Latest news with #UFC315
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Belal Muhammad eyes Madison Square Garden bout amid rumors of potential Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena pay-per-view
Belal Muhammad. Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC Madison Square Garden in New York City, USA, has the eye of every other fighter due to the venue's illustrious combat sports history, with the latest desire to fight there expressed by the former welterweight champion, Belal Muhammad. The venue has seen the likes of Muhammad Ali and Conor McGregor, who have achieved significantly throughout their careers. Muhammad's interest in the venue stems from the possibility of one of the biggest pay-per-view events being held at the venue, featuring Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev . Former welterweight Belal Muhammad reveals his upcoming plan within the Octagon, wishes for Jack Della Maddalena to win his upcoming bout The newly crowned welterweight champion, Jack Della Maddalena, has had much time to sit back and relish his achievement after defeating Belal Muhammad at UFC 315. Shortly after Muhammad's debacle, UFC wasted no time in announcing a move up by Islam Makhachev to the welterweight division after vacating his lightweight title and immediately getting a title shot. Despite the lack of time to process the glorious win and prepare himself to defend the title immediately, Della Maddalena, instead, seems pretty confident and hyped up for his first title defense against Makhachev. The fighter, in a recent interview with ESPN, expressed his desire to fight in Madison Square Garden, citing the examples of Muhammad Ali and Conor McGregor, who rendered some unforgettable fight experiences for the audiences and fans at the venue. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The former welterweight champion, Belal Muhammad, also joins the league of players eyeing the venue while revealing his next plan of action within the division in a recent interview. In the latest Remember The Show episode, when the fighter asked about his opinion on the possibility of Makhachev fighting for the title against JDM happening at MSG, Muhammad quickly replied, 'Yeah, I am excited, right! If it's MSG for sure, I wanna be on that card. And definitely be on the same card as them.' The fighter justified how MSG as a venue would be a better option for Makhachev, 'I think it makes a lot of sense. I don't think it makes sense for Islam to go all the way to Perth. I think in MSG, they usually have a big card, a big night event. I don't know if they are trying to do Jon Jones for it.' Muhammad reveals the next plans for himself within the Octagon, 'For me now, it's jut locking it in and making the next guy pay. I am not the type that's gonna be like, 'Oh Jack s*cks and ….' I hope he wins. I hope he wins every single one of his fights and then we meet again and I get the belt back from him. Whoever he is fighting.' Muhammad seems quite fixed on redeeming himself from the title loss, and that too against Della Maddalena only. Also read: Former UFC champion Conor McGregor leaves fans in awe as he posts images and videos of his son engaged in soccer training UFC 315 had resulted in one of the major shakeups within the promotion. Had the situation been otherwise, with Muhammad still holding the championship belt, Makhachev wouldn't have moved up, and there would have been a heightened possibility of Makhachev facing the former featherweight Ilia Topuria
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Erin Blanchfield, Maycee Barber react to Valentina Shevchenko's title win vs. Manon Fiorot
Erin Blanchfield, Maycee Barber react to Valentina Shevchenko's title win vs. Manon Fiorot Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber weren't entirely surprised by Valentina Shevchenko's win over Manon Fiorot. Shevchenko retained her flyweight title earlier this month by outlasting Manon Fiorot in the UFC 315 co-main event. Blanchfield (13-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) and Barber (14-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC), who square off in Saturday's UFC on ESPN 68 (ESPN, ESPN+) headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, weighed in on the outcome of the fight. With a win, both fighters are looking to secure the next shot at Shevchenko (25-4-1 MMA, 14-3-1 UFC). "I think Valentina looked really good that night," Blanchfield told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday's media day. "She looked right back to her old self. She kept her distance, she was countering really well. I think Manon was kind of coming in a little bit harder. "Usually she's more of a point fighter, uses a lot of movement. But Valentina was almost luring her into her game. Valentina was just out-striking her. Manon would get some takedowns, but she couldn't really do too much with it, and I felt like Valentina was really dictating that fight." Barber said she expected the outcome as it happened. "It was close," Barber said. "I didn't have a lot of emotion towards it just because I've been so focused on the fight that I have, but I think that Manon is a great fighter. I don't think she has a whole lot of championship personality, but I also didn't really have any surprise that Valentina continued to do what she's been able to do best, and that's have dominant performances over these women."
