Tag: The Bohnfire

Henry Cejudo cites Khabib to argue Jon Jones’ worth in potential Tom Aspinall showdown

Henry Cejudo thinks UFC champion Jon Jones has a right for a big asking price to face Tom Aspinall.

[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] believes UFC champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] has earned the right to ask for a massive payday to fight [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag].

Interim heavyweight champion Aspinall has been eagerly awaiting his title-unification bout with Jones, but it’s yet to materialize. With Daniel Cormier claiming that Khabib Nurmagomedov once turned down the UFC’s $40 million offer to come out of retirement, Cejudo thinks Jones should be offered a similar amount to fight Aspinall.

Joe Rogan said Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) wants $30 million to fight Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) – which he later retracted after UFC CEO Dana White reached out to him to deny the claim. Cejudo thinks “Bones” should use that number as leverage.

“Joe Rogan just came up with the whole $30 million deal, keep it at $30 million, he just helped you,” Cejudo told MMA Junkie. “This is what should be the storyline. If they’re willing to give Khabib Nurmagomedov $40 million, what is the greatest of all time worth?

“If Joe Rogan just said there’s a $30 million deal in there, let’s do it. Stick to that number. You’re undefeated, you deserve it, and Turki’s (Alalshikh) been giving money like crazy. Why don’t you get Turki involved, do it in Saudi Arabia, make it one of the biggest fights of all time, and do it. That’s how you get your money.”

Jones vs. Aspinall prediction

If the matchup does end up happening, Cejudo sees Jones’ experience and fight IQ being too much for Aspinall.

“We all know that Tom is dangerous, but there’s just too many tools that Jon has, too many tools. ” Cejudo said. “And I feel like this is where Aspinall is (boxing), he’s not much of a kicker. He’s not much of a grappler, too, and I feel like those are things that Jon brings, and he’s too smart. As soon as this guy starts coming, boom, there’s a clinch, there’s a leg. There’s all that, but he just has to be careful in that first round, and I think after that it’s all gravy.”

To hear more from Cejudo, check out his complete appears on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn.

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Paul Felder: Lerone Murphy needs ‘spectacular’ finish of Josh Emmett at UFC on ESPN 65 to gain traction

Paul Felder sees Lerone Murphy as the dark horse at featherweight, but all that can change in the UFC Vegas 105 main event.

UFC commentator and analyst [autotag]Paul Felder[/autotag] is a supporter of [autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag]’s status as a surging featherweight title threat, and thinks a big performance in the UFC on ESPN 65 main event would put him over the edge.

Murphy (15-0-1 MMA, 7-0-1 UFC) will get the chance to add a signature name to his undefeated record Saturday when he takes on perennial contender Josh Emmett (19-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) in a five-round headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas (ESPN, ESPN+).

Felder will serve as a desk analyst for the event alongside Michelle Waterson-Gomez, Michael Chiesa and host Karyn Bryant. Although Emmett is the higher-ranked fighter, coming off the 2023 Knockout of the Year and entering from the longest layoff of his career, Felder said he’s captivated by the more unproven entity in Murphy.

“I really love watching Lerone Murphy fight,” Felder told MMA Junkie. “He had that dog fight with Dan Ige last time, and he had to dig super deep. I love seeing guys have to dig in there to get a win like that and prove I want to keep this streak going, I want to be able to climb to the top. If he can get past someone like Emmett, as hard as that motherf*cker hits, then I think he’ll be looking at some even bigger fights in future. I just like the kid. I like his mindset for the game. I like everything about him and I’m glad to see he’s got another big spot.”

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It’s an interesting time for the UFC featherweight division. Just one week after Murphy meets Emmett, a new champion will be crowned at UFC 314 when Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes fight for the belt vacated by Ilia Topuria.

Murphy has stated his case that he could be next with a strong performance against Emmett. However, there are also the likes of Movsar Evloev and the winner of the UFC 314 matchup between Yair Rodriguez and Patricio Freire.

There’s a plethora of talent in the weight class and Murphy, No. 12 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie featherweight rankings, doesn’t often get his flowers. He admits he doesn’t want to sell out on his personality to skip steps in the sport. However, Felder said if he goes in and delivers a highlight against No. 6-ranked Emmett, then he will have to be taken seriously.

