Tag: UFC 294

Paulo Costa says beef with Khamzat Chimaev very real ahead of UFC 294: ‘I hate that dude’

Paulo Costa says there’s nothing manufactured about his rivalry with Khamzat Chimaev entering UFC 294.

[autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] says there’s nothing manufactured about his rivalry with [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] entering UFC 294.

Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is set to return to the octagon and officially welcome Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) to the top of the middleweight division when they meet in a key matchup on the Oct. 21 fight card, which takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

The matchup has been brewing for nearly a year, after the pair had a run-in at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas prior to Chimaev’s UFC 279 victory over Kevin Holland.

Although Costa, 32, likes to joke around and be lighthearted at times, he said the fight with Chimaev, 29, is no joking matter, and the “beef” is legit.

“100 percent (real),” Costa told MMA Junkie in an interview facilitated by his partners at OnlyFans. “I think against Adesanya it was a very personal fight, but I hate that dude. I’m training to make him suffer. Not only to beat him, but I want to do that in great style. I put all my skills and all my concentration, focus to be better than ever. Physically, mentally, technically. All parts together to help me perform better than ever. I know over there in Abu Dhabi it will be kind of his house, but I don’t care. I’m going there to take over.”

Costa has already said that Chimaev is a “dead man walking.” He clarified that he doesn’t actually want to kill his opponent, despite his dislike of him, but he certainly wants to inflict pain on the undefeated fighter from Chechnya.

“I don’t really expect that he dies,” Costa said. “It’s just an expression, but honestly, I don’t see any chance of him winning the fight. Honestly. I’m being very honest. This will be savage. This will be fireworks. This will be wild. I bring my best. I will be there.”

After suffering his only career losses in back-to-back fights against champion Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori, Brazil’s Costa bounced back last summer with a thrilling win over former UFC and Strikeforce titleholder Luke Rockhold.

He’s been out of action since then, but Costa recently signed a new UFC contract and said he’s ready to make another run toward the belt. In fact, he’s confident a win over Chimaev will secure him a second opportunity at UFC gold.

“I think the winner of this fight is going to be the first for the title shot,” Costa said. “I think the winner between me and Khamzat will be next in the line for the title shot.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker set for UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi

The lineup for the UFC’s fall return to Abu Dhabi continues to build with the addition of a highly anticipated light heavyweight fight.

The lineup for the UFC’s now-regular fall return to Abu Dhabi continues to build with the addition of a highly anticipated light heavyweight fight.

[autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) will take on [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) in what could be a crucial fight for the 205-pound division, which currently is without a champion after Jamahal Hill vacated the title after an Achilles injury. MMA Junkie confirmed the UFC 294 matchup with two people with knowledge of the booking following an initial report from Vestnik MMA. The people asked to remain anonymous because the UFC has not yet made a formal announcement.

UFC 294 takes place Oct. 21 at Etihad Arena in Abud Dhabi. The main card will air on pay-per-view. Although no headliner has been formally announced, lightweight champion Islam Makhachev will defend the belt in a rematch with Charles Oliveira on the card, and middleweight contenders Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa have been booked, as well.

Ankalaev lost his UFC debut to Paul Craig in 2018 with 1 second left in the fight. After that, though, he went on a nine-fight winning streak with three post-fight bonuses and fought former champ Jan Blachowicz for the vacant title at UFC 282. Their fight ended in a draw, though, and the belt remained vacant until Hill claimed it – until it became vacant again.

Walker had a rough patch with four losses in five fights, but has bounced back in a big way the past year with three straight wins over Ion Cutelaba, Craig and former title challenger Anthony Smith, which came in May.

With the addition, the UFC 294 lineup now includes:

  • Champ Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira – for lightweight title
  • Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa
  • Ikram Aliskerov vs. Nassourdine Imavov
  • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.

Video: Did the UFC get it right with the top fights booked for UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” discusses if Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira 2 and Paulo Costa vs. Khamzat Chimaev can carry UFC 294.

The UFC is returning to Abu Dhabi in October, and a big lightweight title fight is at the top of the bill.

In the main event on Oct. 21 at Etihad Arena, lightweight champ [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] will face former champ [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] in a title rematch. The pair first met a year ago at UFC 280, where Makhacehv submitted Oliveria in the second round.

The co-feature will see a big middleweight showdown between [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] and [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag]. The winner of that fight could be next up for a title shot.

Was there another marquee matchup that should have been added to this card or did the promotion get it right with these two fights heading the show?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Danny Segura, Farah Hannoun and Brian “Goze” Garcia discuss the lineup with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

You can watch the segment in the video above, as well as this week’s full episode below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.

Why Jared Cannonier leans toward Paulo Costa to beat Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294

Jared Cannonier expects Paulo Costa to pose a serious threat to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294.

[autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] expects [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] to pose a serious threat to [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag].

Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) meets Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in a middleweight bout Oct. 21 at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi. Most of Chimaev’s opponents have struggled to fend off his grappling, but former title challenger Cannonier believes Costa can hang with him on the ground.

“That’s a good fight, right? That’s a really good fight,” Cannonier told Helen Yee. “We haven’t seen much of Costa on the ground because he’s no slouch on the ground, you know what I mean? I guess he’d rather be on the feet punching and kicking at people than using his high-level skills on the ground.”

According to BetMGM, Costa is a +260 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on the Brazilian would win $260 profit. Chimaev is a -350 favorite, meaning a $350 bet would be needed on “Borz” to return $100 profit. If Cannonier was to put money on the fight, he’d pick Costa for the upset. He thinks Chimaev is yet to deal with someone who has “Borrachinha’s” size.

“If I was a betting man, I would lean more toward Costa in that one,” Cannonier said. “He’s a big guy. We haven’t seen Khamzat compete against a guy of that size, that stature, and of that skill level, as well. But, as in every combat situation, Khamzat’s got the skills to pay the bills, as well. That’s going to be a fun fight to watch, that’s for damn sure. Interesting fight, especially considering the position that that will put either of those guys in.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.

Chael Sonnen: Charles Oliveira’s story and rise doesn’t exist without Tony Ferguson

Chael Sonnen says ex-UFC lightweight champ and upcoming challenger Charles Oliveira has Tony Ferguson to thank for helping make him a star.

SALT LAKE CITY – [autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] has [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] to thank for helping elevate his star.

Oliveira earned a title shot after a lopsided decision win over Ferguson at UFC 256, and went on to capture the vacant lightweight title with a knockout of Michael Chandler at UFC 262. “Do Bronx” then scored back-to-back finishes of Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, before seeing his run stopped by Islam Makhachev. However, he rebounded with a first-round TKO of Beneil Dariush at UFC 289 to earn another title shot.

Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) is one of the most beloved stars on the roster and has headlined four straight pay-per-view events from 2021-2022. He will headline another show when he run things back with lightweight champ Makhachev at UFC 294 on Oct. 21 in Abu Dhabi. According to Sonnen, Oliveira’s star has largely to do with Ferguson giving him an opportunity.

“Charles Oliveira does not exist without Tony Ferguson,” Sonnen told MMA Junkie. “Charles Oliveira is a great fighter, but the top five guys were stars, and 6,7,8,9 and 10 weren’t. They were really good fighters. The top five were stars. Nobody would give Charles an opportunity. Tony was up in the loft. He left the ladder down behind him.

“Charles Oliveira does not exist – he’s getting ready to go to a main event, they’re talking about he’s setting pay-per-view records, he’s made millions of dollars. I don’t know that he’s ever thanked Tony. I don’t know if he would agree with me, but I am right. His story and his rise does not exist without Tony Ferguson.”

Ferguson (25-8 MMA, 15-6 UFC) will look to snap a five-fight losing skid when he takes on Bobby Green in Saturday’s UFC 291 main card at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

Sonnen admits Ferguson is in a rough spot in his career, but won’t completely write off his friend and former teammate.

“I’m nervous about it,” Sonnen said. “When you look at a guy’s record and you know the end is approaching – and that’s a very tough thing; I would never call for somebody’s retirement because you’re also calling for their unemployment. … I care about Tony, and I watched Tony. People will always look at your record. They’re not looking deep enough. You want to look at the rounds. Out of his last 20 rounds, how many did he win?

“Because a lot of guys will have a losing record but they won 15 of those rounds. Something happened. When you haven’t won a single round in the last 20 rounds, it’s a very different scenario, and I think that’s tough stuff. Think about this sport without someone like Tony. It’s very tough stuff. I’m certainly not calling for it. Maybe I’m attempting to promote him. Maybe I’m attempting to give an incentive to watch. Tony Ferguson is not to be played with, but neither is Bobby Green. Bobby Green’s the real deal.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.

Famed coach ‘not even excited’ about Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira 2, expects same outcome

Ray Longo admits he’s not too hyped for the rematch between UFC lightweight champ Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira.

Coach Ray Longo admits he’s not too hyped for the rematch between UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] and [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag].

Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) will run things back with Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) 2 in the UFC 294 headliner, which takes place Oct. 21 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Less than a year ago, Makhachev ran through Oliveira with a second-round submission at UFC 280, and Longo doesn’t see their rematch going any differently.

He would have rather seen featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski get his rematch after he took Makhachev to the brink at UFC 284.

“Unfortunately I think it’s the same problem we have with a lot of divisions,” Longo said in a recent episode of the “Anik & Florian Podcast.” “I think Charles could beat everybody but this guy. Honestly, I haven’t thought about, I think it’s the same fight. Maybe a minute longer or whatever, but I think it’s the exact same fight and I don’t know, for some reason I’m not even excited about the fight. I would have rather have seen somebody else in there.”

Longo wants to give Oliveira the benefit of the doubt after he claimed that he wasn’t himself in the first Makhachev fight. Oliveira has since rebounded with a first-round TKO of Beneil Dariush and holds finishes over Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, and Michael Chandler.

Longo points to Aljamain Sterling’s performance against Petr Yan at UFC 259, where he was en route to losing the fight before getting hit with an illegal knee and capturing the bantamweight title via disqualification.

Sterling said he had an upset stomach, which affected his performance, and was able to put on a much better showing in their rematch at UFC 273 where he retained his belt.

“After the first Yan fight, remember Aljo (Sterling) said he didn’t eat right, for whatever reason,” Longo said. “He’s been in the game a long time but maybe it was the main event, the timing of the nutrients was wrong, but I remember sitting down with him months later going, ‘Are you telling me the truth?’ Because if you’re not telling the truth, we’ve got to make some corrections.

“But if you are telling me the truth, that you didn’t really feel good, then it’s a different story. We can go, well I like what I saw, and he said, ‘I swear to God, I’m really telling you the truth.’ So, if Oliveira is saying the same thing and his coaches had a talk with him and it’s really true, then it’s a different fight.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.

Paulo Costa warns ‘dead man walking’ Khamzat Chimaev in video before UFC 294

Paulo Costa vows to stop Khamzat Chimaev’s unbeaten run and end his hype at UFC 294.

[autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] vows to stop [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag]’s unbeaten run and end his hype.

Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) takes on Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in a middleweight bout Oct. 21 at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.

Chimaev has competed at both welterweight and middleweight throughout his career but will look to zero in on a title shot if he can get past former 185-pound title challenger Costa. But Costa, who showed off his ripped physique, said Chimaev is in trouble.

“Gourmet Chen Chen has no chance, zero, no chance,” Costa said in a social media post (h/t The Mac Life). “I’m going to destroy him – dead man walking. Dead man walking right there in Chechnya. I come to f*ck you in your f*cking house, motherf*cker. Training hard every single day, I have no days off. Look at this face, look at this face. Look right here, gourmet Chen Chen: the man who is going to kill you.

Costa hasn’t competed since outlasting Luke Rockhold in a bloody Fight of the Night war at UFC 278. He was linked to a matchup with Ikram Aliskerov for Saturday’s UFC 291 main card in Salt Lake City, but was pulled and matched up with Chimaev instead.

Chimaev will also return after more than a year away. His most recent win came in a 180-pound catchweight bout at UFC 279, where he quickly submitted Kevin Holland.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.

Daniel Cormier: Charles Oliveira has to do a lot of mental preparation, forget Islam Makhachev loss

Daniel Cormier thinks the Islam Makhachev rematch may have come too soon for Charles Oliveira to handle.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] thinks the [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] rematch may have come too soon for [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] to handle.

Lightweight champion Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) will run things back with Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) in the UFC 294 main event Oct. 21 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Oliveira was dropped and submitted by Makhachev in their vacant title fight at UFC 280 this past October. Oliveira since has rebounded with an impressive first-round TKO of Beneil Dariush at UFC 289. Because Oliveira has to go to Abu Dhabi again to rematch Makhachev just one year later, Cormier questions if “Do Bronx” can erase the memory of their first fight and put on a better showing.

