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USA Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
How OKTAGON revived Mark Hulme after 'metaphorical death' on 'The Ultimate Fighter'
Mark Hulme has decided it's time to be a little selfish for once. For years, Hulme (13-3) was one of the key ingredients in the training laboratory that concocted unorthodox-yet-elite UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis. Between fights of his own and Du Plessis, it was go, go, go. From early 2023 to early 2024, South Africa's Hulme came to a realization the hard way. A hectic schedule led to burnout, further worsened by a plummet in passion during a stint as cast member on "The Ultimate Fighter 32." "I had just come off five fights," Hulme recently told MMA Junkie. "It was a tight schedule accompanying the champ between each of my fights to each of his fights. I've said this many times, but I'm going to stick to it. I quite literally died a metaphorical death in 'The Ultimate Fighter.' You put all of your hopes and dreams into one basket. I really do everything right. I train when I need to train. I do my brain training, my neuro training. I eat well. I sleep well. I work on my mentality. I love exploring philosophy and psychology. I'm literally trying to love and while I'm loving, I'm doing something that I love. At that stage of my life, all of my hopes and dreams were in this basket of the UFC. It got taken from me by first-round guillotine." Ireland's Paddy McCrory made relatively quick work of Hulme in the opening round of the bracket. Hulme revealed he fought with a "questionable" bicep, which he later tore completely. "For so long, it was on my bicep and how I'm going to get around this in the fight," Hulme said. "Ultimately, I didn't. It wasn't nice. But I can honestly take my hat off to Paddy McCorry. I bless him. People need to understand fighting is not just winning." A metaphorical revival With a loss, albeit exhibition, Hulme took a breather, which was required competition-wise as the reality series was recorded and then aired. When he was able to resume fighting, he did – and he's glad he found OKTAGON. He made his promotional debut in the opening round of the Tipsport Gamechanger tournament when he defeated UFC alum Andreas Michailidis. "It's seriously fun. It's seriously fun," Hulme said. "You're not just idly sitting somewhere, chasing a bout, waiting to climb the ranks, waiting for guys to be ready to fight. It's just kind of like you're promised these four fights. They have been postponed. You kind of roll with the punches with it. It's exciting." Hulme returns for his tournament semifinal bout Saturday at OKTAGON 74 in Prague. He fights Dominik Humbuger (10-2), an opponent he selected. "When I watched him fight I told my coach, 'This is my next opponent. I can shine against him.' The way he moves, I went and studied all the fights. He's quite quick on his feet," Hulme said. "That night, I just saw someone who was lagging. I saw someone who was slow. His punches were so slow. He was hurt multiple times during the fight. The one good thing that he had going for him was his composure. That's something that I'll definitely be watching coming into the fight. He comes out the first round quite relaxed and I believe tactically he does that so his opponent's adrenaline can spike. In the second round, he comes out pushing hard. Whatever he's got planned, I've got plans of my own. Everyone has plans until they get punched in the f*cking nose, and it turns into a dog fight." Should he win this fight, Hulme will face the winner of Mick Stanton (14-8) vs. Kerim Engizek (22-4), which takes place on the same card. A final tournament victory, should it occur, will mean Hulme pockets 1 million Euros. While what exactly his path will look like going forward is unknown, Hulme knows he's on the right one regardless. "There are so many narratives in my life," Hulme said. "MMA has just been a passion of mine. It's something I haven't been able to let go of. I probably won't let go of it until I'm 35 or 36 or past my prime. Until then, it's really working out for me to take it day by day. I had that metaphorical death in 'The Ultimate Fighter' and my bicep, I severed it not long after that. I had a complete reconstruction. I went straight back in the gym, straight back into training, not knowing where the road was going to lead me. It's a lifestyle. It's a passion of mine. I don't just do it for the glory. I don't just do it for the money. I do it because I clearly love it. "So we'll see. After this fight, I'll see who I face and the same thing with the next fight. Ultimately, if I win this tournament, and there's no reason I shouldn't, I'm putting all the work in and I believe I'm better than all the people in the tournament, then I'll see what's next. I'll see what doors get opened. I'm not going to put my hopes and dreams into any basket. But I also won't say no to any opportunities that might arise in the future."
