Tag: Brad Katona

Kurt Holobaugh’s ‘TUF 31’ chronicles: Why one teammate was disliked by the others

Cast member Kurt Holobaugh gives MMA Junkie an exclusive, inside look at “The Ultimate Fighter 31: Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler.”

“The Ultimate Fighter 31” is underway with coaches [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] attracting more eyeballs back on the series.

This season, which features eight lightweights and eight bantamweights, debuted Tuesday on ESPN. McGregor’s team features eight fighters who have not competed in the UFC against Chandler’s team of eight UFC alumni.

Among those UFC alumni is [autotag]Kurt Holobaugh[/autotag], the lone fighter who had two previous stints with the promotion. Holobaugh went 0-4 over those stretches, but history shows a tough strength of schedule: Steven Siler, Raoni Barcelos, Shane Burgos, and Thiago Moises.

Now at lightweight rather than featherweight, Holobaugh devastated two opponents to get a third look from the UFC.

Each week here at MMA Junkie, Holobaugh will peel back the curtain and provide an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look and give insight into what may not have made the cut into the episode.

Check out what Holobaugh had to say about Episode 5 below.

‘The Ultimate Fighter 31: McGregor vs. Chandler’ Episode 5 recap: A ‘diva’ and ‘unfinished fights’ spark frustration

“The Ultimate Fighter 31: McGregor vs. Chandler” returned as internal frustration built among one team, and Conor McGregor lost his cool.

“The Ultimate Fighter 31: Team McGregor vs. Team Chandler” returned Tuesday for Episode 5 as the anger begins to mount internally on one team – and externally through the second team’s coach.

On Episode 5, the matchup between [autotag]Brad Katona[/autotag] and [autotag]Carlos Vera[/autotag] finally happens after a disagreement and negotiations between coaches from each team pertaining to the weight class.

The season runs from May 30 to Aug. 15 with the live finale expected for later this year. The promotion also intends for coaches [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] to square off in the months that follow the conclusion of the season.

Scroll below for a recap of Episode 5 and make sure to check out an exclusive insider look from “TUF 31” cast member Kurt Holobaugh, who will peel back the curtain on MMA Junkie the morning after each episode airs.

‘The Ultimate Fighter’ winner Brad Katona signs with EMC, set for bantamweight title tilt

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 27 winner Brad Katona has signed with European promotion EMC, and will challenge for championship gold on his promotional debut.

Dublin-based Canadian [autotag]Brad Katona[/autotag] has booked his first fight following his release by the UFC, and there’s championship gold on the line.

Katona (8-2) has signed a multi-fight contract with European promotion Elite MMA Championship (EMC) and will challenge the organization’s reigning bantamweight champion Stipe Brcic in the co-main event of EMC 6 on Oct. 31. Promotion officials confirmed the matchup with MMA Junkie.

SBG-trained Katona won the featherweight tournament on Season 27 of “The Ultimate Fighter” by defeating England’s Jay Cucciniello in the final. He then went on to defeat Matthew Lopez at UFC 231. Both wins came via unanimous decision.

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Back-to-back unanimous decision losses to Merab Dvalishvili and Hunter Azure led to Katona being released by the UFC with a 2-2 promotional record. Now, more than a year after his last appearance, he’s set to return to action against Croatia’s Brcic (8-1), who captured the EMC bantamweight title by defeating Brazil’s Kewin Jacques Rangel and Italy’s Luca Iovine in the same night to win the promotion’s 135-pound tournament at EMC 4.

EMC 6 will be headlined by a welterweight title bout as Austrian former UFC athlete Ismail Naurdiev and Georgian contender Amiran Gogoladze face off in the final of the promotion’s welterweight grand prix, with the inaugural 170-pound title on the line.

EMC 6 takes place Oct. 31 at the UFD Training Center, Dusseldorf, Germany. The event will be streamed live on FITE.tv.

‘TUF 27’ winner Brad Katona confirms ‘surprise’ UFC release

Brad Katona says his drive and passion haven’t changed despite being cut by the UFC.

[autotag]Brad Katona[/autotag] is no longer a member of the UFC roster.

Canadian bantamweight Katona (8-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) confirmed rumors of his departure in an Instagram post Tuesday. TSN was first to report the news.

“My release from the UFC came as a surprise, but it hasn’t changed my passion or drive to (continue) my pursuit of being the best in the world,” Katona said.

Katona, 28, entered the UFC on the heels of back-to-back exhibition wins over future UFC fighters Bryce Mitchell and Kyler Phillips on “The Ultimate Fighter 27,” which featured all undefeated athletes.

At the TUF 27 Finale, Katona beat Jay Cucciniello by unanimous decision. The victory earned him a six-figure contract with the UFC and the right to call himself “The Ultimate Fighter.”

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Katona went on to have three more fights in the UFC. In his second promotional outing, Katona defeated Matthew Lopez at UFC 231 in December 2018. Back-to-back decision losses to Merab Dvalishvili and Hunter Azure would be the final bouts of Katona’s UFC stint.

Check out Katona’s full Instagram announcement below:

With the news out now I figured I should address it. My release from the UFC came as a surprise but it hasn’t changed my passion or drive to continuing my pursuit of being the best in the world. Originally I wanted to forego announcing my release until I had something tangible and exciting to produce alongside it. Fortunately I have a great team behind me helping to chart out the path to becoming the best version of myself. There’s lots to look forward to and can’t wait to show it all off to you my supportive family, friends, and fans. Thanks everyone, this year’s going to be exciting

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