Tag: UFC 314

Jean Silva makes case for title shot after UFC 314 finish of Bryce Mitchell

“I’ve already proven that I deserve it and that I’m the best,” Jean Silva said after running through Bryce Mitchell at UFC 314.

[autotag]Jean Silva[/autotag] argues why he should be next for UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.

Silva (16-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) remained unbeaten in the octagon when he ran through Bryce Mitchell for a Round 2 submission this past Saturday at UFC 314 in Miami. With the win, the Fighting Nerds member debuted in the UFC featherweight rankings at No. 11.

Silva took to X to explain his case for a shot at newly crowned featherweight champion Volkanovski (27-5 MMA, 14-4 UFC), who defeated Diego Lopes to reclaim the vacant belt in Saturday’s main event.

“I don’t think anyone is going to give me anything,” Silva said. “If it’s not a title shot, then it better be a fight that puts me right there. But let’s look at the facts: Volk said he wants to stay active and face the best in the division. I’ve already proven that I deserve it and that I’m the best. Diego Lopes got a title shot with five wins and one loss, with two of those wins by decision, while I have five wins, all by finish. This is the fight that makes sense. I deserve it, and I’m ready!

“I faced the biggest knockout artist at lightweight and knocked him out. I took on one of the best grapplers in the division and submitted him. I beat a guy who had never been knocked out, and I knocked him out. And I also faced a multi-time world kickboxing champion and knocked him out, too. If I don’t deserve a title shot, I don’t know who does. I trust the UFC, Dana White, Hunter (Campbell), and Sean Shelby. I’m ready for whatever they decide.”

Silva also took a dig at frontrunner Movsar Evloev, whom Volkanovski mentioned as a possibility before and after UFC 314.

“I’m thinking here after I respectfully said that I wanted to face Volk next that a bunch of guys that nobody cares about showed up and start to talk about that fight too. I’m definitely in the right way.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

Michael Bisping: UFC 314 loss to Paddy Pimblett ‘a career-killing performance’ for Michael Chandler

Michael Bisping has officially ruled out Michael Chandler as a top lightweight contender after UFC 314.

[autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] has officially ruled out [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] as a top lightweight contender after UFC 314.

Chandler (23-10 MMA, 2-5 UFC) suffered a third-round TKO loss to [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in Saturday’s co-main event at Kaseya Center in Miami. The former Bellator champion and UFC title challenger now has lost three consecutive fights and five of his past six.

Chandler constantly uses the moniker “see you at the top,” but Bisping believes those days are over.

“I don’t say this lightly, but that was a career-killing performance for Michael Chandler,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “Yes, of course, he’ll fight again. Yes, he’ll still make money. Yes, people will want to tune in. But that’s it. There ain’t no more title talks, there is no more,’see you at the top.’ There’s none of that.

“Paddy Pimblett just put an end to all of that. If he was 30 years old, he could have another go. He could dust himself off and have another crack at the whip. But no, father time is undefeated. He’s 38 years old, and there ain’t no way that he’s getting back into title contention ever again.”

On the contrary, Bisping was very impressed with Pimblett’s largely one-sided performance against Chandler.

“Paddy Pimblett looked ridiculous,” Bisping said. “He looked like the guy that he’s always spoke about, the person that he says that he is, the person that calls out everyone, that dismisses all the opposition at the top. And for someone who doesn’t call people out, he called out everyone.

“Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, he did not give a single f*ck and rightly so. The man is coming to be a champion. Will he do that? We don’t know, but I’ll tell you what: After this performance, everyone’s going to be taking him a lot more seriously. He looked like a killer tonight.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

Su Mudaerji positive he did enough in split decision at UFC 314, calls out Manel Kape

Su Mudaerji was surprised his fight against Mitch Raposo was a split decision when many observers thought he won all three rounds.

MIAMI – [autotag]Su Mudaerji[/autotag] met the media Saturday after his win over Mitch Raposo at UFC 314.

Mudaerji (17-7 MMA, 4-4 UFC) won a split decision against Raposo (9-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) on the prelims at Kaseya Center, but the vast majority of MMA media who scored the fight had it for Mudaerji, and most at 30-27.

“He was constantly looking for a submission, wrestling against me,” Mudaerji said at his post-fight news conference through a translator. “But this was my first time fighting an opponent so much shorter than me, so sometimes he was making moves that were almost invisible to me. It was exhilerating (to win). I was so happy. But now the emotions have settled. I’ve got so much to work on in the future, but I’ll come back stronger.

