Tag: Cody Gibson

Cody Gibson: ‘TUF 31’ teammate Brad Katona ‘not my favorite guy,’ no issues fighting him at UFC 292

Ahead of UFC 292, Cody Gibson made it clear that he’s not a fan of Brad Katona’s fighting style or personality.

BOSTON – [autotag]Cody Gibson[/autotag] is not a fan of [autotag]Brad Katona[/autotag]’s fighting style or personality.

Gibson (19-8 MMA, 1-3 UFC) butted heads with Team Michael Chandler teammate Katona (12-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC), who was also part of the veteran bantamweight squad on Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Gibson finished Team Conor McGregor prospects Mando Gutierrez and Rico DiSciullo to punch his ticket to the final, whereas Katona defeated Carlos Vera and fellow former UFC fighter Timur Valiev by decision for his spot. The pair will fight on Saturday’s UFC 292 main card at TD Garden in Boston to crown the “TUF 31” bantamweight tournament winner, and Gibson won’t find it hard to punch his teammate.

“Brad, I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt early on in the show. He was my roommate,” Gibson told reporters, including MMA Junkie, during Wednesday’s UFC 292 media day. “But there were just things he did that were very self-centered, that hurt other people and benefitted him. The editing of the show didn’t necessarily go into all of that stuff, so there’s some context missing in some of his stuff, but yeah, he’s not my favorite guy.

“But at the end of the day, I’ve studied his film, I studied his movement, we looked at areas we can exploit. I don’t really take too much emotion into the fight. I’ve learned this lesson in over 15 years of doing this. So yeah, I’m not going to have any issues or reservations punching him in the face for sure, but it’s just another opponent.”

Gibson does credit Katona for outlasting Valiev in an entertaining scrap – even though he thought he lost. Other than that, he doesn’t find his style of fighting appealing at all.

“He actually showed some heart in his semifinals fight,” Gibson continued. “He bit down on his mouth piece. That was a great fight. I actually thought he lost that fight, but it was a close fight. But he showed he can fight when he’s forced to. But when you go back and watch his film, it was one of the most boring film studies I’ve ever seen. He just holds guys against the cage, eventually tries to drag them to the ground and then hold them.

“He’s not trying to do a lot of damage, he’s trying to kill time on the clock. I think personally that’s why he was cut from the UFC originally. He’s just not the most exciting guy. He’s very calculated. I respect the fact that he’s good at what he does, but I think he’s going to have a hard time dragging me to the ground. He’s going to have a hard time dealing with my length, and I see myself landing something clean and putting him away.”

UFC 292 takes place Saturday at TD Garden in Boston. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.

Kurt Holobaugh’s ‘TUF 31’ chronicles: After the cameras stopped rolling and the dust settled

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

“The Ultimate Fighter 31” with coaches [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] came to an end Tuesday night, attracting more eyeballs back to the series.

This season featured eight lightweights and eight bantamweights. McGregor’s team was comprised of eight fighters who have not competed in the UFC against Chandler’s team of eight UFC alumni.

Among those UFC alums was [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 has peeled back the curtain to provide an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look and give insight into what may not have made it on the show.

Check out below what Holobaugh had to say about Episode 12, the season finale that featured [autotag]Rico DiSciullo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Cody Gibson[/autotag].

‘TUF 31’ lightweight, bantamweight final matchups set for UFC 292 in Boston

“The Ultimate Fighter, Season 31” finals are officially locked for Saturday’s UFC 292 card in Boston. See which UFC vets will be competing.

“The Ultimate Fighter 31” will end in Boston.

Following the season’s final episode Tuesday night, the lightweight and bantamweight finals are set and will take place Saturday at UFC 292 from TD Garden, as was first reported by MMA Junkie.

In the lightweight final, UFC alumni [autotag]Kurt Holobaugh[/autotag] and [autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag] will collide for a six-figure UFC contract. The two were members of [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag]’s team during the show.

