Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out which epic battle earned MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Year award for 2022.
With another action-packed year of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie takes a look at the best fights from January to December 2022.
As voted on by our entire staff, here are the top five and winner of MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Year.
UFC champ Kamaru Usman thinks Khamzat Chimaev might’ve bought into his own hype a little too much.
UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] might’ve bought into his own hype a little too much.
For the first time in his UFC tenure, Chimaev (11-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) faced adversity – a good amount of it – before outlasting Gilbert Burns to win a unanimous decision at UFC 273, but Usman credited him for the win regardless.
“You get a kid like this that comes in and has all this hype, and everyone is talking about him,” Usman told TMZ. “This is great. It’s great for the sport. It’s great for guys like myself. It’s very good.”
He continued, “Khamzat coming in, he’s definitely showed – he’s done a great job. Props to the kid. He’s done a great job with what he’s been presented and the opposition. I take nothing away from him.”
Until he faced Burns, unbeaten Chimaev had been nothing short of dominant. He went from absorbing one significant strike in four UFC fights to more than 100 against Burns, but Usman said Chimaev was bound to face a stern test at some point.
Chimaev’s unwavering confidence comes from his preparation, but Usman thinks the media has a large part to do with it, as well.
“I think it’s the media’s fault,” Usman said. “The media kind of builds you up, and then they drop you the moment that you don’t live up to that. If I had a word of advice for him, it’s just to not get caught up in that because it kind of seemed like that was starting to happen. Don’t get caught up in that because not every day is your day. At one point, someone’s going to come in, and it’s gonna be their day.”
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Usman (20-1 MMA, 15-0 UFC) is expected to defend his title against Leon Edwards next but can see himself facing Chimaev down the line.
“He has gone out there, and he beat the No. 2 guy in the division,” Usman said. “He got the W, so it’s very difficult for me to say no, he doesn’t deserve anything. He’s gone up against Gilbert Burns and was able to go out there and do what he needed to do. I take nothing away from him. If that’s the fight then that’s the fight. If that’s not the fight then that’s not the fight. Right now, we’ve kind of got Leon Edwards sitting there.”
He continued, “This kid has done a good job going out there and defeating the No. 2 guy in the division, so if that’s the next fight after Edwards then that’s the next fight, but Edwards is our focus right now.”
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Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel discusses the potential for UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski in the lightweight division.
UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] may move up a weight class.
Following Volkanovski’s successful title defense over Chan Sung Jung at UFC 273, the champ said he is considering a return to the lightweight division if a bout with Max Holloway isn’t next.
Volkanovski sent a message to the featherweight division during his post fight interview in the cage, telling his peers to get their stuff together and make a case for a shot at his title. If he does decide to move up, there are plenty of intriguing matchups for Volkanovski in the lightweight division.
How would he fare against the top names at 155 pounds? Could he step up to a title fight immediately? If so, what are the chances that he captures the title to become a two-division champion?
Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Matthew Wells, Mike Bohn and Brian “Goze” Garcia discuss Volkanovski’s potential at 155 pounds with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia in the video above.
“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Tuesday on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch the full episode in the video below.
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“I was very impressed with Aljamain and the way he fought, but there’s no way he won that first round.”
John McCarthy thinks the deciding round between [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] and [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] at UFC 273 was scored incorrectly.
Sterling (21-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) defeated Yan (16-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) in this past Saturday’s co-main event to retain the UFC bantamweight title in what was a back-and-forth affair.
Rounds 2 to 5 were pretty easy to score, but it was the close opening frame that had both Sterling and Yan convinced they had done enough to win the fight. One judge gave Yan Round 1, with the other two awarding it to Sterling, which resulted in a split decision win for the champion.
But McCarthy, a former longtime referee and current Bellator commentator, disagrees with the outcome.
“I was very impressed with Aljamain and the way he fought, but there’s no way he won that first round,” McCarthy said on his “Weighing In” podcast. “The heavier shots were landed easily by Yan, and I thought it was a smart tactic by Aljamain to stay on the outside, to move continuously, but he didn’t land much. He landed a couple of kicks, not real hard, and he got hit with some heavy shots for a little bit and right near the end, Yan really started landing some good shots.”
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McCarthy did go on to laud Sterling for his dominant second round where he was able to take Yan’s back and fully control him. Despite disagreeing with the pivotal first round, McCarthy doesn’t necessarily view the overall result as a robbery.
“There’s no way in the world you’re gonna tell me that Aljo won that first round, but I will say I thought he fought a great fight,” McCarthy added. “The second round being the one – this is the difference. He won that second round huge. Now he did not damage Petr Yan, so I can see why they all went 10-9 with it, but it was the clearest round of all of them easily for Aljo.
“So if you’re taking a look at it, the first round close. Fourth round, fifth round close, but Petr Yan wins them. Second, third round easy for Aljamain Sterling, so I’m not upset with him winning the fight. I thought he actually fought a very smart fight. He fought well, and you’ve got to give props. He won the belt the way it’s supposed to be won.”
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Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.
Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.
Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Matthew Wells, Mike Bohn and Brian “Goze” Garcia discuss five topics with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.
“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Tuesday on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch the full episode in the video above.
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Our panelists put on their judging hats to take a look at the scores turned in for Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan 2 at UFC 273.
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Welcome to “Judges Gonna Judge,” where our MMA Junkie staff panel revisits the most controversial decision that occurred over the weekend.
