Latest news with #UFC280
USA Today
17-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
T.J. Dillashaw admits he was 'delusionally optimistic' he'd knock out Aljamain Sterling
T.J. Dillashaw admits he was 'delusionally optimistic' he'd knock out Aljamain Sterling T.J. Dillashaw was adamant he could reclaim the UFC bantamweight title while compromised in what ended up being his final fight. Dillashaw (17-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) took a risk by going into his October 2022 title fight against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 280 injured. The risk didn't pay off as his shoulder popped out during the fight, and he was finished by Round 2 TKO. The former two-time UFC bantamweight champion ended up retiring after lingering issues with his shoulder. In hindsight, many would have regretted taking that fight injured but not Dillashaw. "I was fighting a guy that I felt like I could still beat with the arm that I had," Dillashaw said on the "JAXXON Podcast." "I felt like I could have knocked him out. Yeah, dude, (with one arm). His striking is complete garbage." Dillashaw explains why he never considered pulling out. "I know I'm going to have to have shoulder surgery, so I'm going to be out for another year-and-a-half," Dillashaw said. "I'm 36 years old. It's kind of like, this might be my last f*cking shot. Ends up, yes, it was because my shoulder was so bad. So it's like, why am I going to pass up this opportunity? "Might be my last shot ever to be a three-time world champion, get my belt back. (The odds) were f*cking awesome. I'm delusionally optimistic, but I really believe that's also what got me to the belt. I believed in myself so much that I was able to push through so much negativity and get to the top."
Express Tribune
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Ilia Topuria vs Charles Oliveira official for UFC lightweight title at UFC 317
Listen to article Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira will clash for the vacant UFC lightweight championship in the main event of UFC 317 on 28 June, UFC CEO Dana White announced Tuesday. The bout will headline the promotion's annual International Fight Week event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The title was left vacant following Islam Makhachev's decision to move up to welterweight to challenge Jack Della Maddalena, clearing the path for Topuria's long-anticipated title shot. Makhachev, who previously defeated Oliveira at UFC 280, confirmed the switch divisions after Della Maddalena captured the belt at UFC 315. Topuria (16-0), a former featherweight champion, relinquished his 145-pound title earlier this year in anticipation of a move to lightweight. His undefeated run includes standout wins over Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, both of whom he stopped by knockout. Reacting to the announcement, Topuria stated on social media: "Another dream will come true. It's unfortunate that Makhachev ran away. 17-0." On June 28, another dream will come true. I'll be the champion of the lightweight division. Charles, my apologies in advance… I'm just fighting for my dreams. It's unfortunate that Makhachev ran away. 17-0 🌹 — Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) May 13, 2025 Oliveira (35-10, 1 NC) previously held the lightweight belt after defeating Michael Chandler at UFC 262. He defended it once before missing weight ahead of UFC 274 and was later defeated by Makhachev in his attempt to reclaim the title. The Brazilian veteran now returns for another chance to secure UFC gold. UFC 317's co-main event will feature flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja defending his title against Kai Kara-France, who earned his shot with a first-round knockout win over Steve Erceg. The pair previously met on The Ultimate Fighter 24, where Pantoja secured a submission victory. The full UFC 317 card includes: Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano Jhonata Diniz vs. Justin Tafa Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape Jack Hermansson vs. Gregory Rodrigues Viviane Araujo vs. Tracy Cortez Final bout order is yet to be confirmed.
Newsweek
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
UFC Has a Major Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria Problem
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The UFC is heading for a confusing place regarding International Fight Week. The annual marquee event generally features a huge main event, and many believed that a matchup between current lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria would be that matchup. More news: Alex Pereira Threatens Retirement After Receiving 'Disheartened' Update from UFC That was until the events of UFC 315 prompted a response from Makhachev. The dominant champion revealed he would be moving up to middleweight to challenge new champion Jack Della Maddalena, who defeated Belal Muhammad at UFC 315. Following the fight, Makhachev made it a point to go after Della Maddalena, stating in a post on X: "You are not Volk, I will show you different level. Keep my belt clean." Della Maddalena welcomed the challenge, but this presents a problem that the UFC has with the lightweight belt and Topuria moving up. The UFC Problem With Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 18: Islam Makhachev of Russia reacts after his victor by submission over Renato Moicano of Brazil, not pictured, in a lightweight title fight during UFC 311 at Intuit Dome on January... INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 18: Islam Makhachev of Russia reacts after his victor by submission over Renato Moicano of Brazil, not pictured, in a lightweight title fight during UFC 311 at Intuit Dome on January 18, 2025 in Inglewood, California. MoreMore news: Exclusive: Peter Murray Reveals New International Expansion of PFL Africa Makhachev stated plainly that he would not vacate his lightweight title to move up and challenge Della Maddalena. He would instead want to chase becoming a double champ, which is well within his rights due to his dominance in the lightweight division. The usual case for champions who move up is that they are so dominant at their current weight class, they move up for a bigger challenge. Makhachev is the right kind of champion for that. He defeated Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 to take the lightweight belt. Following his win, he would face Alexander Volkanovski, who moved up due to dominating the featherweight division. Though it's been argued plenty that Volkanovski won the first fight, he was knocked out in the pair's second meeting. Makhachev would then go on a run, taking down Dustin Poirier and most recently defeating Renato Moicano. This leaves Topuria. The former featherweight champion vacated his title a bit too early. After securing the belt by also taking down Volkanovski, he almost became the first fighter to knock out Max Holloway. Topuria only defended his title once before moving up, which is generally unheard of in the UFC. Topuria moving up was believed to be so that he could face Makhachev for the lightweight title. Many have argued he should not be given a title shot immediately due to his not holding the featherweight belt for that long. The issue is that the UFC has already been delaying the announcement that Topuria and Makhachev would be the main event for International Fight Week. There are only about 40 days between now and when the main event will take place on June 28. That time might not be enough for both fighters to have a good enough camp. It also appears that Makhachev wants to face Della Maddalena for the welterweight title. Should the UFC spurn Topuria and allow Makhachev to face Maddalena, that could impact Topuria in a very major way. Then again, there are plenty of high-level lightweight talent for Topuria to fight to secure his No. 1 contender status. Arman Tsarukyan, Oliveira, or Justin Gaethje would make sense as a contender fight for Topuria. The UFC needs to announce the headliner for International Fight Week, and if it is to be Makhachev vs Topuria, they will need proper time to prepare. Either way, the organization has a major problem on its hands by delaying the Makhachev vs Topuria fight that was assumed to be the main event at International Fight Week. For more on the UFC, head to Newsweek Sports.
