Latest news with #Anik&FlorianPodcast
USA Today
26-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Coach Ray Longo: UFC should strip Jon Jones to be fair to Tom Aspinall, fans
Coach Ray Longo: UFC should strip Jon Jones to be fair to Tom Aspinall, fans Coach Ray Longo thinks the UFC should strip Jon Jones of the heavyweight title to be fair to interim champ Tom Aspinall and the fans. Judging by recent social media posts and comments, Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) has been "living his best life" while leading the public to believe he has no intention of ever fighting Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC). Jones won the vacant heavyweight title at UFC 285 in March 2023 and has only defended the title once against a since-retired Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November. Meanwhile, Aspinall won an interim title at UFC 295 in November 2023 and recorded a rare interim defense at UFC 304 last July. "I'm almost starting to think he's doing it because he can do it, you know?" Longo said on the "Anik & Florian Podcast." "It's like, why does a dog lick its balls? Because it can. It seems like it's a power thing. Like it's, 'We're gonna do this on my timeline and you can't do anything about it.' That's what it seems like to me." Aspinall has repeatedly stated he doesn't want to necessarily fight Jones, but rather he wants the opportunity to become an undisputed champion and begin his title reign. All the while, Jones appears less than interested in giving Apsinall the chance to unify the titles. "That sucks for the fans and that sucks for the UFC," Longo said. "That's why I say I think he's the type of guy, 'I'm gonna do what I want to do, and I don't give a f*ck what you think.' I think that's who he is and that's what he's doing right now. He's holding the power, and that's how he decides to use it. "... The UFC can't do anything. They should strip him of the title. I don't think it's fair to Tom Aspinall. This poor guy's been waiting – he'll be waiting for 15 years before he sees the title. Is that right?" Lead UFC commentator Jon Anik rebutted by saying he believes Jones isn't concerned with being stripped of the title, because if he's going to fight on his timeline, he'll still command the same money, champion or not, and will have the luxury of competing when he's ready. At the same time, Aspinall potentially gets worn down by taking on other fights. Kenny Florian added that the UFC may be in a position where keeping the title around Jones' waist may be more beneficial than not. "You know, Kenny, the only reason I'm going to agree with you is because if you were wrong, they would have did it already," Longo said. "This is a great example of, 'I'm gonna do what's best for me.' If everybody does what's best for them, nothing will f*cking get done, trust me. Somebody's got to be the caretaker and get in there, because that's it. I'll do what's best for me, I'll do what's best for me – and you know what's gonna happen? Nothing. This is what's gonna happen. I think that's where being selfish like that is total bullsh*t. Good luck dealing with that guy. I don't know. The fans suffer, that's what really happens."
USA Today
25-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Coach Ray Longo wonders why Ilia Topuria's former team can't be part of UFC 317 camp
Coach Ray Longo wonders why Ilia Topuria's former team can't be part of UFC 317 camp Champion-level head coach Ray Longo believes Ilia Topuria will be fine as he transitions to a new gym, but also wonders why his old coach can't be a part of the fight camp for Charles Oliveira. Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) will move up to lightweight to fight for the vacant title against Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC) in the main event of UFC 317. Not only is Topuria leaving the featherweight title behind, he's also making a coaching change from Jorge and Agustin Climent as he settles into his own gym in Madrid, Spain. While all parties involved say the split was amicable, UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier questioned the move, considering the team helped build Topuria into the star he is today. Cormier would like to see the Climents be a part of Topuria's camp, even if it's just for a short period. Longo, who has led multiple UFC fighters to championship gold, shares the same thought. "I'm going to agree with Cormier, too," Longo said on the "Anik & Florian Podcast." "That coach can come in for one or two weeks and, I'm not saying make a big difference, but can hold to what they were doing. ... Everybody makes this decision after they're already on the top for a while, you know what I mean? Would he have made that decision as he was coming up when he really needed the guy? That's where I get a little salty with this. Like hey, if you're going to do it, do it at the beginning. I go back to what Teddy Atlas said to me in that interview, he said Gus Damato always told him, 'What a guy does in the end, is what he always wanted to do in the beginning.'" Longo has experienced dealing with fighters moving to a different gym in the middle of their championship runs, such as Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili. However, the difference is that they moved to Las Vegas to better deal with the COVID pandemic. The move was a necessity, but Longo remains in their corner to guide them on fight night, which appears not to be the case with Topuria and the Climent team. "It's probably what he always wanted to do," Longo said. "I think we had a different situation. We all lived together; we were all two minutes from each other. I think it's a totally different vibe. Without the COVID thing, there would have been no changes, and I would have loved to have seen what the gym could have did, because I do miss those guys, too. It was never really a business to me." Despite the changes, Longo believes Topuria will be fine going forward, at least for this upcoming fight against Oliveira. However, he would like to see the old team join the camp for a few days to maintain the familiar feeling in preparation. "He looks like he's squared away to me," Longo said. "That's why I say I think that guy can come in a week, two weeks. I think you just get that vibe right in the corner, and I think that guy's on autopilot. ... There's certain cases where when there's a lot of drama involved, then there's other areas, right? Who knows? You don't want to be stressed out one way or the other, in either direction. So, this one looks like it's a mutual kind of thing where everybody's got their own thing. I don't know, definitely not this fight. I think he'll be squared away with that."
