Tag: Neil Magny

Video: What big surprise could come from UFC run on ‘Fight Island’?

Here are three bold predictions for the UFC’s upcoming three events on “Fight Island.”

The UFC’s 2021 campaign kicks off with a bang Saturday, as the promotion launches the fight schedule with three cards in a week on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.

You already know about the big main events on the way, from the UFC on ABC 1 clash between [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] and [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag], to the UFC on ESPN 20 main event between [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] and [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag], leading up to the big one, [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] at UFC 257.

But even when the big fights deliver, something often comes out of the blue to steal the show and the headlines. Could that be the potential barnburner between Michael Chandler and Dan Hooker? Or maybe the long-awaited Carlos Condit-Matt Brown fight finally happening? Or maybe someone rises up from an undercard?

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Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Mike Bohn, Nolan King, and Brian “Goze” Garcia weighed in during this week’s episode.

You can watch in the video above.

https://youtu.be/wInzJfahRRM

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Neil Magny expects top-five opponent if he beats Michael Chiesa at UFC on ESPN 20

Neil Magny expects to get a highly ranked opponent in the welterweight division if he beats Michael Chiesa at UFC on ESPN 20.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] spoke to the media Friday ahead of UFC on ESPN 20.

Magny (24-7 MMA, 17-6 UFC) discussed his welterweight main event bout against Michael Chiesa (17-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC), his desire to climb the divisional rankings and get a top-five opponent, being targeted with callouts by surging names in the division and more.

UFC on ESPN 20 takes place Wednesday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The card airs on ESPN.

Watch the complete video of Magny’s media day appearance above.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOv0WTZufnE

Michael Chiesa ‘not expecting to look pretty beating Neil Magny’ at UFC on ESPN 20

Michael Chiesa is being realistic about the challenge he’s up against going into his UFC on ESPN 20 headliner with Neil Magny.

[autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] is a realist. And when it comes to his UFC on ESPN 20 headliner with [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag], he knows there’s a good chance he’ll have to dig deep to get his hand raised.

Chiesa (17-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) returns to the octagon for the first time in almost a year when he meets Magny (24-7 MMA, 17-6 UFC) in a welterweight main event on Jan. 20. The card takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi and airs on ESPN.

Magny is one of the more consistently successful welterweights in UFC history, having racked up 17 wins in the weight class – just two shy of Georges St-Pierre’s all-time record. Beating Magny is a difficult task for anyone, but doing it with style points is even more challenging. Chiesa will be seeking a definitive end, he said, but is also wise enough to know it might not play out that way.

“You can’t expect to look good beating Neil,” Chiesa told MMA Junkie. “That’s a tough expectation to put on yourself when you’ve got a guy as well-rounded as he is. He doesn’t really have any glaring weaknesses. He’s just a good all-around fighter. He’s very well conditioned. He comes from a good team. Good human being. There’s really nothing bad I can say about the guy. He’s just a good all-around sport. But I have certain aspects to my game. He’s good at everything, but I think there’s things that I do better than he does. Those are the things I need to emphasize and capitalize on.

“I think I’m going to surprise a lot of people with how I look coming out there. I’m not the same guy that fought (Rafael dos Anjos) … I’m not expecting to look pretty beating Neil Magny. I’m just going to go in there and do whatever I need to do to get the job done. I’m going to be pursuing a finish as I always am, but if we got to go blood-and-guts for five rounds, so be it. I’m ready to do whatever I’ve got to (do to) get the job done.”

Chiesa was only able to fight once in 2020. He beat former UFC champ dos Anjos early in the year, but then a string of injuries – including a botched surgery – took away his ability to compete until now.

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Chiesa said there was upside to the time off, though: He was able to hit his groove as a UFC analyst, working several cards over the course of the year and gaining some perspective on his life and career. He said he’s come out the other end better for it, especially on the mental side.

“It was just a challenging time,” Chiesa said. “My mind definitely played some tricks on me throughout last year. Once I was cleared to get back to full training – before I left for ‘Fight Island’ for the analyst gig (in July), I knew I was back. I got cleared by the doctor to train 100 percent again, and even that first week back once I got cleared I was like, ‘Dude, your mind is playing tricks on you. You’re still just as good as you were before.’ I was able to sharpen my mind as well as my skills. That’s probably the best thing I gained through last year was getting to do the nine shows as an analyst. It sharpened my mind. That’s a very hard thing to do as a fighter.”