“The judges made the right decision. After he brought me to the floor, he was trying to control me, but he couldn’t make any real moves on me.”

Mudaerji said he has no injuries from the fight and wants to be more active than he has been in the UFC so far, due to injury struggles. He called out Manel Kape (21-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) for a flyweight fight. Kape is coming off a bonus-winning knockout of Asu Almabayev in March.

Check out Mudaerji’s post-fight news conference in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

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Dana White as Jean Silva’s best man in his wedding? The UFC CEO responds

Can UFC CEO Dana White help Jean Silva have his dream wedding?

MIAMI – Can UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] help [autotag]Jean Silva[/autotag] have his dream wedding?

That’s what the Brazilian rising star is asking for after his impressive Round 2 submission finish of Bryce Mitchell on Saturday’s UFC 314 main card at Kaseya Center.

Silva (16-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) explained that he plans on getting married soon, but really wants popular Brazilian singer Belo to perform at his wedding. However, Belo is way past Silva’s pay grade, and he needs White’s help.

“We should be married already, but we really want Belo to sing at the wedding ceremony,” Silva told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at the UFC 314 post-fight press conference. “But dude, come on: Bring your rate down because I’m going to have to get four more fights to pay for it – so just bring it down please.

“We’re very close to this dream. At one point, we were very, very far away from making the dream come true. After today, I think we’re really close. There were some people that came and talked to us today and after the talk that we had, we might be really close. Do you guys think that if I invite Dana to be my best man, he’ll pay for Belo’s rate?”

White was asked if he could meet Silva’s request of not only being his best man, but paying for Belo to come and perform at his wedding.

“Wait a minute,” a confused White responded at the UFC 314 post-fight press conference. “He wants to marry his partner in a church, I’m the best man if I pay for it? I’m going to need more information on this, but I’m probably in.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

Joe Lopez: Movsar Evloev won’t be able to handle UFC champ Alexander Volkanovski’s strength

Both UFC champion Alexander Volkanovski and his coach are on board with Movsar Evloev getting the next title shot.

Both UFC champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] and his coach are on board with [autotag]Movsar Evloev[/autotag] getting the next title shot.

Volkanovski (27-5 MMA, 14-4 UFC) reclaimed the featherweight title when he defeated Diego Lopes (27-6 MMA, 6-1 UFC) by unanimous decision in Saturday’s UFC 314 main event at Kaseya Center from Miami.

Volkanovski’s head coach [autotag]Joe Lopez[/autotag] is aware of Evloev’s (19-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) strong grappling skills, but thinks his star student will be too strong for him.

“I think he is a good wrestler, but he’s not a – what would you call him? He’s good at getting people down, but he doesn’t really do much with it once he gets them down,” Lopez told Submission Radio. “And that’s what I guess makes him boring … So he just hangs on to them, and I don’t think he’s going to be able to hang onto Volk. Volk is just so strong, and his scrambling skills, and his jiu-jitsu and wrestling are another level. Volk just picks things up, if you look at the the beginning of the camp, when we break things down, and we see what each person’s really good at.

“So we’ve got Diego. Diego’s got a pretty good guard. The way he switches from armbars to triangles to sweeps, he’s very good at. He’s got a really good repertoire there, and at the beginning with the guys that we had, Volk was getting stuck in there. (But) by the end of the camp, Volk was not having any problems at all in those positions, and I think that’s what Diego felt when Alex took him down – that it’s not a place he wants to be with Alex on top of him because like I said, Alex’s pressure when he’s on top, he feels like a heavyweight on top of you, and then he just doesn’t hang onto you. He’s just looking to land some bombs or an elbow or something on you. So, you don’t want to be on the bottom when Alex is on top.”

With Volkanovski promising to make a quick turnaround to face Evloev with a win over Lopes, the undefeated contender expects the new champion to live up to his promise.

“Congratulations on an excellent performance, you’re a true champion! Now let’s see what your word is worth! @alexvolkanovski #UFC314.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

Nora Cornolle pledges end to weight misses, calls out Ailin Perez after UFC 314

Nora Cornolle has two UFC stoppages – but both ineligible for bonuses because of weight misses.

