Tag: Islam Makhachev

UFC 259 ‘Embedded,’ No. 4: Khabib Nurmagomedov arrives in Las Vegas

Go behind the scenes with the fourth episode of “Embedded” leading up to UFC 259, which features three title fights atop the card.

The UFC has three championships on the line Saturday.

UFC 259 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

In the UFC 259 main event, middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) moves to light heavyweight to challenge champion [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (27-8 MMA, 10-5 UFC) in an attempt to become a two-division champion. Women’s dual champ [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (20-4 MMA, 13-1 UFC) defends her featherweight title against [autotag]Megan Anderson[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC). Also, bantamweight titleholder [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) makes his first defense against [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC).

The fourth episode of “Embedded” follows all the big stars who will compete at UFC 259. Here’s the UFC’s description from YouTube:

“Aljamain Sterling works in his garage gym. [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag], Megan Anderson and [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag] check in; [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] supports [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]. All three UFC 259 champions – Amanda Nunes, Jan Blachowicz and Israel Adesanya – train with their teams.”

Also watch:

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UFC 259 pre-event facts: Israel Adesanya’s champ-champ attempt comes with a twist

The best facts and figures about UFC 259, which features the seventh championship triple-header in company history.

The UFC’s third pay-per-view event of the year takes place Saturday with UFC 259, which goes down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and features the most loaded lineup of the year.

For just the seventh time in company history, three championship fights are on the docket at a single event, meaning the landscape of the sport has the potential to alter significantly by the end of the weekend.

Check below for all the pre-fight facts behind UFC 259, which features [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (27-8 MMA, 10-5 UFC) vs. [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) for the light heavyweight title in the main event; [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (20-4 MMA, 13-1 UFC) vs. [autotag]Megan Anderson[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) for the women’s featherweight strap in the co-main event; and an [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) vs. [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) bantamweight title grudge match in the featured bout.

UFC 259 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

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Islam Makhachev ready to take lightweight torch from Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 259

“Nobody gives me problem from top 10.”

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] intends to take over the lightweight division in the absence of Khabib Nurmagomedov, and it starts at UFC 259.

Makhachev (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) returns to competition Saturday for the first time since September 2019 when he meets Drew Dober (23-9 MMA, 10-4 UFC) on the main card of the loaded event. The Dagestani fighter has spent much of his career in his teammate and mentor Nurmagomedov’s shadow, but now that “The Eagle” is seemingly retired, it’s a new era.

“I think after this fight, if I finish Drew, everything is going to change,” Makhachev told reporters, including MMA Junkie, on Wednesday at UFC 259 media day. “It’s going to be a seven-fight win streak and not a lot of people have a win streak like this. The next one will maybe be top five, top 10, and I’m going to show my skills.”

Although Makhachev has been out of action for a long time, he intends to return with force. Dober has put together some nice wins of late to position himself for this bout, which was originally scheduled back in 2016 but fell apart on weigh-in day.

Both men have come a long way since then, but Makhachev still thinks he has the dominant style in the matchup.

“He’s tough,” Makhachev said. “He’s not in the rankings. I think he’s No. 16. I know he’s good because I was supposed to fight with him in 2016. He has good striking, good conditioning, but I think I have more than him. … Honestly I think this is easy road. I take him down, control. I think his wrestling is not so good.”

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If Makhachev gets his hand raised, he would have the second longest active UFC winning streak at 155 pounds behind only Charles Oliveira. He thinks that should put him position for a prominent matchup and said he likes the idea of fighting former UFC champ Rafael dos Anjos, whom he was twice booked against in 2020 before health issues scratched it.

“Maybe RDA (is next) because he was supposed to be my last opponent and we cancel the fight two times,” Makhachev said. “Maybe who is free there. Maybe Tony (Ferguson). Honestly, it doesn’t matter. But if it’s somebody from top five, I will be happy.

“I jut need a couple more fights (for the title shot). That’s it. Now I feel I’m ready for everybody because all my life I’m training as champion. Nobody gives me problem from top 10.”

UFC 259 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

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UFC 259: Make your predictions for three title fights in Las Vegas

We want your predictions for UFC 259, which features title fights at light heavyweight, women’s featherweight and bantamweight.

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC 259 event in Las Vegas.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC 259 main card staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC 259 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

Make your picks for the fights below.

UFC 259’s Drew Dober says win over Islam Makhachev will prove he’s ready for lightweight elite

Drew Dober thinks Islam Makhachev is the perfect opponent to prove that he can hang with the lightweight division’s elite.

[autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag] isn’t here to take the easy route to the top.

Going after one of the least sought out fighters in the division, Dober (23-9 MMA, 10-4 UFC) called for [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] and he got his wish.

The pair will square off at UFC 259 on March 6 and Dober thinks elite grappler Makhachev (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) is exactly the type of opponent he needs to beat to prove that he can hang with the very best in the UFC’s 155-pound division.

