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USA Today
19-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
What Valentina Shevchenko thinks of Amanda Nunes possibly coming out of retirement
What Valentina Shevchenko thinks of Amanda Nunes possibly coming out of retirement Valentina Shevchenko questions Amanda Nunes' decision to ponder a UFC comeback. Nunes (23-5 MMA, 16-2 UFC) retired as a two-division UFC champion after retaining her bantamweight title against Irene Aldana at UFC 289 in June 2023. Nearly two years later, "The Lioness" has admitted her interest in returning to the octagon – especially if Kayla Harrison is able to dethrone bantamweight champion Julianna Peña at UFC 316 on June 7 from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). UFC flyweight champion Shevchenko (25-4-1 MMA, 14-3-1 UFC) doesn't like seeing Nunes going back on her word. "I feel fighters, when they are not active anymore but they were at the top and had all this attention, they are missing this feeling," Shevchenko told Inside Fighting. "That's why you see many of the fighters, they have huge announcements of their retirement, but after a few years they miss the feeling of being in the fight, having this adrenaline, all this attention, and they say, 'Why don't I come back?' "I feel that it a little bit devalues the word of retirement. I say Tony Ferguson did the most right thing when he put down only one glove. So, it means he's retired, but he might come back. If you are not sure, you do the same, right? So, it's not so big and huge words about retirement. At least your conscience that you follow your word or you not follow your word, it's going to be clear, because I feel it's not good when people not stand behind their words." Shevchenko lost to Nunes twice, with their 2017 rematch for the bantamweight title at UFC 215 ending in a split decision. The pair expressed interest in a potential trilogy, but the fight never materialized.
Forbes
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
UFC 316 Co-Main Event Opening Odds: Julianna Pena Vs. Kayla Harrison
MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 11: (L-R) Opponents Julianna Pena and Kayla Harrison face off during the UFC ... More 316 press conference at Kaseya Center on April 11, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) At UFC 316, Julianna Pena looks to accomplish what she could not during her first run as the UFC women's bantamweight champion, successfully defend that title. Pena, who defeated Raquel Pennington in October to claim UFC gold for the second time, has her work cut out for her in the UFC 316 co-main event, as she faces former PFL lightweight champion Kayla Harrison. We look at the opening betting odds for the Pena vs. Harrison matchup. UFC 316, the next PPV card on the 2025 UFC schedule, takes place on Saturday, June 7, from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. In the main event, UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili faces Sean O'Malley in a rematch. Dvalishvili claimed the UFC 135-pound title in September 2024 when he and O'Malley first faced off. MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 11: Kayla Harrison is seen on stage during the UFC 316 press conference at ... More Kaseya Center on April 11, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) When BetOnline first announced the odds for the Pena vs. Harrison matchup, the challenger was a whopping -700 betting favorite over the champ, who opened as the +525 betting underdog. The betting line has shifted since then. Today, Pena is listed at +400, while Harrison comes in at -550. MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 11: Julianna Pena is seen on stage during the UFC 316 press conference at ... More Kaseya Center on April 11, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC) Julianna Pena (12-5) earned her UFC contract by winning Season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter. A member of Team Tate, Pena knocked out Jessica Rakoczy in the first round of their November 2013 matchup. The win moved Pena's record to 5-2. Pena ran off three victories after that, beating Milana Dudieva, Jessica Eye and Cat Zingano before Valentina Shevchenko ended her winning streak with a January 2017 armbar submission. In October 2017 Pena announced her pregnancy. When she returned to action in July 2019, Pena defeated Nicco Montano by decision. A submission loss to De Randamie in October 2020 followed. In January 2021, Pena submitted Sara McMann. Pena, sitting at No. 3 in the women's bantamweight rankings, earned a shot at Amanda Nunes and her bantamweight title in December 2021. She entered that contest as a -650 underdog to the champ, who was the -1000 betting favorite. In one of the more shocking upsets in UFC title fight history, Pena submitted Nunes in the second round, ending the Brazilian's title reign. Pena's time