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USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Israel Adesanya: Alex Pereira 'exponentially getting better,' can beat Magomed Ankalaev
Israel Adesanya: Alex Pereira 'exponentially getting better,' can beat Magomed Ankalaev Israel Adesanya has faith that Alex Pereira can bounce back in a title-fight rematch against Magomed Ankalaev. After three light heavyweight title defenses, Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) was dethroned by Ankalaev (21-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) in the UFC 313 main event in March. Although he stuffed all 12 of Ankalaev's takedowns in the fight, he was ultimately outstruck in a unanimous decision loss. The expectation was for Ankalaev and Pereira to run things back, but according to Ankalaev, "Poatan" isn't ready for a rematch just yet. If Ankalaev vs. Pereira 2 is indeed next, Adesanya thinks his former foe can avenge the loss. "I'm so proud of the guy, what he's done," Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. "It's like I created a monster. He showed why he is who he is across two weight classes. I can't wait to see the next fight with him and Ankalaev again. I think it'll be another hard one, but I think he can get it done, because it wasn't a complete washout for that fight. He's exponentially getting better, as well." Adesanya knows a thing or two about avenging losses. Pereira was the one to put a stop to his first middleweight title reign when he knocked him out at UFC 281, but Adesanya was able to exact his revenge by scoring a knockout of his own in their rematch at UFC 287. Two kickboxing matches, and two MMA fights later, Adesanya and Pereira have since buried the hatchet.
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya reveals the name of potential opponent for his comeback bout - 'You will like this one'
Fighters in the world of combat sports draw their motivation and inspiration from different sources. Most of the renowned fighters draw their motivation from the childhood experiences of their lives, owing to bullying and survival-based needs. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya , too, was bullied as a kid. Rising up from that state, the fighter has developed a commendable career arc in the world of combat sports. In a recent video on the fighter's YouTube channel, Adesanya, while training with the retired US Navy SEAL, David Goggins , revealed the name of the opponent he would want to face next. Israel Adesanya talks to retired US Navy SEAL David Goggins about his previous fights and potential comeback bout Despite a marvellous career arc, Israel Adesanya's last appearance within the Octagon has been marked with a disastrous losing skid. With an MMA record of 24-5-0, the fighter's first-ever defeat came from Jan Blachowicz. Adesanya reclaimed the lost title in his bout against Marvin Vettori and defended it for two more times before finally losing it to Alex Pereira at UFC 281. Even though The Last Stylebender managed to get back the title once again in a rematch with Pereira, he lost it to Sean Strickland, and ever since, the career graph of the fighter has faced a setback with back-to-back losses. While the losing skid continued, one of the fighters that Adesanya exclusively wanted to face and have a rematch with is Strickland. Ever since their bout at UFC 293 and Strickland's unanimous win, Strickland has been continuously trash-talking Adesanya across interviews and public appearances. This has provided an extra motivation for the Nigerian fighter to bounce back on a high note. In a recent video on the fighter's YouTube channel, Adesanya had a brief talk with Former US Navy David Goggins before their scheduled workout. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now During the talk, Adesanya expressed his state of mind after the back-to-back defeats and what helped him decided to get back into the Octagon. 'I didn't spar after my last fight. I didn't spar, just cause I was looking after my brain. Then I sparred with Kamaru Usman for the first time in months. I knew once I sparred, I would want to fight.' The fighter went to reveal the name of his desired opponent, 'I told Hunter [Campbell] already. I told my coach here, it's time. I know who, I have a feeling who I wanna fight. You'll like this one. I can get some get-back: Sean Strickland' Adesanya, humbly, accepted the defeat that came from his bout with Strickland while giving the latter complete credit for his win. However, the post fight activities of Strickland was something that bothered Adesanya to the core Israel Adesanya and David Goggins Chat Before Their BRUTAL Training Session 'He beat me fair and square in Sydney, five nil. Just whooped my ass badly. That was one of the things what made me realize I need to slow down in my activity. I was fighting 3-4 a year as a champion. So I'm like, I'm gonna pull back now because I'm older. I'm doing things different. I don't wanna make excuses because he beat me. But then I just wanna show him if he beat me at my best. So, this time I'm gonna come in and correct.' The fighter continued, 'Everything he's done since that… because I used to get bullied a lot as a kid. So he's an embodiment of that in a sense. He attacked a young me, the inner child. So, I wanna protect him and get some get-back on him' Adesanya reflected on how the trash-talking by Strickland reminded the former of his childhood days when he used to get bullied. Also read: Strickland's last bout was a defeat against Dricus Du Plessis. Strickland lost the title run, which was also a rematch of the bout where the fighter lost the middleweight title after winning it from Adesanya. Even though there is no official confirmation of the bout between Adesanya and Strickland, the announcement by the Last Stylebender has generated excitement within the MMA community.
