Tag: Joe Rogan

UFC 314: How to watch Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes, start time, Miami fight card, odds, more

Here’s what you need to know to watch UFC 314 on pay-per-view, ESPN and ESPN+.

The UFC is back in South Florida this week with UFC 314 in Miami.

Here’s how to watch UFC 314 with the newly vacant featherweight title on the line at the top of the card.

Broadcast and streaming info

Megan Olivi, UFC 284

UFC 314 has a main card that starts at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view via ESPN+. The preliminary card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, and early prelims stream on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET.

Longtime UFC correspondent [autotag]Megan Olivi[/autotag] will conduct pre and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC 314 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event.

[autotag]Dan Hellie[/autotag] will host the official UFC 314 weigh-in show on Friday at 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT.

He’ll be joined by UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag], former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] and [autotag]Laura Sanko[/autotag].

Former interim UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag], two-time UFC title challenger [autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] and light heavyweight [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] will serve as desk analysts on the UFC 314 post-fight show and throughout the card, when necessary.

[autotag]Brett Okamoto[/autotag] will serve as desk host with [autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] joining the desk post-fight.

Anik will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC 314.

He will command play-by-play alongside color commentators, former two-division UFC champion Cormier and [autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag].

[autotag]Din Thomas[/autotag] will also contribute to the broadcast as a coach-analyst.

(Mike Bohn—MMA Junkie)

Main event: Alexander Volkanovski

Record: 26-5 MMA, 13-4 UFC
Opponent: Diego Lopes (27-6 MMA, 6-1 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Key wins: Yair Rodriguez, Max Holloway (three times), Chan Sung Jung, Brian Ortega, Jose Aldo
Misc.: It’s been a rough past couple years for the former champ, but he still finds himself right back in a title fight. He lost two lightweight title shots to Islam Makhachev – the second of which came on short notice. Then he lost his featherweight title to Ilia Topuria. But Topuria is headed to lightweight and vacated the belt, so who better than to have a crack at it than the ex-champ, the UFC brass figured.

Main event: Diego Lopes

Record: 27-6 MMA, 6-1 UFC
Opponent: Alexander Volkanovski (26-5 MMA, 13-4 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Key wins: Brian Ortega, Dan Ige, Sodiq Yusuff, Pat Sabatini
Misc.: Lopes’ win over ex-title challenger Ortega this past fall put him in perfect position to get the call when Topuria moved up and the featherweight belt became open.

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes, UFC 314 news conference

Co-main event: Michael Chandler

Record: 23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC
Opponent: Paddy Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Key wins: Tony Ferguson, Dan Hooker, Benson Henderson (twice in Bellator), Patricky Freire (twice in Bellator), Eddie Alvarez (2011 in Bellator)
Misc.: Has lost four of five, but remains a fan favorite for his willingness to sacrifice blood and perhaps future coherence in the name of entertainment. For that reason, title contention remains ever-present with a win. But a loss to Pimblett would push him toward that on-the-way-out territory experienced by Tony Ferguson, Donald Cerrone and others – fun at the dance, sure, but no longer a candidate for prom king.

Co-main event: Paddy Pimblett

Record: 22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC
Opponent: Michael Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Key wins: King Green, Tony Ferguson
Misc.: Former Cage Warriors champion has been perfect since his arrival to the UFC, and all four of his stoppage wins in the promotion have come with post-fight bonuses attached.

UFC debut: Patricio Freire

Record: 36-7
Opponent: Yair Rodriguez (19-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Key wins: Adam Borics, A.J. McKee, Emmanuel Sanchez, Michael Chandler
Misc.: Former two-division Bellator champion “Pitbull” Freire finally arrives in the UFC. He’s regarded as the best fighter in Bellator history – and even challenged for the bantamweight title there less than two years ago, meaning he has the potential to play around in three divisions.

