Latest news with #JeffBottari
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Midnight Mania: ‘Sex Is Better After A War'
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC Welcome to Midnight Mania! Let's start the night off by taking look back over the three biggest stories of Thursday, June 5, 2025. Free UFC 316 PPV? 'It's so easy to stream it,' says Sean O'Malley, 'You just enter the link; boom, it's right there': Sean O'Malley is correct, of course, but this is just generally true of the modern internet: most copyrighted content can be found so easily. I had to learn how to torrent files as a teen! Alexander Volkanovski shares next title defense update: 'The rumors are true': Yair Rodriguez receiving the next Featherweight shot would truly be all-time bad matchmaking. Send Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby to the Hague! Ex-NFL star and UFC outcast Greg Hardy arrested for allegedly assaulting a family member: Shocking that getting knocked out a few times didn't quell Hardy's alleged violent tendencies. Insomnia Listen to the audio closely here for a sample of 'Big Mouth' at his finest. 'Sex is better after a war,' Kevin Holland tells Vicente Luque. 'You don't think so? Or you don't have sex?' Advertisement I genuinely didn't remember Kamaru Usman's undefeated streak going THAT long, and I was watching/writing about the whole thing! Arman Tsarukyan lives a bougie lifestyle outside of fighting. Chase Hooper vs. Alexander Hernandez at UFC 319 ... from the horse's mouth! I like Hooper to lose the first and win the next two rounds or possibly force a late finish. Patchy Mix is talking really big game ahead of UFC 316, putting himself in a win-or-be-embarrassed position. Exciting! I recommend treating this line of thinking with some random pro Flyweight. Visualization is a powerful tool! It's hard to favor anyone's chances against Merab right now, but Sean O'Malley has a reasonable shot at catching anyone on the Bantamweight roster. Slips, rips, and KO clips Very few boxers have entered the matrix quite like Vasiliy Lomachenko. Enjoy retirement, champ! Incredible crowd atmosphere on this KO: Advertisement Same side head kicks following a straight are always dangerous, but the half-a-beat pause on this one is SLICK stuff. Random Land Frightening explosions in Kyiv. Midnight Music: Hip-hop, 2001 Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way. More from
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MMA pound-for-pound rankings, May 2025: Does Jack Della Maddalena make the list after UFC 315?
Jack Della Maddalena is the new UFC welterweight champion, but is he one of the pound-for-pound best in the world? () There's an old saying about rankings such as these. 'Five votes on a seven-man panel guarantees you nothing, not when such ballots are filled in by cutthroats!' Okay, that's actually a new saying that we just made up. But it's particularly true in this case for Jack Della Maddalena, the crook-nosed Australian who forcibly took the welterweight title from Belal Muhammad at UFC 315. Though five of the seven voters for the May pound-for-pound rankings had the great Giacomo in their top 10s (two No. 9 votes and three No. 10), the new champ didn't make the cut under our scoring system. Advertisement It's all good. We will give Della Maddalena his flowers within this preamble, as that was impressive work he did in Montreal. Nicely done, "JDM"! You know who did break into the top 10 on the women's side? Natalia Silva, who put on a clinic against Alexa Grasso on the UFC 315 undercard. There's some big-time shuffling going on within the women's ranks, as Grasso's out, Manon Fiorot's out, Silva's in, and Valentina Shevchenko holds firm. The panel of Ben Fowlkes, Chuck Mindenhall, Shaheen Al-Shatti, Petesy Carroll, Drake Riggs, Eric Jackman and Conner Burks have ranked both the men's and women's pound-for-pound best, one through 10, using a weighted points system to determine the final rankings (being voted No. 1 equals 10 points, No. 2 equals nine points, down to No. 10 equaling one point). Advertisement Our only criterion for these