Latest news with #TheUltimateFighter23
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Khalil Rountree learned how to not be 'afraid of the fire' in Alex Pereira fight, vows to be 'undeniable' at UFC Baku
Khalil Rountree Jr. will be a part of history in his first fight since challenging for UFC light heavyweight gold this past October. Among the three title challengers that former champion Alex Pereira fought in 2024, none gave him a tougher battle than Rountree, as the two collided in a back-and-forth bout that made the short list for Uncrowned's best of the year. Rountree ultimately came up short, leading him to a clash with former champion Jamahal Hill this Saturday in UFC Baku's main event. The card will be the first UFC event in Azerbaijan after a Hill injury sunk the originally scheduled date for UFC Kansas City in April. Advertisement Having been in Baku since last Saturday, Rountree is pleased with how everything turned out. "It's an arena that I've never experienced before," Rountree said on "The Ariel Helwani Show." It's nothing like any arena that I've ever been to in the States. It's nothing like the T-Mobile [Arena]. It's nothing like anything. It's got a very different feel to it. It definitely feels authentic to Baku. "I've just been in awe of everything that I've experienced here. The arena was just one of those experiences. It just feels like a special place, it's got a different energy to it. I can't even explain it. It's not high up. It's kind of, like, low ceilings, but the floor is really wide, and I would just imagine it being packed with people, and it kind of brought me some chills, man." Despite the five-fight win streak Rountree rode into his Pereira title fight, he was ranked No. 8 in the UFC's light heavyweight division at the time and a controversial choice to challenge for the belt. Yet the performance was arguably the best of Rountree's career, and a stock-raiser even in defeat. Advertisement If he gets the win over Hill, Rountree hopes to be close to a second crack at the title. "There's been talks of what we'd like after this, and I think that the UFC have their own ideas and thoughts on what they would want," Rountree said. "My plan is to put on a performance that makes a title shot again undeniable, if that makes any sense. "I'm definitely sure that I'm ready to be a champion, and I'm ready to be that champion. Everything that I'm working on and doing is to be prepared for that again. That's absolutely what I want and what I'm gunning for. So my plan is to put on an undeniable performance, so that I can get that chance again." Rountree's performance against Pereira felt like a "coming of age" type of moment for the fighter. Early on in his UFC career, which began with "The Ultimate Fighter 23" in 2016, Rountree often impressed with highlight-reel victories but failed to string together consistency. When tasked with an opponent that could get him over the hump into title contention, he fell short several times under the bright lights. Advertisement So the first title fight of his 20-fight career was an eye-opener, to say the least. "I saw how far I was willing to go," Rountree said. "I was really tested to the very end in that fight. I went as far as I possibly could. In my mind, I enjoyed the whole thing. I enjoyed it all the way through, and it was just something that I remember. I gave my absolute all in that fight, so I got to experience what that feels like. I think that it just helped me grow — and not necessarily be afraid of the fire, for lack of better words. I've been through the fire, and although I didn't make it out victorious, I've been there, and I felt that, I felt it. So I think it toughened me up a bit. Advertisement "No fight stands out to me like that one does as far as having to go into deep waters." The UFC light heavyweight division has obviously shifted at the top since Pereira vs. Rountree. In March, Pereira finally met his match at 205 pounds, dropping his belt to Magomed Ankalaev after a back-and-forth bout at UFC 313. The expectation now is for an immediate title rematch between the two in 2025. For Rountree, though, it's not about the opponent when it comes to another title shot. "To be honest, I really care who the champion is until it's me," Rountree said. "I think that [rematch with Pereira] would be a great fight. I'm sure that people would want to see a second fight between us for the belt again. I think that would be exciting, but it's nothing that I'm hoping for. "Whoever has it, I'm doing whatever I can to prepare to fight whoever has it."
