MMA Junkie’s resident Brit, Simon Head, takes a look at five key matchups involving U.K.-based fighters on the UFC’s “Fight Island.”
The launch of the UFC’s “Fight Island” events in Abu Dhabi next month marks the moment for a group of fighters from the international roster to return to action.
That group includes a host of U.K.-based fighters who, up to now, have been in MMA exile while international travel restrictions keep them from traveling to the U.S. to compete.
The advent of “Fight Island” and the UFC’s detailed travel regimen for fighters jetting into Abu Dhabi have opened the door for some of the promotion’s most exciting fighters from the U.K. to return to action.
Ahead of the UFC’s four-event run on Yas Island, here are five fights to keep an eye on that feature returning U.K. fighters.
Without further ado …
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Molly McCann vs. Talia Santos, July 15
There’s been something special about some of the matchups we’ve seen during the UFC’s lockdown era so far, and you can bet your last dollar (or British pound) that [autotag]Molly McCann[/autotag] will look to add to that growing list of memorable fights.
McCann (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) arrived in the UFC as the Cage Warriors women’s flyweight champion, but was submitted by Gillian Robertson on her debut in her hometown of Liverpool. But since that defeat McCann has bounced back superbly with a trio of unanimous decision victories over Priscilla Cachoeira, Ariane Lipski and Diana Belbita.
“Meatball” is getting better with every fight, and will be keen to show her latest improvements against Contender Series graduate [autotag]Talia Santos[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who is bidding to claim her maiden UFC victory after suffering her first career defeat on her UFC debut against Mara Romero Borella.
The fight represents the toughest assignment of McCann’s UFC career since her debut, but a fourth straight win for the energetic Evertonian will push the 30-year-old toward the division’s big names later in 2020.
Robert Whittaker appreciates Darren Till’s humor on social media but is “prepared to make it hell” for him on “Fight Island.”
Former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] appreciates [autotag]Darren Till[/autotag]’s humor on social media, but he’s fully intent on bringing the fight to him on “Fight Island.”
Whittaker (20-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) faces Till in the main event of the UFC’s July 25 event on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi as he makes his first appearance since he lost the middleweight title to Israel Adesanya last October.
Following that defeat, Whittaker took time off and subsequently revealed that he was suffering from burnout, needing to step away from the sport to recharge.
Despite the time away, Whittaker’s confidence hasn’t wavered, and he said he’s ready to make a statement against Till (18-2-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) in a matchup where he thinks he’s the more well rounded fighter.
“I think he’s got a good skill set, but I think, honestly, I think I’m better across the board,” Whittaker told Submission Radio. “I also hope I can get him out of there very quickly. And it’s not gonna be due to a lack of trying, trust me. But I’m prepared to make it a slugfest. I’m prepared to make it hell. I’m going to go in there, and I’m gonna do my thing. And how it happens and how it works is, I’m gonna take the win where I see it.”
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The build-up to this fight has been rather cordial, with the two having a laugh at Till’s memes when the matchup was initially announced. But now that he’s weeks away from the fight, Whittaker has put all that banter behind him and is fully focused on the fight.
“Before the fight was lined up it was cool to just josh back and forth, have a bit of fun with it, (and) try to make some interest for the fight,” Whittaker said. “But once we kind of knew we were fighting, I don’t really care what sort of person he is. It’s just one of those things where all I’m focusing on now is just focusing on crushing him.
“Let me just say, I have no friends in the middleweight division. I can’t be friends with anybody I could be fighting. So, let’s just clear that up. And two, mate, we’re in the fight game. It’s cool to be lined up with a guy that isn’t acting like a Gronk, but at the end of the day, he’s coming to take what’s mine, and I’m coming to take what’s his, and that’s the game we’re in. That’s the fight game; that’s the fight world.”
“Fight Island” is real, and now the four cards that will take place there are real, as well.
“Fight Island” is real, and now the four cards that will take place there are real, as well.
UFC president Dana White today announced the complete lineup for the four cards that will take place next month in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The unique setup has been necessitated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has made it difficult to get international fighters into the U.S. to compete.
“I think this is going to be a really unique experience, not just for the fighters, but for us,” UFC president Dana White said during the announcement. “It’s going to be cool. It’s going to be something different. It’s never been done before, and however long this thing goes on, and however long it’s hard to get people in from other countries, we will have these fights at ‘Fight Island’ – Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.”