“This fight happened last year,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “Oliveira told me in our interview that he wasn’t there. He didn’t show up. I thought that was very big of him to openly admit, ‘Look, man. I didn’t show up. It wasn’t me in the octagon that night. I will be better the next time.’ Then he went out there and did what he did to Beneil Dariush and showed that he is better because he didn’t rush, he didn’t get hurt. That was the first fight I’ve seen Charles Oliveira not get dropped.

“He was on the bottom a little bit against Beneil, but he took no damage. He was able to really control the fight, how it went, and he ended up dominating Beneil Dariush. That was the best Charles Oliveira. When you look at that Charles Oliveira and you match him up with Islam again, you start to wonder: Is this the version that can compete against the champion? And has it been long enough for him to forget what it felt like to be in there with him before?”

Despite the rematch between Makhachev and Oliveira coming so soon, Cormier agrees it’s the fight to make based on merit. Oliveira’s most recent wins have come over Dariush, Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, and Michael Chandler – who are all ranked in the UFC’s top five lightweight rankings.

“The setting is set for a better fight, but the setting is also set for a lot of memories for ‘Do Bronx’ that he’s going to have to conquer: same hotel, same venue, same location,” Cormier said. “He’s got to do a lot of mental preparation before he heads back to Abu Dhabi to fight this guy for a second time. But it is the (right lightweight title) fight. It’s the fight based on the fact that Charles has beaten all the rest and he is the No. 1 contender – clearly the No. 1 contender.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.

Khamzat Chimaev on Paul Costa: I will ‘smash this guy and make him cry’ at UFC 294

Khamzat Chimaev plans to show Paulo Costa no mercy when they square off in October at UFC 294.

[autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] plans to show [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] no mercy when they meet later this fall.

Chimaev, the undefeated UFC star, finally is set to make his return to the octagon after a little more than a year. Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) takes on Costa in a middleweight bout Oct. 21 at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi. He sees it as an easy opportunity to cash in a check.

“Smash, make money,” Chimaev told TNT Sports. “I make that guy cry, go home, be in Brazil. Nobody likes him. All Brazilians like me, support me. That guy is not Brazilian. I’m going to go, smash this guy and make him cry.”

The last time Chimaev was seen in action, he submitted Kevin Holland in quick manner in the co-main event of UFC 279 last September. Despite being a top contender, a big draw and healthy, Chimaev has taken over a year to return to the octagon.

When asked why it’s been so long, Chimaev didn’t have a clear reason.

“I don’t know,” Chimaev said. “I make everyone scared. Usman says he’s boogieman, (but) all these men think about me. When it comes to the fight, they have some surgeries, some problems. So I don’t know. I fight with everybody. Ask Dana White, I never said no. I’m ready always. Yeah, I’ve been out for a long time also, (but) I’ve been training all the time. When big money comes, it’s hard to make fight for me so.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.

Daniel Cormier: No one can argue Khamzat deserves title shot with win over Paulo Costa

Daniel Cormier thinks Paulo Costa is a No. 1 contender fight for Khamzat Chimaev.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] is a No. 1 contender fight for [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag].

Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) returns when he takes on Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) at UFC 294 on Oct. 21 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Costa will be Chimaev’s first fight since September 2022 when he submitted Kevin Holland. His absence has raised questions, but either way, Cormier sees big implications for “Borz” if he can beat Costa.

“I don’t understand why Khamzat Chimaev has not fought again since he fought Kevin Holland,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “There’s more to this story than we know. Maybe I’ll do some digging to try and uncover it, but he’s fighting against Paulo Costa.

“If he beats Paulo Costa, Khamzat Chimaev will have earned himself a title fight at 185 pounds. And I don’t think anyone can disagree with that. I don’t believe that beating Gilbert Burns, going up, and now beating Paulo Costa doesn’t get you a championship opportunity. It makes you the No. 1 contender between Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis.”

Prior to beating Holland, Chimaev positioned himself for a welterweight title shot when he outlasted former title challenger Gilbert Burns at UFC 273. Cormier sees wins over Burns and Costa as a big case for a shot at the middleweight title.

“We thought that the Gilbert Burns fight was going to teach a lot about Khamzat, and it did,” Cormier said. “It taught us that he’s as good as they come. It also taught us that regardless of the level of competition, this young man is going to compete the same way – and he did.

“He won a very competitive fight against Gilbert Burns, but Gilbert Burns’ willingness to stand in the fire and fight him is what made it a more competitive fight. Now he’s got a bigger guy in Paulo Costa who’s willing to do the same thing.”

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