Latest news with #FightoftheNight
USA Today
5 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Billy Ray Goff prediction, pick, start time for UFC on ESPN 68
Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Billy Ray Goff prediction, pick, start time for UFC on ESPN 68 Welterweight finishers Ramiz Brahimaj and Billy Ray Goff clash on the UFC on ESPN 68 main card. Can the judges put their pencils down for this one? Ramiz Brahimaj and Billy Ray Goff meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 68 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. Last event: 3-1 UFC main cards, 2025: 46-39-1 Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Billy Ray Goff UFC on ESPN 68 preview Brahimaj (11-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) picked up his first career Performance of the Bonus award in his last outing against Mickey Gall at UFC 309. Brahimaj finished the fight by knockout in the first round to rebound from a unanimous decision loss against Themba Gorimbo last May. Brahimaj has traded wins and losses since starting his pro career 6-0. ... Goff (9-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) aims to retrun to the win column in just his third UFC appearance. After impressing in his debut with a first-round knockout of Yusaku Kinoshita, his six-fight winning streak came to an end in his sophomore appearance against Trey Waters last May – although the bout won the Fight of the Night bonus. Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Billy Ray Goff UFC on ESPN 68 expert pick, prediction Serving as a solid action fight at 170 pounds is a battle between Brahimaj and Goff. Brahimaj, who works with the well-respected Sayif Saud, showed some of his striking progression last time out with a knockout win over Mickey Gall. That said, Brahimaj is primarily a grappler who loves to get things done early. Goff is a wildman who will give Brahimaj opportunities early, but he's also a dangerous offensive dynamo in his own right. It's also worth noting that Goff has been preparing for multiple dates ahead of this Saturday's booking and looks to be in career-best shape. I hate picking against fighters affiliated with coach Saud, but I suspect that Goff can survive the early storms en route to a knockout win in Round 2. Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Billy Ray Goff UFC on ESPN 68 odds The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the younger fighter, listing Goff -340 and Brahimaj +260 via FanDuel. Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Billy Ray Goff UFC on ESPN 68 start time, how to watch Brahimaj and Goff are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 11:10 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts on ESPN+.
USA Today
6 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Mateusz Gamrot vs. Ludovit Klein prediction, pick, start time for UFC on ESPN 68
Mateusz Gamrot vs. Ludovit Klein prediction, pick, start time for UFC on ESPN 68 Mateusz Gamrot and Ludovit Klein meet Saturday in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 68 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. Last event: 3-1 UFC main cards, 2025: 46-39-1 Mateusz Gamrot vs. Ludovit Klein UFC on ESPN 68 preview Gamrot (24-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) aims to rebound from a Fight of the Night war against Dan Hooker, which he narrowly lost by split deciison. Prior to the setback, Gamrot was on a three-fight winning streak, in which he took out Jalin Turner, Rafael Fiziev and Rafael dos Anjos. Currently ranked No. 10 in the latest USA TODAY/MMA Junkie lightweight rankings, Gamrot faces an unranked opponent. ... Klein (23-4-1 MMA, 7-2-1 UFC) gets a big step up in competition. Having not experienced defeat in seven fights, Klein has picked up six wins and one draw on his current run, including three victories last year. Mateusz Gamrot vs. Ludovit Klein UFC on ESPN 68 expert pick, prediction The co-main event in Las Vegas features a lightweight showdown between Gamrot and Klein. Despite Klein deserving a solid step up in competition, this feels like a big step down for Gamrot, given his arguable relevance in the division. Sure, the Polish fighter is coming off of an upset loss to Dan Hooker last year, but it was an incredibly close and competitive contest that saw an upper-class journeyman combine all his veteran skills and doggedness to have his day. Perhaps Klein could have his day here, but he's never faced a wrestling or pace threat at the level of Gamrot before. And though Klein looks to have incredibly strong hips to fuel his solid first layer of takedown defense, he's also an athlete who hates extended exchanges considering his need for pockets to recoup. So, unless Klein can catch Gamrot with a nasty front teep or check hook early, then I suspect that the Polish fighter will use the smaller octagon to create the cartoonish scramble-fests he's accustomed to. Add in the fact that Gamrot is officially 5-0 when fighting inside the Apex and stands 4-1-1 against UFC-level southpaws, and I can't help but side with Gamrot to remind the masses with a submission win in Round 2. Mateusz Gamrot vs. Ludovit Klein UFC on ESPN 68 odds The oddsmakers and the public favor the Polish fighter, listing Gamrot -168 and Klein +136 via FanDuel. Mateusz Gamrot vs. Ludovit Klein UFC on ESPN 68 start time, how to watch As the co-main event, Gamrot and Klein are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 11:40 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts on ESPN+.
