Tag: UFC 284

Henry Cejudo suggests UFC interim title fight with ‘Ronald MethDonald’ Sean O’Malley

With Aljamain Sterling looking to take time off, Henry Cejudo wants a piece of Sean O’Malley for a piece of UFC gold.

With UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] eyeing a return not until next summer, [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] wants [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] next.

Sterling (22-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC), who retained his title by finishing T.J. Dillashaw last week at UFC 280, told MMA Junkie that UFC 284 on Feb. 12 is too soon for him to compete again. Instead, he’s looking at mid-2023 to come back.

Cejudo (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) already has completed his six months in the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency program and is eager to get back the bantamweight title he never lost. So if Sterling is looking to take some time off, Cejudo wants now No. 1-ranked bantamweight contender O’Malley for the interim title at UFC 284 in Perth.

“Hey @danawhite since Denzel Sterling wants to work on his rap career (He can be called Lil Power) How about Me Vs Ronald MethDonald @SugaSeanMMA for a interim in Australia? I’m short so I’m used to being Down Under. 🏆🏆🏆.”

O’Malley (16-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) edged out former champion Petr Yan at UFC 280 to earn that top spot in the bantamweight rankings. Cejudo sees an interim title fight with O’Malley as the logical next step and is convinced that Sterling is dodging a fight with him.

“Hey Allshitstain… @funkmasterMMA Are you really gonna count your victory over the Gimp as a win? Surprised you didn’t call out Oscar Pistorius afterwards. I know you gotta work on your cardio but don’t run from me for 8 months. 💋“

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Alexander Volkanovski guarantees he’ll get back up if Islam Makhachev takes him down

Alexander Volkanovski vows he will give Islam Makhachev a hard time on the ground at UFC 284.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] vows he will give [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] a hard time on the canvas.

UFC featherweight champion Volkanovski (25-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC) was called into the octagon by Makhachev, who submitted Charles Oliveira this past Saturday at UFC 280 to claim the vacant lightweight title.

Makhachev (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) is game to defend his title against Volkanovski at UFC 284 in Perth, Australia, and is oozing confidence after using his dominant grappling to finish another opponent. But Volkanovski says Makhachev won’t be able to control him.

“I feel like he’s sort of underestimating me in a sense,” Volkanovski told Submission Radio. “Where I’m just a featherweight, a small featherweight, how am I going to be able to handle his strength? You know what I mean? That’s how he’s looking at it, which is going to be a shock when we are in that octagon. All week, he might be looking at me thinking I’m small and all that type of stuff, but as soon as I’m in front of him, getting him uncomfortable on the feet, making him want to shoot desperately for a takedown because he’s uncomfortable, then when he tries to grab a hold of me, realizes, ‘Oh sh*t, this short guy isn’t as weak as I thought’ (and) struggles to get me down. Or even if he does get me down, I get straight back up.

“Mentally, he’s breaking. This stuff’s going to get to him, because this is not what he expected. He’s like, ‘How is this little fella doing this?’ And I guarantee you I will. So let’s see how he deals with that. Look, everyone wants to talk about me dealing with him being able to take me down and all that. Trust me: I put myself in this position every camp. That’s the whole point of my training is make me uncomfortable. Put me in the sh*ttiest positions you can. I ain’t going to be fazed by it. I guarantee you I’m getting back up. Let’s see how he deals with a short man getting back to his feet and punching him in the face. That’s what I look forward to seeing. That’s the question that I want to know. I want to see how easily he breaks when things don’t go to plan.”

Makhachev called Volkanovski a “short guy,” but Volkanovski says he’ll make that work in his favor. The featherweight champion has been at a height disadvantage in the majority of fights throughout his career.

“I ain’t going to just be standing in front of you,” Volkanovski said. “You are going to be trying to figure out a puzzle in front of you. The movement’s going to be difficult. You’re going to try and grab a leg and all that type of stuff. But again, you need to be in the right position to feel comfortable to shoot, and he won’t feel that straight away. Then he is going to get a little more desperate to try and grab the legs and all that. And again, this is stuff he hasn’t had to deal with. There’s no way there’s people that have a calculated footwork like I have that he’s faced. There’s no way. So, I can’t wait to put that puzzle in front of him – make him pay, get him uncomfortable.

“And then again, this small-stature, this guy, you know, this is another thing – him calling me short. I don’t think he realizes that that helps me in a situation with someone like him. Let’s be real: The size advantage and that, having that weight is obviously going to be a big factor. But me having this small stature, this stocky build, especially knowing how hard I am to hold down, is going to help me in this situation. Me being like a short, stocky fellow that I am, I’m very hard to hold down. Like, if you get me down – now that obviously I’m going to be training a lot more takedowns, I’m going to be very hard to take down. Usually, I don’t have to worry about that. I know I’m going to get back up. I don’t need to worry about that. Now I’m going to be focusing on that for the next three to four months, you know what I mean? And trust me: I’m going to be very, very, very hard to hold. And that’s something again that he hasn’t really dealt with.”

