Tag: UFC 263

Brandon Moreno confused by Deiveson Figueiredo’s trash talk claims ahead of UFC 263

“He’s trying to make some narrative in his mind, maybe to keep focus and to be concentrated.”

PHOENIX – UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] and [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] are not seeing eye to eye ahead of their title fight rematch.

They meet once again in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC 263. And in the buildup, Figueiredo (20-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) has claimed that Moreno (18-5-2 MMA, 6-2-2 UFC) is talking way too much, which hasn’t sat well with the Brazilian.

“First of all, he speaks a lot, and I’m the guy to shut his mouth on Saturday,” Figueiredo said at the UFC 263 press conference thorough a translator. “I’m going to knock out that guy in the first round. Pay attention, I’m going to knock that guy out in the first round.”

Moreno is confused by Figueiredo’s comments as he believes he hasn’t crossed any lines. The Mexican fighter thinks the champ is making up these claims to hype himself for the fight.

“He’s trying to make some narrative in his mind, maybe to keep focus and to be concentrated,” Moreno said. “If that works for him, it’s fine for me. I don’t care. I just want to be the next flyweight champion, and that’s the most important thing in my career – for my Mexican people, for me, my family, and for everyone.”

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Moreno feels ready for the rematch, and he’s not going to shy away from sharing his thoughts just because Figueiredo is not with it.

“I speak too much because I have my own voice, and I’m not a puppet of anybody. That’s why I talk too much,” Moreno said. “I was very honest with myself of what I thought of the fight. The guy tried to knock me out in the first fight, and then he tried to make excuses and that’s fine. There’s no problem. I’m ready.”

Figueiredo was unable to put away Moreno back at UFC 256 in December, but he promises he’s more ready entering UFC 263, and he’s sticking to his first-round knockout prediction.

“I’m a showman and I’m going to put on a show for you guys and knock him out,” Figueiredo said. “I’m going to put on a show and make you guys love me.”

UFC 263 takes place Saturday at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view followed by prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

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Video: Nate Diaz, Leon Edwards make weight for historic UFC 263 clash

The first five round non-title, non-main event bout in UFC history between Nate Diaz and Leon Edwards is official for UFC 263.

PHOENIX – The return of [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] is official.

Diaz (20-12 MMA, 15-10 UFC) and opponent Leon Edwards (18-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) successfully made the welterweight limit on Friday ahead of their featured matchup at UFC 263.

It’s a historic contest. Diaz and Edwards will compete in the first five-round non-title, non-main event contest in company history.

Edwards was first to step on the scale during the official weigh-in session and came in at 170.5 pounds. Diaz came in roughly 20 minutes later and hit 170 pounds even.

Now the pair looks forward to UFC 263, which takes place Saturday at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz., and airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

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Colby Covington: Leon Edwards won’t get title shot with win over ‘loser’ Nate Diaz at UFC 263

Colby Covington doesn’t see UFC 263’s marquee welterweight matchup playing a factor in the title picture.

MIAMI – [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] doesn’t see Saturday’s marquee welterweight matchup playing a factor in the UFC title picture.

Streaking [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] (18-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) will take on fan favorite [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] in a five-round fight at UFC 263, where both men expect to emerge as No. 1 contenders for a shot at champion Kamaru Usman.

But Covington (16-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC), who’s been declared the next title challenger by UFC president Dana White, thinks their matchup has no significance to the division. Despite Edwards’ impressive nine-fight unbeaten run, Covington thinks that even with a win over Diaz (20-12 MMA, 15-10 UFC), he will not have faced any legitimate contenders.

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“It makes sense that ‘Edward Scissorhands’ Leon Edwards wants to fight Nate Diaz, another loser and unranked guy – another guy that he’s beaten that has nothing,” Covington recently told MMA Junkie. “He’s not a top-three, top-five fighter, and that’s what ‘Edward Scissorhands’ likes to do.

“He likes to pick these easy fights with these guys that aren’t even relevant to the division and hopefully he’s going to get a little hype from it because nobody cares about him. The guy is literally worthless. He’s a mumbling, fumbling idiot, and it makes sense that he’s going to fight Nate Diaz because they’ve both got marbles in their mouth when they talk all the time.”

Since giving Usman his toughest test to date in a back-and-forth war at UFC 245, Covington has been dead set on getting a rematch. He reiterated he thought his fight with Usman was stopped too early and vows to be the one to take out the dominant champion.

Covington hasn’t competed since stopping former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in September 2020, but is hopeful he will finally lock horns with Usman again in the final quarter of 2021.

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UFC 263 weigh-in results and live video stream (noon ET)

Check out the results from the official UFC 263 fighter weigh-ins, featuring Adesanya vs. Vettori and Figueiredo vs. Moreno title fights.

