Tag: UFC 253

MMA Junkie Radio #3079: UFC 252 recap and losses from the old guard, UFC 253 look-ahead

Check out the latest edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”

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Monday’s episode of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On Episode 3,079 of the podcast, the boys recap UFC 252 and the losses some of MMA’s old guard took. They also look ahead to UFC 253 and break down some recent fight bookings.

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

Dana White: Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa at UFC 253 will be ‘Fight of the Year’

Dana White thinks the UFC 253 headliner between middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa will be 2020’s best fight.

LAS VEGAS – Dana White thinks the UFC 253 headliner will be 2020’s best fight.

UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (19-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) will defend his title against [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) on Sept. 26 in an event that is expected to take place at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

In a battle between two undefeated rising stars, White is looking forward to the stylistic clash that he’s confident will deliver.

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“I don’t know what you guys think, but I predict that’s ‘Fight of the Year,'” White told reporters, including MMA Junkie, after UFC 252 on Saturday. “I think stylistically, it’s the perfect fight. If you look at the way Costa fights, he puts pressure on you, he stays in your face the whole time. Adesanya likes to stay on the outside and pick you apart.

“I think that fight is going to be an absolute war. Just stylistically, it matches up really, really well, and both guys are animals. Both guys want this fight really bad, and I think it’s going to be ‘Fight of the Year.'”

Bad blood has been brewing between the two middleweights, with Costa going as far as saying he won’t shake Adesanya’s hand at the end of the fight. Both men are coming off wins over Yoel Romero.

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Jared Cannonier wants alternate status for Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa title fight

Jared Cannonier won’t say no to a late-notice title fight.

[autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] has a dance parter for his return, but he wouldn’t mind a late-notice shuffle.

The UFC middleweight contender returns to competition on Oct. 24 against former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 254, which takes place at location yet to be determined. By the time Cannonier (13-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) sets foot in the octagon, it will have been a little over a year since he was last seen in action. The 36-year-old suffered a torn pectoral muscle that kept him out of commission for some time.

Now healthy and preparing for a fight, Cannonier wouldn’t mind stepping in the cage sooner than his scheduled date and said he’d like to be considered an alternate for the middleweight title fight between Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa in September at UFC 253.

“I’m ready to be an alternate, and I’m ready for my contender fight,” Cannonier told MMA Junkie Radio. “As far as my therapist, he feels more comfortable me actually fighting the octagon in October. The more time the better for the repair, so October is the time we talked about. … Hopefully with that offer, the prospect of being the alternate for the title fight, so things are happening. I’m back, hold tight, and get ready.”

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Cannonier last fought in September 2019 at UFC on ESPN+18, a card he headlined with a TKO victory over Jack Hermansson. “The Killa Gorilla” is unbeaten since dropping to 185 pounds back in late 2018. Cannonier has picked up finishes over David Branch, Anderson Silva, and most recently Hermansson.

Cannonier said he can’t wait to get back in action and continue his successful middleweight campaign. He feels he’s 100 percent ready for the physical demands of world-class fighting.

“Grappling was the last ting that I re-incorporated in my training, like wrestling,” Cannonier said. “That’s how I tore the pec in the first place. On top of that, personally, I wanted to get back to punching and kicking things and doing that part of the game.

“I’ve been grappling for about a month-and-a-half now, and I could’ve been grappling way before that, but I’m listening to my doctor and to my therapist, and we’re taking things slow. And like I said, I’m back and I feel 100 percent. I haven’t had any issues with it yet, so grappling was the last thing I incorporated. That was the last hurdle. That was the last test.”

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Paulo Costa: Robert Whittaker should fight Jared Cannonier in UFC middleweight title eliminator

Ahead of his first UFC title shot, Paulo Costa sees a particular way the top of the middleweight division could play out.

Ahead of his first UFC title shot, [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] sees a particular way the middleweight division could play out.

Costa (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) challenges champion Israel Adesanya (19-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in the main event of UFC 253 on Sept. 19, which still does not have an announced location. The division is stacked with contenders who are vying for a title shot, and several matchups have recently helped clear that picture up.

Jack Hermansson scored a first-round submission over Kelvin Gastelum at UFC on ESPN+ 30, and former champ [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] got back to the win column with a unanimous decision over Darren Till in the UFC on ESPN 14 headliner.

But considering [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] scored a second-round knockout over Hermansson last September, Costa thinks Whittaker (21-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC) should fight Cannonier (13-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) to determine who’s next in line for a title shot.

“We have maybe three guys in line waiting for the winner of my fight,” Costa told MMA Junkie. “I don’t know what Dana White will do to solve that problem, but maybe a title eliminator can be good. We have Rob, Jared – I believe Rob and Jared need to fight to see.”

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Costa was not impressed by Whittaker-Till and shared those by calling it an “ugly fight.” While most spectators were raving at the technique display, Costa was expecting more from both guys.

“Not really good,” Costa said of the fight. “I was waiting for more action.”

Another middleweight clash that’s coming up on August 22 pits two of Costa’s former foes – Yoel Romero and Uriah Hall. Costa already beat both guys but is intrigued by the stylistic matchup.

