Tag: UFC Fight Night 229

Abdul Razak Alhassan hopes Joe Pyfer brings an exciting fight – not like ‘Buckley’s b*tchass’

Abdul Razak Alhassan is expecting fireworks with Joe Pyfer at UFC Fight Night 229 – at least he hopes so.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Abdul Razak Alhassan[/autotag] is expecting fireworks with Joe Pyfer at UFC Fight Night 229 – at least he hopes so.

Alhassan (12-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) meets Pyfer (11-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in Saturday’s middleweight co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event streams on ESPN+.

Boasting a 100 percent knockout rate, it’s no secret what Alhassan’s game plan is. Pyfer has an array of exciting finishes himself, but Alhassan would be deceived if the fight didn’t pan out like he expects, similar to when he lost a split decision to fellow knockout artist Joaquin Buckley in February 2022.

“I’m really hoping for an exciting fights because I thought Buckley’s b*tchass fight was going to be exciting until he started, ‘Let me shoot for his leg, let me shoot for his leg,'” Alhassan told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 229 media day.

“So, I really hope he brings it so we can give the fans a good taste of how good power works. He has a lot of power, I know I have a lot of power. Let’s just go there and see who will be looking at the lights afterwards.”

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Alhassan has never minced his words when it comes to Buckley (16-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC), who also competes at UFC Fight Night 229 when he meets Alex Morono in a welterweight bout.

“You guys know that guy’s a f*cking b*tch,” Alhassan said of Buckley. “Also, everything he does now is just for f*cking clout. But, he’s a cool dude. One thing I realized, he acts hard for the camera, but when he’s in the back, he’s all nice.

“I’m getting old, I don’t want to go back to 170. But, I really hope he comes up back to 185 and if that fight happens, I promise you guys, most of the fight is going to be just my palm open just smacking the sh*t out of him the whole f*cking fight.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 229.

Ion Cutelaba ‘not happy’ with state of career entering crucial UFC Fight Night 229 bout

Ion Cutelaba sees his UFC Fight Night 229 matchup with Philipe Lins as an important step for the stability of his career.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag] sees his UFC Fight Night 229 matchup with Philipe Lins as an important step for the stability of his career.

After a career-long three-fight losing skid, Cutelaba (17-8-1 MMA, 6-7-1 UFC) got a crucial win in April when he stopped Tanner Boser by first-round TKO. “The Hulk” hasn’t put together consecutive wins since 2018, but the light heavyweight matchup with Lins (17-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC), which takes place at the UFC Apex and streams on ESPN+, gives him the chance to change that.

The performance against Boser was good building block for Cutelaba, he said, but the next matchup has even more significance in his mind.

“I’m not happy with where I’m at just yet,” Cutelaba told MMA Junkie and other reporters during Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 229 media day. “I worked a lot on myself in preparation for this fight. I worked on a lot of my thoughts, a lot of my mistakes. A lot on my skills. I’m really very much waiting this fight to see where I’m at and what questions can be answered.”

Cutelaba, 29, thinks the fight against a former heavyweight in Lins will be a good barometer for the state of his career. The 2018 PFL champion brings a three-fight winning streak into UFC Fight Night 229, and Cutelaba said it’s his duty to end that.

“When I was offered this opponent I was really happy about it,” Cutelaba said. “He’s a really good opponent, he’s a really great fighter. He’s a strong fighter. He’s got three victories in a row, so I think he’s a really good level for me just to test myself against a fighter on that level. I think it’s a very good fight for me.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 229.

Drew Dober offers to be Michael Chandler’s warm-up fight for Conor McGregor

If Michael Chandler wants some action inside the cage, Drew Dober is willing to meet him at welterweight.

LAS VEGAS – If Michael Chandler wants to step into the cage before his long-awaited matchup against Conor McGregor, [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag] has his hand raised.

