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
Tag: Khamzat Chimaev
UFC 273 Preview: Two title fights, bad blood and compelling matchups to settle
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 272: Chimaev? Win some big fights then I’ll destroy you like Masvidal, Covington insists
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
After a productive 2021, Belal Muhammad seizing his chance in flimsy 170lb division
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
Analysis – UFC Vegas 43: Vieira, Brady victories pose more questions than answers
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?
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UFC 267: New LHW champion Glover Teixeira teaches a valuable lesson in persistence
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
Kamaru Usman: Jorge Masvidal win left me unsatisfied, why I called for UFC 261 rematch
Ahead of his fourth welterweight title defence this weekend against Jorge Masvidal on a stacked UFC 261 card, Kamaru Usman (18-1 MMA, 13-0 UFC) has vowed to break the #3 divisional contender while saying 170-lb challengers aren’t exciting him – hinting that he may retire if he gets to a point where the landscape doesn’t motivate the same way anymore. Continue reading
Belal Muhammad up next this weekend, Leon Edwards targeting overdue title shot
A year ago this weekend, welterweight contender Leon Edwards (#3) had his highly-anticipated matchup against former champion Tyron Woodley cancelled due to the rapidly-changing COVID-19 pandemic. It’s been 600 days since his last walk to the Octagon but with short-notice opponent Belal Muhammad stepping up, he targets a big return in Saturday’s main event. Continue reading
UFC 258: Gilbert Burns confident, vows to wipe out welterweight division if he wins title
With just two weeks to go before his first title matchup against former training partner Kamaru Usman, Gilbert Burns is confident he’ll be an active UFC welterweight champion – should he win the belt – and has publicly vowed to wipe out each contender rising through the rankings. Continue reading
UFC Fight Island 8: Michael Chiesa confident ahead of Neil Magny main event
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Michael Chiesa (17-4, #8) is hoping to produce a statement display Wednesday against #9 ranked welterweight Neil Magny (24-7), as he makes his Octagon return after undergoing knee surgery last July to repair a troublesome issue that had bothered him since his teenage years. Continue reading
UFC 256: Figueiredo retains title with majority draw, after Charles Oliveira’s emphatic win
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Deiveson Figueiredo retained his flyweight title with a majority draw after an unforgettable five-round main event against relentless challenger Brandon Moreno (#1), after there were statement victories for lightweight contender Charles Oliveira and middleweight prospect Kevin Holland – who has now become the third modern UFC fighter with five wins in a calendar year. Continue reading
UFC Vegas 17: Leon Edwards vs Khamzat Chimaev to be rescheduled for 2021
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Leon Edwards’ 2020 has been dismal and his bad luck continues after being forced to withdraw from his Dec. 19 headliner against rising star Khamzat Chimaev. The #3 ranked welterweight, 29, was promised the next title shot if he won on the promotion’s final card of an unprecedented year, but after a positive COVID-19 test and severe symptoms, has to wait until the new year. Continue reading
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