Latest news with #CodyDurden
Forbes
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Ex-BMF Champ Threatens To ‘Hang Up My Gloves' Without UFC Title Shot
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 07: Matt Schnell leaves his gloves in the center of the Octagon after ... More a submission loss against Cody Durden in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Former BMF champion Justin Gaethje is waiting for his next booking from the UFC, and the former UFC interim lightweight champion expects his next fight to be his third shot at the undisputed UFC lightweight title. Gaethje (26-5) is coming off a March decision win over Rafael Fiziev on the UFC 313 fight card. After that win, which earned Gaethje his 14th UFC Fight Night Bonus, he said at the post-fight press conference, "I want to fight for the belt, obviously. That's a much different matchup than the one I just had. They tried to give me a doughnut. I took a bite, but I've got to get back to running if I'm going to fight [Islam] Makhachev." Makhachev remains the UFC lightweight champ on paper. However, the UFC has announced that he is moving up to welterweight and will likely meet UFC 170-pound champion Jack Della Maddalena in his first fight in that weight division. With that move in the cards, the UFC lightweight title will be up for grabs when the cage door shuts behind former featherweight champ Ilia Topuria and ex-lightweight champ Charles Oliveira at UFC 317. Gaethje is the No. 3 ranked fighter in the official UFC lightweight rankings. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 08: Justin Gaethje enters the Octagon in a lightweight fight during the ... More UFC 313 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 08, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Gaethje's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, says his client is expecting a fight against the winner of the UFC 317 main event. "Justin Gaethje fights the winner," Abdelaziz told Submission Radio. "He's won three of his last four, he saved the UFC two times. They needed him, and he's there. The guy did so much for the sport. If anyone said he doesn't deserve it—he said, 'If I'm not going to fight for the title, I'm just going to hang up my gloves.'" "He's a very principled guy," Abdelaziz added. "I never—he feels strongly about this. He told me this yesterday. I was at the fight, he said, 'I'm not going to get a title shot. I feel disrespected. I love being a UFC fighter, I love the UFC, but I feel the UFC has to love me back.' And he doesn't feel the love right now. "But listen, at the end of the day, I think, this guy, they love him. I think they will give him what he wanted. But at the end of the day, we have to see what happens first between Charles and Ilia." Abdelaziz's statement echoed the words of UFC commentator Jon Anik, who claimed that Gaethje was unhappy not to get the call to fight for the vacant lightweight belt. "He was pissed," Anik said on The 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 (expletive) 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 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 Justin was not thrilled." UFC 317 takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on June 28. We will have more coverage of the event as fight night approaches.
USA Today
16-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
He manifested his UFC Atlanta spot, and now Cody Durden wants to deliver
He manifested his UFC Atlanta spot, and now Cody Durden wants to deliver COCONUT CREEK, Fla. – It was an up and down 2024 for Cody Durden. The flyweight kept busy with three fights, though they were losses on the bookend sides. Sandwiched in the middle, though, was a pretty noteworthy fight he took up a weight class on a week's notice against Matt Schnell. He choked him out in the second round for a $50,000 bonus. Still, with three setbacks in his past four fights, Durden could use a bounce-back and some fresh momentum at 125 pounds, and he's hopeful it'll come when he finally gets a chance to fight in the UFC in front of his home fans. Durden (17-7-1 MMA, 6-5-1 UFC) takes on Jose Ochoa (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) when the UFC returns to his home city of Atlanta on June 14. And while Durden doesn't know his placement on the card yet, he knows he'll have a support system. "I've got so many friends, family that haven't been able to see me fight yet in the UFC, and now it's coming to fruition," Durden told MMA Junkie from his American Top Team training base, where he's been working the past three weeks. "I'm excited. I am pumped, and I'm bringing a fight." Durden, 34, said the first UFC event he attended was in Atlanta – UFC 201 in 2016. That planted the seed. "My first ever UFC event was in 2016, Robbie Lawler vs. Tyron Woodley," Durden said. "I sat in a suite and I watched the fights, and that was the night I was really inspired. I told myself I'm going to fight in State Farm Arena one day. I'm going to fight here one day. I manifested it. Now it's happening. Now I've just got to stay healthy, and so far, so good." Check out Durden's full interview with MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn above.
USA Today
30-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Joshua Van remains active with UFC 316 booking vs. Bruno Silva
Joshua Van doesn't appear to be one to ever turn down a fight. One of the most active members of the roster, Van (13-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) returns for what will be his fifth promotional bout in 11 months as he faces Bruno Silva (14-6-2 MMA, 4-3 UFC) at UFC 316. The event takes place June 7 at UFC 316, expected for Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.. Both fighters recently confirmed the booking on social media after an initial report by Eurosport NL. Van, 23, enters his 16th pro fight since his professional debut in October 2021. Outside of a TKO loss to Charles Johnson, he's been perfect. He enters UFC 316 on a three-fight winning streak that includes victories over Edgar Chairez, Cody Durden, and Rei Tsuruya. Silva, 35, won four straight fights prior to a December TKO loss to Manel Kape. UFC victories include JP Buys, Victor Rodriguez, Tyson Nam, and Cody Durden. With the addition, the UFC 316 lineup now includes:
