands at the top of the last card in December.

[lawrence-related id=2580989,2581019]

Strickland (25-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) is coming off a knockout loss at UFC 276 to Alex Pereira, who’s set to challenge champion Israel Adesanya on Nov. 12. Prior to the defeat, he was on a six-fight winning streak.

Meanwhile, Cannonier (15-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) will try to rebound from his title-fight loss to Israel Adesanya also at UFC 276 in July. “The Killa Gorilla” was 5-1 prior to the title fight with his lone loss being against former UFC champion Robert Whittaker.

[vertical-gallery id=2558894]

[pickup_prop id=”27169″]

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Sept. 13: Irene Aldana gaining steam

Check out our MMA rankings update after a matchup shakeup at UFC 279.

After a last-minute shuffling of bouts and issues on the scale, UFC 279 ended up with three catchweight bouts on the main card, which left some winners and losers seeing no movement this week. However, there were some that gained or lost ground in the rankings.

Although it wasn’t his original opponent, [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] got his promotional send-off by defeating former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson in a welterweight bout. For Ferguson, it was his fifth-straight setback. Although the fight didn’t take place in the weight class in which he’s ranked, being finished by an unranked Diaz causes him to lose a couple of spots, landing at No. 12 among lightweights.

In another catchweight bout, [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] faced Macy Chiasson on the main card. Chiasson had a tough first round, but just as things were turning in her favor, Aldana landed a very rare finish with an upkick to the liver, resulting in a TKO victory. Again, even though this bout technically took place outside of the division, Aldana’s performance was worthy of a bump up from No. 8 to No. 7 in this week’s update.

Check out all of the changes following UFC 279.

[pickup_prop id=”27490″]

VIDEO: Dagestan’s Ikram Aliskerov locks nasty kimura on Mario Sousa at DWCS 54

Ikram Aliskerov wasted no time at DWCS 54.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Ikram Aliskerov[/autotag] wasted no time leaving a lasting impression at Dana White Contender Series.

The Dagestan native submitted Mario Sousa just a couple of minutes into their middleweight contest, forcing the Brazilian to tap after locking up a nasty kimura at DWCS 54. The bout took place on Tuesday night at the UFC Apex.

Despite defending the first two takedown attempts, the third was the charm for Aliskerov (13-1), who locked up the kimura submission moments after the fight hit the ground.

[lawrence-related id=2581222]

It was a dominant showing that put Aliskerov on a five-fight winning streak. The 29-year-old has only lost once as a professional, and that defeat came against top UFC contender Khamzat Chimaev back at Brave FC in 2019.

You can watch Aliskerov’s finish in the video below:

[listicle id=2581119]

[vertical-gallery id=2581122]