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Jon Jones marked his return from injury with a third-round stoppage win over two-time former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, retiring the 42-year-old future Hall of Famer following a dominant display but one raising questions about his suitability to face interim titleholder Tom Aspinall in 2025. Elsewhere, there were contrasting main card victories for Charles Oliveira and Bo Nickal… Continue reading “UFC 309: Jones retires Miocic with R3 TKO, Oliveira again haunts Chandler in co-main”
Almost a year to the day since their original matchup was scheduled and shelved after a pectoral muscle tear, UFC heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones finally faces two-time former titleholder Stipe Miocic in an encounter no-one asked for – yet we’re getting it nonetheless – while interim champion Tom Aspinall will watch cageside after defending his status against Curtis Blaydes in late July. Continue reading “UFC 309: Oh yeah, Jon Jones returns again this weekend… but Stipe’s an easy target”
#8 ranked UFC heavyweight Marcin Tybura headlines this weekend’s under-the-radar Fight Night card in a Serghei Spivac rematch and the Pole, who was another of Tom Aspinall’s quick victims last year, revealed his surprise at the Brit’s latest stoppage win over longtime contender Curtis Blaydes. Continue reading “Tybura: UFC interim champ Aspinall proved he’s most dangerous heavyweight”
Belal Muhammad boxed brilliantly, utilised suffocating pressure and recorded a new career-high takedown count to overwhelm Leon Edwards and snatch UFC welterweight gold from the Birmingham resident on an exceedingly late Manchester night to cap a busy PPV card. Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall and rising lightweight Paddy Pimblett logged first-round finishes prior. Continue reading “UFC 304: Muhammad mauls Edwards to win gold, Aspinall avenges Blaydes blip”
After yesterday’s weigh-ins, I spoke to former MMA and kickboxing champion Alistair Overeem for the retired Dutchman’s thoughts on a few topics: from predicting how his former foe would fare against Anthony Joshua to gauging interest in the Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic matchup and more besides. Read below for that conversation, as well as final tidbits before fight night.
Continue reading “Interview: UFC veteran Alistair Overeem predicts Joshua-Ngannou, Jones-Miocic”
Although UFC chief Dana White today reaffirmed a desire to rebook Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic for the full heavyweight title next summer once Jones has fully healed after surgery on a torn pectoral tendon, new interim champion Tom Aspinall doesn’t want to wait a year to get the dream fight he’s been longing for against the two-division titlist. Ultimately, he might have no choice though… Continue reading “UFC 295: Aspinall appreciates Jones’ niceties, wants dream fight opportunity”
Relive my live fight-by-fight commentary as UFC 295 unfolded from New York’s Madison Square Garden overnight, with Manchester’s Tom Aspinall looking to score interim heavyweight gold – on short-notice no less – against the fearsome finisher Sergei Pavlovich in the night’s co-main event before former champions Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira did battle for the vacant light-heavyweight title.
Continue reading “UFC 295: Relive live commentary as Pereira becomes two-division champion, after Aspinall wins interim HW gold”
Thrust into the new co-main slot for UFC 295 next month after news of reigning champion Jon Jones’ serious injury surfaced overnight, the #4 ranked heavyweight will look to win interim gold vs. a dangerous opponent in Sergei Pavlovich on November 11. All things considered, taking the chance without ample preparation time is brave but hasn’t aged well for many of late… Continue reading “Tom Aspinall looking to succeed where others have fallen short with UFC 295 spot”
Having made the necessary changes within his entourage and learning some painful lessons after Jon Jones humbled him in just two minutes to become the new UFC heavyweight champion in March, former interim titlist Ciryl Gane wants to produce a masterclass showing on his Paris return vs. Serghei Spivac – a year on from a back-and-forth battle with Tai Tuivasa, one he won via R3 TKO. Continue reading “UFC Paris 2: After being humbled by Jones, Gane targets Spivac masterclass on return”
12 months after his Curtis Blaydes matchup was cruelly cut short by a serious knee injury, Tom Aspinall again announced himself as a serious player in the heavyweight division after making short work of perennial contender Marcin Tybura in the UFC London card on July 22. Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic is set for November, and the 30-year-old has his sights set on securing a title shot soon. Continue reading “UFC London: Rewind back to Aspinall’s rapid return, a R1 TKO win vs. Tybura”
Since losing to former champion Alistair Overeem in November 2018, #2 ranked heavyweight Sergei Pavlovich has won six straight – all in the first round – after blasting perennial contender Curtis Blaydes into submission during their main event at the weekend. He feels his next fight will be for championship gold and following another fantastic finish, it’s hard to deny the rising Russian that wish. Continue reading “UFC Vegas 71: Curtis Blaydes KO sees Sergei Pavlovich punch his ticket into HW title sweepstakes”
Regardless of the result from this weekend’s UFC 285 main event between former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane and a returning Jon Jones for the vacant title, Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick will still consider his charge Francis Ngannou the promotion’s undisputed champion. All things considered, it’s another defiant nudge during the biggest fight week for a while. Continue reading “Eric Nicksick’s reminder a sobering one before Jones-Gane at UFC 285 this weekend”
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