Tag: UFC 249

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Jan. 13-19)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels for news to break through, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC and Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from Jan. 13-19:

Bellator 238: Jan. 24, Inglewood, Calif.

Welterweight: With Craig Plaskett out, David Pacheco (1-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) fights Miguel Jacob (3-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA)

Featherweight: With Tyler Beneke out, Jarrett Connor (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) fights Tony Bartovich (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA)

UFC on ESPN+ 24: Jan. 25, Raleigh, N.C.

Featherweight: With Josh Emmett and Nad Narimani out, Arnold Allen (15-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and Nik Lentz (30-10-2 MMA, 14-7-1 UFC) get matched up

UFC 247: Feb. 8, Houston

Bantamweight: Andre Ewell (15-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC) vs. Jonathan Martinez (11-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) (BJPenn.com)

Next page: Bellator 239, UFC 248

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

Gian Villante moves to heavyweight, takes on Ben Rothwell at UFC 249

Meet the newest member of the UFC heavyweight division: Gian Villante.

[autotag]Gian Villante[/autotag] is moving up.

The Long Island native will fight in his home state of New York when he takes on [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] at UFC 249.

MMA Junkie confirmed the booking with a person with knowledge of the situation following an initial report by Newsday on Monday.

Villante (17-11 MMA, 7-8 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over the span of his past four outings. After he defeated Francimar Barroso in January 2018, Villante dropped a split decision to Sam Alvey in June of the same year.

In October 2018, Villante earned a split-decision nod against Ed Herman. His most recent fight came in February, when Villante was finished by strikes in 94 seconds by Michal Oleksiejczuk.

As for Rothwell (37-12 MMA, 7-6 UFC), the Wisconsin-based big man is riding momentum from a controversial TKO victory at UFC on ESPN 7 in early December 2019. After striking Struve in the groin multiple times, Rothwell rallied to pick up a late second-round stoppage. The win snapped a three-fight losing streak.

[lawrence-related id=478944,469274]

UFC 249 takes place April 18 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The main card streams on pay-per-view following prelims likely on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

With the addition, the UFC 249 lineup now includes:

  • Champ Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson – for lightweight title
  • Jessica Andrade vs. Rose Namajunas
  • Uriah Hall vs. Ronaldo Souza
  • Ben Rothwell vs. Gian Villante

[vertical-gallery id=325826]

[vertical-gallery id=469004]

Belal Muhammad’s ‘leaked’ video of Tony Ferguson’s training camp will have you laughing so hard

It’s the perfect parody of Tony Ferguson’s unconventional training methods.

As we pointed out already, [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] is preparing for his huge UFC 249 title fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov like only Tony Ferguson can – with, how do we put this … unconventional methods of training.

Hell, let’s just got call it what it is: What Ferguson does in the gym is bonkers. But that’s what we love about him. There’s nobody like the former UFC interim lightweight champ. “El Cucuy” can’t be imitated when it comes to how he puts in work. “Champ sh*t only,” as like likes to call it.

That being said, you will laugh so hard at UFC welterweight [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag]’s “leaked” video of Ferguson’s training camp. I dare you to keep a straight face while watching this (you can’t):

The elbows during the bench press, the “McNuggets” blurt before striking the squat machine, the break-dancing moves, the “normal” tire flips … it’s the perfect parody.

Take a bow, Belal Muhammad. I’m in tears over here.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

[jwplayer o0fhTRLu-RbnemIYZ]

Tony Ferguson shares videos of unconventional UFC 249 training regimen

You can accurately describe UFC 249 headliner Tony Ferguson in a lot of ways, but “conventional” isn’t one.

You can accurately describe UFC 249 headliner [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] in many ways, but “conventional” isn’t one of them.

Known for his out-of-the-box training methods inside the gym, Ferguson (25-3 MMA, 15-1 UFC) is preparing for his UFC 249 clash with Khabib Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC) in the sort of manner we’ve come to expect.

Over the past several days, Ferguson has posted a handful of training videos on Instagram. Among the videos, “El Cucuy” throws a baseball, slides around on a heavy bag, and dances in a compression therapy suit.

UFC 249 takes place April 18 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The main card streams on pay-per-view following prelims likely on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

[lawrence-related id=478903,477387]

Ahead of his long-awaited UFC return, check out Ferguson’s training videos below:

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

[vertical-gallery id=390685]

Rose Namajunas, Jessica Andrade agree to rematch at UFC 249 in Brooklyn

A rematch between former strawweight champions is on tap for UFC 249.

A rematch between former strawweight champions is on tap for UFC 249.

Less than a year after [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] scored a stunning slam knockout of [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] to claim the title, the pair will run it back in April.

On Thursday, MMA Junkie confirmed with two people close to the situation that Andrade (20-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) and Namajunas (8-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) have verbally agreed to a second fight at UFC 249. The people requested anonymity because the UFC has yet to make an official announcement. News of the fight being finalized was first reported by ESPN.com.

