Tag: UFC 278

Leon Edwards says UFC 278 perfect time to fight Kamaru Usman: ‘His body is breaking down’

“His body is breaking down, and I think now is the perfect time.”

[autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] thinks his recent inactivity may pay dividends against [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag].

Edwards (19-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) gets his long-awaited title shot against welterweight champion Usman in Saturday’s UFC 278 headliner at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, Edwards has only competed twice and had numerous fights canceled. His UFC Fight Night 187 headliner against Belal Muhammad was cut short when an accidental eye poke rendered Muhammad unable to continue early in Round 2. He then battered Nate Diaz for five rounds at UFC 263 and survived a late scare.

Usman (20-1 MMA, 15-0 UFC) has doubled up on Edwards’ activity, but the Brit thinks all that cage time will likely have an impact on the champion.

“All I’ve been doing is training,” Edwards told CBS Sports. “The Khamzat Chimaev fight (that was canceled three times), for example, that’s three camps. I’ve done many camps and improved leaps and bounds. Now is the perfect time for us to fight. I think those years, looking back on it now, were blessings in disguise. It gave me time to hone my skills and polish what I needed to polish, while he’s competed – but he’s also been in wars. His body is breaking down, and I think now is the perfect time.”

Despite Usman defending his title four times in 16 months, Edwards won’t bank on a worn-out version of “The Nigerian Nightmare” – even if it’s what he thinks is likely the case.

“I’m not going in there thinking that,” Edwards said. “I’m going in prepared for the so-called pound-for-pound best. I am going in there fully focused on him coming in there to be the best version of himself. I think that’s how I’m approaching it.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.

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UFC 278 ‘Embedded,’ No. 1: Luke Rockhold is there to support ‘Chito’ Vera in San Diego

Check out the first episode of UFC 278 “Embedded,” which follows Luke Rockhold as he helps Marlon Vera get ready one week before his own fight.

The UFC is back with its ninth pay-per-view of the year, which means the popular “Embedded” fight-week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 278 takes place Saturday at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

The main event features a highly anticipated rematch between welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 15-0 UFC) and [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC). The two first fought in December 2015 in Usman’s first fight after winning Season 21 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Usman won a unanimous decision and went on to win the 170-pound title, which he has defended five times. Edwards has gone 9-0 since their first fight.

The co-main event features the return of former middleweight champ [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC), who will be fighting for the first time in more than three years when he meets [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC).

The first episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Luke Rockhold supports teammate Chito Vera’s main event in San Diego. Champ Kamaru Usman hones his skills, then watches the fights with his training partner, Justin Gaethje. Leon Edwards lands in Salt Lake.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.

Luke Rockhold says ‘Bo Nickal would get abused’ against UFC middleweight elite, Nickal responds

Bo Nickal thinks no UFC middleweight has 10 percent of his wrestling. Luke Rockhold has a different opinion.

[autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag] thinks no UFC middleweight has 10 percent of his wrestling, but [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] thinks otherwise.

Nickal (2-0), a three-time NCAA Division-I national wrestling champion, is one of the most highly touted prospects in the sport. He scored a a 62-second submission win at Dana White’s Contender Series 49 earlier this month and already has his next fight booked for Sept. 27, when he’ll take on Donovan Beard at Dana White’s Contender Series 57.

Despite not getting immediately signed to the UFC, the standout wrestler’s confidence hasn’t wavered. But former UFC middleweight champion Rockhold disagrees with Nickal’s statement and sees him struggling against the division’s elite.

“Bo Nickal would get abused – absolutely abused,” Rockhold told The Schmo. “It’s different, you know. It’s different. Wrestling is … you know, you can go so far until you run into the likes of me. But Bo, he’s an incredible character. The kid looks good, but he fought a f*cking bum, so who the f*ck knows. But I know his accolades and I know his team. I wrestle with a lot of the guys from that cycle of learning, and you know, we’ll see what the kid makes of it.”

Nickal was quick to respond and laughed off Rockhold’s comments.

“Yo whatttt?!! Why is this clown even taking about me. ‘The likes of me’ he says. I’m dying.”

Rockhold (16-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC), who was able to use his grappling to dethrone Chris Weidman for the 185-pound title at UFC 194, returns to action Saturday for the first time in more than three years. He meets Paulo Costa in the UFC 278 co-main event at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.

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Video: UFC 278 ‘Countdown’ for Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards

Did you miss the debut of UFC 278 “Countdown” or just want to watch it again? Check out the main event preview for Salt Lake City now.

Did you miss the debut of UFC 278 “Countdown” or just want to watch it again? Check out the main event preview now.

