UFC 251 – Page 25 – Syndication Server

Ahead of UFC bantamweight title shot, Petr Yan confident he’ll rule division for long time

With the bantamweight division booming, UFC 251 title challenger Petr Yan is ready to take over the division.

[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] is ready to take over the bantamweight division.

After a perfect 6-0 start to his UFC tenure, Yan will face Jose Aldo for the vacant bantamweight title at UFC 251 at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

With the the division booming and contenders such as Aljamain Sterling, Cody Garbrandt and Sean O’Malley impressing at UFC 250, Yan is looking forward to the upcoming challenges.

“In my opinion, bantamweight is the most exciting division in UFC,” Yan told MMA Junkie through an interpreter. “I’m glad they performed good and represented our division very well. I’m excited to face all top contenders in the future and have belief in myself I will rule this division for a long time.”

Yan (14-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) was initially slated to headline Saturday’s event in Kazakhstan vs. Marlon Moraes, but with the COVID-19 pandemic and former UFC bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo’s surprise retirement, he ended up with an even bigger opportunity.

While many were critical of the UFC’s choice to place Aldo as one of the title challengers, Yan understands why.

“After Sterling was booked to fight Sandhagaen, I knew it would be either Aldo or (Marlon) Moraes,” Yan said. “I wasn’t surprised that UFC chose Aldo because he was supposed to fight for the title in May, anyway. Right now, I can’t dictate who I want to fight. I’m the challenger for the vacant belt, and I’m taking advantage of this opportunity.”

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Despite failing to make good on his 135-pound debut, former UFC featherweight king Aldo (28-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) proved that he still has what it takes to compete with the best. The weight cut didn’t appear to hinder his performance and Yan is expecting a barnburner come fight night.

“Aldo is a very experienced and well-trained fighter,” Yan said. “He doesn’t make many mistakes. He will be ready to go the full distance. But I believe I have the ability and tools to defeat him. I have no doubt it will be an exciting contest because our styles match up very well.

“I envision this fight will end with my hand being raised. I believe I can defeat every fighter in my division.”

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Summer UFC title fights ranked: Which was the best championship booking?

We rank the UFC’s four recently announced title fights. Which one do you think topped the list?

Tuesday, the UFC made several championship bouts official.

From its largest weight class to one of its smallest, the UFC announced the four title bouts – some were expected, some maybe not so much.

The list of championship fights included the following: A highly anticipated trilogy bout between UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] and [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag], an immediate featherweight title rematch between [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] and [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag], [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag]’s second title defense against [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag], and [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] for the vacant 135-pound title.

All of these title fights will happen this summer with three happening on one card: UFC 251 on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

With so much gold on the line in a short amount of time, I was given the tough task to make some sense of these bookings but also put them in order of which fights I’m looking forward to the most.

(Disclaimer: All these fights are great, but some better than others)

So let’s get started…

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Kamaru Usman fires back at ‘bum’ Nate Diaz: ‘Gilbert Burns is a true martial artist and not all talk’

UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman fired back at Nate Diaz following criticism of his upcoming title bout with Gilbert Burns at UFC 251.

UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] wasn’t prepared to let [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag]’s social media jibes go unchecked.

Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC), who’s scheduled to headline UFC 251 against surging contender [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] on July 11 in Abu Dhabi, received heavy criticism from Diaz for fighting an opponent who, according to Diaz, accepted the least amount of money offered by the UFC.

Diaz (20-12 MMA, 15-10 UFC) took aim at Usman for not fighting the next guy in line, and claimed that he gets paid more than Usman and Burns combined.

Usman responded to Diaz on Twitter, blasting him for his resume, while praising Burns’ recent accolades.

Let’s state some facts here:

“Your Bum Ass”
•L’s in last (5 of 9) in 8year span
•12 L’s Total
•1-1 in last 4 years
•Refused to fight Woodley when offered title shot.