USA Today
21-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Jon Anik says Justin Gaethje 'was pissed' about being passed up for UFC 317 title fight
Jon Anik says Justin Gaethje 'was pissed' about being passed up for UFC 317 title fight According to Jon Anik, Justin Gaethje was more than disappointed to not be part of the vacant UFC lightweight title fight. With Islam Makhachev relinquishing his title for a move up to 170 pounds, Ilia Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and Charles Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC) will battle for the vacant belt on June 28 in the UFC 317 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). Prior to Makhachev moving up, Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) appeared to be in the running for a title shot, which is why "The Highlight" is not happy to be left out of the equation. "He was pissed," Anik said on his "Anik & Florian Podcast." "He feels like certainly he was passed over in favor of Charles Oliveira for this opportunity against Ilia Topuria, and I think what Justin Gaethje and his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, are looking for is just some sort of guarantee that they will be next because it's May 19, and the good news for this Topuria-Oliveira fight is that it's f*cking June 28, it's less than six weeks away. "So I don't think it's a crazy request for Justin, having done what he did against Rafael Fiziev, staying on the fight card, not fighting Dan Hooker, getting a win, distance from the UFC 300 result – and by the way, he fought at UFC 300 to help the UFC when he could have fought for the undisputed championship at that point in time. So, yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if Gaethje gets some sort of guarantee that he's next for the Topuria-Oliveira winner. But I can just tell you that Justin was not thrilled." In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, manager Ali Abdelaziz said Gaethje should wait and fight the winner of Topuria vs. Oliveira.
USA Today
14-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Can Islam Makhachev handle UFC champ Jack Della Maddalena's power? One analyst doubts it
Can Islam Makhachev handle UFC champ Jack Della Maddalena's power? One analyst doubts it Kenny Florian warns Islam Makhachev that the power feels different in the UFC welterweight division. Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) has vacated his lightweight title to challenge welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena (18-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC), who dethroned Belal Muhammad in Saturday's UFC 315 main event in Montreal. Florian, who competed across four different weight classes during his UFC tenure, doesn't see Makhachev withstanding Della Maddalena's power the same way that Muhammad did. "Based on his grappling and well-roundedness and experience, I think that he could definitely pose some problems for JDM," Florian said on his "Anik & Florian Podcast." "However, I would say this: I don't think he could dole out the same level of power as some of the 170 pounders, and I also don't think he can take or withstand the same kind of shots. I have a hard time believing that there's any 155 pounder in the world that could take the same kind of shots that Belal Muhammad took in that fight on Saturday night. "Belal has a legendary chin at this point. The shots that he withstood, are you kidding me? There was a series of three right hands – I have chills thinking about it – that Belal ate, and he kept coming forward. In my mind I was just thinking, 'How the hell did he take one of those, let alone three?' I don't see any lightweight in the world taking those shots. I can't stress this enough: Every pound matters in this sport. There's a 15-pound difference between 155 and 170, not 10 pounds, and that matters for a lot." UFC CEO Dana White confirmed Tuesday night that Makhachev will be Della Maddalena's first welterweight title defense, but a date and venue for the fight are yet to be announced.
