Tag: Islam Makhachev

Charles Oliveira up next, but Kevin Lee hasn’t forgotten about Islam Makhachev. He guarantees it

A stipulation in accepting a fight at UFC Brasilia, Kevin Lee says, was that he’d get Islam Makhachev after that.

[autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] was going to take the [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] fight under one condition: He gets [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] right after.

Lee (18-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) will head into enemy territory in March when he headlines UFC on ESPN+ 28 against the streaking Oliveira (28-8 MMA, 16-8 UFC).

But why not Makhachev first after all of their Twitter talk? Lee explains that the UFC didn’t think Makhachev was ready.

“That was one of the stipulations behind me taking this fight against Oliveira, is I for sure get Islam,” Lee told MMA Junkie. “They can’t hide him from me no more. They were talking about, ‘Oh hey, he ain’t experienced enough yet to fight you, he needs a little bit more time to get ready.’ …If I do this one against Charles, I for sure – one of my bonuses for this is to get Islam.

“So, basically what I’m trying to do, I’m trying to sign two bout agreements. I’m trying to sign this one then I’m trying to sign the one in June. I mean, I don’t think anyone’s ever done that in the UFC, but them rules are made to be broken.”

Initially, Lee wanted to fight Makhachev (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) on the same UFC 249 card that lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is headlining with Tony Ferguson in April.

Lee thought hat would have been a perfect addition to the card, but he thinks the UFC opted against it, because the matchup wouldn’t get the shine that it deserves.

A headliner in Makhachev’s home country of Russia would be a better option.

“I think they thought that that card was already finished,” Lee said. “They got Khabib, they got Rose Namajunas – for me, I was like, ‘Let’s make this a mega event.’ You got Khabib, Namajunas, then me vs. Islam? It’s going to push that pay-per-view into the next little level, but I think they they look at it like we want that fight to be even bigger. We want it to be in Russia, and it makes sense there, especially for it to headline, so they kind of sold me on it.”

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As soon as the fight between Lee and Oliveira was announced, Makhachev had some words for Lee, accusing him of taking the easy way out. But Lee isn’t too fazed.

“He can say what he wants,” Lee said. “Either way, we’re still going to have our date in June.”

Lee wasn’t about to sit and wait until June, so he decided to take on Oliveira, who the UFC wanted to headline the March 14 show in Brazil all along. While Lee admits that he needed a bit of convincing, he doesn’t mind being the one to halt Oliveira’s winning streak.

That’s something Lee did in spectacular fashion in his last fight by knocking out Gregor Gillespie with a head kick at UFC 244 to bounce him from the ranks of the unbeaten.

“Oliveira is hot and cold, but I feel like he’s in the prime of his career right now,” Lee said. “He’s 30 years old. I think he just had a daughter, too, so that kind of gave him an extra little bit of fire. And if you look at his last two fights especially, I mean he’s like on a crazy six-fight win streak, but if you look at his last two fights, he’s really stepping up and he’s really, I think, hit another little stride in his career.

“So for me, I gotta go out there, and I gotta take that momentum away from him. I gotta keep beating these guys that nobody else wants to fight. It’s the harder, longer route in a career, but it’s something that I’m doing.”

You can hear more from Lee on Oliveira and Makhachev in the video above. For the full interview, check out the video below.

Islam Makhachev blasts Kevin Lee for taking ‘easy way out’ against Charles Oliveira

Islam Makhachev isn’t happy that he won’t fight Kevin Lee next.

Despite [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] and [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] continuously going back and forth, they will not fight each other next.

Instead, Lee (18-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) was booked Tuesday against Charles Oliveira in the UFC on ESPN+ 28 headliner in Brasilia, Brazil.

And in the wake of the announcement, Makhachev (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) took to Twitter and accused Lee of ducking him.

@MoTownPhenom so much talking, but you choose easy way out

Lee made an emphatic return back to lightweight, when he knocked out undefeated Gregor Gillespie in the first round at UFC 244. He continued to express interest in a fight with Makhachev, suggesting UFC 249 in Brooklyn, the card that is headlined by UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson on April 18.

Makhachev, on the other hand, has won his last six fight, but he is yet to face a top-ranked lightweight. He was hoping Lee would be that opportunity, but it appears he will have to wait.

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20 fighters who could become stars in the 2020s

A new decade is upon us, and these 20 fighters could take a step to greatness within it.

Well, another decade of mixed martial arts action is in the books.

The 2010s featured the emergence of superstars such as Jon Jones, Conor McGregor, and Ronda Rousey. For the first time in UFC history, a simultaneous double champion was crowned in McGregor. And then it happened again (Daniel Cormier, and again (Amanda Nunes, and again (Henry Cejudo).

The next decade is almost guaranteed to provide us with the next generation of UFC, Bellator, and PFL champions. But who are the likely candidates to become future stars?

From hot UFC and Bellator prospects, to fighters on the regional scene, to athletes yet to compete in MMA, the up-and-comer harvest is plentiful. Who could be the next McGregor? The next Israel Adesanya? The next Zhang Weili?

