Tag: Ciryl Gane

UFC 310’s Ciryl Gane says he was willing to fight Tom Aspinall in March

Ciryl Gane reveals he was game to fight Tom Aspinall earlier this year.

[autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] revealed he was game to fight [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] earlier this year.

UFC interim heavyweight champion Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) claimed Gane turned him down for a title fight at UFC 304 in July. The Brit wound up facing Curtis Blaydes instead, stopping him by Round 1 TKO to retain his belt.

Fernand Lopez confirmed Gane (12-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) did indeed turn Aspinall down for UFC 304, but only because he had already committed to filming a movie with Netflix – something the UFC was well aware of. Gane, however, says there was no fight offer for September, and that Aspinall in fact turned him down for a fight in March.

“Yeah, yeah, of course, for March – but it was not possible. He said I refused him in September, but the UFC didn’t propose me any contract with him (for then),” Gane said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.”

“Like I’ve said, I’m looking for the best for me and every time is in front of me, and this is exactly what he’s doing now – just looking in front of him. I didn’t (call him out) on the social media, but the UFC knew this is a fight that we’re looking for.”

Gane thinks a fight with Aspinall down the line is inevitable, but first, he has to get through Alexander Volkov (38-10 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 310 (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+) main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Aspinall is gunning for a title-unification bout with heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who would rather face light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.

Gane sees Aspinall being a bigger threat to Jones than “Poatan.”

“Every time we see for the fight against Stipe (Miocic), everything was possible because Stipe is a really great fighter, really well-rounded, but he proved it another time,” Gane said of Jones. “He’s so dangerous. He’s capable of changing. He can do (anything he) wants.

“So even if you have a guy really good in his striking or the wrestling, he can manage this. Maybe I’m going to say Tom because he’s more well-rounded. When you have a guy like Alex Pereira, he’s so dangerous on the striking, so everything is possible. It’s too hard to have a good answer.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Ciryl Gane reflects on ‘total misunderstanding of what was happening’ in loss to Jon Jones

Former UFC interim heavyweight champion looks back on his title fight loss to Jon Jones at UFC 285.

[autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] admits he wasn’t himself when he fought Jon Jones last March for the vacant UFC heavyweight title.

The only time Gane (12-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) has been finished in his pro career was against Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC). Gane tapped from a guillotine choke just over two minutes into the fight.

“When I look back at it, it was obvious that I was not there,” Gane said in French on “UFC 310 Countdown.” “It represented exactly how I felt on the day of the fight. It was a total misunderstanding of what was happening.

“I don’t recognize myself there. It’s something I’ve never done in my life. I’ve never fought that way before. My distance management, my movement, the alertness that I love to show – I had none of that.”

It’s not a knock on one’s resume to lost to the consensus GOAT of the sport. Jones has hung losses on many great fighters over the years and has often made it look easy. But for Gane, he feels disappointed that he didn’t put forth his best effort in the biggest moment of his career.

Gane rebounded nicely in his next appearance six months later, where he stopped Serghei Spivac in the second round to get back on track.

The French heavyweight returns to action at UFC 310 to take on Alexander Volkov. Gane knows it’s another opportunity to prove he belongs in the title conversation. With the lessons learned from his fight against Jones, Gane believes he’s a renewed fighter focused on the goal of becoming champion.

“Looking back, I think that this experience may have been beneficial,” Gane said. “For me personally, it helped me to refocus on myself. It gave me a spirit of revenge, a competitive spirit.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Alexander Volkov vs. Ciryl Gane move finalized from UFC 308 to UFC 310

A heavyweight rematch has moved from Abu Dhabi to Las Vegas due to an injury.

A heavyweight rematch is set for the UFC’s final pay-per-view of the year – a new home after an injury necessitated a move.

An injury to [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] (38-10 MMA, 12-4 UFC) forced the promotion to rebook his fight against [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC)) from UFC 308 next month to UFC 310 in December. The promotion made the move official Friday.

UFC 310 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. UFC 308, the fight’s original home, is set for Oct. 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Former Bellator champion Volkov has won four straight fights against Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Alexandr Romanov, Tai Tuivasa and Sergei Pavlovich to put himself firmly back into title contention. That’s a spot he was when he first fought Gane in mid-2021. In that headliner, Gane walked away with a unanimous decision win.

In the aftermath, Volkov rebounded with a win over Marcin Tybura, then was submitted by current interim champion Tom Aspinall before he went on his current 4-0 run. That run includes first-round knockouts of Rozenstruik and Romanov and a second-round submission of Tuivasa.

