Tag: UFC 285

Curtis Blaydes understands Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane booking but admits ‘it wasn’t based off meritocracy’

UFC heavyweight Curtis Blaydes understands why Jon Jones vs. Curtis Blaydes was booked, regardless of whether he agrees with it.

The UFC heavyweight title picture finally has clarity, but some questions remain about the top of the division – one of them being, what’s next for [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag]?

With Francis Ngannou released from the promotion and [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] on tap for UFC 285, Blaydes reacted to the news for the first time Sunday on social media. Blaydes indicated that he understands the thought process behind the UFC’s decision and predicted a bout vs. surging contender Sergei Pavlovich will be next for him.

“Obviously I’ve seen the news, Gane is getting another title shot vs. Jones,” Blaydes wrote on Facebook. “Most likely I’ll be getting the Pavolich who just beat Tuivasa. That’s cool with me, I get why Gane got the shot and it wasn’t based off meritocracy and that’s not a news flash, the UFC is always gonna to match make based off who puts the most asses in the stands and eyes on the fight. I hope I’ll only need one more win to prove I can put asses in the stands and get a title shot.”

Blaydes, 31, has won three fights in a row and seven of his past eight. He has not competed since a July victory over Tom Aspinall, which ended in a TKO due to injury.

Sources close to the situation told MMA Junkie in November that Blaydes was on the short list to fight Jones at UFC 285. However, the promotion ultimately decided on Gane after he was cleared to return from injury.

With the Jones fight off the table, Blaydes indicated his return fight, if not Pavlovich, will have to be an opponent ranked above him.

“Long as my next opponent is ranked higher than me (which somehow Pavlovich is now) I’m down to fight,” Blaydes wrote on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CncwxCup0Uu/?hl=en

Blaydes sits at No. 4 in the promotion’s official rankings. Gane, Pavlovich, and former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic are the three fighters above him. Miocic, who has largely remained away from the fight game since March 2021, indicated Sunday he has his sights set on the Jones vs. Gane winner.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 285.

[listicle id=2609792]

Jon Jones opens as betting underdog for UFC 285 title fight vs. Ciryl Gane

Jon Jones finds himself in unfamiliar territory heading into his UFC 285 heavyweight title fight with Ciryl Gane.

[autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] finds himself in unfamiliar territory: as an underdog heading into a fight.

Jones, the former UFC light heavyweight champion, will make his much-anticipated heavyweight debut March 4 at  UFC 285 in Las Vegas, where he will face [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] for the vacant heavyweight title. The belt became vacant after reigning champ Francis Ngannou was released following a more than year-long contract dispute with the UFC.

Jones, 35, will enter UFC 285 as a slight underdog at +100, with Gane, 32, coming back as a -120 favorite, according to BestFightOdds.com. This means a $100 bet on Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) would yield winnings of $100, whereas a $120 wager on Gane (11-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) would earn bettors $100.

This marks just the third time in 23 UFC appearances that Jones has opened as a betting underdog and the first time in almost 14 years. The only other times Jones opened as a betting underdog were his first two UFC fights, most recently when he faced Stephan Bonnar at +140. Jones went on to defeat Bonnar by unanimous decision on Jan. 31, 2009 at UFC 94.

[lawrence-related id=2609805,2609797]

Jones, considered by many to be the greatest MMA fighter of all time, will enter UFC 285 with question marks having not competed since February 2020, when he edged out a controversial decision over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247. It marked his 13th career title fight win at 205 pounds.

Gane, a former UFC interim heavyweight champion, is coming off a third-round knockout of Tai Tuivasa last September at UFC Fight Night 209. The victory was a rebound from his lone career setback, a unanimous decision loss to Ngannou in a title-unification bout last January at UFC 270.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 285.

[listicle id=2609792]

Sean Strickland wants to see Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou, but ‘it’s a damn shame’ he left UFC

Sean Strickland is all in on Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] is sad to see [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] go, but he’s excited at the prospect of what may come.