This week, we look at the UFC 273 bantamweight title rematch between [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] and [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]. The pay-per-view co-main event aimed to settle the score between these top fighters in the division, following the illegal knee that ended their first meeting.
While the second fight made it to the finish line with no disqualification, the result was a split decision that sparked even more debate. Sterling was declared the winner after edging a close opening round followed by two dominant rounds of control time. Yan finished the fight strong and took the final two rounds on all three scorecards.
Judges Sal D’Amato and Eliseo Rodriguez saw the fight the same, scoring the first three rounds for Sterling with 10-9 scores in each and the championship rounds in Yan’s favor. The dissenting judge in this fight was Christopher Lee, who scored the opening round for Yan with a 10-9, while the rest of his scorecard matched D’Amato and Rodriguez.
The debate following this title fight seems to boil down to two questions:
MMA Junkie’s Matthew Wells, Farah Hannoun, and Mike Bohn put on their judging hats and break the fight down by each round.
Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” on their 15-year anniversary.
Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here, and it’s the boys’ 15-year anniversary!
On Episode 3,250, the guys take a deep dive with their reactions to UFC 273 on Alexander Volkanovski’s domination of “The Korean Zombie,” how close Alajamain Sterling’s win over Petr Yan was, what Khamzat Chimaev’s performance vs. Gilbert Burns revealed about him, and more. They also reflect on their remarkable past 15 years hosting the show. 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.
With Henry Cejudo apparently committing to a UFC comeback, we take a look at what fights could make sense.
It appears that former UFC two-division champion [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] is finally committing to a comeback.
Cejudo (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC), who retired after retaining his bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz in May 2020, says he has re-entered the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency drug-testing pool, making him eligible for a return to the octagon.
According to the UFC’s anti-doping policy, Cejudo will have to get tested for six months before he can return to competition.
Cejudo said bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling’s title win over Petr Yan and featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski’s domination of Chan Sung Jung this past Saturday at UFC 273 have inspired him to come back.
No cringe. Just straight talk. I've entered the USADA pool.
I know I could beat @alexvolkanovski. I want to become the 1st 3-division champion in UFC history. Or, he could shut up the cringe. It would be a treat for fans.
Either way, the 👑is back! https://t.co/s0CfnTvFOo pic.twitter.com/lsDpJMnSC8
— Henry Cejudo (@HenryCejudo) April 11, 2022
So what options are out there for “Triple C”? Here are five possible opponents.
See who UFC champs Alexander Volkanovski and Aljamain Sterling should fight next after their UFC 273 title defenses.
(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Chan Sung Jung, Petr Yan after UFC 273 losses?)
UFC 273 on Saturday featured a pair of championship fights. One bout saw the favorite win, while the other had an underdog upset. But both champions defended their straps.
The main event, which took place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., included an utterly dominant performance from featherweight king [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (24-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC), who had little issue battering Chan Sung Jung (17-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) around the octagon until he secured a fourth-round TKO for his third consecutive defense.
In the co-main event, [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) went tooth-and-nail with Petr Yan (16-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) for five rounds and came out the undisputed champion by split decision in the unification contest, to which he entered a significant betting underdog.
What should be the next for the titleholders in their respective divisions in the aftermath of UFC 273? There seems to be some clearcut matchup, but watch the video above for some matchmaking suggestions after UFC 273.
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Self-assessment says Raquel Pennington is performing better than she ever has in her MMA career.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] has been around the block, but thinks the time is now for her name to start being mentioned once again as a contender.
At UFC 273 as a short-notice replacement, Pennington (14-8 MMA, 11-7 UFC) defeated Aspen Ladd via split decision to extend her winning streak to four. Immediately thereafter, Pennington called her shot. She wants a matchup against Olympian Sara McMann, which could “absolutely” be a title eliminator, in Pennington’s estimation.
McMann, 41, is a former UFC women’s bantamweight title challenger, who has won two of her most recent three fights including a recent victory over Karol Rosa.
“I respect Sara a ton, as a person and as an athlete,” Pennington told reporters including MMA Junkie at a post-fight news conference Saturday. “As far as climbing in these rankings and stuff, it honestly makes sense. You pull up the amount of wins, it was Amanda leading and then it was me and Sara. Amanda and Julianna are fighting for a world title. The other girls ranked above are lined up right now.
“I feel like Sara and I make sense. We were originally supposed to fight on ‘Fight Island’ back in September of 2020. I sustained an injury that pulled me from that fight. You know, it’s no disrespect to her. It just makes sense if you want to climb up here.”
Pennington, who challenged then-champion Nunes for the promotion’s women’s bantamweight strap at UFC 224 in May 2018, thinks at this point in time she’s putting forth the best performances of her entire career.
“For one, I’ve had the highest of highs and lowest of lows in this sport,” Pennington said. “… Finally, I just got to a point where I was like, ‘It’s about longevity and really what I want to do here.’ I had to sit back and reset and that’s what I did. I switched up my team. I switched up a lot of things, nutrition, all kinds of things to figure out my medical state, figure my physical state. I spent a lot of time. I had to learn true patience. That was really hard.
“Just kind of doing that, now I feel the healthiest I’ve ever been. I’m in my prime. I’m excited and I’m hungry. My coaches have always told me, ‘When you let that person go that we see every single day in the gym, nobody is going to stop you.’ I’m only getting more and more comfortable in my skin with things and my hands and every technique that I have. Now, I’m on a mission.
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