Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out what the UFC Fight Night 234 winners and guest fighters had to say backstage at Saturday’s event.
LAS VEGAS – UFC Fight Night 234 took place Saturday with 11 bouts on the lineup. We’ve got you covered with backstage winner interviews from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
You can hear from all the UFC Fight Night 234 winners by checking out their post-fight news conferences below.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.
The main event for the UFC’s first show of the year is official after the headliners made weight Friday.
LAS VEGAS – The main event title for a key light heavyweight bout is official after the headliners made weight Friday.
Ahead of UFC Fight Night 234, which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) and [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) stepped on the scale at the official weigh-ins.
Ankalaev registered at 204.5 pounds, while Walker used part of the non-title allowance, coming in at 205.5 pounds for the rematch of a controversial no contest from UFC 294 in October.
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Check out the video from their trips to the scale above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.
MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the UFC Fight Night 234 headliner between Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker.
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main event for UFC Fight Night 234.
UFC Fight Night 234 (ESPN+) takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Magomed Ankalaev plans to beat Johnny Walker with no controversy in their UFC Fight Night 234 and move on a light heavyweight title shot.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] still thinks he was well on his way to defeating [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] in October, and intends to pick up where he left off in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 234 rematch.
Ankalaev (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) was performing well against Walker (21-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) in their initial encounter at UFC 294 before he threw and landed an illegal knee that led to a no contest. The pair will run it back to settle the score, but this time in a five-round main event at the UFC Apex, which streams on ESPN+.
To this day, Ankalaev, 31, thinks Walker, 31, could’ve continued fighting the first time they met. The doctor ultimately deemed the Brazilian was unable to continue and the bout was waved off, and Ankalaev thinks Walker was happy to have it play out that way.
“After that shot, he was actually the one trying to tell me that was an illegal blow – so he was conscious enough and in his mind enough to say, ‘Hey dude, that was illegal,'” Ankalaev told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 234 media day. “And then when they stopped the fight all of a sudden he started playing this whole thing of like, ‘Oh, I can’t fight anymore’ or whatever. But I’m pretty sure that he was basically just trying to throw the fight because he seemed to be just fine.”
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Although he was disappointed with how things played out, Ankalaev has become accustomed to taking deflating moments in stride during his UFC career. His highly controversial stoppage win over Ion Cutelaba in February 2020 required an immediate rematch, too, and he also competed in an ultra-rare title fight draw with Jan Blachowicz at UFC 282 in December 2022.
Ankalaev said he’s happy the promotion was able to put together the rematch with Walker just three months after the first fight, and it’s his top priority to win this fight in a manner that provides zero doubt about who is the better man.
“I’m not looking for just coming out there and having my hand raised at the end of the fight,” Ankalaev said. “What I want to do is I want to make sure that I get there, I make a statement and the fight is going to be over way before the final bell.”
If Ankalaev emerges victorious, he will be on a 12-fight unbeaten streak. He’s already the No. 4 fighter in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie light heavyweight rankings, and sees few paths forward aside from a championship encounter with current titleholder Alex Pereira.
“I believe that 2024 is my year, and by the end of this year, you’ll see that the strap is around my waist,” Ankalaev said. “As the managers are telling me, it’s basically if I win this fight, there is nobody else who deserves the title run more than I do.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.
The best facts about UFC Fight Night 234, which features chances for Jim Miller and Andrei Arlovski to add to their historic resumes.
After a nearly monthlong hiatus, the UFC opens its 2024 schedule on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 234, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.
Light heavyweight contenders are set to rematch in the main event of the card. [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) and [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) will run it back with five rounds scheduled after their originally meeting at UFC 294 in October ended in a no contest due to an illegal knee from Ankalaev that halted the action.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts for UFC Fight Night 234.
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Johnny Walker vows to fight Magomed Ankalaev “with no emotion” and earn himself a title fight with Alex Pereira at UFC Fight Night 234.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] plans to enter Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 234 main event rematch against [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] with a clean mental slate.
The first matchup between the pair at UFC 294 in October ended in a no contest when Ankalaev (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) landed an illegal knee on Walker (21-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) that led to the end of the bout. The light heavyweight contenders are now set to run it back, but this time in a five-round headliner at the UFC Apex, which streams on ESPN+.
Although things were tense between them in the immediate aftermath of the first fight, Walker said the three months since the initial encounter have allowed him to transition into a state of zen. He said he will bring no anger into the octagon, because fighting intelligently is going to be a critical component to getting his hand raised.
“I’m not worried about nothing – I have no emotion,” Walker told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 234 media day. “I have no hate against him. Because emotion can maybe play against you if you have hate, maybe you’re going to make a mistake. No, I’m going to be very technical, very aggressive at the right moment, without emotion. Like a robot. Like a machine. This is how you have to be so you don’t commit mistakes.”