USA Today
14-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Dustin Poirier sees clear next matchup for 'legit' Paddy Pimblett after UFC 314 win
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. – Dustin Poirier thinks Paddy Pimblett is undeniable as a top lightweight after dominating and finishing Michael Chandler at UFC 314. Former interim champ Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) served as a desk analyst for ESPN this past Saturday when Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC) went into his co-main event with Chandler (23-10 MMA, 2-5 UFC) and delivered a bloody third-round TKO win at Kaseya Center in Miami. Although 'The Baddy' had his share of supporters coming in, the matchup was a clear step up in competition, and his naysayers weren't sure if he'd overcome it. Turns out, Pimblett passed the test with flying colors, and put himself firmly among the top tier at 155 pounds. 'He's legit,' Poirier told MMA Junkie on Monday. 'How can I deny him any more? Chandler's a tough guy. I don't think Chandler looked great. He had a good first round, got Paddy down, wrist-rode him against the fence, kind of squeaked it out, but he looked flat after that. He looked heavy on his feet. He looked exhausted. Like I said on the desk: Everyone's odometer has a different mileage where things start to slow down, the wheels start to shake. Maybe that's his time now, but only he knows that.' Poirier, 36, doesn't want to downplay Pimblett's performance by asking too many questions about the state of Chandler's career. He admittedly hold ill will toward his former opponent Chandler, who he submitted at UFC 281 in November 2022. Poirier prefers to give Pimblett his due. 'I definitely think Chandler didn't look great, but not taking away from Paddy's performance,' Poirier said. 'Paddy went out there, dropped the first round, came out confident and hit Chandler with good shots. Then he took him down. Who would've have had that on their bingo card that Paddy is going to take down Chandler to the mat like that and get on top of him and dominate him like that. Paddy's the real deal.' Poirier intends to retire after his next fight, which is rumored to take place this summer. If he was sticking around longer, though, he said Pimblett would certainly be a realistic and worthwhile opponent given what he's now done. But seeing as that is not in play, Poirier said he would very much like see to Pimblett take on another one of his former opponents in Dan Hooker, who is riding a three-fight winning streak. 'The guy was a prospect. Now he's a contender,' Poirier said. 'You have to take him for real now. Not that Chandler wasn't a big fight, but his next fight has to be a really big one. Like a (Mateusz) Gamrot, Arman (Tsarukyan), (Charles) Oliveira – behind the scenes, I've got stuff, so I can't entertain that and I'm only fighting one more time, but for me as a fan, put him in there with Dan Hooker. That would be an incredible fight. That's a fun fight. The build up is going to be fun. Dan is going to stand and trade with him. Dan has good takedown defense, on the ground. That's the fight, I think.' For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC 314.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dustin Poirier: Michael Chandler at crossroads, can't lose to Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314
Dustin Poirier thinks Michael Chandler needs to prove he's worthy of a top contention spot at lightweight. Former Bellator champion Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) meets Paddy Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in Saturday's five-round UFC 314 co-headliner (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Kaseya Center in Miami. Chandler has fought elite competition since joining the UFC roster, but has struggled as of late. One of those losses came in a submission to Poirier at UFC 281, and "The Diamond" thinks Chandler needs to win if he wants to remain in the upper echelon of lightweight. "To me, as a fighter and a fan, Chandler is at a crossroads here," Poirier said on "Good Guy/Bad Guy." "He's taking on a young guy who has a lot of hype, but his track record has been kind of rocky in the UFC. He came over, right out the gate, big win, then up and down, up and down. This is a big test for Chandler to show he deserves to be at the top of the division." Poirier knows what it's like to stop a rising contender in his tracks after knocking out Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299. So, "The Diamond" can relate to Chandler's must-win situation. "He's been at the top of the lightweight conversation since he got into the UFC with his win over Dan Hooker," Poirier said. "It's been downhill since then, but does he deserve to be in the top five. He's been a staple for the last couple of years in the top five of the division, he can't lose this fight. "If he goes out there and wins this fight, OK, this guy maybe deserves to be in there, but he has to do something big after that. And for Paddy, if he beats Michael Chandler, now he's fighting the top five." Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett prediction, pick: A finish in UFC 314 co-main event – but for whom? Michael Chandler considers Paddy Pimblett fight 'The People's Main Event' of UFC 314 Daniel Cormier explains why Michael Chandler under most pressure at UFC 314 Michael Bisping: It's 'put up or shut up' time for Michael Chandler at UFC 314 For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC 314. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dustin Poirier: Michael Chandler at crossroads, can't lose to Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314
USA Today
12-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Dustin Poirier: Michael Chandler at crossroads, can't lose to Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314
Dustin Poirier thinks Michael Chandler needs to prove he's worthy of a top contention spot at lightweight. Former Bellator champion Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) meets Paddy Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in Saturday's five-round UFC 314 co-headliner (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Kaseya Center in Miami. Chandler has fought elite competition since joining the UFC roster, but has struggled as of late. One of those losses came in a submission to Poirier at UFC 281, and 'The Diamond' thinks Chandler needs to win if he wants to remain in the upper echelon of lightweight. 'To me, as a fighter and a fan, Chandler is at a crossroads here,' Poirier said on 'Good Guy/Bad Guy.' 'He's taking on a young guy who has a lot of hype, but his track record has been kind of rocky in the UFC. He came over, right out the gate, big win, then up and down, up and down. This is a big test for Chandler to show he deserves to be at the top of the division.' Poirier knows what it's like to stop a rising contender in his tracks after knocking out Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299. So, 'The Diamond' can relate to Chandler's must-win situation. 'He's been at the top of the lightweight conversation since he got into the UFC with his win over Dan Hooker,' Poirier said. 'It's been downhill since then, but does he deserve to be in the top five. He's been a staple for the last couple of years in the top five of the division, he can't lose this fight. 'If he goes out there and wins this fight, OK, this guy maybe deserves to be in there, but he has to do something big after that. And for Paddy, if he beats Michael Chandler, now he's fighting the top five.' For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC 314.
