Ailin Perez shrugs off Nora Cornolle’s callout at UFC 314

Ailin Perez shuts down Nora Cornolle’s callout at UFC 314 as she doesn’t see her deserving of the opportunity.

[autotag]Nora Cornolle[/autotag] called out [autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag], and now she has a response.

After her submission win at UFC 314 in Miami, Cornolle (9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) took the microphone and let the world know that she wants Perez (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) next. Perez doesn’t think the French fighter is deserving of the opportunity, and she’s angling for higher-level opposition. But, if the UFC wants the bout, Perez sees it as an easy paycheck.

“My reaction to her callout, I saw she mentioned me a few times, she’s very needy and in need of a fight against someone with a name, so that’s why she wants to fight me,” Perez told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. “My opinion on Nora is that is easy money. She obviously doesn’t deserve to fight me, but if the UFC thinks she needs the fight, then I fight her.

“It would be an easy fight for me to make a return from my surgery, and we can even do it in France in front of her fans. That’s no problem.”

Although Cornolle finished her fight against Hailey Cowan in the second round, Perez was not impressed with what she saw that night – which makes her interest in the fight even less.

“I thought the fight was terrible because it was so boring,” Perez said. “The only thing that saved that fight was the submission because no one was paying attention to that fight. I was like half watching it on my phone on my way to the arena.”

Since losing her UFC debut in 2022, Perez has won five in a row, with her most recent win coming in January when she defeated veteran contender Karol Rosa to punch her ticket into the top-10 rankings of the UFC women’s bantamweight division.

Perez revealed in the same interview that she underwent shoulder surgery on Feb. 7 and has been recovering since. She’s just getting back to light training, and her doctors expect her to be ready to fight by September or October.

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Grant Dawson: Michael Chandler ‘got his butt kicked’ at UFC 314, needs to be unranked

Grant Dawson is doubling down on his stance toward Michael Chandler in the UFC lightweight rankings.

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. – [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] is doubling down on his stance toward [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] in the UFC lightweight rankings.

Dawson (23-2-1 MMA, 11-1-1 UFC) never thought Chandler deserved to be ranked and has reiterated his position after Chandler was finished by Paddy Pimblett in Saturday’s UFC 314 co-main event in Miami.

Chandler (23-10 MMA, 2-5 UFC) is now on a three-fight losing skid and has lost five of his past six.

“I’ve been calling out Chandler for years,” Dawson told MMA Junkie. “I’ve always thought Chandler was undeserving of being in the top 15. He’s now 2-5, I believe, in the UFC. All good guys for sure, but we’re all fighting good guys. If Michael Chandler’s next fight is a big name, not an up-and-comer, I think the UFC is doing a disservice.”

Dawson admits Pimblett far surpassed his expectations after dominating Chandler and stopping him by TKO in Round 3.

“I thought he looked great. I thought he looked much improved,” Dawson said of Pimblett. “I, from Day 1, was picking Paddy to beat Michael Chandler, and I didn’t think he would do it like that. I thought Michael Chandler was going to be winning the entire fight and then do something Michael Chandler does and find a way to lose. But, no, he got his butt kicked the entire time. Paddy is definitely a force to be reckoned with. I’m interested to see who they match him up with next.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

Henry Cejudo: Max Holloway ‘100 percent’ beats UFC 314 version of Alexander Volkanovski

Henry Cejudo urges Max Holloway to remain at featherweight and challenge Alexander Volkanovski.

[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] urges [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] to remain at featherweight and challenge [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag].

Volkanovski (27-5 MMA, 14-4 UFC) reclaimed the featherweight belt by defeating Diego Lopes (27-6 MMA, 6-1 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 314 main event at Kaseya Center in Miami.

Multiple top contenders such as UFC 314 winners Yair Rodriguez and Jean Silva, as well as Movsar Evloev, are vying for a shot at Volkanovski. However, Cejudo suggests former champion Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC) instead. Although Holloway is 0-3 in title fights against Volkanovski, Cejudo sees him winning this time around.

