Tag: UFC 254

Dana White confirms Dustin Poirier vs. Tony Ferguson is dead: ‘We’re getting another fight’

Dustin Poirier vs. Tony Ferguson is not happening at UFC 254, nor will it go down anytime in the near future by all appearances.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] is not happening at UFC 254, nor will it go down anytime in the near future by all appearances.

After UFC president Dana White said the promotion was working on booking a matchup between former interim lightweight champions Poirier (26-6 MMA, 18-5 UFC) and Ferguson (25-4 MMA, 15-2 UFC) for the October event, excitement for the matchup reached a fever pitch with fans and media.

Earlier this week, however, Poirier poured cold water on the proposed matchup and said he could not reach financial terms with the UFC to finalize the fight. White appeared just fine to go along with that, because he confirmed plans for the fight are dead when asked at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 35 post-fight news conference.

“No, we’re not even trying to salvage it,” White told MMA Junkie. “We’re getting another fight. It’ll happen (with a different opponent for Ferguson).”

White did not go into details about why an agreement with Poirier couldn’t be reached. He also did not mention who the potential new opponent for Ferguson could be.

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Dustin Poirier: Tony Ferguson fight unlikely to happen at UFC 254

Dustin Poirier says he needs to be compensated if the UFC wants to put on the fight.

A discussed fight between top lightweight contenders is now being deemed unlikely to happen by one of its competitors.

According to a Thursday report from ESPN, [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] says a fight with [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] is improbable for UFC 254 on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi on Oct. 24.

“UFC and I didn’t come to terms,” Poirier said. “I will not be fighting on Oct. 24.  “I just need to be compensated if they want this fight. Simple as that. I’m a (prizefighter) and the prize needs to be right.”

The fight had been previously acknowledged by UFC president Dana White. White even confirmed the date and event were in the promotion’s plans at a post-fight news conference on Aug. 22, saying the bout was “probably” going to happen.

Had it happened on Oct. 24, Poirier (26-6 MMA, 18-5 UFC) vs. Ferguson (25-4 MMA, 15-2 UFC) would’ve taken place on the same card as its divisional champion. UFC lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov is scheduled to take on Justin Gaethje in the UFC 254 main event.

UFC 254 takes place at Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The main card will stream on pay-per-view.

The current UFC 254 lineup includes:

  • Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje – for UFC lightweight title
  • Jared Cannonier vs. Robert Whittaker
  • Rafael dos Anjos vs. Islam Makhachev
  • Walt Harris vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba
  • Cynthia Calvillo vs. Lauren Murphy
  • Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Sergey Morozov
  • Sam Alvey vs. Da Un Jung
  • Liana Jojua vs. Miranda Maverick

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Dana White dishes on UFC ‘Fight Island’ dates, The Ultimate Fighter return, and upcoming DWCS hiatus

Dana White provided some insight into the UFC’s upcoming schedule – and beyond.

LAS VEGAS – The UFC’s official plan for the final quarter of 2020 is coming together.

At the DWCS 32 post-fight news conference Tuesday, MMA Junkie asked UFC president Dana White about the official timeframe of the promotion’s upcoming trip to ‘Fight Island.’

White confirmed the promotion is planning to kick off its sophomore residency with UFC 253 on Sept. 26, followed by three fight nights (presumably Oct. 3, Oct. 10, and Oct. 17), and capped off with UFC 254 on Oct. 24.

MMA Fighting was the first to report ‘Fight Island’ schedule on Friday.

White also reiterated the promotion is finalizing the next season of The Ultimate Fighter – a plan he’s mentioned in the past, even more so recently. However, this time, White seemed to indicate the wheels are officially in motion with hard dates in mind and meetings set.

“We’re going to ‘Fight Island,'” White said. “They all have these big plans on how we’re going to announce all this stuff. The Ultimate Fighter is coming back, too. I start filming that when I come back from ‘Fight Island.’ We’ve got the Contender Series. (There are) lots of things going on.”

