Latest news with #FullViolence
USA Today
11 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Jiri Prochazka: People will stop taking 'big mouth guy' Magomed Ankalaev seriously
Jiri Prochazka: People will stop taking 'big mouth guy' Magomed Ankalaev seriously Jiri Prochazka thinks UFC light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev is talking too much. Since dethroning Alex Pereira to become champion at UFC 313, Ankalaev (21-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) has been active on social media, going after both "Poatan" and Jiri Prochazka for turning down a title fight against him at UFC 317. Prochazka (31-5-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has opted to prioritize his studies, which Ankalaev mocked him for. "Alex Pereira don't want the Ank anymore. Let's leave him alone because I'm not a bully: Fake ninja he said he have to go back to school because he cannot read @danawhite @Mickmaynard2 give me some fish." The former UFC light heavyweight champion has no regrets putting university over the title fight. "I'm studying university for right now – three years. Everything is settled – this magister, everything is settled. Everything is good," Prochazka said in an interview with Full Violence. "I'm after the (Ankalaev) fight, it's a little bit of time. So right now, I'm focused for this target. My life is just about targets. What is most important right now, the priorit?. Right now, that's school." Prochazka isn't amused with Ankalaev's verbal jabs, and thinks he's shooting himself in the foot with his approach. "He's a big mouth guy," Prochazka said of Ankalaev. "I really don't care (if it's him or his manager), because he did enough to stop people from taking him seriously. This is not how the champ has to speak. He will put himself down just by this nonsense talking." Still unsure if Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) will get his title-fight rematch with Ankalaev, Prochazka is just looking to compete within the next couple of months – but his eyes remain on the prize. "August, October, something like that," Prochazka said of his return. "My manager is trying to keep negotiating this fight with Ankalaev. Let's see if Pereira will fight with him. I will fight him or with somebody else, but I'm focused on Ankalaev after that."
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Charles Oliveira before UFC 317 fight vs. Ilia Topuria: 'I will knock out this guy'
Charles Oliveira before UFC 317 fight vs. Ilia Topuria: 'I will knock out this guy' Charles Oliveira is seeking an explosive finish of his own at UFC 317. Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC) takes on Ilia Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) for the vacant lightweight title in the June 28 headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). "Do Bronx" enters the fight as a sizable underdog against fellow former UFC champion Topuria, but he's unfazed by the odds. "It's a great fight, he's a great fighter, but I don't need to prove anything to anyone about who I am, what I've done, (and) what I've done in the fight business," Oliveira said in a translated interview with Full Violence. "This fight came at a huge opportunity. I will knock out this guy. That's for real." With Topuria's power and Oliveira's tendency to take damage in fights, many pundits are leaning toward Topuria to win. Oliveira argues he's far more battle tested – especially against the lightweight division's elite such as Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, and Arman Tsarukyan. "I don't care much about what people say," Oliveira said. "I know he's a guy who hits hard, but he's talking about the lightweight category, the harder category. I fought against Justin Gaethje, and everyone said he was the guy who hit harder, and when I did, he went down. I believe in the power of fire in the hands that I have. So, let's wait. On the 28th, we'll meet." Oliveira also rubbished the quitter reputation that followed him throughout his career, dating back to his days as a UFC featherweight contender. "In reality, we've been in there for 15 years," Oliveira said. "I've seen a lot of these guys say a lot of things, that I give up, that I'm going to lose, that they're going to knock me out, that they're going to finish me, and then, when the time comes, they don't do anything."
USA Today
15-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Nate Diaz wants title to complete UFC legacy; roasts promotion's current lack of star power
Nate Diaz wants to give it one more run in the UFC to chase gold. Diaz (21-13 MMA, 16-11 UFC) walked away from the promotion after a submission victory over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 in September 2022 to open himself to other opportunities away from the Las Vegas-based MMA promotion. After leaving the fight promotion he called home for nearly 15 years, Diaz produced mixed results in the boxing ring, losing a unanimous decision to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in August 2023 and winning a majority nod against fellow UFC veteran Jorge Masvidal in July 2024. Now, Diaz wants to return to the UFC because he doesn't view his legacy with the promotion as complete, even though he believes very few can compare. 'The legacy – I don't think about it as done,' Diaz said in a video posted to the Full Violence YouTube channel. '… I think it's underrated, and I think there's like f*cking – I think I left more of an impact than a lot of these f*cking, anybody has, really. I mean, Conor (McGregor) has in a way, and then you get like, my brother did – but all that sh*t gets forgotten about too. It can go away because you ain't getting credit to begin with anyway. You might as well keep that sh*t going forever. That's why I plan on fighting forever.' Diaz has been a fan-favorite ever since Season 5 of 'The Ultimate Fighter' in 2007. His fight style and persona, along with his brother Nick, created a cult-like following in the MMA world. The Diaz Brothers were a different breed, and generated elevated of interest in their fights, no matter the results. That's something Diaz believes he would bring back to the table on one last chase for gold, if that opportunity comes. He believes the current roster is lacking transcendent star power. 'Well, everybody's boring right now, so I'm trying to do other sh*t for the moment,' Diaz said. 'But like, I want to go back and get a UFC title. I don't want to fight for nothing, you know? I want to fight for something. … It's about buzz and who's poppin' and who's doing something. Right now, there's nobody doing sh*t in the UFC.' If Diaz were to get a call to come back to the UFC, he knows he wants to return at welterweight, but isn't sure who he would match up against. 'Nobody,' Diaz said. 'That's why I'm not in there right now, you know what I'm saying? I'm watching. I'm hoping for something. … There's no buzz, nobody's doing sh*t. There's nobody to fight, everybody is wack. Every single body in boxing and MMA.'
