Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Ahead of Conor McGregor’s return at UFC 246, check out how fighters describe the sport’s biggest star.
Ahead of Conor McGregor’s return at UFC 246, check out how fighters describe the sport’s biggest star.
MMA Junkie senior editor Dave Doyle takes you through all the key storylines heading into Saturday night’s major event.
[jwplayer mUbgyrWq-FLu19iir]
The UFC’s 2020 calendar kicks off with a bang Saturday night, as the biggest star in mixed martial arts returns after a hiatus of more than a year.
Former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] headlines UFC 246 in a welterweight fight against popular veteran [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag]. On paper, the pairing simply seems like a fun fight for the fans, but it comes at an important juncture in both fighters’ careers. The result will also have a major impact on the UFC’s business plans for the rest of the year.
And while a casual fan might skim the evening’s lineup and think “one-fight card,” the truth is, with a little digging, you’ll find there are several matchups of major consequence to both their respective divisions and the career paths of the fighters involved.
UFC 246 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
[lawrence-related id=479629,480527]
****
Make no mistake about it: McGregor (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) still moves the needle. From the biggest mainstream sports shows to the comments section of MMA sites (where people complain “too much Conor” while still themselves reading every single McGregor story on any given MMA site), there has been more attention paid to the UFC this week than, well, the last time we saw McGregor fight 15 months ago.
So if people want to complain that the public is sick of McGregor, hate to break it to you: This week has shown otherwise.
But then, a significant part of the interest in this fight is based on a simple premise: Can McGregor still deliver the goods where it counts, in the cage?
[lawrence-related id=480432,480379,480373]
We’re more than three years removed from his last victory, his lightweight-title winning effort over Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205. Ask the Fedor Emelianenko of 2011 or the Chuck Liddell of 2009 just how much things can change in three years.
McGregor has been saying all the right things during UFC 246 fight week: He’s cleaning up his act, he’s never trained harder, he’s putting his indiscretions in his past. The UFC is giving him the best opportunity he’ll ever have to regain his fastball by putting him in with a fighter he should beat in Cerrone (36-13 MMA, 23-10 UFC).
If he does that, he’ll once again be able to call his own shots. If not? Well, at some point, no matter how big you talk, you need to be able to back up your words.
[opinary poll=”can-conor-mcgregor-afford-to-lose-to-don” customer=”mmajunkie”]
Sodiq Yusuff hopes to parlay a win over Andre Fili at UFC 246 into a marquee fight in the featherweight division.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag] hopes to parlay a win over Andre Fili at UFC 246 into a marquee fight in the featherweight division.
Yusuff (10-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) said he carries the utmost respect for Fili (20-6 MMA, 8-5 UFC) after seeing him do years of work inside the octagon. Ysuff stopped short of calling his next opponent a gatekeeper, but said he knows a win is necessary if he wants to break through to the next tier of competition at 145 pounds.
“I always had the feeling I was going to get matched up with him sooner or later,” Yusuff told MMA Junkie. “When they told me I was going to be fighting him I was super happy because I like the spot that he’s held in the division for a while. He’s the kind of guy that I’m going to have to beat to get to the other side of the echelon.”
UFC 246 takes place at T-Mobile Arena. Yusuff vs. Fili is part of the televised prelims on ESPN, which follow early prelims on ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
Fili has shared the cage with many of the top names in his division. Former longtime UFC champ Max Holloway recently labeled “Touchy” as the most difficult opponent of his career, which is a reflection of what the Team Alpha Male product is capable of.
Yusuff has impressed so far through three UFC appearances, but said he need a win over someone like Fili to bring more validity to his surge up the divisional rankings.
“A win like this is what I need to get to the upper echelon of the division,” Yusuff said. “He’s held the same position in the division for a long time, so after this, I’m definitely going to be ranked in the top 15 after this. Then I’ll get a top 10 opponent.”
Yusuff has managed to put his opponent away inside the distance in two of his three UFC wins. He’s expecting a more difficult contest at UFC 246, but said he’s up for the task.
“I’d appreciate an easy day at the office for sure,” Yusuff said. “But I know Fili’s a dog and I’m a dog, too. We have the kind of style that could make (a ‘Fight of the Night’) kind of fight.”
[jwplayer o0sOuYAf-RbnemIYZ]
Sodiq Yusuff spoke with MMA Junkie ahead of Saturday’s UFC 246 event in Las Vegas.
Sodiq Yusuff spoke with MMA Junkie ahead of Saturday’s UFC 246 event in Las Vegas.
Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone is getting all the hype, but there are other fights at UFC 246 which are well worth your attention.