“I think he is (the dark horse),” Felder said. “The kid is really strong, his striking is really sharp and as he proved with Dan Ige, when he gets into these crazy grappling exchanges, he can hang in there with anybody on his level. I think if he wins this one, then he’s on a sneaky-big win streak and beating some really legit guys. Edson Barboza, Dan Ige, who’s a dog, if he can get Josh Emmett on that list. You’re putting yourself in there with the names that the casuals out there understand who aren’t necessarily watching every single event. That’s what you want to get, right? The diehard have known who Lerone Murphy is, but when you start beating the bigger names and maybe do it in spectacular fashion, that’s how you start to get more well known to the guys just popping in and watching.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 65.

Henry Cejudo suggests Khabib Nurmagomedov could prevent Makhachev vs. Topuria from happening

Henry Cejudo believes UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov could get in the way of Islam Makhachev defending his title against Ilia Topuria.

[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] believes UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] could get in the way of [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] defending his lightweight title against [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag].

In a chat with Cejudo this past December, Nurmagomedov said he’d be against Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) getting an immediate shot at Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) and his belt.

“I remember talking to Khabib, and Khabib said it’s not fair for Ilia to skip the line and go after the title shot with Islam because that’s all Islam’s been doing,” Cejudo told MMA Junkie. “He gave Volkanovski a couple (title shots) where he’s gone up. So I don’t even think it’s going to be Islam’s choice. I think Khabib is going to step in and be like, ‘He needs to fight the No. 1 contender.'”

Although Topuria recently revealed that the UFC promised him an immediate lightweight title shot after he opted to vacate his featherweight title, Cejudo thinks Nurmagomedov’s stipulation will be put into play.

“Khabib said if Ilia does beat a No. 1 contender then sure, we’ll do that,” Cejudo said. “I personally think that Islam will fight anybody, anytime, anywhere. There’s a quote on him at the PI that says that, but I think that the person that’s more likely going to play backup is going to be Khabib Nurmagomedov. He’s going to say no, so for that reason, I am guessing it’s going to be Justin Gaethje vs. Islam Makhachev, International Fight Week.”

As for Topuria, Cejudo sees him fighting one of the division’s staples.

“They could probably give Ilia Dustin Poirier in Louisiana,” Cejudo said. “Because I’m thinking Charles doesn’t want to fight Ilia Topuria, he says ‘I’ll fight him when I’m champ.’ So, I don’t know how much pull he has there, but if a fighter is saying he won’t fight somebody for that title shot because he already did get that opportunity and he lost, he doesn’t have leverage. The UFC will just shelf you. So, I can see Ilia Topuria vs. Dustin Poirier.”

To hear more from Cejudo, check out his complete appears on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn.

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Former UFC champ Henry Cejudo mulling retirement after ‘the worst injury I’ve had’

Henry Cejudo is still having vision issues from Song Yadong’s eye pokes and it has him contemplating the end of his UFC career.

[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] is still dealing with the after effects of the eye injury sustained in his UFC Fight Night 253 loss to Song Yadong, and it has served as a wake-up call.

Cejudo (16-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) saw his main event with Song (22-8-1 MMA, 11-3-1 UFC) end in controversial fashion when an eye poke led to a lengthy break in the action late in the third round. The former two-division champion eventually continued and made it to the end of the frame, where he was unfit to keep fighting, resulting in a technical decision.

Song was not deducted any points for his damaging fouls on Cejudo, which would’ve led to a draw on the scorecards. The eye pokers were not deemed intentional, either, which would’ve led to a no contest or disqualification win for Cejudo. Instead, he not only came out with a loss, but also lingering complications to his vision that have significantly altered his retirement timeline.

“I sound like a cry baby, but it’s the worst injury I’ve had,” Cejudo told MMA Junkie. “I actually got a second opinion. I went to Sean (O’Malley’s) doctor. The other one, he said my eye would be good in a month, but every time I watch TV or I’m looking down, I still see double. It’s been a month and it was a little pinkie that went inside (my eye) and I’m still not 100 percent. My doctor said it would be like another month. ‘Korean Zombie’ (Chan Sung Jung) has the same symptoms, and it was the reason he had to retire. I’m seeing double. When I put my eye a certain way, I’ll see two feet. Luckily it’s only when I lay down or I look down, but it took me like five days for my eye to stop seeing double when I got hurt. It’s not the fact I couldn’t see, but I was seeing two people.