USA Today
09-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Sean Brady makes Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena prediction for UFC 315
Sean Brady makes Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena prediction for UFC 315 Sean Brady isn't completely ruling out Jack Della Maddalena winning at UFC 315. Welterweight champion Belal Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) makes his first title defense against Della Maddalena (17-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in Saturday's headliner (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Bell Centre in Montreal. Brady (18-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC), who submitted former champion Leon Edwards in a dominant win at UFC Fight Night 255, is on the cusp of title contention. With his lone career loss coming to Muhammad at UFC 280, a title-fight rematch is the best-case scenario for Brady. "For me, I want Belal to win," Brady said on his "The BradyBagz Show." "Of course, it is better for me if Belal wins. He's the only person who's beat me in my career. The better he does, the better it looks for me, and I could possibly get a title shot next. The UFC has given me no contacts on this, but I'm going to be there. Me and Belal have fought, I'm a guest fighter for the week, so I'm going to be out there. Obviously they want me there. Shavkat (Rakhmonov) is still hurt. I'm hearing he's not fighting until October or December, and I'm hearing they might be going to Chicago in August, and that's where Belal's from." While Brady predicts a Muhammad win, he can see Della Maddalena pulling off the upset. "A lot of things have to line up, but with that being said, Jack's a f*cking very tough fight, and I wouldn't be surprised if Jack wins this fight," Brady continued. "Jack can knock people out, that's usually how he wins fights. Belal's been knocked out by Luque back in the day. He hasn't been knocked out since, but he's been dropped by Geoff Neal, got hurt by Leon, and Jack knocks guys out. He's hard to take down and hold down. So, it's going to be a very, very interesting fight. I'm picking Belal, but I would not be surprised if Jack wins this fight."
USA Today
01-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Charles Oliveira's coach: Ilia Topuria 'a better selling fight' than Islam Makhachev
Charles Oliveira's coach: Ilia Topuria 'a better selling fight' than Islam Makhachev Charles Oliveira's coach Diego Lima admits Ilia Topuria would be a bigger fight than UFC champ Islam Makhachev. The upper echelon of the lightweight division awaits Makhachev's (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) next opponent to be announced. Former featherweight champ Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC), who recently vacated his belt, says he was promised an immediate lightweight title shot by the UFC. Justin Gaethje called out Makhachev after defeating Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313. Meanwhile, Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC) wants his rematch with Makhachev after losing their first title fight by submission at UFC 280. Oliveira was booked to run things back with Makhachev at UFC 294 in October 2023, but Oliveira withdrew and was replaced by Alexander Volkanovski. Since losing to Makhachev, Oliveira has gone 2-1, with wins over Beneil Dariush and Michael Chandler. Many are speculating that the delay for Makhachev's next fight announcement largely looms on the outcome of the upcoming welterweight title fight between champion Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena May 10 in the UFC 315 headliner. Makhachev and Muhammad won't fight each other, but if Della Maddalena wins, his long-desired move up to welterweight could be next. "Everybody knows that Charles wants to fight for the belt during International Fight Week," Lima told Sherdog. Despite gold being the goal, the Chute Boxe head coach admits Topuria would be a more lucrative fight – as long as it's also for the title. Oliveira and Topuria have recently been trading barbs. "Charles wants to fight for the belt, no matter if it's against Topuria or Makhachev," Lima said. "But since you asked me who would be a better selling fight, I have to answer Topuria. He is doing an excellent job promoting his arrival in the new division. On the other hand, Makhachev disappeared a little bit from the spotlight with his indecision. One day he wants to go up, another day he wants Topuria, another day Gaethje. That's not good for the sport. But we are doing our part getting ready for the UFC's call."