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Robert Whittaker: Paulo Costa still struggled with a Luke Rockhold who did not want to be there

Robert Whittaker wasn’t too impressed with Paulo Costa’s win over Luke Rockhold and thinks he has the edge when they fight at UFC 284.

[autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] wasn’t too impressed with [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag]’s win over [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag].

Although Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) swept the judges’ scorecards for a unanimous decision win over Rockhold at UFC 278 in August, Rockhold had his moments. An emotional Rockhold retired after the fight and detailed his struggles with injuries and his personal life.

Whittaker (24-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC), who meets Costa at UFC 284 on Feb. 12, expected more out of the Brazilian against Rockhold.

“Luke landing effective shots on Costa is no surprise,” Whittaker told Submission Radio. “He’s going to land shots no matter who he fights, really. But in saying that, Luke himself said it as well: He didn’t want to be there. Like, his will to fight was just not there. He was kind of just like, ‘Oh man, let’s just get through this.’

“And Costa still struggled with a Rockhold that did not want to be there. And he was getting tagged and hit. He had a lot of openings, he had a lot of holes. So as for what do I think of his performance in that fight? I don’t know. … It’s not great. Not great. Not bad, but not great.”

Whittaker is looking to reestablish himself as the No. 1 contender after falling short to middleweight champion Israel Adesanya for a second time at UFC 271. He sees Costa as a stern test, but is confident he’s the better fighter overall.

“I think he’s a tough guy, and I’m taking this fight with all the respect that I do every other fight,” Whittaker said. “I’m going to go in there in February the best version of myself, and I think the best version of myself is better than everybody else in the division. I think skill-wise, I’m better than Paulo across the board. He probably benches more than me. But my bench isn’t crazy anyway.

“He’s very well-rounded. He’s a very, very well-rounded fighter, and obviously he’s an athlete – a specimen. He’s got a lot of power, torque and explosiveness. But I’d like to think I’m all of those things, as well – and better.”

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Alexander Volkanovski on Conor McGregor: ‘I take that lightweight title, he knows there’s an opportunity there’

Alexander Volkonvski thought his exchange with Conor McGregor was weird, but isn’t surprised the former UFC dual champ took a shot at him.

[autotag]Alexander Volkonvski[/autotag] thought his Twitter exchange with [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] was weird, but isn’t surprised that he took a shot at him.

After featherweight champion Volkanovski (25-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC) and newly crowned lightweight champ Islam Makhachev faced off in the octagon at UFC 280 to set up a potential superfight, McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) tweeted that a fight between them would barely sell.

That prompted Volkanovski to respond, and their brief back-and-forth abruptly ended with former UFC dual-champ McGregor showing respect and giving him advice on how to beat Makhachev.

“He knows he ain’t fighting for that featherweight title,” Volkanovski told Submission Radio. “I go and take that lightweight title, he knows there’s an opportunity there.”

A fight with McGregor comes with its obvious perks. But if Volkanovski is able to become lightweight champion, fighting McGregor would also be about adding onto his legacy.

“I’ve touched on the fact that he was the featherweight champion and he’s the only featherweight champion I haven’t beaten,” Volkanovski said. “So obviously that fight means something to me as well as well as the money that’s involved and all that type of stuff. You know the whole circus around him, which would be entertaining and fun – I’d enjoy it. So all that type of stuff will be great, but there’s still a deeper sort of meaning to that fight than just that. I think he knows that, as well.”

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Volkanovski not worried about Makhachev’s strength, wrestling: ‘I’m going to show him what short people can do’

Alexander Volkanovski thinks being “short” will actually play to his advantage in a UFC champ-vs-champ fight with Islam Makhachev.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] is comfortable with how his style matches up against [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] going into their expected champion-vs.-champion fight in February.

After Makhachev (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) won the vacant lightweight title with a second-round submission of Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 on Saturday, featherweight titleholder Volkanovski (25-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC) entered the octagon for a faceoff to set up a showdown between them, likely at UFC 284 on Feb. 11 in Perth, Australia.

After essentially cleaning out the 145-pound division, Volkanovski put himself in position to challenge for a second belt by offering his services as the backup fighter at UFC 280. He made weight ahead of the event in case his services were needed, and as a result seemingly locked himself into being Makhachev’s first challenger.

“That’s why I’m doing that type of stuff – that’s why you see me here and putting a lot on the line, committing to some big things a lot of people wouldn’t do just to put me in position where, again, no one can take an opportunity away from me,” Volkanovski told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight at UFC 280. “That’s just how I’ve been, always will be, and now I get to reap the benefits. I want to get that champ-champ and put myself in position where everyone wants to see it now, and even the guy holding that belt wants to see it.

