Tag: UFC 309

Tom Aspinall highlights one clear disadvantage Jon Jones would have against him

Tom Aspinall explains why Jon Jones’ preparation for a UFC heavyweight title unifier “will keep him up at night for sure.”

[autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] thinks UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] would have a hard time preparing for him.

Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) was in attendance for Jones’ successful title defense against Stipe Miocic in Saturday’s UFC 309 headliner at Madison Square Garden in New York. Jones finished Miocic with a spinning back kick to the body in Round 3.

Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) prides himself on being great at studying tape and breaking down opponents, but based on Aspinall’s fight time in the octagon, the interim champ believes Jones won’t have much to look at – and that’s a clear disadvantage.

“He loves to study opponents like this. He has no chance of doing that with me because my average fight time is the shortest in UFC history at 2:02,” Aspinall said of Jones on “The Ariel Helwani Show” on Monday. “All 10 fights, and that’s something that keeps him up at night. That will keep him up at night for sure.

“I am a massive, massive question mark for him, and I know a lot of his game. He’s got a lot of octagon time over a lot of years, and I’ve got next to nothing, next to no footage of me, nothing of me out there apart from bouncing people’s heads off the canvas. He has no idea what to prepare for, and that is fantastic for me.”

Jones said he wants “f*ck you” money to fight Aspinall, and Aspinall doesn’t blame him. Despite Jones dismissing him on multiple occasions, Aspinall is confident the fight ends up happening.

“I’m a damn dangerous fight for him, the most dangerous of his career at this stage by far, and he knows it,” Aspinall said. “Of course he wants money. I think he secretly wants it because he has a gigantic ego, and he should have because he’s one of the best fighters ever. And he hates the fact that people are saying that I can beat him. He can’t sleep at night.”

[lawrence-related id=2787883,2787817,2787729]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Bo Nickal defiantly puts positive spin on ‘overrated’ chants at UFC 309

Bo Nickal is brushing off criticism surrounding his UFC 309 win, especially from “idiot drunk fans.”

[autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag] is brushing off fan criticism surrounding his UFC 309 win.

Nickal (7-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) remained unbeaten when he outstruck Paul Craig for a unanimous decision win on Saturday’s main card in New York. It was a lackluster performance from the highly touted standout wrestler, who was met with boos and “overrated” chants from the crowd of more than 20,000 fans at Madison Square Garden.

Despite the hostile reaction, Nickal remains pleased with his performance.

“It was funny to hear the chants,” Nickal said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “It almost just made me laugh, because the crowd and the people that are doing that, I’m looking at – I’ll just explain it this way: When you get disrespected by people that, in my opinion, have no idea what they’re talking about, it’s almost a compliment.

“To feel that from the crowd, it almost just made me laugh, because it’s someone insulting you, who has know idea what’s going on. It’s almost a compliment to me, because I feel like I controlled the fight, I did everything I needed to do, and if I have a bunch of idiot drunk fans that don’t like the way it’s going, I think that’s actually probably a good thing.”

UFC 309 commentary disappoints Nickal

Nickal was, however, disappointed with the broadcast commentary from Jon Anik, Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier during his fight with Craig (17-9-1 MMA, 9-9-1 UFC), specifically pointing out Cormier’s comments.

“When I watched the fight back, something that was a little disappointing was the commentary and just kind of hearing the way that they were looking at the fight,” Nickal said. “It made me feel like they didn’t really know what was going on as much, because anybody that I’ve talked to that are people that I trust, that shoot straight with me, they’re like, ‘Dude, you shut that guy out, domination, it was a flawless victory.’

“To hear things like DC say, ‘Oh, he’s not ready for Khamzat.’ I think he was kind of trying to be respectful but also trying to, like, maybe set me down a peg. It was just weird to hear. But I just feel like the people I know, who are in my corner, who would give me honest feedback, they’re very happy with the victory. I was very happy with the victory. So that’s what I really care about at the end of the day, but it was a little disappointing to hear some of those comments from people that I respect a lot.”

[lawrence-related id=2787887,2787797,2787569]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Stipe Miocic pens heartfelt message after retiring at UFC 309

An emotional Stipe Miocic opened up on his decision to retire in a lengthy message to his supporters: “What an incredible way to go out!”

An emotional [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] on Monday opened up on his decision to retire after UFC 309.

Miocic (20-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) hung up his gloves after a third-round TKO loss to heavyweight champion Jon Jones in Saturday’s main event at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The former two-time UFC heavyweight champion took to Instagram to thank his team, family, and fans for his incredible journey, which led to him being considered arguably the greatest in the division’s history.

