Tag: UFC 277

UFC 277 reactions: Winning and losing fighters on social media

See how the UFC 277 winners and losers reacted on social media outlets such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Since the early days when the sport was anything but a mainstream endeavor the MMA industry has thrived and survived through various websites, forums, and, perhaps most importantly, social-media platforms.

Fighters interact with fans, each other and many more through the likes of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, which helps outsiders get a deeper look into the minds of the athletes.

Following Saturday’s UFC 277 event in Dallas, several of the winning and losing fighters, along with their coaches, training partners or family members, took to social media to react to the event or share a message with supporters.

The defeated

Alex Morono not interested in chasing names, instead sets sight on hitting 20 UFC wins

Alex Morono is taking a quantity over quality approach to his UFC career.

DALLAS – [autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag]’s approach to his career is different than most fighters.

The veteran welterweight isn’t necessarily out to chase the UFC title or even any specific names to climb up the rankings. Morono (22-7 MMA, 11-4 UFC) is mainly focused on reaching personal milestones, and for him, that means getting to 20 UFC wins.

“(I’d fight) whoever really. My goal is not who, but it’s the quantity,” Morono told reporters during his UFC 277 post-fight news conference. “I’d like to hit fight No. 20. Actually, you know what? Not fight No. 20, but win No. 20.

“So I need nine more wins in there and then win No. 20. The vets are always fun because they’re not going to be around forever. No names in particular. No disrespect, but if I can catch a vet, that would be cool.”

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Morono picked up his 11th win inside the UFC and 22nd professional win overall at UFC277 by outpointing Matthew Semelsberger in a hard-fought battle. The 31-year-old was proud of his performance despite not finishing his opponent.

“I planned on just doing damage, and I banked on going all three rounds,” Morono said. “I always look for the finish, and I cracked him with some right hands, and he didn’t even budge.

“And it’s funny, the first shot that hurt him, I hit him with a jab, and that staggered him. It’s just hard to rush in there. … He was tough. Going into the third, I thought they could stop it because his eye was swollen shut, but you can never bank on that stuff. … That was a fun fight. I always look for the finish, but finishes come with styles, and that guy had a hard style to put away. He’s a brute.”

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

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Magomed Ankalaev feels overlooked after UFC 277, wonders about title shot after nine consecutive wins

“Not a lot of people have a nine-fight wining streak, and Jiri Prochazka got the title shot after two wins, and after nine I got nothing.”

DALLAS – [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] doesn’t feel like he’s getting the respect he deserves.

The UFC light heavyweight contender thinks he’s being overlooked given the body of work he’s built and the return he’s been getting. Ankalaev (18-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) notched his ninth consecutive win this Saturday, stopping veteran Anthony Smith by second-round TKO on the main card of UFC 277.

Yet, despite the impressive run, Ankalaev doesn’t feel fully appreciated.

“I think I should already deserve respect. They should respect me,”
Ankalaev told reporters thorough an interpreter during his UFC 277 post-fight news conference. “Not a lot of people have a nine-fight wining streak, and Jiri Prochazka got the title shot after two wins, and after nine I got nothing.”

Ankalaev has lost once in his professional career. The defeat came against Paul Craig in a fight he was dominating until he got submitted late in the third round of their contest in 2018. And since, he’s beaten notable names such as Nikita Krylov, Volkan Oezdemir, Thiago Santos, and now Smith.

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The 30-year-old hopes to get a title shot but will be a company man and do whatever the UFC asks of him next.

“If UFC would hear me, it would be a different story, but I’m not asking for anything,” Ankalaev said. “I’ll just wait to see what they propose to my managers, and I’ll take any fight.”

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Belal Muhammad says Amanda Nunes ‘cocky’ for claiming she could have finished Julianna Peña at UFC 277

“Get out of here with that. You couldn’t finish her.”

[autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] thinks the scorecards aren’t reflective of [autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag]’s effort against [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag].

Peña (11-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) was dethroned by Nunes (22-5 MMA, 15-2 UFC) in a lopsided unanimous decision this past Saturday at UFC 277 in Dallas and lost the women’s bantamweight title in a rematch.

It was a tough and gritty showing from Peña, who never stopped fighting and throwing up submissions from bottom position. But Nunes landed multiple knockdowns and takedowns and bloodied and battered “The Venezuelan Vixen.” In her post-fight press conference, Nunes said she could have finished Peña, but decided not to in order to prove their first fight was a fluke.

Muhammad, Peña’s teammate, calls shenanigans.