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White said the promotion has not determined who the coaches will be for The Ultimate Fighter, Season 29, but that the first “TUF meeting” will be held later this week.

As for the current season Dana White’s Contender Series, White confirmed the show will halt during the promotion’s ‘Fight Island’ tenure and return in November. That means next week’s DWCS 33 will be the last episode until White returns to American soil.

“(Contender Series goes) on hiatus, until I get back,” White said. “I’ll be (on ‘Fight Island’) the whole five weeks.”

One other unique detail White revealed was the timing of UFC 254, the promotion’s pay-per-view event headlined by UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagmedov and first-time challenger Justin Gaethje.

“It will be time-friendly (for Europeans),” White said. “… It will happen in the afternoon here (in the United States).

DWCS 32 took place Tuesday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streamed on ESPN+.

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Rafael dos Anjos returns to lightweight, meets Islam Makhachev at UFC 254

Ex-champ Rafael dos Anjos returns to lightweight for the first time in four years when he meets Islam Makhachev at UFC 254.

[autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag] will face one of the division’s hottest prospects in his return to lightweight.

Dos Anjos (30-13 MMA, 18-11 UFC), the former 155-pound titleholder, is set to take on [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) at UFC 254 on Oct. 24. The event is expected to take place at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, but has not been officially announced.

MMA Junkie verified the matchup with multiple people close to the situation following an initial report from BJ Penn.com. The people requested anonymity because UFC has yet to make an announcement.

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Dos Anjos will return to lightweight for the first time since a November 2016 loss to Tony Ferguson. The Brazilian started out his welterweight tenure at 3-0, but has since dropped four of his past five, with his lone win coming over Kevin Lee. He will return to his original weight class, where he hasn’t won since December 2015, when he takes on the streaking Makhachev.

Makhachev has had a hard time drawing a top-ranked opponent. After suffering his lone career loss in 2015, Makhachev has won six straight, most recently out-grappling Davi Ramos at UFC 242 in September.

With the addition, the latest UFC 254 lineup includes:

  • Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje
  • Jared Cannonier vs. Robert Whittaker
  • Cynthia Calvillo vs. Lauren Murphy
  • Walt Harris vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Sergey Morozov vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
  • Rafael dos Anjos vs. Islam Makhachev

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Khabib Nurmagomedov recalls weight-cut help from Justin Gaethje: ‘Justin was there for me’

Khabib Nurmagomedov revealed his respect for Justin Gaethje after the UFC interim champion helped him make weight at UFC on Fox 19.

UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] says there is no bad blood between himself and [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] ahead of their title unification battle, and revealed how his latest championship rival actually helped him make weight for a crucial bout early in his UFC career.

Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) and Gaethje (22-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) are set to contest the undisputed crown in the main event of UFC 254 on Oct. 24 and the undefeated Russian said he has no personal beef with “The Highlight” ahead of their matchup.

“I’ve known Gaethje for a while, since he fought in WSOF,” Nurmagomedov explained (via RT Sport translation). “I remember in 2016 when I was returning after I had three surgeries in a row, when Tony Ferguson got injured and I got Darrell Horcher on nine days’ notice (at UFC on Fox 19). Justin helped me cut weight. I had a tough weight cut. He helped me cut the last 2.5 kilograms (approximately 5.5 pounds) the morning before the weigh-ins.

“I remember I dropped the last kilogram in the hot bath. You might not know how we cut weight – you spend 15 minutes in a hot bath, then you’re wrapped in a towel and go back in. You do that three, four times. He helped take me out of the bath because there weren’t enough people around. Islam Makhachev was cutting weight, so was Omari Akhmedov. We were all fighting the same night. You need a couple of people around you and Justin was there for me, so I have no ill will toward him.

“He fights (and) wants to be the best in the world and I respect his efforts. He achieved a lot in the sport and I think he’s a worthy opponent. You saw what he did to Tony Ferguson. I don’t underestimate him. It’s strictly professional. We’ll get in the cage, shake hands, handle our business and leave.”

