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USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Tuco Tokkos appreciates first UFC win more because he had to earn it in Nashville
"He made me earn it and I'm actually grateful for that."Tuco Tokkos talks about the emotions behind picking up his first win inside the Octagon at #UFCNashvilleMain Card Results ➡️ Tuco Tokkos met the media Saturday after his second-round submission win over Junior Tafa at UFC on ESPN 70. Tokkos (11-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC) submitted Tafa (6-4 MMA, 2-4 UFC) at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday for his first win in the promotion. The U.K.-based light heavyweight said the fact he had to go through some adversity to get it means he'll appreciate it more later. "That's what I wanted. Obviously, we all want to finish quickly. But he made me earn it, and I'm actually grateful for that," Tokkos told after the fight. "I had to go out there and prove it to myself. It was hard to come by, but I got it in the end. I'm proud of myself." Tokkos said he wants to fight on a card in the U.K. – and hopes now that the UFC officially has a British champion in heavyweight kingpin Tom Aspinall, maybe he can make his way onto an event back home. Check out Tokkos' post-fight interview in the video below.
USA Today
15-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
After quick UFC Nashville submission win, Jake Matthews wants to hang out in top 15
Jake Matthews met the media Saturday after his first-round submission win over Chidi Njokuani at UFC on ESPN 70. Matthews (22-7 MMA, 15-7 UFC) made ultra-quick work of Njokuani (25-11 MMA, 5-4 UFC) and needed just 69 seconds to force his tap from a rear-naked choke on the prelims at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. After two decision wins in a row, Matthews said he was glad to get back to a finish. And while his post-fight interview backstage with only mentioned a desire to get a matchup in the welterweight top 15, when pressed for a callout in the cage, he kind of, sort of brought of a former title challenger. "My coach would hate it if I didn't call out Gilbert Burns," Matthews told Daniel Cormier in the cage in his post-fight interview. "I took Michael Morales to a hard decision. None of these top 15 guys can stand with Michael Morales. I stood with him. I deserve to be in there with those boys, so if we can organize a top 15 (fight), I'll be there." Burns has lost four straight fights to former champion Belal Muhammad, current champ Jack Della Maddalena, Sean Brady and, just two months ago, Morales – who finished Burns in the first round. That goes to the root of Matthews' callout, since his loss to Morales was a decision. Check out Matthews' post-fight interview in the video below.
USA Today
14-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Mike Davis ready to return to 'being that guy' again after UFC Nashville rebound
Mike Davis met the media Saturday after his second-round TKO win over Mitch Ramirez at UFC on ESPN 70. Davis (12-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) put together a dominant first round against Ramirez (8-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC), then stayed patient in the second until he turned up the pace with a knee up the middle and follow-up to put things away at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. It was his first knockout win since October 2019. "I feel ecstatic knowing this is my comeback fight from my first loss in like five years," Davis told after his win. "I haven't been super active, but this was my second fight this year. I'm going to shoot for one more at the end of the year and we'll get it done." Davis said he heard some criticism after his loss to Fares Ziam in February, which snapped a four-fight winning streak and was his first setback in nearly six years, actually. But with an exciting finish, he thinks he might get back to a past version he saw of himself. That could make things interesting at lightweight now that there's a new class of contenders itching to emerge. "You guys wanted that guy, and I"m back to being that guy. Of course I'm going to wrestle. Of course I'm going to do jiu-jitsu. I know people don't like that too much, but that's what wins fights. This is fight IQ time. It's not about going in there and slugging it out. I've got to win. If I've got to slow you down in the first and bang you up in the second, that's what's going to happen." Check out Davis' post-fight interview in the video below.
USA Today
14-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Valter Walker ready for nickname change after UFC Nashville: 'I'm the Foot Hunter'
Walker has three straight first-round heel hook finishes "I'm the real foot hunter of this division."Valter Walker locks up his third straight win by heel hook and has a message for the rest of the @UFC heavyweight divisionPrelim Results ➡️ Valter Walker met the media Saturday after his first-round submission win over Kennedy Nzechukwu at UFC on ESPN 70. Walker (14-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) made history when he forced Nzechukwu (14-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) to tap less than a minute into their heavyweight fight with a slickly applied heel hook on the prelims at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. It was his third straight heel hook finish – which never has been done in the UFC. Now Walker, whose brother if UFC fighter Johnny Walker, thinks the heavyweight division is on notice – and he might just need a new nickname. "I'm the foot hunter. I told my coach if I take one more foot, I'll need to change my nickname," Walker told after his win. "'The Clean Monster' is respect for my coach because he gave me this nickname. But now, sorry coach: I'm the real 'Foot Hunter.' In this division, I'm the real foot hunter." Check out Walker's post-fight interview in the video below.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
After $50,000 birthday bonus at UFC Nashville, Fatima Kline sets sights on MSG
Fatima Kline met the media Saturday after her third-round TKO win over Melissa Martinez at UFC on ESPN 70. Kline (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) was the biggest favorite on the card against Martinez (8-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) and kept after the finish until she ended things midway through the final round at UFC on ESPN 70 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., with a massive head kick. Advertisement To top things off, the finish came on the strawweight's 25th birthday – and came with a pretty solid present, too, in the form of her first $50,000 performance bonus. Kline said she wasn't content just riding out a decision win. "I think I heard two and a half minutes (left in the fight) – I knew that the round was coming to a close," Kline told after the win. "I knew I was better than that, to let it go to a decision. I don't want to be a decisioner. I want to be a finisher. "I felt like she was hesitating a lot and she was worried about my jab. … I knew if I faked the jab enough and set up that kick, that it was going to land – and that's exactly what happened." Kline, a 25-year-old former CFFC strawweight champion, said she wants to continue to take on stiff tests to climb into the rankings. Her win over Martinez had her as upwards of a 10-1 betting favorite heading into the fight. Advertisement After a loss to Jasmine Jasudavicius in her promotional debut a year ago to the weekend of her win over Martinez, she knocked out Victoria Dudakova earlier this year. With two wins and two finishes in a row, she's shooting her shot. "I want a top 15 (opponent). That's two dominant finishes in a row, so anybody in the top 15, I'll take," Kline said. "(Madison Square Garden in New York) is in November. That's my home state. I'm a New York native. I've always been there and I'll always stay. So I want MSG, I want top 15, and I want $50 grand for my birthday." Check out Kline's post-fight interview in the video below. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Nashville: Fatima Kline wants top 15 strawweight fight at MSG
