Latest news with #Georgian-Spaniard
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Islam Makhachev fires warning at Jack Della Maddalena ahead of title clash
Islam Makhachev has vowed to show Jack Della Maddalena a 'different level' when they clash for the UFC welterweight title, after 'JDM''s triumph in Montreal. Della Maddalena secured a decision win over Belal Muhammad in the main event of UFC 315, dethroning the latter in his first title defence. With that, the door has opened for lightweight king Makhachev to move up and challenge for a second belt. Advertisement Makhachev, who has been a dominant 155lb champion since late 2022, has eyed the welterweight strap for some time but insisted he wouldn't challenge Muhammad, with whom he has trained in the past. Therefore, Muhammad's loss on Saturday (10 May) allows the Russian to challenge Della Maddalena for the 170lb belt, as Makhachev eyes a third title-fight win over an Australian. Perth's Della Maddalena in fact referenced Makhachev's two victories over compatriot Alexander Volkanovski, while speaking after his win on Saturday. He said: 'I'm gonna get him back for Volk.' 'You are not Volk,' Makhachev tweeted in response. 'I will show you [a] different level. Keep my belt clean.' Makhachev also wrote: 'Time to become a double champion #inshaAllah. Let's go.' Jack Della Maddalena (left) during his title win against Belal Muhammad (Getty Images) However, there is speculation that Makhachev, 33, will not be vying for 'double champ' status in the way he wants. Advertisement There have been multiple UFC fighters to have held titles in two weight classes, but only four who have held both belts simultaneously. Makhachev wants to achieve the latter feat, but the UFC seems to have soured on the idea of fighters holding two titles at once, as it can hold up divisions. It is therefore expected that Makhachev will have to vacate the lightweight belt before challenging JDM at welterweight. Such a move would mirror Ilia Topuria's recent relinquishing of the featherweight title, as the Georgian-Spaniard prepares to challenge for the lightweight strap. Islam Makhachev after retaining the UFC lightweight title in January (Getty Images) So, while Makhachev was waiting to see who would win the UFC 315 main event, so was Topuria; if Muhammad had won and Makhachev had stayed at lightweight, the latter would have defended the 155lb title against Topuria, who will now face Charles Oliveira instead. Per the above point, it is unclear whether Topuria vs Oliveira will be for the vacant lightweight title or an interim version of the gold.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ilia Topuria vs Charles Oliveira booked to crown new UFC lightweight champion as Islam Makhachev vacates
Ilia Topuria will square off with Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, it has been announced, as the former title holders vie to crown a new lightweight champion. Topuria held the featherweight belt from February 2024 until this February, before vacating the gold to move up to lightweight, with the intention of challenging for a second title. Advertisement With the Georgian-Spaniard adamant that the UFC would honour his wish, all that was left was to determine Topuria's opponent; then-lightweight champion Islam Makhachev had his own plan to challenge for the welterweight strap, but said he would not fight friend Belal Muhammad, who owned that belt until Saturday. As such, Muhammad's decision loss to Jack Della Maddalena has opened the door for Makhachev to challenge for the 170lb title, meaning Topuria has been left to face Oliveira for the vacant lightweight gold. And the pair will meet at UFC 317 on 28 June, as Topuria aims to become a two-weight champion, while Oliveira tries to kickstart his second reign at lightweight. The Brazilian, 35, won the vacant title in 2021, stopping Michael Chandler to do so. He then recorded a successful title defence by submitting Dustin Poirier, but his second defence – against Justin Gaethje in 2022 – was affected by a narrow miss at the weigh-ins. Oliveira was stripped of the title the night before fighting Gaethje, and he was also ineligible to win back the gold in that bout. Ilia Topuria (left) and Charles Oliveira will meet in a lightweight title fight (Getty) In any case, 'Do Bronx' submitted Gaethje, setting up a meeting with Makhachev later in 2022. In that fight, Makhachev submitted Oliveira – the greatest submission artist in UFC history, statistically – to win the belt. The Russian then achieved a record four successful title defences. Advertisement A rematch was planned with Oliveira in 2023, but the Brazilian suffered a nasty cut over his eye, costing him a title opportunity. That episode occurred after Oliveira had stopped Beneil Dariush, and he has since lost to Arman Tsarukyan and beaten Chandler for the second time. The latter result, in November, marked Oliveira's most-recent outing. Meanwhile, Topuria kept his unbeaten record intact while storming to the featherweight title, which he won with a knockout of long-reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski last February. In October, the 28-year-old retained the belt with a knockout of former champion Max Holloway.
BBC News
13-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
What next for Pimblett after statement win?