at the top of the division was short, as Nunes won their July 2022 rematch by decision. Pena was set to face Nunes in a trilogy bout at UFC 289, but an injury knocked the former champ from that scrap. Nunes defeated Pena's replacement, Irene Aldana, on that card and then retired. When Pena returned to action it was at UFC 307 where she defeated then-champion Raquel Pennington via split decision. She makes her first defense of that belt at UFC 316. MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 11: Kayla Harrison is seen on stage during the UFC 316 press conference at ... More Kaseya Center on April 11, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC) A two-time Olympic gold medal winner in judo (2012 and 2016), Kayla Harrison (18-1) made her MMA debut in the 155-pound division with PFL in 2018. Harrison ran over her first six opponents, picking up three submissions, two knockouts, and a decision before winning the women's lightweight title by defeating Larissa Pacheco by decision. In November 2020, Harrison defeated Courtney King by TKO in a 145-pound scrap. Shen then moved back to 155 pounds. In 2021, Harrison won the PFL 155-pound tournament with a submission win over Taylor Guardado. By 2022, Harrison had amassed a 15-0 record. However, her unbeaten ended in the finals of the 2022 PFL lightweight tourney when Pacheco scored a unanimous decision win over Harrison. The ex-champ fought once more for the PFL, beating former UFC fighter Aspen Ladd via decision in November 2023 in a 150-pound catchweight fight. In January 2024, the UFC announced it had signed Harrison and that her promotional debut would take place in the 135-pound weight class. Harrison impressed in that performance, submitting former UFC women's bantamweight champion Holly Holm by submission in the second round at UFC 400. In her next, and most recent, outing, Harrison defeated Ketlen Vieira via unanimous decision. Harrison is the No. 2 ranked fighter in the official UFC women's 135-pound rankings. We will have more on this upcoming UFC 316 PPV as fight night approaches, including previews, odds, and predictions for the UFC 316 fight card.
Forbes
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
UFC 315 Fight Card: Early Prelims Odds, Picks And Predictions
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 09: Marc-Andre Barriault of Canada poses on the scale during the ... More UFC 289 ceremonial weigh-in at Rogers Arena on June 09, 2023 in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) The UFC 315 pay-per-view card takes place this weekend in Montreal, Canada. While the top of the card features two UFC title fights, fight fans, especially Canadian fight fans, will want to tune in for the prelims and early prelims of the event, as more than half of the non-PPV bouts feature Canadian competitors. We look at the betting odds, line movement, predictions and picks for the three-fight early prelims of UFC 315. The main event of the ESPN+ streaming PPV card finds UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad making his first defense of his title. Muhammad faces the No. 5 ranked Jack Della Maddalena in that contest. Meanwhile, in the UFC 315 co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko looks to start her second run as the women's flyweight champion with a victory over the No. 2 ranked contender, Manon Fiorot. The main card of UFC 315 streams on ESPN+ PPV following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+. Marc-André Barriault vs. Bruno Silva - Middleweight Daniel Santos vs. Jeongyeong Lee - Featherweight Brad Katona vs. Bekzat Almakhan - Bantamweight LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 28: Marc-Andre Barriault of Canada poses on the scale during the UFC 303 ... More ceremonial weigh-in at T-Mobile Arena on June 28, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Two middleweights looking for their first wins in a while face off at the top of the UFC 315 early prelims. In that scrap we have Marc-André Barriault (16-9-0-1) vs. Bruno Silva (23-12). Barriault has been with the UFC since 2019. His best run with the promotion came between March 2021 and June 2023 when he went 5-2. He has never won more than two fights in a row with the UFC and enters UFC 315 on a three-fight losing skid, with knockout defeats in his past two outings. Silva opened his UFC career with three knockout wins. Since then he has gone 1-6. Silva comes into UFC 315 on a four-fight losing skid. The opening odds for Barriault vs. Silva saw Barriault as a -175 favorite over the +135 Silva. Those odds have tightened. Today, Barriault is listed at -145, while Silva is the +125 betting underdog. You have two fighters in this contest who both have negative striking differentials, while that's not great for the fighters, it could make for an entertaining fight for fans. The betting pick is for Marc-Andre Barriault to win via decision. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 03: JeongYeong Lee of South Korea reacts after his victory against ... More Blake Bilder in a featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on February 03, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) The second of three fights on the UFC 315 early prelims finds Daniel Santos (11-2) facing Jeongyeong Lee (11-2) at 145 pounds. Santos dropped his first fight with the UFC, but he's comes into UFC 315 on a two-fight winning streak. However, he has not fought since he defeated Johnny Munoz by decision in June 2033. He was most recently booked to face Davey Grant at bantamweight earlier this month, but failed to weigh in. He has had six UFC fights canceled since signing with the promotion. Jeongyeong Lee earned his UFC contract with wins on the Road to UFC competition. Since then he is 2-1. He is coming off a July 2024 knockout loss to Hyder Amil. The opening odds for this contest saw Santos at -175 and Lee at +135. Today, Santos is the -140 favorite over Lee, who is a +120 underdog. Look for Santos to come out aggressive, but fade and for Lee to grind out a decision win. LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - JUNE 08: Brad Katona of Canada reacts after his victory against Jesse Butler ... More in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at KFC YUM! Center on June 08, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Opening the UFC 315 fight card is a bantamweight battle between a UFC veteran and a UFC newcomer. In that fight, Brad Katona (16-4) meets Bekzat Almakhan (11-2). Katona is in his second stint with the UFC. He went 2-2 between 2018 and 2019, and then returned in 2023. He is 2-2 in his second run with the promotion, alternating wins and losses and most recently dropping a decision to Jean Matsumoto in October 2024. Almakhan made his UFC debut in March 2024 against Umar Nurmagomedov, which is not the kind of test many fighters would welcome. Almakhan lost that fight by decision. He was on a nine-fight winning streak before that setback. Almakhan scored a knockdown early in that contest and then got outwrestled for the rest of the bout, but he only landed three significant strikes in the fight. Almakhan opened as a -250 favorite over the +170 Katona, but those odds have tightened. Today, he is -175 and Katona is +150. The betting pick is to go with the Canadian Katona for the value because Almakhan is unproven. Katona to win via decision. MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JULY 28: Belal Muhammad looks on in the UFC welterweight championship bout ... More during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Live on July 28, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Ben) Belal Muhammad (24-3-0-1) joined the UFC with a perfect 9-0 record. Not long after Muhammad claimed the Titan FC welterweight crown, the UFC came knocking. Muhammad signed with the promotion in 2016. At the time, he was 27. Bloody Elbow described him as, "In the cage he is largely a volume puncher, tending to work at the edges of range keeping a constant jab going and working behind it. He does well to work a kicking game in with his boxing, and puts some real power behind those kicks, but the focus is definitely on being a combination puncher. To that end, Muhammad does a good job feinting and changing rhythm, to keep his opponent from guessing his timing too easily. "Muhammad uses his footwork well at range, circling away, maintaining distance and not walking himself into the pocket. As such he's got pretty solid takedown defense. His focus is on accuracy and timing, and he rarely puts himself in a bad position to be taken down. Just because of his style, Muhammad hasn't been much of a finisher to date in his MMA career, but he's got the kind of style that's great for breaking down opponents over time." Muhammad had a rough go of things in the UFC. He went 1-2 with his losses, a decision to Alan Jouban, and a knockout setback at the hands of Vicente Luque, bookending a TKO victory over Augusto Montaño. The loss to Jouban, Muhammad's UFC debut, earned the combatants "Fight of the Night" honors. After the loss to Luque, Muhammad won four straight decisions. That winning streak ended in 2019 when Geoff Neal topped Muhammad via decision. That loss is the most recent blemish on Muhammad's record. The 36-year-old is on a 10-0-0-1 run since then. Following the loss to Neal, Muhammad went 4-0. That run put him in the main event of UFC Vegas 21 opposite Leon Edwards. At the time, Edwards was the No. 3 competitor in the official UFC welterweight rankings, while Muhammad checked in at No. 13. Edwards was a -270 betting favorite, while Muhammad was the +220 betting underdog. The contest did not last long as Edwards poked Muhammad in the eye 18 seconds into the second round. The eye poke left Muhammad unable to continue, and the fight was ruled