Latest news with #JAXXONPODCAST
USA Today
28-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Henry Cejudo on what makes 'greatest bantamweight of all time' Merab Dvalishvili so good
Henry Cejudo on what makes 'greatest bantamweight of all time' Merab Dvalishvili so good Henry Cejudo had high praise for former UFC foe Merab Dvalishvili. Cejudo (16-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) lost to Dvalishvili by unanimous decision at UFC 298. Dvalishvili went on to dethrone Sean O'Malley to become bantamweight champion at UFC 306, and notched his first title defense by handing Umar Nurmagomedov his first loss at UFC 311. Olympic gold medalist wrestler and former UFC dual-champion Cejudo was put in unfamiliar territory by Dvalishvili (19-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC) when he was taken down five times in their fight. "I knew Merab was really, really good with his chain fighting," Cejudo said on the JAXXON PODCAST. "So, it's not even wrestling, it's how you chain it. That's what separates them. Chaining is really putting the punches together and boom, the level change comes. Rather than just you maybe throwing a right hand and all of a sudden the level change comes. "He's able to mix it very good with his fakes and feints into takedowns. He's a f*cking machine. It's his cardio, it's his conditioning. It's the same reason why he can't knock people out because he just knows that certain threshold where he could just keep it there and take it there. He can't necessarily finish you, but he'll f*cking drown you." Dvalishvili will run things back with O'Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in the UFC 316 main event on June 7 from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Cejudo sticks by his statement that Dvalishvili is the greatest bantamweight of all time. "I got to give credit to Merab and this is why I would say he's the greatest bantamweight of all time," Cejudo said. "Maybe he doesn't have the title defenses, but look at who he's beat. Yeah (he's better than Dillashaw). Look at the list of who he's beat and how he's beat them. There's a big difference."
USA Today
22-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Arman Tsarukyan understands why UFC champ Islam Makhachev reluctant to fight Ilia Topuria
Arman Tsarukyan understands UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev's hesitancy to fight Ilia Topuria. Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) and his mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, would like to see former UFC featherweight champion Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) earn his No. 1 contender spot by beating a top lightweight first, even though Topuria said he's been promised a title shot after vacating his 145-pound title. While Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) thinks the fight will end up happening, he understands where Makhachev is coming from. "I think he (Topuria) left 145 because they said, 'OK, we're going to give you title fight,'" Tsarukyan said on the "JAXXON PODCAST." "Islam doesn't want to fight him because if he wins, people are going to say, 'OK, you again beat a 145 fighter and he's not No. 1 contender.' If Islam beats me, then I think he's done with this division. He beat everybody. Just he got to beat me, and then people can say that." Tsarukyan was scheduled to challenge Makhachev in the UFC 311 main event in January, but ended up pulling out due to a back injury the day before. UFC CEO Dana White had no intentions of immediately rebooking the fight, which means Tsarukyan will have to notch one more win. The issue for Tsarukyan is he can't find an opponent. The 28-year-old will wait until the title fight gets booked, then figure out his next opponent. "Right now because it's a dangerous fight, and I don't have a title," Tsarukyan said on why no one will fight him. "(Charles) Oliveira wants to fight for the title, Topuria wants to fight, everybody wants to fight for the title, and when the title fight is going (to get) booked, and then I'm going to get the fight."