“It’s all falling into place exactly how I wanted. During the week, I’m like, ‘I’m ready to go in there if I have to. But perfect world, if everything goes how we want it to, I fight the winner in Australia.’ This is exactly what it is. It’s going to be huge, not only for Australian fans – they deserve a big fight. They deserve me on that fight (card), either defending the belt or going for that champ-champ. It’s going to be crazy.”

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Although Volkanovski has competed in the lightweight division before, he’s never faced anyone ranked or anywhere close to the level of Makhachev. The new 155-pound champion said he thinks “short” Volkanovski is going to have some major trouble adapting to the highest tier of the division, and sees his strength and power being an X-factor in the octagon.

Volkanovski begs to differ, however, and said his frame should actually play to his advantage against Makhachev’s grappling-heavy style.

“I’m very, very hard to not only take down, but hold down,” Volkanovski said. “One thing I always say, especially these little short legs, they’re very easy to get back to my feet. That’s going to be one hard thing. Getting me down is going to be problem. If you do, I’m bouncing right back up and it’s going to be standup most of the way through. That’s how I see it. And you ain’t going to land on me like that. I don’t just stand in front of you. I come forward and I’m coming straight at you.

“Everyone thinks I’m short, and then I’m punching them in the face and their face changes real quick when I’m in front of him. It’s not an insult. I know I am. But I’m the champ. I’m doing good and I’m going to keep this winning streak going and I’m going to show him what short people can do when they know what they’re doing.”

Betting odds already have been released for a potential Volkanovski vs. Makhachev meeting, and they have “The Great” as a sizable underdog. That’s exactly what he wants, though, and Volkanovski said it’s going to be a glorious moment when he shocks the world and joins the short list of fighters to win UFC titles in two divisions.

“It’s definitely a challenge,” Volkanovski said. “I’m not going to sit here and say it’s not a challenge. But is it a challenge I can overcome and get through? One hundred percent, I guarantee I can. I’m looking forward to doing that. I want to be the underdog, as well. I’m looking forward to people being like, ‘He’s not going to be able to handle the power. He’s going to get taken down. He’s not going to be able to get back up.’

“I can’t wait to – as the fight goes – just proving people wrong as each second goes by. I love being the underdog. If people want to doubt me again, that’s beautiful.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.

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Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa booked for UFC 284 in Australia

Robert Whittaker’s next fight will take place on home soil.

[autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag]’s next fight will take place on home soil.

The former UFC middleweight champion returns to the cage against Brazil’s [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] at UFC 284, which is set to go down on Feb. 11 at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. The three-round bout will serve as the co-main event.

The news was officially announced by the promotion on Thursday on social media.

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Whittaker (24-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC) is coming off a dominant unanimous decision win over Marvin Vettori last month at UFC Fight Night 209 in Paris. The bout was his first fight back since losing to champion Israel Adesanya in a very closely contested rematch at UFC 271 in February. Whittaker is 13-2 in his past 15 bouts with the two defeats coming in championship fights against Adesanya.

Meanwhile, Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) recently snapped a two-fight losing streak, the first ever defeats in his professional career, by edging out Luke Rockhold in a Fight of the Night performance at UFC 278 in August. The pair of defeats came against Adesanya and Vettori.

The middleweight matchup is the first bout officially announced for the event, which is currently subject to WA Combat Sports Commission approval.

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Report: UFC 284 set for Australia return in Perth in February

The rumored UFC return to Australia reportedly will be official next week with an announcement in Perth.

The rumored UFC return to Australia reportedly will be official next week.

According to a report from PerthNow, UFC 284 will be announced for Perth on Tuesday by Roger Cook, the tourism minister for Western Australia. He’ll be joined by UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag].

UFC 284 will take place at RAC Arena on Feb. 11 in the U.S. Like most past UFC shows in Australia, the event will take place Sunday morning locally in Perth to account for the 12-hour time difference between that and the U.S. Eastern time zone.

Perhaps not coincidentally, the event will come five years to the day since the first and so far only UFC visit in Perth – UFC 221 on Feb. 11, 2018. In the UFC 221 main event, Yoel Romero knocked out Luke Rockhold in an interim middleweight title fight, but couldn’t win the interim belt because he missed weight.

The UFC’s most recent visit to Australia came in October 2019 for UFC 243 in Melbourne, where Israel Adesanya won the middleweight title with a knockout of Robert Whittaker.

No fights have been announced for UFC 284 yet. Volkanovski is awaiting his next title defense after a third win over former champ Max Holloway at UFC 276 in July. Whittaker, based in Australia, beat Marvin Vettori in September, so could be ready for a return. Adesanya, who trains in New Zealand, puts his middleweight title on the line next month in New York against Alex Pereira. Tai Tuivasa, another popular UFC fighter from Australia, was knocked by Ciryl Gane five weeks ago in Paris. The timing may be right for his return, too.

UFC 284 will be the promotion’s 16th overall trip to Australia. Along with Perth and the aforementioned Melbourne, the UFC also has touched down in Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Gold Coast.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 284.

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