monthly rankings is that a fighter has competed within at least a calendar year of the publication date or has at least had a fight booked within that window. If a fighter hasn't competed in a year and books a fight after that time, he or she is once again eligible to be voted back in. Fighters who retire are no longer eligible for the rankings. Though most of the best fighters are currently in the UFC, these rankings are not UFC exclusive. We take into consideration all the major promotions, from Bellator/PFL conglomerate to ONE Championship. Without further ado, the MMA pound-for-pound rankings for May! Are we looking at the next UFC welterweight title challenger? (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) (Jeff Bottari via Getty Images) MEN'S POUND-FOR-POUND 1. Islam Makhachev — UFC lightweight champion (Prev: 1) Islam pulled off a neat trick at UFC 315 — he became the star of a pay-per-view he wasn't even fighting on. Now that Jack Della Maddalena has won the title, it looks like we know what's in store for the lightweight king: A move up to welterweight for the chance to become a two-division champion. Bigger question is, does he vacate the 155-pound belt or just store it away in a Dagestani cupboard? Advertisement 2. Ilia Topuria — UFC featherweight champion (Prev: 2) Topuria was the second-most interested party at UFC 315, as the former featherweight champion was hoping to challenge Makhachev for his own two-weight champ status. As a consolation it looks like he's in line for a date with Charles Oliveira, which should be an incredible fight. Problem is, it's not the fight fans wanted. 3. Merab Dvalishvili — UFC bantamweight champion (Prev: 3) We're less than a month until Merab rematches Sean O'Malley at UFC 316, and if we're being honest, this fight is sneaking up on tiptoe. No big noises out of 'Suga' Sean. No lampooning videos from Merab (yet). Perhaps the respect level is to Merab's liking, as there's nothing that drives him crazier than a perceived lack of respect. (Take note, Umar.) Advertisement 4. Alexandre Pantoja — UFC flyweight champion (Prev: 4) It perhaps speaks to the stepchild nature of the flyweights that the one title fight we know for sure is happening at International Fight Week doesn't seem nearly enough. Pantoja is taking on Kai Kara-France in what will be his fourth title defense at UFC 317. Fanfare or not, with a victory 'The Cannibal' will become one of the longest-tenured champions going. 5. Dricus du Plessis — UFC middleweight champion (Prev: 5) A looming fight with Khamzat Chimaev not only strikes a serious chord of interest for fight fans, but — in this day and age of champions jumping divisions like hobos jumping trains — it feels organic. Sneakily, this is one of those fights that carries serious intrigue, if only because we've waited so long for Chimaev's coronation and … well … du Plessis is the rudest party host we've seen in a long time. 6. Tom Aspinall — UFC interim heavyweight champion (Prev: 6) Last July, The Mirage in Las Vegas closed for good. Somebody took a shot at Donald Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania. And 32 teams in the NFL reported to camp to kick off a long season in which the Philadelphia Eagles eventually won the Super Bowl. It was also way back then when Aspinall defended his interim title. The unification bout with Jon Jones? Let's just say it can't be seen with ordinary binoculars. Advertisement 7. Magomed Ankalaev — UFC light heavyweight champion (Prev: 8) A month removed from winning the title, things are still quiet on the eastern front. Ankalaev muted the buzz over Alex Pereira by winning a hard-fought, if lackluster decision at UFC 313, and right now it's all about the rematch. People keep talking about Pereira not putting his best foot forward in the initial meeting, but — let's be real here — Ankalaev feels he can do better too. 8. Jon Jones — UFC heavyweight champion (Prev: 7) As everyone waits for Jones to sign on to fight Aspinall, a singular man at large, the lineal champ's mind is elsewhere. Recently Jones said he'd lead the charge in the 100 men vs. one gorilla