“Interesting fight,” Costa said. “If Romero comes to fight, I believe it can be a very good fight. Both guys I beat in different ways. Uriah Hall is very fast, he has good striking skills, and Romero is a kind of guy who’s more grappling, but he’s tough. It’s not easy to knock him out. Interesting fight. I want to see that fight.”

Ryan Spann vs. Johnny Walker joins UFC 253 lineup

A battle between light heavyweight prospects Johnny Walker and Ryan Spann is the latest addition to UFC 253.

A battle between light heavyweight prospects is the latest addition to UFC 253.

[autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 4-0 UFC) will face [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) on the Sept. 19 card, which is likely to take place on “Fight Island” at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the targeted booking to MMA Junkie after an initial report by ESPN. The person asked to remain anonymous because the promotion has yet to make an announcement.

Fortis MMA’s Spann has won his first four UFC fights and his past eight in a row overall. He is coming off a split decision win over Sam Alvey at UFC 249 in May.

After bursting into the UFC scene in 2018 with three straight “Performance of the Night” bonuses, Walker finds himself in unfamiliar territory. He is coming off back-to-back losses to Corey Anderson and most recently Nikita Krylov in March. He will look to avoid a three-fight losing skid, when he faces a stern test in Spann.

The latest UFC 253 card now includes:

  • Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa
  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Randa Markos
  • Heili Alateng vs. Casey Kenney
  • Mara Romero Borella vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
  • Hakeem Dawodu vs. Zubaira Tukhugov
  • Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Ciryl Gane
  • Ryan Spann vs. Johnny Walker

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Ciryl Gane ‘not in a rush’ but confident he has skills to make UFC title run

Ciryl Gane, who’s been training MMA for just two years, is 3-0 to kick off his UFC career and might not be far off from a title shot.

[autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] barely has been training MMA for two years, yet he finds himself perhaps a couple of fights away from a UFC title shot.

Gane (6-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who is only six fights into his professional MMA career, faces Shamil Abdurakhimov on Sept. 19 at UFC 253 in a tough test that should gauge how he stacks up against the heavyweight elite.

Since joining the UFC roster in August 2019, Gane has picked up three wins in just over fourth months and already finds himself ranked in the top 15. He was initially scheduled to face Abdurakhimov in April, but he was forced out due to pneumothorax – a collapsed lung, which set him back a couple of months.

It’s not the first time Gane has suffered a collapsed lung, but after undergoing surgery, he thinks it should no longer be an issue.

“It’s the second time,” Gane told MMA Junkie. “That’s why the second time, the doctor did something for real. A real surgery … It gave me a germ infection that kept me three weeks in the hospital. It was a bad time. I lost 10 kilos. It was a really bad time, but now I’m good.”

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Gane was then matched up with Sergei Pavlovich in August, but this time his opponent had to drop out, and Gane was rebooked against Abdurakhimov in September.

The gritty Abdurakhimov has won three of his past four with a variety of finishes. Gane thinks while Abdurakhimov might not look like a threat, he knows he’s in for a battle.

“I think it’s gonna be a good fight,” Gane said. “I think it’s gonna be a fight with a real fight IQ. When you look at Shamil’s fights, he doesn’t look wonderful (technique) and dangerous, and I think this guy is really dangerous because you can see it. You just feel it when you’re with this guy in the cage, so I think it’s gonna be a good fight.”

Should he beat Abdurakhimov, Gane will emerge as a fresh face in the division, with big names, former champions and future Hall of Famers as possible next opponents. Considering Gane took his first pro fight having only been training for six months, things have moved pretty fast for “Bon Gamin,” but it doesn’t come as too much of a surprise.

His head coach, Fernand Lopez, who talked him into MMA, saw all these possibilities for him from the start.

“I’m not in a rush, but I think my career was fast,” Gane said. “I just started MMA a little over two years ago and in September, I’m gonna fight against Shamil, No. 10 in the UFC, which is the biggest league in the world, so I cross my fingers.”

He continued, “I think I have the skill to one day fight for the belt. I believe in myself for real. I believe in myself, and Fernand Lopez, my coach and my manager, told me – the first real conversation I had with Fernand Lopez, he told me ‘MMA, it’s a good plan for you. I think maybe in two or three years, you’re going to fight for the belt.’ So I trust him.”

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Casey Kenney vs. Heili Alateng added to UFC 253 lineup

A bantamweight matchup between Casey Kenney and Heili Alateng is the latest addition to UFC 253.

A bantamweight matchup is the latest addition to UFC 253.

[autotag]Casey Kenney[/autotag] (14-2-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) will take on [autotag]Heili Alateng[/autotag] (14-7-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) on Sept. 19, likely on “Fight Island” at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

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

Kenney made waves upon entering the UFC by upsetting Ray Borg, then bouncing Manny Bermudez out of the ranks of the unbeaten. He then saw his six-fight winning streak snapped at the hands of Merab Dvalishvili in February, before rebounding with a first-round submission over Louis Smolka in May.

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Winner of his last four, China’s Alateng made good in his first two UFC fights, picking up decision wins over Danaa Batgerel and most recently Ryan Benoit last December at UFC on ESPN+ 23.

The latest UFC 253 card now includes:

  • Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa – for middleweight title
  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Randa Markos
  • Hakeem Dawodu vs. Zubaira Tukhugov
  • Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Ciryl Gane
  • Heili Alateng vs. Casey Kenney

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