Tag: Amanda Nunes

MMA rankings report: How will December’s big fights shake things up?

With a big month of fights on tap to close the year, Gorgeous George and John Morgan project how the rankings might shake out.

Things have been a little slow the past couple weeks in mixed martial arts, but the year will end with a bang, as December features a big slate of important fights.

There are several matchups which will have major implications on both their respective divisions and, in some cases, the pound-for-pound list. Matches such as:

  • [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] at welterweight
  • [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alexander Volkanosvki[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Ortega[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Chan Sung Jung[/autotag] at featherweight
  • [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] and [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] at women’s bantamweight
  • [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] at men’s bantamweight

Those are just some of the matchups over the next several weeks which will have a major impact on the future. What might they mean for the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings? Let MMA Junkie’s “Gorgeous” George Garcia and John Morgan walk you through the changes in the video above.

[opinary poll=”do-you-expect-a-stoppage-in-the-usmancov” customer=”mmajunkie”]

UFC 245 free fight: Relive Amanda Nunes’ finish of Holly Holm at UFC 239

Can’t wait for UFC 245 to roll around? Get ready for Amanda Nunes’ next fight by giving another look to her last one.

Ronda Rousey. Cris Cyborg. Miesha Tate. Germaine de Randamie. Valentina Shevchenko. Julia Budd.

That list represents a who’s who of women’s world mixed martial arts champions past and present. And the women on that list have something in common: They’ve all been defeated by UFC champ-champ [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag].

Going into UFC 239, just one huge name was left off that ledger: Holly Holm. But on July 6, Nunes (18-4 MMA, 11-1 UFC) added Holm to her impressive list of vanquished foes, with a magnificent performance in a first-round TKO victory to successfully defend her bantamweight title.

[lawrence-related id=464557,464217,460717]

Nunes, who is also UFC featherweight champion, puts her 135-pound belt up for grabs again at UFC 245 on Dec. 14, where she meets de Randamie (9-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) for the second time.

And with the three-title-fight mega-card just a few weeks away, you can whet your appetite for Nunes’ return by reliving her UFC 239 finish of Holm. The UFC has made the bout free for all to watch, and you can check it out in the video linked above.

[vertical-gallery id=420426]

[vertical-gallery id=394066]

UFC 245 judges, referees set: Jason Herzog gets first UFC title fight assignment

Judges and referees assignments are set for UFC 245, which features three title fights on Dec. 14 in Las Vegas.

The UFC will close out its 2019 pay-per-view schedule next month with UFC 245, which features three championship fights.

The Nevada Athletic Commission has assigned judges and referees for those title bouts, which top the Dec. 14 card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. NAC announced the assignments at a Wednesday meeting in Las Vegas.

In the main event, [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) will put his welterweight title on the line against heated rival [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC). Marc Goddard will serve as the referee for the 170-pound title bout, while Derek Cleary, Sal D’Amato and Eric Colon serve as judges.

[lawrence-related id=458681,464217,461902]

The co-headliner, which sees [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 17-4 UFC) put his featherweight belt up for grabs against [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC), will see Jason Herzog get his first UFC title fight referee assignment, with Mike Bell, Junichiro Kamijo and Chris Lee slated as judges.

Finally, the women’s bantamweight title rematch between dual-champ [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 11-1 UFC) and [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) will mark the sixth UFC title fight for referee Keith Peterson. The judges will be Dave Hagen, Ron McCarthy and D’Amato.

[vertical-gallery id=311698]

Video: ‘Ready to Rise’ hypes up UFC 245 title fights led by Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington

Check out the “Ready to Rise” video hyping up the three title fights at UFC 245, highlighting Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington.

UFC 245 will feature a trio of title fights, headlined by welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC), who is set to make his first title defense against former interim champ [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC).

In the co-main event, featherweight champ [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 17-4 UFC), takes on the surging [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC). And dual champ [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 11-1 UFC) puts her bantamweight title on the line against ex-featherweight champ [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC).

UFC 245 takes place Dec. 14 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

“Ready to Rise” is a short promo video for UFC 245 centered around the night’s headliner, a grudge match between Usman and Covington. Check out the video below.