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Walker, 31, revealed he entered the first matchup against Ankalaev, 31, with “a little bit of an injury,” and that prevented him from fully executing the gameplan. Things are different this time, according to the Brazilian, because Walker said he had a smooth training camp where he was able to hone in on the strengths and weaknesses of his opponent.
“We know his pattern and what he likes to do, so we simulate these for many months, many weeks while sparring,” Walker said. “I’m ready for whatever he tries to do, if he takes me down, if he tries striking. I know his pattern and what he’s going to try to use against me. Nothing has changed much. Just prepare for the worst. I’m ready. Maybe I’ll put him down because you never saw him when he back is on the floor, his behavior.
“I’m pretty sure if any of my good shots land, he’s going to sleep. If I get his back, I’m going to make him sleep, too. I’m going to choke him. I always try to push and get the best of myself and to finish the fight as well. I don’t like the judges deciding the fight for me and too much hard work for someone to maybe make a wrong decision. I want to make sure I have the fight in my hands so I’m going to do my best to finish the fight.”
If Walker, No. 10 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie light heavyweight rankings, is able to upset No. 4-ranked Ankalaev, he would be on a five-fight unbeaten streak. With many of the other notable contenders in the division either booked, injured or coming off a loss, there is a real opportunity to stake a claim at the next title shot.
The champ Alex Pereira (9-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) has teased a potential title defense at UFC 300 on April 13, and although that would be a quick turnaround, Walker said he’s confident he can position himself to get a chance at the belt.
“100 percent (the winner fights for the title),” Walker said. “I’m sure Ankalaev is the toughest guy now in the division. This fight is going to decide who is going to be the next champion: Me.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.
Before UFC Fight Night 234 on Saturday, watch as the main card athletes speak to reporters at media day.
LAS VEGAS – UFC Fight Night 234, which takes place at the UFC Apex with a card that streams entirely on ESPN+, goes down Saturday.
Before fight night arrives, though, notable athletes from the main card spoke to reporters Wednesday at media day.
If you happen to miss any of the individual sessions on the live stream, check below for the archived videos of each media day.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.
Watch Magomed Ankalaev’s most recent UFC win ahead of his return this Saturday.
[autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag]’s most recent win was a dominant one.
The Dagestan fighter stopped former UFC title challenger Anthony Smith in the opening bout of the UFC 277 pay-per-view event back in July 2022. Smith appeared to suffer a leg injury in the first round, which caused him to pull guard in the second. It was then that Ankalaev took the opportunity to overwhelm Smith with ground-and-pound to get the TKO win.
You can watch the full fight in the video above.
Ankalaev (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) returns to the octagon this Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night 234 event in Las Vegas. He takes on Johnny Walker (21-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) in an important light heavyweight fight.
The two fought in October, but the bout ended in a no contest after Ankalaev connected with an illegal knee on a downed Walker, which resulted in a doctor stoppage.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.
Johnny Walker sees a win over Magomed Ankalaev lining him up for a title shot.
[autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] sees a win over [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] lining him up for a title shot.
Walker (21-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) and Ankalaev (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) will run things back in the UFC Fight Night 234 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The pair were rebooked after their UFC 294 fight ended in a controversial no contest in which Ankalaev struck Walker with an illegal knee to the head while he was a downed opponent.
If Walker gets past Ankalaev, he thinks he undoubtedly becomes the No. 1 contender.
“One hundred percent,” Walker told The Schmo. “I have some business to deal with (Ankalaev) because the last fight was not the way I expected it to be. I felt him already. I felt everything. I know his power and I have some very big surprises for him.”
UFC light heavyweight champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) posted a cryptic “300” post on his Instagram, but later clarified that he wasn’t talking about moving up to heavyweight to challenge interim champ Tom Aspinall. But if “Poatan” does fight at UFC 300 on April 13, Walker is ready to step up.
“Maybe me,” Walker said of being the one to fight Pereira at UFC 300. “I just have to beat Ankalaev first. Whatever it takes, I’ll be ready.”
Walker is seeking revenge from Ankalaev. He casts doubts on Ankalaev’s intention when he threw the illegal knee that was deemed inadvertent.
“I can’t wait to put my hands on him and make him pay,” Walker said. “It’s going to be like a little revenge because he landed a bad, illegal knee in Abu Dhabi. He has control of the fight. He knows what he was doing. You can never land an unintentional knee. Your knee doesn’t go in somebody’s face unintentionally, so I’m going to get him. I’m going to get my revenge.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.
All the UFC fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.
MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.
But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.
Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC.
Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Nov. 13-19.