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tatiana Suarez reveals brutal aftermath of UFC 312 leg wound, issues first post-fight remarks
Warning: This article contains media with a disturbing injury to a person's leg. Scroll down at your own risk. Tatiana Suarez will likely always have a souvenir to remind herself of her first failed shot at the UFC strawweight title. After years of being positioned as an inevitable future UFC champion, Suarez suffered a lopsided decision loss to strawweight titleholder Zhang Weili this past Saturday at UFC 312. Suarez was not only outstruck by a significant margin, she was also outmuscled and outwrestled — two areas where she was assumed to have the edge over her championship foe. In addition to significant facial damage, Suarez suffered a grisly gash on her right leg during the bout following an early grappling exchange against the cage fence. On Tuesday, three days after her first professional loss, Suarez unveiled the aftermath of the wound by showing off her stitched up leg on Instagram, which can be seen below — though be warned, it's not for the squeamish. Suarez (10-1) also issued her first remarks on the loss Tuesday on social media, vowing to continue pursuing her dream of one day becoming a UFC champion. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tatiana Suarez (@tatianasuarezufc) 'Champions don't show up to get everything they want; they show up to give everything they have.' And that's what I'll do every single time. No matter what! I love it all. Win, lose or draw, I'm right where I want to be. Doing what I love to do every single day of my life. I have the best people around me that love me for me. Living the dream! It's all about the right mindset and life has taught me time and time again. I've experienced it all thrill, agony, happiness, heartbreak. That's what life is all about. I'm blessed to have this life. And I'll share these experiences with my children and the future generations to come. Thank you to my friends, family, teammates, coaches and fiancé for being there every single time no matter what. Love you guys! On to the next! Suarez, 34, had been discussed in title conversations since winning "The Ultimate Fighter 23" with a dominant showing on the UFC reality series in 2016. A one-time USA wrestling hopeful whose Olympic dreams were dashed due to a cancer diagnosis, Suarez had been peerless throughout her Octagon run until she met Zhang, defeating an array of former and future UFC champions — Jessica Andrade, Alexa Grasso and Carla Esparza — on her road to UFC 312, only for injuries to repeatedly halt her momentum and limit her in-cage appearances. Suarez competed just five times in her first four years in the UFC, then was stuck on the sidelines from 2019-23. Injuries once again prevented her from competing in 2024. If Suarez heals up and is able to compete again in 2025, it will mark only the third instance of her nine-year UFC career when she is able to fight more than once in a calendar year.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC 312 results: Zhang Weili dominates Tatiana Suarez in statement-making title defense
If Tatiana Suarez's rise as UFC champion was supposed to be inevitable, no one told Zhang Weili. Zhang outclassed the previously undefeated Suarez in a statement-making defense of her UFC strawweight title on Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 312 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. In a remarkable display, Zhang dominated the action on the feet and even out-wrestled Suarez despite the challenger's vaunted wrestling arsenal. In the end, the judges scored the bout 49-46, 49-46 and 49-45 for Zhang, giving her the unanimous decision and the third consecutive defense of her strawweight belt. "I'm the underdog, it's OK, I don't care. I just kept going and just focused on myself," Zhang said post-fight, having closed as a betting underdog despite coming in as the reigning champion. Suarez had been hailed as a champion in waiting since winning "The Ultimate Fighter 23" with a dominant showing on the UFC reality series in 2016. A one-time USA wrestling hopeful whose Olympic dreams were dashed due to a cancer diagnosis, Suarez had been peerless throughout her Octagon run until Saturday night, defeating an array of former and future UFC champions — Jessica Andrade, Alexa Grasso and Carla Esparza — on her road to a title shot, only for injuries to repeatedly halt her momentum and limit her in-cage appearances. Suarez competed just five times in her first four years in the UFC, then was stuck on the sidelines from 2019-23. Injuries once again prevented her from competing in 2024. But finally given her chance to compete for gold, Suarez quickly hit the brick wall that was Zhang. After giving up a double-leg takedown in the opening round, Zhang (26-3) successfully defended Suarez's next 14 takedown attempts, all while outstriking her challenger by a brutal margin of 232-63 in total strikes. Zhang even exerted her own offensive grappling, becoming the first woman in the UFC to land a takedown on Suarez (10-1) with a brilliant fourth-round inside trip and repeatedly reversing Suarez's own attempts to then land in top control and go to work with punishing ground-and-pound. Zhang, 35, consistently found a home for her right hand, including a third-round bomb that had Suarez, 34, in trouble. Suarez survived, but she was bruised and battered by the end of the 25-minute affair, and also hurting from a massive cut that opened on her right knee during a second-round scramble against the fence. Zhang now owns four defenses of the UFC strawweight belt over two title reigns. Complete UFC 312 results can be found here.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC 312 predictions and odds: Can Sean Strickland recapture middleweight gold against Dricus du Plessis?