MIAMI – [autotag]Nora Cornolle[/autotag] beat Hailey Cowan with a second-round submission Saturday to open the preliminary card at UFC 314 at Kaseya Center in Miami.

Take a look inside the fight with Cornolle, who has two UFC stoppages – but both ineligible for bonuses because of weight misses.

Nora Cornolle def. Hailey Cowan

Result: Nora Cornolle def. Hailey Cowan via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:52
Updated records: Cornolle (9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC), Cowan (7-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Key stats: Cornolle’s only two losses came to Jacqueline Cavalcanti – one before they were in the UFC and the other this past September.

Cornolle on the fight’s key moment

“I wanted to do more with my muay Thai, but any time it was about to go on the ground, I was prepared for ground-and-pound or any submission that would come my way.”

Cornolle on missing weight

“I was initially scheduled for UFC 315 (in May); then they had to move me. They offered Miami. … I had to make some changes, and I had some stuff that wasn’t under my control. I did my best. Everyone that followed me from the UFC staff can testify to that. … I needed a little more time that I didn’t have.”

Cornolle on what she wants next

“I actually like nothing (about a fight with Ailin Perez). I have to be honest: She improved some of her striking. It was sh*t before; now it’s less sh*t. I will be happy to compare my wrestling to hers, but I’m sure mine will be better. I called her out because of that conversation over the ranking. … I think she came into the ranking for absolutely no reason. She’s been ranked and she gained some places for no reason. She’s No. 7 and I’m 13.”

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

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

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Aaron Pico: Diego Lopes ‘looked very sloppy’ in UFC 314 title loss to Alexander Volkanovski

Aaron Pico credits Diego Lopes for his toughness, but expected more out of him at UFC 314.

[autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] credits [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag] for his toughness, but expected more out of him at UFC 314.

Lopes (27-6 MMA, 6-1 UFC) lost a unanimous decision to Alexander Volkanovski (27-5 MMA, 14-4 UFC) in their vacant featherweight title fight, which headlined Saturday’s event at Kaseya Center in Miami.

“Now that the fight is over with, he just showed that he’s very, very tough,” Pico told Submission Radio on Lopes. “He has a great chin, but I’ll just be very blunt: I think he looked very sloppy. I don’t think it was his best performance, but what I took away from it – he’s got a granite of a chin, and he just keeps coming forward.”

Pico admits he initially picked Lopes to win, and was surprised with Volkanovski’s performance.

“I mean, he proved me wrong, to be honest with you,” Pico said. “I was saying before the fight I thought Diego Lopes was going to win. Alexander Volkanovski is not old, but in MMA years, he’s getting on the older side. But he just proved that age is just a number, and he’s getting better. And on the flip side, I got to see him live and study him as best as I can, and he’s a very good fighter. I look to fight him one day, and it would be an honor.”

As Pico looks to contend for the UFC title someday, the former Bellator standout is still eyeing Brian Ortega for his debut fight – a fight he sees making perfect sense.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

Dan Ige sees no issue with stoppage of Sean Woodson at UFC 314

Dan Ige said it’s just a matter of doing his job to get back in the win column, and now he wants to build some momentum again.

MIAMI – [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag] met the media Saturday after his third-round TKO over Sean Woodson at UFC 314.

The finish on the prelims at Kaseya Center came with controversy. Ige (19-9 MMA, 11-8 UFC) stopped Sean Woodson (13-2-1 MMA, 7-2-1 UFC) with a third-round TKO, but Woodson immediately protested the stoppage, saying he was covering up from Ige’s punches.

Many observers looked at it as a fight in which Ige snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, thinking Woodson won the first two rounds. But when the scorecard was released, Ige actually had won the first two rounds from all three judges, meaning he didn’t need the stoppage to get the win.

“I’ve got to watch the fight back, but in the moment my thoughts were I hurt him,” Ige said at his post-fight news conference. “I hurt him pretty bad. I ripped to his body, he shot for a takedown, which you never see him do, and I probably would’ve just kept hitting him. I don’t get to choose when the ref jumps in. I just keep punching until the ref says stop.”

Ige said the win was key for him to get rolling again after three losses in four fights. Ige never has been finished in his nine losses; all have come by decision.

Check out Ige’s post-fight news conference in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

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Dustin Poirier sees clear next matchup for ‘legit’ Paddy Pimblett after UFC 314 win

Dustin Poirier sees Paddy Pimblett as a legit lightweight contender after UFC 314, and has an idea of who he should face next.

