Tag: Todd Duffee

UFC veterans in MMA and bareknuckle boxing action Nov. 30-Dec. 2

Check out which veterans of the UFC are competing in combat sports across the globe this weekend.

This week, the UFC returns to The Lone Star State’s capitol.

UFC on ESPN 52 takes place at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas is headlined by a lightweight bout between [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] and [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag].

Elsewhere, many other combat sports events are taking place that feature a number of familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner.

Check out which veterans of the global MMA leader are competing Nov. 30-Dec. 2.

Scroll below to see how the UFC veterans fared last week, and see the names and details of this weekend’s competitors.

Upcoming event information fromย Tapology.

Video: BKFC 56 pre-fight press conference live stream

Watch the BKFC 56 pre-fight press conference live, featuring Eddie Alvarez, Mike Perry and many others.

The BKFC 56 pre-fight press conference takes place Thursday, and you can watch a live stream of the event right here on MMA Junkie beginning at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT).

The event features seven UFC veterans on the main card and three title fights. Expected to participate in the press conference are main eventers, former UFC champion [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] and [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag]. Also, at the press conference will be co-main heavyweights [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] and [autotag]Todd Duffee[/autotag], along with BKFC president David Feldman.

BKFC 56 takes place Saturday, Dec. 2 at Maverik Center in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on FITE and the BKFC App.

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UFC veterans in MMA, kickboxing, muay Thai and bareknuckle boxing action Sept. 22-23

Check out which veterans of the UFC are competing in combat sports across the globe this weekend.

This week, the UFC remains in Las Vegas for UFC Fight Night 228.

The event takes place at the UFC Apex and features a lightweight bout between [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] and [autotag]Mateusz Gamrot[/autotag].

Elsewhere, many other combat sports events are taking place that feature a number of familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner.

Check out which veterans of the global MMA leader are competing in MMA, kickboxing, muay Thai and bareknuckle boxing this week from Sept. 22-23.

Check out the names and details about their bouts below.

Upcoming event information fromย Tapology.

KSW 79 results: Heavyweight champ Phil De Fries spoils Todd Duffee’s return, runs through him for revenge

Phil De Fries promised his rematch with Todd Duffee at KSW 79 would turn out differently, and he was right.

[autotag]Phil De Fries[/autotag] promised his rematch with [autotag]Todd Duffee[/autotag] would turn out differently. Boy was he right.

De Fries ran through Duffee on Saturday at KSW 79 in Liberec, Czech Republic. The heavyweight champ dominated from start to finish until he used vicious ground-and-pound to force referee Michael Bell to stop it 3 minutes and 46 seconds into the first round.

The outcome was disappointing for Duffee (9-4), who was fighting for the first time since retiring three-and-a-half years ago. On the flip side, it was sweet revenge for De Fries (23-6), who lost by first-round TKO to Duffee more than 10 years ago at UFC 155.

“It feels good, you know,” De Fries said afterward. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Todd. He’s a great fighter, but I’m the man now, and that’s the way it’s gonna stay.”

From the moment the opening bell rang, De Fries left zero doubt about making his eighth consecutive KSW heavyweight title defense. When Duffee threw an early haymaker that whiffed, he closed the distance right into a takedown by De Fries, who proceeded to be relentless with his attacks and transitions. Duffee did what he could to stagger back to his feet, but De Fries never let up with his attack while draped on Duffee’s back. Once he dragged Duffee back to the mat, De Fries worked for a neck crank and rear-naked choke that, at one point, appeared tight. Duffee hung on, though, but De Fries ultimately back mounted him and flattened him out on his stomach. With Duffee unable to get free, De Fries dropped right hands over and over until the referee had no choice but to stop it.

Afterward, De Fries turned his attention toward a June 3 stadium show in Warsaw, Poland, where he made it clear that he would like to fight Alistair Overeem.

“That’s the day,” De Fries said. “Me, Overeem, 56,000 people, good times.”

