Tag: UFC Fight Night 246

Mike Malott learned lessons from first UFC loss against Neil Magny, post-fight blowback

Mike Malott learned lessons from his first UFC loss and the monsoon of negativity on social media afterward.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – [autotag]Mike Malott[/autotag] was surprised by the end of his most recent fight as well as the immediate aftermath, but he hopes he’s better from it.

On the wrong side of a Comeback of the Year candidate, Malott (10-2-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) lost by third-round TKO to Neil Magny in January. Nine-and-a-half months later, Malott hopes to show off the lessons he’s learned Saturday when he takes on Trevin Giles (16-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place.

“You’ve just got to reassess and see what went wrong,” Malott told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “I feel like you do the same thing after a win, right? See what you can improve on? But it’s how much do you want to dive into that. You can write it off to being like, ‘Well, I won 14 minutes of that fight and just made a couple of bad decisions at the end and a couple things went wrong, so if I just don’t do those, then I’ll be fine next time and I beat that guy nine times out of 10. Or we can do what we did.

“It’s like, look, it’s probably the symptom of a much larger problem that we didn’t recognize as much. How do we dive into that and figure out where we can get the most growth? That’s what we did. So the last nine (or) 10 months, I’ve been focused on improvement and growth and getting back in here to be the most confident version of myself, the most prepared for the fight that I can possibly be.”

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The loss was one thing. The blowback afterward was another entirely.

Given Malott was a hot prospect pedestaled as the next torch bearer for Canadian MMA, opportunists emerged out of the digital woodwork to kick him while he was down.

“I’ll be honest. It was surprising at first,” Malott said. “I assumed there would be some negative criticism. But man, I was blown away by how many people were waiting for me to fall. But also on the opposite side, too, we can focus on that all day. There’s a ton of negativity you can focus on, but there’s also a ton of positivity. A ton of people messaged me and were like, ‘Look, man. You obviously showed some great stuff in that fight. You were winning the majority of that fight.’ It’s not like I got steamrolled for 15 minutes and have to rethink my entire game.

“Again, I think I win that fight most times. If we run that fight back however many times, I think I win the vast majority of those fights. I think I showed some solid skills in that fight, but I also showed some things that need to be improved. We just focused on what needs to be improved the last eight or nine months or whatever. Again at first, it was a little bit surprising. It got to me for the first week or two. I was really down on myself about it a little bit. But once I was able to get back in the gym and actually make or take steps toward making improvements and resolving issues, that kind of took care of itself.”

Now Malott has a shot at redemption. The circumstances are similar in some ways, as he has the opportunity to prove himself in his home country against a veteran fighter.

“It would’ve been nice to fight in July (in Denver as was scheduled), the fight that I prepared for,” Malott said, referring to his canceled bout vs. Gilbert Urbina. “But I’d much rather pull out of a fight in Denver than a fight in Edmonton. I’m excited to get back in front of those Canadian fans.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

Derrick Lewis wants to fight ‘piece of sh*t’ Daniel Cormier? Confused UFC Hall of Famer responds

It’s tough to tell whether or not Derrick Lewis was being serious, but he’s apparently unhappy with Daniel Cormier?

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – It’s tough to tell whether or not [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] was being serious, but he’s apparently unhappy with [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag].

Lewis (28-12 MMA, 19-10 UFC) takes on Jhonata Diniz (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 246 (ESPN+) main card at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Lewis, who failed in his bid for undisputed UFC heavyweight gold when he was submitted by Cormier in 2018, was asked whom he’d like to fight before he wraps up his career. “The Black Beast’s” response was a rather surprising one, picking the currently retired Cormier.

“Probably DC because that one is still not sitting right with me,” Lewis told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 246 media day. “I don’t know, man. Do people really like DC like that? Come on, man, that guy, I told DC in his face, that guy is a piece of sh*t. He’s a piece of sh*t scumbag, F*ck DC. He knows why, and everyone knows why, too: He disrespected Popeyes chicken. But other than that, he’s a piece of sh*t.”