“Let me start this post by saying I am good. Been through a lot worse. I hope everybody enjoyed the show on Saturday. What an incredible way go out! I started this journey fighting in local bowling alleys & ended it selling out Madison Square Garden. It truly doesn’t get batter than that. Sorry I don’t get the W, but you can’t get em all. Sometimes it’s not your night, that is the nature of the beast. You can’t plan a perfect ending in this sport, but I guess the perfect ending is to have been lucky enough to do it at all. You all have given me so much, and I hope I did you all proud. Croatia & Cleveland Ohio especially. I felt all of you with me at every battle.

“To Marcus Marinelli and the Strongstyle team. We started together, we finished together. We cried together & we bled together. If people only knew the whole story of everything we have been through… we could write a pretty badass novel. There is nobody else I would have shared this journey with… the best part is that we are family forever… Marcus, I know my father has passed. But I also know he appreciates you stepping in and being the father figure I needed in my life.

“We had a hell of a run coach. You dedicated years of your life to me. We made history based on a dream and you had a vision. Now we have more time to drink wine and play euchre while making fun of Bobby because he is terrible at defending him self. To my opponents, thank you all. I learned something from every single one of you. It was a honor to go to war brothers.

“To my wife, you are my rock. The ship doesn’t sail without you. You sacrificed so much for this dream and I love you. God knew I needed you & you motivate me more than any one! I will miss hanging up on you on Embedded, but there’s YouTube for that. To my kids, everything I have ever done is all for the two of you. To my Mom, I know this isn’t the career you would have chose for me. But, you have always been in my corner since day one.. it was me & you. To my Vayner sports family, you guys are the best in the business!

“And finally to the fans, you guys are the heartbeat of this sport. You are what makes the MMA amazing! Without you, we fighters don’t even exist. The rush you gave me walking down to that octagon is forever engraved in my memory! Thank you for that  I’m not goin anywhere. Excited to start some new projects, bring back the podcast, break down all my fights & share my reality with you! Until my next fight……. just kidding, just kidding! Forever grateful. It’s been a hell of a ride!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCiIR7wyVaB/

In his first reign as UFC heavyweight champion, Miocic defended his title a record three times, scoring wins over Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos, and Francis Ngannou. His two most recent wins came in back-to-back title fights against Daniel Cormier.

[lawrence-related id=2788005,2787730,2786768,2787655]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Eduarda Moura gives reason for Ivana Petrovic callout after UFC 309

Eduarda Moura called out Ivana Petrovic after her win over Veronica Hardy, which came following the first loss of her pro career.

NEW YORK – [autotag]Eduarda Moura[/autotag] beat Veronica Hardy with a unanimous decision Saturday to open the preliminary card at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Take a look inside the fight with Moura, who called out Ivana Petrovic after her win, which put her back on the right side following the first loss of her pro career.

Eduarda Moura def. Veronica Hardy

Eduarda Moura def. Veronica Hardy, UFC 309 (via UFC)

Result: Eduarda Moura def. Veronica Hardy via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Moura (11-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Hardy (9-5-1 MMA, 4-5 UFC)
Key stats: Hardy outstruck Moura 61-41, but the Brazilian had three takedowns and more than 4 minutes of control time.

Moura on the fight’s key moment

Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Veronica Hardy (red gloves) fights Eduarda Moura (blue gloves) in the flyweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

“The plan was to confuse her because I think she was expecting a grappling heavy fight, and we wanted to exchange with her. We have to back it up and we have the guts, we have the courage, for whatever we need to do to.”

Moura on being in New York

“Regardless of the result, this would have been an amazing week because I met everybody. I got to meet … all these people that inspired me. So it was an amazing opportunity and it just to represent my state and represent a place – you don’t have many fighters coming from (my town in Brazil). To me, it’s just an honor to be from there.”

Moura on what she wants next

Ivana Petrovic

“Next fight (will be at) flyweight. My visa goes up until January. I want to fight, so to try to get a fight as soon as possible would be flyweight (instead of strawweight). Give us Ivana Petrovic. … Nothing (negative against her). She just fought recently and I think she’s ready to go, so why not?”

To hear more from Moura, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

[vertical-gallery id=2787230]

[vertical-gallery id=2787243]

Daniel Cormier all for Michael Chandler’s callout of Conor McGregor after UFC 309

Daniel Cormier thinks Michael Chandler is smart for going after Conor McGregor again.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] is smart for going after Conor McGregor again.

Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) called out McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) after suffering a dominant decision loss to Charles Oliveira in Saturday’s UFC 309 co-main event at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Despite now coming off back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier and Oliveira, Cormier doesn’t see Chandler’s chances of getting his fight with McGregor rebooked decreasing. In fact, he thinks it strengthens his case.

