Tag: Israel Adesanya

UFC 248 ‘Embedded,’ No. 5: Relive that Jedrzejczyk-Weili faceoff up close once more

The UFC is back in its home stomping ground for UFC 248, and the promotion’s popular “Embedded” series returns to get you ready.

The UFC is back in its home stomping ground in Las Vegas on Saturday for UFC 248, and the promotion’s popular “Embedded” series returns to get you ready.

UFC 248 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

In the main event, middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) puts his title on the line for the first time against challenger [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC). In the co-feature, women’s strawweight champ [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) defends her title against former champ [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC).

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The fifth episode of “Embedded” follows the big-name stars at the top of the card. Here’s the UFC’s description:

Zhang Weili, Sean O’Malley and Li Jingliang train at UFC PI. Joanna Jedrzejczyk juggles cauliflower ear and stilettos. At media day, Jose Quinonez goes for blood, Zhang practices her English, and headliners Israel Adesanya and Yoel Romero face off.

Also see:

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Yoel Romero last but makes weight for UFC 248; title fight vs. Israel Adesanya official

Everyone can breathe a sigh of relief. The UFC 248 main event is official.

LAS VEGAS – The MMA community can now breathe a sigh of relief. [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] is official.

The two middleweights made the 185-pound limit required to compete in a championship bout during Friday’s UFC 248 official weigh-ins. Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), who defends his title for the first time, weighed in at 184.5 pound, while Romero (13-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) hit the mark at 185.

Romero has struggled with making weight in the past, and there were concerns on whether or not he would make the limit for UFC 248 and be eligible to compete for the title. However, struggles that cost him two shots before were not present. And when Romero stepped on the scale, he made sure to let his doubters know.

“How many years!? how many years!?” Romero yelled while banging his chest.

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Adesanya is unbeaten in his MMA career. The Nigerian fighter picked up the middleweight title in October, knocking out then champ Robert Whittaker to unify the titles.

Meanwhile, Romero is coming off a controversial split decision loss to Paulo Costa. Although there’s no doubt Romeo is a force to be reckoned with in the division, many questioned the merits of him getting a shot at Adesayana, who asked to face the Cuban fighter. Romero is 1-3 in his last four bouts.

UFC 248 takes place Saturday night at T-Mobile arena. The preliminary card streams on ESPN+ and later moves to ESPN. The pay-per-view main card can be seen exclusively on ESPN+.

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UFC 248 predictions: Who’s picking underdog upsets in the two title fights?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC 248 main card, which features Adesanya vs. Romero and Weili vs. Jedrzejczyk title fights.

Adesanya
vs.
Romero		 Weili
vs.
Jedrzejczyk		 Dariush
vs.
Klose		 Jingliang
vs.
Magny		 Griffin
vs.
Oliveira
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 28-16		 adesanya2020
Adesanya
(54%)		 zhang2020
Weili
(69%)		 dariush2020
Dariush
(55%)		 jingliang2020
Jingliang
(58%)		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
(77%)
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 38-11
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 romero2020
Romero		 zhang2020
Weili		 dariush2020
Dariush		 jingliang2020
Jingliang		 griffin2020
Griffin
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 37-12		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 jedrzejczyk2020
Jedrzejczyk		 dariush2020
Dariush		 jingliang2020
Jingliang		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 37-12		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 zhang2020
Weili		 klose2020
Klose		 jingliang2020
Jingliang		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 37-12		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 zhang2020
Weili		 dariush2020
Dariush		 magny2020
Magny		 griffin2020
Griffin
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 36-13
trophy copy 2019 Champion*		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 zhang2020
Weili		 dariush2020
Dariush		 jingliang2020
Jingliang		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 36-13		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 zhang2020
Weili		 klose2020
Klose		 magny2020
Magny		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 36-13		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 zhang2020
Weili		 dariush2020
Dariush		 jingliang2020
Jingliang		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 36-13		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 zhang2020
Weili		 dariush2020
Dariush		 jingliang2020
Jingliang		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 35-14
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 zhang2020
Weili		 klose2020
Klose		 jingliang2020
Jingliang		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 35-14		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 jedrzejczyk2020
Jedrzejczyk		 dariush2020
Dariush		 magny2020
Magny		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 34-15		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 zhang2020
Weili		 dariush2020
Dariush		 magny2020
Magny		 griffin2020
Griffin
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 34-15
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 jedrzejczyk2020
Jedrzejczyk		 dariush2020
Dariush		 magny2020
Magny		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 31-18		 romero2020
Romero		 jedrzejczyk2020
Jedrzejczyk		 dariush2020
Dariush		 jingliang2020
Jingliang		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 23-26		 romero2020
Romero		 jedrzejczyk2020
Jedrzejczyk		 klose2020
Klose		 magny2020
Magny		 oliveira2020
Oliveira

The UFC is back in Las Vegas this week, and a pair of title fights are at the top of the bill.