a no contest. Over the next two years, Muhammad rang up five more victories against progressively tougher competition. He defeated Demian Maia, Stephen Thompson, Vicente Luque, Sean Brady, and Gilbert Burns during that run. The triumph over Burns earned Muhammad the No. 2 ranking in the division and a date with Edwards at UFC 304. Edwards was the reigning UFC welterweight champion at the time and was looking to make a third defense of that belt against Muhammad. Edwards was on a 12-fight unbeaten run when he stepped into the Octagon as the -265 favorite over the +215 Muhammad. After the fight, which Muhammad won via decision, I wrote, "Belal Muhammad had the perfect game plan for Leon Edwards at UFC 304. Not only did he and his team have that strategy mapped out, but Muhammad seamlessly executed that plan of attack. Muhammad used pressure and high-output striking to remove time and space from Edwards. That approach forced Edwards to retreat, and once Muhammad had his opponent's back to the fence, he added his wrestling and ground control to the mix. Edwards landed a decent percentage of his strikes at 66 percent, but the pressure from Muhammad limited his attempts to just 71 significant strikes. Edwards threw over 100 strikes in his two most recent bouts. Muhammad was especially effective in his wrestling, racking up nine takedowns on 13 attempts and picking up 12:02 of control time. "With the win, Muhammad won the UFC welterweight title and extended his unbeaten streak to 11 fights. His last loss came in January 2019, when Geoff Neal defeated him via decision." Muhammad was booked to face Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310, but a bone infection prevented Muhammad from competing on that card. With Rakhmonov unable to compete at UFC 314, the UFC opted to book Muhammad against Della Maddalena in Montreal. MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 09: Jack Della Maddalena of Australia reacts after his TKO over Gilbert Burns ... More of Brazil in a welterweight fight during the UFC 299 event at Kaseya Center on March 09, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Jack Della Maddalena (17-2) signed with the UFC in September 2021 following a decision win over Ange Loosa on a Dana White's Contender Series card. Before the bout, UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby said of Della Maddalena, "I thinkDella Maddalena is probably the best prospect out of New Zealand or Australia at welterweight. He's a big guy. He throws a ton of offense, and he's really good in the clinch. The win over Loosa marked the first time Della Maddalena had won a fight via decision. He went into the bout on a run of nine stoppages (eight knockouts, one submission) after opening his professional career at 0-2 with two stoppage setbacks. Della Maddalena was the reigning and defending Eternal MMA welterweight titleholder heading into the DWCS card. The Australian scrapper opened his official UFC run with four first-round stoppage wins and three "Performance of the Night" bonuses. He finished Pete Rodriguez, Ramazan Emeev, and Danny Roberts by knockout before stopping Randy Brown via submission. In his first fight to go the distance under the UFC banner, Della Maddalena was in a "Fight of the Night" bonus-winning affair with Bassil Hafez, which Della Maddalena won via split decision. He followed that with another split decision, topping Kevin Holland in September 2023. The 28-year-old got to finishing fights in his most recent outing, knocking out former UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns in the third round of their UFC 299 meeting. I wrote of Della Maddalena's 'Performance of the Night' bonus-winning stoppage, "Jack Della Maddalena was focused and poised throughout his matchup with the higher-ranked Gilbert Burns. The 27-year-old's striking was on point throughout the fight. He used combinations and mixed up his targets well. Even when things were not going his way, thanks to Burns' grappling skills, Della Maddalena never panicked. That composure led to him landing a knee in the third round after a scramble to get off the mat and setting up the ground strikes that finished the fight at the 3:43 mark of Round 3. "Della Maddalena showed a gap in his overall skills in this fight, struggling with his defensive grappling, but at just 27, the Australian has time to shore up that weakness in the future. "Look for Della Maddalena to jump up in the official UFC welterweight rankings following UFC 299, as he entered the fight at No. 11, and Burns was No. 4. He is now 7-0 in the UFC and 17-2 as a pro. "Also, it must be noted, that Burns was up 20-18 on two scorecards heading into the third round. Della Maddalena is the No. 5 fighter in the official UFC welterweight rankings heading into UFC 315. We will have more on UFC 315 as fight night approaches. Look for UFC 315 results and reactions on fight night.