Chiesa’s return fight was originally supposed to be the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 20. However, when Khamzat Chimaev withdrew from the planned headliner against Leon Edwards, the bout was elevated to the new headliner.

With a main event spot comes the duty of being slated for five rounds, but Chiesa said it was a welcomed change that he took in stride.

“I’ve never once thought, ‘Oh I don’t want to come back and do five rounds after not fighting for a year,'” Chiesa said. “It’s the first time it’s been brought to my attention, so obviously not a worry in my mind. … I think if I would’ve known long in advance that I was fighting in the main, maybe I would’ve, like, gone too hard in training and would’ve hurt myself. Training for those extra two rounds, you’ve got be very intricate. You’ve got to go about it in a very measured way.”

A victory for Chiesa would move him to 4-0 since he moved up to 170 pounds from lightweight in December 2018. He’s currently ranked No. 13 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie welterweight rankings, with Magny an honorable mention, but Chiesa said he’s not thinking about what the future holds.

Magny is an opponent to be fully respected, Chiesa said, and he’s not allowing himself to think of anything beyond his upcoming fight.

“Usually I have like a name in mind for what comes next or I’m thinking about other things outside of the fight, in a good way – not like lack of focus,” Chiesa said. “This is a fight where I’ve been so zoned in on this guy and just laser-focused on Neil Magny, just because I know how evenly matched this fight is. I’ve got to be on my ‘A’ game when that octagon door closes. I know I have the tools to get the job done, and I know my mind and my body are ready to go to whatever bounds I need to to beat this guy.”

https://youtu.be/jrG4Ne22aEI

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MMA Junkie’s 2020 ‘Gym of the Year’: Elevation Fight Team enjoys notable success in COVID-hit year

Colorado-based Elevation Fight Team delivered consistent success despite the challenges of operating during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic, and its resulting restrictions, hit gym owners and teams hard in 2020. But, despite the challenges arriving from the onset of COVIF-19, MMA’s elite gyms still managed to help fine-tune their fighters to deliver memorable performances throughout the year.

One gym, in particular, enjoyed an excellent year, with Colorado’s Elevation Fight Team delivering an impressive series of results as the Denver-based gym led its big names to a positive 2020.

The gym added a new championship belt to its honor roll when [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] stepped in on short notice and finished Tony Ferguson to capture the interim lightweight title at UFC 249. Unfortunately for Gaethje and his team, “The Highlight” wasn’t able to upgrade to the undisputed title when he lost to Khabib Nurmagmedov later in the year, but following Nurmagomedov’s subsequent retirement, Gaethje looks well placed to challenge for undisputed gold once again in 2021.

Elsewhere, the gym’s two star heavyweights went undefeated, as [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] and [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] both were 2-0 for the year, with all four victories coming in UFC main events.

Overeem’s back-to-back TKO finishes of Walt Harris and Augusto Sakai gave him his first unbeaten calendar year since 2015, while Blaydes followed up a 2-0 year in 2019 with another in 2020, with victories over former UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos and ex-Bellator champ Alexander Volkov. A four-fight winning streak sends Blaydes into 2021 with real momentum.

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It was also a big year for evergreen welterweight [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag], who returned to his prolific fighting ways in 2020 by fighting, and winning, three times. Magny picked up a trio of unanimous decisions over Li Jingliang, Rocco Martin and former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler to put him in a solid position heading into the new year.

While its established stars cemented its elite credentials, Elevation’s emerging talent also enjoyed successes. Most notably, lightweight [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag] continued his impressive rise toward the lightweight elite by adding two significant victories to his record. Dober’s back-to-back finishes of fellow highly rated prospects Nasrat Haqparast and Alexander Hernandez saw him end 2020 with an honorable mention in the MMA Junkie/USA TODAY Sports lightweight rankings.