Dober (26-12 MMA, 12-8 UFC) returns to action on the main card of UFC Fight Night 229 to face Ricky Glenn (22-7-2 MMA, 4-4-1 UFC). While he isn’t looking past his upcoming opponent, Dober has threw his name in the hat should Chandler get tired of waiting around for McGregor to commit to a fight date.

“He’s definitely waiting for Conor, I’m still unsure if Conor’s going to ever show up,” Dober told reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “If he wants a 5-foot-9 southpaw to get him warmed up for that fight, I’m absolutely available. He’s just got to let me know when he wants to do it.”

Dober, a lightweight competitor, is willing to move up in weight to face Chandler, even though the two fighters share the same weight class.

“He said he’s 190 pounds right now? I can fight him at 170,” Dober said. “I’m here for the excitement and he brings it as well.”

Chandler is without a doubt one of the most explosive 155-pound fighters on the roster, and his track record of earning UFC bonuses proves it. Out of five fights under the UFC banner, Chandler has earned four fight night bonuses. Dober has seen four times as many fights with the promotion, but has earned six bonuses of his own over the years.

Dober knows he’s in for a tough fight against a “jack of all trades” in Glenn, but should he bounce back into the win column impressively Saturday, he wouldn’t mind the conversation of a potential fight against Chandler to keep going.

“We got to convince him of it because I can’t pull in the red panty night like Conor can.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 229.

UFC Fight Night 229 pre-event facts: Grant Dawson’s streak ranks among elite company

The best facts about UFC Fight Night 229, where Grant Dawson brings an 8-0-1 octagon record into his main event vs. Bobby Green.

After a one-week hiatus, the UFC returns Saturday to kick off a loaded October schedule with UFC Fight Night 229, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.

A lightweight bout serves as the main event of the card. [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] (20-1-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) gets his first headlining opportunity when he takes on [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] (30-15-1 MMA, 11-9-1 UFC), who looks to build momentum off his submission win over Tony Ferguson.

For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC Fight Night 229.

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Joe Pyfer: Abdul Razak Alhassan ‘will never be good enough’ to challenge for UFC title

Joe Pyfer is not high on Abdul Razak Alhassan’s ceiling – at all – going into UFC Fight Night 229 on Saturday.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Joe Pyfer[/autotag] is not high on his opponent Abdul Razak Alhassan’s ceiling.

This Saturday, the two UFC middleweights collide in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 229, which takes place at the UFC Apex and streams on ESPN+. Ahead of the contest, Pyfer (11-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) showed respect for Alhassan (12-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) and his skills, bout not so much for his overall promise.

“I think that he will never be somebody good enough or will never be good enough to challenge for the title,” Pyfer told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 229 media day. “When you look at me, you have question marks, but you know there’s potential to be a title challenger if not a titleholder. I think that’s the difference.

“I’m young, he’s older. He’s got power, so do I, but I have speed, cardio, wrestling and jiu-jitsu. You look at this man, and he’s a kickboxer, a very dangerous kickboxer. I think he’s very singular in his approach, but I don’t think he’s going to be so diversified against me.”

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Although Pyfer thinks Alhassan won’t be more than a journeyman, he is aware of the danger he presents. Pyfer said Alhassan can knock him out if he’s not careful. But even then, he’s confident he’s got the tools to take care of the challenge.

“I’m not intimidated,” Pyfer said. “If this guy thinks he’s going to walk me down and throw bombs – and they’re all hooks for that matter – you’re going to get caught, motherf*cker. You’re going to get caught. I will catch you and I got bigger power than this man. Let’s not forget that he used to be at 170 and that’s where his knockouts were.

“So he’s dangerous. He’s a powerful man and I respect him. I trained my ass off because I respect him. I don’t want to get knocked the f*ck out. I’m telling you right now, this man’s only chance is to knock me out. He has that ability.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 229.

Grant Dawson: UFC Fight Night 229 win over Bobby Green worth more than higher ranked fighters

Grant Dawson is putting a lot of stock on a potential win over Bobby Green in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 229 headliner.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] doesn’t mind fighting an unranked opponent, even though some believe it’s time he does.