Gane beat Volkov in their first fight while he was on his ascension up the heavyweight ladder. It moved him to 9-0 and led to an interim heavyweight title fight with Derrick Lewis at UFC 265, which he won by third-round knockout. Gane dropped a decision in January 2022 to Francis Ngannou in a title unification bout, but it didn’t take him long to work his way back.

After a third-round bonus-winning knockout of Tuivasa, Gane got another title shot when he fought Jon Jones for the belt left vacant by Ngannou’s move to the PFL. But Jones submitted him in about two minutes to become champion, and put Gane back in the pack.

A year ago, Gane bounced back with a bonus-winning knockout of Sergei Spivac in front of his home fans in Paris, and that set up the crucial fight with Volkov.

With the addition, the UFC 310 lineup now includes:

  • Dominick Reyes vs. Anthony Smith
  • Virna Jandiroba vs. Tatiana Suarez
  • Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Clay Guida vs. Chase Hooper
  • Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Report: Alexander Volkov injury pushes Ciryl Gane rematch from UFC 308 to UFC 310

A heavyweight rematch that had been set for Abu Dhabi now will take place in a different desert.

A heavyweight rematch that had been set for Abu Dhabi now will take place in a different desert.

According to a report from La Sueur, an [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] (38-10 MMA, 12-4 UFC) injury has pushed his fight with [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC)) from UFC 308 next month to UFC 310 in December. UFC officials have yet to formalize the change.

UFC 308 is set for Oct. 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Now the big men will throw down a second time Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Former Bellator champion Volkov has won four straight fights against Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Alexandr Romanov, Tai Tuivasa and Sergei Pavlovich to put himself firmly back into title contention. That’s a spot he was when he first fought Gane in mid-2021. In that headliner, Gane walked away with a unanimous decision win.

In the aftermath, Volkov rebounded with a win over Marcin Tybura, then was submitted by current interim champion Tom Aspinall before he went on his current 4-0 run. That run includes first-round knockouts of Rozenstruik and Romanov and a second-round submission of Tuivasa.

Gane beat Volkov in their first fight while he was on his ascension up the heavyweight ladder. It moved him to 9-0 and led to an interim heavyweight title fight with Derrick Lewis at UFC 265, which he won by third-round knockout. Gane dropped a decision in January 2022 to Francis Ngannou in a title unification bout, but it didn’t take him long to work his way back.

After a third-round bonus-winning knockout of Tuivasa, Gane got another title shot when he fought Jon Jones for the belt left vacant by Ngannou’s move to the PFL. But Jones submitted him in about two minutes to become champion, and put Gane back in the pack.

A year ago, Gane bounced back with a bonus-winning knockout of Sergei Spivac in front of his home fans in Paris, and that set up the crucial fight with Volkov.

With the change, the UFC 308 lineup now includes:

  • Champ Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway – for featherweight title
  • Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker
  • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic
  • Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan
  • Dan Ige vs. Lerone Murphy
  • Rafael dos Anjos vs. Geoff Neal
  • Myktybek Orolbai vs. Mateusz Rebecki
  • Said Nurmagomedov vs. Daniel Santos
  • Brunno Ferreira vs. Abus Magomedov
  • Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Justin Tafa
  • Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Nursulton Ruziboev
  • Farid Basharat vs. Victor Hugo
  • Ismail Naurdiev vs. Bruno Silva
  • Ibo Aslan vs. Raffael Cerqueira

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Fernand Lopez addresses Ciryl Gane ducking accusations from Tom Aspinall, Curtis Blaydes

Fernand Lopez wants to clarify some accusations of Ciryl Gane allegedly ducking fights.

[autotag]Fernand Lopez[/autotag] wants to clarify some accusations of [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] allegedly ducking fights.

Gane (12-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) has been subject of criticism for not fighting, and Lopez thinks that notion is unfair. Lopez is both Gane’s manager and head coach.

Gane hasn’t competed since finishing Serghei Spivac last September in Paris. Interim heavyweight champion [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) revealed that before drawing [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 304 headliner, the UFC tried to book him against Gane, but Gane declined.

Lopez says Gane did indeed turn down the fight offer for UFC 304, but only because he had already committed to filming a movie with Netflix – and the UFC was well aware of that. Lopez also denied Blaydes’ claim that Gane was offered a fight against him.