Elevation’s [autotag]Shana Dobson[/autotag] produced one of the biggest upsets of the year when she defeated Mariya Agapova at UFC on ESPN 15, while bantamweight contender [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] bounced back from a submission loss to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 250 with a second-round TKO finish of Marlon Moraes in his first UFC main event at UFC Fight Night 179 in October.

It all added up to a positive year for the Colorado collective, which deservedly earns our accolade as MMA Junkie’s “Gym of the Year” for 2020.

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Neil Magny, Kevin Holland want Leon Edwards fight with Khamzat Chimaev out of UFC headliner

If the UFC wants a replacement for its January 20 headliner, it has some solid options.

The UFC has no shortage of options for a replacement to its UFC Fight Night headliner on Jan. 20, as it appears that both [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] and [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] are willing to jump in.

After news emerged Tuesday morning that Khamzat Chimaev has been ruled out of his welterweight bout with [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag], Magny and Holland took to social media to expressed interest in replacing Chimaev.

In response to MMA Junkie’s Instagram post about Chimaev’s withdrawal, Magny made things pretty clear by commenting, “Let’s make it happen!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJYp42JnivP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Holland, meanwhile, said he’s ready to “do work” on Jan. 20 in a tweet.

Magny (24-7 MMA, 17-6 UFC) is currently slated to fight Michael Chiesa in the night’s co-main event, making him a potentially more logical option should the UFC seek a replacement. “The Haitian Sensation” had a sneaky good 2020 after a 16-month layoff, racking up three wins over Li Jingliang, Anthony Rocco Martin, and most recently former UFC champion Robbie Lawler in August.

Holland (21-5 MMA, 8-2 UFC) is coming off a historic 2020 in which he went 5-0 in a span of 210 days, winning four of those fights by stoppage and capping it off with a “Knockout of the Year” candidate against “Jacare” Souza at UFC 256. After that win, Holland took shots at Chimaev and expressed interest in fighting him.

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Michael Chiesa, Neil Magny agree to UFC Fight Night bout on Jan. 20

One UFC welterweight contender’s three-fight winning streak will come to an end in January.

One UFC welterweight contender’s three-fight winning streak will come to an end in January.

On Tuesday, MMA Junkie confirmed with a person close to the situation that [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] and [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] have verbally agreed to fight each other Jan. 20 at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi. The person requested anonymity since the UFC has yet to make an announcement. Promotion broadcast partner ESPN was first to report the impending booking.

According to ESPN, Chiesa (17-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) or Magny (24-7 MMA, 17-6 UFC) could serve as a backup to the main event should anything happen to Leon Edwards or Khamzat Chimaev.

Chiesa, No. 13 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie welterweight rankings, hasn’t been very active the past two years, fighting just once in 2019 and 2020. It will have been nearly a year since his unanimous decision win over Rafael dos Anjos. His three-fight winning streak consists of Carlos Condit by submission, as well as decisions against Diego Sanchez and RDA.

Magny, on the other hand, is coming off a 2020 in which he fought and won three times. His three-fight winning streak consists of decisions over Li Jingliang, Anthony Rocco Martin and most recently ex-champion Robbie Lawler on Aug. 29.

With the addition, the UFC’s Jan. 20 lineup now includes:

  • Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev
  • Michael Chiesa vs. Neil Magny
  • Viviane Araujo vs. Roxanne Modafferi
  • Tyson Nam vs. Matt Schnell
  • Francisco Figueredo vs. Jerome Rivera
  • Mike Jackson vs. Dean Barry

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Neil Magny wants to be Khamzat Chimaev’s UFC main event foe: ‘What’s the hold up?’

Neil Magny is happy to put his ranking on the line against Khamzat Chimaev in a UFC main event.

[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] is happy to put his ranking on the line against [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] in a UFC main event.

UFC president Dana White recently revealed that his plan for Chimaev (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who has quickly become one of the promotion’s top prospect with three wins in 66 days to kick off his octagon tenure, is to book him in a main event matchup against a ranked opponent.

White did not reveal exactly who that opponent would be, but given the stage and stakes, it will seemingly be someone with a high profile.