The UFC middleweight contender said he’s a bit conflicted with Ngannou’s departure from the promotion because he thinks his teammate belongs in the UFC as champion. But at the same time, he likes the idea of potential super fights – and one specifically.

Strickland would love to see a crossover fight between Ngannou and heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury. That fight has been talked about plenty by both parties, and it was a hot topic in 2022.

“I think it’s a damn shame to see Francis go,” Strickland told reporters following his win over Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night 217 on Saturday. “He’s iconic in the UFC. He’s probably one of the greatest heavyweights we’ve ever had.

“It sucks he parted ways, but I hope that him and Tyson Fury fight for a lot of f*cking money. That’s a fight we deserve. Again, it sucks he left. I’d love to see him fight in the UFC.

“If the ‘Gypsy King’ sacks up and takes that fight against Francis, I mean, that’s ‘go f*ck yourself’ money. That’s ‘I can go pee in a golden toilet seat. I can do whatever the f*ck I want.’ It sucks he leaves, but if he can get that big money with Tyson, hat’s off to you Francis. Enjoy your ‘go f*ck yourself money.'”

[lawrence-related id=2609778,2609363]

Saturday, UFC president Dana White said negotiations with Ngannou had come to an end and the now-former heavyweight champion opted out of a new deal to become a free agent.

Ngannou leaves the promotion on a six-fight wining streak. He knocked out Stipe Miocic, the most successful heavyweight in UFC history, to become champion in March 2021, then completed his first title defense when he outpointed Gane in a unanimous decision at UFC 270 in January 2022.

The 36-year-old has defeated many other notable names under the UFC banner, including Alistair Overeem, Cain Velasquez, Junior Dos Santos and Curtis Blaydes.

[vertical-gallery id=2609367]

Twitter reacts to Francis Ngannou’s UFC release, Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane title fight

The MMA community was left in disbelief after news of Francis Ngannou’s UFC release and Jon Jones would fight Ciryl Gane for vacant gold.

The MMA community was left in disbelief Saturday after news broke that [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]’s UFC run is done and [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] would fight [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] for vacant gold.

The reigning UFC heavyweight champion, Ngannou (17-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) could not come to terms on a new contract with the organization and, as a result, parted ways. That opened the door for Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) vs. Gane (11-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) to be booked to headline UFC 285, which takes place March 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Did the UFC make a misstep in failing to bring back Ngannou? Was Jones vs. Gane the correct fight to make in the aftermath of a failed deal?

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to the major development in the UFC heavyweight title picture.

Dana White: Francis Ngannou rejected deal to become highest paid heavyweight in UFC history

Dana White says Francis Ngannou would’ve been the highest paid heavyweight in UFC history, but rejected the contract. Now he’s a free agent.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] turned down an historic offer according to UFC president [autotag]Dana White[/autotag].

Saturday, it was announced that the dispute in negotiations between the UFC and its heavyweight champion had come to an end. Ngannou turned down the UFC’s offer for a contract renewal, White said, and left behind his heavyweight title for the chance to become arguably the biggest free agent in combat sports.

And according to White, Ngannou also left a lot of money on the table.

“We offered Francis a deal that would’ve made him the highest paid heavyweight in the history of the company – more than (Brock) Lesnar, more than anybody – and he turned the deal down,” White told reporters at the UFC Fight Night 217 post-fight news conference.

“We get to this point, and I’ve told you guys this before, if you don’t want to be here, you don’t have to be here. I think Francis is in a place right now where he doesn’t want to take a lot of risks. He feels he’s in a good position where he can fight lesser opponents and make more money.

“So we’re going to let him do that. We’re going to release him for his contract. We’re going to give up our right to match, and he can go and do whatever he wants. That’s where we’re at.”

[lawrence-related id=2609778,2599556]

Ngannou now can sign with any other promotion and officially is a free agent. The native of Cameroon has yet to speak publicly about the decision, but White thinks he made it wanting to fight lesser opposition – and not MMA great Jon Jones, who will make his heavyweight debut March 4 at UFC 285 in Las Vegas for the vacant title against former interim champ Ciryl Gane.