“The first and the only time that the UFC ever offered Tom Aspinall was for July (27),” Lopez told MMA Junkie. “Before that, people are messing up everything. Tom Aspinall is calling out Ciryl. When you call out someone, that doesn’t mean anything. Like Ciryl called out Tom Aspinall, and Tom Aspinall just said, ‘I don’t want you, I’m looking forward. I’m waiting for Jon Jones,’ which makes sense because you only look forward and try to have more money, more challenge.

“So, Jon Jones is the challenge for Tom Aspinall now. …If you get in the cage with Jon Jones, with Francis Ngannou, why should he be scared? I mean this is his job, but it’s only about timing, it’s only about the opportunity. No one gave me any offer for (Jailton) Almeida. No one gave me any offer for Curtis Blaydes. You can talk to Mick Maynard, Dana White, Hunter Campbell. No one gave any offer for Tom Aspinall before July (27), no one gave any offer for Curtis Blaydes. Never whatsoever. So people keep saying Ciryl is ducking, ducking. He’s not ducking anyone. If making a choice is ducking, then you don’t understand the game.”

Lopez says Gane was willing to fight Aspinall at UFC 300 in April, but Aspinall was expecting a bigger fight. By the time Gane was offered Aspinall at UFC 304, he had already committed to filming his movie.

“I asked Mick Maynard and Hunter to put Tom Aspinall for UFC 300,” Lopez explained. “But they couldn’t because Aspinall was expecting Jon Jones to accept the fight. I will not ever say Aspinall is ducking Ciryl. This guy is a monster, he’s a brave guy. But when Ciryl call him out, and he said no to Ciryl, it’s because he has a better offer. He’s expecting better. He wants for himself, for his family, for his legacy, he wants to fight Jon Jones which makes sense. I totally understand him. That’s the game. But that’s not honest for him to say Ciryl ducked him.

“Where is the proof of that? Who said that Ciryl said no to him? Ciryl never said no to him. He couldn’t fight and even when the UFC was asking, and I could show you the message. They were like, ‘We know that this is the frame of time that we gave you to do the movie, but still we are trying. Can you let down the movie and come do this?’ This is too much. Ciryl will get sued and go to court and pay tons of money to Netflix to stop that movie from going. The only offer for UFC 300 was Pavlovich and Pavlovich said no.”

Pavlovich wound up fighting Alexander Volkov last month at UFC on ABC 6, losing a unanimous decision. Now, Gane will run things back with Volkov at UFC 308 on Oct. 26 in Abu Dhabi after defeating him convincingly in June 2021.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.

Jailton Almeida pleads for Ciryl Gane matchup at UFC Paris: ‘This fight could be a title eliminator’

What else does a man need to do? UFC heavyweight contender Jailton Almeida begs for Ciryl Gane.

[autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] wants it – and he wants it bad.

Less than one month removed from his UFC 302 submission of Alexandr Romanov, Almeida (21-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) has received a full health clearance after the New Jersey Athletic Control Board (NJACB), which regulated the event, detected a potential knee injury.

Almeida doubled down on his callout of [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] (12-2 MMA 9-2 UFC) in a statement issued Thursday to MMA Junkie.

“There was news on the internet that I was injured,” Almeida said, using a translator. “That’s not true. After the fight, I felt discomfort in my knee from old things I already had, but nothing out of the ordinary. I’m already 100 percent and training, even in Sao Joao. I even posted this weekend doing physical preparation and straining my knee. I have already sent the MRI exams and medical reports to the UFC and everything is OK.”

“… I’m looking forward to my next fight. I’ve been targeting Ciryl Gane in France, because France’s cards are always very good and today Gane is one of the most ranked athletes in the category and with excellent morale within the UFC. I believe he would be a great fight.”

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The UFC’s return to Paris is three months away with only one bout known publicly. Gane has remained relatively quiet in recent months. UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall claimed Gane turned down a title fight as he works on a movie role.

It’s unclear if Gane will be available for the date, but Almeida is doing everything he can to draw him out. Almeida only sees one other viable option, Alexander Volkov, who he doesn’t really think makes sense.

“I don’t see many possibilities for Gane to fight in France,” Almeida said. “Simply all the names already have fights scheduled, as I put in a post on Twitter. Now the only option is me and Volkov. As he already beat Volkov in a fight that was super boring, the (fight) doesn’t match. It would be the same thing. The two having an extremely tactical fight, without much activity”

“I believe that Almeida vs. Gane is much more interesting, not only because it is a new fight, but also because it is a duel of styles. There is no way this fight will go to the end, if I manage to impose my game. I will put it down and finish, and if he manages to impose his game, he will be able to keep the fight standing, and put on the show he is used to doing.”

