UFC

Poirier pushing for Makhachev title shot in June, after his gutsy Saint-Denis display

Dustin Poirier reacts after his victory against Benoit Saint Denis of France in a lightweight fight during the UFC 299 event at Kaseya Center on...

Dustin Poirier’s comeback win to dismiss rising contender Benoit Saint-Denis at the weekend did exactly what he hoped it would: not only restore the winning feeling and rebuild confidence after his stunning second-round KO loss to Justin Gaethje last summer, but gain momentum in a delicate lightweight division without a clear #1 contender for Islam Makhachev’s championship gold too. Continue reading “Poirier pushing for Makhachev title shot in June, after his gutsy Saint-Denis display”

UFC

UFC 299: O’Malley avenges Vera loss in style, Poirier powers beyond Saint-Denis

Sean O'Malley punches Marlon Vera of Ecuador in the UFC bantamweight championship fight during the UFC 299 event at Kaseya Center on March 09, 2024...

Sean O’Malley’s star rose another notch after boxing beautifully en route to a successful maiden defence of his bantamweight title, avenging the only loss on his record against Marlon Vera. Elsewhere, Dustin Poirier and Petr Yan returned to winning ways with contrasting displays while former women’s flyweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk became the latest UFC Hall of Fame inductee.
Continue reading “UFC 299: O’Malley avenges Vera loss in style, Poirier powers beyond Saint-Denis”

UFC

UFC 299: Dustin Poirier vs. Benoit Saint-Denis a worthy co-main, given the stakes

Opponents Dustin Poirier and Benoit Saint Denis of France face off during the UFC 299 press conference at Kaseya Center on March 07, 2024 in Miami,...

Former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier has been applauded for taking on one of the division’s fast rising contenders in Benoit Saint-Denis tomorrow. Not much movement has occurred since his stunning second-round knockout defeat by Justin Gaethje last summer, but he knows he can’t afford to lose another non-title matchup at this delicate stage of his career. Continue reading “UFC 299: Dustin Poirier vs. Benoit Saint-Denis a worthy co-main, given the stakes”

UFC

Making their case: Mokaev and Umar earn contrasting decision wins at UFC Vegas 87

Muhammad Mokaev of Russia punches Alex Perez in a flyweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on March 02, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

On a night where Jairzinho Rozenstruik jabbed his way into retaining his top-15 ranking in the heavyweight main event against Shamil Gaziev, the biggest stories unfolded elsewhere in another Apex fight card which saw prospects rise – two in particular – given the existing logjam across fly and bantamweight. Continue reading “Making their case: Mokaev and Umar earn contrasting decision wins at UFC Vegas 87”

UFC

UFC 299: Marlon Vera must be O’Malley’s main focus, not Dvalishvili or Topuria bout

Opponents Sean O'Malley and Marlo Vera face off during the UFC 2024 seasonal press conference at MGM Grand Garden Arena on December 15, 2023 in Las...

Having seen the pushback on social media after calling for a champ-vs-champ showdown with new featherweight titlist Ilia Topuria, UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley has now said longtime contender Merab Dvalishvili will be his next opponent – two weeks before his maiden championship defence vs. Marlon Vera: the only man to beat him in his professional career to date. Continue reading “UFC 299: Marlon Vera must be O’Malley’s main focus, not Dvalishvili or Topuria bout”