Tag: UFC 278

MMA Junkie Radio #3288: UFC 278, PFL Playoffs and BKFC recaps

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


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

On Episode 3,288, the fellas look back at a big Saturday of combat sports and recap UFC 278, which saw the change of the welterweight title and retirement of a former middleweight champ; the PFL Playoffs event in London with more Kayla Harrison dominance; and the BKFC card in London, which saw ex-UFC fighter Mike Perry outlast Bellator star Michael Page. They also talk about the latest MMA news stemming from the results from those cards. 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.

[listicle id=2573496]

[vertical-gallery id=2573336]

[vertical-gallery id=2573559]

[vertical-gallery id=2573839]

UFC 278 post-event facts: Leon Edwards’ last-minute knockout enters record book

Leon Edwards’ knockout of Kamaru Usman was one of the latest finishes in the history of UFC championship fights.

The UFC’s ninth pay-per-view event of the year took place Saturday with UFC 278 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.

The main event saw a new champion crowd, with [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) scoring a fifth-round knockout of [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (20-2 MMA, 15-1 UFC) to claim the welterweight title, making history in the process.

For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 278.

Dana White hopes to re-sign Paulo Costa, takes issue with USADA’s weigh-in day drug test

Paulo Costa was plenty fired up early in the day Friday, well before he got in the cage with Luke Rockhold.

SALT LAKE CITY – [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] was plenty fired up early in the day Friday, well before he got in the cage with Luke Rockhold.

After Costa made weight for UFC 278 in Salt Lake City at the official weigh-ins, he went on a brief expletive-filled rant for the UFC officials and media in attendance at the host hotel in Salt Lake City.

Costa said a representative for the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), the UFC’s drug-testing partner, showed up at his hotel room early in the morning while he was cutting weight in preparation for his trip to the scale a few hours later. Not only did they arrive to get a sample from him during a time that many fighters are dehydrated and cutting their final pounds, but he said their test included a blood draw.

Costa’s complaint about USADA’s timing is not a new one among fighters. The agency requires the UFC’s fighters to keep it apprised of where they will be, which allows representatives to show up unannounced for random drug tests. That strategy is meant to keep any fighter who might consider breaking the rules from doing so, but it has ruffled plenty of feathers, too, when the timing is bad.

UFC president [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] was not happy with how USADA handled Costa’s drug test early Friday, and said he spoke to him about it at the ceremonial weigh-ins.

“I apologized to (Costa) on stage. That’ll never happen again to any fighter,” White said at his UFC 278 post-event news conference. “(USADA representatives) don’t know about fighting the way that people who know about fighting know about fighting. You don’t go in and test a guy at 6 in the morning when he’s cutting weight. The result’s going to be the same a few hours later. You wait. I apologized to him on stage when he came out, and that won’t happen to another fighter again.”

Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) outlasted Rockhold (16-6 MMA, 6-5 UFC) for a unanimous decision sweep of the scorecards in the co-main event at Vivint Arena. Rockhold was a bloody mess after the fight and said in an in-cage interview with Joe Rogan that it likely was his final bout. Costa and Rockhold each got $50,000 bonuses for Fight of the Night.

The win was a crucial one for Brazil’s Costa, who snapped a two-fight skid. At UFC 253 nearly two years ago, he was knocked out by Israel Adesanya in a middleweight title fight for the first loss of his career. In his return more than a year later, he couldn’t make the middleweight limit on the scale and requested a fight-week change to light heavyweight against Marvin Vettori, who then beat him with a unanimous decision.

Costa said after his win over Rockhold that his UFC contract either was up after UFC 278 or about to be up. A third straight loss might have seen him bounced from the promotion. But with the win, White said he wants to see the 31-year-old back in the UFC.

“(I have) nothing but respect for both of those guys tonight. Of course we’d like to re-sign (Costa). We’ll see what happens.”

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

[listicle id=2573509]

[vertical-gallery id=2573334]

Merab Dvalishvili critical of UFC 278 performance vs. Jose Aldo: ‘I wanted a more exciting fight’

Merab Dvalishvili left UFC 278 with mixed feelings.

SALT LAKE CITY – Despite picking up arguably the biggest win of his career, [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] left the cage with mixed feelings.

Bantamweight contender Dvalishvili (15-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC) beat former UFC and WEC champion Jose Aldo (31-8 MMA, 13-7 UFC) on the UFC 278 main card Saturday with a unanimous decision.