UFC 312 is all about the middleweight and strawweight titles. The promotion returns to Sydney, Australia, this Saturday for its first 2025 appearance in the country. In the main event, it's a rematch between UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis and former champ Sean Strickland. At UFC 297 in January 2024, du Plessis took the title from Strickland, sending each man toward different opponents before they picked up wins to meet again "Down Under." In the co-main event, reigning 115-pound queen Zhang Weili defends her throne against an inevitable challenger in the undefeated 10-0 Tatiana Suarez. And ... that's about it for meaningful and compelling matches. UFC 312 is essentially a two-fight card, folks. But what a pair of fights they are. Betting odds courtesy of BetMGM. Who's ready for Round 6? The narratives surrounding the immediate aftermath of du Plessis vs. Strickland 1 were all over the place. Was it a great fight? Was it a robbery? Was it a coin-flip decision? While all these questions swirled in the ether, the first two should've never been invited in reality, because the answer was clearly no. Du Plessis ultimately won a hard-fought and competitive split decision. It was entertaining but far from a technical masterpiece, like many of du Plessis and Strickland's wins. Strickland has since shouted robbery at every turn and blamed Canada for his misfortune, and now they've traveled across the globe to settle the score. One thing that's become incredibly apparent throughout du Plessis' eight-fight UFC run is that he might just be one of the greatest winners of all time. He's not at all the greatest fighter, especially in terms of his skills and technique. But the guy wants to win so much more than all of his opponents. Strickland will Strickland. That's the big problem for him in this rematch. Since "Tarzan" reached what's likely his final form at age 33, we know what to expect from him every time out. He has a strong defensive shell, forward pressure and a healthy serving of teep kicks to maintain his distance while searching for an opening to dash off 1-2 combinations. In their first fight, du Plessis forced Strickland to brawl more than he typically does, while also mixing in the occasional takedown of his own. "Stillknocks" scored six takedowns in 25 minutes, and should return to that well at a possibly higher frequency on Saturday. Du Plessis also out-landed Strickland, dealing more damage than he absorbed, but the striking battle was closer than their grappling contrast. Stylistically, Strickland probably can't play his usual game twice against someone as aggressive and dangerous everywhere as du Plessis. There's no reason to believe he won't, though. The time is now for "DDP." Don't be surprised if he puts his rival away in their sequel. Pick: Du Plessis Zhang vs. Suarez is the fight the world should have its eyes on. As soon as Suarez dominated "The Ultimate Fighter 23" in 2016, it was evident she was a future champion in the making. Unfortunately, injuries delayed her inevitability, but better late than never, right? Even still, Zhang has earned her place as one of the best ever in the strawweight division. This championship affair comes down to one simple factor: Whether or not Suarez can do what she always does, which is dominate using her unmatched wrestling. Theoretically, she should be able to. No matter how much Zhang has improved as a wrestler in recent years — which is heaps — she'll be outmatched in that department. In her UFC career, Zhang holds a 50% takedown defense rate against lesser wrestlers, as opposed to Suarez's perfect 100% rate. Outside of wrestling, Zhang has the edge in every other aspect of MMA. She might even have the advantage in the clinch game against Suarez. Zhang is a supremely talented striker and submission-seeking brute with versatile tools. But Suarez excels in her area of expertise so much that it may not even matter. It's the jack of all trades vs. the master of one. One key to watch in this matchup is the cardio of both as the fight goes long. Suarez has never seen rounds beyond the third, and her physicality could drain her after applying pressure early. Then again, it could do the same to Zhang if she has to work hard fending off takedowns for the first few rounds. Suarez is one of those anomaly wrestling forces we only occasionally see rise to the top of a division. She will find success and get ahold of Zhang. If she doesn't get caught with a big strike or submission, she'll pummel the two-time champion en route to a late stoppage, whether through a submission choke or ground-and-pound. Pick: Suarez It's brutal scenes from here on out, y'all. Unranked heavyweights