Tag: UFC

The best photos from ‘Noche UFC’ at the Las Vegas Sphere

Noche UFC is back for another year, and they couldn’t have picked a better venue.

It’s fight night in the UFC, and for the second year in a row, we’ll be seeing the “Noche UFC” in honor of Mexican Independence Day.

The event, officially branded as Riyadh Season Noche UFC, will be held in quite a scenic venue: The Sphere in Las Vegas. That’s right — the octagon is meeting the Sphere.

It’s a compelling ticket that features a pair of championship fighters. Men’s bantamweight champion Season O’Malley is fighting Merab Dvalishvili, while women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso faces off against former champion Valentina Shevchenko to highlight the main card.

Here are some of the breathtaking views from Noche UFC at the Sphere.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 13: General view before UFC 306 ceremonial weigh-ins at Sphere on September 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. O’Malley is scheduled to defend his title against Dvalishvili at UFC 306 on September 14 at Sphere. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 13: Fans pose before the UFC 306 ceremonial weigh-ins at Sphere on September 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. O’Malley is scheduled to defend his title against Dvalishvili at UFC 306 on September 14 at Sphere. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 13: General view before UFC 306 ceremonial weigh-ins at Sphere on September 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. O’Malley is scheduled to defend his title against Dvalishvili at UFC 306 on September 14 at Sphere. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 13: General view following the UFC 306 ceremonial weigh-ins at Sphere on September 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. O’Malley is scheduled to defend his title against Dvalishvili at UFC 306 on September 14 at Sphere. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Sep 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; A view of the interior of the Sphere before the start of Riyadh Season Noche UFC 306 at The Sphere. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 14: Aoriqileng of China walks to the ring prior to his fight against Raul Rosas Jr. of Mexico during UFC 306:Riyadh Season Noche at Sphere on September 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 14: Raul Rosas Jr. of Mexico walks to the ring prior to his fight against Aoriqileng of China during UFC 306:Riyadh Season Noche at Sphere on September 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 14: A view inside Sphere prior to the start of UFC 306:Riyadh Season Noche on September 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 14: A view inside Sphere prior to the start of UFC 306:Riyadh Season Noche on September 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 14: A view inside Sphere prior to the start of UFC 306:Riyadh Season Noche on September 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 14: A view inside Sphere prior to the start of UFC 306:Riyadh Season Noche on September 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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No, Panthers great Steve Smith Sr. did not get knocked out at UFC event

No, Steve Smith Sr. was not involved in a fight at a recent UFC event.

Carolina Panthers legend Steve Smith Sr. was certainly no stranger to confrontation during his fiery 16-year NFL career. From breaking his own teammate’s nose during a heated training camp session to famously (or infamously) icing up former rival Aqib Talib on Monday Night Football, 89 has never been afraid to engage in a bit of fisticuffs.

But we’re not about to add a random fight from a UFC event to that lore.

An NFL insider parody account recently tried to get a rise out of Smith Sr., perhaps trolling the former wideout by claiming he got knocked out at a UFC event. The account provided the following video clip:

Well, in case common sense or that community note from Twitter/X didn’t give it away, that wasn’t Smith Sr.

Smitty would eventually debunk the tweet himself.

He also refused to accept the account’s apology for the “mix-up.”

So, no, it wasn’t him.

Besides, we’ve already seen a former Panther get knocked out a time or two in that arena. No need for another.

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How to buy tickets to UFC 303 in Las Vegas

Catch all the UFC action in person this Saturday in Las Vegas. Limited tickets remain for as little as $246.

UFC 303 will be running it back in Las Vegas this weekend.

Ultimate fighting returns to T-Mobile Arena and will be headlined by light heavyweights Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka.

The fight is a promising bout that replaces another. Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler was originally scheduled to headline 303’s card. But after McGregor suffered an injury during training, we have a switch.

SHOP: UFC 303 tickets

Pereira and Prochazka did battle at UFC 295 in Madison Square Garden for the then-vacant UFC light heavyweight title. Pereira took it with a TKO.

In addition to Pereira and Prochazka, Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes will fight while Carlos Ulberg will now face former contender Anthony Smith.

You won’t want to miss all this UFC action, and limited tickets still remain for as little as $246.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop UFC 303 tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/0eQ0LNP”]

How to buy tickets to UFC 303 in Las Vegas

Catch all the UFC action in person this Saturday in Las Vegas. Limited tickets remain for as little as $246.

UFC 303 will be running it back in Las Vegas this weekend.

Ultimate fighting returns to T-Mobile Arena and will be headlined by light heavyweights Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka.

The fight is a promising bout that replaces another. Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler was originally scheduled to headline 303’s card. But after McGregor suffered an injury during training, we have a switch.

SHOP: UFC 303 tickets

Pereira and Prochazka did battle at UFC 295 in Madison Square Garden for the then-vacant UFC light heavyweight title. Pereira took it with a TKO.

In addition to Pereira and Prochazka, Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes will fight while Carlos Ulberg will now face former contender Anthony Smith.

You won’t want to miss all this UFC action, and limited tickets still remain for as little as $246.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop UFC 303 tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/0eQ0LNP”]

Gilbert Burns after UFC 299 loss: ‘I’m still alive in the division, I know can beat so many guys’

Gilbert Burns still thinks he has what it takes to become UFC welterweight champion.

[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] still thinks he has what it takes to become UFC welterweight champion.