“There’s moments in the fight where Julianna could have won that fight,” Muhammad said on his Instagram. “Amanda, I felt like, is getting too cocky. She’s getting too arrogant saying, ‘I could have finished her in the first round if I wanted to, but I wanted to go five rounds so I could show her who’s better,’ blah, blah, blah. Get out of here with that. You couldn’t finish her.

“I think Amanda started taking her down in the third, fourth and fifth round because she didn’t want to get caught again on the feet. She knows that Julianna punches hard, her eye was very swollen, she was on crutches leaving. So, she was definitely in a fight. It wasn’t a dominating fight like a lot of people are making it out to be.”

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With their rivalry now tied at 1-1 after Peña upset Nunes with a submission finish at UFC 269, followed by Nunes’ win in the rematch, Muhammad thinks it only makes sense that a third fight happens.

“Julianna won the first fight by finish, Amanda Nunes didn’t,” Muhammad said. “So that’s why it deserves a trilogy fight. You could say what the score was: 50-44, 50-43, but that doesn’t talk about the whole fight.”

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Drew Dober eyes Bobby Green or Jim Miller next after UFC 277 knockout win

Drew Dober only wants fun fights and has two opponents in mind after UFC 277.

DALLAS – [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag] only wants fun fights and has two opponents in mind after UFC 277.

Dober (25-11 MMA, 12-6 UFC) scored a bonus-winning knockout of Rafael Alves this past Saturday at American Airlines Center in Dallas and took out his second straight prospect.

Although he was formerly ranked, Dober is more concerned with having entertaining fights and sees [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] (29-13-1 MMA, 10-8-1 UFC) or [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] (35-16 MMA, 24-15 UFC) as the perfect dance partners.

“Bobby and I, that fight would be incredible,” Dober told reporters at his UFC 277 post-fight news conference. “I love the dude to death. He’s such a fun fighter. So I think that fight needs to happen eventually. If he’s not available this year, that Jim Miller fight would be really cool. I’ve been looking up to him for a while. If I pulled out the list of guys that I want to fight, it would have hit the floor. Man, there’s so many guys.”

Dober’s past five octagon wins have come by knockout, placing him second to Dustin Poirier for most knockouts in UFC lightweight history.

“I’ve got an idea of that ranking, and I’m not No. 1 yet, so I’m not satisfied,” Dober said. “So that’s what I’m gunning for.”

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

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Video: Watch Yair Rodriguez lose his mind with Brandon Moreno’s TKO win at UFC 277

Yair Rodriguez went insane with Brandon Moreno’s title win.

There’s no doubt [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] had the crowd in his favor at UFC 277.

The Mexican star won the UFC interim flyweight title Saturday, defeating a tough Kai Kara-France in the co-main event. The fight went down in Dallas, and given the strong Hispanic and Mexican presence, Moreno got a big pop from the crowd when he stopped Kara-France with a nasty liver kick in the third round of the contest.

But probably the biggest reaction of Moreno’s championship win came from UFC featherweight contender [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag], who was sitting cage side.

You can watch Rodriguez’s excitement for Moreno in the video below:

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Both Moreno and Rodriguez have been friends for a long time. They met each other in their early 20s in 2013 before they were in the UFC. The two were part of the now defunct UFC developmental program for Latin America where they were both sent to JacksonWink in Albuquerque to polish their skills with all expenses paid for.

Moreno is currently expected to unify the title against champion Deiveson Figueiredo sometime in the future. Meanwhile, Rodriguez, who’s coming off a TKO win over Brian Ortega, is considered a top title contender at 145 pounds and is campaigning for a title shot.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Drakkar Klose explains callout of Tony Ferguson after UFC 277 win: ‘I want to make sure he remembers my name’

Tony Ferguson rubbed Drakkar Klose the wrong way, and now he wants to fight him.

DALLAS – [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] rubbed [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] the wrong way, and now he wants to fight him.

Klose (13-2-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) picked up a unanimous decision win over Rafa Garcia this past Saturday at UFC 277 at American Airlines Arena in Dallas. The win marked his fifth in six outings.

In his post-fight interview in the octagon, Klose called out [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] (25-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) and there’s a reason for it.

“He’s from Michigan, from Muskegon, and a couple of years back after I fought Christos (Giagos) in Anaheim (Calif.), I seen him at the bar and he was like, ‘Are you the guy with the Michigan tattoo?'” Klose told reporters at his UFC 277 post-fight news conference. “I’m like, ‘Motherf*cker, you know who I am. Don’t try to f*cking play me like that.’ So I want to make sure he remembers my name.”

Other than that, the surging Klose also is looking to add a marquee name like former interim lightweight champion Ferguson to his resume.