The segment takes a special look at the welterweight title rematch between champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 15-0 UFC) and challenger [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC). The two first fought in December 2015 in Usman’s first fight after winning Season 21 of “The Ultimate FIghter.” Usman won a unanimous decision.

UFC 278 takes place Saturday at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

“Countdown” goes behind the scenes with the two fighters, and you can watch the full segment above. And don’t miss the entire episode in the video below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.

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Video: UFC 278 ‘Countdown’ for Paulo Costa vs. Luke Rockhold

Did you miss the debut of UFC 278 “Countdown” or just want to watch it again? Check out the co-main event preview for Salt Lake City now.

Did you miss the debut of UFC 278 “Countdown” or just want to watch it again? Check out the co-main event preview now.

The segment takes a special look at the matchup between [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and former middleweight champion [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC), who will be fighting for the first time in more than three years.

UFC 278 takes place Saturday at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

“Countdown” goes behind the scenes with the two fighters, and you can watch the full segment above. And don’t miss the entire episode in the video below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.

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‘More muscles less fat’: Paulo Costa appears in great shape ahead of UFC 278

The concern of Paulo Costa making weight for UFC 278 will likely dwindle down after his latest post.

The concern of [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] making weight for UFC 278 will likely dwindle down after his latest post.

Costa (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC), who meets former champ [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC) in a middleweight bout at UFC 278, appears to be in great shape just over a week away from his Aug. 20 matchup.

The former title challenger struggled to hit the 185-pound mark in his past headliner against Marvin Vettori last October, resulting in their bout taking place at light heavyweight. He lost the bout via unanimous decision. Rockhold expressed concern over Costa even making it to the fight, but the Brazilian assures everyone that he’s in peak form.

“This time I have no injuries. I could surprised (even by me) beat my best weight until here. More muscles less fat . It’s just my prime time as I said . Unfortunately for all middleweight guys . God gave His grace and the knowledge to make something unbelievable.”

Costa has developed quite the personality on social media, constantly posting memes and interacting with his followers. His self-deprecating nature has made him a fan favorite, but he is all business ahead of his return.

“Besides all the jokes and funny stuffs that I like a lot 😁, the very hard work has been doing EVERY SINGLE F*ck day here. I’m so proud all of it and feeling better than ever. It’s just my prime time. GOD IS GREAT!”

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.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.

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Chael Sonnen credits Luke Rockhold for choosing to fight ‘The Terminator’ Paulo Costa in UFC return

Chael Sonnen says Luke Rockhold, who returns at UFC 280, doesn’t get enough recognition for his willingness to fight anyone.

[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] says [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] doesn’t get enough recognition for his willingness to fight anyone.

Rockhold (16-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC) returns from a more than three-year layoff to face former title challenger [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC 278 on Aug. 20. Despite Costa losing his most recent bout to Marvin Vettori last October, Sonnen thinks he’s a tough comeback fight for former middleweight champion Rockhold.

“You have two guys that everybody’s scared of,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “There’s a way to beat Paulo Costa, but only one guy has showed us it, and there was a few moving parts there. I gotta take the Vettori fight out. That might not be fair to do, but I gotta take the Vettori fight out. It was missed weight, everything got a little bit goofy, it was very competitive, it was close both ways, Vettori got his hand raised.

“I gotta move that out, because it wasn’t at 185. And there’s a way to beat Luke, but you got to have incredible power, and you got to find that spot. Now that happens to be two tools that Paulo Costa has. It’s just an interesting fight.”

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Rockhold has struggled to return to top form, but that hasn’t stopped him from continuously fighting elite-level competition. His past two knockout losses came at the hands of multiple-time title challenger Yoel Romero and ex-champ Jan Blachowicz, and Sonnen praised Rockhold for never shying away from a challenge, especially how injury-ridden his path has been.

“But Luke has also been out for a meaningful period of time. He’s walking right in there against The Terminator,” Sonnen said. “I really think that’s the part of Luke Rockhold’s story that people don’t talk about. That dude might be pleasant to look at, (but) that dude is a straight up badass. Luke doesn’t get in there with anybody easy. Not to mention, getting in there with Paulo Costa on your best of days is a trying situation. To get on there when you’re off of a break, I feel that he should get more credit.”

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Kamaru Usman: Conor McGregor no ha terminado de pelear, ‘pero él ya no es un campeón’

Kamaru Usman no cree que Conor McGregor todavía tenga el deseo de volver a ser campeón de la UFC. A pesar de que McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC), antiguo campeón de dos divisiones, expresó su interés en retar tanto al campeón de peso welter Usman …

Kamaru Usman no cree que Conor McGregor todavía tenga el deseo de volver a ser campeón de la UFC.

