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Uros Medic kept his perfect finish rate intact when he knocked out Matthew Semelsberger at UFC 291 in Salt Lake City.
SALT LAKE CITY – [autotag]Uros Medic[/autotag] beat Matthew Semelsberger with a third-round TKO Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 291 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
Take a look inside the fight with Medic, who has back-to-back knockout wins despite being the betting underdog in both fights.
Jon Anik thinks the biggest loser from Justin Gaethje’s “BMF” title win at UFC 291 may have been featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski.
[autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] thinks the biggest loser of [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag]’s “BMF” title win at UFC 291 may have been featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag].
Gaethje (25-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) became the second “BMF” titleholder in history this past weekend when he knocked out Dustin Poirier with a second-round head kick at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, setting him up for likely third opportunity at the undisputed 155-pound belt.
The next divisional title bout will play out at UFC 294 on Oct. 21 in Abu Dhabi, when champion Islam Makhachev rematches Charles Oliveira in the main event. Volkanovski (26-2 MMA, 13-1 UFC) has clamored for another chance at two-division glory following his 145-pound title defense over Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290 in July, but Gaethje’s win complicates things for him.
Gaethje said following UFC 291 that he intends to wait to fight the winner of Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) vs. Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC), and UFC’s lead play-by-play man Anik anticipates that how the situation will unfold.
“Initially I was thinking, Alexander Volkanovski, this result with Justin Gaethje is maybe not a great result for him in terms of the pecking order for his rematch with Islam Makhachev,” Anik told MMA Junkie. “I think if I’m Ilia Topuria, the result with Justin Gaethje is perfect because I’m probably going to get Alexander Volkanovski next. That’s not informed speculation, it’s total speculation – but I think that’s the direction in which they will go.”
Another possibility is in play for the future of the lightweight belt, and that’s a trilogy between Makhachev and Oliveira. If Oliveira is able to avenge his October 2021 submission loss to Makhachev and regain the belt, a third encounter between the pair would certainly be an appealing option.
Gaethje is such a unique and exciting entity, however, that Anik expects the promotion to jump at any viable chance to have him compete for gold.
“If Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira are 1-1 that would open the door for a trilogy, but I think Justin Gaethje is the guy who people believe is the most watchable, the most exciting,” Anik said. “I’m not sure how that plays itself out at the pay-per-view window or in terms of the internal metric, but I would think as a promoter, you’d try to get Justin Gaethje in an undisputed title fight because of just how incredible he is. The fanbase really seems to resonate with him. He seems to move every needle. I would think they would be trying to rush Justin Gaethje into a title fight.”
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Ultimately, Anik would like nothing more than to see Gaethje get an opportunity. He came up short in his previous undisputed title chances against Oliveira and Khabib Nurmagomedov, but the third time may very well be the charm.
“I’d be excited to see him back in there against Charles Oliveira,” Anik said. “Obviously he is a fresh opponent for Islam Makhachev, and I just hope he waits. Unless they dangle some crazy number for him to fight somebody like Conor McGregor, I really hope Justin Gaethje will wait, because while he does have two belts at home – interim and BMF – I’m not really sure he cares too much about them.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.
Dustin Poirier finds himself at a career crossroads after his knockout loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 291.
Unfortunately for [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag], he’s all too familiar with losses in title fights.
Just as impressive as Justin Gaethje’s knockout was in their “BMF” title fight at UFC 291, it was just as devastating for Poirier, although the former interim lightweight champ seemingly took it in stride.
Poirier, who’s come up short in two undisputed title fights, has often expressed just how badly he wants to be undisputed champion at 155 pounds, but he’ll be set back in the title picture for now –and may consider retirement.
How can he rebound? Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Danny Segura, Farah Hannoun and Brian “Goze” Garcia tried to lay out a roadmap for Poirier’s future with “Gorgeous” George Garcia.
You can watch their segment in the video above and check out the full episode below.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.
Nate Diaz thinks former UFC rival Conor McGregor should turn his attention to Justin Gaethje – rather than Michael Chandler
[autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] should turn his attention to [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag].
McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) is expected to square off with [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] following the conclusion of “The Ultimate Fighter 31,” which airs Tuesdays on ESPN until Aug. 15.
Not only does Diaz see Chandler losing to McGregor, he doesn’t think the fight will ever happen.