hypothetical that went around, and it produced one of the loudest collective sighs the fight game has ever heard. You're exhausting us, 'Bones.' Advertisement 9. Alex Pereira — Former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight champion (Prev: 9) Was he hacked when that tweet went out about contemplating retirement after the UFC did him dirty? Intuitions on that run the gamut. But the one thing we know for sure is that 'Poatan' deserves whatever he commands for that rematch with Ankalaev, because: A) no other fighter is going to elevate interest in a Big Ank fight quite like Pereira, and, B) he saved the UFC's a$$ (many times) in 2024. 10. Francis Ngannou — PFL super fights heavyweight champion (Prev: 10) When the PFL announced its Champions Series date for Cape Town, South Africa in July, a lot of people wondered why Ngannou wasn't on it. Right now, it's anyone's guess when (and in what form) we'll see one of the world's greatest heavyweights return. The personal things he's going through right now (namely, the tragic motorbike accident that happened in Africa) doesn't help matters, either. Advertisement (Others receiving votes: Jack Della Maddalena, Alexander Volkanovski, Arman Tsarukyan, Khamzat Chimaev) Valentina Shevchenko continues to defy Father Time. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) (Chris Unger via Getty Images) WOMEN'S POUND-FOR-POUND 1. Zhang Weili — UFC strawweight champion (Prev: 1) If ever there was a time for Zhang to make the move to flyweight and try to capture a second title, it's now. It's true that Virna Jandiroba is right there as a viable next defense for Zhang, and it's hard to deny her … but Valentina Shevchenko is 37 years old and coming off a huge title defense. Strike while the iron is hot, we say. The chance may never be there again. 2. Valentina Shevchenko — UFC flyweight champion (Prev: 2) Vegas oddsmakers made Shevchenko the betting underdog for her first title defense (of her second title run) against Manon Fiorot. Honestly, it was the right call. Shevchenko had gone 2-1-1 over her past four fights, with one of those wins — a split decision against Taila Santos — perhaps being an act of judge's generosity. So, what did she do as the 'dog? Why she shut Fiorot down, naturally, as if to let all the haters know the queen ain't going anywhere. Advertisement 3. Cris Cyborg — PFL super fights women's featherweight champion (Prev: 3) We said it for the past few months of these rankings — she's 39 years old and doesn't have a ton of time left. The PFL could match Cyborg against Maria LaHonkydonk and we'd be fine with it at this point, but — for the sake of everything holy — don't just leave her on the shelf. 4. Kayla Harrison — UFC bantamweight contender (Prev: 4) The countdown is on to UFC 316 in Newark, which is when Harrison will take on Julianna Peña for the 135-pound title. Harrison has been chomping at the bit, as they say, ready to crash through Peña and realize the dream of winning titles in two promotions. It's been a long time since a challenger has entered a title fight as a 6-to-1 favorite. Advertisement 5. Julianna Peña — UFC bantamweight champion (Prev: 6) The sass-factor has kicked up a notch — and heading into her title defense at UFC 316, it's the 'Venezuelan Vixen' against the world. But you know what? Peña might be onto something when she says she's going to make chalk gamblers eat their tickets. She did beat Amanda Nunes a few years ago to win the belt the first time, and Nunes is considered the GOAT. Adding Harrison would have people reassessing Peña's career. Julianna Peña and Kayla Harrison face off in a big-time grudge match at UFC 316. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) (Jeff Bottari via Getty Images) 6. Dakota Ditcheva — PFL women's 2024 flyweight tournament champion (Prev: 8) Dakota had heard from her critics aplenty over the no-name status of her conquests, a thing she did away with when she finished Taila Santos to close out 2024. So, what's her reward? A fight against …checking our notes here … oh yes, Hawaii's own Sumiko Inaba. You know what? Doesn't matter who she's facing. Ditcheva is the A-side to all of women's MMA right now. We're just happy to see her competing. Advertisement 7. Virna Jandiroba — UFC strawweight contender (Prev: 10) The fun-loving Brazilian contender has now amassed five straight wins, including back-to-back dubs over recent title challengers Yan Xiaonan and Amanda Lemos. Jandiroba has come a long way from that version of herself who lost to Mackenzie Dern in 2020. At 36 years young, she has a healthy dose of that no-quit dawg to her. It's title shot or bust for the No. 1 contender, but will circumstances break in her favor? 8. Natalia Silva — UFC flyweight contender (Prev: NR) Going into her big fight with former champ Alexa Grasso on Saturday night, there was a sneaking suspicion that Brazil's own Natalia Silva was about to do work. She did. It wasn't a masterclass of high-level striking prowess and footwork, but it was a super-charged, ceaseless array of Silva flurries that did Grasso in. Silva turned the volume up and — in so doing — catapulted into contendership. Advertisement 9. Larissa Pacheco — PFL featherweight contender (Prev: 9) Dear reader, we come to you with our hands out. Stop. We are writing to ask if you've heard from one Larissa Pacheco. Stop. We last saw her busting up Cyborg about an eon ago and — though she lost that fight — we're anxious to see her back. Stop. If you've information as to her whereabouts, would you be so good as to let us know? Stop. Most fondly, your Rankings Committee. 10. Seika Izawa — RIZIN super atomweight champion (Prev: NR) If Naoya Inoue is the standard for excellence in men's combat sports in Japan, then Izawa is that on the women's side. Just 27 years old, she is a dervish of harnessed primal instinct, especially when a fight hits the mats. Her finish of Lucia Apdelgarim at RIZIN 49 on New Year's Eve was her fifth submission victory in six fights. If the UFC ever introduces an atomweight division, it'll be because of the 'Supernova.' Advertisement (Others receiving votes: Manon Fiorot, Jasmine Jasudavicius, Raquel Pennington) Here's how we voted: SHAHEEN AL-SHATTI MEN 1. Islam Makhachev 2. Ilia Topuria 3. Merab Dvalishvili 4. Alexandre Pantoja 5. Dricus du Plessis 6. Magomed Ankalaev 7. Alex Pereira 8. Tom Aspinall 9. Alexander Volkanovski 10. Jack Della Maddalena WOMEN 1. Zhang Weili 2. Valentina Shevchenko 3. Kayla Harrison 4. Cris Cyborg 5. Larissa Pacheco 6. Seika Izawa 7. Dakota Ditcheva 8. Julianna Pena 9. Virna Jandiroba 10. Natalia Silva CONNER BURKS MEN 1. Islam Makhachev 2. Ilia Topuria Dvalishvili 4. Jon Jones 5. Alexandre Pantoja 6. Dricus Du Plessis Advertisement 7. Tom Aspinall 8. Alexander Volkanovski 9. Magomed Ankalaev 10. Khamzat Chimaev WOMEN 1. Zhang Weili 2. Valentina Shevchenko 3. Cris Cyborg 4. Julianna Pena 5. Kayla Harrison 6. Dakota Ditcheva 7. Natalia Silva 8. Larissa Pacheco 9. Virna Jandiroba 10. Manon Fiorot PETESY CARROLL MEN 1. Islam Makhachev 2. Ilia Topuria 3. Merab Dvalishvili 4. Tom Aspinall 5. Alexandre Pantoja 6. Jon Jones 7. Magomed Ankalaev 8. Alex Pereira 9. Francis Ngannou 10. Dricus Du Plessis WOMEN 1. Zhang Weili 2. Valentina Shevchenko 3. Cris Cyborg 4. Kayla Harrison 5. Julianna Pena 6. Dakota Ditcheva 7. Natalia Silva 8. Manon Fiorot 9. Virna Jandiroba 10. Seika Izawa Advertisement BEN FOWLKES MEN 1. Islam Makhachev 2. Ilia Topuria 3. Merab Dvalishvili 4. Alexandre Pantoja 5. Dricus Du Plessis 6. Magomed Ankalaev 7. Alex Pereira 8. Francis Ngannou 9. Tom Aspinall 10. Jack Della Maddalena WOMEN 1. Zhang Weili 2. Valentina Shevchenko 3. Cris Cyborg 4. Kayla Harrison 5. Julianna Pena 6. Virna Jandiroba 7. Dakota Ditcheva 8. Natalia Silva 9. Jasmine Jasudavicius 10. Raquel Pennington ERIC JACKMAN MEN 1. Islam Makhachev 2. Ilia Topuria 3. Khamzat Chimaev 4. Merab Dvalishvili 5. Dricus du Plessis 6. Alexandre Pantoja 7. Tom Aspinall 8. Magomed Ankalaev 9. Jack Della Maddalena 10. Arman Tsarukyan WOMEN 1. Zhang Weili Advertisement 2. Valentina Shevchenko 3. Cris Cyborg 4. Kayla Harrison 5. Larissa Pacheco 6. Julianna Peña 7. Virna Jandiroba 8. Natalia Silva 9. Jasmine Jasudavicius 10. Dakota Ditcheva CHUCK MINDENHALL