A grudge match materializes in the bantamweight final, as [autotag]Cody Gibson[/autotag], of Team Chandler, faces Team [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]’s [autotag]Brad Katona[/autotag].

Holobaugh (19-7 MMA, 0-4 UFC) enters his third stint with the UFC after consecutive wins on the reality series. His first stint was only one fight long (a loss to Steven Siler in 2013) and it immediately followed the Strikeforce merger. In 2018, Holobaugh returned after a win on Dana White’s Contender Series and lost three consecutive fights against Raoni Barcelos, Shane Burgos, and Thiago Moises.

First, Holobaugh rallied to submit McGregor underling Lee Hammond before he put forth a brutal TKO beatdown of teammate and friend Jason Knight to win in the semifinals. The bout vs. Knight is considered by many one of the best in series history.

Hubbard (15-6 MMA, 3-4 UFC) competed seven times in the UFC from May 2019 to August 2021. His wins included Kyle Prepolec, Max Rohskopf, and Dakota Bush. Though he alternated losses and wins for his entire UFC tenure, Hubbard and the promotion separated following a loss to Vinc Pichel.

During the “TUF 31” filming, Hubbard defeated LFA lightweight champion Aaron McKenzie by unanimous decision and former UFC fighter Roosevelt Roberts by split decision.

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While Holobaugh and Hubbard remained cordial throughout the season, Gibson (19-8 MMA, 1-3 UFC) and Katona (12-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) have not.

Due to his mixed allegiances of having coach John Kavanagh as the opposing team’s coach, Katona departed Team Chandler to join Team McGregor – a move many in the house saw as overdue.

In the final episode of “TUF 31,” an argument between the two broke out after Gibson wrote “F*ck you, Brad” on a note in the kitchen.

Gibson returns to the UFC after nearly a decade outside of the promotion. He competed four times for the UFC from February 2014 to February 2015 and went 1-3 including a loss to future bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, who headlines Saturday’s event. En route to the finals, Gibson defeated Mando Gutierrez by knockout, then submitted Rico DiSciullo.

Katona seeks his second “TUF” championship after wins over Carlos Vera (unanimous decision) and Timur Valiev (split decision).

In 2018, Katona won “The Ultimate Fighter 27” at bantamweight. Though he won his next bout vs. Matthew Lopez, Katona dropped decisions to Merab Dvalishvili and Hunter Azure immediately thereafter and he was let go. Katona has gone 4-0 in professional bouts since.

With the additions, the UFC 292 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley – for bantamweight title
  • Champ Zhang Weili vs. Amanda Lemos – for women’s strawweight title
  • Ian Machado Garry vs. Neil Magny
  • Mario Bautista vs. Da’Mon Blackshear
  • Pedro Munhoz vs. Marlon Vera

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Brad Tavares vs. Chris Weidman
  • Gregory Rodrigues vs. Denis Tiuliulin
  • Kurt Holobaugh vs. Austin Hubbard – “TUF” 31 lightweight final
  • Cody Gibson vs. Brad Katona – “TUF” 31 bantamweight final

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Gerald Meerschaert vs. Andre Petroski
  • Andrea Lee vs. Natalia Silva
  • Maryna Moroz vs. Karine Silva

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.

‘The Ultimate Fighter 31: McGregor vs. Chandler,’ Episode 12 recap: ‘That f*cking slip just cost me that fight’

“The Ultimate Fighter 31” returns as the final in-house bout ends in a fashion that has one fighter kicking himself.

“The Ultimate Fighter 31: Team McGregor vs. Team Chandler” returned Tuesday for Episode 12 as the final fight of the season transpires.

On Episode 12, Team McGregor’s [autotag]Rico DiSciullo[/autotag] fights Team Chandler’s Cody Gibson to see who will be the final fighter to fill a slot in the finals and face [autotag]Brad Katona[/autotag]. Also, Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler competed against one another – in the coaches’ challenge: an ice plunge trivia game – with thousands of dollars on the line.

