Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”
Monday’s episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.
On Episode 3,502, the fellas welcome in a pair of UFC guests: former women’s bantamweight champion [autotag]Miesha Tat[/autotag]e and lightweight contender [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag]. The fellas also preview this weekend’s big UFC 307 card with two title fights taking place in Salt Lake City. Tune in!
Chael Sonnen argues that Justin Gaethje is exactly the type of fight Renato Moicano needs.
[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] argues that [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] is exactly the type of fight [autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] needs.
Moicano (20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC) battered Benoit Saint Denis en route to a second-round doctor’s stoppage TKO in this past Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 243 headliner in Paris. The outspoken lightweight made the most of his time on the mic, and Sonnen would like to see him get a big name to help catapult his stardom to the next level.
“Moicano’s next fight is Justin Gaethje,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “Now, that is exactly what my response would be. For me, that’s like glaringly obvious.”
Moicano called out Paddy Pimblett and Dan Hooker, two fan favorites. But Sonnen thinks a win over former interim champion Gaethje would open all the doors for “Money Moicano.”
Gaethje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC), who’s coming off a knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300 in April, isn’t currently booked. Prior to the Holloway loss, Gaethje beat Rafael Fiziev, then knocked out Dustin Poirier.
“If you got over on Dustin Poirier, you could then do anything,” Sonnen said. “Fight for titles, main events, there’d be no argument that you couldn’t fit nicely into. And Justin Gaethje brings those same accolades, but there’s one difference, which is you don’t have to be as careful with the bookings of Gaethje because he is not in a situation where he’s saying my next one is my final one.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.
Renato Moicano has a major issue with his ranking remaining the same after UFC Fight Night 243.
[autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] has an issue with his official ranking after UFC Fight Night 243.
Moicano (20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC) battered Benoit Saint Denis for a second-round doctor’s stoppage TKO this past Saturday in Paris to notch his fourth straight win. Despite his impressive performance, Moicano stayed put at No. 11 in the UFC lightweight rankings, which he took umbrage with.
“That’s the first time I see somebody destroy their opponent and don’t get up on the rankings… I guess MMA journalists love macron too.”
That’s the first time I see somebody destroy their opponent and don’t get up on the rankings… I guess mma journalists love macron too #ufc #mma
— Renato Moicano UFC (@moicanoufc) October 1, 2024
Moicano had a feeling that would be the case prior to the rankings update. He went on a rant on X, explaining why the majority of the fighters ranked above him don’t merit their standing. He thinks he should be ranked No. 6.
“If UFC rankings aren’t total bullsh*t, I should be ranked No. 6 in the lightweight division tomorrow,” Moicano said. “Why? In the last 8 months, I’ve fought 3 times, and I’m on a six-fight win streak in the lightweight division, with five stoppages. Yet, ranked above me are No. 10 Max Holloway, a legend, but he’s at 145 and will be facing Topuria for the featherweight belt at UFC 308. Even if he loses, his spot in the lightweight rankings makes no sense. He just beat Gaethje, so if anything, he should be ranked No. 3. I’d gladly take No. 7 if that was case. No. 9 Rafael Fiziev coming off two losses to Mateusz Gamrot and Justin Gaethje. His last fight was in September 2023.
“No. 8 Mateusz Gamrot coming off a loss to Dan Hooker in August 2024. No. 7 Beneil Dariush coming off two losses to Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan. His last fight was in December 2023. No. 6 Michael Chandler: If anyone doesn’t deserve this spot, it’s Michael Chandler. He’s 2-3 in the UFC, coming off a loss to Dustin Poirier in November 2022. Since then, he’s been sitting out, waiting for Conor McGregor’s return, and only now decided to fight Charles Oliveira. There’s no way I’m not No. 6 in the lightweight division right now.”
If UFC Rankings Aren’t Total Bullshit, I Should Be Ranked #6 in the Lightweight Division Tomorrow. Why? In the last 8 months, I’ve fought 3 times and I’m on a 6-fight win streak in the lightweight division, with 5 stoppages. Yet, ranked above me are:
— Renato Moicano UFC (@moicanoufc) October 1, 2024
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Chris Duncan recounts his thoughts during his UFC Paris submission in which he had to alert the referee that his opponent was asleep.
An unusual finishing sequence at UFC Fight Night 243 in Paris on Saturday that resulted in a fighter snoozing even baffled the bout’s winner.
[autotag]Chris Duncan[/autotag], like most viewers, was stunned when he determined [autotag]Bolaji Oki[/autotag] was snoozing on his chest after popping out of a guillotine choke in their lightweight prelim clash at Accor Arena.
The submission itself was not unfamiliar territory. Duncan (12-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) adores the guillotine choke. As he squeezed Oki’s neck, however, the math didn’t add up. Something was off.
“I remember being in that moment,” Duncan told MMA Junkie on Monday. “I’ve trained with the best guys in the world. I went with them and tapped them and stuff like that. I’ve never had it in there and had it locked up and feeling how tight my hands were and where his chin was. I said to myself, ‘Why is this guy not tapping?’ I was like, ‘I have tapped every person I’ve ever trained with with this submission, and this guy is not tapping.'”
Duncan struggled to find answers and eventually aborted the attempt when he heard his coach and former UFC fighter Thiago Alves’ instructions to abandon.
“He said, ‘Chris, if it’s not on, you need to move on. You can’t just sit here and hold onto his neck,'” Duncan said. “So the next part was to let go, put my hand on the back of his neck, and slow down his posture so he can’t punch me straight away or elbow me. So I let go of his head, and I was ready for him to posture up.”
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But Oki (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) didn’t posture up. He was limp. Duncan landed two short punches to Oki’s head before realizing his opponent was unconscious. Duncan notified the referee, who eventually waved the fight off, then scooted out from under the corpse-like weight of his unconscious foe.
“That’s why I was laughing,” Duncan said. “Because after the fight, I was like, ‘I can’t believe the guy went out like that. That’s f*cking insane.’ Obviously, people tap and people go out. But it was jut the way he was still on top of me. That’s why I was laughing. It was like, ‘Oh, he just went out. What the f*ck?'”
Chris Duncan puts Oki to sleep and calls the fight himself #UFCParis pic.twitter.com/b8MVcxLIUO
— Underrated Combat Sports Tribal Chief (@MMAUnderrated) September 28, 2024
The laughs continued well into the night. Rather than stick around in the arena, Duncan elected to go stream teammate Robert Whiteford’s fight that was taking place in PFL, and then grab food.
Duncan and his team went for grub at a local kebab joint. When they walked in, his fight was being replayed, much to the delight of the other patrons eating there. They got to watch Duncan’s fight over with the man himself. Then, they watch Duncan break into tears when he was notified of his $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
“One of my mates is videoing me,” Duncan said. “I’m like, ‘No, 100 percent? Double check.’ He went on Wikipedia, all these different sites, Google, and it’s all coming up. I was just moved into tears in a kebab shop. All the people who were watching me laughing and cheering were watching me crying. It’s just such a mix of emotions and it’s in the middle of this kebab shop in the middle of nowhere in France which is insane. Yeah, these stories are a massive part of the journey and sometimes you’ve just got to take yourself back and enjoy these moments.”
For now, Duncan will continue to enjoy the moment – until he gets another assignment from UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby. Whether it’s a rebooking of a previously canceled matchup, such as Terrance McKinney and Nazim Sadykhov, or a totally new one, Duncan is ready for any challenge that awaits him next.
“These fights that have already been made are something I’d like to get back due to me pulling out and stuff like that,” Duncan said. “To be honest with you, man. I don’t think I really get a say being as low-level as I am. I’m right at the bottom of the pecking order when it comes to fighting. I’m nowhere near the level of these guys in the top 10. I think just take the fights they put in front of me and do really well without being stupid and taking stuff on really late notice and cutting too much too early like I did earlier.”
Regardless of name, Duncan has an offer on the table to whomever he fights next.
“If anyone wants to take me down, feel free,” Duncan laughed.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.
Who saw this coming from Renato Moicano in enemy territory at UFC Paris? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”
[autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag] entered UFC Fight Night 243 looking to reestablish himself as a legitimate lightweight contender on his home turf, but [autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] had other plans as he won their main event in Paris by second-round TKO.
Moicano’s win might not have come by surprise to many, but the way in which he won sure did. He took down Saint Denis (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) just 23 seconds into the fight and proceeded to batter him with hard elbows and punches for the rest of the first round, splitting him open all over his face. The fight saw a Round 2, but the damage was too much to let it continue into the third, resulting in a doctor stoppage TKO win for Moicano (20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC).
Given the circumstances and setting around the fight, just how surprising was Moicano’s beatdown of Saint Denis? Our “Spinning Back Clique” of Nolan King, Dan Tom and Brian “Goze” Garcia answer that and more with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.
You can watch their discussion in the video above, and check out this week’s entire episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.
Renato Moicano has no idea how Dan Hooker wound up in the UFC’s top five lightweight rankings.
[autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] has no idea how [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] wound up in the UFC’s top five lightweight rankings.
Hooker (24-12 MMA, 14-8 UFC) earned that spot by edging out Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 in August. Moicano (20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC), who battered Benoit Saint Denis en route to a doctor’s stoppage TKO in Round 2 of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 243 headliner, sees Hooker as an easy path to the top five.
“I don’t know how he’s in the top five – that’s unbelievable,” Moicano said during the ESPN post-fight show. “It’s like to see a turtle in a tree. Have you seen a turtle in a tree? Somebody put him there. That’s the whole thing, you know? He didn’t climb the tree, but he’s on the tree. So if they want to give me an easy pass for the title shot, Dan Hooker is easy money.
“Imagine if I take him down, what I’m going to do to him. He has no ground game. Paddy Pimblett is another easy money, but I respect him a little bit more. You know why? Because he has a lot of followers. If you have followers, you have my respect. People want to see Paddy Pimblett, and I respect him.”
When asked what his strongest attribute is, Moicano said it’s his will to win.
“I cannot afford to lose,” Moicano said. “I’m telling everybody I have a house to pay. I just bought a new house. Dumb decision, but we don’t do decisions by head, we do by heart. I want to see my kid grow in a great backyard with a pool, and then I did that mistake. So until the house is paid, until all my debt is paid, I cannot afford to lose. Doesn’t matter if even Khabib (Nurmagomedov) comes back – I will beat Khabib.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.
On the latest episode of “Spinning back Clique,” we discuss Renato Moicano’s Paris win, UFC antitrust settlement, preview UFC 307, and more.
Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.
This week’s panel of Nolan King, Dan Tom, Brian “Goze” Garcia, and special guest John Nash will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:
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Benoit Saint Denis released a statement following his stoppage loss at UFC Fight Night 243.
[autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag] released a statement following his stoppage loss at UFC Fight Night 243.
Saint Denis (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) suffered a Round 2 doctor’s stoppage TKO loss to Renato Moicano (20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC) in this past Saturday’s main event at Accor Arena in Paris. Saint Denis was beat down on the ground in Round 1, suffering serious damage to both eyes.
He was able to rebound well in Round 2, but at the end of the round, his face was a bloody mess. The doctor checked on him, and deemed him unfit to continue after Saint Denis struggled to see. “The God of War” chalked off his performance to a slow start which cost him.
“A big thank you to everyone for your support, it was absolutely unbelievable to be here,” Saint Denis said through an interpreter (h/t UFC). “Unfortunately, in that first round I came out and I was a little bit sleepy, and it allowed him to do enough damage to then play the Matador in the later rounds. So, I’m sorry for that. I’ll come back stronger. Sorry for that performance, but I was proud to represent the flag.”
Saint Denis later issued a statement on his Instagram, addressing his fans in French.
“It wasn’t my day, this sport is hard but incredible,” Saint Denis said. “Thank you to everyone for your unwavering support. Proud to have been able to represent France in the octagon and at home. Respect to my opponent for facing me at home, and congratulations to Renato Moicano. God tests us, and that’s nothing to compare with what I could experience.”
“Ce n’était pas mon jour, ce sport est dur mais incroyable.
Merci à tous pour votre soutien indéfectible. Fier d’avoir pu représenter la France dans l’octogone à la maison 🇫🇷.
Respect à mon adversaire de m’avoir affronté à la maison et félicitation à lui @renato_moicano_ufc .Dieu met des épreuves sur notre chemin et celle là n’est rien comparé à ce que j’ai pu vivre 🙏🏼.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/DAfylgLOpfk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
After notching five straight finishes, Saint Denis has now been stopped in back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier and Moicano.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.
Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”
Monday’s episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.
On Episode 3,501, the fellas leave behind show No. 3,500 and start toward the next milestone. They welcome in UFC 307 guest [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag], broke down the UFC Paris results, talked about Jake Paul and Conor McGregor’s new beef, and much more. Tune in!
Fares Ziam was thrilled to record his first UFC finish, especially because it came on home soil.
It took [autotag]Fares Ziam[/autotag] a little while, but he finally had his first finish under the UFC banner.
The 27-year-old Frenchman rocked the home crowd at Accor Arena in Paris with a vicious third-round knockout knee strike that landed on Matt Frevola. Commentary, pundits and many others watching along at home on social media immediately labeled the moment a Knockout of the Year contender.
Ziam (16-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) didn’t quite know how to handle his first knockout win since 2018, and borrowed a famous line from Jorge Masvidal in an apology to Frevola (11-5-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC).
“It’s my first finish in UFC, but before UFC I have a couple of finishes,” Ziam told UFC News. “Honestly, I threw the knee, he go down, and I say, ‘He’s finished.’ But, the referee don’t come. Maybe, so I strike.
“I’m sorry, Matt for the (extra punches). It’s not super necessary. So, I am sorry.”
"He did well in the first round, but after that, I got the finish."
Farès Ziam (@ZiamFares) secures his first finish in @UFC with a jaw dropping knockout against Matt Frevola at #UFCParis
Results, Highlights & More ➡️ https://t.co/nNGjJiutkl
— UFC News (@UFCNews) September 28, 2024
After framing Frevola as he attempted to exit a clinch, Ziam connected with the right knee, knocking his opponent out cold. Ziam followed him to the ground for a few extra punches, but it was clear the fight was already over before that. But as fighters are told, he continued striking until the referee stepped in.
“I’m very, very happy,” Ziam said. “It was hard for me to not finish my fight before, and tonight, no pressure.”
Ziam’s coach spoke to him about the importance of having fun in the octagon, while trying to make the most of the moment of fighting in front of a home crowd in France, considering the promotion rarely travels to the country.
On the first fight of a new contract, Ziam extended his current winning streak to four. In his previous fight, he won a split decision against Claudio Puelles in February, which was frustrating, even though he came out victorious.
Now Ziam can sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor, which earned a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus that will come in handy for his new family.
“I got a baby like five months ago. I’m a new father,” Ziam said. “So, I do this for my wife, my son, my family, my coach. I’m happy.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.