“I said this before the fight: I thought Chandler had a better chance of getting the McGregor fight if he lost,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “He lost that fight. He showed that you can hurt him, but he also showed how tough and durable he is.

“Michael Chandler doesn’t need to win all the time. He’s past that, in terms of who he is as a fighter. He’s past that. He once again won, even though he lost. He’ll get the McGregor fight, and it’s going to be massive, and I’m all for it.”

McGregor withdrew from his originally scheduled bout vs. Chandler at UFC 303 in June due to a broken pinky toe. When asked about McGregor’s status during the UFC 309 post-fight news conference, Dana White reiterated that it likely won’t be until late next year, meaning Chandler would likely have to wait quite a while once again.

“There is no doubt – Conor hits me up all the time, Conor wants to fight,” White said. “I told you guys he probably wasn’t going to fight in 2024 and he didn’t. He’s going to fight in 2025, probably at the end of the year. If it is earlier, that’s good for all of us.”

[lawrence-related id=2787824,2787601,2786765]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Stipe Miocic’s manager sets record straight on injuries from Jon Jones kick at UFC 309

Contrary to reports, Stipe Miocic did not suffer any serious injuries in his TKO loss to Jon Jones at UFC 309.

[autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] did not suffer any broken ribs in his TKO loss to Jon Jones at UFC 309.

Former two-time heavyweight champion Miocic (20-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) failed to regain the belt Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York and saw his night – and career – come to an end in violent fashion courtesy of a spinning back kick to the body from Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) in the third round.

Jones, who said he trained the technique for hours every week leading up to the event, uncorked his perfectly placed signature kick to the left side of Miocic’s body and immediately folded him to his knees. “Bones” pounced with a few follow-up punches, but it was over as Miocic crouched over in pain while Jones celebrated.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by UFC (@ufc)

Although Miocic refused additional medical attention in the octagon then provided a post-fight interview with Joe Rogan where he announced his retirement, rumors have swirled online about broken ribs.

However, Miocic’s manager, Lloyd Pierson of VaynerSports, told MMA Junkie on Monday that Miocic sustained “no broken bones” in the defeat.

At the UFC 309 post-fight news conference, Jones stated that he thinks the spinning back kick is the most powerful kicking technique that can be done in MMA, and said broken ribs are one of the potential consequences if it lands perfectly. That wasn’t the case with Miocic, but it was enough to end the fight.

“I didn’t hit Stipe’s liver. It hit him on the opposite side,” Jones told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “It just sends shockwaves through a person’s body. It can break a rib – it’s just a really powerful shot. So I’m just really proud of landing that shot after so many hours of working it.”

[lawrence-related id=2787894,2787730,2786768,2787655]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Conor McGregor reacts to Michael Chandler’s loss at UFC 309

Conor McGregor was complimentary of “mad little fellow” Michael Chandler after his UFC 309 loss to Charles Oliveira.

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] has offered his first reaction to long-scheduled opponent [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] losing to Charles Oliveira at UFC 309.

In a since-deleted post on X, former two-division champion McGregor was complimentary toward Chandler for the Fight of the Night affair he put on with Oliveira that ultimately ended in a unanimous decision defeat at Madison Square Garden in New York.

“Cut Michael Chandler!” McGregor wrote. “Just kidding, good fight. Mad little fellow is Michael. I like em’!”

Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) made his return from a two-year layoff for the rematch with Oliveira at UFC 309. He spent all that time healthy, waiting for a matchup with McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) to materialize after they were opposing coaches on Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Following the fight, Chandler got on the microphone in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan and made a passionate call for McGregor to come back to the octagon and fight him.

McGregor hasn’t seen action since suffering a broken leg in his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. He was scheduled to fight Chandler at UFC 303 in July but withdrew on less than three weeks’ notice due to a toe injury.

UFC CEO Dana White was asked about rebooking McGregor vs. Chandler at the UFC 309 post-fight news conference on Saturday but was noncommittal, stating that he expects McGregor won’t fight until late 2025.

[lawrence-related id=2787891,2787824,2787601,2786765]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Ramiz Brahimaj lauds return on investment with UFC 309 knockout

Ramiz Brahimaj’s KO of Mickey Gall was the first of his career after 10 submissions in 10 wins.

NEW YORK – [autotag]Ramiz Brahimaj[/autotag] beat Mickey Gall with a first-round knockout Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Take a look inside the fight with Brahimaj, whose KO was the first of his career after 10 submissions in 10 wins.

Ramiz Brahimaj def. Mickey Gall

Ramiz Brahimaj

Result: Ramiz Brahimaj def. Mickey Gall via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:55
Updated records: Brahimaj (11-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC), Gall (7-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC)
Key stats: Brahimaj has all 11 of his wins by stoppage.

Brahimaj on the fight’s key moment

Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Mickey Gall (red gloves) fights Ramiz Brahimaj (blue gloves) in the welterweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

“I’m a little disappointed in myself. I’m very proud of my performance. I think I did a great job. But I think in the past, I just want to kick myself in my ass. I’m like, ‘Dude, what’s wrong with you?’ … I don’t know why sometimes I’ve gotten in my own way and it’s just stupid, but I’m done with all of that. I flip the switch, I don’t care.”

Brahimaj on the big moment

Ramiz Brahimaj def. Mickey Gall, UFC 309 (via UFC)

“Madison Square Garden – I can’t really put it in words. I’m just thankful, blessed … I’m extremely fortunate. … This is a testament to a lot of things. I’ve been through some pretty rough times, some pretty dark times. I can’t really quite put my finger on what I’m feeling right now. I just know that it’s like a return on investment, like when you invest in something and it comes back and it’s doubling and tripling. That’s how I feel.

“It’s crazy to think: You know how life goes. If you would have asked me about a year ago if I would be here, I’d probably say no. I had a horrific neck injury that I thought was going to derail everything. I thought it was going to alter the way that I lived my life. My right arm completely atrophied for about three months. I didn’t have use of my right arm – I could not pull 5 pounds down. A lot of these emotions, a lot of these feelings are rushing back to me right now. and yeah, yeah. I don’t know. I I can’t really. I don’t know. ”

Brahimaj on what he wants next

Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Mickey Gall (red gloves) fights Ramiz Brahimaj (blue gloves) in the welterweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

“Obviously, it wasn’t the result that I wanted. I’m kind of frustrated with it. A lot went wrong in that training camp. But you live and you learn. One thing I’ve learned is that you can’t really fixate on the past. It already happened. Tonight, I kept telling myself backstage and this whole training camp: Nothing matters but now. I had to keep myself level headed because I couldn’t think about MSG.

This is definitely it. I could go on and win the championship. I would go on and make millions of dollars for the rest of my life. This moment right here that I’m sharing with you guys, it’s a very special thing to me because I lost a lot of sleep, a lot of tears, a lot of blood, all of that stuff, just to be here talking with you guys. It’s an amazing feeling. I think this is going to be one of the biggest moments of my life.”

To hear more from Brahimaj, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

[vertical-gallery id=2787306]

[vertical-gallery id=2787243]

Debate: Will Jon Jones finally fight Tom Aspinall after UFC 309?

Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall is clearly the fight fans want to see after UFC 309. Will it happen? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

The [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] saga is finally over, and it left the MMA world with one key question: Will Jones finally fight [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] to unify the UFC heavyweight title?

Jones defended his heavyweight strap this past Saturday by stopping Miocic in the third round of their UFC 309 main event in Madison Square Garden. Jones indicated that he wants to fight Alex Pereira next, or maybe Aspinall if he were paid “f*ck you money.” This may be frustrating to many, as Aspinall won and defended the interim heavyweight title over the past year, making himself the clear No. 1 contender in the division.

So, will Jones get down with Aspinall? And how did Jones look in his return to the octagon?

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn, Danny Segura and host Gorgeous George discuss everything surrounding Jon Jones’ big win over Miocic and what may come next for his career.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube or in podcast form.

[lawrence-related id=2787883,2787764,2787817,2786763]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Dana White had a critical key takeaway from Bo Nickal’s UFC 309 win over Paul Craig

Dana White thinks Bo Nickal needs to slow his roll after UFC 309.

NEW YORK – [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag] needs to slow his role after UFC 309.

Nickal (7-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) remained unbeaten when he outstruck Paul Craig (17-9-1 MMA, 9-9-1 UFC) on Saturday’s main card at Madison Square Garden – the first time he goes to the judges’ scorecards.

It was a lackluster fight for the most part, where Nickal landed the better shots than Craig, but didn’t attempt a single takedown.

“Well, you know, we’ve had these discussions with Bo, Bo needs work,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight at UFC 309. “Bo is an up-and-coming guy. I know he has big aspirations and wants to move faster than he should, but tonight showed that – I mean, he still dominated, he won the whole fight, but he’s got work to do. It’s alright, we’ll move him. When you’re in a position like Bo is, there’s a lot of expectations.”

Prior to UFC 309, Nickal mapped out a plan where he saw himself five fights away from a title shot. Nickal received “overrated” chants from the crowd, but the standout wrestler was unbothered with the reaction. He called his performance “picture-perfect,” and was happy to log in experience of fighting three rounds after finishing his first six professional fights.

[lawrence-related id=2787569,2786763,2784978,2787243]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.