Burns (22-7 MMA, 15-7 UFC) was just over a minute away from beating Jack Della Maddalena (18-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) at UFC 299 before a costly mistake led to him being knocked out in Round 3. Two of the three judges had him up 20-18 heading into the third.

The former title challenger now has dropped two straight, but he won’t let those setbacks deter him from his title hopes.

“I’m 37, I’m not getting any younger, but I do believe I have everything I need to become a champion,” Burns said on his YouTube channel. “Concerning the footwork, the defense, technical stuff, combos. I was throwing a lot of single shots, but I’m still there.

“I’m still alive in the division. I know can beat so many guys. The dream is still alive. I still want to become a champion. It’s not just a dream, it’s my goal. Guess what? I’m going to work very hard for that. For sure a little clean-up, little things I need to do technically, mentally, physically. We always need to improve.”

Upon finding out that Della Maddalena broke his arm in Round 1, Burns’ respect for him grew even bigger.

“He broke his arm maybe from the first or second kick that I threw, and the guy didn’t show it,” Burns said. “Man, so much respect. I’m a bigger fan now already of Jack. I already liked the guy, I liked his style, I like that he goes forward, tried to finish the fight. After that performance, I’m more than a fan. I think he deserves it. Man, no excuses at all.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Steph Curry meets UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov after win vs. Raptors

Steph Curry gifted his game jersey from a win against the Raptors to UFC legend Nurmagomedov.

The Golden State Warriors picked up their third win of their current road swing and their eighth consecutive win on the road with a 120-105 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

Steph Curry put on a show with a special fan in attendance. In front of legendary UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Curry tallied a game-high 25 points with seven made 3s.

After the game, Curry gifted his game-worn No. 30 jersey to Nurmagomedov. The two-time Most Valuable Player inked a message to Nurmagomedov on the jersey reading “all love champ!”

Following the game in Toronto, Nurmagomedov took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share a picture of the duo.

Via @TeamKhabib on X:

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and X! 

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Video: Michael Chandler invades WWE RAW, calls out Conor McGregor until red

TKO showed off some WWE/UFC synergy on Raw, with Michael Chandler cutting a promo on Conor McGregor.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Michael Chandler wants the Conor McGregor matchup so badly, he’ll nearly turn purple asking for it.

Two days after Saturday’s UFC 298 at Honda Center, WWE Monday Night RAW held an event in the same venue. Chandler (23-8 MMA, 18-5 UFC) was not only featured prominently on the broadcast, he grabbed the microphone and cut an intense promo, which MMA Junkie was onsite for.

“What’s up, Anaheim? You are now in the presence of the most entertaining UFC fighter on the planet,” Chandler yelled in the microphone, as his face increasingly reddened. “Hey, now there’s a man from Ireland who’s been making me wait way too long and I still have got one dude on my mind. Conor McGregor, get your candy ass back to the octagon. We’ve got some unfinished business, boys. God bless. I’ll see you at the top.”

Chandler has been in a waiting pattern for well over a year as he awaits a teased but never confirmed fight booking against McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC), who remains on hiatus since a broken leg in 2021.

Outside of advertisements and occasional spectator appearances, blatant crossover content like Chandler’s callout hadn’t occurred since WWE and UFC merged under the TKO banner in 2023.

As for a matchup between Chandler and McGregor, it’s unclear when that fight will happen – if ever.

UFC CEO Dana White has recently said he hopes the fight can finally take place in the fall, though also indicated Saturday he’s not sure it’ll happen.

“I don’t know. Conor McGregor’s got a lot of money,” White said. “Any time we get Conor, we’ll be happy. You know, we’ll be thrilled when he comes and fights,” White said. “Money complicates a lot of things. He just filmed a movie. He’s got to do the press for the movie, and he’s got obligations with that. He does want to fight this year, but we’ll see what happens.”

This story first appeared on MMA Junkie. Be sure to visit MMA Junkie for all your coverage of UFC and more, and follow @MMAJunkie on Twitter.

Joe Rogan: Dustin Poirier better be ready for ‘f*cking killer’ Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 299

“You look into that guy’s eyes, there’s hell going on behind those eyes,” Joe Rogan said of Benoit Saint-Denis ahead of UFC 299.

[autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] hopes [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] is aware of [autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag]’ ferocity.

Poirier (29-8 MMA, 21-7 UFC) meets rising contender Saint-Denis (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in a five-round co-main event at UFC 299 on March 9 from Kaseya Center in Miami. Boasting a 100 percent finish rate, Saint-Denis has stopped his past five opponents, most recently a Performance of the Night head-kick knockout of Matt Frevola at UFC 295. Rogan raved about the Frenchman’s abilities ahead of the biggest fight of his career.

“This is the big fight, Dustin Poirier and Benoit Saint-Denis,” Rogan said during the UFC 297 episode of his Fight Companion on Spotify. “That’s the big fight. That Saint-Denis guy is a f*cking killer. He’s such a killer, that guy’s such a scary guy.”

Saint-Denis, known as “The God of War,” opened up as a slight favorite over Poirier. Although Poirier is the far more experienced and accomplished fighter, Rogan expects it to be a tough fight for the former interim lightweight champion.

“I’m telling you, that Benoit Saint-Denis is next level,” Rogan said. “He’s got furnaces going in his eyes. You look into that guy’s eyes, there’s hell going on behind those eyes. He’s built for it. So, him vs. Dustin is very exciting, and Dustin better be ready to go. You better be ready to go with that guy, because he’s going to try and make a name off of him.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.