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Magny (24-7 MMA, 17-6 UFC), who has the second most wins in the history of the UFC welterweight division, is apparently willing to oblige. He responded to White’s comments, and said he’s ready to accept a five-round with Chimaev in November the moment it’s offered (via Instagram):

What’s the hold up? I’m ready to scrap any day in November 🤷‍♂️ @ufc

Chimaev is coming off a 17-second knockout of Gerald Meerschaert at UFC on ESPN+ 36 this month. The finish took his hype to another stratosphere, with UFC boss White calling the Russian “one of the most special fighters” he’s seen during his many years promoting MMA.

A matchup with Magny, who is an honorable mention in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie MMA welterweight rankings, would be a serious litmus test, though. Magny has won five of his past six and is coming off a win over former UFC champ Robbie Lawler. His grinding style has been a problem for many over the years, and, on paper, would present Chimaev with his sternest challenge thus far.

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UFC on ESPN+ 33: Despite wins, Mallory Martin, Polyana Viana could face six-month suspensions

Despite picking up wins, Polyana Viana and Mallory Martin could be facing up to six months on the sidelines.

Despite picking up wins at UFC on ESPN+ 33, [autotag]Polyana Viana[/autotag] and [autotag]Mallory Martin[/autotag] could potentially face up to six months on the sidelines due to medical suspensions.

MMA Junkie obtained the full list of suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commission’s official record keeper.

In the night’s opener, Martin (7-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) picked up a comeback submission finish of [autotag]Hannah Cifers[/autotag] (10-7 MMA, 2-5 UFC) at this past weekend’s event, which took place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. In the second fight of the night, Viana (11-4 MMA, 2-3 UFC) submitted [autotag]Emily Whitmire[/autotag] (4-4 MMA, 2-3 UFC) with an armbar in the first round.

Also potentially facing several months on the shelf is [autotag]Ji Yeon Kim[/autotag], who suffered a unanimous decision loss to [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC). Kim (9-3-2 MMA, 3-3 UFC) has to have her right orbital non-displaced fracture cleared or she could be facing six months.

Despite the one-sided loss to [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] in the main event, [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] (32-16 MMA, 8-4 UFC) will only be facing 45 days, whereas Rakic (13-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) did not receive a suspension.

[autotag]Robbie Lawler[/autotag] (28-15 MMA, 13-9 UFC) will be facing 45 days for nasal lacerations in his co-main event loss to [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag], whereas Magny (24-7 MMA, 17-6 UFC) will be facing 45 days until the cut on his right elbow is cleared by a doctor.

Below is the full list of UFC on ESPN+ 33 medical suspensions:

  • Anthony Smith: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • Aleksandar Rakic: No suspension.
  • Robbie Lawler: Suspended 45 days with no contest for 30 days due to nasal lacerations.
  • Neil Magny: Suspended 45 days or until cut on right elbow cleared by doctor or no contest until Sept. 11.
  • Ji Yeon Kim: Must have right orbital non-displaced fracture cleared by oral and maxillofacial doctor or ophthalmologist or no contest until Feb. 26; minimum suspension until Oct. 14 with no contact until Sept. 29.
  • Alexa Grasso: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Ricardo Lamas[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Bill Algeo[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to facial lacerations.
  • [autotag]Impa Kasangay[/autotag]: Must have right eye laceration cleared by doctor or no contest until Oct. 14; minimum suspension until Sept. 11.
  • [autotag]Alessio Di Chirico[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Zak Cummings[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Alex Caceres[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Austin Springer[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Christian Aguilera[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to right eyebrow and nose lacerations.
  • Polyana Viana: Must have right thumb MRI and x-ray of
    right foot. If positive, then must have orthopedic doctor clearance or no contest until Feb. 26, 2021; minimum suspension until Sept. 29 with no contact until Sept. 20.
  • Emily Whitmire: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 30 days due to left elbow pain.
  • Mallory Martin: Must have right knee MRI. If positive, must have orthopedic doctor clearance or no contest until Feb. 26, 2021; minimum suspension until Oct. 29 with no contact until Oct. 14.
  • Hannah Cifers: Must have nose cut cleared by doctor or no contest until Oct. 14; minimum suspension until Sept. 29 with no contact until Sept. 20.

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