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Almeida said he’s already pitched the matchup to the UFC, as has his managers, Leonardo Pateira and Tiago Okamura, of On The Road Management. It’s outside of his control what happens from here, but he’s going to try his best to keep campaigning.

“My manager has already spoken to the UFC about my interest in this fight,” Gane said. “I myself have already spoken to Mick (Maynard) about my interest in this fight. I have already challenged Gane on social media. Now, I’m just waiting for it to happen. It’s in the hands of the UFC and Gane, Let’s wait. I want to stay active because a fighter’s life is short and I believe this fight could be a title eliminator and put me in contention for the belt.”

Almeida, 33, is unblemished in the UFC outside of a TKO loss to Curtis Blaydes in March.

Gane, 34, is 2-1 since a failed title bit vs. Francis Ngannou in January 2022. He most recently competed in September when he finished Serghei Spivac with strikes in Round 2.

Jailton Almeida wants UFC main event fight vs. Ciryl Gane in Paris: ‘I can see myself finishing him’

Hoping to see the Eiffel Tower, Jailton Almeida wants booking against Ciryl Gane in UFC’s return to Paris.

NEWARK, N.J. – [autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] wants to get some tourism done, and while he’s at it, kick some ass.

The UFC heavyweight contender is hoping to get matched up against [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] in what many expect to be the UFC’s return to Paris in September. Almeida (21-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) called out Gane following his quick submission win at Saturday’s UFC 302. He hopes to get the fight, but more importantly, he just hopes to get a spot on the card regardless of opponent.

“This week, I was able to see the Statue of Liberty, and it got my blood going, and I want to see the Eiffel Tower now,” Almeida said at the UFC 302 post-fight press conference. “I want to start doing a little more sightseeing, and it just so happens to be that Ciryl Gane is probably going to be the main event there. I want to fight in Paris, regardless. If it’s Ciryl, great. If he doesn’t want to fight me, I’ll fight anybody there.”

If the UFC matches him up against the Frenchman, Almeida expects to submit him. He’s not sure if he could pull off what Jon Jones did, but given enough time, he’s sure he’d get the job done before the final bell.

“A fight is always different, but I would be for sure looking for the finish,”
Almeida said. “I don’t know if I could get it early like Jon Jones was able to because I don’t think Ciryl was expecting that, but I can see myself finishing him in the third round or fourth round if it’s a (five-round fight).”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

UFC interim champ Tom Aspinall on whether Ciryl Gane is ducking him: ‘I don’t know what his aspirations are’

No ill will, but UFC interim champ Tom Aspinall isn’t sure if Ciryl Gane wants to fight him.

No ill will, but UFC interim heavyweight champion [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] isn’t sure if [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] wants to fight him.

Aspinall (14-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) revealed that the original plan was to defend his interim title against Gane at UFC 304, but “Bon Gamin” allegedly turned it down due to current obligations filming a movie.

Aspinall was asked if he thinks Gane is ducking him.

“Maybe a bit, I don’t know,” Aspinall told The MacLife. “It’s difficult to say like, if he’s getting loads – I don’t know what his aspirations are. He might really want to be an actor. That might be his thing. So he’s thinking, ‘F*ck this MMA stuff. I’m going to go and be the French Arnold Schwarzenegger here. I’m going to crack on with that.’ Fair play to Ciryl, though. Good luck to him. I’ve got nothing against Ciryl.”

Instead, Aspinall will defend his interim title in a rematch against Curtis Blaydes (18-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) in the July 27 co-main event (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Co-op Live in Manchester, England.

Gane tried to fight Aspinall on the upcoming Sept. 28 card in Paris, but Aspinall claims that UFC 304 isn’t the first time the Frenchman hasn’t accepted to fight him.

“He’s had a few opportunities to fight me, and he’s turned it down,” Aspinall said. “That’s the facts of it. I’m not saying he’s ducking me or he’s not ducking me. Right now he’s being an actor, and I wish him all the best in that. … I do wish him luck with it. No hard feelings against Ciryl. I’m not trying to throw him under the bus or nothing. I respect him. I respect what he’s doing. Has he ducked me? Probably. But all right, fair enough.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.