Make no mistake, most of the attention heading into UFC 246 is on the main event clash between [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag]. But to label the event a “one-fight card” would be to disrespect the matchups lower down the card, which feature a host of key contenders and rising prospects across the UFC’s various weight classes.
But which of the other fights on the UFC 246 card should fans keep a close eye on? MMA Junkie’s Dave Doyle, Simon Head, and Nolan King shine a spotlight on the non-main event fights which most intrigued them heading into fight week in Las Vegas in the latest edition of Triple Take.
I feel like I could simply write “[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] is fighting,” and leave it at that, with no further explanation necessary.
This is, after all, “Showtime.” And maybe the former UFC snd WEC lightweight champion has lost a step since his days as champion, when people were starting to openly speculate on whether Pettis (22-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC) was approaching No. 1 pound-for-pound status.
But look at Pettis’ output in recent years: Even if he’s not the same fighter he once was, his presence on the card still guarantees excitement. Pettis’ wins over the likes of Michael Chiesa and Stephen Thompson were the types canny veterans pull off. His losses, to Tony Ferguson and Nate Diaz, were thrilling battles. He clearly has something left to give.
Pettis’ return to his lightweight wheelhouse after bouncing everywhere from featherweight to welterweight in recent years seems to indicate he’s getting serious and buckling down for one more big run.
And, as is usually the case, Pettis isn’t taking an easy fight. He’s being greeted by one of the more underrated competitors at 155 pounds in Diego Ferreira (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC), who enters the bout on a five-fight win streak. Those wins have come over tough guys without much name value, But now Ferreira is getting exactly the opponent he wants on the platform he’s wanted.
So yeah, as long as there’s a matchup the caliber of Pettis vs. Ferreira, don’t tell me UFC 246 is a one-fight show.
Next page: Simon Head: A flyweight clash with future title implications
[vertical-gallery id=393511]
Check out Maycee Barber, Sodiq Yusuff and four more young prospects who are fighting at UFC 246 in Las Vegas later this month.
UFC 246 may be a top-heavy card, but it’s not short of potential future stars.
The night will be headlined by former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC), who takes on [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] (36-13 MMA, 23-10 UFC) in a welterweight bout.
In the co-main event, former UFC bantamweight champ [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC) will rematch [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] (10-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC), a bout that was rescheduled from UFC 243 due to an injury suffered by Holm. Their first meeting took place at UFC 184, where Holm edged out Pennington by split decision to make good on her UFC debut.
The card also features an array of young and bright talent, varying from Dana White’s Contender Series veterans to European talent.
Hailed as “The Future,” [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] has lived up to her moniker so far. The Dana White’s Contender Series veteran is off to an undefeated start in her pro MMA career, and at only 21 has goals of becoming the youngest champion in UFC history.
Barber (8-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) started her UFC tenure at strawweight, where she picked up a third-round finish over Jamie Colleen to earn a UFC contract. She followed that up with a second-round finish over Hannah Cifers in her official UFC debut in November 2018.
She then decided to make the move up to flyweight since she thought the cut down to 115 pounds was detrimental to her body. Her success continued: She was able to score two more finishes over J.J. Aldrich and Gillian Robertson.
Up next is her stiffest test to date: a matchup against former UFC flyweight title challenger Roxanne Modafferi, 16 years her senior. She may be entering the fight as a heavy favorite, but there’s a lot of upside on the young Barber, who could propel herself one step closer to title contention, with a win on Jan. 18.
[vertical-gallery id=454527]
A new decade is upon us, and these 20 fighters could take a step to greatness within it.
Well, another decade of mixed martial arts action is in the books.
The 2010s featured the emergence of superstars such as Jon Jones, Conor McGregor, and Ronda Rousey. For the first time in UFC history, a simultaneous double champion was crowned in McGregor. And then it happened again (Daniel Cormier, and again (Amanda Nunes, and again (Henry Cejudo).
The next decade is almost guaranteed to provide us with the next generation of UFC, Bellator, and PFL champions. But who are the likely candidates to become future stars?
From hot UFC and Bellator prospects, to fighters on the regional scene, to athletes yet to compete in MMA, the up-and-comer harvest is plentiful. Who could be the next McGregor? The next Israel Adesanya? The next Zhang Weili?
Let’s take a look into MMA Junkie’s crystal ball and see who could cross the threshold into stardom over the span of the next decade.
Two parameters were set for this list:
Fighters who fit the criteria but have seemingly already achieved stardom were not considered.
****
Record: 8-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC
Age: 21
Weight class: Flyweight
Height: 5’5″
Birthplace: Greeley, Colo.
