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UFC president Dana White says he doesn’t make fights immediately after cards, but declared former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington is the next challenger for Leon Edwards’ 170lb belt. Considering the 35-year-old’s relative inactivity and underwhelming resume, a myriad of questions have been asked. Continue reading “Questions asked as Colby Covington mooted as Edwards’ next title defence”
UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards believes unbeaten contender Khamzat Chimaev has been overvalued by the promotion, and in a recent interview with Michael Bisping, said as much as he prepares for his first title defence against former titlist Kamaru Usman in March.
Continue reading “Leon Edwards: Khamzat Chimaev is not the untouchable monster UFC built him to be”
After falling narrowly short in a Fight of the Year contender clash against rising star Khamzat Chimaev last April, perennial welterweight contender Gilbert Burns hasn’t been as active as he would have liked – but the experienced Brazilian knows he needs a series of impressive finishes if he wants to earn another title shot and realise his dream of becoming world champion.
Continue reading “UFC 283: Gilbert Burns keen to leave judges out, wants emphatic finish vs. Neil Magny on Jan. 21”
UFC welterweight contender Stephen Thompson (#6) may be on a two-fight losing streak, but the two-time title challenger has responded to speculation that he’ll soon retire – so long as his body holds up – with his father the only man who can influence his decision to call it a day.
Continue reading “UFC Orlando: Stephen Thompson refutes retirement talk before Kevin Holland main event matchup”
They were originally scheduled to face one another in a serious mismatch, but instead Nate Diaz ended his existing UFC deal with a memorable win over a fellow legendary veteran while Khamzat Chimaev leaned into a villainous role – one he carved out for himself after a massive weight miss – easing to another emphatic first-round victory during the night’s co-main event. Continue reading “Wacky, weird and wild: Unpacking UFC 279 as Nate Diaz and villain Khamzat Chimaev win big”
Kamaru Usman has revealed a readiness to travel to Leon Edwards’ home comforts, as he looks to regain his welterweight title in 2023 – with London’s Wembley Stadium mooted as a possible venue – having led 3-1 on all three judges’ scorecards but ultimately suffering a dramatic final-minute leg kick KO defeat at the weekend during their rematch in the UFC 278 main event. Continue reading “UFC 278: Usman at peace with shock KO defeat, welcomes trilogy clash in England next year”
Alexander Volkanovski produced a striking clinic against the Korean Zombie to retain his featherweight strap with perhaps his best display yet. Prior, bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling bested Petr Yan in their long-awaited rematch and the highly-anticipated Burns-Chimaev matchup exceeded expectations with what quickly turned into a pulsating classic. Continue reading “UFC 273: Volkanovski’s vicious statement, after Sterling and Chimaev edge razor-thin wins”
It’s taken longer than expected, but as the saying goes: good things come to those who wait. So, will April 9 prove another successful title defence for Alexander Volkanovski? What about the eagerly-anticipated bantamweight unification battle between Aljamain Sterling and interim titlist Petr Yan, a rivalry left to fester after their controversial ending last March? We will see. Continue reading “UFC 273 Preview: Two title fights, bad blood and compelling matchups to settle”
Ahead of his main event headliner against best friend turned fierce foe Jorge Masvidal on Saturday night, #1 ranked welterweight Colby Covington has issued a warning to highly-rated contender Khamzat Chimaev: win some big fights, then he’ll destroy Borz’s hype in its tracks. Continue reading “UFC 272: Chimaev? Win some big fights then I’ll destroy you like Masvidal, Covington insists”
After logging a productive 2021 in the Octagon, Belal Muhammad has now entered rarefied air at 170lbs – the welterweight’s top five rankings. Having called out rising two-weight star Khamzat Chimaev as well as a rematch against Leon Edwards after their short-notice date ended with an inadvertent eye poke in March, it feels like the 33-year-old will soon get his wish. Continue reading “After a productive 2021, Belal Muhammad seizing his chance in flimsy 170lb division”
It’s been a full week since Ketlen Vieira (#6) seized her main event opportunity vs. Miesha Tate (#8), derailing the former bantamweight champion’s return in a gritty UD win. In the co-main event, welterweight prospect Sean Brady stifled perennial contender Michael Chiesa to overtake him in the rankings. Where do these results leave the big losers as they pursue gold?
Continue reading “Analysis – UFC Vegas 43: Vieira, Brady victories pose more questions than answers”
On an evening where multiple divisional contenders’ stock rose exponentially, a new champion was crowned. Before then, Petr Yan’s slow start vs. Cory Sandhagen didn’t deter him from having bantamweight gold wrapped around his waist again, albeit of the interim kind this time. Then Glover Teixeira made history in the main event matchup, submitting Jan Blachowicz with a R2 rear-naked choke to become the new 205lb titleholder at 42 years and two days old. Continue reading “UFC 267: New LHW champion Glover Teixeira teaches a valuable lesson in persistence”
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