USA Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Jon Jones reflects on unrealized 'grit' in first Alexander Gustafsson fight
Jon Jones reflects on unrealized 'grit' in first Alexander Gustafsson fight Current UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones took many lessons from his first fight against Alexander Gustafsson. Then the light heavyweight champion, Jones entered the fight at UFC 165 with five title defenses under his belt. "Bones" was in his prime, taking out former champions left and right with relative ease. After finishing Chael Sonnen in the first round, he was tasked with taking on Gustafsson, who at the time was a one-loss fighter on a six-fight winning streak. Jones knew there was a lot of noise surrounding Gustafsson's potential, but he admits he didn't take him as seriously as he should have. "I fought against Alexander Gustafsson the first time and, at the time, he was getting so much hype around him," Jones said on a "Deepcut with VicBlends" episode. "I looked at Alexander as being, quite frankly, a white version of me. He was tall, he had a swagger, he had great footwork, he had great boxing. I just felt like he's a lot like me, he has the same reach as me and everyhting, but I was like, 'He's not me.' "That fight, I partied a lot leading into that fight. I studied a lot, I trained a lot, but I had this (feeling of) knowing that I was gonna win, and it was at an all-time high." Not only did the UFC 165 main event win the Fight of the Night award, but it would also be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. It was truly one of the best fights in MMA history. Not only for the back-and-forth war that unfolded over 25 minutes, but it was also the first time anyone made Jones look human inside the octagon. Gustafsson lived up to the pre-fight hype as someone who could dethrone Jones, even though he ultimately came up short on the scorecards. "In that fight, things did not go the way I expected," Jones said. "I couldn't stop his jab. I hadn't prepared for a low jab; he was jabbing me to the stomach, and I had never prepared for that. He was a lot more confident than I expected him to be. He was in my face, and he was a person who was expecting to win. I had to pull from something that I didn't realize I had. I had a tenacity, and resilience, and a grit that I didn't realize I had." The battle left Jones in a condition he had never experienced before, and hasn't since. He recalls seeing his mother truly concerned for his health as he struggled to recover from what transpired in the octagon. "It's the first time I'd seen my mother crying over my bed backstage," Jones said. "They put me on morphine, and the morphine was making me shake profusely, and my lips were swollen. I couldn't talk. I couldn't eat. I couldn't use the bathroom on my own. That was one of the fights where I had really realized how seriously I had to take each and every opponent, that I could never get too big for my britches because there's always somebody that's nipping at our toes. That fight taught me a lot about the seriousness of preparation." Since that moment, Jones has won nine more fights – all of them championship fights, either in the light heavyweight or heavyweight division. It's a stretch that includes a rematch against Gustafsson at UFC 232, which was a far less competitive bout as Jones finished the fight by ground and pound in Round 3. Jones currently holds the heavyweight crown and has recorded one title defense. He may be heading toward retirement if he decides to pass on a title unification bout against interim champion Tom Aspinall.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Sean O'Malley sent chilling warning ahead of UFC return - "He's superhuman"
UFC commentator Joe Rogan has offered his take on the upcoming bantamweight title fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O'Malley, with the latter looking to reclaim his belt UFC commentator Joe Rogan has predicted a challenging night for Sean O'Malley in his upcoming rematch with Merab Dvalishvili. The bantamweight fighters are set to go head-to-head in the upcoming pay-per-view event, UFC 316, scheduled for June 7 at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. The pair will face off for the second time, almost nine months after their initial encounter. O'Malley claimed the bantamweight title in 2023 by defeating Aljamain Sterling and successfully defended it against Marlon Vera last year. However, the American star lost the belt last September after a decisive defeat by the Georgian fighter. Following the clash, O'Malley underwent successful surgery on a torn labrum and is now keen to regain his title. While 'Suga' hasn't fought since their first bout, Dvalishvili successfully defended his title earlier this year against