Resuming career at KSW 79, Todd Duffee expects to fight five more years: ‘I feel very competitive’

The return of former UFC heavyweight Todd Duffee at KSW 79 is just the beginning of him fighting for a good while.

There’s plenty left in the tank for [autotag]Todd Duffee[/autotag].

The former UFC heavyweight is scheduled to resume his career Saturday, and he believes this is the start of a lengthy run and not just a one-off. Duffee (9-3) returns in the main event of KSW 79 in Liberec, Czech Republic, as he’s set to take on champion Philip De Fries in a rematch.

Despite being away from the fight game for over three years, Duffee, now 37, believes he can hang with the guys at the top and even the ones coming up too.

“My brain is still here, my reflexes are still here, and my physicality and athleticism is still here โ€“ and you’ll definitely see that on display (Saturday),” Duffee told MMA Junkie Radio. “I feel like I have five or six years.

“Like you said, I haven’t taken much punishment. … A year or two ago, I looked at the average age of the UFC heavyweights, and they were 36. So I don’t have this idea that I’m too old or anything like that. I feel very competitive. I’m not seeing young 20-year-olds that are more physical than me, so I feel pretty confident in that aspect.”

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The last time Duffee and De Fries fought was back in 2012 at UFC 155. That night in Las Vegas, Duffee knocked out De Fries in a little over two minutes to win a $50,000 bonus for Knockout of the Night.

Duffee sees an improved De Fries a decade later but not a different fighter.

“I think Phil is incredibly tough. I thought he was tough when we fought the first time,” Dufee explained. “I can tell you what Phil said in his own interviews. He’s dealt with his anxiety, and he claims that his resurgence in his career has everything to do with his anxiety medication and managing his anxiety.

“Has he changed? Yeah, he’s matured. He’s gotten a lot more physical, it looks like. He’s developed as a fighter, but he’s still pretty much Phil De Fries. You can only change so much. He’s definitely grown, I don’t know how much he’s changed.”

UFC veterans in MMA, boxing and bareknuckle action Feb. 24-25

Check out which veterans of the UFC are in MMA and boxing action this weekend across the globe.

The UFC is back in Las Vegas for UFC Fight Night 220. The event takes place at the UFC Apex, with a light heavyweight tilt between Nikita Krylov and Ryan Spann.

Elsewhere, many other MMA events are taking place that feature familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner.

These 14 veterans of the global MMA leader are competing in MMA boxing this week from Feb. 24-25.

Check out the names and details about their bouts below.

Upcoming event information fromย Tapology.

KSW 79 video: Phil De Fries, Todd Duffee set stage for heavyweight title rematch

Watch as Phil De Fries and Todd Duffee weigh in on their rematch 11 years in the making at KSW 79 in the Czech Republic.

KSW 79 takes place Saturday, Feb. 25 at Home Credit Arena in Liberec, Czech Republic, which marks the return of UFC veteran [autotag]Todd Duffee[/autotag] as he gets set for a rematch with heavyweight champion [autotag]Phil De Fries[/autotag].

The two big men first met way back in December 2012 at UFC 155, where Duffee (9-3) handed De Fries (22-6) a brutal defeat by first-round TKO. Things have changed drastically since then, with 36-year-old De Fries riding a 10-fight winning streak and going for his eighth consecutive title defense, while Duffee, 37, is coming out of retirement to compete for the first time in three-and-a-half years.

You can watch the trailer for KSW 79 in the video above as both men talk about their past encounter, what’s different now, revenge, and more.

“Knock him out cold, just for that sweet revenge feeling,” De Fries said. “That would be perfect.”

Added Duffee: “Phil’s best side is he’s willing to do whatever it takes to win even though that means being the most boring guy in the room. I’m gonna make the KSW heavyweight division exciting again.”

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MMA Junkie Radio #3336: Guests Tabatha Ricci and Todd Duffee, Masvidal-Covington, Jon Jones, Power Slap and more

Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.


Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

On Episode 3,336, the OGs brought on guests [autotag]Tabatha Ricci[/autotag] and [autotag]Todd Duffee[/autotag]. Plus, they broke down all kinds of recent MMA news, including accusations about IV use for Islam Makhachev, the Jorge Masvidal-Colby Covington case, Jon Jones’ heavyweight debut, Power Slap League and more. Tune in!

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts,ย Spotify,ย Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

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UFC veteran Todd Duffee signs with KSW, challenges heavyweight champ Phil De Fries on Feb. 25

Former UFC heavyweight Todd Duffee’s retirement is coming to an end, and he’s jumping right into a KSW title shot.

Former UFC heavyweight [autotag]Todd Duffee[/autotag]’s retirement is coming to an end, as he’s signed with KSW. Not only that, he’s jumping right into a title shot.

After Duffee revealed the news Wednesday on “The MMA Hour,” KSW announced that he will meet heavyweight champion Phil De Fries on Feb. 25 at KSW 79 from Home Credit Arena in Liberec, Czech Republic.

The bout will mark 37-year-old Duffee’s return to MMA after more than three years away from the sport. He last competed in September 2019 when his UFC Fight Night 158 bout with Jeff Hughes ended in a no contest caused by an accidental eye poke. Duffee (9-3) had two different UFC stints and dealt with multiple long layoffs because of injuries and other issues outside the cage.

De Fries (22-6), KSW’s heavyweight champion since April 2018, is looking for his eighth consecutive title defense. The 36-year-old also is looking for revenge as Duffee owns a first-round TKO win against him, which took place 11 years ago at UFC 155.

Todd Duffee opens up about nerve damage, eyes late 2020 UFC return

Despite the injuries, Todd Duffee says his love for fighting has prevented him from getting discouraged.

LAS VEGAS โ€“ The last time fans saw [autotag]Todd Duffee[/autotag] inside the cage was this past September at UFC on ESPN+ 16. He was clutching his eye when the official decision was read as a no contest.

In his fight against Jeff Hughes in Vancouver, British Columbia, Duffee (9-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) was poked in the eye. When he was unable to continue, the bout was waved off.

Six months later, Duffee is on the heels of multiple surgeries โ€“ both unrelated to his eye. Duffee is progressing toward being ready to fight again, he said at a Dominance MMA media day earlier this month in Las Vegas. According to Duffee, he’s lookin at a late 2020 return.

“I’m still here โ€“ I can tell you that much,” Duffee told MMA Junkie. “An update on my career: I went into that fight with some bad nerve damage in my leg from a previous knee surgery. I got through the fight. Obviously, the accidental eye poke (happened and) I wasn’t able to see. My depth perception was off.

“After that, I got knee surgery and nerve surgery again. I basically live at the (UFC Performance Institute), just lurking in the darkness, awaiting my time. I’m expecting to try to fight at the end of the year. With nerve damage, you just don’t know. That’s where I’m at.”

Duffee compared his nerve damage issue with having a “clubfoot.” The clinical term is “drop foot,” Duffee said. Since the surgery, he’s feeling much better. In early March, he returned to baseline training activities.

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“Over the last week, I started shadowboxing again,” Duffee said. “I started getting on my feet. I’ve been doing some grappling drills with a dummy. I feel like the process is coming along pretty well.”

MMA training hasn’t been kind to Duffee over the years. A career riddled with injuries, Duffee has only competed once since July 2015. Despite the unlucky streak, Duffee said his love for fighting has prevented him from getting discouraged. In his mind, he still has quite a few years ahead of him.

“I absolutely love fighting,” Duffee said. “It is very frustrating. It’s extremely frustrating. I can’t sit up here and pretend like every day I’m not biting at the bit. At the end of the day, I believe in the talent and I love this sport. I’m going to get my ride. I feel young still. I have at least six years left in my career. I don’t have a lot of mileage. I feel ready and it’s just a matter of biding my time and being patient.”

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