Tag: UFC 311

Dan Hooker on the ‘myth’ of fighting Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov

Dan Hooker believes Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov’s opponents are often intimidated before the fight starts.

[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] believes [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] and [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s opponents are often intimidated before the fight starts.

Hooker (24-12 MMA, 14-8 UFC) experienced it first hand when he faced current lightweight champion Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) at UFC 267 in October 2021. He was submitted in the first round.

When discussing Charles Oliveira, who was dropped and submitted by Makhachev in their title fight at UFC 280, Hooker explained the mental battle of going up against dominant fighters like Makhachev and Nurmagomedov.

“The myth of it is bigger than the actual task, and they kind of ride off the back of the myth of Khabib, and that’s bled into Makhachev, and you can see it,” Hooker told Submission Radio. “It definitely affected me. It’s bigger than the actual guy. If you just boil it down to the actual guy, it makes it quite a bit simpler.”

Makhachev is expected to make his next title defense in a rematch against Arman Tsarukyan, which is being discussed as the UFC 311 headliner Jan. 18 in Inglewood, Calif. In their first fight, which was Tsarukyan’s UFC debut, Makhachev outgrappled him in a back-and-forth battle.

Hooker predicts their rematch to have a more definitive ending.

“Islam (is) very defensively sound on the feet,” Hooker said. “And I feel like once he has more time to study and break down Arman’s counter-wrestling, I think it will be a more dominant win for Islam in the second fight.”

Since losing to Makhachev, Hooker has won three of his past four, most recently edging out Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 in August.

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Ailin Perez vs. Karol Rosa booked for UFC 311 in January

Ailin Perez’s first fight since joining the official UFC rankings has been booked for January.

[autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag] has her first fight booked since entering the official UFC rankings.

The rising women’s bantamweight contender has been booked to meet [autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag] at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 from a location yet to be determined. The news was first reported by Gaston Reyno on Wednesday and later confirmed by MMA Junkie.

Perez (11-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) entered the UFC rankings following her first-round submission win over Darya Zheleznyakova back in September. This result put the Argentine on a four-fight winning streak, bouncing back from a loss in her UFC debut in a fight she took on short notice.

Rosa (18-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC) is coming off a decision win over Pannie Kianzad in August. The victory got her back in the win column as she had dropped a decision loss last December to Irene Aldana in a Fight of the Night.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

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Arman Tsarukyan says Islam Makhachev ‘doesn’t deserve’ No. 1 pound-for-pound spot, backs Jon Jones

Arman Tsarukyan sides with UFC CEO Dana White on the pound-for-pound debate ahead of his title fight vs. Islam Makhachev.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] can’t help but think he should be just a few days from fighting [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] for the lightweight title at UFC 308. Instead, he’ll have to wait a few more months.

Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) was ready and willing to fight Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) on Saturday’s card at Etihad Arena, but then the champion sustained a hand injury that prolonged his timeline for a return into early 2025.

Despite that, Tsarukyan flew to the event as a guest fighter to feel the energy of a massive fight week on a card now headlined by Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway. However, he admits he wishes it was him in the main event.

“We were supposed to fight here and then in December, but now they told me beginning of next year,” Tsarukyan told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. “I’m getting ready and hopefully it’s going to be in January or February. It’s going to be a title fight for sure. I wish I fight this weekend because I don’t want to waste my time and wait, because I fought just one time this year. I wanted to fight now and then rest and then fight and defend my title next year.”

Tsarukyan’s showdown with Makhachev, whenever it happens, will be a rematch between the two top-ranked lightweights in the UFC. They first met in April 2019, with Tsarukyan losing a decision in the Fight of the Night. He took the bout on short notice and performed admirably, but both men have improved significantly since then.

It’s Tsarukyan’s expectation that the second encounter will be a competitive one, as well, but ultimately he is setting the bar high for himself, and that means finishing the job without the involvement of the judges.

“You can’t say it’s going to be an easy fight,” Tsarukyan said. “I try to think it’s going to be easy for me, and I don’t want to think it’s going to be a decision. I want to finish him.”

According to the UFC’s official rankings, Makhachev is currently the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the organization. UFC CEO Dana White has adamantly rejected that notion and emphatically backed Jon Jones for the position, and Tsarukyan tends to agree with that stance.

“No, he doesn’t deserve it,” Tsarukyan said. “I agree the No. 1 pound-for-pound is Jon Jones because he’s a legend. He’s still fighting. We’ll see. Next month he’s fighting and if he beats Stipe Miocic, he’s got to be No. 1 pound-for-pound. Then when he retires, of course it’s Islam.”

Tsarukyan, 28, said he expects the fight with Makhachev, 32, to be finalized in the coming days, with UFC 311 on Jan. 18 or UFC 312 on Feb. 12 being the most likely dates. If Tsarukyan captures the 155-pound strap, he would be 1-1 in head-to-head competition with Makhachev. Does that mean a trilogy would be next? He can’t say for sure, but Tsarukyan would most certainly be open to more fights with Makhachev going forward.

“For me, it doesn’t matter – I can fight with him three or four times,” Tsarukyan said. “I just want the title. After the title I can tell what I’m going to do. My goal is just to win the title and then after that I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

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Urijah Faber says Song Yadong vs. Umar Nurmagomedov being discussed for UFC 311 in January

Urijah Faber says if Song Yadong vs. Umar Nurmagomedov happens, it won’t be in December.

[autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag] says if [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] happens, it won’t be in December.

Rumors emerged that Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) has opted to remain active by taking on rising contender Yadong (21-8-1 MMA, 10-3-1 UFC) on Dec. 14. Yadong’s head coach Faber shut down rumblings of a December fight, and thinks the fight would probably take place Jan. 18 at UFC 311.

Nurmagomedov emerged as No. 1 contender after defeating Cory Sandhagen in his first main event in August. But with newly crowned champion Merab Dvalishvili wanting to defend his belt in March – during the month of Ramadan where Nurmagomedov doesn’t compete, Nurmagomedov would rather not wait.

“We don’t have a date for that yet,” Faber told Helen Yee. “I don’t think Dec. 14 is the date that we’ve talked about. I think January is what we’re looking at, but we like that fight. I think both Umar and Song are guys that people don’t want to fight, so they’re both willing to step up. I think that’s a good fight.

“We’d fight (champion Sean) O’Malley. We’d fight (Deiveson) Figueiredo. We’d fight any of these guys, really. But yeah, they’ve been talking about that fight. I’ve been seeing all sorts of stuff being posted about that fight, Nothing’s been signed. That date has not been agreed upon. If that fight does happen, it’d most likely happen in January.”

Team Alpha Male’s Yadong has won five of his past seven, but is coming off a unanimous decision loss to former champion Petr Yan at UFC 299 in March.

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UFC contenders Jailton Almeida, Serghei Spivac booked for 2025 showdown

A heavyweight contender fight is on the UFC schedule for early 2025.

Heavyweight contenders will collide in the second UFC event on the promotion’s 2025 schedule.

[autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] and [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag] are set for a three-round showdown on Jan. 18 at a location and venue to be announced.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Almeida (21-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC) has largely dominated every round of his UFC career, outside of a March knockout loss to Curtis Blaydes. Almeida bounced back from that defeat in June when he made quick work of Alexandr Romanov.

Spivac (17-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) has won four of his most recent five bouts, including a slick 74-second armbar submission of Marcin Tybura in August. His only loss in the stretch came from a TKO against Ciryl Gane.

With the addition, the UFC lineup for Jan. 18 includes:

  • Jailton Almeida vs. Serghei Spivac