“Chandler is a nice a guy, but he’s going to get… he’s not going to win,” Diaz said in an interview with Mirror Fighting. “I don’t think they’re going to fight though. I don’t think those guys are going to fight. You think those guys are going to fight? There’s no bout agreement and just like the ‘BMF’ belt, they have nothing to entertain nobody.”
Following Gaethje’s (25-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) knockout of Dustin Poirier to claim the “BMF” title in Saturday’s UFC 291 headliner, McGregor expressed interest in facing “The Highlight,” and Diaz thinks that’s the direction his former rival should go.
“I think Conor and Gaethje should fight,” Diaz said. “I think that will probably be nice but Gaethje might just act like he’s too cool or something – but it shows how much of a nerd he is.”
Diaz isn’t sold on Gaethje and Poirier as “BMF” title challengers, and hasn’t changed his mind despite Gaethje’s spectacular finish.
“No, him and Poirier are dorks,” Diaz said. “They don’t fit the description in any way and Masvidal, too. The champions, they’re all kind of lame right now. There’s (Israel) Adesanya and Jon Jones. Besides that, there’s nobody that’s entertaining to watch.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.
Daniel Cormier thinks Dustin Poirier still has a lot more to give.
[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] still has a lot more to give.
Poirier (29-8 MMA, 21-7 UFC) was knocked out by Justin Gaethje (25-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) in this past Saturday’s “BMF” title fight in the UFC 291 headliner at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
It was a tough pill to swallow for “The Diamond,” who was looking to earn another shot at undisputed gold. Cormier admits it was hard for him to watch Poirier go out like that, but says he still has plenty to be proud of.
“Dustin Poirier’s near and dear to my heart – a kid that grew up in (my home city of) Lafayette, La.,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “As I’ve said time and time again, we that grew up in small cities, sometimes we fall victim to what we believe we can achieve.
“Dustin Poirier never fell for that thought. … He thought of the world as something he can conquer, and he did absolutely that. He beat Conor McGregor twice, he fought for the UFC lightweight championship, he was the UFC interim champion, and he is an absolute star.”
Following his defeat, Poirier said he’s not interested in fighting rising contenders. Cormier isn’t sure where that puts him, but hopes he continues fighting.
“I will be very interested to see what Dustin Poirier’s approach is now, because I don’t think that Dustin Poirier is a guy that’s going to stick around just for the sake of fighting,” Cormier said. “I understand he likes money, but he’s already made a ton of it. I think Dustin Poirier wants to be a champion. I don’t know what the future looks like for him. I hope he doesn’t walk away.
“I hope that he keeps fighting, because I believe there are many more Dustin Poirier fights for people to see. Whoever watches and knows Dustin, he’ll be back from this. We have seen this man through his ups and downs and that’s one of the things about seeing a guy from the very start. We’ve seen him at the highest of highs and we’ve seen him at the lowest of lows. There’s much more for Dustin Poirier to accomplish.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.
Jamahal Hill thinks he would make quick work of the version Alex Pereira displayed at UFC 291.
[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] thinks he would make quick work of the version [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] displayed at UFC 291.
Pereira (8-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) edged out former champion Jan Blachowicz (29-10-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC) in this past Saturday’s co-main event at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, making good in his light heavyweight debut.
Hill, who vacated his 205-pound belt after he ruptured his Achilles tendon, agrees with the judges’ decision and thinks Pereira surprised Blachowicz with his strength.
“I think they got it right,” Hill said on his YouTube channel. “I think the decision was right. I think Jan came out and thought that he just had such a huge advantage in grappling that he would just be able to blow Pereira away like that. He obviously was the better technical grappler, but Pereira looked strong.
“I think that strength and power gave (Blachowicz) something to deal with that caused problems for him. He had to use a lot more strength than he would have wanted to to get Pereira down and then try to keep him down. He wasn’t zapping enough energy out from Pereira to counteract the energy he was expending to try and get him down.”
However, Hill didn’t rate Pereira’s performance too highly and thinks he’d have a hard time against him.
“Welcome to the division,” Hill said. “Me personally, I wasn’t impressed with what I saw. I saw a lot of things that would be a short night for him against me. But you know, luckily for him, it’s not me that he’ll be facing. He’ll be facing Jiri Prochazka, from what I heard. That fight will probably take place in Abu Dhabi. I’m locked in for it. I’m a fan of it right now. I’m just on the sidelines watching.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.