Paddy Pimblett earned the most significant win of his career with an impressive third-round stoppage of Michael Chandler at UFC Pimblett outclassed the American on the feet and the ground for a victory which will move into the top 10 of the lightweight commentator Jon Anik welcomed Pimblett "to the elite" after his triumph in Miami, Florida, while the promotion's president Dana White described the 30-year-old as the "real deal".Victory is Pimblett's seventh since joining the UFC in 2021 - the second-longest win streak in the lightweight division after champion Islam Makhachev's said in the build-up to the contest that, should he beat Chandler, he would be targeting one more win this year before a title shot in his post-fight interview Pimblett mentioned a number of fighters he would be interested in fighting, so here's what could be next. Charles Oliveira Charles Oliveira is the fight Pimblett wants the Brazilian is second in the lightweight rankings, a former champion who holds the record for most finishes in the promotion's history with sees the bout as an opportunity to prove himself as the better submission 16 submission victories is also a UFC record, while Pimblett has made three of his seven UFC opponents tap out."I want to be a world champion and beating a former champion in Oliveira... he gets called the best submission artist the world has ever seen," said Pimblett."So I'd love to go up against that because I think I've got better submissions than him." Dustin Poirier Like Oliveira, Dustin Poirier is a future UFC Hall of Famer, with many regarding him as the best fighter to never win an undisputed beat fellow American Max Holloway for the interim lightweight belt in 2019 but has missed out on the undisputed championship on three 36-year-old lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019, Oliveira in 2021 and Makhachev last has been speculation that Poirier's next fight is likely to be his retirement bout, so the contest could represent a significant occasion for Pimblett. Justin Gaethje Like Poirier, Justin Gaethje is another fine athlete who has never made the last step to winning undisputed 36-year-old American won the interim belt against Tony Ferguson in 2020 but came up short against Nurmagomedov in 2020 and Oliveira in 2022 when attempting to become Poirier and Oliveria, Pimblett mentioned Gaethje as one of the "legends" in the division he wants to test himself against."These are all names etched in the history of the lightweight division - names people recognise and love - so beating them would be boss," said Pimblett. Ilia Topuria Former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria vacated his belt in February to move up to Georgian-Spaniard has history with Pimblett, with the pair clashing backstage at UFC London in rise to the top has been rapid since that altercation, but with Pimblett's win over Chandler and the pair now in the same weight division, a fight is becoming a more realistic his win over Chandler, Pimblett opened the door to a potential future meeting."I'd love to welcome him to 155lb but apparently he's sitting out and waiting for a title shot," said Pimblett."I'd forgotten about him, that's how irrelevant he is. What I've just done to Chandler is half the blueprint to beating him." Arman Tsarukyan Armenia's Arman Tsarukyan is the final fighter Pimblett mentioned after stopping 28-year-old Armenian is top of the lightweight rankings and was set to fight Makhachev for the title in January, before withdrawing the day before the bout with has hinted that Tsarukyan will not get an immediate opportunity at a title shot once he has recovered, opening the door to a potential bout with wrote on X, external last week that Pimblett has had "the easiest path to the top in the UFC" and challenged him to call him out after beating obliged, calling Tsarukyan a "sausage".
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Alexander Volkanovski vs Ilia Topuria rematch set for UFC 314, claims Bo Nickal
Rising middleweight star Bo Nickal has claimed a rematch between Ilia Topuria and Alexander Volkanovski is 'official' for UFC 314 in April. In February 2024, Topuria knocked out Volkanovski to end the Australian's three-year reign as featherweight champion. The second-round stoppage, which came four months after Volkanovski suffered a KO by lightweight king Islam Makhachev, forced 'Alexander The Great' to take time away from the cage. Meanwhile, Georgian-Spaniard Topuria retained the belt with a KO of former champion Max Holloway in October. The expectation has long been that Volkanovski, 36, would make his return in a rematch with Topuria, 28, and Nickal suggested that fight will soon take place. 'It's official,' Nickal said on his YouTube channel. 'I know for a fact. I don't know that it was announced for a fact, but I know it's happening for a fact. I'm announcing it. 'I might fight on that card. That's the card I'm trying to fight on. April, Miami.' UFC 314 is due to take place at the Kaseya Center on 12 April. Volkanovski recorded five successful title defences before dropping the 145lb gold to Topuria, the first-ever UFC champion of Georgian or Spanish heritage. Topuria's wins over Volkanovski and Holloway kept him unbeaten, and he is already eyeing a shot at lightweight champion Makhachev – who twice retained the 155lb belt against Volkanovski in 2023, winning on points then scoring a KO in their rematch. 'Ilia and Islam would be sick,' Nickal said. 'I don't know about the Ilia and Volk rematch. I mean, I get it: Volk had to rematch Holloway a bunch of times. '[Topuria] knocked [Volkanovski] out clean – bad, bad. I love Volk, he's great. I don't see a path to victory for him really, [though].' Nickal was referring to the fact that Volkanovski twice defended the featherweight belt against Holloway after dethroning the Hawaiian in 2019. Volkanovski won all three fights on points.
Express Tribune
28-01-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Topuria vs Volkanovski rematch set for UFC 314, says Bo Nickal
Rising middleweight star Bo Nickal has revealed that the highly anticipated rematch between Ilia Topuria and Alexander Volkanovski is officially scheduled for UFC 314 in April. The event will take place at the Kaseya Center in Miami on 12 April, as per Nickal's YouTube channel announcement. In February 2024, Ilia Topuria ended Alexander Volkanovski's dominant three-year reign as featherweight champion with a second-round knockout, which came just months after Volkanovski suffered a defeat to Islam Makhachev. The loss forced Volkanovski, 36, to take a break from the cage. However, the Australian has long been expected to return for a rematch against Topuria, 28, the newly crowned champion. Topuria, who made history as the first-ever UFC champion of Georgian or Spanish heritage, quickly solidified his status by retaining the title with another knockout, this time over former champion Max Holloway in October. With an unbeaten record, the Georgian-Spaniard has now set his sights on a potential showdown with lightweight champion Makhachev, who has twice defeated Volkanovski in 2023, most recently with a KO in their rematch. Nickal, speaking about the upcoming rematch on his YouTube channel, confirmed the bout between Topuria and Volkanovski is 'official' and set for UFC 314 in April. "I know for a fact it's happening for a fact," Nickal said, adding that he may fight on the same card. 'That's the card I'm trying to fight on. April, Miami." Nickal also spoke on the Topuria vs Volkanovski dynamic, noting that while Volkanovski had to fight Max Holloway multiple times, he believes there is little hope for the Australian in the rematch. "Topuria knocked Volkanovski out clean – bad, bad," Nickal explained. "I love Volk, he's great. I don't see a path to victory for him really." The first fight took place last February at UFC 298, with Topuria winning by a 2nd round knockout.