USA Today
25-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC 319's Bryan Battle: 'I'm gonna wipe the floor' with Nursulton Ruziboev
Bryan Battle is back to middleweight again, for now. Battle (12-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) popped onto the UFC's scene as a middleweight on Season 29 of "The Ultimate Fighter," and fought his first two fights on the big stage in the weight class. He won his first two fights in the UFC at 185 pounds, but then switched to welterweight, where he made his last seven appearances, putting together a 5-1 record with one no contest. Now, Battle is moving back up, and his reason is pretty straightforward. It's not a permanent move either, but he'll be ready to answer the call for welterweight or middleweight fights in the future. "It was a matter of I wanted to fight, and this was the fastest way to get a fight," Battle told MMA Junkie. "I told my agent, 170, 185 – it's all the same to me. There's little tradeoffs in each direction, but big guys, smaller guys, it doesn't matter. I'm a fighter. I train to fight people. I train to whoop everyone's ass. That's what I'm excited to do this fight. Go out there and just remind everybody who 'The Butcher' is and what he does." Battle's middleweight return takes place at UFC 319 at the United Center in Chicago, where he will face Nursulton Ruziboev. The Uzbekistan-born fighter quickly turned heads with his finishing power when he entered the UFC in 2023, but Battle isn't worried about the challenge that lies ahead. "He's a big, aggressive guy," Battle said. "A lot of people, when they fight him, I guess because he's so ugly, it's easy for him to intimidate people. You know, big, scary, ugly foreign dude. I watched his tape. He seems like a tough guy. He seems like a game challenge, but nothing I'm too concerned about. I feel really good. I feel really locked in right now. I feel like I'm gonna wipe the floor with this guy. Whether it was someone who made welterweight before or if he was just a real middleweight, it doesn't f*cking matter. He's just the next person whose ass I'm gonna whoop." Ruziboev (36-9-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has recorded three finishes in his four UFC victories. He's a finisher, but so is Battle, with five of his seven UFC wins coming before the final horn. "The Butcher" intends to tally another on Aug. 16 to be the first to finish Ruziboev in the UFC. "I won't want to reveal too much, but I see my opportunities," Battle said. "Maybe we'll get him out of there quick, maybe we gotta go to hell. The one thing I can confidently say, it's not gonna go to the judges' scorecards."
USA Today
24-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
'Dana, call me!': Omran Chaaban ready for UFC after 46-second TKO win at UAE Warriors 61
ABU DHABI – Omran Chaaban is UFC ready. Chaaban (9-1) has won three-straight fights since appearing on Season 32 of "The Ultimate Fighter," needing just 46 seconds to take out Wellington Madeira (7-2) with brutal calf kicks at UAE Warriors 61 on Wednesday. As he celebrated his quick finish, Chaaban put up the phone sign, sending a message to Dana White and the UFC matchmakers. "Uncle Dana, Sean Shelby, where you guys at?," Chaaban told MMA Junkie. "Mick Maynard, call me. I'm in Abu Dhabi, I'm 24 years old, I've fought very high-level guys. I'm from Finland, we don't have any UFC fighters. I'm from Lebanon, I don't think we have any Lebanese – a couple of Lebanese fighters maybe? Or one. So yeah, you guys need someone from Finland and from Lebanon so, I'm here. I'm young, welterweight." Chaaban is back to his natural weight class after taking part in "TUF 32" as a middleweight. In his first fight, he upset current LFA champion Shamidkhan Magomedov by submitting him, but then lost a unanimous decision to the eventual season winner Ryan Loder. The 24-year-old is confident he's ready to make the UFC leap, and is even willing to fill in for a short-notice fight. "Of course I would," Chaaban said. "My aim is to become the best welterweight and even my coach believes that. So, that's what I'm looking for. I'm looking to be the best, and UFC is the best promotion in the world, we all know it. And yeah, uncle Dana, call me!" Only one Arab fighter competes on Saturday's return card to the Middle East in Abu Dhabi, when UAE's own Mohammed Yahya meets Steven Nguyen in a lightweight bout on the UFC on ABC 9 prelims. Chaaban thinks there's an opening for him to debut in the promotion's first card in Qatar on Nov. 22. "They're coming to Qatar so that's perfect for me," Chaaban said. "I'm the UAE Warriors welterweight champion, I'm Lebanese, Arab. I think there's loads of Lebanese people everywhere or Arabs – we are everywhere so, yeah, that would be great to fight in the Middle East. And they're coming to Paris as well. They're doing lots with Saudi, here (UAE), Qatar so, it fits perfectly." Chaaban left a final message to the UFC brass. "Dana White, I'm 24 years old, I'm Finnish-Lebanese, I finish people," Chaaban said. "I've finished everyone in my welterweight fights. Call me brother, call me."