Lewis is known for his sense of humor, and throwing in Popeyes might have given it away, but something tells Cormier that there might be an element of truth behind Lewis’ words. Cormier has been rather critical of Lewis in the past, claiming that his time at the top is done.

“I haven’t seen him for a while, but I was pretty hard on him about retiring because he had lost a couple of fights,” Cormier told Ariel Helwani. “And I was telling the truth, and he seemed mad at me, but I haven’t seen him. I’m going to see him this weekend, and I’m going to kind of ask him, like, ‘Yo, are you mad at me?’ There’s a little underlying maybe – it sounds like it might be a little underlying.

“He might be a little p*ssed at me maybe because of the way I talked about him. I don’t know what fight it was where he didn’t look great, but then he knocked the last guy out and I was like, ‘Well, I’m glad he’s back.’ So, I don’t know. My opinions go with their performances, and I think maybe that’s what it is, but in terms of anything else, Derrick and I don’t have many things we do together outside of just the Popeyes thing and then the fight. We can’t be mad at each other. We already fought. It’s settled.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

Jhonata Diniz says Derrick Lewis booking ‘was a big surprise,’ promises KO win at UFC Fight Night 246

Jhonata Diniz wasn’t expecting to get matched up with Derrick Lewis at UFC Edmonton, but he’s not complaining.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – [autotag]Jhonata Diniz[/autotag] didn’t expect to be fighting one of the biggest names in the heavyweight division in just his third UFC appearance, but he’s not complaining.

The undefeated prospect got the call to face former UFC title challenger [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] on the main card of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 246. This was shocking for Diniz (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), especially because “The Black Beast” already had an opponent for the event.

“Derrick Lewis is a very big name not just in the UFC, but around the world when you talk about MMA,” Diniz said at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 246 media day. “I really get surprised because he was booked to fight against another fighter. When the UFC came to us and let us know we were the new fighter for Derrick Lewis, it was a big surprise, big surprise, but we’re ready for him.”

Diniz is unsure why Lewis (28-12 MMA, 19-10 UFC) ended up getting an opponent change, but he has a feeling it’s due to the entertainment value he brings to the table.

“I think me vs. Derrick Lewis, this fight won’t go to the last round, and for sure it’s not to be a boring fight,” Diniz said.

Diniz sees the bout with Lewis as a perfect opportunity to show the MMA world that he means business. He plans to do so by putting out the knockout artist.

“I know how important is this fight for me and I know when I knock him out it will put me in another level in this organization,” Diniz explained. “It really represents a lot to me.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

‘It exploded my mind’: Brandon Moreno opens up about layoff before UFC Edmonton return

Brandon Moreno has taken the time he needs to recharge before UFC Edmonton and plans to remind the world he’s the best flyweight.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] didn’t understand how much he needed to get out of the spotlight until he actually stepped away.

A former two-time UFC flyweight champion, Moreno (21-8-2 MMA, 9-4-2 UFC) returns to competition Saturday for the first time in more than eight months when he takes on Amir Albazi (17-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in the UFC Fight Night 246 main event at Rogers Place (ESPN+).

After he lost the belt to Alexandre Pantoja by split decision in July 2023 then dropped another split decision to Brandon Royval in February on home soil in Mexico, Moreno knew something wasn’t right.

He’s competed in seven consecutive championship or main event fights dating back to December 2020. During that time, Moreno became a figurehead of fight sport in his country.

The weight of all that caught up to Moreno in more ways than one, he said, and it was the primary driving force behind the hiatus.

“I am the first Mexican world champion,” Moreno told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 246 media day. “The guy from a huge country with a lot of support on a person. That person is me. It’s not just the training camp. It’s not just the fight. Now it’s about the media, about the responsibilities, the travels, the media tours. I don’t know. Maybe I’m a pussy. Maybe I’m a weak person. Maybe other fighters can say, ‘Hey, that’s nothing. Shut the f*ck up and keep going.’ Maybe that’s true, but talking about myself: That’s something huge.

“I’ve been on the grind like two, three years in a row. Fighting in an amazing spot, being around the world, doing a lot of work, a lot of media days. I’m a human being, man. And at some point, it exploded my mind. And that’s why I decided to take a break.”

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Moreno, 30, admits the temptation to come back sooner was strong. He was offered a fight at UFC 306 in September, which is the promotion’s celebration of Mexican Independence Day, and he nearly jumped at it.

Ultimately, though, Moreno’s inner circle reminded him of the bigger picture, and he came to senses.

“When I decided to take a little break of competition, it was fine in that moment,” Moreno said. “But after that, like three weeks after, I started being like, ‘Damn, I want to fight. I want to fight.’ But then my wife, my family and my coaches were like, ‘Hey, you have to take a break. You have to take it serious. You have to rest. Be with your family. Be with your daughters. Make more nice moments with them first.’ I had to tell myself. I had this fight with myself and my mind to take this break serious.”

Now that he’s back, Moreno said all his mental challenges are behind him. He displayed his trademark smile and positive demeanor throughout a nearly 20-minute media day session, and admitted to rediscovering a joy for the process.

“My energy right now feels amazing,” Moreno said. “I feel so hype. It’s crazy how my last two training camps I didn’t feel like this. I feel all the stress, all the responsibilities. At some point that exploded my mind and I wasn’t really enjoying these kind of moments. Now I feel like before when you start your career with the UFC.

“I tried to recover my body, recovery my mind, heal some injuries that were bothering me in my last training camps. Now I feel perfect.”

Moreno said he holds Albazi, who has yet to be beaten inside the octagon, in high regard. He is confident in his ability to fight, and said his recent situation was one that never had much to do with a question about his abilities.

The split decision defeats to Pantoja and Royval could’ve swung in his favor, so Moreno returns with a full understanding what he’s capable of.

“I feel very frustrated because even when I lost my last two fights, I feel in my prime,” Moreno said. “I feel very strong. I feel stronger. I feel with better technique. I feel with more knowledge about the fight game. Just the result isn’t what I’ve been having in my last couple of fights. Now my goal is to show that to the world. To show all my hard work at the gym, and that’s it.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

Video: UFC Edmonton fighters react positively, indifferently to rule changes

Two new rules will debut at UFC Edmonton. Check out what the fighters have to say about these tweaks.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – Two new rules will make their UFC debut Saturday at Rogers Place as the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC) voted this past July to implement them beginning Nov. 1.

For the first time in the history of the Unified Rules of MMA, 12-6 elbows will be allowed at UFC Fight Night 246. Additionally, a “grounded fighter” is redefined as an athlete who has any part of their body besides their hands or feet on the ground.

Wednesday, MMA Junkie asked many of the event’s top participants for their thoughts on the changes from the perspective of a fighter.

Check out what they had to say about the new rules in the compilation video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

‘Treat it like kids would’: How Erin Blanchfield compartmentalized first UFC loss

Entering UFC Edmonton, Erin Blanchfield isn’t hung up on her first promotional loss.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] hasn’t experienced loss too much as a professional mixed martial artist, but she’s still familiar with it.

At UFC Fight Night 246 on Saturday, Blanchfield (12-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) aims to bounce back from a largely one-sided March unanimous decision defeat to Manon Fiorot. The loss was the first noncontroversial one of her pro career.

“Losing always sucks and it takes a little getting over,” Blanchfield told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “I didn’t harp on it for too long. I just let my body heal from the fight and then I was back to training. Yeah, I feel like me and my coaches watched over it. We found things we wanted to improve on, my distance management and my striking and my wrestling and everything as I always do. So I kind of focused on that.”

Blanchfield, 25, built the reputation as a combat sports prodigy from her early grappling successes to her quick rise through the UFC ranks. While outsiders might have seen the loss as a window for self-doubt to rear its ugly head, Blanchfield has removed all emotion from the defeat and remains firm in putting everything in relative perspective.

“I think it’s just from competing my whole life,” Blanchfield said. “I’ve grown up competing since I was eight years old. You win a lot, you lose a lot. It’s something that you always have to learn from and grow from, not take it too hard, not harp on it too much. I think people really get down on themselves.

“Honestly, it’s just a sport at the end of the day and you have to treat it like kids would. You just get up and get back to training and focus on the things you need to improve on. I think I had a lot of time after that fight to do that and time to just train, not have a fight, and then finally have a fight and have a camp and feel really good.”

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Even with the setback, Blanchfield has an opportunity to reaffirm her place as a potential future title challenger when she faces former champion Rose Namajunas (13-6 MMA, 11-5 UFC) in Saturday’s co-main event at Rogers Place.

“I think Manon (Fiorot) is definitely getting the title next and I think having a really good performance Saturday, like getting a finish over Rose definitely puts me in that title picture next,” Blanchfield said.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

 

Ahead of UFC Edmonton, Derrick Lewis is reconsidering post-fight interview shenanigans – or so he says

No way. Have Derrick Lewis’ kids made “The Black Beast” turn over a new leaf?

Whether it’s “my balls was hot,” “where Ronda Rousey’s fine ass,” the time he pulled his pants down and threw his cup into the crowd, or something else, [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] has provided UFC fans with some hilariously memorable post-fight interview moments through the years.

But heading into UFC Fight Night 246, don’t expect another one from “The Black Beast” – or so he says. The reason? Things are getting kind of weird when he’s at his kids’ school.

“This year I’ve been trying to spend a lot of time with my kids at school, and they’re in elementary and stuff like that. And so me going to school and the kids ask me about my balls and things like that, it’s just very uncomfortable, man,” Lewis told reporters, including MMA Junkie, with a laugh at Wednesday’s media day. “I want to change up everything. I’m not even taking my shorts off no more. I didn’t think about the other kids, the other kids’ families watching stuff like that, hearing me talk the way I talk, and me doing stuff I’m doing, so I’m just really trying to clean up my act. Be a class act this weekend, very professional.”

Yeah, OK. We’ll believe it when we (don’t) see it!

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Lewis returns Saturday at UFC Fight Night 246 from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where he’ll look for his second win in a row as he takes on Jhonata Diniz on the main card (ESPN+).

You can watch Lewis’ full, and clearly very serious, media day session with reporters in the video above.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

Rose Namajunas thinks Manon Fiorot deserves title shot, but UFC Edmonton chance to make her own case

Could a third victory of 2024 in spectacular fashion be Rose Namajunas’ ticket to UFC women’s flyweight title shot?

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – Assuming it doesn’t fall through between now and Saturday, former UFC champion [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] will log three fights in a calendar year for just the second time in her career, and this final one of 2024 presents a big opportunity.

Namajunas, former strawweight title holder, takes on [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] in a pivotal matchup of top-five ranked women’s flyweights. The bout serves as the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place (ESPN+).

Ever since moving up in September 2023, Namajunas’ sole intention has been to claim a second division title. Manon Fiorot, who beat Namajunas in her 125-pound debut, figures to be next for champion Valentina Shevchenko, but nothing is official. And Namajunas aims to make her case while she still can.

“Anything’s possible and, yeah, that’s my intentions, to really put on a good performance, enough to where there’s no doubt that I could be next,” Namajunas told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 246 media day. “I just kind of feel as if Manon deserves it next anyway, regardless of what I do. She technically has a (win) over me. I do feel like, if that was a five-round fight, I think I could’ve found a way to win. I was finding it toward the end, but it is what it is.

“If she wins the belt, then that would be great to fight her again or even have that dream matchup with Valentina one day. I’d be excited to see them fight, but if the UFC wanted to put me ahead of that with a very spectacular performance, I’d be open to that, as well.”

Although Blanchfield, 25, is coming off her own lopsided loss to Fiorot, Namajunas, 32, is expecting a stern test – one she’s studied for.

