Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Here are the top four honorable mentions and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Submission of the Year” award for 2020.
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With another action-packed year of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie takes a look at the best knockouts from January to December. Here are the top five and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Submission of the Year” award for 2020.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice for “Submission of the Year.”
Relive Khabib Nurmagomedov’s weight cut ahead of UFC 254 as his behind-the-scenes video blog documents his difficult path to the scale in Abu Dhabi.
When lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] showed up to the UFC 254 weigh-ins, it was evident that he had a rough weight cut.
Nurmagomedov needed the towel when he stepped on the scale and breathed a big sigh of relief when he made championship weight for his title defense against Justin Gaethje on Oct. 24.
Though the rough weight cut didn’t end up affecting Nurmagomedov’s performance on fight night – he submitted the interim champion in the second round to retain his undisputed crown – his journey to the octagon was not an easy one.
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On the latest episode of his UAE Training Camp vlog, Nurmagomedov provided an inside look at his weight cut, where you can see him clearly struggling to shed the last few pounds before stepping onto the scale.
Check out the video above to see just how much of a battle “The Eagle” faced before he ever set foot inside the octagon at UFC 254.
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.
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UFC president Dana White has no clear answers on what the future holds for Tony Ferguson after his loss at UFC 256.
LAS VEGAS – UFC president Dana White has no clear answers on what the future holds for [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] after his loss at UFC 256.
Ferguson (25-5 MMA, 15-3 UFC), a former interim UFC lightweight champion, has consecutive losses for the first time in his career after he was dominated by Charles Oliveira (30-8 MMA, 18-8 UFC) in a unanimous decision defeat in their co-main event matchup at UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday.
After succumbing to a fifth-round TKO vs. Justin Gaethje at UFC 249 in May to snap his 12-fight winning streak, White said prior to UFC 256 that he thought there was good reason to think Ferguson would bounce back. That didn’t happen, and now the UFC boss isn’t sure what’s on deck.
“I thought we were going to see the old Tony,” White told reporters, including MMA Junkie, post-fight at UFC 256. “I thought that the last fight he was affected by weight cutting and we were going to see (the old Tony). Ten out of 10 people tap to that armbar (against Oliveira). The fact he even made it through the armbar is unbelievable and just a testament to how tough and durable and crazy Tony Ferguson is.”
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After losing his past two fights definitively, Ferguson now will be a subject of speculation. He will turn 37 in February and finds himself in the most challenging moment of his career. Is this just a bump in the road, or is it a notable downward slide? White said he can’t answer that.
“Of course that’s possible (he’s past his prime), but Tony needs to go home and spend the holidays with his family and take some time off and think about what he wants to do next year and we’ll see what’s next for him,” White said. “But yes, every time you fight in this business, that’s always possible.”
One thing that appears to be a new reality for Ferguson at this point, though, is that the lightweight belt could be out of reach for good. A matchup with lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov has been one of the most anticipated fights in UFC history, but it has failed to materialize five times.
It’s unfortunate, but not something White said he dwells on in the current landscape.
“No (I don’t worry about it); it just didn’t (happen),” White said. “It wasn’t from lack of trying. We put that fight together five times. It just wasn’t meant to be. I don’t think about it at all.”
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Check out the latest episode of Spinning Back Clique, which covers the fallout from UFC 254 and looks ahead to Bellator 250.
Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week, Simon Head hosts the panel of MMA Junkie Radio hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze,” as well as MMA Junkie’s Danny Segura. Let’s get after it!
SHOW TOPICS
For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 50 of “Spinning Back Clique” above.
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Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from MMA as UFC lightweight champion with an undefeated record of 29-0.
Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from MMA as UFC lightweight champion with an undefeated record of 29-0.
As if the death of his father wasn’t enough, Khabib Nurmagomedov faced even more adversity on his road to UFC 254.
UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] had to battle numerous obstacles heading into the final fight of his career.
Prior to submitting Justin Gaethje in the second round of the UFC 254 headliner, it was revealed that Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC) missed two weeks of camp after being diagnosed with the mumps in mid-September. UFC president Dana White also said Nurmagomedov suffered a broken foot three weeks before his fight.
That was in addition to the fact that UFC 254 was Nuamgomedov’s first fight since the death of his father and coach, Abdulmanap, earlier this year.
Speaking to Submission Radio, American Kickboxing Academy head coach [autotag]Javier Mendez[/autotag], who trains Nurmagomedov, detailed “The Eagle’s” difficult camp and how he spent three days in the hospital.