USA Today
19-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Michael Johnson vs. Daniel Zellhuber prediction, pick, start time for UFC 318
Michael Johnson and Daniel Zellhuber meet Saturday in the main card opener 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 Michael Johnson vs. Daniel Zellhuber UFC 318 preview Johnson (23-19 MMA, 15-15 UFC) has been around the UFC since Season 12 of "The Ultimate Fighter" in 2010. In this fight, he'll look to stay above .500 for his UFC run, while extending his winning streak to three. "The Menace" enters on the heels of a unanimous decision win over Darrius Flowers and a knockout of Ottman Azaitar. ... Zellhuber (15-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) will aim to rebound from a tough split decision loss against Esteban Ribovics at UFC 306. The result snapped a three-fight streak that included wins over Lando Vannata, Christos Giagos and Francisco Prado. Michael Johnson vs. Daniel Zellhuber UFC 318 expert pick, prediction Kicking off the paid portion of the card is a crossroads fight at lightweight between the UFC veteran Michael Johnson and the up-and-coming Daniel Zellhuber. Although I can appreciate the matchmakers sticking to Joe Silva's tried and true method of booking lightweight main-card openers, this fight could end up being more tepid than some suspect with Johnson being the first notable southpaw of Zellhuber's career. Despite both fighters often finding themselves in exciting fights, I'm curious how the open-stance nature of the matchup will affect Zellhuber's reliance on his jab. Luckily for Zellhuber, he appears to be a fairly dynamic striker and works under Xtreme Couture MMA's Eric Nicksick – who I suspect will have the Mexican fighter well-prepared for this weekend. Johnson used to be one of my favorite underdogs to wager on back in the day, but it's become harder and harder to back the original "Blackzilian" in recent years due to his propensity to fall apart down the stretch. The pick is Zellhuber by unanimous decision. Michael Johnson vs. Daniel Zellhuber UFC 318 odds The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Mexican fighter, listing Zellhuber -650 and Johnson +475 via FanDuel. Michael Johnson vs. Daniel Zellhuber UFC 318 start time, how to watch As the main card opener, Johnson and Zellhuber are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 10:10 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ESPN and ESPN+.
Time of India
18-07-2025
- Time of India
Former UFC star Diego Sanchez arrested in Albuquerque after highway shooting
Former UFC star Diego Sanchez arrested in Albuquerque after highway shooting (Image Via X) In Albuquerque, New Mexico, on a busy highway, police say something surprising happened. Diego Sanchez, a former UFC fighter, was a passenger in a Jeep when someone fired a gun. A shot rang out as the Jeep passed a traffic crash on Interstate 40. Police pulled the Jeep over and arrested Sanchez, but he says he did not fire the weapon. No one was hurt, but Sanchez now faces gun-related charges. He was booked into jail and will appear in court soon. Diego Sanchez arrested in Albuquerque Sanchez, 43, was riding in a white Jeep on Interstate 40 on Thursday evening when police say a shot was fired nearby . Police were at the site of a crash when an officer heard a 'loud bang' as the Jeep passed by. Officers pulled the Jeep over near Sixth Street and handcuffed Sanchez. The driver of the Jeep was not charged . Court documents say officers found a gun and two live bullets in the car. Sanchez was booked on charges of shooting from a moving car and careless gun use. He went to jail just after midnight and is still in custody awaiting a judge to set bail . A local TV station first broke the story, and other outlets like ESPN and KOAT followed with details. Investigators say the case is still under review, and Sanchez will return to court soon. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Nvidia's AI Strategy Is Clear - But Is Wall Street Paying Attention? Seeking Alpha Read More Undo Diego Sanchez denies shooting, driver says he did In court records, Sanchez told officers that a gun was in the Jeep but that he 'did not shoot the gun.' However, the Jeep's driver told police that Sanchez was the one who fired the shot . One report quoted the driver as saying Sanchez 'did fire the gun' while Sanchez 'denied shooting the gun.' Also Read: 'I can be an a*shole': Paige Bueckers drops unfiltered to Diana Taurasi at ESPYs 2025 Police found two live rounds and the gun after searching the Jeep. Reports say Sanchez was booked into jail at 12:01 a.m. on Friday and charged with two counts. He remains in custody and has pleaded not guilty. No official statement has come from Sanchez or his team. Sanchez won the first season of The Ultimate Fighter in 2005. He was released by the UFC in 2020 after a long career. He even fought bare-knuckle boxing in 2023. Now he faces a very different situation: answering these new charges in court. As of now, he cannot leave jail until a judge sets bail. Investigators have not said when he will be back in court, so people will have to wait for more news. His next court date has not been announced yet, so the public will watch for updates. Sanchez will remain in jail as the case moves forward. For now, this story is still unfolding. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