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC legend Demetrious Johnson rubbishes claims of Jon Jones never losing: 'He broke the rules'
Demetrious Johnson can't consider UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones undefeated. Outside of a 2009 disqualification loss to Matt Hamill for using then-illegal 12-6 elbows, Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) has never lost in MMA. He dominated generations of light heavyweight talent as champion, then successfully claimed a second UFC belt at heavyweight after Francis Ngannou left the promotion. Johnson, the record holder for most consecutive UFC title defenses, says Jones' blemish can't be ignored, even if it's a disqualification. "He did lose. He lost to Matt Hamill. Yep, he f*cking lost. He broke the rules," Johnson said on the "JAXXON PODCAST." "A loss is a loss. Whether you win by a second or five miles, winning is winning. ... 28 wins and one loss, he lost to Matt Hamill. UFC, Ultimate Fighter 10, December 5th, 2009, disqualification, illegal elbows. It's still a loss, motherf*cker. His record shows 28-1-1." Johnson said he does consider Jones one of the greatest to ever do it and has constantly defended him when people exclude him from the GOAT conversation due to his history with failed drug tests. But he's not ready to acknowledge him as an undefeated fighter. "Has Jon Jones ever gotten finished or what not? No, he has not," Johnson said. "But he did get disqualified, which led to a loss, so he has lost before." Jones notched his first heavyweight title defense when he finished Stipe Miocic by Round 3 TKO at UFC 309 this past November. He is expected to face interim champion Tom Aspinall in a title-unification bout next. Why Joe Rogan picks Jon Jones as greatest UFC fighter of all time Jon Jones can 'see the good' in overturning Matt Hamill DQ, but enjoys not being undefeated Jon Jones blindsided by Matt Hamill's 'disrespect' after Dana White's talk of overturning DQ Dana White wants Jon Jones' DQ loss overturned, Joe Rogan agrees, Matt Hamill responds This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC legend Demetrious Johnson rubbishes claims of Jon Jones never losing: 'He broke the rules'
USA Today
12-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC legend Demetrious Johnson rubbishes claims of Jon Jones never losing: 'He broke the rules'
Demetrious Johnson can't consider UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones undefeated. Outside of a 2009 disqualification loss to Matt Hamill for using then-illegal 12-6 elbows, Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) has never lost in MMA. He dominated generations of light heavyweight talent as champion, then successfully claimed a second UFC belt at heavyweight after Francis Ngannou left the promotion. Johnson, the record holder for most consecutive UFC title defenses, says Jones' blemish can't be ignored, even if it's a disqualification. 'He did lose. He lost to Matt Hamill. Yep, he f*cking lost. He broke the rules,' Johnson said on the 'JAXXON PODCAST.' 'A loss is a loss. Whether you win by a second or five miles, winning is winning. … 28 wins and one loss, he lost to Matt Hamill. UFC, Ultimate Fighter 10, December 5th, 2009, disqualification, illegal elbows. It's still a loss, motherf*cker. His record shows 28-1-1.' Johnson said he does consider Jones one of the greatest to ever do it and has constantly defended him when people exclude him from the GOAT conversation due to his history with failed drug tests. But he's not ready to acknowledge him as an undefeated fighter. 'Has Jon Jones ever gotten finished or what not? No, he has not,' Johnson said. 'But he did get disqualified, which led to a loss, so he has lost before.' Jones notched his first heavyweight title defense when he finished Stipe Miocic by Round 3 TKO at UFC 309 this past November. He is expected to face interim champion Tom Aspinall in a title-unification bout next.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
King Green defends Anthony Smith against T.J. Dillashaw's harsh criticism
King Green believes former UFC champion T.J. Dillashaw was too harsh on Anthony Smith. Dillashaw claimed Smith will never be a UFC champ because he doesn't have the heart and has a tendency to quit in fights. Green argued that you can't accuse someone of not having heart if they've made the walk as many times as Smith (38-21 MMA, 13-11 UFC) has. "When you said he wasn't a champ or he wasn't going to be a champ, I get that, brother, I get it, but there's other parts to that," Green said on the "JAXXON PODCAST." "You're not going to understand. I was looking up your record. You're 18-5, is it? OK, so that's 23 fights. You see how many fights Anthony Smith has? He has like 50-something, crazy number. I'm not comparing the two. What I'm trying to get you to understand is this: When you say he don't have no heart, you don't walk that walk 50 something times against the UFC's best. "One thing that you've been dealing with, injuries, and you can understand that part. For you to go out there 50-something times, you have to go out there busted up a lot. I think we don't take into consideration some of the things that maybe happen behind the scenes. Yeah, I see what you were saying, too. Sometimes there's a little quit in him, but sometimes you don't know, bro. My nose is already broke four times, and he just hit me right in my sh*t again." Smith challenged for a UFC title when he took on then-light heavyweight champ Jon Jones in March 2019. He was struck with what used to be deemed an illegal knee to a downed opponent but chose to continue fighting. He lost the bout by unanimous decision. "Lionheart" will compete one final time before hanging his gloves up when he takes on Zhang Mingyang (18-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC) at UFC Fight Night in Kansas City, which takes place April 26. 'Rampage' Jackson elaborates on beef with Anthony Smith: 'You did some b*tch sh*t' Anthony Smith wanted to do Power Slap, but UFC said no How diving in Puerto Rico made UFC's Anthony Smith realize he's not done fighting This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: King Green defends Anthony Smith against T.J. Dillashaw's harsh criticism