PHOENIX – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Friday’s official UFC 263 fighter weigh-ins, which kick off at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

The early weigh-ins take place at the UFC host hotel in Phoenix and precede the ceremonial weigh-ins for the fans, which take place at 7 p.m. ET at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. The same arena hosts Saturday’s event, which has a main card on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

Among those weighing in are middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (20-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) and challenger Marvin Vettori (17-3-1 MMA, 7-2-1 UFC), who meet in a rematch for Adesanya’s title. Plus, flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo (20-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) takes on Brandon Moreno (18-5-2 MMA, 6-2-2 UFC) in a rematch after a draw this past December, and Nate Diaz (20-12 MMA, 15-10 UFC) meets Leon Edwards (18-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in a five-round featured bout.

The full UFC 263 weigh-in results include:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Israel Adesanya () vs. Marvin Vettori () – for middleweight title
  • Champ Deiveson Figueiredo () vs. Brandon Moreno () – for flyweight title
  • Nate Diaz () vs. Leon Edwards ()
  • Demian Maia () vs. Belal Muhammad ()
  • Paul Craig () vs. Jamahal Hill ()

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Drew Dober () vs. Brad Riddell ()
  • Eryk Anders () vs. Darren Stewart ()
  • Joanne Calderwood () vs. Lauren Murphy ()
  • Hakeem Dawodu () vs. Movsar Evloev ()

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Alexis Davis () vs. Pannie Kianzad ()
  • Frank Camacho () vs. Matt Frevola ()
  • Chase Hooper () vs. Steven Peterson ()
  • Luigi Vendramini () vs. Fares Ziam ()
  • Jake Collier () vs. Carlos Felipe ()

Video: Watch Friday’s UFC 263 ceremonial weigh-ins live on MMA Junkie at 7 p.m. ET

Check out a live video stream of the UFC 263 ceremonial weigh-ins featuring Adesanya vs. Vettori and Figueiredo vs. Moreno title fights.

GLENDALE, Ariz. – UFC 263 ceremonial fighter weigh-ins take place Friday, and you can catch a live video stream of the proceedings here on MMA Junkie at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT).

The weigh-ins take place at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. The same venue hosts Saturday’s event, which has a main card on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

In addition to the video stream above, you can check out the early and official UFC 263 weigh-in results from earlier in the day.

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Leon Edwards: I’m ‘leaps above’ Nate Diaz, out to finish him at UFC 263

Leon Edwards knows he needs to win big against Nate Diaz at UFC 263.

PHOENIX – [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] knows he needs to win big on Saturday night.

The UFC welterweight contender takes on star Nate Diaz in a five-round bout on the main card of UFC 263. It’s Edwards’ (18-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) highest profile opponent to date, and it’s a good opportunity to potentially cement himself as the top contender in the division.

“I have to go out there and prove my case, you know,” Edwards said at the UFC 263 press conference on Thursday. “If I smoke a guy like Nate, they’ll put me in a spot that I deserve. That’s nine in a row, and that’s the third most in the history of the promotion. So I’m looking forward to it. I know Nate is a tough guy and durable.

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Edwards hasn’t lost since coming up short in a decision to now UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman back in December 2015. The Englishman finds himself on an eight-fight winning streak.

On the other hand, Diaz hasn’t fought since November 2019 when he lost to Jorge Masvidal via doctor’s stoppage on a cut, thus unable to capture the BMF title. Diaz is 1-2 in his past three performances.

Edwards believes he’s at a different level than Diaz, and he’s looking to prove that at UFC 263.

“Skillset wise, I’m leaps above him and I will show that on Saturday night,” Edwards said. “I know he said it’s kill or be killed, but I’m here to kill, so I can’t wait.”

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Nate Diaz smokes weed and quietly steals the show ahead of UFC 263

If there was any concern that Nate Diaz’s star power has waned, it likely vanished in a puff of marijuana smoke at Arizona Federal Theater.

PHOENIX – If there was any concern that [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag]’s star power has waned in the 19 months since he’s stepped into a UFC cage, it likely vanished in a puff of marijuana smoke at Thursday’s UFC 263 pre-fight press conference.

With a raucous crowd at Arizona Federal Theater, Diaz was every bit as in-demand as headliners Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori, or co-headliners Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno – if not more.

Diaz (20-12 MMA, 15-10 UFC) meets top welterweight contender Leon Edwards (18-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in a five-round contest on the pay-per-view main card Saturday at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. As the six fighters in attendance looked for one last opportunity to build interest in the event, Diaz’s presence seemed more important than any words.

The 36-year-old Stockton, Calif., native admitted the fan support was impressive.

“It makes me happy to be back and be on a great card,” Diaz told MMA Junkie.

That was the full length of his response, and it wasn’t even his shortest answer of the day. That honor would fall to this detailed reply when asked how training camp went: “Camp went good.”

