UFC 262 – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Dana White uncertain of Tony Ferguson’s future after UFC 262: ‘Time gets us all’

Tony Ferguson’s future is wrapped in mystery after he suffered his third straight loss at UFC 262.

HOUSTON – [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag]’s future is wrapped in mystery after he suffered his third straight loss Saturday at UFC 262.

In what was touted as a critical fight for his career, Ferguson (25-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC) dropped a one-sided unanimous decision to Beneil Dariush (21-4-1 MMA, 15-4-1 UFC) in the co-headliner at the Toyota Center.

After dropping back-to-back fights for the first time, Ferguson made changes to his preparation by teaming up with Freddie Roach. It didn’t pay dividends as he was overwhelmed in the grappling.

What happens now for the 38-year-old? UFC president Dana White said he doesn’t know what’s next for him.

“I don’t know,” White told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at the UFC 262 post-fight news conference. “I haven’t even thought about it. He’s tough as hell though, man. He was in that heel hook and his ankle was definitely popping and his ankle the rest of the fight looked like a golf ball. Maybe even a baseball. He kept fighting. There’s no quit in that dude. He’s tough.

“He had a tough three rounds. He couldn’t get up from underneath Beneil, and he had a tough night. So I don’t know. We’ll see what happens.”

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Ferguson, a former interim lightweight champion, was on a 12-fight winning streak before his string of losing results. It began with a fifth-round TKO loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 249 in May 2029, then he lost a one-sided decision to Charles Oliveira.

White doesn’t know if it was the Gaethje fight specifically that’s contributing to current results, but he agrees “El Cucuy” is in a rough predicament.

“It could be (the damage from the Gaethje loss), it could be, just, time gets us all,” White said. “It’s one of those things. I don’t know which one, or both. But unfortunately, it’s definitely hit Tony.”

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New champ Charles Oliveira fires back at Conor McGregor: ‘I’m going to put you on your ass’

Charles Oliveira appear willing to oblige to a title defense against Conor McGregor after claiming gold at UFC 262.

HOUSTON – [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] appear willing to oblige to a UFC title defense against [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag], but he reminded the Irishman that he has business to handle first.

Oliveira (31-8 MMA, 19-8 UFC) claimed the vacant lightweight belt on Saturday with a second-round TKO of Michael Chandler (22-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in the UFC 262 headliner at the Toyota Center in Houston. Minutes after the win, McGregor took to social media and made it known he was coming for the belt.

During his post-fight news conference, Oliveira responded to McGregor’s (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) tweet and made it clear he had interest in the matchup, but only if “The Notorious” wins his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier (27-6 MMA, 19-5 UFC) at UFC 264 on July 10, which is far from a foregone conclusion.

If it does happen, though, Oliveira said he would welcome McGregor to challenge him for the belt in his native Brazil.

“Conor, worry about Dustin,” Oliveira told reporters, including MMA Junkie, through an interpreter post-fight at UFC 262. “Conor, since you’re so tough: First of all, you beat Dustin, and then you come over to Brazil and I’m going to put you on your ass. First he’s got to get past Dustin. He’s one of these guys that just talks a lot. He’s got to beat Dustin first.”

Oliveira could perhaps get his wish if the stars align. McGregor has long wanted to compete in Brazil, and nearly fought Rafael dos Anjos there in June 2018.

That’s future business, though, and right now Oliveira is reveling in the moment of a historic title win. He had to go through some difficult moments in the octagon with Chandler, nearly getting finished with strikes in the first round before turning around and delivering a knockout in the opening moments of the second frame.

Oliveira said he didn’t expect an easy bout, but knew he had what it takes to overcome and get his hands on the belt in his record 28th octagon appearance.

“I knew it was going to be difficult,” Oliveira said. “He’s the cream of the crop. They brought Michael Chandler here to win. But I knew if it was in the strike department, I could strike with him, and I knew if it went down I would use my jiu-jitsu.”

Oliveira said his immediate plans are to relax and enjoy the moment. He knows there’s a queue of names chomping at the bit at 155 pounds to get their hands on the belt, and he said he’ll leave it to his team and the UFC brass to make the ultimate decision.

“I battled hard to get here. Everyone’s talking about who it’s going to be next – Poirier or Conor. I’ll leave that my manager, and I’m going to go home and rest.”

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Dustin Poirier praises Charles Oliveira, encourages Michael Chandler after UFC 262

Dustin Poirier had respectful words for Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler in the aftermath of UFC 262.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] had respectful words for Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler in the aftermath of UFC 262.