UFC 314 main card betting odds

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

  • Alexander Volkanovski -150 vs. Diego Lopes +125 – for vacant featherweight title
  • Michael Chandler +135 vs. Paddy Pimblett -160
  • Bryce Mitchell +260 vs. Jean Silva -325
  • Patricio Freire +165 vs. Yair Rodriguez -200
  • Nikita Krylov -200 vs. Dominick Reyes +165

UFC 314 prelim betting odds

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

  • Dan Ige +130 vs. Sean Woodson -155
  • Virna Jandiroba -150 vs. Yan Xiaonan +125
  • Chase Hooper -700 vs. Jim Miller +500
  • Darren Elkins +285 vs. Julian Erosa -360

UFC 314 early prelim betting odds

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

  • Sedriques Dumas +160 vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk -190
  • Su Mudaerji -220 vs. Mitch Raposo +180
  • Tresean Gore +260 vs. Marco Tulio -325
  • Nora Cornolle -175 vs. Hailey Cowan +145

UFC 314 preview videos

 

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

Alex Pereira addresses Joe Rogan’s claim that he fought injured at UFC 313

Alex Pereira contemplated not fighting at UFC 313.

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] contemplated not fighting at UFC 313.

Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) lost the light heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev (21-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) by unanimous decision in their main event earlier this month at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC commentator [autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] claimed Pereira entered the fight with a hand injury and was battling norovirus. “Poatan” responded to the rumors that he fought compromised.

“I’m not trying to take credit away from Ankalaev,” Pereira said on “The Ariel Helwani Show” through an interpreter. “Many people try to do that kind of thing, and I’m not this type of guy. Everybody goes through problems, and I’m sure he had his own problems, too. I had mine. My hand is fine, but it did affect things. But I don’t want to use that as an excuse. I don’t want to make excuses. I don’t want to use this as leverage for anything.

“My moment is going to come to win the belt, and then I can disclose everything for you guys. Yes, (I considered not fighting at UFC 313). It was one of the more complicated (fight camps) from everything that happened. I don’t regret it because I’ve conquered a lot, I’ve motivated a lot of people and anytime I’ve pushed through things, I was able to overcome. Many times it worked, but this time it wasn’t my moment.”

All signs are pointing to an immediate rematch between Pereira and Ankalaev later in the year. Ankalaev admitted Pereira is the most deserving of a shot after watching Carlos Ulberg outpoint Jan Blachowicz in this past Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 255 co-headliner at The O2 in London.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.

Joe Rogan: UFC, Dana White ‘f*cked up’ picking slap fighting over kickboxing

Joe Rogan would have liked to see UFC CEO Dana White invest in kickboxing over slap fighting.

[autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] would have liked to see UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] invest in kickboxing over slap fighting.

White officially launched slap fighting league Power Slap in late 2022, which started off with events at the UFC Apex, and has recently expanded to locations such as Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia. White went as far as saying Power Slap would become bigger than the UFC.

Upon the news of White’s involvement with slap fighting, Rogan admitted it’s not his cup of tea. He still stands by that opinion, and thinks White would have been better off going into kickboxing.

“I think the UFC f*cked up when they went with slap fighting,” Rogan said on his Fight Companion for UFC Fight Night 255. “I’ve been telling them forever, ‘You guys should get into kickboxing.’ If you only like standup fights, it’s not like the old days of kickboxing where they were boring. The knockouts are f*cking crazy.

“Kickboxing with MMA gloves in a cage would be giant. Just have a striking-only segment of the UFC. Glory’s got some elite fighters. I watch Glory all the time. It’s f*cking exciting, but nobody’s watching it. Nobody knows who these people are.”

Glory Kickboxing has helped produced two of the biggest stars in UFC history in the form of former UFC champions Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira. More kickboxers, such as Artem Vakhitov, have recently followed suit in their transition to MMA.

The UFC recently invested in jiu-jitsu after signing five-time IBJJF world champion Mikey Musumeci to an exclusive deal with matches streaming on UFC Fight Pass. Adding onto the slew of ventures the UFC CEO is involved in, White and TKO partnered with chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, to launch a new boxing promotion.

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Joe Rogan reacts to Sean Brady’s submission of Leon Edwards at UFC Fight Night 255

Joe Rogan was very impressed with Sean Brady’s win at UFC Fight Night 255.

[autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] was very impressed with [autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag]’s win at UFC Fight Night 255.

Brady (18-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) dominated former UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 14-4 UFC) on the ground then submitted him with a guillotine choke in Round 4 of Saturday’s main event at The O2 in London.

Edwards was starting to have some success on the feet in Round 3, but shot for a takedown – which Rogan thought was crazy. Brady eventually got the fight back to the ground in Round 4 and became the first fighter to finish Edwards.

“He’s going for the guillotine – look at this,” Rogan said on his Fight Companion for UFC Fight Night 255. “Look at this. One hand, one-armed guillotine. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness.