“With her, what’s kind of unique is that she kind of has a sort of cycle that she puts people through,” said Namajunas, who’s won back-to-back fights against Amanda Ribas and Tracy Cortez. “If she can somehow get to her little cycle, she just finds her zone and is very comfortable in that, and people are very uncomfortable in that. What’s good about my preparation and everything like that is I’ve done a lot of work on preparing that cycle from even happening. And even if something does get started at some point, I’m very confident in my ability to adapt and to survive or, you know, get back to a good place. We studied her a lot.”

She continued, “She controls her emotions very well. She’s very stoic, I guess, and that’s kind of what everybody observes about her. But I know she’s gonna feel something when I’m in there with her.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

UFC Fight Night 246 headliner Amir Albazi opens up about arduous road back from heart, neck surgeries

Amir Albazi “was struggling” because of serious health issues, and he’s thankful to be headlining vs. Brandon Moreno at UFC Edmonton.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – It’s been a while since [autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag] was last in action.

Almost a year-and-a-half later, Albazi (17-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) will finally resume his career when he takes on former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno in the main event of  UFC Fight Night 246 on Saturday. The road back to fighting has been a rocky one. The Iraqi fighter had to undergo a pair of surgeries to address some serious health issues that put his UFC career in jeopardy.

“Before my Kai Kara-Fance fight, I was struggling with some health issues,” Albazi told MMA Junkie and other reporters Wednesday at UFC Fight Night 246 media day. “I didn’t really know what it was, but after my fight it showed that I had something called supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). That’s the medical name for it. It’s basically irregular heart beat. My heart rate would go up to 239, so I had to do a heart surgery.”

The problems for Albazi didn’t stop in the summer of 2023. After defeating Kai Kara-France, Albazi was scheduled to fight Moreno (21-8-2 MMA, 9-5-2 UFC) in Mexico City this past February. However, he had to pull out from the bout to address another health issue.

“After the heart surgery, I kept training for the fight against Brandon Moreno in Mexico City, and then my left arm literally stopped,” Albazi said. “I couldn’t lift my arm up, I couldn’t jab, I couldn’t do anything, but I still kept training. … After I got my first MRI, the first doctor said, ‘You shouldn’t be fighting anymore. Find a 9-to-5.’ I kept going to different doctors and when the UFC doctors found out, they literally pulled me out of the fight and I had to go straight into surgery. They told me (I was) one punch away from getting paralyzed. So after that surgery, here I am. It’s the longest break of my career.”

After having neck surgery, Albazi had to wait six months until he could begin training again. He now feels healthy and thankful to do what he loves once again.

“To be honest, it feels amazing, and I’m just grateful and happy to finally be back in another fight week,” Albazi said. “Also, I’m a main event, so this means a lot, and it’s a great opportunity for me to put my stamp back on this weight class and show people what I’m made of and show people what I can do in this division.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

UFC full fight video: Erin Blanchfield submits ex-champ Jessica Andrade for $50K bonus

After she settled into the UFC with decision wins in her first two fights, Erin Blanchfield got in the habit of making statements.

After she settled into the UFC with decision wins in her first two fights, [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] got in the habit of making statements.

Her wins over Sarah Alpar and Miranda Maverick were nice, but back-to-back stoppages of JJ Aldrich and Molly McCann had gotten the attention of the women’s flyweight division by the time 2023 rolled around.

When Blanchfield took on a former strawweight champ in Jessica Andrade, she picked the perfect time to get her first UFC post-fight bonus. Her submission of the Brazilian 20 months ago remains her most impressive win yet.

Saturday, Blanchfield (12-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) will try to get back in the win column after a March loss to Manon Fiorot – and she’ll have to do it against another ex-champ: Rose Namajunas (13-6 MMA, 11-5 UFC). They fight in the co-feature at UFC Fight Night 246 (ESPN+) at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

But ahead of that women’s flyweight tilt, check out Blanchfield’s impressive finish of Andrade in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.