[vertical-gallery id=388034]

Claressa Shields’ promoter thinks fight with UFC champ Amanda Nunes could happen in 2020

Claressa Shields’ promoter thinks a fight between his boxing champion and Amanda Nunes could happen in 2020.

The talk about a potential Claressa Shields vs. [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] fight continues to gain traction.

Shields’ promoter, Dmitriy Salita, told TMZ he thinks a fight between his world champion boxing client and two-division UFC champ Nunes could happen next year.

“I think sometime in the next six to 12 months,” Salita said. “I think both ladies need to embrace it and talk about it, and there needs to be a real plan to make it happen, and to make it the biggest possible event it could be.

“Claressa wants to be a two-sport star. We’ve just been really building her strategically – her fanbase, her brand – and Claressa is really carrying the women’s sport of boxing on her shoulders.”

[lawrence-related id=457167,427224,424973]

Many fighters have expressed interest in crossover fights ever since the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor boxing match happened. Salita thinks a potential Shields vs. Nunes fight, would be big for women’s sports and would open doors down the line.

“It’s definitely something we’re very interested in,” Salita said. “I was actually at the Mayweather-McGregor fight and followed the build-up, and it was really a phenomenal event. And wouldn’t it be tremendous for women’s sport, for women’s boxing, for women’s MMA, to have two superstars from each one of these categories, from each one of these combat sports, compete in this super event?”

Shields is expected to have her rescheduled fight with Ivana Habazin announced shortly. Nunes is set to defend her women’s bantamweight title on Dec. 14 when she takes on former featherweight champ Germaine de Randamie at UFC 245.

Salita said ever since Shields signed with him more than two years ago, her paychecks have been increasing. Should a fight with Nunes materialize, he expects her to be making at least $1 million dollars.

“Claressa has been making good money from her first fight with me, and progressively as she’s climbing up the ranks,” Salita said. “I think a fight like this, at least for this side, for Claressa, would have to be a seven-figure payday and I think that there’ll be a lot of power and a great statement to say that these women are making so much money.”

[opinary poll=”do-you-want-to-see-amanda-nunes-vs-clare” customer=”mmajunkie”]

[vertical-gallery id=394066]

Cris Cyborg still wants Amanda Nunes rematch in a Bellator vs. UFC cross promotion fight

Cris Cyborg still wants a rematch with Amanda Nunes in a Bellator vs. UFC cross-promotion fight.

On the heels of her first loss in more than 13 years, [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] still wants to avenge her setback to [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag].

But now that she is part of the Bellator banner, doing that could be difficult. Following her first-round knockout loss to Nunes at UFC 232, where she lost her featherweight title, Cyborg (21-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) rebounded with a unanimous decision win over Felicia Spencer at UFC 240.

But her complicated relationship with UFC president Dana White, who claimed that dealing with Cyborg is a nightmare, got in the way of a potential rematch with Nunes (18-4 MMA, 11-1 UFC). Cyborg was a free agent after her win at UFC 240 in July and signed with Bellator in September.

Speaking to TMZ, Cyborg said the first thing she asked Bellator president Scott Coker is if they could do a cross-promotion with the UFC and get the Nunes rematch done.

“Before I signed with Bellator, the first thing I asked Scott for (is) maybe to have the possibility to fight (against UFC fighters) – the same he’s doing for Rizin (with) his champions fighting with champions in Japan. … I said maybe if he’ll be able to do that,” Cyborg said.

Cyborg is set to make her Bellator debut when she challenges 145-pound champ Julia Budd for the title at Bellator 236 on Jan. 25. The former UFC, Invicta and Strikeforce featherweight champ is hoping to add another belt to her collection, then hopefully get her rematch with Nunes.

“Cris Cyborg (vs.) Amanda Nunes – she’s the UFC champion, and I hope in the future (UFC) vs. Bellator champion, maybe the fight will happen. Scott said yes, we can do that,” Cyborg said. “Dana White (just has) to call him and make this happen, and I think everybody would like to watch.”

“One-fight deal – just call Scott.”

[vertical-gallery id=374910]