“He’s got the hands now. He tapped! Wow, Sean f*cking Brady. Holy sh*t, what a performance. Shutout against one of the best of all time in the division, former champion. Beats his ass and submits him. F*cking unbelievable, man. I’m super impressed.”

With the win, Brady made a strong argument for a rematch with UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC), who makes his first title defense against Jack Della Maddalena in the UFC 315 main event May 10 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Muhammad handed Brady the lone loss of his career when he stopped him by TKO at UFC 280.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 255.

Joe Rogan breaks down how Magomed Ankalaev put Alex Pereira in ‘uncharacteristic position’

Joe Rogan credits Magomed Ankalaev for putting Alex Pereira in uncharted territory at UFC 313.

[autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] credits [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] for putting [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] in uncharted territory at UFC 313.

Ankalaev (21-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) defeated Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) by unanimous decision to become UFC light heavyweight champion in Saturday’s main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Although he couldn’t take down Pereira a single time in 12 attempts, Ankalaev was the advancing fighter throughout, which allowed him to find success standing.

“Now he’s the UFC light heavyweight champ of the world against the most devastating champion we’ve seen in years,” Rogan said of Ankalaev post-UFC 313. “I mean, it’s really an impressive performance by Ankalaev. He did everything he had to do. He pressured him on the feet, he showed that Pereira has a harder time fighting off the back foot, and he did what had to be done.”

Rogan believes Ankalaev’s strategy helped him shut down Pereira’s devastating offense.

“There was really only a couple of moments where Pereira stunned him – the head kick, there were a couple of other moments where he caught him with good shots, but mostly Ankalaev was controlling the distance, was putting the pressure on him, and we saw ‘Poatan’ fight in what, up until now, is an uncharacteristic position: backing up and avoiding shots.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.

UFC 313: How to watch Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev title fight, Las Vegas lineup, odds, more (Updated)

Here’s what you need to know to watch UFC 313 on pay-per-view, ESPNews/Disney+ and ESPN+.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The UFC’s third pay-per-view event of 2024 goes down Saturday in “Sin City.”

Here’s how to watch UFC 313 with the light heavyweight title on the line at the top of the card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Broadcast and streaming info

UFC 313 has a main card that begins at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) on pay-per-view (via ESPN+). The four-fight preliminary card airs on ESPNews and streams on Disney+ at 8 p.m. ET. One early prelim – two fights were canceled on fight day, just hours before the event, due to illnesses – stream on ESPN+ at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Longtime UFC correspondent [autotag]Megan Olivi[/autotag] will conduct pre and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC 313 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event.

[autotag]Dan Hellie[/autotag] will host the official UFC 313 weigh-in show on Friday.

He’ll be joined by UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag], former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] and [autotag]Laura Sanko[/autotag].

[autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC 313.

He will command play-by-play alongside color commentators, former two-division UFC champion Cormier and [autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag], who calls his second event of 2025 after appearing at UFC 311 in January.

[autotag]Din Thomas[/autotag] will also contribute to the broadcast as a coach-analyst.

Jon Anik

Main event: Alex Pereira

Record: 12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC
Opponent: Magomed Ankalaev (20-1-1 MMA, 11-1-1 UFC)
Division: Light heavyweight
Key wins: Khalil Rountree, Jir Prochazka (twice), Jamahal Hill, Jan Blachowicz, Israel Adesanya, Sean Strickland
Misc.: Pereira is stepping in for his fifth title fight in around 16 months – an extraordinarily busy pace compared to UFC champions throughout history.

Oct 5, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Alex Pereira (red gloves) reacts after defeating Khalil Rountree Jr. (not pictured) in a light heavyweight title bout during UFC 307 at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Main event: Magomed Ankalaev

Record: 20-1-1 MMA, 11-1-1 UFC
Opponent: Alex Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC)
Division: Light heavyweight
Key wins: Aleksandar Rakic, Johnny Walker, Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, Volkan Oezdemir
Misc.: Ankalaev worked his way back to a title shot after a draw with Jan Blachowicz for the vacant title in December 2022. His 2024 wins over Rakic and Walker got him back in the mix.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 13: Magomed Ankalaev of Russia battles Johnny Walker of Brazil in a light heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on January 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Co-main event: Rafael Fiziev

Record: 12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC
Opponent: Justin Gaethje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Key wins: Rafael dos Anjos, Brad Riddell, King Green, Renato Moicano
Misc.: After a six-fight winning streak that included five post-fight bonuses, Fiziev had his momentum stopped by Gaethje just short of two years ago by majority decision in a Fight of the Night winner. An injury led him to a second straight loss in 2023. Now he’s stepping up on short notice for an injured Dan Hooker and a shot to avenge a loss.

Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev, UFC 286

Co-main event: Justin Gaethje

Record: 25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC
Opponent: Rafael Fiziev (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Key wins: Dustin Poirier, Rafael Fiziev, Michael Chandler, Tony Ferguson, Donald Cerrone, Edson Barboza
Misc.: Gaethje has 13 UFC fights and 13 UFC post-fight bonuses. He didn’t get bonuses in title fight losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2020 or Charles Oliveira in 2022, but caught back up with double bonuses at two events.

Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev, UFC 286

UFC debut: Djorden Santos

Record: 10-1
Opponent: Ozzy Diaz (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Misc.: The 27-year-old from Brazil started his career with six straight stoppages in his wins, but has his past three by decision – including one on DWCS this past September that led to his UFC contract.

UFC 313 main card betting odds

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

  • Champ Alex Pereira -115 vs. Magomed Ankalaev -105 – for light heavyweight title
  • Rafael Fiziev -160 vs. Justin Gaethje +135
  • Ignacio Bahamondes -130 vs. Jalin Turner +110
  • Amanda Lemos +120 vs. Iasmin Lucindo -140
  • King Green +360 vs. Mauricio Ruffy -525
Amanda Lemos, UFC Sao Paulo

UFC 313 prelim betting odds

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

  • Rei Tsuruya +140 vs. Joshua Van -170
  • Brunno Ferreira +120 vs. Armen Petrosyan -140
  • Carlos Leal -800 vs. Alex Morono +475
  • Francis Marshall +220 vs. Mairon Santos -270
Mar 9, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Curtis Blaydes reacts after defeating Jailton Almeida during UFC 299 at Kayesa Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

UFC 313 early prelim betting odds

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 7:30 p.m. ET)

  • Ozzy Diaz -195 vs. Djorden Santos +165

UFC 313 preview videos

UFC 313 full fight videos

Joe Rogan shares idea for UFC to get rid of weight cutting

Why can’t the UFC be at the forefront of eliminating weight cutting? Joe Rogan explains how it can.

[autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] would like to see a major rule change in the UFC.

Rogan, the longtime UFC commentator and popular podcast host, addressed weight cutting with former light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka and the dangers it causes to fighters’ bodies. Rogan said that, like boxing, he’d prefer to see the UFC implement more weight classes in order to prevent major cuts.

“I think weight cutting should be eliminated,” Rogan said on a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience.” “I said this to Ari Emanuel when they first bought the UFC. I said, ‘Listen, man, you know what we should do? Get rid of weight cutting. Just stop it.’ Look, if you can randomly test people for drugs, you can randomly test their weight.

“Show up with a scale. ‘Hey, buddy, step on the scale. You’re 190 pounds? How the f*ck are you making 145?’ Do something like that and come up with more weight classes. There should be a weight class every 10 pounds. This idea of these giant gaps like 185 to 205, that’s a 20-pound gap. That’s huge. That doesn’t exist in boxing. They should have every 10 pounds: 85, 95, 205, 225, and then unlimited.”

Rogan explains that he wants to see the weight cuts catered around the UFC champions and what they walk around at.

“Instead of having weight cuts, just take the champions, find out what the champion weighs – like don’t get rid of the championship belts,” Rogan said. “Find out what does Islam Makhachev weigh. Islam Makhachev is a UFC champion, best pound-for-pound fighter on Earth. Find out what he weighs.

“What do you weigh if you were healthy, if weight cutting didn’t exist? Would it be 185, 190? Whatever that is, that’s how you fight now, and we’re not going to weigh you in the day before and let you rehydrate. That’s crazy talk. Fight people your size. The fights would be better because too many people get depleted horribly.”

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UFC at Donald Trump’s inauguration: Dana White, Joe Rogan, Conor McGregor, more

Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration has a heavy UFC presence with Dana White, Joe Rogan, Conor McGregor and more in Washington.

Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration has a heavy combat sports presence.

Notables from the UFC, boxing and WWE have flocked to Washington ahead of Trump’s inauguration Monday, which officially marks the beginning of his second term as U.S. president. [autotag]Dana White[/autotag], [autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag], [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag], [autotag]Logan Paul[/autotag], and [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] are among those taking in the festivities.