First up, it’s UFC 251 on July 11, which features a trio of title fights.
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Champ [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] – for welterweight title
Champ [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] – for featherweight title
[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] – for vacant bantamweight title
[autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag]
[autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag]
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)
[autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag]
[autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos[/autotag]
[autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Danny Henry[/autotag]
[autotag]Roman Bogatov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Leonardo Santos[/autotag]
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 6:15 p.m. ET)
[autotag]Alexander Romanov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]
[autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Zhalgas Zhumagulov[/autotag]
[autotag]Vanessa Melo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag]
[autotag]Martin Day[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Davey Grant[/autotag]
Calvin Kattar and Dan Ige
The promotion then returns on July 15 with an event headlined by featherweight contenders [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC).
The complete lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (10 p.m. ET)
Calvin Kattar vs. Dan Ige
[autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag]
[autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]
[autotag]Abdul Razak Alhassan[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mounir Lazzez[/autotag]
[autotag]Chris Fishgold[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jared Gordon[/autotag]
PRELIMINARY (7 p.m. ET)
[autotag]Modestas Bukauskas[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Vinicius Moreira[/autotag]
[autotag]Molly McCann[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Taila Santos[/autotag]
[autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag]
[autotag]John Phillips[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Dusko Todorovic[/autotag]
[autotag]Ryan Benoit[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag]
[autotag]Diana Belbita[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Liana Jojua[/autotag]
Joseph Benavidez and Deiveson Figueiredo
Three days later, on July 18, the promotion hosts its third card in eight days, when top flyweight contenders [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) and [autotag]Joseph Benavidez[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC) meet for a second time with the vacant UFC flyweight title on the line.
The full card includes:
MAIN CARD (9 p.m. ET)
Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Joseph Benavidez – for vacant flyweight title
[autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag]
[autotag]Marc Diakiese[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag]
[autotag]Luana Carolina[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag]
[autotag]Askar Askarov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag]
PRELIMINARY CARD (6 p.m. ET)
[autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Khadis Ibragimov[/autotag]
[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Nad Narimani[/autotag]
[autotag]Joel Alvarez[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Joe Duffy[/autotag]
[autotag]Montel Jackson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Brett Johns[/autotag]
[autotag]Aleksander Doskalchuk[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Tagir Ulanbekov[/autotag]
[autotag]Davi Ramos[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag]
[autotag]Carlos Felipe[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag]
Darren Till and Robert Whittaker
Finally, the UFC’s run in Abu Dhabi ends on July 25 with a much-anticipated middleweight contest between former champion [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (20-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) and former welterweight title challenger [autotag]Darren Till[/autotag] (18-2-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC).
That night’s full lineup includes:
MAIN CARD
Robert Whittaker vs. Darren Till
[autotag]Antonio Rogerio Nogueira[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag]
[autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Peter Sobotta[/autotag]
[autotag]Alexander Gustafsson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag]
[autotag]Nicolas Dalby[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Danny Roberts[/autotag]
PRELIMINARY CARD
[autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jake Collier[/autotag]
[autotag]Raphael Pessoa[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Justin Tafa[/autotag]
[autotag]Movsar Evloev[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mike Grundy[/autotag]
[autotag]Bethe Correia[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Pannie Kianzad[/autotag]
[autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Nathaniel Wood[/autotag]
[autotag]Ramazan Emeev[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag]
The UFC is close to finalizing the rebooking for Darren Till vs. Robert Whittaker, which was originally slated for UFC Dublin.
[autotag]Darren Till[/autotag] and [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] reportedly are close to finalizing their rebooking date.
A matchup originally scheduled to headline the UFC’s return to Dublin on Aug. 15, Till (18-2-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) vs. Whittaker (20-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) now likely will take place July 25, according to a report by Brazilian outlet Combate on Thursday. When finalized, the bout will be a main event.
The location of the event is unknown, though it lands on the timeline UFC president Dana White has given for the promotion to hold events on the yet-to-be-unveiled “Fight Island.”
Till, 27, made a triumphant return at UFC 244 this past November. Slotted in the pay-per-view’s co-main event slot, Till defeated former middleweight title challenger Kelvin Gastelum by split decision. The win snapped a two-fight skid for the Brit.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Till has kept himself busy by having a blast on social media. From Instagram live streams to memes to comedic tweets, Till has done a noticeable job of keeping himself in the public eye.
