Tag: UFC 313

Arman Tsarukyan slams Justin Gaethje’s UFC title shot request: ‘You have to go through me first’

Arman Tsarukyan thinks Justin Gaethje has no business fighting for the title after UFC 313.

[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] has no business fighting for the title after UFC 313.

Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) called for a title shot after defeating Rafael Fiziev by unanimous decision in this past Saturday’s co-main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC), who pulled out of his fight against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev just one day before UFC 311, was told by the promotion that he has to fight his way back to the title shot. He’s happy to settle things with Gaethje for the No. 1 contender spot.

“You barely got past #11 on short notice, and before that, you got sent to the shadow realm. If you really want to be the #1 contender and fight for the belt, you have to go through me first.”

Gaethje represents new blood for Makhachev, who’s having a hard time getting up for rematches. UFC CEO Dana White also seemed open to the idea of Gaethje potentially facing Makhachev next.

Standing in the way of Gaethje’s plan is newly minted lightweight Ilia Topuria, who opted to vacate his featherweight title for a move up. If Makhachev and Topuria do end up fighting, Tsarukyan has a hard time picking a winner.

“It’s a tough fight,” Tsarukyan told The Schmo. “Ilia, he is a better striker, good boxing. I don’t know – he’s never fought with guys who can wrestle very well like Islam, so we will see. It is a 50-50 fight.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.

Alex Pereira offers no excuses after UFC 313 loss, says talks for Magomed Ankalaev rematch already underway

It appears Alex Pereira will immediately get an opportunity to avenge his UFC 313 title loss.

It appears [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] will immediately get an opportunity to avenge his UFC 313 title loss.

Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) lost his light heavyweight title to [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] (21-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) by unanimous decision in Saturday’s main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Pereira was able to stuff all 12 of Ankalaev’s takedown attempts, but expressed his frustration after the fight toward Ankalaev’s game plan. He’s not ready to contest the decision until he’s rewatched the fight.

“Of course it’s not the result I wanted,” Pereira said on his YouTube channel (h/t MMA Fighting). “We were confident for this fight. I was well. I trained hard. Some things happened, of course, but I don’t want to give excuses. I know we’ll have the rematch.

“We’re already in talks (for a rematch because of) everything I’ve done and the way the fight went. Many people contested (the decision) and were in doubt. I haven’t watched the fight yet. I’ll watch to have my opinion, (because) it’s hard to have an idea when you’re in there.”

UFC CEO Dana White confirmed that Pereira and Ankalaev will likely run things back next, and Ankalaev is also gearing up for that possibility.

“I’m ready for Round 6, but this time will not go for full distant,” Ankalaev said on X. “Let’s go guys ☎️☎️☎️☎️.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.

Jon Anik: Justin Gaethje ‘absolutely’ should fight UFC champion Islam Makhachev next

UFC commentator Jon Anik vouches for Justin Gaethje getting the next lightweight title shot.

[autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] vouches for [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] getting the next UFC lightweight title shot.

Gaethje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) returned to the win column when he defeated Rafael Fiziev by unanimous decision in Saturday’s UFC 303 co-main event.

With UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is seeking new blood, Gaethje threw his name in the hat for a title shot. Ranked ahead of him are Arman Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira, both of whom Makhachev already beat.

“He absolutely should fight Islam Makhachev for the title,” Anik told Bloody Elbow. “I don’t know that he could’ve done more with this showcase, and sometimes decision wins could be better than finishes, and I think in this instance, had there been a quick knockout, I actually think this is more useful. Justin Gaethje is going to go in the Hall of Fame twice.”

The other looming option is Ilia Topuria, who vacated his UFC featherweight title for a move up to lightweight. However, Makhachev and his team want to see Topuria earn his opportunity first.

“It would seem to me, in a speculative way, that Ilia Topuria has the inside track to fight Islam Makhachev,” Anik said. “I don’t know if it’s a case of you’ve got to strike while the iron is hot or if there isn’t an obvious No. 1 contender because Arman Tsarukyan wasn’t able to make the walk. I wonder if Islam Makhachev is going to have any say in all of this, and I wonder if his history having defended his title twice against a featherweight in Alexander Volkanovski plays into this at all.