MEN 1. Islam Makhachev 2. Merab Dvalishvili 3. Ilia Topuria 4. Tom Aspinall 5. Jon Jones 6. Magomed Ankalaev 7. Dricus du Plessis 8. Alexander Volkanovski 9. Jack Della Maddalena 10. Francis Ngannou WOMEN 1. Zhang Weili 2. Valentina Shevchenko 3. Cris Cyborg 4. Kayla Harrison 5. Dakota Ditcheva 6. Manon Fiorot 7. Julianna Pena 8. Virna Jandiroba 9. Natalia Silva 10. Jasmine Jasudavicius DRAKE RIGGS MEN 1. Islam Makhachev 2. Merab Dvalishvili Advertisement 3. Ilia Topuria 4. Alexandre Pantoja 5. Dricus du Plessis 6. Tom Aspinall 7. Francis Ngannou 8. Jon Jones 9. Magomed Ankalaev 10. Jack Della Maddalena WOMEN 1. Zhang Weili 2. Seika Izawa 3. Valentina Shevchenko 4. Cris Cyborg 5. Natalia Silva 6. Virna Jandiroba 7. Larissa Pacheco 8. Kayla Harrison 9. Dakota Ditcheva 10. Julianna Pena
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mailbag: Where did all the UFC's Fight of the Night bonuses go?
Alexander Volkanovski has a rare chance to recapture a UFC title after two straight losses, but age is a question for the 36-year-old former champ. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) (Jeff Bottari via Getty Images) What's happened to all the 'Fight of the Night' bonuses at recent UFC events? Can Alexander Volkanovski win back the UFC title and prove that fighters over 35 can still be champs? And how many old dudes is Chase Hooper going to have to fight, anyway? Advertisement All that and more in this week's mailbag column. To ask a question of your own, hit up @benfowlkesMMA or @ @sentientlife4o1: What do you think is up with the UFC not giving Fight of the Night bonuses at its last 4 events? Do you think they're phasing them out or have the fights really been that lackluster? It's a weird choice, right? If the TKO execs have decided to just phase out that bonus altogether for Fight Night events (pay-per-views have still been getting them, though we'll have to wait and see on UFC 314 this Saturday), they should say so and explain the decision. Otherwise it seems like even the people running these events don't think there are any good fights on them. That's not a great look. One thing the 'Fight of the Night' bonuses are good for is sending a message to fans who might have skipped that event. They can look at the bonus results and immediately see which fight is probably worth catching up on. And since there are so many Fight Nights, those are the events that are most likely to go ignored by a lot of the fans. Why send the message that none of these fights was worth watching anyway? Advertisement I refuse to believe it's just that there have been no good fights for four straight events. Having watched them, I'm sure I've seen some fights that were, at worst, pretty good overall. Even so, "Fight of the Night" is a relative term! It doesn't have to be the best fight ever. It just has to be the best fight of that event. If we're prioritizing finishes and individual performances over collective efforts, just change it to a standard finish bonus and be done with it. But also don't do that, because "Fight of the Night" does serve a genuine purpose. @Beastin364: If Volk wins can we finally stop saying that featherweights over 35 are washed? First of all, it's not just featherweights who've struggled in UFC title fights past the age of 35. It's basically all fighters 170 pounds and below. Second, I'd argue that losing a title fight doesn't automatically mean anyone's 'washed.' That term ought to be reserved for the guys who can no longer beat even the mid-level contenders — not the guys who fall just short of being the absolute best. Advertisement Alexander Volkanovski's situation is a little bit different, though. For one thing, he was just a couple months shy of his 35th birthday when he beat Yair Rodriguez. For another, his two recent losses both come with certain caveats. The first one was when he went up in weight on extremely short notice and got knocked out by the world's best lightweight. The second was when he returned from that knockout way too soon and got knocked out by the world's best featherweight. I'm not trying to make excuses for the man, but