Latest news with #UFC311
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Paddy Pimblett prefers Justin Gaethje over 'absolute tool' Arman Tsarukyan, gets response
Paddy Pimblett prefers Justin Gaethje over 'absolute tool' Arman Tsarukyan, gets response Paddy Pimblett explains why Justin Gaethje, not Arman Tsarukyan is the fight to make. Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC) is perhaps one big win away from title contention after scoring a dominant finish of Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in April. Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira will battle for the vacant lightweight title in the UFC 317 main event on June 28, and Pimblett sees Justin Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) as his ticket to the winner of that fight. "I'm hoping to fight in Abu Dhabi in October," Pimblett told BBC Sport. "I think that's when I'm going to be back in the cage. I was thinking Ilia might call me out if he wins (against Oliveira). I'd love to beat him if he gets the belt. I'd love to fight him anyway, but he's booked, so I think it's more than likely Justin Gaethje." The only other available option for Pimblett in the top five is Arman Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC), who was booked to face Islam Makhachev in a title fight at UFC 311 before withdrawing the day before due to a back injury. Pimblett went off on Tsarukyan for pulling out. Tsarukyan said he'd be willing to fight Pimblett in summer, but "The Baddy" did not reciprocate the interest. "No one (cares) about Arman Tsarukyan and people actually want to watch Gaethje fight," Pimblett said. "People know it'll be an exciting fight, me vs. Gaethje. Tsarukyan, he's just an absolute tool, and then it's me and Gaethje. One win away and I'll be fighting for the belt. Yeah, that's always been the aim. It's the only aim that we have." Tsarukyan fired back at Pimblett.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Henry Cejudo on what makes 'greatest bantamweight of all time' Merab Dvalishvili so good
Henry Cejudo on what makes 'greatest bantamweight of all time' Merab Dvalishvili so good Henry Cejudo had high praise for former UFC foe Merab Dvalishvili. Cejudo (16-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) lost to Dvalishvili by unanimous decision at UFC 298. Dvalishvili went on to dethrone Sean O'Malley to become bantamweight champion at UFC 306, and notched his first title defense by handing Umar Nurmagomedov his first loss at UFC 311. Olympic gold medalist wrestler and former UFC dual-champion Cejudo was put in unfamiliar territory by Dvalishvili (19-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC) when he was taken down five times in their fight. "I knew Merab was really, really good with his chain fighting," Cejudo said on the JAXXON PODCAST. "So, it's not even wrestling, it's how you chain it. That's what separates them. Chaining is really putting the punches together and boom, the level change comes. Rather than just you maybe throwing a right hand and all of a sudden the level change comes. "He's able to mix it very good with his fakes and feints into takedowns. He's a f*cking machine. It's his cardio, it's his conditioning. It's the same reason why he can't knock people out because he just knows that certain threshold where he could just keep it there and take it there. He can't necessarily finish you, but he'll f*cking drown you." Dvalishvili will run things back with O'Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in the UFC 316 main event on June 7 from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Cejudo sticks by his statement that Dvalishvili is the greatest bantamweight of all time. "I got to give credit to Merab and this is why I would say he's the greatest bantamweight of all time," Cejudo said. "Maybe he doesn't have the title defenses, but look at who he's beat. Yeah (he's better than Dillashaw). Look at the list of who he's beat and how he's beat them. There's a big difference."
