Tag: UFC 277

Dana White: Valentina Shevchenko ‘makes way more sense’ for Amanda Nunes than Cris Cyborg

“Amanda absolutely dominated Cyborg. The Shevchenko fight makes way more sense.”

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] has shut down the idea of a potential rematch between [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] and [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag].

Nunes (22-5 MMA, 15-2 UFC) knocked out Cyborg in just 51 seconds at UFC 232 to claim the featherweight title in December 2018 and ended Cyborg’s remarkable winning streak.

Cyborg (25-2 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) departed the UFC for Bellator one fight later, but continuously has campaigned for a rematch. After Nunes avenged her loss to Julianna Peña this past Saturday at UFC 277, many wonder who’s left for the UFC dual-champ. But White prefers to see Nunes in a trilogy bout with flyweight champion [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] over a rematch with Bellator featherweight champ Cyborg.

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“Amanda absolutely dominated Cyborg,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters after Dana White’s Contender Series 58 on Tuesday. “The Shevchenko fight makes way more sense, and I’m not just sh*tting on Cyborg because we’ve had history.

“To be honest with you, I usually don’t talk about this sh*t publicly – you know what I always say; I don’t tell you guys anything. But she actually texted me and wished me a happy birthday for my birthday. It’s not like Cyborg and I hate each other and I’m not trying to discredit her or be mean to her. I wish her the best in whatever she’s doing. It was nice of her to send me a birthday text. So I just wanted to reiterate that I am not sh*tting on Cyborg.”

At the UFC 277 post-fight press conference, both Nunes and White seemed open to a trilogy bout with Shevchenko (23-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC). Nunes has defeated “The Bullet” twice, but Nunes edged out their title-fight rematch at UFC 215 by split decision.

Since she lost to Nunes in 2017, Shevchenko dropped down to 125 pounds and has dominated the weight class with seven title defenses. Most recently, she defeated Brazilian Taila Santos at UFC 275 in June.

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Dana White clarifies misspeak on Anthony Smith’s UFC 277 injury: ‘He legitimately has a bad break ‘

UFC president Dana White went out of his way to correct an inaccurate comment he made about Anthony Smith at UFC 277.

LAS VEGAS – UFC president [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] went out of his way to correct an inaccurate comment he made about [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] at UFC 277.

Smith (36-17 MMA, 11-7 UFC), a former light heavyweight title challenger, succumbed to a second-round TKO loss against Magomed Ankalaev (18-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) this past Saturday in Dallas, ending a three-fight winning streak and putting a temporary halt to his hopes for another championship bout.

It was an odd finish, because after the first round, Smith complained to his corner about a leg injury. He looked compromised in the second frame, and after a failed takedown attempt, was pounded into a stoppage. “Lionheart” immediately said afterward that his ankle was broken, which has since been confirmed with surgery coming soon.

There was some public skepticism about the validity of Smith’s injury, however, because White said immediately post-fight that Smith did not suffer any fractures. That was false, and White set the record straight at Tuesday’s DWCS 48 post-fight news conference.

“Anthony Smith, we’re doing the press conference on Saturday and somebody asked me how I was doing and (I said there wasn’t a fracture),” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “He did break his leg. His leg was broken. They ended up finding the fracture and I guess it was in a weird place. Hard to find. He was sitting there questioning himself like, ‘What the hell is wrong with me? I feel like my leg is broken. I know my body.’ And all this stuff. I just wanted to tell you guys that because sometimes it makes it look like, ‘Oh, he’s trying to get out of the fight. He’s claiming he broke his leg.’

“The way I looked at it he got kicked so f*cking hard he thought his leg was broken, you know what I mean? Which you can imagine, too. But he legitimately has a bad break in his leg that is going to need surgery. For him, I wanted to put that out there because I was the one that said it wasn’t broken.”

White did not share any additional details about a possible timeline for the fighter’s return to the octagon. In addition to being an active fighter, Smith is also a frequent UFC analyst on ESPN broadcasts.

Prior to his UFC 277 loss, Smith signed a new multi-fight contract with the organization.

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USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Aug. 2: Amanda Nunes reclaims No. 1

Amanda Nunes is back on top of the women’s bantamweight division.

The women’s bantamweight division has a new name at the top, although it’s a familiar one.

In the main event of UFC 277, [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] dominated Julianna Pena over the course of 25 minutes. Whether she knocked Pena off her feet multiple times from strikes or dominated top position on the mat with hard ground and pound, Nunes turned in one of the most complete performances of her career to reclaim the bantamweight title and the No. 1 spot in the rankings.

A couple of other big moves occurred in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions following the pay-per-view event.

[autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] picked up a big win over Anthony Smith, extending his win streak to nine. Entering the week at No. 12, Ankalaev elevates all the way up to No. 6.

At heavyweight, [autotag]Sergei Pavlovich[/autotag] recorded his fourth-straight first-round finish by picking up a TKO win over Derrick Lewis. Pavlovich elevates from the honorable mentions all the way up to No. 5.

Check out the latest rankings update following UFC 277 in the dropdown menus above.

Michael Bisping thinks Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Peña trilogy unnecessary: ‘Nunes is the better fighter’

Michael Bisping doesn’t see a need for a third fight between UFC dual champion Amanda Nunes and Julianna Peña.

[autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] doesn’t see a need for a third fight between [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] and [autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag].

Nunes (22-5 MMA, 15-2 UFC) avenged her upset submission loss to Peña (11-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) from December 2021 by battering “The Venezuelan Vixen” for five rounds in this past Saturday’s UFC 277 main event to reclaim the bantamweight title.

Nunes said she could have finished the fight earlier, but decided to prove that that their first outing was a fluke. Regardless of whether or not Nunes could finish the tough Peña, Bisping thinks both fights proved the UFC dual-champ is better.

“I don’t think we’ll see anything different, a different performance,” Bisping said on his “Believe You Me” podcast. “I think Nunes is the better fighter. I think that was clear. That was clear in the first round of the first fight, as well. She got tired, and that’s not Julianna Peña’s fault. That all belongs on the side of Nunes. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. COVID, whatever, it’s got nothing to do with Julianna. You cannot take away from her performance because her opponent got tired. But I think we clearly saw that she’s the better fighter, so we don’t need the rubber match.”

Peña called for a trilogy bout with Nunes, and if the promotion decides to book a third fight, Bisping wouldn’t be opposed to it despite thinking it’s unnecessary.

“However, in terms of what’s fair, generally if they’re (tied) one apiece in title fights, you see a third fight,” Bisping added. “So if they make the third fight, I’ll understand it. And if they don’t make a third fight, I will also understand it.”

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Hamdy Abdelwahab proud to be first Egyptian UFC winner: ‘I’ll be a big idol for a lot of kids’

Hamdy Abdelwahab hopes his successful octagon debut at UFC 277 has an impact on Egyptian MMA.

DALLAS – [autotag]Hamdy Abdelwahab[/autotag] hopes his successful octagon debut at UFC 277 has an impact on Egyptian MMA.

Abdelwahab (4-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Egypt’s first UFC fighter, defeated Don’Tale Mayes by split decision this past Saturday at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

The heavyweight is happy to be an example for young kids in his home country and felt the love from his people after putting on a solid showing to snap Mayes’ winning streak.

“I feel great,” Abdelwahab told reporters at his UFC 277 post-fight news conference. “I’m representing 100 million people. You cannot imagine how many people they fly from Egypt to Dallas to watch the fight. It’s 5 in the morning right now in Egypt – people are still awake. They’re still watching the fights on the internet and they’re supporting me. That’s how I have to pay them back – to get them the win and make them proud of one of them becoming a UFC fighter and show them we can do it. We’re Arab – we can do it.

“Now people will start to know what MMA is. There’s one of them, one of their family representing them on the biggest stage in the world. I think I’ll be a big idol for a lot of kids, a lot of people supporting me, watching me tonight. I’m so happy to be doing this. I’m not just fighting for myself, I fight for a lot of people.”

Abdelwahab has had a busy schedule in 2022 with four fights already, but he said there would be no better way for him to cap off his big year than a fight at UFC 280, which takes place Oct. 22 in Abu Dhabi.

“I would love to fight in Abu Dhabi,” Abdelwahab said. “I have a very big Arab community now behind me. You have no idea how many people start texting me. I have no idea who these people are. But yes, I would love to. I promise. Just let me know. Now I have a big time to get ready. If I’m ready for that fight, I promise you I knock him out in the first round. First couple of seconds in the fight.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 277.

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Spinning Back Clique: Regained titles for Nunes, Moreno at UFC 277, PFL playoffs, more

“Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show, discusses Amanda Nunes and Brandon Moreno’s title wins at UFC 277 and more.