Diaz’s demeanor stood in stark contrast to the full-volume tirades laced between middleweight champ Adesanya and challenger Vettori. Yet the fan support for his every word was no less emphatic, especially as he took a few puffs of a joint – first half-hiding it under the dais and then later out in the open as the ceremony wore on.

“There’s love everywhere I go,” Diaz said. “I love the support, and I love the whole sh*t man. This is great. This is great that these guys are getting it, doing their thing, too. Real fight, so that’s cool.”

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Flyweight champ Figueiredo tried to stoke his budding rivalry with Moreno by shoving him as the two came together for faceoffs. Diaz did no such thing, instead offering a compliment to his opponent and comparing Edwards to the legendary Georges St-Pierre.

“I believe that just how GSP was doing his thing back in the day, I believe (Edwards) is doing the same thing, and he’s not getting no love for it, so I’m pumped to fight a worthy opponent, and that’s what I’m here for,” Diaz said. “I’m coming to win.”

Accomplishing that certainly won’t be an easy assignment. Oddsmakers currently have Edwards installed as a -600 favorite, implying a nearly 86 percent expectation for the Brit to hand Diaz his second straight defeat, a result that would drop him to 1-3 in his past four appearances.

But as it’s been for much of his career, Thursday’s press conference proved once again that Diaz has reached the rare status of boasting a career that isn’t completely dependent on victories, nor does it require a boisterous push of pre-fight hype. When Diaz is on the card, fans already know exactly what they can expect.

“Every fight is going to be the baddest motherf*cking fight you’ve ever seen,” Diaz said.

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‘Show us your butt crack’: Israel Adesanya, Marvin Vettori send UFC 263 press conference off the rails

The heat between Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori dominated the UFC 263 press conference, and it was out of control.

PHOENIX – UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] and [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] held nothing back Thursday.

The two fighters, who meet in a rematch at UFC 263, engaged in a heated back-and-fort that dominated the pre-event news conference. The champion questioned Vettori’s resume, saying he’s not worthy of the title shot given the type of opponents he’s beaten during a five-fight winning streak that’s led him here.

“Like I said, look at the list of who he’s fought. The only person I know in that list is Jack Hermansson,” Adesanya said. “He only got here because he fought a bum at No. 10, he was No. and got to No. 3.”

It didn’t take long for Vettori, who dropped a split decision in their first fight in 2018, to fire back using the same tactics. Vettori also questioned some of Adesanya’s losses and close wins.

“You lost against Romero, you lost against me, and then you lost to Blachowicz,” Vettori said. “Who you beat? ‘Borrachinha’ who was drunk the night before. That’s who you beat? Wow.”

And the Nigerian champion answered right back.

“Name three top-10 opponents who you’ve beat,” Adesanya said. “Exactly, you ain’t got sh*t.”

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Vettori, who feels like he’s been dodged many times in the division, let Adesanya know he’s been fighting everyone the UFC has put in front of him.

“Listen, I showed up every single f*cking time, and people can’t make it to the fight with me. That’s not my fault, man,” Vettori said. “Whenever I showed up, I beat my opponents. I proved you wrong so many times. You tried to ignore me, b*tch. You tried to ignore me and here I am, b*tch.”

“These are all the people that believe into your own bullsh*t ass hype. They’re all going to get shut up.”

You can watch highlights of Adesanya and Vettori’s exchanges in the video above.

UFC 263 takes place Saturday at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view followed by prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

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UFC 263 video: Israel Adesanya-Marvin Vettori faceoff puts Dana White in tough spot

Dana White had to do and say all he could to prevent Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori from going at each other.

PHOENIX – The UFC 263 pre-fight news conference took place Thursday, and MMA Junkie was on the scene for the festivities.

The news conference took place at Arizona Federal Theater. Afterward, traditional fighter faceoffs were held with all six fighters, including middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] and [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag], who meet in the main event. After both men hurled expletives at each other during a fiery press conference, it was up to UFC president Dana White to keep them from going at each other during their faceoff, which wasn’t easy.

You can watch that in the video above.

UFC 263 takes place Saturday at Gila Rivera Arena in Glendale, Ariz. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view followed by prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

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UFC 263 video: Deiveson Figueiredo shoves Brandon Moreno during faceoff

Deiveson Figueiredo didn’t wait until fight night to get his hands on Brandon Moreno.

PHOENIX – The UFC 263 pre-fight news conference took place Thursday, and MMA Junkie was on the scene for the festivities.

The news conference took place at Arizona Federal Theater. Afterward, traditional fighter faceoffs were held with all six fighters, including flyweight champion [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] and [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag], who meet in the co-main event. When it came time to face off, the champ did not wait until fight to get his hands on Moreno as he delivered a hard shove that knocked Moreno backward.

You can watch that in the video above.

UFC 263 takes place Saturday at Gila Rivera Arena in Glendale, Ariz. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view followed by prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

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