“I feel like 145 is wide open,” Cejudo told MMA Junkie. “I feel like the person who should come back is Max Holloway. I think Max Holloway does a number on everybody at that weight class. Yes, 100 percent (he beats Volkanovski). Obviously he did get knocked out by Ilia (Topuria) too, but I just feel like his volume, I feel like he’s healthier, he’s got the better chin, and I feel like it’ll definitely be different this time around.”

Cejudo explained that he didn’t like what he saw out of Volkanovski defensively in terms of his reaction time.

“Volkanovski did look good, but if he gets touched up, I almost feel like there’s something to it,” Cejudo said. “Like he over-exaggerates when Diego was hitting him. He’s got to be careful with that. I can go back and see why is it that Ilia Topuria ended up knocking him out.

“He does a lot of things good, but he does a lot of things wrong, particularly defensively. He’s always doing this (leans back) or he’ll go for the takedown, and he’ll come up without his hands coming up, and I feel like if Diego really invested in that hook, it would be a little different.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

Renato Moicano after UFC 314: ‘I don’t hate Paddy Pimblett’

Renato Moicano is realistic about his current standing with the UFC compared to Paddy Pimblett’s.

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. – Maybe [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] and [autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] will still fight some day, but if it happens, it won’t be for a while.

Heading into UFC 314, No. 10 Moicano was still ahead of No. 12 Pimblett in the official lightweight rankings. But after Pimblett’s impressive third-round TKO demolishing of Michael Chandler this past Saturday, “The Baddy” will have vaulted himself into top-five territory.

“I don’t think I’m fighting Paddy Pimblett anytime soon,” Moicano told MMA Junkie on Monday.

Moicano, who fell short in a last-minute title fight with Islam Makhachev this past January, is just being real about the situation. It’s been a slow build to Pimblett’s UFC career ever since his debut in 2021.

Along the way, Pimblett and Moicano have exchanged plenty of trash talk in interviews and on social media, with Pimblett reigniting their feud following Moicano’s loss to Makhachev.

While there’s always been heat between them, Moicano’s tune has changed at least to some degree in the immediate aftermath of UFC 314.

“The thing is, people think I hate Paddy Pimblett. I don’t hate Paddy Pimblett,” Moicano said. “He has a lot of people who know him, so I wanted to fight him, but right now that fight is not a possibility. UFC is behind Paddy Pimblett. We know that. Why? Because Dana White just said in the (UFC 314) press conference a win over Chandler would put him in title contention. I don’t agree with that at all, but who am I to blame? Who am I to talk about UFC?

“UFC knows what they’re doing and if they’re supporting Paddy, it’s for a reason. Next opponent for Paddy Pimblett will be Charles (Oliveira) or Justin (Gaethje) for sure.”

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What’s next for Moicano is unclear. With his wife expecting a baby in “late May,” Moicano said he’ll be ready to fight after the baby is born.

Moicano said he doesn’t care about the ranking of his opponent, either.

“Just give me an easy fight,” Moicano said.

Henry Cejudo: Michael Chandler must ‘consider retirement’ after one more fight

Henry Cejudo can relate to Michael Chandler’s current situation.

MIAMI – [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] can relate to [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag]’s current situation.

Chandler (23-10 MMA, 2-5 UFC) suffered his third consecutive loss when he was stopped by Paddy Pimblett in Saturday’s UFC 314 co-main event at Kaseya Center.

On a three-fight losing skid himself, Cejudo (16-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) is looking to compete one more time before calling it a career. He urges Chandler to consider doing the same.

“I’m 0-3 now, so I get it, Chandler,” Cejudo told MMA Junkie. “He probably has to get one more and just consider retirement. That’s a lot of beatings, man.”

Cejudo thinks Chandler never lived up to his potential in the UFC. The former Bellator champion had competitive fights with the upper echelon of the UFC’s lightweight division but wound up falling short against Charles Oliveira twice, Justin Gaethje, and Dustin Poirier.

