Latest news with #SmoothieKingCenter
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Street fighter too: UFC 318 winner Ateba Gautier opens up on his past experience
NEW ORLEANS – Ateba Gautier has been fighting for a long time, but not always professionally. The Cameroonian powerhouse needed just 70 seconds to take out Robert Valentin in Saturday's UFC 318 prelims at Smoothie King Center. Gautier (8-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has now finished his past seven opponents in a row, six of them in the first round. Just 23, Gautier says he garnered experience from fighting in the streets – something his mother heavily disapproved of. "I always used to fight, but not like proper fight," Gautier told reporters during his post-fight news conference. "I don't have much experience like competition fights. But I always used to fight in the street in my country. Even when I was in (university), I used to fight in uni. So, for me, it was normal. I wanted to fight, but my mom, 'Oh no, you can't fight if you don't get a degree in university.' "That's why I went to uni. I did physics just to make her (think) OK, like I'm smart. I'm not stupid, but fighting is not for stupid people. I'm smart, but I want to fight. I just enjoy the feelings, adrenaline, how you feel. Always you feel like you're in danger. I like this feeling." Gautier is happy to prove that he can also be a threat on the ground but doesn't think it's necessary to show off that part of his game. "My camp was focused on wrestling a lot," Gautier said. "We did a lot of striking and a lot of wrestling. Too much, but I can't show my wrestling level, my grappling level in a few minutes. It will take time. If someone wants, OK, we're going to go. But if you don't get there, what's the point?" This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Street fighter too: UFC 318 winner opens up on past experience
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Paul Costa quells concerns over bizarre shaking after UFC 318 win
NEW ORLEANS – Paulo Costa's shaking at the UFC 318 pre-fight news conference had some viewers scratching their heads, while others were concerned. But immediately following his win Saturday at Smoothie King Center, Costa (15-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) said there's no need to worry, even though he was seen rapidly bouncing in his seat during Thursday's pre-fight festivity. Costa explained there were no external substances or health conditions to blame for the bizarre visual – only intensity. "First of all, the people said I was shaking," Costa said. "I was not sick or nothing. I didn't use any powder or something like that. I was just very motivated, very focused, very locked in on this fight. In the backstage, I was telling to myself, relaying to myself the whole time, 'This is war. Go to war. Do your thing. You need this victory. I will not be back without this victory.' So I was locked in. I was 100 percent focused on this fight, this match. I know this was a very tough opponent." "Hunter told me, 'Paulo, this is a great matchup.' I was the co-main event. Even Marvin (Vettori) and (Brendan) Allen, they both (are) above me in the rankings. But we are here in the co-main event, because the UFC knows this was going to be a great matchup, a great fight, a great comeback for me. So I put too much concentration on this fight and this victory." Costa's intensity paid off. He defeated Roman Kopylov (14-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) in the co-main event. The win snapped a two-fight losing skid. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Paulo Costa explains bizarre shaking at UFC 318 press conference
Washington Post
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Max Holloway retains UFC BMF title, spoils Dustin Poirier's retirement fight
NEW ORLEANS — Max Holloway said he wanted to play spoiler and he did it Saturday night in the main event. Holloway defeated Dustin Poirier in a unanimous decision to retain the UFC BMF Championship in UFC 318 at the Smoothie King Center. The win for Holloway is the first in three fights against Poirier, who beat him in 2012 and 2019.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC 318 full card results, schedule for Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier 3