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. – [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] is undeniable as a top lightweight after dominating and finishing Michael Chandler at UFC 314.

Former interim champ Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) served as a desk analyst for ESPN this past Saturday when Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC) went into his co-main event with Chandler (23-10 MMA, 2-5 UFC) and delivered a bloody third-round TKO win at Kaseya Center in Miami. Although “The Baddy” had his share of supporters coming in, the matchup was a clear step up in competition, and his naysayers weren’t sure if he’d overcome it.

Turns out, Pimblett passed the test with flying colors, and put himself firmly among the top tier at 155 pounds.

“He’s legit,” Poirier told MMA Junkie on Monday. “How can I deny him any more? Chandler’s a tough guy. I don’t think Chandler looked great. He had a good first round, got Paddy down, wrist-rode him against the fence, kind of squeaked it out, but he looked flat after that. He looked heavy on his feet. He looked exhausted. Like I said on the desk: Everyone’s odometer has a different mileage where things start to slow down, the wheels start to shake. Maybe that’s his time now, but only he knows that.”

Poirier, 36, doesn’t want to downplay Pimblett’s performance by asking too many questions about the state of Chandler’s career. He admittedly hold ill will toward his former opponent Chandler, who he submitted at UFC 281 in November 2022. Poirier prefers to give Pimblett his due.

“I definitely think Chandler didn’t look great, but not taking away from Paddy’s performance,” Poirier said. “Paddy went out there, dropped the first round, came out confident and hit Chandler with good shots. Then he took him down. Who would’ve have had that on their bingo card that Paddy is going to take down Chandler to the mat like that and get on top of him and dominate him like that. Paddy’s the real deal.”

Poirier intends to retire after his next fight, which is rumored to take place this summer. If he was sticking around longer, though, he said Pimblett would certainly be a realistic and worthwhile opponent given what he’s now done.

But seeing as that is not in play, Poirier said he would very much like see to Pimblett take on another one of his former opponents in Dan Hooker, who is riding a three-fight winning streak.

“The guy was a prospect. Now he’s a contender,” Poirier said. “You have to take him for real now. Not that Chandler wasn’t a big fight, but his next fight has to be a really big one. Like a (Mateusz) Gamrot, Arman (Tsarukyan), (Charles) Oliveira – behind the scenes, I’ve got stuff, so I can’t entertain that and I’m only fighting one more time, but for me as a fan, put him in there with Dan Hooker. That would be an incredible fight. That’s a fun fight. The build up is going to be fun. Dan is going to stand and trade with him. Dan has good takedown defense, on the ground. That’s the fight, I think.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

Bryce Mitchell reacts to UFC 314 loss to Jean Silva: ‘I had nothing left to give’

Bryce Mitchell is keeping his head high after UFC 314.

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] is keeping his head high after UFC 314.

After a heated and tense build-up, Mitchell (17-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) was submitted by Jean Silva (16-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) on Saturday’s main card at Kaseya Center in Miami.

Mitchell, who has now lost two of his past three fights, took to Instagram to open up on the fight.

“I want to thank everybody for their support and let ya’ll know I’m doing just fine,” Mitchell said. “Thank God, he protected me. I didn’t lose my teeth, I don’t got no broken bones. So, I feel good about that. I fought as hard as I possibly could, I couldn’t have fought any harder. I could have fought smarter.

“I’m going to go make some adjustments, but I mean he put me to sleep. I had nothing left to give. I’m happy about that, knowing that I tried my best, but I’ve got to get better. That’s just the lesson learned here, I’ve got to get better.”

Despite his controversial pro-Hitler statements which turned the crowd against him during the lead-up to UFC 314, Mitchell insists he’s felt the love throughout the entire process.

“I have never had this much outpouring of support,” Mitchell continued. “It’s just crazy. It’s been a whole crazy week, and I can’t even put it into words. I really thought that I was going to win the fight. I 100 percent believed it because I’ve just never had a fight that big before, and I was like wow, this fight out of nowhere, just got this much hype. God’s chosen me to win this fight but that wasn’t the case. I’m just going to keep fighting. That’s all I can do. That’s all we can all do. Any time you take a loss, just learn from it and keep fighting. That’s what I’m going to do.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.