See how the UFC 291 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 291 event in Salt Lake City, 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.
Justin Gaethje’s UFC 291 knockout of Dustin Poirier opens up a lot of options for “The Highlight.”
[autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] won the “BMF” title in the UFC 291 main event Saturday with a stunning head-kick knockout of fellow former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier.
It was an incredible finish that captured the attention of the combat sports world, chief among them Conor McGregor, who implied that he’d skip the Michael Chandler fight he’s supposed to have for one with Gaethje. Would that be a good fight for Gaethje to take on?
What does winning the “BMF” title mean for “The Highlight,” who continuously proves he’s the embodiment of his nickname in the cage? Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Danny Segura, Farah Hannoun and Brian “Goze” Garcia discuss with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.
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You can watch their segment in the video above and check out the full episode below.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.
Stephen Thompson is confident the UFC will pay him for holding up his end of the deal at UFC 291.
[autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag]’s situation regarding his pay for UFC 291 remains the same, but he’s confident that will soon change.
This past Saturday at UFC 291, Thompson was scheduled to make his return against Brazil’s Michel Pereira, but the fight was canceled the day before after Pereira (28-11 MMA, 6-2 UFC) failed to make the welterweight limit by three pounds. It was Thompson (17-6-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC) who chose not to fight Pereira at a catchweight.
Yet, despite having competed an entire training camp, gone through his fight week obligations, and making weight on Friday morning, Thompson didn’t receive any compensation. A few days removed, Thompson confirmed to Ariel Helwani that’s still the case, but he believes the UFC will recognize his efforts.
“At this point, my management is talking to the UFC, (but) nothing yet (compensation wise),” Thompson said Monday on “The MMA Hour.” “I know Dana White is on vacation. The guy is a workaholic, so well deserved, but I feel like the UFC is going to do right by me. I’ve done everything that I’m supposed to do, and I tried to be as honorable as possible when it comes down to signing my contract and abiding by it.
“I’ve done what they wanted of me, and I feel like they’re going to do right by me. Things are still in talks. I think they’re waiting for Dana White to come back from his vacation, and we’ll go from there.”
Thompson is staying positive that the UFC will come through with the money. He also revealed how extensive his training camp was, which involved contracting five coaches and a nutritionist.
“Wonderboy” said he would be disappointed if the UFC didn’t pay him.
“One hundred percent, I’ll be disappointed,” Thompson said. “Who wouldn’t be? When you show up, and you’re on point, and you have done nothing wrong and your opponent has, it would just really stink if that was the case. But me being the positive guy that I am, I feel like they’re going to do right by me, and that’s why I’m still smiling right now.”
As far as what’s next for Thompson, he’s itching to fight after he missed out on the opportunity this past weekend. He wants to fight Nov. 11 at UFC 295, but he’s not down to get matched up against Pereira given his inability to make weight.
“I already gave him the opportunity,” Thompson said. I gave you the shot. I gave you the chance to beat a veteran out here. I hate saying that, but to prove yourself to the UFC that you deserve to take the spot and move up the rankings, and now you showed me that you don’t deserve this.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.
Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya approves of Alex Pereira’s performance at UFC 291.
Middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] approves of [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]’s performance at UFC 291.
Pereira (8-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) was successful in his light heavyweight debut when he edged out former champion Jan Blachowicz (29-10-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC) in this past Saturday’s co-headliner in Salt Lake City.
Adesanya gave a live reaction to Pereira’s performance while watching the fight, and praised him for his improved takedown defense.
“Beautiful try, but the boy got long legs man,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “I’m telling you, he doesn’t want any space because once you give him space, he going to touch you. Beautiful defense. Good way to not balance himself – corrected it. Good lad.”
Pereira was taken down and controlled in Round 1, but was able to fend off Blachowicz’s dangerous rear-naked choke attempt. He rallied in Round 2 to win the striking exchanges against a tired Blachowicz, and managed to do enough to squeak out the win in a close third round.
All in all, Adesanya agreed with the result, and thought his former foe did well in his new division. He expects Pereira to earn the next crack at the vacant light heavyweight belt.
“Alex won – looked good at light heavyweight. Also, elevation – we have to consider that as well,” Adesanya said. “Crafty from Jan. He did the right thing to try and sneak the victory, but wasn’t enough. Alex now vs. Jiri (Prochazka) probably for the belt, I’m going to assume.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.