Let’s take a look into MMA Junkie’s crystal ball and see who could cross the threshold into stardom over the span of the next decade.

Two parameters were set for this list:

  1. Fighters must be younger than age 30.
  2. Fighters have yet to hold a major organization’s title.

Fighters who fit the criteria but have seemingly already achieved stardom were not considered.

Without further ado …

****

Maycee Barber

Record: 8-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC
Age: 21
Weight class: Flyweight
Height: 5’5″
Birthplace: Greeley, Colo.
Next Fight: Jan. 18 vs. Roxanne Modafferi at UFC 246 in Las Vegas

Nicknamed “The Future,” [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] is just that. The strawweight has proven her worth in a short period of time, competing for LFA and on Dana White’s Contender Series prior to her UFC debut. Three fights into her promotional tenure, Barber sports a 100 percent finishing rate. In her most recent outing in October, Barber blitzed and TKO’d fellow top prospect Gillian Robertson. The win moved Barber one step closer to her publicly set goal of becoming the youngest UFC champion ever. She’ll look to continue her climb when she takes on her highest-ranked opponent to date, Roxanne Modafferi, at UFC 246 on Jan. 18.

Paulo Costa

Record: 13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC
Age: 28
Weight class: Middleweight
Height: 6’1″
Birthplace: Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Next Fight: TBA

It almost seems like a misprint that [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] can qualify for this list – but he does. It’s easy to forget his age and relatively brief UFC tenure when looking at his accomplishments. A physical specimen, the Brazilian middleweight Costa has quickly risen through the ranks en route to title contention. Costa went the distance for the first time in his career in August. In doing so, he defeated his most notable opponent to date, two-time title challenger Yoel Romero. The victory presumably has set Costa up for a title shot against champion Israel Adesanya. However, a shoulder injury has delayed “Borrachinha’s” return – but the rivalry with Adesanya is continuing to build in the meantime.

Mike Davis

Record: 8-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC
Age: 27
Weight class: Lightweight
Height: 6’0″
Birthplace: South Cairo, N.Y.
Next Fight: TBA

With an 80 percent winning percentage, [autotag]Mike Davis[/autotag] doesn’t have a bad record by any means. But still, it isn’t representative of the skills he possesses. The Florida-based lightweight has only lost two top-tier talents in Sodiq Yusuff and Gilbert Burns. With crisp boxing and a strong ground game, Davis is a scary matchup for any member of the UFC’s 155-pound division. Just imagine how good he could become. The man hasn’t even hit the dozen-fight mark of his pro MMA career. In his most recent bout, Davis administered one of the year’s biggest beatdowns, pummeling Thomas Gifford at UFC on ESPN+ 19 in October.

Ciryl Gane

Record: 6-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC
Age: 29
Weight class: Heavyweight
Height: 6’5″
Birthplace: France
Next Fight: TBA

It’s been a long time since MMA has seen a heavyweight prospect with the upside of [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag]. Working under esteemed MMA coach Fernand Lopez, France’s Gane has served as a main training partner for Francis Ngannou. Now, it’s his time. Possessing many of the same skills as Ngannou, Gane also brings some differences to the table. His athleticism and quickness is unusual for a heavyweight. Possessing a strong kickboxing background, Gane has shown he’s evolved past being a one-dimensional competitor. In two out of his three UFC outings, Gane has won by submission.

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Kevin Lee wants Islam Makhachev fight at UFC 249 in Brooklyn, would like Bernie Sanders cageside

Kevin Lee fought in front of President Trump already, and “the only level up” is to do the same with Bernie Sanders sitting cageside.

A fight between [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] and [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] could be close to finally happening.

Speaking to MMA reporter Helen Yee in Las Vegas, where he gave an endorsement speech in support of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, Lee (18-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) said he wants Makhachev at UFC 249 on April 18 in Brooklyn, N.Y.

“Well, they’re talking about coming to Brooklyn, and Bernie’s from Brooklyn, so when we spoke, he wanted to see me fight, and he wanted to see me fight in his hometown,” Lee said. “I got to fight at MSG in front of Trump. The only level up is to fight in Barclay’s Center, me and Islam, we got the date. I don’t know what the holdup is on his end; there’s no holdup on mine. I’m ready to sign. Right now I’m just waiting on Islam.”

Makhachev, who, like Lee, already has expressed interest in a potential fight on numerous occasions, responded by saying he hasn’t been offered the fight.

“Never been offered Kevin Lee fight,” he tweeted. “Just send me the contract.”

UFC 249 will be headlined by lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov defending his title against Tony Ferguson.

Lee wants on that card so he can send a message to the champion, who would be watching his teammate take on Lee earlier in the night, should the fight materialize.

“I’m going to make a statement against Islam, and I’m going to do it on the same card that Khabib is fighting Tony, and Khabib can sit there and watch me beat up on his boy, and then we’ll make some noise afterwards,” Lee said.

[jwplayer pKgJe1s0-RbnemIYZ]