“Don’t you believe, right, that if Islam Makhachev is probed about this, he’s going to want to fight Justin Gaethje? I don’t know what the pay-per-view window says about Gaethje vs. Topuria. Charles Oliveira is worthy, as well. I think we can all agree there are three options: Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira. The nature of this win for Gaethje and the fact that we haven’t seen that fight, to me promotionally, I would go in that direction.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.

Video: Should Justin Gaethje get a title shot off his UFC 313 win?

Justin Gaethje wants a crack at the lightweight championship. How far is he after his UFC 313 win? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

[autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] is back in the win column and on the hunt for another crack at the UFC lightweight title.

Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) defeated Rafael Fiziev (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) this past Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 313 in Las Vegas, putting behind his scary KO loss to Max Holloway at last year’s UFC 300. After the bout, Gaethje made clear his intentions of wanting to fight for the belt once again and said confidently that he’s back in the mix.

Did Gaethje put himself back in title contention with his latest win? How is the title picture shaping up at 155 pounds?

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn, Danny Segura and host “Gorgeous” George discuss Gaethje’s big win over Fiziev, and where this puts him in the top of the lightweight division.

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

https://youtube.com/live/8d_-xgG4Kfw

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Aljamain Sterling points to one main reason why Alex Pereira lost at UFC 313

Aljamain Sterling thinks Alex’s Pereira’s active UFC schedule took a toll on him.

[autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]’s active UFC schedule took a toll on him.

Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) lost his light heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev (21-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) by unanimous decision in Saturday’s UFC 313 headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Pereira holds the record for shortest time between three UFC title defenses at 175 days. He was one of seven fighters to record three title defenses in a calendar year in 2024. A former champion himself, Sterling said Pereira’s schedule was too taxing on his body.

“Pereira fights way too often,” Sterling said on his YouTube channel. “Three title defenses in seven months. That is insanity to do that, and it’s not like his fights were pitter-patter fights. You could say that Jamahal Hill one was no damage. OK, cool. I understand that. The Jiri one, he took some damage in that. Then the Khalil Rountree fight was a big fight where he took some good shots.

“You go from that, add on to the fact that he bounces back from these fights and he goes right back into the gym almost one, maybe two weeks later. You compound that with the amount of times that he’s sparring. When does Pereira give himself, his body, and his brain, and his chin a chance to take a break and just recover? I don’t think he gives himself enough time in between fights to give the best version of himself every single time.”

Pereira’s next fight already appears to be lined up with the promotion in favor of an immediate rematch with Ankalaev at a date to be determined.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, March 11: Magomed Ankalaev takes throne after UFC 313

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following UFC 313 in Las Vegas.

There’s no question who sits atop the light heavyweight rankings after UFC 313.

[autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] elevated himself to No. 1 at light heavyweight and No. 7 pound-for-pound in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings through his unanimous decision win over [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag].

Among other big winners from Saturday’s card were Justin Gaethje, Amanda Lemos, Ignacio Bahamondes and Mauricio Ruffy – but was it enough for them to move up their divisional ladders?

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings to find out.

Rafael Fiziev contemplates featherweight move after UFC 313 loss

UFC lightweight contender Rafael Fiziev is thinking of making a featherweight drop following his loss at Saturday’s UFC 313.

Veteran UFC lightweight [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] is considering a drop to 145 pounds following his most recent defeat.

Fiziev (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) lost a unanimous decision to Justin Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) on Saturday at UFC 313 in Las Vegas. It was a bout he took on short notice, and one that made him realize he might be better off a weight class below.

“I’m thinking right now about changing weight divisions,” Fiziev told Ariel Helwani. “I’m starting to think about changing weight divisions because I really cut weight very easy this time and this was short notice. It was very easy. All this week my nutritionist Jason, he tried to gain my weight because my weight go low so fast. Right now, I have to think about it.”

Fiziev says it’s very “possible” that the change might come as soon as for his next fight. He’s yet to make the decision officially, but he felt undersized fighting Gaethje.

If he drops, the Azerbaijani believes he’ll do quite well in the featherweight division, and he’d be down to challenge the top contenders right away.

“I want to fight with top guys, some of the top guys,” Fiziev said. “All of those guys in the top 10 are interesting. These guys are in trouble if I come here. They will be in trouble. Everybody.”