those two fights alone don't really tell us where he's at. At the same time, nothing about this situation is normal. Most ex-champs with two straight losses don't get a title shot. And if they do, it usually comes against a reigning champ — not a contender who's technically below them in the rankings. It's weird, in other words. But I think that probably favors Volkanovski. This is kind of the best-case scenario for him, and likely the best chance he's ever going to get to have another UFC title reign. @RealFakeSamDunn: What's the best-case scenario for the future of the UFC featherweight division? LA LEYENDA's moving up, Max also, Pitbull is there but he's old, Volk's either at the end of his prime or it's altogether passed, etc. Is it inevitable that the overall 145 talent level simply drops? Advertisement Of all the weight classes, I worry about the future of featherweight least of all. There are plenty of good fighters in that weight range all over the world. We just saw a couple of them in the main event of Saturday's APEX card. We'll see more (well, Jean Silva at least) on the undercard of UFC 314. And while sometimes fighters will move up, they also might move back down when they discover that lightweights are bigger and stronger than they thought. The world has many good athletes around this size. The good news for MMA is that most of the rest of the pro sports universe has little use for them. The UFC isn't competing with the NFL for talent here the way it is at heavyweight or light heavyweight. There may be ebbs and flows, as with all divisions, but there will always be a few good 145-pounders somewhere. @ItKanoli31520: a) is the UFC fumbling it by having Aaron Pico's debut on some random Apex card, and likely not even the main event? He could be fast tracked to contendership, why not give him a platform? and b) what are some of your favorite combat sports books? both fiction and non fiction? As of right now, there's been no official confirmation from the UFC on Aaron Pico's first fight. But we know from past experience that the UFC sometimes likes to take new signees from other organizations and scuff them up a bit in order to, I don't know, prove its dominance in the MMA space or whatever. Advertisement Thing is, fighting a guy like Movsar Evloev could absolutely be a quick way to contendership – if Pico wins. Evloev is a top five featherweight right now. You beat that guy in your debut and it really sends a message. Having to send that message in the APEX, though, would be kind of a waste. @JedKMeshew: Do you think Chase Hooper is mad at his dad and that's why he keeps fighting old guys? Instead of black shirts and emo music he chose to fight father proxies in THE OCTAGON? To be honest, I appreciate what the UFC is doing with some of these Chase Hooper matchups. What do you do with a fighter who's 25 but looks 16? Give him an opponent with some grey in his beard. In this matchup with the 41-year-old Jim Miller, it works not only visually but also stylistically. Young weirdo grappler against the neighborhood submission artist who seems like he warms up by mowing the lawn in an old pair of stained green Asics? Yes, please. I genuinely want to see how this one plays out. I'm also a little stunned that Miller is as high as a 6-1 underdog on some sportsbooks. Have we completely forgotten about the phenomenon known as old man strength?!? @WorldsWorstHero: What was the first moment in your life that had you like, "damn, I'm old!"? And how old were you when this moment occurred? Lol Advertisement You know how you'll be drifting off the sleep and then think you're falling or something and jolt yourself awake? I hurt myself doing that once. Like actually injured myself and needed a few days to recover. So that was pretty sobering. Now I'm at the age where my kids regularly talk about pop stars and celebrities who frankly sound totally fictional to me. These people simply cannot be real. That feels like a new and even more alienating phase of being totally old. At least this one is peaceful. I hear about Doja Cat or whoever and I know it is simply none of my business.