Whittaker, 29, has not competed since losing his middleweight title to Israel Adesanya at UFC 243 this past October. He was booked to fight Jared Cannonier at UFC 248 in March, but pulled out weeks prior due to personal issues. Prior to the defeat, Whittaker had reigned as champion since UFC 225 in June 2018.
When Robert Whittaker finally gave himself time off, it didn’t take long for him to get that itch to compete again.
When [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] finally gave himself time off, it didn’t take long for him to get that itch to compete again.
The former UFC middleweight champion recently opened up about being burned out, a realization that prompted him to step away from the daily grind.
He was scheduled to face Jared Cannonier at UFC 248, but withdrew and the fight was scrapped from the card. Now, after completely stepping away from training, Whittaker (20-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) has regained that desire to fight.
“So when I felt burned out, I didn’t feel like training, I didn’t feel like fighting, I didn’t feel like working, period,” Whittaker told MMA Junkie. “Anything, any work – I didn’t want to do anything. I just wanted to couch potato, if you would. So when I was on my break and I was just spending a lot of time with the family, I was just feeling really good. I was just doing things that I wanted to do. I was playing a lot of video games, reading books, pottering around the backyard. I was just doing me.
“And then that itch, that hunger to grind, to get back into training, to work on my combat, to fight again, to get back in that limelight – that all started coming back. That all started coming back. That fire got lit and it started burning brighter and brighter until it reached a point that I realized I haven’t lost the fire and the will to train and to fight. I was just burned out.”
Whittaker is slated to take on [autotag]Darren Till[/autotag] in the UFC Dublin headliner in August, but the coronavirus outbreak has left uncertainty over the status of the matchup.
For now, Whittaker will continue to train like his fight is happening, and has even engaged in some back-and-forth banter with Till online in what, for him, represents a refreshing build-up to a fight.
“I find him funny. I think a lot of his posts are funny. He seems like my sort of cat,” Whittaker said. “He’s the sort of guy that I can tell like we’re going to punch on and be friends afterwards. But (I’m) certainly looking forward to the fight. Just because we fight doesn’t mean we have to hate each other. I’ve never understood that. I understand fighting is very serious and there’s a lot into it and I treat it as such, but I’ve never hated any of my opponents. It just is what it is. This is our job.”
Till made his middleweight debut last November, edging out Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 244. Though it wasn’t the most action-packed affair, Whittaker can respect Till’s approach to the fight, and is wary of what he brings to the table.
“I think it was a very smart fight,” Whittaker said. “I thought he fought to a perfect game plan. Gastelum is very dangerous. Obviously, I was preparing for him that first time, so I understand and I’ve seen a lot of tape. He’s a dangerous guy and Till worked him out and put on a really good performance, in my opinion.
“I think Till is very dangerous – very, very dangerous. His range and distance finding is uncanny, so I’m going to have to take the fight with a lot of respect, give him respect, and take the fight like any other: train hard, get in there and just see what happens.”
UFC backstage reporter and former fighter Laura Sanko says she understands and appreciates Robert Whittaker’s comments about burnout, and says it’s good to see fighters speaking up about their mental battles.
When an athlete like former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker speaks openly about his mental battles, it makes people sit up and take notice. And, as a former fighter herself, UFC backstage reporter Laura Sanko said she could appreciate where “The Reaper” was coming from when he recently spoke about being “burnt out.”
Chatting during a recent MMA Junkie Q&A session, Sanko gave her response to Whittaker’s recent comments and offered words of support and understanding for the Australian’s situation.
“I certainly would never want to compare my limited experience to someone like Robert Whittaker, but I do understand on some level,” she explained. “This is a sport that is the most taxing sport in every way possible: physically, emotionally, psychologically. It’s an individual sport, so everything that you do, every win, every loss, rides entirely on your shoulders. Showing up every single day, giving 100 percent in every rep, in every class, in everything that you do, is mentally exhausting.
“It can really put a strain on your relationships, too. I’m certainly not saying that’s something that Robert Whittaker was experiencing, but I know other fighters. It’s tough to be married to a fighter. You have to be selfish, and if you’re fighting three or four times a year and your camps is eight weeks long, that’s you being selfish for the entire year – with your time, with your energy, with what your family eats for dinner, whether they get to go out to a restaurant or not.”