“Everyone’s touting him as the next Russian champion, he’s super talented and he poses some really big threats,” Dober told MMA Junkie. “It’s a test for myself to prove that if I can get past Islam, I’m ready for top 10, top five guys and he’s got a lot of following behind him, a lot of Russian fans. I think there’s many reasons why I like this fight.”

He continued, “I want to fight the Michael Chandlers, the Dustin Poiriers, all those guys. So a win over Islam is gonna propel me to that opportunity to fight those top five guys. I want to get on a title run, I want to have fantastic fights and to fight the best in the world, you have to start somewhere. So a win over Islam is gonna open a ton of opportunities for me.”

Dober has won six of his past seven, scoring knockout wins over Marco Polo Reyes, Nasrat Haqparast and Alexander Hernandez in his past three outings. His lone blemish in that run came in a submission loss to Beneil Dariush, which Dober describes as a turning point in his career.

“I think a lot of people can’t take me seriously unless I showcase a strong ground game or a strong ground defense,” Dober said. “I think I’ve evolved a lot since my last loss. Beneil has really taught me a lot with my game and we spent a lot of time me and my coaches really fine-tuning and shaping things up to where I’m not just a striker, but I can wrestle and play jiu-jitsu as well.”

In what is being dubbed as a classic striker vs. grappler matchup, Dober thinks that’s a dangerous approach to take going into his fight with Makhachev.

Though he’s spent plenty of time working on his ground game for his numerous scrapped bouts with Diego Ferreira, Dober knows he has to be ready for wherever the fight goes.

“With me preparing for Diego and really working my ground game, Islam has not fought in a year and a half so who knows what he’s been working on, what he’s gonna come with and so I’d be dumb if I wanted to picture it as a striker vs. a grappler,” Dober said. “He could come in and try and kickbox with me and try and knock me out so I have to prepare for the best Islam in every facet of the sport so I’m ready for whatever.”

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Drew Dober vs. Islam Makhachev set for UFC 259 in March

Two fighters looking to break into the upper echelon of lightweight contenders will clash in March.

Two fighters looking to break into the upper echelon of lightweight contenders will clash in March.

[autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag] and [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] have signed on to fight at UFC 259, two people with knowledge of the matchup informed MMA Junkie on Monday. The people requested anonymity because the UFC has yet to officially announce the fight.

UFC 259 takes place March 6 and airs on pay-per-view. A location and venue for the card have not been announced.

Dober (23-9 MMA, 10-4 UFC) has won six of his past seven fights, including three consecutive knockouts. He most recently competed at UFC on ESPN+ 29 in May, scoring a second-round finish of Alexander Hernandez. The 31-year-old was supposed to fight Diego Ferreira in November, but the bout fell apart in the weeks leading up.

Makhachev (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC), meanwhile, has had a hard time drawing a top-ranked opponent. After suffering his lone career loss in 2015, Makhachev has won six straight, most recently out-grappling Davi Ramos at UFC 242 in September 2019. He was twice scheduled to fight former UFC champ Rafael dos Anjos, with the most recent coming in November, but he pulled out of the fight due to a staph infection.

With the addition, the UFC 259 lineup now includes:

  • Champ Amanda Nunes vs. Megan Anderson – for women’s featherweight title
  • Aleksandar Rakic vs. Thiago Santos
  • Dominick Cruz vs. Casey Kenney
  • Askar Askarov vs. Joseph Benavidez
  • Sean Brady vs. Jake Matthews
  • Randy Costa vs. Trevin Jones
  • Aalon Cruz vs. Uros Medic
  • Drew Dober vs. Islam Makhachev

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Islam Makhachev out of UFC Fight Night 182 main event vs. Rafael dos Anjos

The UFC needs a new opponent to fight Rafael dos Anjos in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 182 headliner.

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] has been forced out of the biggest fight of his career, and now the UFC needs a new main event on Saturday.

According to ESPN, Makhachev has been forced to withdraw from his lightweight headliner vs. [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 182, which takes place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.

The report cited an “undisclosed injury” as the reason behind Makhachev’s (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) removal from the card. His team did not immediately respond to MMA Junkie’s request for confirmation.

The promotion is currently seeking a new opponent for dos Anjos (30-13 MMA, 18-11 UFC) on just six days’ notice.

Dos Anjos is meant to return to lightweight for the first time since a November 2016 loss to Tony Ferguson. The Brazilian started out his welterweight tenure at 3-0, but has since dropped four of his past five, with his lone win coming over Kevin Lee. If he can find a new opponent, the Brazilian will return to his original weight class, where he hasn’t won since December 2015.

The matchup between dos Anjos and Makhachev has now been called off twice. The pair were originally scheduled to meet at UFC 254 in October, but dos Anjos tested positive for COVID-19 and was unable to compete.