“I never really saw the sport of mixed martial arts as kind of dangerous. I talked to my wife, and I think this could potentially be my last fight. One more and that’s it. If I can run it back with Song, I would be happy with that. But if it’s not Song, I would like anyone that the UFC’s willing to give me. I want to be able to play with my kids. I want to be able to not f*cking lose an eye. That’s kind of how I’m feeling right now to be quite honest with you.”

Cejudo said he is in the process of filing an appeal and legal action with the Washington State Department of Licensing (WSDOL) over how he thinks referee Jason Herzog mishandled the situation on Feb. 22 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Whether that will lead to anything fruitful remains to be seen, but Cejudo said a satisfying outcome would be to have the result overturned to a no contest.

Regardless of how it plays out, Cejudo said his priority is his health. The 38-year-old retired previously in May 2020, but for vastly different reasons. The eye injury has altered his reality and made him think differently about the consequence that can come with stepping in the octagon.

Cejudo could minimize any additional health risks by simply hanging up the gloves now. However, he said that potential path is not one he could live comfortably with, but it’s all dependent on whether his current situation actually improves.

If the worst-case scenario occurs, though, then Cejudo will have seriously rethink the upside of ever stepping back in the octagon.

“I don’t want to leave – I don’t mind losing, but I don’t want to leave getting hit in my freaking eye ball,” Cejudo said. “It just can’t end like that. And I’m grateful. I love Dana (White) and everybody. This isn’t a shot at the UFC. They’ve given me a platform to really help out my family, to really put myself in a great position to where I can set myself up for the future. But at the same time, my health is No. 1 above everything.

“I’m not sure what the UFC has planned (for me). I definitely want to fight some time in the fall. Let my eye heal, they said another 30 days, but if it doesn’t get better, I just don’t know when I’ll be back. I think this is the last one, and that’s all she wrote.”

To hear more from Cejudo, check out his complete appears on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn.

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Michael Chiesa touts former foe Sean Brady’s ‘mutant-like strength’ after Leon Edwards finish

Michael Chiesa verifies Sean Brady’s strength is different after their UFC fight, and thinks Leon Edwards should’ve known better.

[autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] has experienced what it’s like to be in the octagon with [autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag], and thinks Leon Edwards made a serious miscalculation in the UFC Fight Night 255 main event.

Chiesa (20-7 MMA, 13-7 UFC) suffered a unanimous decision loss to Brady (18-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 198 in November 2021. The welterweight veteran, who also serves as a prominent analyst for the UFC and ESPN, was intrigued to see how his former opponent would deal with ex-champion Edwards (22-5 MMA, 14-4 UFC) in the biggest fight of his career this past Saturday at The O2 in London, and it turned out to be a one-sided affair that led to a fourth-round submission result.

In the aftermath of the fight, Brady criticized Edwards for not focusing enough on the task at hand and dwindling on his title loss to Belal Muhammad in July. Chiesa backed that stance, and thinks Edwards did not realize the caliber of opponent he was stepping into the cage with.

“Sean’s a tremendous athlete,” Chiesa told MMA Junkie. “Incredibly skilled, incredibly strong. I could’ve warned Leon about that heading into that fight. You can’t really makes jokes about the short-guy thing. … Somebody should’ve warned Leon. This isn’t some short guy. You’re not going to just lace this guy with a head kick. You are going to have to deal with the strongest fighter you’ve ever faced in your life. There’s no guy you can bring in to emulate the strength of Sean Brady, because you would have to find a guy that’s like 210 pounds. He’s that strong. I remember the first time he wrapped his hands around my waist when we fought, I was just like, ‘Holy crap. (Paul) Felder totally was right.’ He has like mutant-like strength. I wasn’t surprised.

“Sean really turned a corner after that Belal Muhammad fight and when you saw him fight Belal, you saw a lot more lateral movement, it looked like he was trying to be more technical on the feet. I think where he turned the corner after Belal is where he was just like, ‘Screw this.’ He can just walk these guys down with big punches, get them on their heels, get them on the mat and get them into his wheelhouse. He turned a corner after that Belal fight. It’s safe to say you could argue he could be the next guy to fight for the title. We’ll see how everything shakes out, but we’re seeing a big paradigm shift at 170 pounds and it’s very, very exciting.”