Many thought Poirier (27-6 MMA, 19-5 UFC) should’ve been one-half of Saturday’s vacant lightweight title fight at the Toyota Center in Houston, which saw Oliveira claim the belt with a second-round TKO of Chandler.

Instead, Poirier opted to have a trilogy bout with Conor McGregor, which takes place July 10 at UFC 264 in Las Vegas.

“The Diamond” was watching the title fight closely and had kind words for Oliveira’s (31-8 MMA, 19-8 UFC) performance, and also told Chandler (22-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) to keep positive (via Twitter):

Congratulations @CharlesDoBronxs you earned that the hard way! Head up @MikeChandlerMMA highest of the highs and lowest of the lows.

— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) May 16, 2021

Congratulations @CharlesDoBronxs you earned that the hard way! Head up @MikeChandlerMMA highest of the highs and lowest of the lows.

If Poirier is able to repeat the effort from his last meeting with McGregor, which saw him earn a second-round TKO at UFC 257 in January, he would seem like a shoo-in to be Oliveira’s first title challenger.

UFC president Dana White didn’t make any commitments about the future in the immediate aftermath of Oliveira’s win, so it remains to be seen what will be next at 155 pounds.

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Dana White tells Triller executives to stop hounding him: ‘This idiot calls me every day’

Triller executives keep calling, but Dana White doesn’t plan on picking up.

HOUSTON – Dana White seems sick of hearing about Triller – and from Triller.

Even though Jake Paul, Triller and the rest of the celebrity boxing trend has shaken up the combat sports world in recent months, White is staying true to his original statement that he has no interest in partnering in any capacity – no matter how many times Triller executives call.

“Don’t even ask me about these idiots,” White said at the UFC 262 post-fight news conference Saturday. “Who gives a sh*t? Does anybody give a sh*t? You do? I don’t give a sh*t what they think. You think I care what Triller thinks? I don’t even take their calls. This idiot calls me every day. He calls me every day: ‘Please answer my call. Please talk to me. Why won’t you talk to me?’ Because I don’t give a f*ck about you. Do your thing. Leave me alone. Go f*cking do whatever it is you’re doing. Knock yourself out.

“I (couldn’t) care less. I have no interest in talking to any of those idiots. They can do their thing. Do your thing. Stop talking about me. What do you give a sh*t what I’m doing? Go do your thing.”

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White added that he understands why Triller and Paul continue to name-drop the UFC and its fighters, but isn’t any less annoyed by the situation. More or less, White expressed confusion toward the Triller operation.

“What are you doing?” White said. “I don’t even know what you’re doing. What is this thing you’re trying to build? What are you doing? What do I have to do with it? What do I have to do with it or my guys? Do your thing. What are you doing? Are you starting an MMA organization? … F*cking go away. Go do whatever you’re doing. Stop texting me. Stop calling me. Stop f*cking asking the media to ask me things, OK? Beat it. Get lost.”

White’s comments come hours after MMA Junkie reported White blocked a potential matchup between Oscar De La Hoya and Georges St-Pierre that Triller tried to put together because “GSP,” though inactive, was still under contract with the UFC.

UFC 262 took place Saturday at Toyota Center. The main card streamed on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

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UFC 262 bonuses: New champ Charles Oliveira tops $75,000 winners

The UFC upped the ante on its post-fight bonuses for UFC 262 on Saturday with $75,000 instead of the customary $50K.

The UFC upped the ante on its post-fight bonuses for UFC 262 on Saturday.

Instead of the typical $50,000 extra checks, UFC president Dana White decided to go with $75,000 bonuses after a suggestion from co-main event fighter Tony Ferguson. And while Ferguson wasn’t on the receiving end of one of those checks, four other fighters have him to thank for their extra skrilla.

Check out the $75,000 winners after Saturday’s event at Toyota Center in Houston.

Twitter reacts to Charles Oliveira’s title-winning TKO of Michael Chandler at UFC 262

See the top Twitter reactions to Charles Oliveira’s historic title win over Michael Chandler in the UFC 262 main event.

[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] is the new lightweight champion after beating [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] on Saturday in the UFC 262 headliner.

After Khabib Nurmagomedov vacated the belt earlier this year, Oliveira (31-8 MMA, 19-8 UFC) picked up the vacant strap with a second-round TKO victory over Chandler (22-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in the pay-per-view main event at the Toyota Center in Houston.

Oliveira got his hands on gold in his 27th octagon appearance, making him the new record-holder for most UFC bouts before winning a championship for the first time.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Oliveira’s title-winning effort against Chandler at UFC 262.

UFC 262 results: Charles Oliveira knocks out Michael Chandler to win lightweight title

In a wild back-and-forth fight, Charles Oliveira survived a Michael Chandler onslaught to secure a knockout of his own.