The Smoothie King Center will host the last fight of Dustin Poirier's career. It's only fitting that one of the toughest fighters in UFC history faces Max Holloway at UFC 318 on July 19. Poirier (30-9, 1 NC) started his career in 2009 and joined the UFC in 2011. The former interim champion has been in wars against some of MMA's best. 'The Diamond' has 15 wins via knockout and eight via submission. Poirier is ready to leave it all on the line in New Orleans. Outside of his toughness, Poirier has reflected on his journey and is ready to be remembered for more than just his record. "A kid chasing a dream to find out how good of a fighter he can be to change his life through this sport, using fighting as a vehicle to reach the stars. I created a great life for my family. Along the way, I created a legacy as a byproduct,' Poirier said via CBS. "I wasn't trying to leave a legacy. I was trying to make things happen. It's the truth. I want people to remember me as a guy who showed up to fight, win or lose, every time. You knew it would be a good scrap when Dustin was on a fight card.' Holloway (26-8) is a former featherweight champion who knocked Justin Gaethje out to win the BMF Title. 'Blessed' is one of the top strikers in MMA history. While 0-2 against Poirier, Holloway looks to leave the past behind and end Poirier's career on a sour note. The Sporting News will provide results from the entire UFC 318 fight card. UFC 318 full card results Main Card Max Holloway (c) vs. Dustin Poirier 3 for the BMF Title Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov; Middleweights Kevin Holland vs. Daniel Rodriguez; Welterweights Dan Ige vs. Patricio "Pitbull" Freire; Featherweights Michael Johnson vs. Daniel Zellhuber; Lightweights Prelims Kyler Phillips vs. Vinicius Oliveira; Bantamweights Marvin Vettori vs. Brendan Allen; Middleweights Francisco Prado vs. Nikolay Veretennikov; Welterweights Ateba Abega Gautier vs. Robert Valentin; Middleweights Early Prelims Adam Fugitt vs. Islam Dulatov; Welterweights Jimmy Crute vs. Marcin Prachnio; Light Heavyweights Ryan Spann vs. Lukasz Brzeski; Heavyweights Brunno Ferreira vs. Jackson McVey; Middleweights Carli Judice vs. Nicolle Caliari; Flyweights Where to watch UFC 318 prelims Live stream:Disney+ The UFC 318 preliminaries, starting at 8 p.m. ET, will be available on Disney+. The early preliminaries at 6:30 p.m. ET will also be available via Disney+. Where to watch UFC 318 Live Stream:ESPN+ | Kayo The UFC 318 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+. The PPV price for UFC 318 is $79.99for current subscribers. ESPN In Australia, the UFC 318 main card is available via pay-per-view on Foxtel's Main Event / Kayo, which also requires a subscription UFC 318 start time Date: Saturday, July 19 Time: 10 p.m. ET (8 p.m. ET for prelims) | 7 p.m. PT | 3 a.m. BST | 12 p.m. AEST Location: Smoothie King Center - New Orleans, Louisiana UFC 318 will be at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana on July 19. The early prelims start at 6:30 p.m. ET, while the prelims are at 8 p.m. ET. The main card starts at 10 p.m. ET, and Holloway and Poirier should make their way to the octagon around 12:30 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
USA Today
19-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov prediction, pick, start time for UFC 318
Paulo Costa and Roman Kopylov meet Saturday in the co-feature of UFC 318 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. Last event: 4-2 UFC main cards, 2025: 68-50-1 Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov UFC 318 preview Costa (14-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) will look to end a recent rough stretch of 1-4, including back-to-back losses. Costa's last win came against Luke Rockhold at UFC 278 in August 2022. Since then, he lost consecutive decisions to former champions Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland. ... Conversely, Kopylov (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) has been doing well, although his competition hasn't been as stiff. He enters as the winner of his last two fights. Last June, Kopylov won a split decision over Cesar Almeida and then stopped Chris Curtis in the third round in January. Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov UFC 318 expert pick, prediction The co-main event in Louisiana features a middleweight showdown between Paulo Costa and Roman Kopylov. Despite initially leaning toward the favorite on first glance, I ended up siding with the underdog after further delving into past notes and fight footage. Even though I've been impressed by Kopylov's southpaw savvy, the Russian tends to harbor some terrible optics that stem from his suspect gas tank. Should Costa find his way back to a more front-foot pressure game, then that could pose some problems for Kopylov's staying power considering how hard "Borrachinha" works the body. Aside from being a much more skilled and nuanced striker than he's given credit for, the majority of Costa's UFC wins come against southpaws, officially standing at 5-1 in this department. Anything involving Costa will always feel risky, so I'll bite the bullet and back the Brazilian to win, likely by decision. Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov UFC 318 odds The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Russian fighter, listing Kopylov -230 and Costa +184 via FanDuel. Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov UFC 318 start time, how to watch As the co-main event, Costa and Kopylov are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 11:40 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ESPN and ESPN+.