Justin Tafa and newcomer Tallison Teixeira lead into the first two title fights. Tafa has been a notoriously durable heavyweight, reminiscent of a combination of Mark Hunt and Tai Tuivasa — and not just aesthetically. Tafa possesses the power you'd expect from someone similar to those other two. But outside of that, there doesn't seem to be much else to him as he looks to rebound off a unanimous decision loss to Karl Williams. Standing at 6-foot-7 with an 83-inch reach, Brazil's Teixeira is a massive 25-year-old prospect, giving him a seven-inch height and nine-inch reach advantage over his opponent. He's been a dangerous man in his undefeated seven-fight career thus far, scoring all but one of his wins by first-round knockout — the other being an armbar also in Round 1. Teixeira has shown some real promise, and this fight is tailor-made to be a friendly welcoming party to the Octagon. Pick: Teixeira Injuries derailed any hype Australia's Jimmy Crute had during his rise in 2020, and he's gone winless over his past four fights. After missing all of 2024, he's back to seek the upset over Brazil's Rodolfo Bellato. Despite also missing 2024, Bellato has been more active in recent years than Crute, competing four times in 2023 after he earning his UFC contract through Contender Series. Bellato has been a dangerous light heavyweight on the feet and the ground. Crute has lived and died by the sword, only losing via finish. Crute's recent track record is just too spotty — and frankly, bad — to trust until proven otherwise. Bellato will be met head-on by the game Aussie and ultimately rock Crute en route to a finish. (Every time I typed Bellato for this entry, my fingers couldn't resist adding the "r" to the end of it. Rest in peace, old friend.) Pick: Bellato Jake Matthews is one of the youngest and most successful journeymen of all time. The Australian undeniably entered the UFC too early when he debuted in June 2014. More than a decade later, still somehow only 30 years old, Matthews has been good enough to carve out a lasting career while never really reaching the top 15. It's stunning and impressive for what it is. Matthews has shown serious flashes of brilliance throughout his career but failed to deliver consistently. However, he flourishes more often than not in a home game, and Francisco Prado has his work cut out for him, being heavily outmatched in the experience department. Matthews will be too well-rounded defensively and sharp with his boxing skills to face much resistance from his counterpart. Maybe, just maybe, 2025 will be Matthews' year to break into the upper echelon of 170 pounds. Pick: Matthews Viacheslav Borschev vs. Tom Nolan is the sleeper pick for Fight of the Night. That's mostly thanks to the usual "Slava Claus" chaos, though. In terms of singular highlights, Wang Cong seeks a big rebound win after her upset loss to Gabriella Fernandes. Ilia Topuria's brother, Aleksandre Topuria, makes his UFC debut against Colby Thicknesse (fantastic name). Lightweight prospect Kody Steele also finally makes his UFC debut. That's about it. Borschev vs. Nolan is the fight you don't want to miss, while Cong, Topuria and Steele can prove why they're prospects to watch. Quick picks: Gabriel Santos (-225) def. Jack Jenkins (+185) Viacheslav Borschev (-120) def. Tom Nolan (+100) Wang Cong (-450) def. Bruna Brasil (+340) Aleksandre Topuria (-375) def. Colby Thicknesse (+300) Kevin Jousset (-250) def. Jonathan Micallef (+200) Kody Steele (-220) def. Rong Zhu (+180) Quillan Salkilld (-650) def. Anshul Jubli (+475) Hyun-sung Park (-225) def. Nyamjargal Tumendemberel (+185)
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tatiana Suarez's promise for UFC 312? Zhang Weili won't 'bully me around the cage, I'll tell you that'
What if? Tatiana Suarez has long been in danger of becoming one of MMA's foremost examples for one of the sporting world's worst questions. But that changes Saturday at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia, when Suarez enters her long-awaited, ever-elusive first title fight opposite UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili. The undefeated Suarez (10-0) put the 115-pound division on notice upon her immediate arrival in the UFC in 2016, winning her way through "The Ultimate Fighter 23." Dominance has been the name of the game for Suarez, a one-time Olympic hopeful who boasts an excruciatingly intense wrestling game. Unfortunately, Suarez's body has often been her own worst enemy, producing setback after setback to varying degrees throughout her competitive life, from the cancer diagnosis that derailed her Olympic dreams to endless cavalcade of injuries that have more often than not stalled her UFC