White and the UFC played a big part getting Trump elected, so it’s no surprise to see a plethora of familiar faces in attendance.

Check out updates from around the inauguration event, including some surprising scenes of (supposed) rivals coming together.

Inauguration ceremony free live stream

Dana White’s speech

After flying in directly from UFC 311 in Los Angeles on Saturday, White took the stage for a four-minute speech touting Trump’s victory.

Dana White links up with Joe Rogan and Trump

Following his speech, White shared a photo on his Instagram Stories alongside Trump and longtime UFC commentator Rogan.

Donald Trump, Joe Rogan, Dana White

Conor McGregor, Paul brothers united for Trump?!?

Former two-division UFC champion McGregor shared a bus ride with Jake Paul, who has talked a tremendous amount of trash about him in the past, and [autotag]Logan Paul[/autotag], whom he claims to be facing in a $250 million boxing match later this year in India.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DFDIcUSRRH7

Colby Covington arrives for Trump inauguration

Diehard Trump supporter and former interim UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] certainly wasn’t going to miss the inauguration.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DFBNUyzRxJj/

Conor McGregor speaks on Trump

Dana White and Barack Obama

Jake Paul puts Mike Tyson on his shoulders

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFEjhtrR_Yr/?igsh=MXJueDc2cndkdXI0ag%3D%3D

Georges St-Pierre, Tim Kennedy, Gordon Ryan, Jon Jones rub elbows with Mark Zuckerberg

Conor McGregor and Jon Jones recreate a memory

Bryce Mitchell’s ‘experience of a lifetime’

https://www.instagram.com/p/DFFHmaJO2Y1/?img_index=1&igsh=bnRlZWd2azRzdWZq

UFC 311: How to watch pair of title fights, Los Angeles lineup, odds, more (updated)

Here’s what you need to know to watch UFC 311 on pay-per-view, ESPNews/Disney+ and ESPN+.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The UFC’s first pay-per-view of 2025 is set for Saturday just outside Los Angeles. Here’s how to watch UFC 311 with the bantamweight and lightweight titles on the line at the top of the card at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.

Broadcast and streaming info

UFC 311 has a main card that begins at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) on pay-per-view (via ESPN+). The four-fight preliminary card airs on ESPNews and streams on Disney+ at 8 p.m. ET. Five early prelims stream on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET.

[autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC 311. He will command play-by-play alongside color commentators and UFC Hall of Famer Cormier and [autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag].

Longtime UFC correspondent [autotag]Megan Olivi[/autotag] will conduct pre- and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC 311 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event.

[autotag]Dan Hellie[/autotag] will host the official UFC 311 weigh-in show on Friday.

He’ll be joined by UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag], former middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] and UFC commentator [autotag]Laura Sanko[/autotag].

[autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC 311.

He will command play-by-play alongside color commentators, former two-division UFC champion Cormier and [autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag].

[autotag]Din Thomas[/autotag] will also contribute to the broadcast as a coach-analyst.

Former UFC title challenger [autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] and former UFC light heavyweight title challenger [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] will serve as a desk analysts on the UFC 311 post-fight show and throughout the card, when necessary.

[autotag]Brett Okamoto[/autotag] will serve as the host, with Anik and Olivi set to contribute, as well. (Mike Bohn, MMA Junkie)

Main event: Islam Makhachev

Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan

Record: 26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC
Opponent: Renato Moicano (20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Key wins: Dustin Poirier, Alexander Volkanovski (twice), Charles Oliveira, Dan Hoooker, Arman Tsarukyan (2019)
Misc.: Makhachev has showed no signs of his dominance waning since he won the lightweight title in 2022. He was set to fight Arman Tsarukyan, whom he holds a 2019 win over, until weigh-ins day – when Tsarukyan pulled out.

Main event: Renato Moicano

Record: 20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC
Opponent: Islam Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Key wins: Benoit Saint Denis, Jalin Turner, Drew Dober, Brad Riddell, Cub Swanson, Calvin Kattar
Misc.: Moicano was in the right place at the right time. He hit 155 pounds on the button at weigh-ins, so when Arman Tsarukyan pulled out, he stepped up for a title shot on just a day’s notice instead of a fight against Beneil Dariush.