UFC 248 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

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In the main event, middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) puts his title on the line for the first time when he meets challenger [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC). Adesanya is as much as a 3-1 favorite from the oddsmakers, and he’s got a big lead in the picks from our 14 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers – only three of which are taking Romero in an upset.

The co-main event is another title fight. Women’s strawweight champ [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) puts her belt up for the first time when she takes on former champ [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC). Zhang is a mild favorite, but she’s got a fairly significant 9-5 lead in the picks.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] (17-4-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] (11-1-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) at lightweight. Dariush is a -170 favorite, and he’s got a big 10-4 lead in the picks.

[autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 9-3 UFC) also is about a -170 favorite in his welterweight bout against [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 14-6 UFC). That bout is our most contentious – Jingliang has just an 8-6 picks edge.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] (20-8-1 MMA, 9-6 UFC) is just a slight favorite over [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 3-5 UFC), but he’s got a big 11-3 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Adesanya (54 percent), Weili (69 percent), Dariush (55 percent), Jingliang (58 percent) and Oliveira (77 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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The War Room: Dan Hardy breaks down Israel Adesanya vs. Yoel Romero at UFC 248

Dan Hardy breaks down the main event clash between Israel Adesanya and Yoel Romero ahead of fight night at UFC 248.

Newly-crowned UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] puts his title on the line for the first time when he takes on Cuban powerhouse [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] in the main event of UFC 248 on Mar. 7.

Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top of the 185-pound division, defeating the likes of Derek Brunson, Anderson Silva, Kelvin Gastelum and, most recently, Robert Whittaker to stand at the UFC’s middleweight summit.

Now he faces his first test as a defending champion as he prepares to face hulking former Olympic freestyle wrestling medalist Romero (13-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC), who is bidding to capture a UFC title at the fourth time of asking. “The Soldier of God” twice saw tilts at UFC gold denied before fight night after failing to make weight, while his first attempt ended in a unanimous decision defeat to Robert Whittaker. Now, at the age of 42, Romero goes for gold again against Adesanya in Las Vegas.

UFC analyst Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy knows what it’s like to challenge for a UFC title, and in his latest episode of “The War Room,” he shares his take ahead of the main event clash. Check out his pre-fight assessment via the video above.

UFC 248 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

UFC 248 free fight: Israel Adesanya captures undisputed middleweight crown

Ahead of his return at UFC 248, relive Israel Adesanya’s title-winning knockout of Robert Whittaker at UFC 243.

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] always knew his moment would come, and when it did, he’d rise to the occasion.

That moment came at UFC 243 when the undefeated Kiwi, already the interim middleweight champion, faced UFC 185-pound champ [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] for the unified, undisputed middleweight crown at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia in October 2019.

Whittaker came out aggressively at the start of the fight as he looked to knock the super-calm former kickboxer out of his stride in the early exchanges. But as the round progressed Adesanya kept his cool and started to time the Australian’s attacks.

By the end of the opening round, Adesanya had taken charge, and put an exclamation point on proceedings with a perfectly-timed right-hand counter that dropped the defending champion in the final second of the round.

Adesanya was in complete control when the bout resumed for Round 2 and, although Whittaker persisted with his “walk forward, throw heavy” approach, Adesanya dipped and swerved his way out of range, then punished the Aussie with slick, sharp counters.

Eventually, those counter shots proved decisive as Adesanya lit up Whittaker with a brilliant right-left combination that sent the champion crashing to the canvas for a show-stealing, title-winning knockout.

Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) returns to action on Saturday in the main event of UFC 248 in Las Vegas, when he takes on dangerous Cuban challenger Yoel Romero (13-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC). Ahead of that clash, relive the brilliance of “The Last Stylebender” in his win over Whittaker in the video above.

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The MMA Road Show with John Morgan, No. 258 – Las Vegas – UFC 248 preview

“The MMA Road Show with John Morgan” No. 258 features Israel Adesanya, Yoel Romero, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Sean O’Malley and Daniel Cormier.