Umar Nurmagomedov. As the rematch approaches, Rogan is eager to see the sequel but expresses concern for the former champion. Known for his relentless style and exceptional stamina, Dvalishvili managed six takedowns and controlled 'Suga' for 10 minutes in their first fight. Ahead of the rematch, Rogan questions how O'Malley will manage to hold off the reigning champion. "That's an interesting fight," Rogan said on the upcoming bout during The Joe Rogan Experience. "Very interesting fight. I do not know how 'Suga' Sean keeps that guy off of him... He's a f****** animal," the UFC commentator remarked about Dvalishvili. "That guy's superhuman. There's no one like him. The cardio that guy has is off the charts. It's just off the charts. I've never seen anything like it. He doesn't get tired. He's full gas, no brakes the entire fight. It's just smothering, overwhelming people. Even [Umar] Nurmagomedov, who's also an animal. He couldn't keep [Dvalishvili] off of him. This m*********** crazy." Following his title loss, O'Malley has made several lifestyle changes in his quest to reclaim the UFC championship. Speaking about the American's transformation, Rogan said: "I do like what he's been doing. Got off social media, stopped smoking, just dialed in. "Got his hip fixed, which was a big problem," Rogan pointed out O'Malley's torn labrum injury before the Dvalishvili fight. "There's a lot of these fighters that take these fights because it's a lot of money and it's a big event and they don't wanna cancel and they got a significant injury. Sean could not wrestle. Imagine not being able to wrestle in camp and you gotta go face Merab..."". In the co-main event at UFC 316, Julianna Pena is set to defend her women's bantamweight title against formidable contender, Kayla Harrison. Also on the main card, a welterweight clash between Vicente Luque and Kevin Holland could potentially nab the 'Fight of the Night' award, while Patchy Mix is poised to make his UFC debut against Mario Bautista.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Khalil Rountree Jr. lists necessary changes made after Alex Pereira UFC title fight loss
Khalil Rountree Jr. lists necessary changes made after Alex Pereira UFC title fight loss Khalil Rountree Jr. knew changes were necessary in order to capture the UFC light heavyweight title. Rountree Jr. (13-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) got his first opportunity to reach that goal at UFC 307, but was outmatched by then-champion Alex Pereira. In the main event of the UFC's first trip to Azerbaijan, Rountree Jr. will have the chance to return to the win column by taking on former champion Jamahal Hill. As the saying goes, you either win or you learn, and Rountree Jr. appears to have taken many lessons from the fight against Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC). As he prepares for Hill (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC), Rountree Jr. reveals he made multiple changes to his fight camp. "I think one of the most important things after the Alex fight, for me, was to continue to progress," Rountree Jr. said in a video on his YouTube channel. "So, after even talking to my wife and breaking down the video, thinking what could I have done better? Even though I put in a really good camp and I did my best in that camp, but I always try to think there's always room for improvement, no matter what. "And so, a few of the things, I felt like I could have improved in my strength. I think I could have had an extra ear in my corner to let me know moments when my opponent was hurt that I could have capitalized on. And I think just a little bit more support. So, right after the fight, that's immediately what I went after." The Fight of the Night battle against Pereira didn't produce the title victory Rountree Jr. hoped for, but he took away many positives from the fight. He is aware that the pinnacle of the light heavyweight division is within reach, but in order to reach it, he couldn't take the same approach. Rountree Jr.'s striking carried him through a five-fight winning streak to earn his first title shot. On the path to a second, he knew that working on his ground game was an important step. "Another thing that I wanted to improve on was my grappling," Rountree Jr. said. "As I climb the ranks and get closer to becoming the champion, knowing that there's going to be guys coming after me to get the belt, I want to be a well rounded fighter – and I want to be the best version of myself that I can be, in all areas." For his grappling game, Rountree Jr. added training with coach Bernardo Tavolaro and rolling with BJJ world champion and ONE Championship heavyweight Marucs "Buchecha" Almeida. Rountree Jr. believes his crowning moment will come one day, and that path begins in Baku against Hill.