“Said Guy”
•13 L’s Total
•L to Damian Maia
Who was KO’d by Burns In rd 1.
•embarrassed ur Bum Ass https://t.co/u4UnI23QGi

— KAMARU USMAN (@USMAN84kg) June 9, 2020

“Let’s state some facts here: “Your Bum Ass” •L’s in last (5 of 9) in 8year span •12 L’s Total •1-1 in last 4 years •Refused to fight Woodley when offered title shot. “Said Guy” •13 L’s Total •L to Damian Maia Who was KO’d by Burns In rd 1. •embarrassed ur Bum Ass.”

Burns (19-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) emerged as a top contender when he knocked out Demian Maia in March, and then followed up with a dominant win over former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley to extend his winning streak to four since moving up to 170 pounds.

Bottom line, if you got double digit L’s shut TF up and sit yo Bum Ass TF down.
Oh and once again don’t forget to buy the PPV 😉👊🏿 #UFC251

— KAMARU USMAN (@USMAN84kg) June 9, 2020

“Burns: •6 Fight win streak in less than 2 year span. •KO over Maia who defeated “said guy” •(50-44) domination over #1 WW Woodley who you turned down for a title fight. •Burns Is a true martial artist and not all talk. #UFC251″

Usman was expected to take on Jorge Masvidal, who cemented himself as the No. 1 contender after three straight stoppage wins over Darren Till, Ben Askren and Diaz. However, Masvidal’s negotiations with the UFC went sour when he claimed that he was offered less to fight Usman than when he fought Diaz at UFC 244.

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UFC 251 adds Zhalgas Zhumagulov vs. Raulian Paiva to July 11 lineup

A flyweight matchup between Zhalgas Zhumagulov and Raulian Paiva is the latest addition to UFC 251.

A flyweight matchup is the latest addition to UFC 251.

On July 11, [autotag]Zhalgas Zhumagulov[/autotag] will face [autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag] on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi – also known as “Fight Island.”

Two people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the booking on Tuesday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Zhumagulov (13-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) was scheduled to make his promotional debut vs. Jordan Espinosa on June 13 in Kazakhstan, but the event was canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak. Zhumagulov, a former FNG flyweight champion, has won his last four in a row, including wins over former UFC flyweight title challenger Ali Bagautinov, Tyson Nam, and newly-signed Tagir Ulanbekov.

Paiva (19-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) punched his ticket to the UFC in 2018 with a win over Allan Nascimento in Dana White’s Contender Series. In his last outing, Paiva snapped a two-fight losing skid with a knockout win over Mark De La Rosa – his first UFC victory.

With the addition, the current UFC 251 lineup includes:

Champ Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns – for the UFC welterweight title
Champ Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway – for the UFC featherweight title
Jose Aldo vs. Petr Yan – for the vacant UFC bantamweight title
Amanda Ribas vs. Paige VanZant
Frankie Edgar vs. Pedro Munhoz
Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Ciryl Gane
Volkan Oezdemir vs. Jiri Prochazka
Raulian Paiva vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov

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Valentina Shevchenko injured; UFC 251 title fight vs. Joanne Calderwood on hold

Valentina Shevchenko’s next title defense will have to wait a little longer.

UFC women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] will not be defending her belt at UFC 251.

Her flyweight title defense against [autotag]Joanne Calderwood[/autotag], slated for June 6 in Perth, Australia, is on hold because of an undisclosed injury, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity since the UFC has yet to make an announcement. The fight is expected to be rescheduled, although a date to rebook hasn’t been set.

Calderwood first revealed the development Tuesday in an interview with MMA Fighting.

“We got word last week that it’s going to get pushed back,” Calderwood said of the fight. “Not because of this whole (coronavirus pandemic), but something on her end. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to say that, but we know for sure that it’s not going to be on June 6. I don’t know, I’m not sure what happened or what’s what, but it’s been pushed back. It could be a blessing in disguise.”

Calderwood subsequently said during an Instagram Live session that she hoped for the fight to be rebooked in either July or August.

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Shevchenko (19-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) has defended her title three consecutive times since winning the inaugural belt by outpointing former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk in December 2018 at UFC 231.

Shevchenko last fought in February, stopping Katlyn Chookagian at UFC 247. The champion remains undefeated at 125 pounds, with her only two losses in the UFC coming at bantamweight to current dual champion Amanda Nunes.

Meanwhile, Calderwood (14-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) has compiled a record of 3-1 since moving back up to 125 pounds. Calderwood most recently defeated Andrea Lee via split decision last September at UFC 242.

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Joanne Calderwood and the challenge of training for Valentina Shevchenko in uncertain times

Joanne Calderwood’s tall order got even taller, but coach John Wood said they are making the most of the situation.

Coach John Wood knows a thing or two about big upsets.

Owner of Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas, Wood has another tough task in front of him when [autotag]Joanne Calderwood[/autotag] challenges champion [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] for the flyweight title June 6 at UFC 251.

The coronavirus pandemic has postponed three events through April 11, and with the promotion scrambling for a location for UFC 249 on April 18, Wood is unsure if they make it to the fight. Good thing is that Wood is not only Calderwood’s head coach but her fiancé, and the two live together, which has definitely facilitated their preparation.

“We are definitely not confident about having a set date for any upcoming fight, including ‘JoJo’s’,” Wood told MMA Junkie. “My guess is that it will be pushed back a month or two. As far the preparation goes, we are in a very fortunate situation that I’m her coach, and we live together, so it makes it much more convenient in a time like this. We set up a full gym in our house for strength and condition, and we also have a full mat set up if we go on full lockdown.

“Right now we are able to go to the closed gym where it’s just her and I and sometimes one other partner who’s also taking the quarantine very serious, and we’ve been drilling in the cage and actually getting some really good work. The fight is a ways away, so we aren’t gonna get too crazy yet, but just focusing on really sharpening things up and putting the best JoJo you’ve ever seen inside that cage.”

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Beating Shevchenko has proven to be a tall order for all flyweights on the roster so far, with “Bullet” 5-0 since moving down to 125 pounds, which includes three title defenses. But Wood relishes the underdog role.

It’s something he experienced when he helped Roxanne Modaffer pull off a huge upset by knocking off previously unbeaten Maycee Barber at UFC 246.

“In my mind, Valentina is pound for pound one of the best fighters out there right now, man or woman,” Wood said. “There is no glaring weakness that she presents, but there are a lot of ‘little things’ that I’m seeing in different fights of hers that can be exposed. Now the trick is exposing multiple of those ‘little things’ in a single fight, which she has not allowed to this point.

“JoJo will be ready to take this fight wherever it goes, standing or on the ground. She will be ready for a five-round war. JoJo is constantly improving her game every day and one of the most dedicated and hardest working people that I’ve ever been around. We know we will be massive underdogs in this fight, but that is a role I’m used to as a coach, and I actually like it. I love when someone tells me we have no chance. I love a challenge and so does JoJo, and I can tell you one thing: She will be leaving that cage a UFC champion.”

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For Wood, the concern also lies with the big stable of fighters in his gym, where most of them have been hit hard during this global pandemic.

“It’s been an extremely difficult few weeks for everyone and the world, but our profession out of all sports has taken one of the hardest hits,” Wood said. “I have around 40 to 50 fighters on the roster, with a good portion of them booked, and every single one of those fights has been postponed or canceled.

“And as you know, MMA is one of the lowest paid sports out there, and most of these guys live fight to fight while working other jobs if they are not in the UFC or a bigger show. A lot of guys have lost their jobs and are looking to have to move back in with their parents just to survive. It’s terrible right now.”

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Tai Tuivasa vs. Jarjis Dando booked for UFC 251 in Perth, Australia

The supporting fights for what likely will be two title fights atop the UFC’s return to Australia are starting to trickle out.

Australia’s own [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) has found his way to UFC 251 in a heavyweight bout against Syria-born and Germany-based [autotag]Jarjis Dando[/autotag] (5-1-1 MMA, 0-1-1 UFC). UFC officials announced the booking on Instagram.

UFC 251 takes place June 6 (June 7 locally) at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+. Women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko is booked for a title defense against Joanne Calderwood on the card. And Australian featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski is likely to top the bill with a title defense rematch against Max Holloway.