Forbes
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
UFC Legend Confirms Return From Retirement During Explosive Presser
MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 11: UFC CEO Dana White is seen on stage during the UFC 316 press conference ... More at Kaseya Center on April 11, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) UFC CEO Dana White was all smiles during the UFC 316 press conference at Kaseya Center in Miami on Friday. Who can blame him? Amanda Nunes says she's coming back to fight in the UFC and will likely take on the winner of Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison. Not only were White and the UFC there hyping what looks like an electric fight card headed for Newark, New Jersey at the Prudential Center on June 7, he also had Nunes on hand for the presser confirming her impending return to the UFC Octagon. During the presser, amidst Peña and Harrison's back-and-forth exchanges, someone asked if Nunes was going to fight again. Nunes, who was in the crowd, nodded her head, 'yes.' White confirmed, 'she just said yes.' And when the camera panned to Nunes capturing her acknowledgment, the crowd roared. Peña launched into a self-affirming rant dating back to her beef with Nunes (whom she split two fights with). The cheers quickly turned to boos. Here is a look at the situation as it unfolded during the presser. You can watch the full presser here. That moment might have been the most tame of the half-hour presentation. Peña chided Harrison the entire time, calling her 'a weight bully,' and facetiously asked about the latter's well-being, noting her struggles to get down to 136 pounds. Peña accentuated the perceived struggle for Harrison to drop the additional pound needed to make championship weight for the June 7 battle. Harrison's weight cut will be one of the biggest stories of fight week when UFC 316 rolls around. Nunes' return to the Octagon has been teased and rumored for nearly a year. White has said multiple times that he believed Nunes retired too soon. Perhaps she agrees with him. TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 20: Retired UFC fighter Amanda Nunes looks on during a bantamweight title ... More bout between Raquel Pennington of the United States and Mayra Bueno Silva of Brazil during the UFC 297 event at Scotiabank Arena on January 20, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by) Nunes will be 37 next month. When she walked away from competition in June 2023 following a unanimous decision win over Irene Aldana at UFC 289, Nunes was the reigning women's bantamweight and featherweight champion. She'd avenged her submission loss to Peña in December 2021 with a unanimous decision win over the Venezuelan Vixen in July 2022. Though she'll be 37 and battling some Octagon rust by the time she's ready to return, Nunes' presence will add some much-needed presence to the women's bantamweight division. Ever since she retired, the division has been without a chase element. Raquel Pennington won the vacant title in a lackluster fight against Mayra Bueno Silva, and Peña narrowly defeated her to claim the championship back. Harrison's rise has been intriguing, and she does have legit star power. However, there is legitimate concern about her ability to safely cut down to 135 pounds consistently. Consider Nunes' age and inactivity, Peña's age (35) and the fact that she has made it clear she wants to retire soon, along with Harrison's struggles to make 135, and it is clear—the long-term outlook on the women's bantamweight division isn't all that promising. Nunes' return will provide a temporary bump in interest, but it doesn't solve the division's more long-term concerns.
USA Today
09-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Robbie Lawler joins UFC Hall of Fame class of 2025
One of the most savage fighters in MMA history will be further enshrined in UFC greatness as a two-time Hall of Famer. Former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame as part of the 2025 class in the Pioneer Wing, the promotion announced Saturday during the UFC 313 broadcast. Lawler already is in the Hall in the Fight Wing. Lawler joins longtime producer Craig Piligian and Fight Wing inductee Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum announced for the 2025 class so far. The induction ceremony will take place June 26 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. A former champion who defended his title twice, Lawler engaged in numerous battles throughout his stints with UFC, Strikeforce, Elite XC, IFL and more. Lawler, 42, retired from MMA in 2023. His UFC 289 (2015) battle vs. Rory MacDonald is in the Hall's Fight Wing. Other memorable battles include his knockout of Nick Diaz, his title-clinching performance against then-champion Johny Hendricks at UFC 181 in 2014, and his all-out brawl with Carlos Condit at UFC 195 in 2016. Other memorable wins for Lawler include Donald Cerrone, Matt Brown, Josh Koscheck, Matt Lindland, Melvin Manhoef, Frank Trigg, Murilo Rua, Chris Lytle and Tiki Ghosn.