“I think that you’re looking at that, you’re going to fight arguably the greatest fighter of all time, you’d be the highest paid heavyweight ever in UFC history, or you think there’s more money out there to fight someone who isn’t the greatest of all time, somebody who’s a lesser opponent,” White said. “You’ll have to ask Francis that question, but in my opinion that’s what it is.

“… The guy was weighing over 300 pounds, just had knee surgery, hasn’t had a real training camp. And I think that probably has a lot to do with it as far as Francis is concerned. He doesn’t know what’s going to happen with his knee. He’s not getting any younger. I don’t even think he would’ve been ready for March.

“We can’t continue to hold up the division and not come to an agreement with this guy. We did everything we could to try to make this fight happen, but he’s got it in his head that there’s bigger opportunities outside the UFC with lesser opponents.”

Ngannou leaves the promotion with plenty of momentum. He’s on a six-fight wining streak and hasn’t lost since July 2018. He knocked out Stipe Miocic, the most successful heavyweight in UFC history, to become champion in March 2021, then completed his first title defense when he outpointed Gane in a unanimous decision at UFC 270 in January 2022.

The 36-year-old has defeated many other notable names under the UFC banner, including Alistair Overeem, Cain Velasquez, Junior Dos Santos and Curtis Blaydes.

[vertical-gallery id=521509]

Francis Ngannou released; Jon Jones returns, meets Ciryl Gane for newly vacated heavyweight title at UFC 285

Heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is released from the UFC. Jon Jones will return at UFC 285 to meet Ciryl Gane for the vacant title.

[autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] will make his return to the octagon in March after more than three years away when he meets [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] for the now vacant heavyweight title at UFC 285.

Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC), a former longtime light heavyweight champion, has been teasing a return to action for his heavyweight debut since heh vacated the 205-pound title in May 2020. It’s now finally set. He’ll meet Gane (11-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) for the belt the UFC has stripped from [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] (17-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) after a contract dispute with the promotion.

UFC president Dana White confirmed the matchup Saturday following UFC Fight Night 217 after photos of a digital billboard attached to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas surfaced on social media. That same venue is set to host the March 4 event, which will air on pay-per-view following prelims expected for ESPN and ESPN+.

White said Ngannou has been released from his UFC contract and is free to fight elsewhere.

“We’ve been negotiating with (Ngannou) for more than two years,” White said, and added that Ngannou’s knee, which recently was surgically repaired, could be an issue for him, as well. “We offered Francis a deal that would’ve made him the highest paid heavyweight in the history of the company – more than (Brock) Lesnar, more than anybody, and he turned the deal down.”

Jones, who many consider to be one of the greatest fighters in MMA history, hasn’t competed since UFC 247 in February 2020. He edged out a narrow and controversial decision over Dominick Reyes in that fight for his 13th career title fight win at 205 pounds.

Shortly after that, Jones committed to a move up heavyweight, which he’d been plotting for more than a decade. He wanted a better contract from the UFC, however, and held out in hopes of getting a better deal. It’s unknown if Jones renegotiated for the contract he wanted or if he’ll fight under his previous terms.

For the majority of the time of Jones’ looming changing in division, Ngannou and Stipe Miocic were the two names most frequently connected to his heavyweight debut. Instead, he’ll meet former interim champ Gane, who is coming off a third-round knockout of Tai Tuivasa at UFC Fight Night 209 in September. Gane lost a title unification bout to Ngannou, his former teammate, at UFC 270 in January 2022.

The latest UFC 285 lineup now includes:

  • Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane – for vacant heavyweight title
  • Derek Brunson vs. Dricus Du Plessis
  • Geoff Neal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
  • Viviane Araujo vs. Amanda Ribas
  • Bo Nickal vs. Jamie Pickett
  • Jessica Penne vs. Tabatha Ricci
  • Farid Basharat vs. Da’Mon Blackshear
  • Julio Arce vs. Cody Garbrandt
  • Mario Bautista vs. Guido Cannetti
  • Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Julian Marquez
  • Kamuela Kirk vs. Esteban Ribovics

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 285.

[vertical-gallery id=391887]

[vertical-gallery id=743367]

UFC champ Aljamain Sterling reveals partially torn bicep, casts doubt about March fight vs. Henry Cejudo

It’s not looking good for a UFC 285 fight between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo as expected.

It looks like UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag]’s return to the cage will have to wait longer.

Sterling has revealed that he’s dealing with a partially torn bicep and is doubtful about his chances of making a title defense against [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] in March at UFC 285 as expected.

Sterling (22-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) opened up about the situation that will likely delay his return on his YouTube channel.

“You guys are probably wondering if we’re going to fight or not,” Sterling said. “The fight is supposed to be myself and Henry Cejudo. I think that’s all said and done. It’s whether or not I can compete with this torn bicep again. Going through another training camp with a torn bicep, against a guy who is stronger in the wrestling department, who will use his wrestling more with inside leg trips, double legs, high crotches, and trying to run the pipe with these lifts. … I’m going to need this bicep to compete at 100 percent.

“And I don’t take Henry Cejudo lightly. Even though I laid out all the ways that I could win and do that for 25 minutes, I have to get in shape, and it’s hard to get in shape when I have this thing compromise me the entire time. Yes, I can run. Yes, I can do sprints. Those are all cool, but I need to make sure I have the grappling endurance to go 25 minutes with a guy like Henry. He’s smaller, so his conditioning is going to be much better, because he’s not going to be cutting as much weight as he’s been cutting. So I’m already compromised going in. … Is it realistic for me to fight in March? I don’t really think it is.”

[lawrence-related id=2608731,2608494]

A championship bout between Sterling and Cejudo (22-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) was never signed or made official by the UFC. However, recently, both did publicly agree to fight in March.

Sterling said the bicep injury has been affecting him for a while, and he’s gone into previous title fights with it. He didn’t reveal how long it could potentially keep him out of action.

With these comments, top bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley suggested a potential fight against Cejudo on Twitter if Sterling is out.

[vertical-gallery id=2595613]

Henry Cejudo urges Aljamain Sterling to ‘stay away from that damn Hennessy,’ accept UFC 285 title fight

Henry Cejudo hopped on the LFA 149 broadcast and confirmed rumors about when and where a bout vs. Aljamain Sterling is likely to happen.

[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag]’s UFC return will be a title shot, and it could be less than two months away, according to the former double champion.

When he joined the LFA 149 broadcast Friday in Chandler, Ariz., Cejudo (22-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) confirmed the promotion is working on a fight against bantamweight champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] at UFC 285, a pay-per-view event scheduled for March 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“The UFC is shooting for March 5,” Cejudo said, likely meaning to say March 4. “It’s up to him to cut some of that fat that he has and stay away from that damn Hennessy, but he’s next.”

Sterling (22-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) previously said on his podcast the Cejudo bout will be next but only mentioned “March” as the timeline. MMA Junkie previously mentioned UFC 285 as the targeted event on the Dec. 6 episode of “Spinning Back Clique.”

Cejudo, 35, has not competed since May 2020 when he successfully defended the UFC bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz. After the fight, Cejudo retired, a decision that caught many by surprise.

“I needed a break,” Cejudo said. “I’ve been wrestling at the highest level since age 11. I never really took a break. Me being off for close to three years, having a baby, spending time with her, watching her grow, watching her walk, watching her start talking, has been the biggest blessings. Everything I do, I take seriously. I had my fun. I had my dad bod, as you know. I’m just ready to take some necks and cash some damn checks.”

[lawrence-related id=2608349,2608358]

The division is much different than when Cejudo left. There has been a changing of the guard among many contenders, and bantamweight is regarded by many pundits as the sport’s strongest division. Cejudo knows what he’s getting himself into.