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While Nurmagomedov may have respect for his latest rival, he did say that history is repeating itself in the narrative being portrayed by the media ahead of their upcoming bout. He also revealed that he thinks Conor McGregor is a better striker than the current interim champ.

“Before the fight with (Edson) Barboza, they said that he was my most uncomfortable rival,” he said. “Then they said the same thing before the fight with Conor, then with (Dustin) Poirier.

“They didn’t have time to say that about (Al) Iaquinta, because they gave me a fight in a few hours. I am sympathetic to this, but journalists need to say something to warm up their interest in battle.

“But I kind of agree that Gaethje is a very good fighter. If he was bad he would not have fought for the belt. Is he better standing than Conor? I think no. My fighting IQ tells me that Conor is better standing than Gaethje.”

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Cynthia Calvillo, Lauren Murphy agree to fight at UFC 254

An intriguing women’s flyweight fight is expected to go down at UFC 254 in October.

A bout which could produce a real contender in the women’s flyweight division is in the works for UFC 254.

[autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag] and [autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag] have verbally agreed to fight on the Oct. 24 card, which does not yet have a location announced. MMA Junkie confirmed a Thursday report by MMA Fighting.

Calvillo (9-1-1 MMA, 6-1-1 UFC) is unbeaten in her past four fights at 3-0-1. That includes a unanimous decision win over former title challenger Jessica Eye in her most recent bout, a main event on June 13 that also served as Calvillo’s return up to 125 pounds from strawweight.

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Murphy (13-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC), meanwhile, looks to build off her recent outstanding run. The former Invicta FC bantamweight champ dropped three of her first four UFC fights but has rebounded to take four of her past five, including her last three. She’s coming off a unanimous decision win over Roxanne Modafferi on June 20.

With the addition, the latest UFC 254 lineup includes:

  • Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje
  • Jared Cannonier vs. Robert Whittaker
  • Cynthia Calvillo vs. Lauren Murphy

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Daniel Cormier was ‘taken a little aback’ by Khabib Nurmagomedov returning at UFC 254

Daniel Cormier is thrilled to have Khabib Nurmagomedov scheduled to fight so soon after the death of his father.

It was a short time ago when [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] expressed uncertainty about [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s fighting future in the wake of his father, Abdulmanap, passing away.

Then Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) was booked to defend his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje (22-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) at UFC 254 on Oct. 24, and many were surprised about the timeline.

Cormier and Nurmagomedov are good friends and teammates at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose. Cormier has seen first hand how tightly bound the relationship between the Nurmagomedovs was, as it extended well beyond just a father and son. It was also a coach and a pupil, and Nurmagomedov not having that presence heading into a fight was thought to possibly be too much to bare.

Cormier had previously vocalized his concerns about how soon, if ever, “The Eagle” would soar back into the octagon. The lightweight title unification bout is now official with interim champ Gaethje, and Cormier said it’s a welcomed surprise to see Nurmagomedov getting back to work this soon.

“I was a little nervous initially,” Cormier told MMA Junkie. “Not nervous, I was taken a little aback. After I did the show (for ESPN talking about it) I had heard that Khabib was looking more at getting going sooner than later. So, when the announcement was made, it didn’t surprise me because I had an inclination it was going to happen. But I thought he would be away for a while. But nothing makes me happier than my champion coming back and defending his belt.”

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Cormier has an important fight of his own coming up. He’s slated to challenge Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title in an anticipated trilogy bout Aug. 15 at UFC 252. Regardless of the result, Cormier has vowed to retire and will transition into a full-time role as a broadcaster and analyst.

The future for Cormier will consist of him being cageside commentating some of the biggest fights the UFC puts on. The emotion of watching Nurmagomedov compete is a lot to handle, though, and would also provide a challenge to stay unbiased.

For that reason, Cormier said it’s likely he won’t be in the booth for Nurmagomedov vs. Gaethje at UFC 254.

“I’m probably going to step back,” Cormier said.

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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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