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Brady’s victory added further depth to the title picture at 170 pounds. Reigning champ Muhammad will next defend against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 on May 10, then undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov is expected to get the winner. Beyond that, Brady’s name is now in the fold, then someone like lightweight champion Islam Makhachev could be a factor if he ever moves up.

Much will be decided about who the best welterweight in the world is over the coming months. Chiesa thinks Brady might be that guy, but given what he’s seen thus far, his support remains behind Muhammad.

“I do think Belal beats JDM,” Chiesa said. “I think that’s a good fight for him. I’m not trying to be disrespectful or dismissive of his skills. He’s an incredible boxer. We’ve seen him have trouble in the past with the wrestling department. Belal is a pressure monster. He’s going to be in your face, he’s going to be in your face, he’s very durable. JDM has got to be ready to defend the takedowns, but not only ready to defend the takedowns, but defend the pressure. It’s hard to come forward with boxing pressure when the guy is going to mash you with wrestling, and Belal does a good job mixing up the wrestling with the striking to keep his opponents guessing. I see Belal winning this fight, but this time next year is going to be very interesting. I think the tougher matchups for Belal are on the horizon.

“I think Sean Brady, if they fought again, I think he’s a different fighter. His style is similar to Belal’s in terms of the pressure and the wrestling. But he’s just got that edge with the submissions. I don’t know how that fight goes. I think it would be a different fight. But you’ve got Shavkat the boogeyman waiting in the wings. He did look a lot more human against Ian Garry, but once the fight unfolded we found out he went into that fight with a knee injury. Islam going up could really shake things up. If Shavkat wins the title, I don’t know how Islam fares against him. The pick of the bunch, I think I’m going to stick with Belal Muhammad because I think people doubt him so much, I would like to think that he beats JDM, I would like to think he could beat Sean Brady again, but I think that’s the toughest of the fights for Belal, would be a fight with Sean Brady. I’m just picking Belal because I’m done picking against the guy.”

To hear more from Chiesa, check out his complete appearance on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 255.

Paul Felder ponders Brandon Moreno’s ability to end winless skid in Mexico

Paul Felder questions if UFC Mexico headliner Brandon Moreno’s winless record on home soil is a product of too much pressure.

[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]’s career in the UFC could not be described as anything less than an outrageous success. The two-time former flyweight champion has reached the highest of highs, been a part of history and been one of the key figures behind MMA’s boom in Mexico.

When it comes to competing on his home soil, however, that’s a part of Moreno’s UFC career he probably wants to forget about. He’s winless in three octagon appearances in Mexico, going 0-2-1, with the two defeats being in main events against Sergio Pettis and Brandon Royval.

On Saturday, however, Moreno (22-8-2 MMA, 10-4-2 UFC) gets the chance to turn the narrative in his favor. He’s positioned in another headlining spot at UFC on ESPN 64, this time against Steve Erceg (12-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) at Arena CDMX in Mexico City (ESPN2, ESPN+).

The record at home has been a thorn in the side of Moreno. Top UFC analyst and color commentator [autotag]Paul Felder[/autotag] understands why, but said if Moreno wants to get back to the title again, he is going to need to overcome this hurdle.

“He’s being put on the face of Mexican MMA and they want him there so much to draw attention, and that brings a lot of pressure to it,” Felder told MMA Junkie. “The fact that it is at altitude and he has to change the way that he wants to train. He likes to have his own team and camp around him. Then it’s the financial burden. Bringing the whole team to altitude, prepping in altitude – it’s just so much that goes into that. Then how many people are hitting up somebody like Brandon Moreno when he’s in Mexico City and he’s getting ready for a main event and he’s got to do all the press that goes with it?

“A main event somewhere else, it’s not as big a deal for him. He can kind of slip under the radar and just do the media. But when you’re the guy, you’re the Mexican fighter on the marquee there in your home country, it’s a lot. That’s what really gets to a guy like that. Some people handle that home advantage well and make it work, and I think sometimes it breaks guys mentally.”

According to the divisional standings and betting odds, Moreno, No. 3 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie flyweight rankings, is positioned well to get his hand raised against No. 9-ranked Erceg.

Felder notes not to count out the underdog in this position, however, and explains the two 125-pound contenders to put on an entertaining show under the spotlight.