UFC 249 takes place April 18 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The main card streams on pay-per-view following prelims likely on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

[lawrence-related id=464990]

Andrade, 28, will attempt to put herself back near the top of the heap at 115 pounds after holding the strap for less than four months. After beating Namajunas at UFC 237 in May, the Brazilian went into enemy territory and was quickly knocked out by Zhang Weili to spell the end of her run as champ.

Many believe Andrade got the title in somewhat lucky fashion, as she delivered a rare knockout against Namajunas, 27, in a fight she was decisively losing prior to the finish. Namajunas hasn’t competed since that brutal finish and openly questioned whether she would continue to compete. She ultimately decided to press forward and will get a shot at vengeance in the rematch.

With the addition, the UFC 249 lineup now includes:

  • Champ Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson – for lightweight title
  • Jessica Andrade vs. Rose Namajunas
  • Uriah Hall vs. Ronaldo Souza

[opinary poll=”who-do-you-think-wins-the-rematch-at-ufc” customer=”mmajunkie”]

Dustin Poirier says he’s down to rematch Justin Gaethje in UFC 249 co-headliner

Dustin Poirier says he’s back to full health and looking to book his return to the octagon for April.

[vertical-gallery id=315577]

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] says he’s back to full health and looking to book his return to the octagon for April.

The former interim lightweight champion is in need of opponent, though, and Poirier (25-6 MMA, 17-5 UFC) is looking for a meaningful name that will make it clear he still belongs at the top of the divisional pecking order.

Given how the 155-pound weight class stands currently, a rematch with [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] (21-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) could be the most attractive option. UFC 249, which takes place April 18 in Brooklyn, N.Y., is still in need of a co-main event, and with lightweight kingpin Khabib Nurmagomedov scheduled to defend against Tony Ferguson in the headliner, it would make sense to put another key matchup for the division on the card.

[lawrence-related id=466714,445624]

Gaethje recently said he agreed with that sentiment, he just didn’t know what opponent would make sense for him. Poirier, who handed “The Highlight” a fourth-round knockout loss at UFC on FOX 29 in April 2018, is willing to run it back in a key matchup of contenders (via Twitter):

Poirier, who fell short of unifying the lightweight title against Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 in September, underwent a procedure to repair lingering damage to his hip not long after the contest.

He’s been on the sidelines since, but has been active in making it known he wanted a marquee fight upon his return to the octagon. He’s pushed for a rebooking against Nate Diaz, or even a jump up to the welterweight division if the right opportunity presents itself.

Should none of those other options materialize, though, a rematch with Gaethje – who has three consecutive first-round knockout wins since their first meeting – has massive potential consequences.

[jwplayer 3FrXWWSx-RbnemIYZ]

Justin Gaethje wants co-main event spot on UFC 249, open to filling in for Khabib or Ferguson

Justin Gaethje wants to fight in the co-main event of UFC 249, won’t rule out the possibility of filling in if the main event falls through.

[autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] isn’t necessarily praying that the main event of UFC 249 falls through but won’t rule out the possibility of filling in if it does.

That’s why he’d like his next fight to be in the co-main slot of the April event in New York, which features a UFC lightweight title headliner between champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and former interim titleholder Tony Ferguson.

Speaking to Sirius XM’s “MMA Tonight,” Gaethje (21-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) said that while the fight between Nurmagomedov and Ferguson has endured an infamous history of never quite coming to fruition, he likes the idea of competing on the April 18 card, regardless.

“I really, really want that fight to happen,” he said. “I don’t want to wish anything (bad), you know, but that’s a good date to shoot for, for me to be ready because, as we know, that fight tends to have problems sometimes.”

[lawrence-related id=475351,472281]

Gaethje has won his last three in a row, all by way of first-round knockout, and he has cemented himself as one of the top contenders in the division.

And while Gaethje says he isn’t spending time thinking about the possibility of stepping in to take a short-notice title shot at the event, he admitted he would be open to it if circumstances panned out that way.

“I wouldn’t say yes or no to that question because I can’t ever train for something of that magnitude without having that there,” Gaethje said. “But I’m also always training for that goal, which is the world championship. So I’m not waking up with the mentality that I’m fighting Khabib right now or anybody which is different than the goal I’ve had my whole life, which is just to become the best in the world.”

That’s why he wants to be the UFC 249 co-headliner, preferably against somebody that guarantees him a title shot. He mapped out how he’d like his ideal scenario for 2020 to play out.

“I’ll fight a title contender fight, a 100 percent title contender fight, against anybody or April 18, co-main event and then fight for the title against whoever wins that night for the title,” Gaethje said. “If it’s Tony, hopefully sooner than September, and if it’s Khabib, then I’ll wait for Ramadan to pass and then wait for him to train then be ready to go in September.”

You can hear more from Gaethje in the clip below.

[vertical-gallery id=446063]

‘Whoever wins that fight is the best ever’: Chael Sonnen likes Tony Ferguson’s chances against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 249

Chael Sonnen says he thinks Tony Ferguson could present Khabib Nurmagomedov his toughest test to date at UFC 249.