The season concluded Tuesday with the live finale set for Saturday at UFC 292. The promotion also intends for coaches McGregor and Chandler to square off in the months that follow the conclusion of the season.

Scroll below for a recap of Episode 12 and make sure to check out an exclusive insider look from [autotag]Kurt Holobaugh[/autotag], who will peel back the curtain on MMA Junkie the morning after each episode airs.

‘The Ultimate Fighter 31: McGregor vs. Chandler,’ Episode 9 recap: First semifinal leaves Dana White unimpressed

“The Ultimate Fighter 31” returns as Conor McGregor makes his family recipe of Irish stew and the first semifinal leaves Dana White unimpressed.

“The Ultimate Fighter 31: Team McGregor vs. Team Chandler” returned Tuesday for Episode 9 as two teammates collide after the semifinal matchups are announced.

On Episode 9, Team Chandler lightweights [autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag] and [autotag]Roosevelt Roberts[/autotag] square off in a bout that did not live up to UFC president Dana White’s standards.

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 9 and make sure to check out an exclusive insider look from Holobaugh, who will peel back the curtain on MMA Junkie the morning after each episode airs.

Kurt Holobaugh’s ‘TUF 31’ chronicles: Conor McGregor’s taunt reaction and a yelling match you didn’t see

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 ongoing with coaches [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] attracting more eyeballs back to the series.

This season, which features eight lightweights and eight bantamweights, airs Tuesdays 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 alums 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 onto the episode.

Check out what Holobaugh had to say about Episode 8 below.

Kurt Holobaugh’s ‘TUF 31’ chronicles: Are tournament fighters more injury-prone? When do fights actually happen?

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 ongoing 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, airs Tuesdays 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 alums 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 onto the episode.

Check out what Holobaugh had to say about Episode 7 below

‘The Ultimate Fighter 31: McGregor vs. Chandler’ Episode 7 recap: Two injury exams and another quick finish

“The Ultimate Fighter 31” returns as two fighters need medical evaluations before Conor McGregor’s team tries to avoid a clean sweep.

“The Ultimate Fighter 31: Team McGregor vs. Team Chandler” returned Tuesday for Episode 7 as two fighters head to be examined by the UFC’s chief physician before a lightweight fight ends quickly.

On Episode 7, the matchup between seasoned veteran [autotag]Jason Knight[/autotag] and up-and-comer [autotag]Landon Quinones[/autotag], as Team McGregor seeks its first win over the season after six straight losses.

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 7 and make sure to check out an exclusive insider look from Holobaugh, who will peel back the curtain on MMA Junkie the morning after each episode airs.

‘The Ultimate Fighter 31: McGregor vs. Chandler’ Episode 2 recap: A cold sore postponement and a flying KO

“The Ultimate Fighter 31: McGregor vs. Chandler ” returned as a fight was postponed for medical reasons – and another fight ended violently.

“The Ultimate Fighter 31: Team McGregor vs. Team Chandler” returned Tuesday for Episode 2 and featured a brutal knockout – but not the fight fans initially expected.

On Episode 2, a fight was postponed until a later date. The fight that took place was one for the highlight reel. Also, things got a bit testy in the TUF House’s kitchen.

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 2 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 31’ rosters revealed, includes eight former UFC fighters

Check out the 16 fighters who made the cut for “TUF 31” – including eight former UFC fighters.

“The Ultimate Fighter” is back for a 31st season, which will be coached by lightweight stars [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag].

Set to debut May 30 on ESPN and run until Aug. 15, the series will include men’s bantamweights and lightweights, as first reported on MMA Junkie’s “Spinning Back Clique.” Filming began in February in Las Vegas.

McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) will square off after the conclusion of the series at a date and location yet-to-be-determined.

In addition to an announcement of rosters Saturday, the promotion announced the upcoming season will have a theme of “Redemption,” which pins former UFC fighters against rising prospects.

Dozens of fighters applied and only 16 were selected. Scroll below to see who made the cut.