Next Fight: Jan. 18 vs. Roxanne Modafferi at UFC 246 in Las Vegas
Nicknamed “The Future,” [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] is just that. The strawweight has proven her worth in a short period of time, competing for LFA and on Dana White’s Contender Series prior to her UFC debut. Three fights into her promotional tenure, Barber sports a 100 percent finishing rate. In her most recent outing in October, Barber blitzed and TKO’d fellow top prospect Gillian Robertson. The win moved Barber one step closer to her publicly set goal of becoming the youngest UFC champion ever. She’ll look to continue her climb when she takes on her highest-ranked opponent to date, Roxanne Modafferi, at UFC 246 on Jan. 18.
Record: 13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC
Age: 28
Weight class: Middleweight
Height: 6’1″
Birthplace: Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Next Fight: TBA
It almost seems like a misprint that [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] can qualify for this list – but he does. It’s easy to forget his age and relatively brief UFC tenure when looking at his accomplishments. A physical specimen, the Brazilian middleweight Costa has quickly risen through the ranks en route to title contention. Costa went the distance for the first time in his career in August. In doing so, he defeated his most notable opponent to date, two-time title challenger Yoel Romero. The victory presumably has set Costa up for a title shot against champion Israel Adesanya. However, a shoulder injury has delayed “Borrachinha’s” return – but the rivalry with Adesanya is continuing to build in the meantime.
Record: 8-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC
Age: 27
Weight class: Lightweight
Height: 6’0″
Birthplace: South Cairo, N.Y.
Next Fight: TBA
With an 80 percent winning percentage, [autotag]Mike Davis[/autotag] doesn’t have a bad record by any means. But still, it isn’t representative of the skills he possesses. The Florida-based lightweight has only lost two top-tier talents in Sodiq Yusuff and Gilbert Burns. With crisp boxing and a strong ground game, Davis is a scary matchup for any member of the UFC’s 155-pound division. Just imagine how good he could become. The man hasn’t even hit the dozen-fight mark of his pro MMA career. In his most recent bout, Davis administered one of the year’s biggest beatdowns, pummeling Thomas Gifford at UFC on ESPN+ 19 in October.
Record: 6-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC
Age: 29
Weight class: Heavyweight
Height: 6’5″
Birthplace: France
Next Fight: TBA
It’s been a long time since MMA has seen a heavyweight prospect with the upside of [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag]. Working under esteemed MMA coach Fernand Lopez, France’s Gane has served as a main training partner for Francis Ngannou. Now, it’s his time. Possessing many of the same skills as Ngannou, Gane also brings some differences to the table. His athleticism and quickness is unusual for a heavyweight. Possessing a strong kickboxing background, Gane has shown he’s evolved past being a one-dimensional competitor. In two out of his three UFC outings, Gane has won by submission.
Check out the finalized lineup and broadcast plans for UFC 246, which takes place Jan. 18 in Las Vegas.
[vertical-gallery id=390041]
The UFC will kick off 2020 with the long-awaited return of arguably its most bankable fighter.
UFC 246 takes place Jan. 18 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
The main event features a welterweight bout between former dual-division champion [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) and former lightweight title challenger [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] (36-13 MMA, 23-10 UFC).
[lawrence-related id=474726,472295,473184]
In the co-main event, former UFC women’s bantamweight champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC) will take on [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] (10-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) in a rematch from a 2015 bout in which Holm edged out Pennington in her UFC debut. The rematch originally was scheduled to take place at UFC 243 in October, but Holm was forced out due to a hamstring injury.
Also on the card is former UFC lightweight champ [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag], Dana White’s Contender Series standouts [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] and [autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag], and more.
The full UFC 246 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6:15 p.m. ET)
[vertical-gallery id=404405]
A featherweight bout between Andre Fili and Sodiq Yusuff is the latest addition to the UFC’s planned event on Jan. 18.
[vertical-gallery id=433341]
A featherweight bout between [autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag] and [autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag] is the latest addition to the UFC’s planned event on Jan. 18.
MMA Junkie confirmed the matchup between Fili (20-6 MMA, 8-5 UFC) and Yusuff (10-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) with a person close to the situation. The person wished to remain anonymous because the UFC has yet to make an official announcement.
[lawrence-related id=465364,462520,455768]
The Jan. 18 show, expected to be UFC 246, doesn’t have an announced location yet, but is expected to take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims expected for ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
Fili, 29, has won four of his past five fights. “Touchy” is coming off a first-round knockout finish of Sheymon Moraes at UFC on ESPN+ 13 in July.
Yusuff, 26, is unbeaten in his past five fights including three-straight in the UFC, as well as a victory on Dana White’s Contender Series. His most recent performance saw “Super” beat Gabriel Benitez by first-round TKO at UFC 241 in August.
With the addition, the Jan. 18 lineup now includes:
[vertical-gallery id=422334]