“I do think it will be an exciting fight,” Felder said. “Any time Brandon Moreno is in there (it’s good), and Erceg when he’s on his game, we’ve seen him at his best like in that championship fight he lost, a razor close fight to Alexandre Pantoja. Then he had another setback after that (to Kai Kara-France), but I think this kid, if he can really dig in and have a fun scrap with Moreno and get a win, he puts himself right back in the mix at flyweight. I like both of those guys a whole lot. That fight is going to be a lot of fun.”

To hear more from Felder, check out his complete appearance above on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.

Brandon Moreno’s coach notes what’s ‘lost in the weeds’ about Steve Erceg before UFC on ESPN 64

Brandon Moreno’s coach Sayif Saud explains why Saturday’s UFC Mexico main event vs. Steve Erceg is no layup.

[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]’s head coach [autotag]Sayif Saud[/autotag] thinks the public isn’t giving [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] enough credit ahead of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 64 main event.

Former two-time flyweight champion Moreno (22-8-2 MMA, 10-4-2 UFC) gets another headliner on home Mexican soil when he takes on Erceg (12-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) at Arena CDMX in Mexico City (ESPN2, ESPN+). “The Assassin Baby” is the moderate favorite going into the five-round contest, and although his team at Fortis MMA and Saud have full confidence, they aren’t looking at this as a freebee in Moreno’s quest back to championship glory.

“Steve Erceg is a tough challenge,” Saud told MMA Junkie. “That’s kind of what’s getting lost in the weeds here. This kid is one of the toughest guys in the division. He lost to (Alexandre) Pantoja? OK. Everyone has been losing to Pantoja. Nothing but respect to the champ. And he got clipped by Kai Kara-France and that was a close fight and he caught him. … To look at Erceg like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s done.’ He’s the new breed. He’s got great boxing. Good jiu-jitsu. Very, very high fight IQ. Very, very smart. Very tough. Big, five-round cardio. He’s good.”

Saud understand that on paper Erceg, No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie flyweight rankings, looks to be in a rough spot on paper, but that also makes him more dangerous. He knows, because No. 3-ranked Moreno was just on a two-fight losing skid himself, and it took a lot of work to climb out of that hole.

He did it successfully at UFC Fight Night 246 in October, though, putting a five-round beating on Amir Albazi to take a lopsided unanimous decision. Now he looks to build on that momentum with another strong showing.

“Brandon’s in a different space since we took the break (after back-to-back losses),” Saud said. “The Albazi fight was one of the best fights he’s had. It was a masterpiece. It was five of rounds of him doing everything he wanted and he never got sloppy. It was really a nice performance. I think that was the key for him. He’s got the fire back.”

If Moreno wants to get the title back for a third reign, he will have to overcome what’s been a major career obstacle. He is 0-2-1 under the UFC banner when competing in Mexico, and has fallen short twice in the main event spot.

Saud said Moreno’s record in Mexico is not something that burdens him, and ultimately expect it to be put to rest with a victory.

“I would never say something is mental for Brandon Moreno,” Saud said. “It’s just a guy that’s overcome so much. But I would say the altitude is a big deal. That’s not a joke. Brandon’s attitude is he’s a two-time undisputed champion, looking to be a three-time. He’s looking to be the first one ever. He says, ‘You tell me I’ve got to win no matter what, so I’ve got to climb this mountain.’ I agree with that. So here we are.”

To hear more from Saud, check out his complete appearance on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn in the video above.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.

Fortis MMA’s Sayif Saud shares key to reaching 100 UFC coaching wins

Fortis MMA head coach Sayif Saud shares the key to sustained UFC success after hitting the milestone of 100 octagon wins.

Coaches are among the most unheralded people in MMA, but at UFC Fight Night 254 this past Saturday, Fortis MMA leader [autotag]Sayif Saud[/autotag] got his flowers.

After being a frequent presence in the corner of notable athletes under the UFC banner, Saud reached the landmark of 100 team victories with the sport’s biggest promotion, and it came courtesy of a Sam Hughes split decision triumph over Stephanie Luciano in a strawweight bout at UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The moment Hughes’ hand was raised, she took the microphone during her post-fight interview and showered Saud with praise, vocalizing the significance of the Dallas-based team hitting the milestone of triple-digit victories in the UFC.