“I think Chandler could have been the best in the world,” Cejudo said. “He’s too much of a crowd pleaser and that has really bit him in the ass. Mike Perry was a crowd pleaser, too. There’s only a certain time before the UFC just says, ‘Hey man, thank you for pleasing us, but we got to move on.’ I feel like Chandler, they’re probably going to, at this point, maybe the UFC might give him a younger guy, and that’s typically what happens in this game.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

Movsar Evloev reacts to Yair Rodriguez’s call for title shot after UFC 314: ‘You have to beat me first’

Movsar Evloev doesn’t think Yair Rodriguez has done enough to deserve a UFC title rematch against Alexander Volkanovski.

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. – [autotag]Movsar Evloev[/autotag] wants his crack at the UFC featherweight title. And if that doesn’t happen, he wants whomever the UFC sees as the No. 1 contender.

Evloev (19-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) has campaigned for a title shot for quite some time, but he hasn’t been able to secure it. He’s hoping to be next now that there’s a champion in the division, given that Alexander Volkanovski won the vacant belt this past Saturday in the main event of UFC 314 in Miami.

However, fan-favorite [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag] also wants in, which could be problematic for Evloev’s title dreams.

“Yair, if you want to fight for the title, you have to beat me first, and then you deserve it,” Evloev told MMA Junkie.

Rodriguez called for a rematch with Volkanovski after defeating former Bellator champion Patricio Freire at UFC 314. Evloev said the Mexican had a good showing but still not enough to merit a championship fight as he was coming off two consecutive defeats.

“I think it was the best fight for Yair Rodriguez in forever, and with ‘Pitbull,’ he’s a dangerous opponent, but I don’t think that’s enough to fight for the tile,” Evloev said. “Because he had his chance, and he just skipped it.”

Evloev is training and ready to fight in a UFC championship fight whenever needed. He’s even willing to sit on the sidelines should Volkanovski need more time before a title defense.

“If Volkanovski is looking for the fight with me, I can wait and improve myself and stay ready, improve my skills, everything,” Evloev said. “Even if it’s like September, October, December, it doesn’t matter. I can wait as much as he needs. But if they have another one for the title, I’m not going to wait too much.”

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Marco Tulio happy to leave UFC 314 with another stoppage after chaotic fight week

Marco Tulio dealt with a robbery event in Brazil, then a car accident in Miami. Then he got another stoppage win at UFC 314.

MIAMI – [autotag]Marco Tulio[/autotag] met the media Saturday after his win over Tresean Gore at UFC 314.

Tulio (14-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) put away Gore (5-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) with a second-round TKO on the prelims at Kaseya Center. It was his 10th straight win and fourth straight stoppage. But leading up to the event, there was plenty of chaos for Tulio – including a robbery in his native Brazil and a car accident once he got to Miami.

“I kept my cool with everything – cool head, cool heart, just making sure I was focused,” Tulio said at his post-fight news conference. “Obviously, there was the robbery event in Sao Paulo, and coming here there was the accident. But I felt very cool.

“… I want to be a very active worker in this company, so maybe two fights more this year.”

The 30-year-old middleweight now has 10 of his 11 stoppage wins by knockout.

Check out Tulio’s post-fight news conference in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

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Michal Oleksiejczuk defends stoppage after UFC 314 finish, lauds Fighting Nerds move

Michal Oleksiejczuk lost four of five fights and three straight. He made a dramatic training change, and it paid off at UFC 314.

MIAMI – [autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag] met the media Saturday after his win over Sedriques Dumas at UFC 314.

Oleksiejczuk (20-9 MMA, 8-7 UFC) put Dumas (10-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) away with a first-round TKO, but Dumas protested the finish just past the halfway mark of the opening round, even though it didn’t seem to be a particularly questionable stoppage given the amount of time he was on top punching.

“I remember the moment – my ground-and-pound was very intensive,” Oleksiejczuk said. “I threw a lot of punches. The referee said to him, ‘Defend. Defend,’ and my opponent didn’t turn side to side (to defend himself). He wasn’t active (defending). THe situation was very dangerous for him.”