Forbes
05-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
UFC Vegas 105 Results: Winners, KO And Submission Highlights
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 04: (L-R) Opponents Josh Emmett and Lerone Murphy of England face off ... More during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino on April 04, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) UFC Vegas 105 begins at 6 p.m. ET, and you can watch the entire card on ESPN Plus. Follow along throughout the event for the latest results and highlights of any knockouts and submission finishes. Here is a look at the entire card. The results will be filled in from the bottom of the table below, and the highlights of the finishes will have their own section. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 04: Cortavious Romious poses on the scale during the UFC Fight Night ... More weigh-in at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino on April 04, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Romious was already in a tough situation. He lost his main roster debut via unanimous decision to Gaston Bolaños in November 2024. Saturday's fight against Chang Ho Lee is off to a rough start, as Romious missed weight on Friday by 3.5 pounds. The fight will now take place at a 139-pound catchweight. This puts even more pressure on Romious to win. If he loses his second straight after missing weight, it'll put him in a position he doesn't want to be in with the promotion. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 04: Diana Belbita of Romania poses on the scale during the UFC Fight ... More Night weigh-in at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino on April 04, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) At minus-700, Belbita is the biggest underdog on the card. She's also on a two-fight losing streak. If she loses to Dione Barbosa on Saturday, she could find herself separated from the promotion next week. More than anyone else on the card, Belbita needs to come away from the Apex victorious. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 04: Uran Satybaldiev poses on the scale during the UFC Fight Night ... More weigh-in at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino on April 04, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Satybaldiev is the reigning Legacy Fighting Alliance light heavyweight champion. On Saturday, he'll make his UFC debut, but it happens at heavyweight. Satybaldiev stepped in on two days' notice to replace Kennedy Nzechukwu in a heavyweight clash against Martin Buday. On Friday, Satybaldiev weighed in at 222.5 pounds while Buday tipped the scales at 265. The 42.5-pound weight difference should look even bigger than it sounds in the Octagon. It'll be interesting to see if Satybaldiev can overcome the size disadvantage. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 04: (L-R) Opponents Torrez Finney and \r face off during the UFC Fight ... More Night weigh-in at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino on April 04, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Including Satybaldiev, there are three fighters making their main roster UFC debut. Torrez Finney finally makes it to the main roster after a record three wins on Dana White's Contender Series. Finney and Satybaldiev will be joined by Daniel Frunza as main roster newcomers. Finney faces Robert Valentin, and Frunza will battle Rhys McKee. Fans should pay close attention to what happens in these three fights.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O'Malley 2 set for UFC 316; Ian Machado Garry welcomes Carlos Prates at UFC Kansas City
UFC 316 will host two big title fights at 135 pounds. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) (Jeff Bottari via Getty Images) UFC 316 will showcase two big title fights on June 7 when the promotion returns to Newark, New Jersey. The UFC announced Tuesday that reigning bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili will headline the event in a rematch with Sean O'Malley at the Prudential Center. In the co-main event, the women's bantamweight crown will also be on the line when Julianna Peña begins her second title reign with a defense against Kayla Harrison. Advertisement Dvalishvili and O'Malley first met at UFC 306 in September 2024, as the featured attraction atop the famous "one-and-only" UFC event in the Las Vegas Sphere. Dvalishvili won the fight and seized the 135-pound belt, utilizing his strong grappling game to stifle O'Malley en route to a unanimous decision win that ended O'Malley's short title reign. Dvalishvili has fought once since then, earning another unanimous decision nod over challenger Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 this past January. Meanwhile, O'Malley's been relatively silent and has stayed largely out of the public spotlight since his loss. This will be his first time back in the cage since dropping the title to Dvalishvili in September. Advertisement Pena and Harrison have also been absent from competition since they defeated separate opponents at UFC 307 in October 2024. The now two-time champion Pena recaptured the women's 135-pound title in the co-main event that night with a split-decision over Raquel Pennington. The former Olympic gold medalist and PFL champion Harrison picked up her second straight UFC win with a unanimous decision against Ketlen Vieira on the same fight card. Kayla Harrison gets her first shot at a UFC title after going 2-0 in the promotion. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images) (USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect / Reuters) Outside of UFC 316's big headliner announcements, the promotion also announced a change to the UFC Kansas City lineup on April 26. The original main event between light heavyweight contenders Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr. is now off, clearing the lane for a collisions of welterweight contenders Ian Machado Garry and Carlos Prates. Prates was scheduled to fight Geoff Neal at UFC 314 in Miami on April 12, but Neal suffered an injury this past week and was forced to withdraw. A victory for Prates would extend his winning streak to 12 straight fights (five in UFC), while Garry hopes to return to the win column after suffering his first career loss against Shavkat Rakhmonov this past December. Advertisement UFC 316's current fight lineup is as follows:
