Latest news with #MMArcade
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bobby Knux Favored To Rein In De Ridder
Former UFC middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker, will defend his spot in the division Top 5 when he collides with red-hot submission specialist, Reinier de Ridder, atop the upcoming UFC Abu Dhabi MMA event on both ESPN and ABC, recently made official for Sat., July 26, 2025 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Whittaker opened as the -175 betting favorite, according to against +150 for the underdog, De Ridder. Don't be surprised to see those numbers change — or flip completely — as we get closer to fight night. Elsewhere on the card, Shara Magomedov is the -260 favorite over Marc-Andre Barriault (+220). Advertisement 'I understand he's not in the top 10 yet, but he just beat Bo Nickal, he's a good, hard fight, he had two titles in ONE, he's a hard fight,' Whittaker said on his MMArcade podcast. 'I'm sure he'll be in the Top 10 before long. He's a top 10 fighter, competitor at least. That's a hard fight, let's do it. July is a good time, done. So, I just said yes straight away.' Whittaker (26-8) is looking to rebound from his first-round submission loss to middleweight title challenger Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 back in October. As for De Ridder (20-2), also 34, he improved to 3-0 under the UFC banner by stopping wrestling phenom Bo Nickal at UFC Des Moines earlier this month in Iowa. 'I want to get back in there, back in that winning column,' Whittaker continued. 'I don't want to fight forever. I've got a couple years left in my career and I want that fairytale ending. Especially after seeing [Alexander Volkanovski], and now [Jack Della Maddalena] get up, I want that fairytale ending. I want to work my way up to the title, win the belt, and sail off into the sunset. That's the dream I'm pushing and fighting for right now.' Expect more UFC Abu Dhabi fight card announcements in the coming weeks. Advertisement More from
BBC News
12-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Chandler v Pimblett
Lightweight Paddy Pimblett fights Michael Chandler in the biggest test of his MMA career on Saturday at UFC 314 in Liverpool star is an underdog against the experienced American, who has fought most of the top contenders in the lightweight 30, could fire himself into the top 10 of the rankings with a win and many of the big names in MMA are backing the is aiming to get back in the win column after two successive defeats for the us what you think by voting below and check out all the predictions from the world of MMA. UFC featherweight Arnold Allen: "Chandler has zero IQ, but 100% heart. He's dirty, he will poke you in the eye and pull your hair but he will try everything to win. I feel Paddy's grappling will be better. Paddy's jiu jitsu usurps Chandler's wrestling. I honestly think Paddy is going to finish him. Maybe Paddy hurts him on the feet, Chandler rushes in and Paddy secures a triangle. That's how I am calling it." (Arnold Allen YouTube channel)UFC lightweight Paddy Pimblett: "He's gonna come out and try and take my head off, I know he is 100%, and I'll be using my range against him. I had a stare down with him the other week and there's a big size difference and I'll be honest, I thought he was going to be wider than he was, bigger than he was, and he wasn't. I tower over him and he'll see that come fight night."UFC lightweight Michael Chandler: "This is a fight people care about, it has all the makings of the people's main event. I'm healthy, I'm ready, we've had a phenomenal training camp, I had a daughter born a few days ago so I've got some extra motivation. I'm going to go out there and get my hand raised and finish Paddy Pimblett in spectacular fashion."Former UFC bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo: "I just feel like with Michael Chandler, I think the UFC knows what they're doing. They're doing a five rounder. Like, think about it. I think Paddy Pimblett is a lot better than what we think, and I'm smelling an upset here." (Pound 4 Pound podcast)Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker: "Chandler's going to come out hard and fast like he always does. He'll slowly fade. I expect Paddy to start beating him with volume. If Chandler goes for a lazy takedown, Paddy's submission game is super under-rated. That's how I feel about the fight. I've got Paddy winning." (MMArcade podcast)Former light-heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill: "Chandler is going to have to be patient and work behind the jab. Some veteran patience would be huge. For Paddy he should work the kicks, chop the leg and take away the explosiveness. Take out the legs and Paddy should find the shots from there." (Jamahal Hill YouTube Channel) Former UFC middleweight chamion Israel Adesanya: Chandler should just blitz Pimblett if he wants to get to the chin. Chandler with the right could do a big number on him in round one, Pimblett is pretty tough. He might withstand the storm in round one, and then round two and three find a way to get the victory. But again Chandler just has one gear. I like Chandler, I want him to win but if it goes past round one I would pick Paddy. (Freestylebender Youtube Channel)Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley: "It's such an interesting fight, Michael Chandler is such a gangster for taking that fight. If he beats Paddy it's still a big win. Paddy is skilled - I don't know who wins but it's going to be very competitive." (Timbo Sugashow Podcast)MMA coach John Kavanagh: "Paddy has showed us several times scousers don't get knocked out. He'll have a reach advantage, as long as he keeps the shots long he'll have the striking advantage. I think Paddy will get the rear-naked choke in the first round or two, set up with his rangey long shots, forcing Michael to take it to the ground then using a scramble and getting a rear-naked choke."UFC lightweight Mauricio Ruffy: "I don't know how the fight's going to develop. One guy will be throwing punches and the other guy will try and bring him down. Because of the momentum he's got, I'm going to go with Paddy." (TNT Sports)UFC light-heavyweight Jared Cannonier: "Chandler is going to win that one. He'll grind out a win. I think Pimblett gets hit and Chandler hits too hard. Paddy's a tough one but they don't call Michael 'Iron Mike' for nothing." (Overdogs Podcast)UFC lightweight Dustin Poirier: "Chandler all day. Go hard on the money."
USA Today
05-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Robert Whittaker urges Magomed Ankalaev to wrestle Alex Pereira early at UFC 313
Robert Whittaker spells early trouble for Magomed Ankalaev if he doesn't wrestle Alex Pereira at UFC 313. Ankalaev (20-1-1 MMA, 11-1-1 UFC) challenges light heavyweight champion Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) in Saturday's headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews/Disney+, ESPN+). Ankalaev is confident that he can stand with 'Poatan,' but Whittaker thinks that would be a costly mistake. Not only does he urge Ankalaev to wrestle, but he urges him to do it early. Pereira has won all four of his light heavyweight title bouts by knockout. 'If I'm coaching Ankalaev, I want him dropping to both knees and shooting from across the cage,' Whittaker said on his 'MMArcade' podcast. 'I want him like, army crawling to Pereira's ankles. We're blanketing him for 25 minutes. We need to slow him down, or we need to get him to a position where he's uncomfortable. We need to start making threat levels elsewhere. 'Because you see every standup fight Pereira is in, every single one of them, even when he's hurt, even when he's getting hit like when he was with Rountree. He's just comfortable there. He will stay there. He'll be there till the crowds leave. Like he's so comfortable and confident in that position, in that dynamic of fighting, that it's silly to fight him there.' Whittaker is ultimately predicting that Pereira will successfully notch his fourth title defense. 'I'm going to go Pereira,' Whittaker said. 'Like I said, if Ankalaev doesn't drop levels with him in the first 3 minutes, I don't think he makes it out of the first round. I don't want to be striking with that guy, period. He hits like a truck. He's very comfortable and confident standing. So, yeah, you have to get him on his back in that first round. … Pereira brings a definite X element into the game.' For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC 313.