Oleksiejczuk spent most of his training camp in Brazil with the Fighting Nerds camp for the first time. He had lost four of five fights, including one to Caio Borralho nearly two years ago. Borralho was the key Fighting Nerds member who worked with Oleksiejczuk to help him break his three-fight skid against Dumas.

Check out Oleksiejczuk’s post-fight news conference in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

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Su Mudaerji positive he did enough in split decision at UFC 314, calls out Manel Kape

Su Mudaerji was surprised his fight against Mitch Raposo was a split decision when many observers thought he won all three rounds.

MIAMI – [autotag]Su Mudaerji[/autotag] met the media Saturday after his win over Mitch Raposo at UFC 314.

Mudaerji (17-7 MMA, 4-4 UFC) won a split decision against Raposo (9-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) on the prelims at Kaseya Center, but the vast majority of MMA media who scored the fight had it for Mudaerji, and most at 30-27.

“He was constantly looking for a submission, wrestling against me,” Mudaerji said at his post-fight news conference through a translator. “But this was my first time fighting an opponent so much shorter than me, so sometimes he was making moves that were almost invisible to me. It was exhilerating (to win). I was so happy. But now the emotions have settled. I’ve got so much to work on in the future, but I’ll come back stronger.

“The judges made the right decision. After he brought me to the floor, he was trying to control me, but he couldn’t make any real moves on me.”

Mudaerji said he has no injuries from the fight and wants to be more active than he has been in the UFC so far, due to injury struggles. He called out Manel Kape (21-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) for a flyweight fight. Kape is coming off a bonus-winning knockout of Asu Almabayev in March.

Check out Mudaerji’s post-fight news conference in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

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Impa Kasanganay enters 2025 PFL World Tournament 3 with perspective, positivity

A former light heavyweight champion, Impa Kasanganay kicks off his PFL middleweight tournament journey against Fabian Edwards.

Of course [autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag] would love to make $1 million like he did in 2023 when he won the PFL light heavyweight championship, but he’s not complaining about the promotion’s new tournament format this year.

Kasanganay (18-5) makes his 2025 debut Friday at PFL World Tournament 1 from Universal Studios Orlando, where he meets former Bellator title challenger Fabian Edwards (13-4) in the first round of the middleweight competition. Unlike his previous two years with the promotion, there is no regular season and having to win to earn points in hopes of making it to the playoffs.

And he relishes the straight-to-tournament format.

“For me, it’s like, I’ve got a job to do,” Kasanganay told MMA Junkie Radio. “I like the format because it’s one and done. … It’s win, and you move forward, solid. It makes it simple.”

In previous years, fighters had to fight four times in a span of roughly seven months to claim the $1 million grand prize. Now an eight-man tournament, it means only three fights – and more importantly one less weight cut – in that same timeframe, which Kasanganay certainly welcomes.

The fact that the PFL reduced the grand prize to $500,000 isn’t an issue for Kasanganay, whose grateful for the opportunity to make money with each fight the longer he lasts.

“I’m stoked,” Kasanganay said. “You get to stay active. That’s what’s cool about the PFL is you get to stay active and keep working and provide for yourself and your family.”

Kasanganay, 31, is 7-2 in the PFL since coming to the promotion in 2023. After claiming the 2023 title, he was runner up in 2024. This year, he returns to middleweight with a sound perspective on both the tournament and his career.

“It’s just one fight at a time,” Kasanganay said. “You don’t get to fight forever. So I just look at it like I get this time right now, and I need to make the most of it.”

He continued, “All the focus is on this fight. I’ve been through this before. Of course you always have your eyes on the rise, and you’re grateful for what you could do, all the other bonuses that come with it. But I really do live my life day to day. You’re never promised tomorrow, and you don’t get to fight forever. One day these interviews won’t happen, so I’m just enjoying today for today. I know on fight day, I’m preparing for the victory. That’s what I’m looking forward to, but I’m literally just enjoying every single day.”