Shortly after the news broke, dos Anjos called on former Bellator champion Michael Chandler to step in as a replacement (via Twitter):

I wish @MAKHACHEVMMA a speed recovery. Looking for a new partner to dance. Looks like @MikeChandlerMMA is ready to go. Your move!

The latest UFC Fight Night 182 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Rafael dos Anjos vs. opponent TBA
  • Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Khaos Williams
  • Julian Marquez vs. Saparbek Safarov
  • Eryk Anders vs. Antonio Arroyo
  • Daniel Rodriguez vs. opponent TBA

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Kay Hansen vs. Cory McKenna
  • Miranda Granger vs. Ashley Yoder
  • Alex Morono vs. Rhys McKee
  • Louis Smolka vs. Jose Quinonez
  • Randa Markos vs. Kanako Murata
  • Geraldo de Freitas vs. Tony Gravely
  • Don’Tale Mayes vs. Roque Martinez

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Islam Makhachev vs. Rafael dos Anjos headlines UFC on ESPN+ 41 on Nov. 14

Islam Makhachev vs. Rafael dos Anjos has been rebooked – but with a twist.

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag] has been rebooked – but with a twist.

Unlike their first booking, Makhachev (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) vs. dos Anjos (30-13 MMA, 18-11 UFC) will be a five-round affair and serve as the headliner for UFC on ESPN+ 41 on Nov. 14 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The promotion announced the news during the UFC on ESPN+ 39 broadcast on Saturday. The fight was first reported by MMA DNA.

The two fighters were originally slated to fight at UFC 254 on Oct. 24, but dos Anjos tested positive for COVID-19. The promotion could not find a suitable replacement to fight Makhachev, so he was also removed from the card.

Dos Anjos will return to lightweight for the first time since a November 2016 loss to Tony Ferguson. The Brazilian started out his welterweight tenure at 3-0, but has since dropped four of his past five, with his lone win coming over Kevin Lee. He will return to his original weight class, where he hasn’t won since December 2015, when he takes on the streaking Makhachev.

Makhachev has had a hard time drawing a top-ranked opponent. After suffering his lone career loss in 2015, Makhachev has won six straight, most recently out-grappling Davi Ramos at UFC 242 in September 2019.

With the addition, the Nov. 14 lineup includes:

  • Islam Makhachev vs. Rafael dos Anjos
  • Louis Smolka vs. Jose Quinonez
  • Kanako Murata vs. Livinha Souza
  • Kay Hansen vs. Cory McKenna
  • Julian Marquez vs. Saparbek Safarov
  • Miranda Granger vs. Ashley Yoder
  • Gabriel Benitez vs. Justin Jaynes
  • Eryk Anders vs. Antonio Arroyo
  • Zarrukh Adashev vs. Jeff Molina
  • Don’Tale Mayes vs. Roque Martinez
  • Rhys McKee vs. Alex Morono
  • Tony Gravely vs. Geraldo de Freitas

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Michael Chandler not interested in ‘changing courses’ to face Islam Makhachev at UFC 254

Michael Chandler is readying himself to compete on Oct. 24, but he won’t fight just anyone.

[autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] is readying himself to compete on Oct. 24, but he won’t fight just anyone.

Chandler (21-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is serving as a backup fighter for the main event between lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, but said that he isn’t interested in fighting [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag], who recently lost his opponent.

Makhachev (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) was slated to face Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 254, but the former UFC lightweight champion was forced out after he tested positive for COVID-19. Makhachev declared his interest in facing Chandler, but Chandler said he wasn’t interested. As a result, Makhachev was removed from the card.

Speaking to MMA Junkie, the former three-time Bellator lightweight champion explained that a matchup with 12th-ranked Makhachev wouldn’t make sense, considering that even if he doesn’t get to compete on Oct. 24, he’s still on the cusp of title contention.

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“The answer is no,” Chandler said. “I think there’s already been talks about the next move after this. The ship has sailed as far as – like I said, if Tony Ferguson did say, ‘Yeah OK, I’ll be your huckleberry Oct. 24,’ which if there’s anybody out there that might actually do something like that it would be Tony Ferguson, but at this point, I’m not changing courses. At this point I’m not taking a short notice fight against a guy, as I said, my words have been somewhat misconstrued and people are just hitting me up left and right.

“When I say people, I mean like Russians, Dagestanis, all these guys on the Khabib train – there’s millions and millions of them – they’re crushing me, calling me chicken and coward, but I didn’t sign this contract to go out there and fight anybody, especially on two weeks’ notice and change the opponent, change the plan and change everything. As of right now, I’m the backup for the world title fight, I’m keeping my body, my mind, my soul, my spirit ready for the next move.”

With a matchup between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier close to being finalized, Chandler mentioned that he has a hunch that he’d be matched up with Tony Ferguson next, which could potentially earn him a shot at the winner of Nurmagomedov vs. Gaethje.

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