“It’s stacked from top to bottom from the contenders like Sean O’Malley to me, the double champ, coming back to Aljamain Sterling (and) what he’s done so far,” Cejudo said. “From T.J. (Dillashaw) and the whole deal to (Cory) Sandhagen still knocking on the door, the division is stacked from top to bottom. I think it’s fun.

“I think there’s a lot of fun fights to make, and I’m here to bring the entertainment. I’m here to perform. No. 1, I’m a competitor. I love to compete. I love to take my talent to the next level. The only reason why I smack talk is it motivates me. I’ve got to live up to what I’m telling you, and I do it.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 285.

[vertical-gallery id=340764]

Geoff Neal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov rescheduled for UFC 285 in March

The anticipated matchup between UFC welterweight contenders Geoff Neal and Shavkat Rakhmonov is back on the books.

The anticipated matchup between UFC welterweight contenders [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] and [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] is back on the books.

After their original date of Jan. 14 was scratched due to Neal (15-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) suffering an injury, the clash with Rakhmonov (16-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) will now happen at UFC 285, which takes place March 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

Two people with knowledge of the situation confirmed the new date to MMA Junkie on Wednesday but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. UFC broadcast partner ESPN first reported the news.

Neal, 32, rides a two-fight winning streak into the matchup. In August, he largely dominated Vicente Luque en route to a third-round TKO victory. His other key UFC victories include Belal Muhammad, Santiago Ponzinibbio, Niko Price, and Mike Perry.

Rakhmonov, 27, widely is regarded as one of the welterweight division’s top rising talents. As a result, he and his team have expressed frustration with finding opponents. Rakhmonov has four finishes in as many UFC appearances. The most recent was a submission of perennial contender Neil Magny in June.

The latest UFC 285 lineup now includes:

  • Derek Brunson vs. Dricus Du Plessis
  • Viviane Araujo vs. Amanda Ribas
  • Bo Nickal vs. Jamie Pickett
  • Jessica Penne vs. Tabatha Ricci
  • Farid Basharat vs. Da’Mon Blackshear
  • Julio Arce vs. Cody Garbrandt
  • Mario Bautista vs. Guido Cannetti
  • Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Julian Marquez
  • Geoff Neal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 285.

[vertical-gallery id=389914]

Derek Brunson vs. Dricus Du Plessis added to UFC 285 lineup in March

An important middleweight fight between title hopefuls Derek Brunson and Dricus Du Plessis is the latest addition to UFC 285 in March.

An important middleweight fight between title hopefuls [autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] and [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] is the latest addition to UFC 285 in March.

Brunson (23-8 MMA, 14-6 UFC) and Du Plessis (18-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) have agreed to meet on the March 4 card, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+

MMA Junkie verified the booking with multiple people close to the situation following an initial report from ESPN.com‘s Brett Okamoto, who also reported Du Plessis signed a new multi-fight UFC contract ahead of the bout. The people requested anonymity because the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Brunson will return to action for the first time since March, when he suffered a brutal TKO loss to Jared Cannonier in a likely title eliminator. The loss snapped his winning streak, and had Brunson saying he was going to retire after one more fight. Instead, he recently claimed he wants to fight four times in 2023, and he’ll get off to a good start by fighting in the first quarter of the year.

Du Plessis, meanwhile, will attempt to build off the momentum of his Fight of the Night submission victory over Darren Till at UFC 282 this month. The South African fighter is unbeaten inside the octagon, and has stopped all of his opponents inside the distance.

The latest UFC 285 lineup now includes:

  • Derek Brunson vs. Dricus Du Plessis
  • Viviane Araujo vs. Amanda Ribas
  • Bo Nickal vs. Jamie Pickett
  • Jessica Penne vs. Tabatha Ricci
  • Farid Basharat vs. Da’Mon Blackshear
  • Julio Arce vs. Cody Garbrandt
  • Mario Bautista vs. Guido Cannetti
  • Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Julian Marquez

[vertical-gallery id=2604388]

[vertical-gallery id=2521023]