Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Here are the top four honorable mentions and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Knockout of the Year” award for 2023.
With another action-packed year of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie takes a look at the best knockouts from January to December. Here are the top five and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Knockout of the Year” award for 2023.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice for “Knockout of the Year.”
* * * *
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submission from October 2023.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from October 2023: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Submission of the Month award for October.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from October 2023.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from October 2023: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Knockout of the Month award for October.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.
Jorge Masvidal was not impressed with Khamzat Chimaev’s win over Kamaru Usman and says top middleweights will “f*cking hurt him.”
[autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] was not impressed with [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag]’s win over [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag].
Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) defeated short-notice replacement Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) by majority decision in their middleweight bout at UFC 294 last month. After a strong first round, Chimaev slowed down, which allowed Usman back in the fight.
Former UFC welterweight champion Usman stepped in on less than two weeks’ notice in a weight class above. Masvidal believes, after that performance, Chimaev would struggle against the upper echelon of the middleweight division.
“He hasn’t fought anybody at 185,” Masvidal told MMA Mania. “I’m not trying to diss him, but he’s not a ranked ’85 player. He’s a great 170-pound fighter, but he’s not ranked at 185. You put him in there with a lot of these guys (middleweights), I think they’ll f*cking hurt him.”
Masvidal recalls running into Usman on a night out right before he was offered the fight. “Gamebred” is confident Usman would have finished Chimaev if he had more time to prepare.
“Funny story: Right before he took that fight, it hasn’t happened too often, but I saw Kamaru Usman out,” Masvidal said. “It was the craziest stuff ever. I was walking into this establishment, I had my shades on and somebody goes, ‘Jorge Masvidal, what’s up?’ I go, ‘Man, that voice sounds f*cking familiar.’ I turned around, this is at 4:30 in the f*cking morning, bro. It’s Usman’s ass, and he’s got glasses too. What the f*ck? I look, I must have lost my f*cking mind. I lift them (glasses) up and I go, ‘Usman?’ And he goes, ‘What’s up, Masvidal?’ This motherf*cker, bro.
“That was literally the day before he got the announcement for the fight. So I just want to say if that guy has like five, six weeks to prepare for Chimaev, he takes him out. Guaranteed. He knocks his ass dead.”
UFC CEO Dana White said Chimaev’s win over Usman earned him a title shot against middleweight champion Sean Strickland, but that won’t come until he heals from a torn ligament in his hand, which Chimaev said he suffered in Round 1 against Usman.
[lawrence-related id=2691269,2690859,2690566,2690496]
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.
Khamzat Chimaev’s road to the UFC middleweight title and new champion Sean Strickland may have gotten a speed bump.
[autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag]’s road to the UFC middleweight title may have gotten a speed bump.
The unbeaten contender, presumed to be next in line for new champion Sean Strickland after his win over Kamaru Usman at UFC 294, will be out for at least a month with a torn ligament in his hand, according to a report from UFC broadcast partner ESPN.
After his win over Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC), a unanimous decision in Abu Dhabi eight days ago, Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) said he thought he broke his right hand. But his manager told ESPN he’ll be in a brace for four weeks, then will see how the hand feels.
Strickland (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) pulled off a major upset when he outworked Israel Adesanya for a lopsided unanimous decision to win the title at UFC 293 in September. He was vocal after Chimaev’s win over Usman that his likely next opponent hadn’t done enough, in his estimation, to warrant a title shot – particularly because he was fighting an opponent who was debuting in the weight class on less than two weeks’ notice.
Now, regardless of whether or not he thinks Chimaev is a worthy first challenger, he’ll have to wait an extra month for his return if that’s indeed who his opponent will be.
Chimaev’s win over Usman was his first at middleweight in more than three years. Two wins after that were at welterweight, and a third was at a 180-pound catchweight after he came in so far north of the 170-pound limit at UFC 279 that it required a change of opponent and a bump out of the main event to the co-feature and a win over Kevin Holland.
Now intentionally at 185 pounds, Chimaev may have no issues if his ligament tear truly winds up being just a monthlong setback. But the longer Strickland waits, the more likely it is the name Dricus Du Plessis will start to get mentioned.
UFC officials have not commented on Chimaev’s injury, a timetable for his return or any other plans for Strickland.
Diego Lopes doesn’t think Alexander Volkanovski should regret taking Islam Makhachev on short notice at UFC 294.
After seeing [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] lose to [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] by knockout, many have questioned Volkanovski’s decision to take the rematch on short notice.
Volkanovski accepted to fill in for an injured Charles Oliveira and take on Makhachev in a rematch on less than two weeks’ notice in the main event of UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi this past Saturday. Yet, despite the criticism by many, fellow UFC featherweight [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag] thinks Volkanovski made the correct call.
“I don’t think it was a mistake since the first time was very close,” Lopes told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “The first fight was very close and a lot of people saw Volkanovski winning and other people saw Makhachev winning. The confidence that Volkanovski had taking this fight was very high. I think I would’ve done the same.
“If I had a close fight against someone a weight class above me and for the title, I would’ve taken the fight, too. Now, after seeing the fight and getting a result, everyone is going to say it was a mistake. Only us fighters know the feeling of seeing an opportunity. If I had a close fight with someone and I thought I beat them and I have the opportunity to prove I’m better, I’m taking the fight. I know circumstances are different, but when I took the fight against Evloev, it was the same thing.”
Lopes does think Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) ended up biting a bit more than he could chew in taking the rematch against Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) on short notice. However, he does stand by it not being a mistake, as the reward was too big to pass up. Either way, Lopes has tremendous respect for Volakanovski for daring to be great.
“I think there’s always receipts,” Lopes said. “I could be wrong here, but people always say that age is just a number, and I somewhat agree with that, but you have to keep in mind that Volka has been doing this sport for a long time and when you get to a certain age you start declining a bit.
“All respect to him for taking the fight on 10 days’ notice. He wasn’t prepared for this fight. But yeah, it was surprising to see how Makhachev finished him. I think we all expected Makhachev to wrestle him all the fight.”
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=420030788]
Charles Oliveira praises Islam Makhachev for the way he finished Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294.
[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] praised UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] for the way he finished [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag].
Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) knocked out Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) with a head kick in the first round of their title-fight rematch last Saturday at UFC 294. Volkanovski stepped in on short notice to replace Oliveira, who was forced out due to a cut.
Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) was impressed with the strides Makhachev made in his striking, especially his kicking game.
“This only goes to show with the things that I’ve said before, the evolution of Islam’s game standing up,” Oliveira said through an interpreter on “The MMA Hour.” “I mean, what a read that he had of that fight to start kicking low and just ended up kicking high. So, I mean, kudos to him.
“All props to him and also all the props, as well, to Volkanovski for actually taking that fight on short notice. I mean, all respect to both of them. They’re great fighters, and obviously Islam is a great champion and all respect to both fighters. It shows his evolution as an MMA fighter.”
UFC CEO Dana White initially said the plan is to rebook Makhachev vs. Oliveira 2, then said it will depend on how long it takes for Oliveira’s cut to heal. While he expects their rematch to be rebooked, Oliveira said he’s yet to receive a definitive word.
“No one has said anything,” Oliveira said. “They know who I am, they know what I’m all about, they know that I’m going to train to become a champion. I’m training, and I’m getting ready for it. They know what I’m all about. I don’t fight for money. I fight to make history, and I fight for my legacy.
“So, I’m going to continue to train, continue to get prepared and try to get up to 100 percent just like I was right before this fight. When I’m at 100 percent, that’s when I’ll be ready to fight. … I want the belt. Whoever’s got that belt, it doesn’t matter who has it. I want that belt.”
[lawrence-related id=2691068,2690168,2688825]
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.
Dana White won’t fully commit to rebooking Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev just yet.
LAS VEGAS – UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] won’t fully commit to rebooking [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] just yet.
Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) was scheduled to challenge lightweight champion Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) in a title-fight rematch this past Saturday at UFC 294, but he withdrew after suffering a laceration in training. Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski replaced Oliveira on short notice but lost to Makhachev by first-round knockout.
Prior to UFC 294, White said Oliveira could get the next title shot. After the event, he’s yet to confirm that Oliveira is next and said that will depend on when he’s cleared to compete.
“That’s all going to be determined by his cut,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters Wednesday. “It was a pretty nasty cut. It was pretty deep. The thing that’s really good about it is he went to a plastic surgeon, so they sewed it up from the inside out, and hopefully that’s going to help it heal faster and heal properly.”