“Everybody was so cool about it like, ‘Tonight’s the night,'” Saud told MMA Junkie. “It surprised me, honestly, because there’s so much fights, so much crap going on. Everybody who plays a role (at the UFC) that people don’t see were like, ‘Tonight’s the night. You’re going to do it.’ Everybody handled it pretty awesome and gave me a lot of love. Just a really cool moment and something I’ll something I never forget.’

“Winning fights in the UFC isn’t easy. Winning double digit fights over multiple years, it’s so hard. I think we’ve done it five times in five years or six years. It is so hard then to win 20 fights in a year, we’ve done that a couple of times. Just one win is hard, so obviously if you’re getting 20 wins in a year in the UFC, it’s really something to be proud of.”

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Saud, a former fighter who found his place as a coach with the famed Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque, N.M., got his first coaching win on the back of Sean Spencer beating Yuri Villefort at UFC Fight Night 28 in September 2013. His personal highlights as a cornerman on the road to 100 included Geoff Neal’s 90-second knockout of Mike Perry in December 2019, and Brandon Moreno emerging from his four-fight series with Deiveson Figueiredo as undisputed flyweight champion.

Although 100 represents a monumental achievement for Saud and a key item crossed off his bucket list, he said it’s not the time to rest on his laurels. He’s still got relevant, highly ranked names in his stable of fighters who have aspirations of their own.

“I had two goals (as a coach): My first goal was to get to 100 wins, because I thought that’s Don Shula-esque, you can’t be denied,” Saud said. “That’s a lot of wins. The second was to win an undisputed title, which that wasn’t easy at all and will be very hard to do again and that’s what we’re striving to do, to win titles.”

Although Fortis MMA is now among the most established and prestigious gyms in the sport, Saud said it’s a priority to continue expanding and evolving. Longtime team member and UFC lightweight veteran Diego Ferreira recently committed to a role as full-time jiu-jitsu coach, which Saud said adds to the “very unique” staff Fortis MMA has to offer.

In December, Saud told MMA Junkie that he was mulling a coaching retirement in the not-too-distant future. He said those comments were met with pushback from his athletes, especially those who are younger in their respective careers.

Saud said he’s not yet ready to make his exit as Fortis MMA’s head coach, especially as he reflects on such a big moment in his career, which he preached as a product of having fighters consistently prepared to compete at the highest level of MMA.

“I’ve got to thank everyone at the gym that has been part of this journey since Day 1,” Saud said. “This dream that we had to build this team from scratch, to kind of see it now hit this milestone of 100 wins is just kind crazy. It’s surreal in some ways because it’s like, we did it. We solidified this dream, and I feel like what’s what this 100 wins shows, is the consistency at the highest level when the sport has continued to get harder and harder. It is so hard to win now even compared to pre-COVID and Contender Series. It’s so much more competitive. I’m just really proud of everybody.

“I’m gone so much. Life’s trade-offs. For those 100 wins, that’s 100 times that I wasn’t here at home to watch my own kinds. It’s an accomplishment that so many people were a part of and supported and I really appreciate everybody. It was a really cool weekend.”

To hear more from Saud on his milestone of 100 UFC wins, check out his complete appearance on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn in the video above.

Video: Megan Olivi names UFC’s next crop of potential pay-per-view stars

Does the UFC have a star problem? Megan Olivi lists names to inspire hope for the next era of PPV headliners.

UFC reporter and correspondent [autotag]Megan Olivi[/autotag] has had an in inside look on the promotion’s operation for more than a decade, so she knows what it takes for a fighter to rise through the ranks and reach superstar status.

From Jon Jones to Conor McGregor to Ronda Rousey and everyone in between, Olivi has experienced it all as larger-than-life figures in MMA have come and gone. So when claims are made the promotion has an alleged star power problem in the wake of Alex Pereira’s light heavyweight title loss to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, it requires a closer examination.

Olivi talked to MMA Junkie about whether that’s a deficit of names capable of headline numbered UFC pay-per-view events in the coming years, and also list which fighters have the potential to excel and slide into the position of carrying an entire event around their name.

Check out the video above for Olivi’s appearance on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn, where they rate the current and next crop of UFC stars and mention names such as Islam Makhachev, Tom Aspinall, Ilia Topuria, Diego Lopes and many more.

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