[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] could be [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s toughest test to date and says the winner could legitimately lay claim to being the greatest lightweight in UFC history.

Speaking to RT Sport, ESPN analyst Sonnen offered his take on the upcoming fight between UFC lightweight champion Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) and former interim champion Ferguson (25-3 MMA, 15-1 UFC) at UFC 249 on Apr. 18.

“You know, it’s very hard to pick against Khabib with what you’ve seen and I must also share with you I have a bias towards Tony because we are former teammates,” said Sonnen, before revealing: “I do really like Tony’s chances going into this, and I like them more and more as the fight gets closer.”

Ferguson, like Nurmagomedov, is on a 12-fight win streak in the UFC. His wild and unpredictable style has led to 20 career finishes, including a hat-trick of finishes in his last three outings against Kevin Lee, former lightweight champ Anthony Pettis, and Donald Cerrone.

Undefeated Nurmagomedov has mauled everyone put in front of him, including back-to-back submissions over former two-division king Conor McGregor and former interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier.

And, considering both men’s resumes, Sonnen says the fight is particularly tricky to call.

“When you’re 28-0 in any division, man, you claim that division,” he said. “Particularly when you are the world champion and he already got some heavy lifting out of the way on the way to the title. If you go back and look at the names that he beat – 10-8 rounds against guys, two or three 10-8 rounds against (Edson) Barboza, just by example – this guy is a hammer. But you are talking about Tony Ferguson – that’s a whole other animal.”

“He’ll attack you from the back, he’ll attack you on the walkout, you don’t know what Tony Ferguson would do. I would never count him out. Whoever wins that fight is the best ever.”

[vertical-gallery id=390685]

‘Jacare’ Souza returns to middleweight, meets Uriah Hall at UFC 249

Ronaldo Souza’s light heavyweight experiment lasted just one fight.

[autotag]Ronaldo Souza[/autotag]’s light heavyweight experiment lasted just one fight.

“Jacare” is set to return to the middleweight division for his next fight, which is expected to come against [autotag]Uriah Hall[/autotag] at UFC 249 in April.

MMA Junkie verified with multiple persons close to the situation that verbal agreements are in place for the matchup between Souza (26-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC) and Hall (15-9 MMA, 7-7 UFC) following an initial report from ESPN.com. The persons requested anonymity because the UFC has yet to make an official announcement.

UFC 249 takes place April 18 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

After seemingly hitting his ceiling as a middleweight contender, Souza moved up a weight class this past month. He met one of the 205-pound division’s top contenders in Jan Blachowicz in the UFC on ESPN+ 22 main event, dropping a split decision in a fight the Brazilian thought he won.

Nevertheless, the result apparently didn’t convince Souza to stick around, because he returns to the division where he’s 3-3 in his past six.

Hall will try to tack another loss on that record as he attempts to continue his own run up the 185-pound pecking order. “Primetime” is coming off a solid decision win over Antonio Carlos Junior at UFC on ESPN+ 16 in September in what was his first fight since joining the Dallas-based Fortis MMA squad.

The latest UFC 249 card now includes:

  • Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson – for lightweight title
  • Uriah Hall vs. Ronaldo Souza

[vertical-gallery id=463676]

Kevin Lee wants Islam Makhachev fight at UFC 249 in Brooklyn, would like Bernie Sanders cageside

Kevin Lee fought in front of President Trump already, and “the only level up” is to do the same with Bernie Sanders sitting cageside.

A fight between [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] and [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] could be close to finally happening.

Speaking to MMA reporter Helen Yee in Las Vegas, where he gave an endorsement speech in support of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, Lee (18-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) said he wants Makhachev at UFC 249 on April 18 in Brooklyn, N.Y.

“Well, they’re talking about coming to Brooklyn, and Bernie’s from Brooklyn, so when we spoke, he wanted to see me fight, and he wanted to see me fight in his hometown,” Lee said. “I got to fight at MSG in front of Trump. The only level up is to fight in Barclay’s Center, me and Islam, we got the date. I don’t know what the holdup is on his end; there’s no holdup on mine. I’m ready to sign. Right now I’m just waiting on Islam.”

Makhachev, who, like Lee, already has expressed interest in a potential fight on numerous occasions, responded by saying he hasn’t been offered the fight.

“Never been offered Kevin Lee fight,” he tweeted. “Just send me the contract.”

UFC 249 will be headlined by lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov defending his title against Tony Ferguson.

Lee wants on that card so he can send a message to the champion, who would be watching his teammate take on Lee earlier in the night, should the fight materialize.

“I’m going to make a statement against Islam, and I’m going to do it on the same card that Khabib is fighting Tony, and Khabib can sit there and watch me beat up on his boy, and then we’ll make some noise afterwards,” Lee said.

[jwplayer pKgJe1s0-RbnemIYZ]