Former champion Oliveira was submitted by Makhachev at UFC 280 last October. He then rebounded with a first-round TKO of streaking Beneil Dariush at UFC 289 in June to earn himself a rematch with Makhachev.
After beating Volkanovski a second time, Makhachev has options. “BMF” champion Justin Gaethje, who’s coming off a knockout of Dustin Poirier at UFC 291, made his case for a title shot. Another option is top contender Mateusz Gamrot, who weighed in as a backup for Makhachev vs. Volkanovski.
Makhachev also has his sights set on the welterweight title, eyeing the winner of champion Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington at UFC 296 on Dec. 16.
[lawrence-related id=2691064,2691056,2691053]
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.
“That fight interests me,” Robert Whittaker says of a potential matchup with Kamaru Usman.
[autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] likes the idea of fighting [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag].
Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) fell short in his middleweight debut when he lost a majority decision to Khamzat Chimaev on short notice this past Saturday at UFC 294. After a 10-8 Round 1 for Chimaev, Usman rallied, but ultimately it wasn’t enough to earn him a win.
Whittaker (25-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) thought Usman looked “sensational” and urged the former UFC welterweight champion to stick around at 185 pounds. If he does decide to, Whittaker would love to fight him.
“I am happy Chimaev and Usman, that fight did happen,” Whittaker said on his MMArcade Podcast. “It just adds more blood to the top of the game. It adds more boys to the top of the charts, which is interesting fights. What’s next for Usman? Is he going to stay at middleweight? I don’t know. But that fight interests me. I like that fight. I’d fight a middleweight Usman.”
Like Usman, Whittaker is also looking to rebound. The former UFC middleweight champion is coming off a TKO loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 290 in July and thinks someone with Usman’s accolades should be fighting the upper echelon of the division.
“I don’t think it’s a bad fight to have,” Whittaker continued. “Like, what are you going to do, make Usman fight through ranks 30-20 to get to the top tier? Consecutive defending welterweight champion, he definitely deserves to fight at the top of the charts of the middleweight division.
“How well he’ll do, we will see. But seeing fresh blood at the top of the game, that’s interesting. I like it. Seeing Chimaev and Strickland fighting, I think that moves things around. I like it. It makes things interesting and exciting. I am here for it. I hope he stays. Stick around, Usman. It’s fun up here, mate.”
[lawrence-related id=2689331,2690379,2690229,2689443]
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.
Henry Cejudo doesn’t think it would be wise for UFC champ Alexander Volkanovski to fight in January like he wants to.
[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] doesn’t think it’s wise for featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] to make a quick turnaround after UFC 294.
Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) stepped in on less than two weeks’ notice to challenge lightweight champ Islam Makhachev this past Saturday, but he was knocked out in the first round. After the loss, Volkanovski opened up about some of his recent mental struggles but insisted that he’s OK.
The setback marked Volkanovski’s first stoppage loss in the octagon, but “The Great” said he still intends on defending his featherweight title vs. Ilia Topuria in January, which Cejudo warns him against.
“If I’m Alexander Volkanovski, on the flip side, you know what I’m doing? I’ve got to humble myself,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “I’ve got to allow my brain to heal for the next six months. I’ve been concussed, I’ve been knocked out to the body, but being concussed or going through a knockout, it takes you a minute for you to really kind of start walking that straight line.
“So there’s two sides. Volk, take your damn time. I wouldn’t necessarily be in a rush. You’re going to have to humble yourself. Yeah, I’m saying humble yourself because it shouldn’t be about ego nor pride. It should be about winning. It should be about preparation. It should be about your legacy.”
Cejudo explained that unbeaten finisher Topuria is exactly the kind of fighter that can make you pay for not taking an adequate amount of time off after suffering a knockout loss.
“If you want to take the fight on Jan. 20, kudos to you,” Cejudo continued. “But will you win? Will you be 100 percent? You just lost the 155-pound strap that you were going to capture, and the last thing you want to do is now go down and fight at 145 pounds and lose to a guy that only has 12, 13 fights.”
[lawrence-related id=2690657,2690640,2690652,2690523]
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.