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Sanko explained that the sheer intensity of MMA competition, and the level of focus needed to prepare for it, can sometimes make it hard for athletes to fully switch off between fights and give not just their bodies the rest they need, but their minds, as well.
“The mental tax of knowing what lies ahead of you eight weeks from now, getting locked in a cage with an individual who is looking to take your head off – it’s a pressure that’s really hard to explain and I think there are some people whose personalities make that easier on them,” she explained. “For example, I don’t think you’re ever going to hear Jorge Masvidal talking about being burned out – I just don’t think he will, because I think that fighting comes very naturally to him and he’s not afraid to take off and chill out and go have some fun when he wants to. That’s the way he approaches the fight game, and he likes fighting that much.
“I think people who are maybe more along Robert Whittaker’s type of personality, where they’re a very focused individual, putting in the work – not saying that Jorge’s not focused – but putting in the work and really feeling that pressure that every fight, every camp, every interview brings, that can really take a toll on somebody, so I appreciate the fact that he was willing to say it out loud.”
The fact that Whittaker did reveal his situation is something Sanko says should be applauded, and she cited other fighters who had openly spoken about their own mental battles as examples of how fighters can not only help themselves by speaking out, but also help others who may be dealing with similar challenges of their own.
“I like this trend of fighters – whether it’s Darren Till or Anthony Smith – I like the fact that fighters are being open about whether they face fears, whether they face moments and bouts of depression, or whatever the case may be,” she said. “That’s real life. These people are dealing with these things day-in and day-out and I think it helps fans to understand what they’re dealing with, as well.
“So I wish Robert well, and I can’t wait to see him get back in there, but I get it. Take some time for you. Take some time for your family.”
For now, the MMA world is left without fights. But Saturday night, we’ve got something unique for you.
MMA Junkie Radio hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” built a fight card with some intriguing matchups, and they’ll host a watch-along event on SportsCastr with commentary during the simulated fights.
The live stream goes down at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT), when your hosts will break down the simulated fights and discuss the simulated results.
The simulated card includes:
[autotag]Dan Henderson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]
[autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]
[autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag]
[autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Carlos Condit[/autotag]
[autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag]
Robert Whittaker explained his recent absence and put to bed recent rumors surrounding his family.
Former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] has spoken for the first time of the personal battle that forced him to take a step away from the octagon.
In January, former UFC middleweight champion Whittaker (20-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC), withdrew from his UFC 248 fight against Jared Cannonier, and rumors quickly circulated suggesting that it was because he donated bone marrow to his daughter. However, Whittaker said those rumors were completely false.
“During the break, I got off all social media to spend time with family, so it was my old man who actually contacted me, explaining there was this crazy rumor going around, and from there, it just got a life of its own. But my kids were all fine. They are fine. It was me who had the issue.”
Whittaker explained that he was doing his typical climb up the Wanda dunes on Christmas Day when he suddenly stopped mid-climb, and experienced a moment of realization.
“I just stopped,” Whittaker said. “Then (I) stood there, asking, ‘What the (expletive) am I doing?’ It was Christmas Day. My family was somewhere else. That moment, it’s when everything crashed.”
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It’s been a tough past few years for Whittaker, who had to undergo double hernia surgery, battle chickenpox, and go through two wars with Yoel Romero. He adopted a regimen that saw him train seven days a week, causing him to miss valuable time with his friends and family. Eventually, his full-on schedule proved too draining, both physically and mentally.
“I sacrificed everything,” Whittaker said. “My team suggested several plans which I took to and, because it worked, I just kept at it. But you can’t keep doing that forever, you just can’t. Worse than the physical grind, too, was the mental drain. I just wasn’t home.”
He eventually lost his title to Israel Adesanya at UFC 243 last October in a fight where he said he just didn’t feel right.
“I just wasn’t myself,” Whittaker said. “That’s the game though, you rock up and fight, but I know I can perform much better, and have performed much better.”
Since then, Whittaker has changed both his team and his training program as he prepares for a potential bout with Darren Till in August. Another key change to his preparation: He is no longer climbing those dunes on a Sunday.
“Not having those sessions, it means I can do things Saturday night too,” Whittaker said. “Same as I’m now playing with the kids late into Sunday afternoon rather than being completely spent. The changes I’ve made, it really will change my life. Not training to exhaustion every day, I guess you can say I’m living.”