After starting his pro MMA career a perfect 9-0, including three straight wins to open his UFC tenure, Tuivasa is mired in a three-fight skid. After knockouts of Rashad Coulter and Cyril Asker, the latter of which came in Perth at UFC 221, he took a decision from former heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski at UFC 225 in June 2018.

But since then, it’s been tough sledding for the 26-year-old. In his first main event for the promotion at UFC Fight Night 142 in Adelaide, Australia, he was knocked out in the second round by former champ Junior Dos Santos. And 2019 featured a pair of losses to Blagoy Ivanov and Serghei Spivac to give him three straight setbacks.

Danho returns to the UFC after a lengthy layoff. He debuted with the promotion at UFC Fight Night 84 a little more than four years ago and lost a decision to Daniel Omielanczuk. In his follow-up fight, he settled for a majority draw with Christian Colombo at UFC Fight Night 93.

He was set for a third try at a win with the promotion at UFC 211 in May 2017, but had to pull out with an injury. Then, after nearly two and a half years on the sidelines, he was booked for a fight this past October against Greg Hardy at UFC on ESPN+ 20 in Singapore, but pulled out of that fight.

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Alexander Volkanovski wants Max Holloway rematch at UFC 251, fires back at ‘Korean Zombie’

UFC champ Alexander Volkanovski is zeroing in on a rematch with Max Holloway at UFC 251.

LAS VEGAS – Featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] is zeroing in on a rematch with [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] on home soil at UFC 251.

Volkanovski (21-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) is a likely candidate to headline the June 6 event in Perth, Australia, but said nothing is set in stone as of now. He’s in Las Vegas supporting teammate Israel Adesanya at UFC 248, and while in town expects to have a productive discussion with the UFC brass regarding the details of his next fight.

Although Volkanovski is still dealing with a lingering hand injury from when he beat Holloway (21-5 MMA, 17-5 UFC) by unanimous decision to take the title at UFC 245 in December, he said he will advance his recovery timeline to ensure he competes at the event. When looking at the lay of the land at 145 pounds, he thinks a second encounter with “Blessed” is most logical.

“Everyone knows I want to be on that card, and everyone knows that the UFC want me on that card, and a lot of people are saying they want Max, as well,” Volkanovski told MMA Junkie on Friday. “I think the biggest fight would be Max. I think for the division, for myself, and for the UFC, that is probably the fight to make.”

A second option to Holloway as an opponent seemingly was Chan Sung Jung, but “The Korean Zombie” told MMA Junkie on Thursday that he’s still recovering from a recent eye surgery and his timeline doesn’t match up with the champ’s. That’s a fight that has potential to happen eventually, though, especially after the two crossed paths this week in “Sin City.”

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Jung said that he saw fear when he saw Volkanovski face-to-face, but Volkanovski said his retelling of events is inaccurate.

“He was respectful, so I don’t know if he’s still trying to play that card,” Volkanovski said. “Now there’s a camera in front of him, he says we were in each other’s face and we almost went to blows. Nah. We’re both pretty respectful guys. At the same time, he can say what he wants, and I’m sure the talk is going to keep going. If that fight does happen, I’m sure I’m going to do to him what I’ve done to everyone else.”

With Jung unavailable, there doesn’t appear to be any opponent more fitting than Holloway, who ran through the divisional rankings before his fight with Volkanovski. In the immediate fallout of UFC 245, Volkanovski distanced himself from the idea of fighting Holloway again right away. His tune has since changed, though, and he said the rematch is what he wants most.

“There’s no one else,” Volkanovski said. “I did win that fight convincingly. I believe I won all five (rounds), and a lot of people did believe that, as well. But at the same time, there’s no clear No. 1 contender. … Just to prove I’m the best featherweight in the world, and even to prove I’m the best featherweight of all time, I think I need to beat him again.

“I’m not the type to say I’m fighting for legacy and stuff, but for me right now, I think that puts me in a really good position – especially if I take him out. That will really solidify myself as one of the best in the division.”

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Tag: UFC 251