Dawson (20-1-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) returns to action this Saturday with his first octagon headliner at UFC Fight Night 229 against Bobby Green (30-14-1 MMA, 11-9-1 UFC). “King” is a veteran and a known name, but not one of the 15 fighters on the UFC’s official lightweight rankings.

This doesn’t bother Dawson. In fact, he’s actually glad to be fighting rather than some other names in the rankings.

“Matchups don’t make any sense to me anyway,” Dawson told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 229 media day. “I’m not a really big, anything outside the champion is just suggestion. The rankings change very single day. If he beats me on Saturday night, then the matchup wasn’t that weird.

“I’m taking Bobby Green very seriously. I know how good he is, and I’m going to be honest with you, I think a win over Bobby Green does more for my career than a couple of wins over some other guys in the top 15. I just think he’s got that much of star power, he’s that big of a veteran, and I’m expecting the best Bobby Green on Saturday night.”

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Apart from getting someone with a name, Dawson will also get top billing on a card for the first time. This is a special moment for the American Top Team fighter, and he plans to utilize it properly.

“I wanted to be a UFC world champion from day one, and if I want to be a UFC world champion, I have to know that these kind of moments are going to happen,” Dawson said. “They’re great, and I’m so happy that they’re finally starting to get here, but this was supposed to happen. I’m supposed to be in a main event. I’m supposed to be doing this kind of thing. Now I get to show the UFC you can put me in a main event and I can perform, and I can go all five rounds if need be. This is everything I’ve ever worked for.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 229.

Bobby Green out to ‘make a boring guy exciting’ in UFC Fight Night 229 main event vs. Grant Dawson

Bobby Green will look to avoid a ‘snore-fest’ in UFC Fight Night 229 main event against ‘boring’ Grant Dawson.

LAS VEGAS – UFC lightweight veteran [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] always shows up to put on a show, but believes his main event opponent will make that a tough task to accomplish.

While grasping the microphone with both hands at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 229 media day, Green (30-14-1 MMA, 11-9-1 UFC), with his fingers and wrists covered in icy jewelry, conceded that he previously didn’t know anything about his headlining opposition Grant Dawson.

After doing some research, Green discovered he was in for a matchup against a “boring” fighter in Dawson (20-1-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC), who he believes hasn’t felt the pressure of a real crowd providing realtime feedback on his style, much less everything that comes along with being on a main event stage.

“I didn’t even know who that guy was,” Green told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “I never even heard of him. And that goes to his body of work. I think the issue is that like, he’s been kind of boring, you know? And he’s been in the Apex fighting. But had he been around these crowds, he’d already feel the pressure from the crowd. They would let him know we don’t really like to see what you’re doing.

“Even though sometimes he got some finishes, so it’s like, ‘Cool, yeah.’ But it’s a snorefest. So it’s going to be a real test for me is to moreso make a boring guy exciting. That’s the real fight.”

In his last five bouts, Dawson has competed at the UFC Apex. This weekend’s event, where Dawson is set to make his first main event appearance after 12 fights without a loss.

For Green, his first shot in a marquee slot was a short-notice bout against now-champion Islam Makhachev last February. Things didn’t go well for Green that night, as he was finished quickly in the first round. For his second main event bout, he firmly believes a different outcome awaits on Saturday.

“I just feel like I didn’t have the proper time to prep for Islam,” Green said. “I was sitting on the couch, my girl was supposed to have surgery, I’m smoking a blunt, and they’re like, ‘Hey, get up and fight again.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, great. F*ck it, let’s do it.’ I think that this one’s going to be a lot different now that I had the time to prepare.”

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Green enters on the heels of handing former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson his sixth consecutive loss at UFC 291 in July. The result marked a return to the win column following a loss to Drew Dober after the Makhachev fight, and a clash of heads led to a no contest against Jared Gordon.