Episode No. 258 of “The MMA Road Show with John Morgan” podcast is now available for streaming and download.

MMA Junkie lead staff reporter John Morgan hosts the show while traveling the world to cover the sport.

John Morgan and Cold Coffee sit down to preview an exciting UFC 248 card in Las Vegas and utilize the help of fellow MMA Junkies Mike Bohn, Nolan King and Danny Segura to bring you talk from [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag], [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag], [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag], [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] and [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag].

Check it out on iTunes or at themmaroadshow.com. You can also subscribe via RSS.

6 burning questions heading into UFC 248

MMA Junkie senior editor Dave Doyle takes you through the key UFC 248 storylines, including two title fights atop the bill.

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A pair of newly crowned champions will make their first title defenses Saturday night at UFC 248 against challengers who are no strangers to main-event spotlights.

There will be an international flavor in Las Vegas as New Zealand’s [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] puts his UFC middleweight title up for grabs against Cuban native [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] in the main event, and China’s [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] makes her first defense of the strawweight title against former titleholder [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] of Poland.

Beyond that, there’s the usual potpourri of interesting items that you’ll find up and down a card of this magnitude.

UFC 248 takes place at T-Mobile Arena. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Without further ado, then, here are six burning questions heading into UFC 248.

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Can Israel Adesanya finish Yoel Romero?

Israel Adesanya finishes Robert Whittaker at UFC 243. (USA TODAY Sports)

Yes, it’s true, granting Romero (13-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) a title fight was questionable. He’s coming off two straight losses and three in his past four fights, and that’s supposed to merit if there are merit-based title shots.

Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), however, was the one who requested this fight after it became apparent the next in line, Paulo Costa, would be on the shelf with a bicep injury.

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And that leads us to why this is still very much an intriguing fight despite the rankings optics: All three of those Romero losses were decisions. In all three, you could make a case for a Romero victory. And never once in his 17-fight career has Romero been stopped.

Adesanya doesn’t just want to defeat Romero. He wants to be the first to finish him. That’s a bold and brash goal – and exactly the sort of thing which would help elevate Adesanya, who gets closer and closer to becoming the next MMA megastar with each fight.

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Israel Adesanya dishes about the benefit of confidence, from nose picks to nipples, at UFC 248

Israel Adesanya picked his nose and talked about nipples and bodily functions in order to prove a point about confidence before UFC 248.

LAS VEGAS – As long as he’s been in the public eye, [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] never has lacked confidence.

It’s no different entering his first promotional title defense at UFC 248 against Yoel Romero. However, Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) said he wasn’t confident until he came to a realization.

When speaking to the media at a pre-fight media day Thursday, Adesanya openly picked his nose, lifted up his shirt, and talked about a variety of other bodily functions – in order to prove a point about confidence.

“I didn’t grow up with this,” Adesanya told MMA Junkie. “I think it’s just accepting we all pick our noses. Y’all take a (expletive), don’t you? We all (expletive) have sex. But somehow in this day and, age everyone likes to (pretend).

“I bet you Joanna (Jedrzejczyk) couldn’t do this, or Weili Zhang couldn’t do this. Why?” Adesanya continued, pulling up his shirt. “It’s a nipple. It’s a (expletive) nipple. I can do this because I’m a man. It’s International Women’s Month, but they can’t do that because they’re women.”

Not caring about other people’s opinions has resulted in an elevation of confidence. Adesanya used the example of children when talking about society’s “Puritan ideology.”

“… Everyone likes to act like there’s this weird, filtered-to-TV Puritan ideology,” Adesanya said. “Like, ‘Oh, let’s protect the minds of the children.’ Kids are smarter than you think. I have a conversation with kids and I’m like, ‘I don’t have to censor myself around you because you’re smart enough to comprehend what I’m saying and how I’m saying (it).”

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When Adesanya steps into the cage Saturday, he’ll face perennial contender Romero (13-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC). The Cuban middleweight is a tough test, Adesanya admitted, but it’s one he specifically requested. There’s much to be gained from the matchup, he said.

“I requested this fight because I didn’t want to sit down and just chill,” Adesanya said. “Don’t give me too much time off. I like to stay active. For me, he’s a guy. When I beat him, everyone is going to be like, ‘(Expletive). (Expletive)’ when they get the call to fight me. They’ll be like, ‘(Expletive), he’s got the belt so I have to fight him – but (expletive).’ I want to be that guy. I want to be the new boogeyman of the division.”

UFC 248 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

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