“It took him out of two weeks of training,” Mendez said. “And he got the mumps, I guess, the day before his father’s event in Russia. So, he came here with the mumps, and he tried training a couple of days really light. But then he got so sick; he had to be hospitalized. So, he was in the hospital for three days. He comes out, and I’m like going, I’m really (expletive), man. I’m going, ‘Oh man, we’re fighting such a great warrior like Justin, and we’re already starting off on a bad foot.’ And I go, ‘This really sucks.'”
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While recovering from the mumps, bad luck continued for Nurmagomedov, who then broke a toe while sparring. But the undefeated champ would not be deterred.
“So, he starts training really light one week, and then the second week we had to get some sparring in, because without sparring you don’t know where you’re at,” Mendez said. “So, we have one sparring session. He looked OK. Not how I wanted him to look, but he looked okay. And the second sparring session he was looking great, and all of a sudden midway in the second round, boom, he stops. I go, ‘What the heck happened?’ Broke his freakin’ toe. And I’m like, ‘Oh, great. Broken toe.’ Now we have to wait more time for him to heal before we can start training again.
“So that really jacked everything up. But at the end of the day, like I said, we all have things that happen in camp. This was just one of our worst for him. And the one thing he said like six days out before the event, he said, ‘Coach, my toe may be broken, but my mind is not.’ And we worked on stuff like that forever from his father. To me, when he said that ‘my mind is not (broken),’ we knew that we’re winning this fight no matter what. And in all honesty, these last sparring sessions, he looked fantastic.”
Nurmagomedov used his pressure early, going right at Gaethje, who attempted to stifle his movement with hard leg kicks. Once Nurmagomedov got the fight to the ground, he quickly locked in a triangle choke in Round 2 for the win.
After the fight, Nurmagomedov surprised the masses by announcing his retirement, fulfilling a promise to his mother that he would no longer compete without his father to guide him.
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Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”
Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here and will stream live on SportsCastr beginning at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).
On Episode 3,099 of the podcast, the guys will cover all things Khabib Nurmagomedov, who announced his retirement after his second-round submission win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. The guys will react to the event in general, and they’ll be joined by MMA Junkie reporter Farah Hannoun, who spent five weeks covering the second “Fight Island” stint in Abu Dhabi. Tune in!
Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.
Escucha el episodio 14 de Hablemos MMA con Santiago Ponzinibbio.
(Editor’s note: Hablemos MMA is MMA Junkie’s weekly Spanish-language podcast hosted by reporter Danny Segura. New episodes are released every Monday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more of your favorite podcasting platforms. You can also stream or download the latest episode here.)
En el episodio 14 de Hablemos MMA, Danny Segura entrevista a [autotag]Santiago Ponzinibbio[/autotag] acerca del estatus de su carrera, cuando podrá volver al octágono, su trabajo como comentarista en UFC Español, [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag], y mucho más.
También analizamos los resultados de UFC 256, y repasamos las ultimas noticias de la semana incluyendo el retiro de [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag], [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag], la última pelea de [autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag], y mucho y más.
Jared Cannonier opens up about loss to Robert Whittaker.
“That didn’t go exactly how I wanted, but My spirits remain high and I’m happy with how I fought all things considered,” Cannonier wrote. “The very first kick he threw broke or fractured my left ulna. I couldn’t find my grove and adjust quickly to get the W so I’ll take my L with pride. @robwhittakermma certainly lived up to my expectations before and after the fight. Congrats mate. Enjoy Xmas and the new (baby). It was a hell of an experience to be here. Can’t wait to go again.”
Cannonier’s loss at UFC 254 snapped a three-fight wining streak, which marked his entire UFC career at 185 pounds. The 36-year-old was returning after a year-long layoff due to a torn pectoral muscle that required surgery and rehabilitation.
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Who should fight for the vacant UFC lightweight title after Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement?
A new era in the UFC lightweight division is on the horizon after [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s retirement announcement.
Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC) retired from MMA competition Saturday following a second-round submission win over Justin Gaethje (22-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) to defend his 155-pound title in the UFC 254 main event at Forum Flash at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
Although the promotion has yet to officially acknowledge the title’s vacant, all signs point to that coming soon with a new champion set to be crowned thereafter.
Lightweight is arguably the deepest weight class in the sport, and immediately there are a number of title-fight competitors, including Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor, Tony Ferguson and Michael Chandler, to name a few.
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What’s the best way for the UFC to proceed? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis of the future of 155 pounds following Nurmagomedov’s retirement at UFC 254.
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