While a fighter like Ferguson fits the description of what Green prefers to face in terms of excitement, “King” has been here before with fighters who he deems “boring.” Green believes beyond going out to get his hand raised, Dawson doesn’t offer much beyond that to the UFC or the fans.

“I feel this way about a few fighters I’ve had to fight,” Green explained. “When I fought Pat Healy, he was similar. When I fought Jacob Volkmann, (he was) boring to me, but I got Fight of the Night. So I took a boring fighter and I made it exciting. Clay Guida, I would say is more of an exciting fighter, but he had a little bit of that. … Those guys, they just want to win. They’re not interested in doing anything bigger than that.

“… All he can do is do his job and be him. He’s done that so far, and it’s not been working. Like I said, a story. I don’t know how many win streak he’s on, you would think they would promote him, but the powers that be are like, ‘Uhh, he’s missing something. He hasn’t got there yet.’ He’s still missing something to put yourself on that limelight.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 229.

Video: ‘UFC Fight Night 229: Dawson vs. Green’ media day interviews

Before UFC Fight Night 229 on Saturday, watch as the main card athletes fighters speak to reporters at media day.

LAS VEGAS – UFC Fight Night 229, which takes place at the UFC Apex with a card that streams entirely on ESPN+, goes down Saturday.

Before fight night arrives, though, notable athletes from the main card spoke to reporters Wednesday at media day.

If you happened to miss any of the individual sessions on the live stream, check below for the archived videos of each media day.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 229.

Joaquin Buckley says Colby Covington shouldn’t be fighting for UFC title: ‘It don’t make any sense’

Joaquin Buckley doesn’t understand why Colby Covington is fighting for the UFC welterweight title.

LAS VEGAS – The UFC welterweight belt is back in circulation, as the promotion booked a 170-pound championship fight for the final pay-per-view of the year.

Champion Leon Edwards (20-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) defends his belt against Colby Covington (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) in the main event of UFC 296, which takes place Dec. 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Although the fight is signed, there are many in the division who don’t think that should’ve been the right choice of challenger, and that includes [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag].

“Oh, it just got booked?” Buckley asked MMA Junkie and other reporters at the UFC Fight Night 229 media day when asked for a prediction for Edwards vs. Covington. “I don’t know, to be honest with you. It don’t make any sense to me. To put some respect on his name, Belal Muhammad should’ve been fighting for the belt, you know.

“Colby Covington, to be honest, I can’t even remember the last fight he had. Who did he fight last? I can’t remember. Regardless, I think Belal Muhammad should’ve definitely been up next to fight for the belt, so I don’t know how that Leon and Colby Covington fight goes. I rather had seen Belal fight for the title.”

Covington last fought in March 2022 when he defeated bitter rival Jorge Masvidal in the main event of UFC 272. Prior to that, he had lost to then-champion Kamaru Usman in a decision back in November 2021. Belal Muhammad, on the other hand, is unbeaten in his past 10 UFC fights.

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Buckley (16-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC) returns to the octagon Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 229 at the UFC Apex. He takes on Alex Morono (23-8 MMA, 12-5 UFC) in a welterweight matchup, which streams on ESPN+.

Buckley respects Morono, but he intends to finish him and show that he’s part of a higher class of welterweights.

“He’s got a couple decent wins in the organization,” Buckley said. “He’s done enough to stay in the organization. My biggest thing is to show that there’s levels to this game, even though he’s a veteran, and he’s been around for a minute. I just want to show him it’s a whole different ball game when you’re fighting a person like me at this level.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 229.

UFC Fight Night 229 commentary, broadcast plans set: John Gooden leads call in Las Vegas

John Gooden will get a leading play-by-play assignment on U.S. soil for UFC Fight Night 229 on Saturday in Las Vegas.

The UFC closes its September schedule on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 229, which goes down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

As always, some marquee on-air talent will be there to help guide viewers through the experience.

Details of who will work as commentators and analysts for each event have been acquired by MMA Junkie through a person with knowledge of the situation, and you can see the scheduled broadcast team below.

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