After 11 years with the promotion, [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] finally sits atop the UFC throne.

In the UFC 262 main event, Oliveira (31-8 MMA, 19-8 UFC) knocked out [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 1-0 UFC) to claim the promotion’s vacant lightweight title.

UFC 262 took place at Toyota Center in Houston. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

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There was no shortage of momentum shifts in the opening round. Oliveira came out firing leg kicks, to which Chandler responded with some wild overhand punches. One connected and put Oliviera on his back foot. Oliveira shot in for a takedown and Chandler locked in a guillotine. Oliveira broke free and worked his way to Chandler’s back.

Although they remained in that position for a while, Oliveira was unable to secure a submission. Chandler muscled his way free from Oliveira’s grasp. Once on the feet, he was eventually met and dropped by a flurry of hard punches from Chandler. Somehow, Oliveira survived to see in the end of the round.

As the momentum swung toward Chandler at the start of Round 2, Oliveira quickly brought it to a halt. After he dropped Chandler with a left hand, Oliveira swarmed the former Bellator champion with a series of punches against the cage. Chandler tried to scramble away but was met by another Oliveira left hand that dropped him. Oliveira kept punching until referee Dan Miragliotta saw enough to stop the fight.

A member of the UFC roster for more than a decade, Oliveira became champion in his first title challenge after 27 appearances in the promotion. His winning streak extended to nine, including eight finishes.

Chandler suffered his first loss since coming over to the UFC from Bellator and had a three-fight winning streak snapped. UFC 262 was only the third time Chandler has lost by punches in his career.

Chandler, 35, took the fast track to his first title challenge. One of the poster boys for Bellator MMA from 2010-2020, Chandler impressed UFC president Dana White when he joined the promotion and finished Dan Hooker with strikes in the first round at UFC 257 in January.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 262 results include:

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Twitter reacts to Beneil Dariush’s dominant win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 262

See the top Twitter reactions to Beneil Dariush’s dominant victory against Tony Ferguson in the UFC 262 co-main event.

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]’s upward trajectory continued on Saturday when he earned his most notable win to date against [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] in the UFC 262 co-main event.

Dariush (21-4-1 MMA, 15-4-1 UFC) extended his winning streak to seven fights in the lightweight division when he handed former interim champion Ferguson (25-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC) a unanimous decision loss in the pay-per-view co-headliner at the Toyota Center in Houston.

There hasn’t been a setback for Dariush at 155 pounds since March 2018, and now he’s closer than ever to fighting for UFC gold.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Dariush’s victory over Ferguson at UFC 262.

UFC 262 results: Beneil Dariush dominates Tony Ferguson, extends streak to seven

Rising lightweight contender Beneil Dariush out-grappled Tony Ferguson to extend his winning streak to seven at UFC 262.

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] can no longer be ignored in the UFC’s lightweight division.

The veteran fighter picked up the biggest win of his career, outpointing former interim lightweight champion [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] in a unanimous decision at UFC 262. Dariush (20-4-1 MMA, 14-4-1 UFC) beat Ferguson (25-5 MMA, 15-3 UFC) in dominant fashion with 30-27 scores on all three judges’ cards.

The lightweight bout was the UFC 262 co-main event at Toyota Center in Houston. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The lightweight contest was a one-way street for Dariush. In the first round, Dariush started pressing with striking, not landing anything major on Ferguson, who was in defense mode. Dariush eventually got Ferguson down two minutes in. “El Cucuy” worked the rubber guard while landing elbows as Dariush is tried to pass to a dominant position. Dariush eventually passed to half-guard, but lost it and got sucked in back to guard. Not much action happened but enough to keep the fight on the ground until the bell rang.

Quickly into the second, Dariush got Ferguson down once again, but Ferguson snatched a D’Arce choke and the crowd started cheering. He held onto it for a minute, but Dariush stayed calm and got out of the submission. Both fighters began to land a lot of ground-and-pound from both bottom and top. Dariush eventually passed, but they engaged in a scramble and ended up in a leg lock position with Dariush on the offense. It seemed like Dariush did some damage, but Ferguson refused to tap. Dariush was unable to submit Ferguson, but kept top position until the bell rings.

The third was the same as the first two, but with less action. Dariush shot for a takedown, got it, and maintained top position. Ferguson attempted a few scrambles, but was unsuccessful. Dariush dominated the action cleanly over the course of 15 minutes.

Dariush is now on a seven-fight wining streak. His last defeat was to Alexander Hernandez in 2018 at UFC 222. Ferguson lost his third straight after an impressive 12-fight run in which he managed to stay unbeaten for almost seven years.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 262 results include:

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