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Joe Rogan unsure how Sean O'Malley keeps 'superhuman' Merab Dvalishvili off him at UFC 316
Joe Rogan unsure how Sean O'Malley keeps 'superhuman' Merab Dvalishvili off him at UFC 316 Joe Rogan expects Sean O'Malley to struggle with Merab Dvalishvili's stifling offense once again at UFC 316. O'Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) will look to avenge his bantamweight title loss to Dvalishvili at UFC 306 when the pair run things back in the June 7 main event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. O'Malley was taken down six times and controlled for over 10 minutes in his unanimous decision loss to Dvalishvili. He did however enter the fight with a hip injury which later required surgery. Despite a healthier version of O'Malley who underwent lifestyle changes for the rematch, Rogan wonders how he will handle Dvalishvili's game plan. "That's an interesting fight – very interesting fight," Rogan said in a recent episode of his "Joe Rogan Experience." "I do not know how 'Suga' Sean keeps that guy off of him, but I do like what he's been doing. Got off social media, stopped smoking weed, just dialed the f*ck in. Got his hip fixed, which was a big problem. There's a lot of these fighters that take these fights because it's a lot of money, and it's a big event, and they don't want to cancel, and they've got a significant injury. "Sean could not wrestle. Imagine not being able to wrestle in camp and you've got to go face Merab. He's a f*cking animal. That guy's superhuman – there's no one like him. The cardio that guy has is off the charts. It's just off the charts. I've never seen anything like it. He doesn't get tired. He's full gas, no brakes the entire fight. It's just smothering, overwhelming people. Even (Umar) Nurmagomedov, who's also an animal – he couldn't keep him off of him. This motherf*cker is crazy." After dethroning O'Malley to become champion, Dvalishvili handed Umar Nurmagomedov his first-career loss at UFC 311 in January.
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Arman Tsarukyan open to UFC fight vs. 'big name' Paddy Pimblett this summer
Arman Tsarukyan open to UFC fight vs. 'big name' Paddy Pimblett this summer Arman Tsarukyan likes the idea of fighting Paddy Pimblett next but sooner rather than later. Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) was left out of the title picture after the promotion opted to match up Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title in the UFC 317 headliner on June 28 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. That's due to Tsarukyan's last-minute withdrawal from his title fight against then-lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 in January, where he pulled out from a back injury the day before the fight. A far-from-pleased Dana White said Tsarukyan will have to earn his way back to the title. But against whom? Shortly after suggesting Justin Gaethje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC), Tsarukyan says why not Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC) if the fight can happen in summer. "He looked very good in his last fight," Tsarukyan told Red Corner MMA of Pimblett. "Now we can say he can beat top-10 fighters. He's No. 8 or something, and he's not going to fight very soon. Maybe he wants to fight at the end of this year, but I want to fight this summer and the end of this year. I'll take that (summer) because he has a big name, he just beat Michael Chandler, and he has a six or seven-(fight) win streak. He's never lost in the UFC. It makes sense to get back and to get more fans from the U.K." However, Tsarukyan may not be on Pimblett's radar. Not only is Pimblett targeting Gaethje next, he's looking at the October pay-per-view event in Abu Dhabi, and Tsarukyan isn't willing to wait that long.
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Renato Moicano thinks 'real deal' Ilia Topuria would beat Islam Makhachev
Renato Moicano thinks 'real deal' Ilia Topuria would beat Islam Makhachev Renato Moicano liked Ilia Topuria's chances of dethroning Islam Makhachev. Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) vacated his UFC featherweight title in hopes of challenging Makhachev for the lightweight belt. However, with Makhachev relinquishing his own belt for a move up to welterweight, the fight won't happen next. Instead, Topuria meets Charles Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC) for the vacant 155-pound belt in the UFC 317 main event June 28 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). Despite coming off a quick submission loss to Makhachev at UFC 311 in January, Moicano (20-6-1 MMA, 12-6 UFC) thinks Topuria would take out Makhachev. "Right now I think Ilia Topuria would beat Islam Makhachev," Moicano said on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "We know it's very hard to knock Volkanovski out, how good Volkanovski showed up in his past performance against a very dangerous guy (Lopes). Volkanovski looked in his prime again, he did five rounds. "And Max Holloway just went to the lightweight division in the beginning of last year, knocked out one of the most dangerous guys (Gaethje) in the division, and then got back to '45 and got knocked out by Topuria. So, that shows that Topuria is the real deal, and I think with his grappling and the way he moves his head and his boxing, I think he would impose a lot of trouble to Islam Makhachev." Moicano has been rebooked against Beneil Dariush (22-6-1 MMA, 16-6-1 UFC) at UFC 317 – his original opponent for UFC 311 before getting the call to replace Arman Tsarukyan against Makhachev in the main event.