Tom Aspinall says Ciryl Gane turned down fight for UFC 304, reacts to Curtis Blaydes booking

Tom Aspinall rematches Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304, but it wasn’t the promotion’s Plan A, according to the interim heavyweight champion.

[autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] was willing to fight anyone, but when push came to shove, said [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] was the only one who reciprocated those feelings to the UFC.

Since Manchester was revealed as the UFC 304 location, fight fans have expected to see an Aspinall (14-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) fight announcement associated with the July 27 card. Thursday, UFC CEO Dana White officially announced the bout, and Aspinall’s opponent, Blaydes (18-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC).

“I’m in a bit of a strange conundrum with my division,” Aspinall said in a video posted to his YouTube channel shortly after the announcement. “Usually, when the champ is coming back, the interim would obviously usually fight the champ. Jon Jones is holding sh*t up. Let’s be honest. He’s playing games. So it’s me and Curtis Blaydes.”

While Aspinall did not indicate the UFC ever proposed the Jones bout to him, he revealed Blaydes was not the promotion’s Plan A. According to Aspinall, the UFC told him they wanted to book him against [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag]. Aspinall said he accepted, but Gane (12-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) did not.

“There’s only one more available guy, and that’s Ciryl Gane,” Aspinall said. “The UFC wanted me to fight Ciryl Gane. I said OK. If the UFC wanted me to do it, we can do it. I’m not bothered. I feel like I’m champion of the world. I’m ranked No. 1 in the world. I’ll fight anybody. You don’t have to talk me into anything. UFC are my bosses. They want me to fight Ciryl Gane. Count me in. That’s OK. We’ll do it. Ciryl, on the other hand, he’s out there doing a film. Ciryl is out there trying to be the French Arnold Schwarzenegger right now. And fair play to him. If he wants to do films and be an actor, go ahead and enjoy yourself, Ciryl. Go do your thing. Make some money. Do it however you do it. But he didn’t take the fight. He wanted to do his film.”

Aspinall and Blaydes have met in the cage once. In July 2022, Aspinall suffered a knee injury 15 seconds into a main event showdown with Blaydes in London. The injury knocked him out of action for a year.

“We have history,” Aspinall said. “We’ve fought before, granted it was 15 seconds and not an actual fight. I got injured. Curtis takes a win. Now, it’s time to get a bit of payback, so I’m very, very, very motivated for this one. If I’m not going to fight Jon, which obviously that’s not going to happen right now, this is the ideal situation. I’m very, very happy. I’m very, very motivated for it. I’m going to put absolutely everything into the training camp, absolutely everything into the lifestyle. Yeah, I’m looking forward to it very much.”

“… UFC 304, a rematch with Curtis Blaydes in my hometown of Manchester, it’s going to be fantastic, the 27th of July. Be there.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.

Why Chael Sonnen thinks Tom Aspinall potentially facing Ciryl Gane at UFC 304 is a big risk

Chael Sonnen doesn’t want to see Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane next.

[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] doesn’t want to see [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] next.

Interim heavyweight champion Aspinall (14-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) confirmed that he’ll be fighting at UFC 304, which will take place July 27 in the newly built Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England.

Aspinall dismissed Gane as a potential opponent after Gane refused to acknowledge his presence this past September in Paris. Aspinall watched Gane finish Serghei Spivac, but didn’t get his desired face-off. Gane hasn’t competed since, but Aspinall wound up facing Sergei Pavlovich for the interim title at UFC 295, and knocked him out to claim the belt. Now Aspinall is making Gane wait his turn.

Cormier likes Aspinall vs. Gane (12-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) next, but Sonnen sees a big problem with that fight.

“I believe that the problem is if you do bring Ciryl back, if he wins, you put a belt around Ciryl,” Sonnen said on his ESPN show “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Daniel Cormier. “If Jon Jones is agreeable, you’re going to do a rematch between Jon Jones and Ciryl.

“I think that’s too tough after the performance that Ciryl gave (at UFC 285), or did not give. I just don’t think there’s any scenario where they re-do that match, and you would run into a big risk if you put the belt around him.”

Aspinall wants to run things back with Blaydes. Blaydes handed Aspinall his only octagon loss when Aspinall blew out his knee just 18 seconds into their fight in July 2022. Blaydes is coming off an impressive knockout of Jailton Almeida at UFC 299 – snapping the Brazilian contender’s 15-fight winning streak.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.