And though it was a big win for his resume, Dvalishvili is not too content with his showing.

“Yes and no, (I’m satisfied),” Dvalishvili told reporters at the UFC 278 post-fight interview when asked about his performance. “Of course, I wanted a more exciting fight and I wanted to take him down. But he was good, and it was hard to time him and take him down.

“Against the cage, he was good. He was defending my takedown good. Also, I didn’t want to spend too much energy because I wanted to be ready for a strike. But this is the fight game. I kept it against the wall, and I was winning the fight comfortable. It’s his job to move and do something because I was winning the fight.”

[lawrence-related id=2574477,2572017]

The win puts Dvalishvili on an impressive eight-fight winning streak. He’s considered one of the top contenders in the division. But despite his solid run, Dvalishvili says he’s not close to fighting for the title. His friend and teammate Aljamain Sterling holds the belt and a fight between the two is not on the table, according to Dvalishvili.

The 31-year-old still thinks there are good options for him in the weight class that do not involve him fighting Sterling for the belt.

“I believe there are so many fights left for me,” Dvalishvili said. “There are so many. Our division is the most exciting. There are so many young guys, former champions. Henry Cejudo is coming back. Actually, Aljo has to beat them – the former champions.

“Monday, I’ll be back in the gym helping Aljo. He helped me in this training camp in the gym, weight cut, everything. We have a big fight. Aljo is fighting for the title against a cheater, and we have to beat T.J. Dillashaw together.”

[listicle id=2573599]

[vertical-gallery id=2573332]

Video: Watch UFC fighters’ real-time reaction to Leon Edwards’ KO of Kamaru Usman

See how the UFC fighters sitting cageside reacted to Leon Edwards’s KO win over Kamaru Usman.

[autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] shocked the MMA world, including many of the UFC fighters attending UFC 278.

The British fighter claimed the welterweight title on Saturday night after stopping dominant champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] in the main event of their title bout in Salt Lake City. After being down on the scorecards, Edwards (19-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) pulled off a head-kick KO that sent Usman (20-2 MMA, 15-1 UFC) cold to the canvas late in the fifth round.

[lawrence-related id=2574631,2574628]

It was a shocking result and easily one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. Usman entered UFC 278 with a previous win over Edwards, five consecutive title defenses, and an unbeaten UFC record.

The real-time reaction of the UFC fighters sitting cage side was caught on video. You can see it below.

Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for champ Leon Edwards after UFC 278 win?

See whom champ Leon Edwards should fight next after his brutal knockout of Kamaru Usman in the UFC 278 headliner.

(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Kamaru Usman after UFC 278 title loss?)

[autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] needed the longest unbeaten streak in UFC history before getting his first opportunity at a title, and he absolutely made the most of it with a knockout of Kamaru Usman in the UFC 278 headliner.

After being down on the scorecards going into the fifth round, Edwards (19-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) pulled off one of the most shocking come-from-behind knockouts in UFC history when he unleashed the perfect head kick that knocked out Usman (20-2 MMA, 15-1 UFC) to win the welterweight title at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.

With the win, Edwards became the second British titleholder in UFC history and completed a tumultuous journey to the top.

There’s no time for “Rocky” to rest on his laurels, though. The game always moves on, and we’re already asking what’s next.

Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on Edwards’ future and first title defense after UFC 278.

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

[vertical-gallery id=2573336]

[listicle id=2573496]

Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Kamaru Usman after UFC 278 title loss?

See whom Kamaru Usman should fight next after his title-fight loss to Leon Edwards in the UFC 278 headliner.

(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for champ Leon Edwards after UFC 278 win?)

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag]’s run as welterweight champion came to a shocking and abrupt end Saturday when he was knocked out by Leon Edwards in the UFC 278 headliner.

Usman’s (20-2 MMA, 15-1 UFC) time as champion was halted after five defenses when, in a fight he was winning, Edwards (19-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) scored a magnificent comeback knockout in the fifth round to claim the title at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.

“The Nigerian Nightmare” kept in positive spirits in the aftermath of the fight, vowing to return with a “vengeance” and get back on top.

What should be next for Usman? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future after UFC 278.

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

[vertical-gallery id=2573336]

[listicle id=2573496]

After UFC 278, White breaks down respect for ex-champ Luke Rockhold, even if he’s ‘a little nutty’

Despite a few bumps in the road during fight week, it doesn’t sound like Dana White is interested in holding a grudge with Luke Rockhold.

SALT LAKE CITY – Despite a few bumps in the road during fight week with him, it doesn’t sound like [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] is interested in holding a grudge with [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag].

Rockhold returned in the UFC 278 co-main event Saturday for his first fight in more than three years. But in the build-up to his fight with former middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa, ex-champ Rockhold was critical of the UFC for fighter pay, and promotion president White in particular.

After White said in a Q&A with GQ ahead of UFC 278 that the promotion’s fighters were paid what they’re supposed to be paid, and he’s not planning pay increases under his watch, Rockhold took aim at him and said in his media day interview that White is holding the sport back.

That may have made for an awkward interaction at the ceremonial weigh-ins on Friday, but Rockhold seemed to be more focused on his fight with Costa than his criticism on White. But UFC 278, Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) outlasted Rockhold (16-6 MMA, 6-5 UFC) for a unanimous decision sweep of the scorecards.

After the loss, in which Rockhold was a bloody mess, he said in a post-fight interview with Joe Rogan that the fight likely was his last and said age – he’s 37 – and injuries in recent years contributed to that decision.

If there was friction between him and White, who definitely took issue with Rockhold’s fight-week comments, it seemed to be water under the bridge after the sold-out event at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.

“I think that coming into a situation like both of theirs, there’s a lot of pressure,” White said at a post-event news conference. “There’s a lot of stress. And listen, you know me – who’s more ‘freedom of speech’ than me? He’s entitled to his own opinions and his own whatever it is that went on this week.

“But let me tell you what: I’ll never say anything about him. I totally respect him. And after that war tonight, normal humans like us that are sitting in this room have no idea what those two went through tonight in that octagon – and we never will, thank f*cking God, OK? For both of them to dig as deep as they did and put on an absolute dogfight like they did, I have nothing but respect for both of them. Are they both a little nutty? Absolutely. But nothing but respect.”

Even though Rockhold criticized the $50,000 post-fight bonus structure in a pre-UFC 278 interview, White gave him Fight of the Night for his bout with Costa.

Rockhold, a former Strikeforce and UFC 185-pound champ, won five post-fight bonuses in his 11 fights in the promotion.

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

[listicle id=2573509]

[vertical-gallery id=2571959]

[vertical-gallery id=2573334]

[listicle id=2574476]

After Jake Paul hurled insults, Paulo Costa skeptically welcomes boxing offer: ‘I think he wants to fight wrestlers’

After UFC 278, Paulo Costa heard Jake Paul’s insults and said he’d welcome a boxing match against the YouTuber, pending contract status.

[autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] had his Twitter fingers flying during UFC 278 and among the insults hurled were two at co-main event winner [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag].

A YouTuber-turned-boxer who is frequently the target of callouts from MMA fighters (and vice versa), Paul expressed his disgust for what he considered to be a lack of talent in Costa’s unanimous decision win against [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag].

Unsure of UFC contract status, Paulo Costa might weigh options: ‘I’m glad to be here, but I need to see what’s best for us’

After his UFC 278 win, Paulo Costa revealed his promotional deal may be over – or it may have one fight left on it.

SALT LAKE CITY – [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] might have one fight left on his UFC contract. He might also have no fights left on his UFC contract.

After he defeated Luke Rockhold at UFC 278, Costa (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) said the road beyond is a bit murky right now. Unsure of whether or not his promotional deal is fought out or not, Costa said there are a few options on the horizon.

“We’ve had a lot of great opportunities (that) came up,” Costa told reporters, including MMA Junkie. “We know that boxing is going very well. We have some companies doing very good shows, even in Brazil. Brazil has a big show there, a fight music show. We had the most popular people in Brazil fighting there … We have a lot of great opportunities there, but the UFC is a great company. I’m glad to be here, but I need to see what’s best for us.”

If he does stay, UFC 283 in December in Rio de Janeiro seems like the most prime option for the Brazilian, who wants to partake in the promotion’s first card in his native country since March 2020.

“I can fight in a couple months, maybe two months next, of course,” Costa said. “I’d like to fight in December or end of November. But I know we have UFC Rio in Brazil in January, so maybe I can wait a little more. I don’t know if this is my last fight. I need to check with (my team), my people. If this is the last fight, so I have no more on the contract, I need to sit down and put attention and look what is best for my future. If I have one more, let’s see what Dana White has for me. I’m pretty sure they do an amazing job making exciting fights happen. They know how to eat.”

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

[vertical-gallery id=2573334]

[vertical-gallery id=2573312]