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Carlos Leal’s UFC 313 fast-finish strategy vs. Alex Morono came from LFA days

Carlos Leal got back in the win column after a loss in his UFC debut this past October.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Carlos Leal[/autotag] beat Alex Morono with a first-round TKO Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 313 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Leal, who got back in the win column after a loss in his UFC debut this past October.

Carlos Leal def. Alex Morono

Result: Carlos Leal def. Alex Morono via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:16
Updated records: Leal (22-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC), Morono (24-12 MMA, 13-9 UFC)
Key stats: Leal now has wins for four major promotions: the UFC, Bellator, PFL and LFA.

Carlos Leal def. Alex Morono, UFC 313 (via UFC)

Leal on the fight’s key moment

“This strategy – of actually going for it – is something that we put into plan a long time ago. (In 2021) in LFA, I had a grand prix and we had to do two fights in the same night. So the idea is to go for it all and finish the first fight as soon as possible, taking minimal damage. We just instilled that as a practice. From then on, that is the way we train, the way that we do camp – to finish the fight as soon as possible.”

Leal on what he wants next

“The plan for this year is to fight three or four times. The idea was to finish this fight as soon as possible. … My main sparring partner in the gym has a fight in May. I just want to tag along and go into camp right with him and fight in July – as soon as possible – and try to get three or four fights.”

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

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.

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Henry Cejudo after UFC 313: ‘Alex Pereira’s lifestyle is finally catching up to him’

Henry Cejudo thinks former UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira let outside distractions get the best of him.

[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] thinks former UFC light heavyweight champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] let outside distractions get the best of him.

Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) lost his title to Magomed Ankalaev (21-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) by unanimous decision in Saturday’s UFC 313 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Many questioned Pereira for traveling to Sydney, Australia just one month ahead of his title defense. Cejudo thinks the media obligations, sponsorships and other involvements have negatively impacted “Poatan.”

“I think Alex Pereira’s lifestyle is finally kind of catching up to him,” Cejudo said on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Kamaru Usman. “The travel, the ‘Chama,’ a lot of the skit,  and a lot of stuff that he’s actually doing, it’s really not doing him any service. The only reason why I say this is because his body looked a little different, dude.

“He looked a little pudgier, he looked a little thicker in the face going in. We have to credit Magomed Ankalaev. He did a really good job of his composure, bro. He didn’t react to a lot of Pereira’s things. The dude has his hands up the whole damn time and not just that, but Alex Pereira also has trouble with southpaws.”

It appears Pereira will get an opportunity to reclaim his title after UFC CEO Dana White said an immediate rematch with Ankalaev is likely what will happen next.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.

Jamahal Hill toots his own horn after Alex Pereira’s loss to Magomed Ankalaev

Jamahal Hill feels pretty good about his Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev prediction after the fact.

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] feels pretty good about his [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] prediction after the fact.

Ankalaev (21-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) defeated Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) by unanimous decision to become light heavyweight champion in Saturday’s UFC 313 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Hill was one of the few fighters to pick Ankalaev to win.

Not only did Hill pick Ankalaev to win, but he saw him having success on the feet, which had many accusing him of being salty for getting knocked out by Pereira at UFC 300.

“I’m going to toot my own horn on this,” Hill said on his YouTube channel. “I did my breakdown. I felt like I did a really good breakdown, breaking down each side, gave my unbiased opinion of what I saw from everything – and it turned out to be right. Everybody called me a hater, said I was hating and all these other things, which is like crazy.”

Hill saw no controversy with the result. He scored it four rounds to one in favor of Ankalaev.

“I feel Magomed did enough to win,” Hill said. “Pereira had small moments. There was no real big moment. What moment was there where he actually landed his shot, and it had its effect? Whenever Magomed hit him on the couple of instances where he was able to time a counter and hit Pereira and knock him backwards. We didn’t see many of those. Plus Pereira wore the damage a little bit more on his face than Ankalaev did.”

Hill concluded by rubbishing the notion that he was rooting against Pereira.

“Like I was saying, I was right, ya’ll was wrong,” Hill said. “People have asked me if I’m happy Alex lost. No, I’m not happy that Alex lost. I mean, I didn’t really care one way or the other. Alex is a big star, he brings a lot of attention to our division, so we all gain something from him being the champion. It’s now Ankalaev’s turn to try and build that star before I get up there and put these things (knuckles) on him.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.