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Ten wins on the spin, #1 UFC bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili gets his title shot next month against Sean O’Malley and while the highly-regarded Georgian will fancy his chances against a flashy striker, the champion’s head coach Tim Welch feels one glaring hole could prove costly in their PPV headliner. Continue reading “UFC 306: O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch pinpoints weakness in Dvalishvili’s game”
Surprise flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg exceeded expectations but left Rio empty-handed and heartbroken after going the championship distance against a savvy Alexandre Pantoja, who overcame adversity and some shaky moments en route to making a second title defence on his return to Brazil. Continue reading “UFC 301: Pantoja tested but Erceg’s inexperience costly in flyweight title fight”
Former middleweight champion-turned-analyst Michael Bisping made his feelings clear, as have many of the regular UFC watching public as far as the stakes for this weekend’s flyweight title fight headliner in Rio. Alexandre Pantoja should win emphatically, against a plucky contender given an unlikely shot of a lfietime to win gold just four bouts into his promotional stint. Will he? Continue reading “UFC 301: Bisping favours Pantoja to topple Erceg, Moicano questions low fight buzz”
It feels like just yesterday, Adrian Yanez was merely the Contender Series graduate with a penchant for highlight reel finishes. Now, the 29-year-old has a fantastic chance to leapfrog a few in the top-15 and establish himself as a genuine player at 135lbs against perennial contender Rob Font this weekend. Continue reading “UFC 287: Adrian Yanez aware of the golden opportunity that lies ahead vs. Rob Font”
Midway through the fifth, they thought he was demoralised and it was over. Instead, Leon Edwards scored a stunning head kick KO to dethrone Kamaru Usman, as the UK’s second-ever UFC champion since Michael Bisping after big main card wins for former middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa and an in-form Merab Dvalishvili at 135lbs – both against MMA legends.
Continue reading “UFC 278: Leon Edwards dethrones Kamaru Usman with R5 head kick KO, new welterweight champion”
Marlon Vera faces former bantamweight king and future Hall of Famer in fellow championship contender Dominick Cruz this weekend in an unofficial 135lb title eliminator, but before their Fight Night main event matchup from San Diego, here’s a look back at the Ecuadorian’s decision win over Rob Font four months prior – sowing the seeds for his latest headliner. Continue reading “Rewind: Ahead of Dominick Cruz main event, a look back at Marlon Vera UD5 Rob Font on Apr. 30”
Despite absorbing a record-breaking amount of damage on Saturday night, Marlon Vera – armed with multiple knockdowns – comprehensively outpointed Rob Font over 25 minutes in the evening’s main event, a result that has seen his bantamweight ranking rise to #5 in this week’s update and will undoubtedly and attract attention of other budding title contenders. Continue reading “UFC Vegas 53: Vera vaults up at bantamweight, as knockdowns help him outpoint Font”
A pair of compelling championship fights are scheduled to headline the UFC 272 PPV card from the T-Mobile Arena on March 5, when Alexander Volkanovski prepares to make the third defence of his featherweight title vs. former champ Max Holloway in their trilogy, while Aljamain Sterling faces interim titlist Petr Yan in a long-awaited rematch for the bantamweight strap. Continue reading “UFC 272: Volkanovski-Holloway 3, Sterling-Yan 2 title fights to headline March 5 PPV”
It feels like just yesterday, critics were starting to get worried about Jose Aldo’s career trajectory after suffering three contrasting defeats for the first time in his 17-year pro stint. Now, he’s flipped the script: three consecutive UD wins against hopeful contenders – a first since 2014 – and his potential has risen again, in a bantamweight division packed with uncertainty.
Continue reading “UFC Vegas 44: Aldo rolls back the years with commanding decision win vs. Font”
Ciryl Gane (#3) improved to 10-0 after another impressive win – this time in enemy territory from Houston’s Toyota Center – blasting Derrick Lewis (#2) with a third-round TKO finish to seize the UFC’s interim heavyweight title. Beforehand, there were impressive victories for a determined bantamweight contender in Jose Aldo as well as welterweight title hopeful Vicente Luque.
Continue reading “UFC 265: Gane outclasses Lewis with R3 TKO, becomes new interim HW champion”
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It was a night for two seasoned veterans as Stephen Thompson finished 2020 with a dominant UD win against Geoff Neal to prove he’s not a gatekeeper – before calling out Jorge Masvidal (#4) in 2021. Jose Aldo proved he was a class above determined contender Marlon Vera in the co-main event, after Rob Font enjoyed an impressive first-round KO over Marlon Moraes (#3). Continue reading “UFC Vegas 17: Stephen Thompson masterful against Geoff Neal, ends 2020 in style”
There were contrasting title defences for Kamaru Usman and Alexander Volkanovski, while Petr Yan became Russia’s second-ever UFC champion with an impressive TKO victory during a stacked card – kicking off the first of four Fight Island events in Abu Dhabi this month. Continue reading “UFC 251: Usman, Volkanovski with contrasting title defences after Yan wins bantamweight strap”
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