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 panel of Matthew Wells, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Danny Segura discuss five topics with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

  • [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] dominated Julianna Peña to recapture the women’s bantamweight title in the UFC 277 main event – though Peña got off plenty of offense, too. After seeing the second fight, was Peña’s first win over Nunes, a submission at UFC 269, merely a fluke? Do we need to see a third title fight between them? And if so, how soon?
  • [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] won the interim flyweight title at UFC 277. Afterward, champ [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag], who is on the shelf a while longer, was brought into the cage for a faceoff and confrontation with Moreno. It was very civil and both fighters showed good sportsmanship, but UFC president Dana White said he had second thoughts about it because it took some shine away from Moreno. So are we fans of those immediate post-fight moments, or should they go away?
  • [autotag]Sergei Pavlovich[/autotag] picked up arguably the biggest win of his career when he took out former heavyweight title challenger Derrick Lewis at UFC 277. He did it in less than a minute, and though there was controversy around how quickly referee Dan Miragliotta stopped the fight, there’s no denying Pavlovich put some fast offense on Lewis and put him on the canvas with his fists. At 16-1 with 13 finishes, and 11 in the first round, who should Pavlovich fight next on his ascension up the UFC’s heavyweight ladder – and what’s his ceiling?
  • Amanda Nunes recaptured the UFC women’s bantamweight title and now is a dual champion again. But what’s going on with her featherweight belt? There doesn’t seem to be an obviously next challenger for that title – at leats not one in the UFC with Kayla Harrison in the PFL and Cris Cyborg in Bellator. Should the UFC keep 145 around for the women, or should they put it on the shelf?
  • The PFL’s playoffs start up this week with semifinal fights in the lightweight and light heavyweight divisions. The highest profile fight features former UFC and WEC champ [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag], who meets [autotag]Stevie Ray[/autotag] in a rematch after Ray upset Pettis in their second regular season fight. Who do we like in this first set of playoff bouts in New York?

“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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UFC 277 medical suspensions: Amanda Nunes, Julianna Peña out indefinitely; Anthony Smith gets 30 days after breaking ankle

Check out the length of each UFC 277 fighter’s medical suspension handed out by the Texas commission.

UFC 277 took place this past Saturday at American Airlines Center in Dallas and featured 13 bouts.

In the main event, [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] and [autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag] slugged it out for five rounds before Nunes was awarded a convincing unanimous decision win to reclaim the women’s bantamweight championship she lost to Peña last December. In the co-headliner, [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] claimed the interim flyweight title after defeating [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag] by TKO in the third round with a hard kick to the body and punches.

As a result of injuries sustained, each fighter on the card received a medical suspension from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which oversaw UFC 277. On Tuesday, MMA Junkie acquired the list, which includes suspension durations but not medical specifics.

Nunes and Peña both received indefinite terms, although Peña’s minimum (60 days) is shorter than Nunes’ (45 days).

[autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag], who had to be carried out of the octagon following his TKO loss to [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag], received just a 30-day suspension. Smith later revealed Monday that he suffered a broken ankle during the fight.

Scroll below to see the medical suspensions handed out to each fighter. It’s important to note that fighters can return to competition sooner than the allotted suspension if they are cleared by a doctor.

Michael Morales doesn’t plan on rushing his way to the top after second UFC win

Take a look inside Michael Morales’ TKO win over Adam Fugitt at UFC 277 in Dallas.

DALLAS – [autotag]Michael Morales[/autotag] beat Adam Fugitt with a third-round TKO Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 277 in Dallas.

Take a look inside the fight with Morales, who stayed unbeaten and picked up his second knockout in two UFC fights in 2022.

MMA Junkie Radio #3282: Reaction to UFC 277, Jake Paul-Hasim Rahman Jr. drama, more

Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

On Episode 3,282, the guys look back at all things UFC 277, including Amanda Nunes and Brandon Moreno’s title wins, the controversial Sergei Pavlovic-Derrick Lewis stoppage, and more, as well what happened with Jake Paul vs. Hasim Rahman Jr. falling apart. 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.

Anthony Smith to have surgery after breaking ankle in UFC 277 loss

UFC light heavyweight Anthony Smith is headed for surgery.

UFC light heavyweight [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] headed for surgery.

Smith on Monday told Ariel Helwani that he broke his left ankle in his fight against Magomed Ankalaev this past Saturday at UFC 277 in Dallas. The injury will require surgery. MMA Junkie subsequently confirmed the news.

Smith, 34, had his three-fight winning streak snapped by Ankalaev, who finished Smith in the second round with punches.

In the opening round, Ankalaev and Smith (36-17 MMA, 11-7 UFC) exchanged kicks in the center of the cage. Both men landed, and a slip late in the raw caused Smith to fall on his back while Ankalaev stood over him and continued kicking him. Smith limped back to his corner after Round 1 and informed his trainers that he felt a potential issue.

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Immediately after the stoppage at the 3:09 mark of Round 2, Smith told a member of the Texas commission that his left leg was broken before he was carried out of the octagon.

It’s unclear at this time how long Smith will be out of action.

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