Co-main event: Merab Dvalishvili

Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Merab Dvalishvili

Record: 18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC
Opponent: Umar Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Key wins: Sean O’Malley, Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan, Jose Aldo
Misc.: After decision wins over ex-champs Aldo, Yan and Cejudo, Dvalishvili beat Sean O’Malley for the belt after O’Malley had taken it from his teammate and friend, Aljamain Sterling. But he’s a sizable underdog for his first attempted defense.

Co-main event: Umar Nurmagomedov

Record: 18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC
Opponent: Merab Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Key wins: Cory Sandhagen, Raoni Barcelos, Nate Maness
Misc.: Nurmagomedov will attempt to become the latest in his family and on his famed team to win a major MMA title – right before teammate Islam Makhachev defends his belt.

UFC debut: Billy Elekana

Billy Elekana

Record: 7-1
Opponent: Bogdan Guskov (16-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
Division: Light heavyweight
Misc.: Elekana will get his big shot on short notice as a replacement for Johnny Walker. His well-rounded resume includes appearances in the PFL and LFA.

UFC debut: Azamat Bekoev

https://www.instagram.com/p/DExyfDbRLf1

Record: 18-3
Opponent: Zach Reese (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Misc.: Bekoev was told a while back he was on Mick Maynard’s short list for a call-up after his recent 4-0 run in the LFA. When Sedriques Dumas dropped out on less than a week’s notice, Bekoev got his short-notice call.

UFC 311 main card betting odds

Jiri Prochazka

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

  • Champ Islam Makhachev -1200 vs. Renato Moicano +750 – for lightweight title
  • Champ Merab Dvalishvili +215 vs. Umar Nurmagomedov -265 – for bantamweight title
  • Jamahal Hill -125 vs. Jiri Prochazka +105
  • Jailton Almeida -470 vs. Serghei Spivac +360
  • Kevin Holland +100vs. Reinier de Ridder -120

UFC 311 prelim betting odds

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPNews/FX/Disney+, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Raoni Barcelos +650 vs. Payton Talbott -1150
  • Azamat Bekoev -190 vs. Zach Reese +160
  • Billy Elekana +305 Bogdan Guskov -400
  • Grant Dawson -245 vs. Diego Ferreira +200

UFC 311 early prelim betting odds

Ailin Perez

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

  • Ailin Perez +200 vs. Karol Rosa -245
  • Muin Gafurov +425 vs. Rinya Nakamura -650
  • Bernardo Sopaj -260 vs. Ricky Turcios +210
  • Clayton Carpenter +265 vs. Tagir Ulanbekov -350

Joe Rogan retracts ‘bullsh*t’: ‘I felt obligated to tell everybody that was a fake rumor’ about Jon Jones

Joe Rogan walked back what he says is a falsehood from his podcast and said he “felt obligated to tell everybody” it’s not factual.

[autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] on Thursday walked back what he now says was a falsehood he reported on his podcast and said he “felt obligated to tell everybody” it was not factual.

On his his “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, Rogan recently said heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] is rumored to be seeking $30 million to fight interim champ Tom Aspinall, “and the UFC is going to pay it, hopefully. I hope they pay it.”

Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) has been dismissive of Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) and wants to be paid handsomely for a title-unification bout. Despite his reluctance to fight Aspinall next after he finished Stipe Miocic this past November at UFC 309, Dana White guaranteed that the fight will happen this year.

But after Rogan went public with the $30 million number he now says was merely a rumor, it caused enough of a ripple effect that UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] reached out to Rogan to refute the claim.

“I had heard a rumor that Jon Jones wanted $30 million to fight Tom Aspinall. And I did hear that rumor. And I did hear that the UFC said yes,” Rogan said on his latest podcast. “But that’s not true. Dana contacted me and said that rumor is bullsh*t. So I felt obligated to tell everybody that was a fake rumor. … We did that podcast two weeks ago; I don’t remember who told me that.”

In the wake of admitting to reporting the rumor and retracting it, Rogan now said he thinks the MMA collective – the UFC brass, Aspinall’s side, the media, presumably – should give Jones space to decide what he wants his next move to be, rather than speculating and, perhaps, putting pressure on him to make a move.

“Apparently Jon is thinking about retiring,” Rogan said. “… He should think about it. Give the man all the time he wants. He can fight whenever he wants to fight. That’s Jon Jones – he’s the GOAT. So leave him alone. If he decides one day to come back and he comes back and he wants to fight Tom Aspinall for the heavyweight title … The question is, how long are you allowed to hold onto that title before they start having that conversation?”

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