A pesar de que McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC), antiguo campeón de dos divisiones, expresó su interés en retar tanto al campeón de peso welter Usman (20-1 MMA, 15-0 UFC) como al ex campeón de peso ligero Charles Oliveira a su regreso, Usman ya no ve el fuego dentro de McGregor.

El ascenso a la gloria de McGregor fue bien documentado; de cómo pasó de estar en la beneficencia a convertirse en la estrella más importante de la UFC. Usman se pregunta si ahora que McGregor ya logró sus metas, su motivación sigue en el lugar correcto para convertirse en campeón.

“No es que ya haya acabado, pero ya no será un campeón”, fue lo que dijo Usman  en el podcast “I Am Athlete”. “Este es mi punto de vista porque, cuando yo peleo contra alguien, estudio sus corazones. Cuando veo las peleas, veo sus corazones y para mí, él ya terminó. Ya terminó porque no sé si la meta era obtener el dinero”.

“No sé si eso es lo que fue, porque hay una historia sobre él: él estaba en bancarrota. Para mí, parecía que era para no estar en bancarrota, era para tener el dinero. Eso lo entiendo. Ahora ya no está en bancarrota, ¿pero cómo vas a ser un campeón si eso fue lo que te llevó a ser un campeón? Porque ya no querías estar en bancarrota. Ahora ya no estás en bancarrota”.

McGregor no ha competido desde julio 2021 que se rompió la pierna en una derrota por TKO contra Dustin Poirier. Mientras tanto, Usman defenderá su título contra Leon Edwards el 28 de agosto en el evento principal de la UFC 278. De lograr derrotar a Edwards, Usman admite que no diría que no a pelear contra McGregor, pero duda que la superestrella irlandesa acepte.

“Me podrá retar, pero eso no quiere decir que vaya a pelear contra mí”, dijo Usman. “No es necesariamente que lo estén protegiendo, porque él puede escoger contra quién pelear y tomar sus decisiones. Así de grande es él. Conor puede decir ‘Voy a pelear contigo mañana’, y todavía va a venderla por miles de millones… por supuesto yo aceptaría ese cheque”.

 

Artículo traducido por Ana Lucía Toledo

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Kamaru Usman admits fighting Jake Paul would be a gamble, explains why he prefers Canelo Alvarez

UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman doesn’t see too much to gain from boxing Jake Paul.

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] doesn’t see too much to gain from boxing [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag].

It would be a lucrative payday for the UFC welterweight champion and No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, but Usman (20-1 MMA, 15-0 UFC) thinks the risk outweighs the reward. That’s why he continues to express interest in boxing undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, a massive challenge that would also result in a big payday.

“Me fighting Jake Paul, I’m helping him,” Usman said on the “I Am Athlete” podcast. “I beat Jake Paul, nobody cares. You’re supposed to beat him. I still get a bank account now. I still get that. I beat Canelo, biggest athlete in the world, not even close, 100 million in the bank. If I’m gonna gamble, I’m gonna gamble well.”

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When questioned if he thinks fighting Paul would be a gamble, Usman didn’t even hesitate to say yes.

“Absolutely,” Usman said. “Listen, me and him get in a scrap right now, he could touch me. I’m not naive or ignorant enough to think – let them put it on the news. I’m a realist. I know I’m gonna dog walk him, but at the same time, everyone has a puncher’s chance.”

Usman will look to notch his sixth title defense when he rematches Leon Edwards in the UFC 278 main event, which takes place Aug. 20 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City and airs on pay-per-view. Prelims air on ESPN/ABC following early prelims on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.

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UFC 278 free fight: Relive Kamaru Usman’s win over Leon Edwards before rematch

Before they rematch for welterweight gold in the UFC 278 main event, watch the first Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards fight.

The UFC’s next pay-per-view event, UFC 278, is rapidly approaching and the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport is set to make his return in the main event.

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] will put his welterweight championship on the line in a rematch with [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag], which headlines the card Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. Prelims air on ESPN/ABC following early prelims on ESPN+.

The second encounter between Usman (20-1 MMA, 15-0 UFC) and Edwards (18-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) comes nearly seven years after they first shared the octagon. Usman defeated Edwards by unanimous decision at UFC on FOX 17 in December 2015, but it’s been nothing but success since.

Usman will look to make it 16-0 in the octagon at UFC 278, which would tie Anderson Silva’s record for longest winning streak in UFC history. Edwards, meanwhile, is riding a 10-fight unbeaten streak and has been patiently waiting for his first crack at UFC gold.

Before that happens, though, the UFC has published the complete first fight between Usman and Edwards, which can be viewed above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.

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