run. Many expected Suarez, 34, to be a UFC champion by this point — not just competing in her first title fight, but reigning over the division as its undisputed queen. But then there was the career-threatening neck injury in 2019. Suarez returned without missing a beat to submit Montana De La Rosa and former champion Jessica Andrade in 2023, but once the ball got rolling again, Suarez suffered another knee injury in 2024 that sidelined her all over again until this weekend's big moment in the Australian sun. "It kind of sucked that I wasn't able to compete," Suarez told Uncrowned of her 2024. "I was ready fairly soon after. I had hurt my knee in February. They didn't catch it the first time, so that's why I just kept training with it and training with it. It was really hurt. I was like, 'Man, I just know that this isn't right. There's something wrong with it.' Then they found out around, I think it was April. Then I had it fixed in April, and then [longtime partner Patchy Mix] had his fight in May, we got engaged. "I was pretty much ready after that, but the division was so tied up and everything was like that. Weili had just fought [in April] but she wasn't ready to fight [again], and they thought that that was going to happen but it didn't happen. I was hoping for the Sphere [in September], the Sphere didn't happen. Then I had that fight booked with Virna [Jandiroba for December] and that didn't go through, just because I feel like the UFC had bigger plans for all of us. So now here we are: Sydney, Australia." Injury adversity is nothing new in combat sports. More often than not, it's whether those adversities can be overcome at the highest levels that makes all the difference. Take former UFC champions Georges St-Pierre and Dominick Cruz as the peak examples. Both overcame significant ACL tears — multiple for Cruz, among other setbacks — during their reigns and remained championship-quality fighters afterward. There's an argument to be made that injuries can actually enhance an athlete's legacy if success follows. Suarez agrees, thus still holds herself to a similar standard as those all-time greats regardless of her many setbacks. She knows she has a chance to accomplish something even St-Pierre and Cruz didn't. "I feel like I'm a little different just because I am undefeated, I am such a dominant fighter in my fights," Suarez said. "So I think that makes me a little bit even more so [tied to the injury narratives]." Either way, Suarez collides with Zhang at a unique time in the champion's career. While Suarez has been sidelined, Zhang has improved her wrestling tremendously. If the matchup happened before 2022, Zhang would've been a sizable better underdog. Even now, she sits as only a -125 favorite, per BetMGM. Challenges on the wrestling mats are nothing new for Suarez, who's taken on legendary competitors since she was 19 years old — like three-time Olympic champion Saori Yoshida, who gave Suarez her final wrestling loss in 2010. All these years later, the hyper-competitive Suarez still wishes she could have a rematch to "kick Yoshida's ass all over the mat." That's the fighting spirit Suarez possesses. So in that sense, she's glad to see Zhang's improvement in her area of expertise. Suarez waited her whole adult life for this opportunity, and at UFC 312, she's hell-bent on making good on the moment. "As a wrestler, I like it because it plays into my game," Suarez said of Zhang's improvements during her own two-year layoff. "Even if she decides that she doesn't want to wrestle me, it doesn't matter because I can still wrestle her. And if she wants to wrestle me, then that would be good because I'm a very good defensive wrestler. I have a lot of attacks, and I just feel like our styles match up very well for me. "I don't know what her tactics are going to be. Maybe she's going to want to also wrestle me too. I think that could be a thing, and that's OK too, because I'm very good everywhere, especially on the ground. I'm also very good on the feet as well. So I think she'll be very surprised by my movement and footwork, and I am very rangy and use my range very well. I have very good, long-range tools, and I do have a lot of power as well. So yeah, I think she'll be very surprised on how great I am all over the place, even in the clinch. I have good knees. I'm very, very aggressive. I think that that's where she also gets people too. "She's very aggressive with people that cannot take that, and I can take it and give it back too, so I feel like it makes for a good fight. She's not going to bully me around the cage, I'll tell you that. So we're going to go out there, it's going to be a great fight and it's going to steal the show."
