Tag: Ryan Hall

Ryan Hall vs. Ilia Topuria added to UFC’s July 10 event

Two of the featherweight division’s best grapplers will square off on July 10.

Two of the featherweight division’s best grapplers will square off July 10.

[autotag]Ryan Hall[/autotag] is scheduled to take on rising prospect [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] at an event that does not yet have an announced location or venue, which is expected to be UFC 264.

A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the matchup to MMA Junkie following an initial report from Adjara Sport. Topuria later shared the matchup on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMz0MSepTKN/

Unbeaten in the UFC, Hall (8-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) hasn’t competed since defeating Darren Elkins in July 2019. The Season 22 “Ultimate Fighter” winner was forced to withdraw from multiple scheduled bouts with Ricardo Lamas and Dan Ige due to injury and will finally make his long-awaited return when he meets the unbeaten Topuria.

Hailing out of Spain, Georgia’s Topuria (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has made waves since joining the UFC roster last October. After defeating Youssef Zalal by unanimous decision, Topuria picked up a first-round knockout over Damon Jackson in December, setting him up with a ranked opponent in just his third octagon bout. Topuria boasts an array of submission wins on his resume but has recently showed off his striking by knocking out two of his past three opponents.

With the addition, the July 10 lineup now includes:

  • Jessica Eye vs. Jennifer Maia
  • Ryan Hall vs. Ilia Topuria

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With Ryan Hall out, Gavin Tucker steps in to fight Dan Ige at UFC Fight Night 187

Dan Ige has a new opponent. What are your thoughts on the matchup?

[autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag] needed a new opponent and now he has one.

With [autotag]Ryan Hall[/autotag] out of their previously scheduled matchup, Ige (14-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) will square off with [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 187 on March 13. The event takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

A person with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Monday after an initial report by ESPN. The person asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Ige, 29, looks to rebound following a July unanimous decision loss to Calvin Kattar in the UFC on ESPN 13 main event. Prior to that defeat, Ige racked up six-straight victories including wins over Edson Barboza and Mirsad Bektic.

Tucker (13-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) enters UFC Fight Night 187 riding a three-fight winning streak. Following victories over Seung Woo Choi and Justin Jaynes, Tucker won a unanimous decision over Billy Quarantillo at UFC 256 in December.

With the addition, the UFC’s March 13 lineup includes:

  • Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad
  • Davey Grant vs. Jonathan Martinez
  • Matthew Semelsberger vs. Jason Witt
  • Jinh Yu Frey vs. Gloria de Paula
  • Dan Ige vs. Gavin Tucker
  • Eryk Anders vs. Darren Stewart
  • Nasrat Haqparast vs. Don Madge
  • Steve Garcia vs. Charles Jourdain
  • Ricardo Ramos vs. Zubaira Tukhugov
  • Ray Rodriguez vs. Rani Yahya
  • Philipe Lins vs. Ben Rothwell
  • Matheus Nicolau vs. Tagir Ulanbekov

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Ryan Hall out of fight vs. Dan Ige at UFC Fight Night on March 13

Ryan Hall’s troubles getting inside the octagon have continued with another fight withdrawal.

[autotag]Ryan Hall[/autotag]’s troubles getting inside the octagon have continued with another fight withdrawal.

Hall (8-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is out of his scheduled featherweight matchup against [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night on March 13 for undisclosed reasons.

MMA Junkie confirmed the news with a person close to the situation following an initial report from BJPenn.com. The person requested anonymity because the UFC has yet to make an official announcement.

The UFC is currently looking for a replacement to fight Ige, who is No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie featherweight rankings. Ige last competed at UFC on ESPN 13 in July, suffering a unanimous decision loss to Calvin Kattar in the main event.

Due to the withdrawal, Hall, who won Season 22 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series, still remains without a fight since beating Darren Elkins at UFC Fight Night 155 in July 2019.

The latest lineup for UFC Fight Night on March 13 now includes:

  • Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev
  • Davey Grant vs. Jonathan Martinez
  • Matthew Semelsberger vs. Jason Witt
  • Jinh Yu Frey vs. Gloria de Paula
  • Dan Ige vs. opponent TBA
  • Eryk Anders vs. Darren Stewart
  • Nasrat Haqparast vs. opponent TBA
  • Steve Garcia vs. Charles Jourdain
  • Ricardo Ramos vs. Zubaira Tukhugov
  • Ray Rodriguez vs. Rani Yahya
  • Philipe Lins vs. Ben Rothwell

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Dan Ige, Ryan Hall booked for UFC Fight Night on March 13

Ryan Hall has a return date for his next UFC bout.

[autotag]Ryan Hall[/autotag] has a return date for his next UFC bout.

The winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 22, Hall will take on [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag] in a featherweight bout on March 13 at a UFC Fight Night event. The location for the card has yet to be announced.

MMA Junkie confirmed the news following an initial report from BJPenn.com on Thursday.

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Hall (8-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) hasn’t competed since July 2019, when he beat Darren Elkins. The jiu-jitsu fighter was supposed to return last August against Ricardo Lamas, but an injury forced Hall out of the bout.

Meanwhile, Ige (14-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is looking to bounce back from a unanimous decision loss to Calvin Kattar back in July. Prior to the defeat, the Hawaiian was on a six-fight winning streak.

The updated UFC Fight Night lineup for March 13 includes:

  • Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev
  • Davey Grant vs. Jonathan Martinez
  • Matthew Semelsberger vs. Jason Witt
  • Jinh Yu Frey vs. Gloria de Paula
  • Ciryl Gane vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
  • Ryan Hall vs. Dan Ige

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Ryan Hall out of Ricardo Lamas fight at UFC’s Aug. 29 event

Ricardo Lamas needs a new opponent after Ryan Hall was forced out of their scheduled matchup.

[autotag]Ricardo Lamas[/autotag] needs a new opponent to fight Aug. 29 after [autotag]Ryan Hall[/autotag] was forced out of their scheduled matchup.

A person with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the development Thursday night but requested anonymity because the UFC has yet to make an announcement. A reason for Hall’s withdrawal was not disclosed.

According to sources, Lamas (19-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC) still wants to fight at the event, which is scheduled to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

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The promotion is currently searching for a new foe for the former 145-pound title challenger. However, given the short-notice nature of the situation and COVID-19 restrictions, the replacement likely will need to be a U.S. citizen or a foreigner who already has an active work visa.

Lamas has not competed since a TKO loss to Calvin Kattar at UFC 238 in June 2018. Hall, meanwhile, continues struggling to find a way to get in the octagon. He’s fought just three times since winning “The Ultimate Fighter 22” in December 2015.

The latest lineup for the UFC’s Aug. 29 card includes:

  • Anthony Smith vs. Aleksandar Rakic
  • Robbie Lawler vs. Neil Magny
  • Alexa Grasso vs. Ji Yeon Kim
  • Ricardo Lamas vs. opponent TBA
  • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba
  • Impa Kasanganay vs. Maki Pitolo
  • Hannah Cifers vs. Mallory Martin
  • Zak Cummings vs. Alessio Di Chirico
  • Alex Caceres vs. Giga Chikadze
  • Polyana Viana vs. Emily Whitmire
  • Christian Aguilera vs. Sean Brady

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Ryan Hall vs. Ricardo Lamas rescheduled for UFC’s Aug. 29 event

The UFC has rescheduled the featherweight bout between Ryan Hall and Ricardo Lamas for August 29.

[autotag]Ryan Hall[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ricardo Lamas[/autotag] has been rebooked.

Hall (8-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) will face Lamas (19-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC) on the UFC’s Aug. 29 event in Las Vegas.

On Friday, MMA Junkie confirmed the matchup with a person with knowledge of the situation – following an initial report from MMA Fighting. The person asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

The pair of featherweights were initially scheduled to fight on the UFC’s May 2 card in Oklahoma City, but the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A submission specialist, Hall has only competed twice since December 2016. He is coming off a unanimous decision win over Darren Elkins in July 2019. Prior to that victory, Hall picked up wins over B.J. Penn, Gray Maynard, and Artem Lobov.

Lamas has dropped three of his past four fights. After picking up a win over Elkins in November 2018, Lamas suffered a knockout loss to Calvin Kattar at UFC 238 in June. He later revealed that he broke his jaw in three places.

With the addition, the current Aug. 29 lineup includes:

  • Aleksandar Rakic vs. Anthony Smith
  • Christian Aguilera vs. Sean Brady
  • Zak Cummings vs. Alessio Di Chirico
  • Ryan Hall vs. Ricardo Lamas

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Callout Collection: Who UFC 250 winners want next – and how likely they’ll get them

Herbert Burns and Neil Magny were among those who name-dropped their preferred next opponents at UFC 250 in Las Vegas.

Earning wins in the UFC is certainly no easy task, but what comes next is often even more important: the post-fight callout.

So after Saturday’s UFC 250 event in Las Vegas, who took advantage of their time on the mic? See below for this week’s Callout Collection – and just how realistic each one is.

* * * * *

First up, let’s take a look at the preliminary card …

Herbert Burns

Wants to fight: [autotag]Ryan Hall[/autotag] or [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]

The callout: “I want to get back quickly, I want to get back soon. I want to fight on the ‘Fight Island’. We already know the location – they already decided it’s in Abu Dhabi – so the plan is to go there and fight again soon, and hopefully against a good guy. I gave two names: Bryce Mitchell and Ryan Hall, two grapplers. Ryan Hall’s even ranked – he’d be my first choice. But if he doesn’t want (it), I know Mitchell is a tough guy (and) he doesn’t run from a challenger. I’m a challenger, so let’s go.”

The reality: [autotag]Herbert Burns[/autotag] may have kicked off his UFC career with a knockout, but he returned to his grappling roots to score an impressive win over Evan Dunham at UFC 250 and his post-fight suggestions for his next opponent showed where his strengths lie.

Burns very smartly called out a pair of fellow grapplers who few people are keen to face right now, which should give him a great chance of landing one of them for his next fight. Mitchell will face anyone and would have no qualms about testing his own impressive ground game against the Brazilian grappling ace. But the fight that offers the most intrigue for me is the Hall fight. “The Wizard’s” very specific set of ground skills has made him a must-avoid opponent at 145 pounds, which makes Burns’ callout all the more interesting.

Both matchups seem like valid options for Burns, but the Hall fight offers a bout against ranked opposition and gives “The Blaze” the chance to catapult himself towards title contention at 145 pounds while his older brother Gilbert attempts to capture gold at 170. A two-pronged Burns brothers title charge would certainly make for an interesting narrative, so sending Herbert down the faster track could make promotional sense here.

Next up: Middleweight campaigner offers two solid options

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Ryan Hall finds a fight, booked for UFC Oklahoma City vs. Ricardo Lamas

After months of voicing his frustration, Ryan Hall has finally found a dance partner in Ricardo Lamas.

[autotag]Ryan Hall[/autotag] finally has a willing opponent.

A featherweight submission specialist, Hall (8-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) was struggling to find a dance partner – until he found one. He’ll fight former title challenger [autotag]Ricardo Lamas[/autotag] at UFC Oklahoma City.

The promotion announced the news in a tweet Tuesday.

UFC Oklahoma City takes place May 2 at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The event does not have an official numerical designation, though it is expected to air on ESPN or stream on ESPN+.

Hall has only competed twice since December 2016. In his most recent outing in July, Hall defeated contender Darren Elkins by unanimous decision. Prior to that victory, Hall picked up wins over B.J. Penn, Gray Maynard and Artem Lobov.

Since his most recent bout, Hall expressed his frustration with opponents. Hall named names and cited a handful of ranked contenders who turned him down.

As for Lamas (19-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC), the 37-year-old fighter has dropped three of his past four. After he defeated Darren Elkins in November 2018, Lamas was knocked out by Calvin Kattar at UFC 238 in June. Shortly after the bout, Lamas revealed he broke his jaw in three places.

With the addition, the UFC Oklahoma City lineup now includes:

  • Jack Hermansson vs. Chris Weidman
  • Claudia Gadelha vs. Marina Rodriguez
  • Sarah Alpar vs. Vanessa Melo
  • Andrei Arlovski vs. Philipe Lins
  • Ed Herman vs. Da Un Jung
  • Bryce Mitchell vs. Charles Rosa
  • Ryan Hall vs. Ricardo Lamas

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Who hasn’t been willing to fight Ryan Hall? ‘The Wizard’ is calling them out by name

“I’ve been directly turned down or been told they’re unavailable from 12 all the way down to 6.”

UFC featherweight [autotag]Ryan Hall[/autotag] is still looking for a fight.

The grappling ace hasn’t fought since his unanimous decision win over Darren Elkins in July and is itching to return but says no ranked featherweight will fight him.

“It’s been a little bit of a struggle to find an opponent,” Hall said on “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show.” “I’ve been directly turned down or been told they’re unavailable from 12 all the way down to 6, So that would be (Shane) Burgos, (Jose) Aldo, (Josh) Emmett, (Jeremy) Stephens, (Renato) Moicano, Frankie (Edgar), (Calvin) Kattar – pretty much everyone down to ‘Korean Zombie’ or Yair Rodriguez. He’s been unavailable, so it’s been a little bit tough to find an opponent.

“I was directly turned down by Josh Emmett. I was directly turned down by Renato Moicano. I guess there’s three guys in the division in Frankie Edgar, Jose Aldo and Renato Moicano, all of them very tough guys – and of course, Edgar and Aldo in particular, iconic figures – but they’re holding spots in the division that they’re not currently competing in, and it just seems like there’s a logjam that’s difficult to deal with.”

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Hall (8-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC), who’d ideally like to compete before summer, attempted to go out of character by taking to social media to call out the likes of Aldo and Edgar last month, but to no avail. With both guys moving down to bantamweight, Hall has diverted his attention to the possibility of being a fill-in for a pivotal featherweight clash that’s rumored to take place.

“I’m hoping to fight in May, hopefully against the toughest opponents possible,” Hall said. “That’s always what I’ve asked for. That’s always what I’ve hoped for and always what I’ll be ready for. Also, I heard that there’s the potential for a Zabit (Magomedsharipov) and Brian Ortega fight, and if one of those guys stubs their toe and gets hurt, I’ve asked the UFC if I could be an alternate and slide in for that.”

But if he could pick who’s next, Hall says he’d love to put his grappling credentials against one of the best submission artists in the game, former UFC featherweight title challenger Ortega.

“I think it would be really cool to fight Brian Ortega,” Hall said. “He’s obviously a super tough guy, put on an excellent fight against Max Holloway, shows a great deal of durability, very tough guy. Great skills, has excellent wins over Frankie Edgar, over Cub Swanson, over Moicano. Tough on the feet, good on the ground, someone who would intentionally engage me on the ground I think, because he’s probably not afraid of other people either, so I feel like that would be fantastic.”

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Ryan Hall challenges Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar: ‘Pick the time and place, boys’

Grappling ace Ryan Hall isn’t exactly the calling out type, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Grappling ace [autotag]Ryan Hall[/autotag] isn’t exactly the calling out type, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Sitting on the sidelines since a July decision win over Darren Elkins, “The Wizard” is breaking out of his comfort zone and calling out – respectfully, mind you – a few MMA legends for a potential fight.

Hall (8-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) took to Instagram Tuesday to ask former UFC champs [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] and [autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag] if they’d be willing to accept his challenge.

Never thought I’d have to go this route, but then again, I also never imagined a laundry list of ranked professional tough guys turning down a fight with a skinny, blinky kid from the suburbs… Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo are two people for whom courage won’t ever be an issue and it’s for that reason I have looked up to both since I first saw them compete years ago. Maybe one of them would be willing to step in to show everybody else how it’s done?
Pick the time and place, boys. I’ll be there.🙏🏻

Hall, 34, is a decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace, specializing in the 50/50 guard. He made his way to the UFC as a contestant on “The Ultimate Fighter 23,” serving under coach Urijah Faber. Hall was eliminated in the quarterfinal round, losing a majority decision to Saul Rogers, but was later brought back to replace Rogers, who was denied a visa, in the season’s finals. There, Hall defeated Conor McGregor protege Artem Lobov to take home the “TUF 23” crown.

Since then, Hall has notched victories over Gray Maynard, B.J. Penn and Elkins, but he has just four official UFC appearances in four full years on the roster. Now Hall hopes to score the biggest name of his career to date.

Aldo (28-6-1 MMA, 10-5 UFC), 33, could be off the table, with the Brazilian for a potential UFC bantamweight title shot against current champ Henry Cejudo, who asked for a fight with “Junior” despite his razor-thin loss to Marlon Moraes at December’s UFC 245.

Meanwhile, Edgar (23-8-1 MMA, 17-8-1 UFC) was also in action in December, suffering a disappointing TKO loss to Chan Sung Jung after stepping in on short notice to replace an injured Brian Ortega.

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