“I’m not here to fight nobodies,” Klose said. “I want to fight the best. If I just want to go in there and get a paycheck, give me someone off (Dana White’s) Contender Series, you know what I mean? I want to be known as one of the top guys in this division, and I only can do that if I’m fighting the best guys.”

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

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Deiveson Figueiredo takes umbrage with Joe Rogan questioning status as UFC flyweight champ

UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo might have a bone to pick with Joe Rogan.

DALLAS – UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] might have a bone to pick with [autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag].

During the UFC 277 broadcast on Saturday, Rogan, who called the fights cageside, discredited Figueiredo as the legit 125-pound champion in anticipation of the night’s interim title fight between Brandon Moreno and Kai Kara-France.

“This is the real world title fight,” Rogan said. “I don’t think we’re ever going to see DF down at 125 again, and I think those two gentlemen, there’s a real good argument that Moreno won that last fight, as well. So that is, in my opinion, that’s the world title fight right there.”

Prior to the co-main event, Figueiredo was informed of Rogan’s words during a session with reporters backstage at American Airlines Center. He squinted and smiled before responding.

“I’m gonna have to step into the octagon, go into the arena and look for Joe Rogan’s crystal ball,” Figueiredo said.

“I want to show it to him. Maybe it could be a little friendly wager. I’m gonna make weight, and I’m gonna show it to him. I’m gonna just basically tell him what’s up, what’s really going to happen.”

It’s unclear if Figueiredo got the chance to address Rogan directly.

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Moreno went on to defeat Kara-France by third-round TKO when a hard body kick put the finish in motion. Afterward, Figueiredo entered the cage to confront Moreno, and the two men agreed to fight for a fourth time in December.

Whether it will happen on that timeline remains to be seen as Figueiredo recovers from a hand injury.

“At home, it was hurting a little bit. I have to tell you,” Figueiredo said. “I was doing a lot of exercises at home for the hand, just kind of doing stuff and really working the hand as much as possible. I think I’m gonna be ready to go. And believe me, I do believe that I have a lot to give in the octagon still for you guys.”

Figueiredo is certain he’s coming back to 125 pounds, even if Rogan has his doubts.

 

Dana White open to Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko trilogy after UFC 277: ‘That’s not a bad idea’

Dana White thinks it may be time for Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko to fight for a third time.

DALLAS – Dana White thinks it may be time for [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] and [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] to fight for a third time.

Nunes (22-5 MMA, 15-2 UFC) reclaimed the women’s bantamweight title in this past Saturday’s UFC 277 headliner when she dominated Julianna Peña in their rematch at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

The consensus greatest female fighter of all time is back on top as a dual-champ and welcomed flyweight champion Shevchenko (23-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) to move up and face her. And it appears White is on board, too.

“Yeah, that’s not a bad idea,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters at the UFC 277 post-fight news conference. “Normally, I would say, ‘Come on, man.’ That’s not a bad idea, I mean, when you really think about it. I’m not saying yes. I’m just saying it’s not a bad idea.”

Nunes holds two wins over Shevchenko. She narrowly edged her out in their rematch at UFC 215 in September 2017. “The Lioness” initially said she wanted to put her featherweight title on the line next, and White is willing to grant her anything she asks for.

“Very (likely),” White said of that possibility. “I mean, we’ll figure it out. She’s the double-champ. I love the kid. I have a great relationship with her. She’s been amazing to work with and I’ll do whatever she wants to do.”

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

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Ketlen Vieira calls for title shot against Amanda Nunes in Brazil: ‘There’s no option than fight with me’

Ketlen Vieira thinks she should be next in line for newly crowned UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes.

[autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] thinks she should be next in line for newly crowned bantamweight champion [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag].

Nunes (22-5 MMA, 15-2 UFC) reclaimed the 135-pound title when she battered a tough Julianna Peña in Saturday’s UFC 277 main event at American Airlines Arena in Dallas and avenged her upset loss at UFC 269.

Now that Nunes is back on her throne, there isn’t much fresh blood for the dual-champion. Nunes is open to the idea of a trilogy bout with flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko, whom she already has beaten twice, but Vieira wants to be next.

“Congratulations, Amanda! You had a great fight yesterday and you showed you’re in a good shape! Congrats to took your belt back. I think there’s no option than fight with me and be ready for it, because I’ve been preparing myself to make it! And who knows if we do it as main fight here in Brazil? Good luck and see you soon!”

Vieira (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) is coming off back-to-back decision wins over former bantamweight champs Miesha Tate and, most recently, Holly Holm in her second straight main event at UFC Fight Night 206 in May.

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

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