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Cody Chovancek looks to defend Unified MMA bantamweight title, make UFC take notice
TORONTO – Cody Chovancek won the Unified MMA bantamweight championship in June 2024 with a particularly nasty calf slicer submission victory over previously unbeaten American Gage (The Gremlin) Gill. And there will likely be more pain Friday when the 26-year-old from Petrolia, Ont., defends his 135-pound title against American Jordan Howard in the Unified 62 main event at the Rebel Entertainment Complex in Toronto. Chovancek (7-0-0) hopes another win will open the door to the UFC. 'It's my time,' he said matter-of-factly. 'I'm going to go out there and do what I do. Give the fans an exciting fight. I've got knockout power in both hands. I can do it all … I want the UFC. I want (UFC president) Dana White, (matchmakers) Mick Maynard, Sean Shelby to let me fight in my 20s in the greatest promotion in the world, the UFC. 'I know they'll be watching (on UFC Fight Pass) and I'll earn my spot on (Friday).' Chovancek turned heads with the painful calf slicer submission in the fifth round against Gill. The move involves using your leg to hook an opponent's leg and then, using your other foot to brace that leg, pulling the opponent's limb back against the grain, so to speak. Done right, it can tear the calf and injure the knee joint. 'Normally when I do it to people in training, they tap very quickly,' Chovancek said. He trains at Niagara Top Team in St. Catharines, Ont., alongside (Proper) Mike Malott and Jasmine Jasudavicius, both of whom posted convincing wins at UFC 315 in Montreal last month. Chovancek was taking it all in fight week, also fitting in some training sessions at TriStar Gym. 'It's really cool to see behind the scenes, how everything works in the UFC because that's where I'm going to be — very shortly,' he said. 'And to see those guys go out there and perform the way they did, it just speaks to the training that we're doing. We're doing all the right things and it can take us to the highest level.' Chovancek has been involved with other UFC shows. In Edmonton in November, he was on standby in case a 135-pounder had to drop off the card. But in Montreal, he was involved in more of the fight week proceedings, including taking the stage with Jasudavicius for the ceremonial weigh-in. Fights have been hard to come by for Chovancek, who had two bouts in 2023 and just one last year. 'It's rough once you're at certain spot,' he said. He had been waiting, in case the UFC called with another short-notice opportunity. 'But I didn't feel like waiting any more,' he said. 'I want to get out there and give the fans what they want to see. I truly believe this will be my last fight on the regional scene.' He sees Friday as a chance for one more show in front of friends and family, hopefully followed later this year by an invitation to showcase his skills on 'Dana White's Contender Series' — the road Malott and Jasudavicius travelled to the promotion. Chovancek applied unsuccessfully for a spot on a cast of Season 32 of 'The Ultimate Fighter,' where he would have competed up a division at featherweight. 'I believe everything happens for a reason and it's just given me more time to hone my skills before the big show,' he said. The five-foot-nine Chovancek, who normally walks around at 160 pounds, fought as a featherweight (145 pounds) in his first three pro fights. He is in 3-0-0 in Unified MMA action and has gone the distance just twice as a pro. Four of his bouts did not make it past the second round. Howard (12-5-5) went 2-2-0 in Bellator. 'I don't think he's fought anyone with this much experience thus far,' Howard speaking in a social media post, said of Chovancek. 'And not just experience but experience at a high level, under the big lights.' Chovancek agrees the 35-year-old Howard is a step up in class but is not fazed. 'He's probably the best fighter I've fought,' said Chovancek. 'It's just going to bring out a better performance in me. The better the opposition, the better I perform.' Chovancek, who is half-Thai, grew up in southwestern Ontario, some 25 kilometres southeast of Sarnia. 'There wasn't a whole lot to do there (other) than fight and fish,' he said. Chovancek started wrestling in high school then added kickboxing at 16. He had just turned 18 when he had his first amateur MMA fight in August 2016. A year later, he went to Thailand to train. Chovancek has spent five years training at Niagara Top Team where he teaches Muay Thai classes, putting aside his job as a steel framer. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2025
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ian Machado Garry relishes potential Islam Makhachev fight if he becomes UFC champ
Ian Machado Garry relishes potential Islam Makhachev fight if he becomes UFC champ Ian Machado Garry sees a big storyline in a potential UFC title fight against Islam Makhachev. Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) vacated his UFC lightweight title to challenge newly crowned welterweight champ Jack Della Maddalena – a fight which is expected to take place later in the year. On his own road to gold, Machado Garry (16-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) envisions a perfect scenario of facing Makhachev if he can get past Della Maddalena. He sees a potential matchup with Makhachev reigniting an infamous rivalry from the past, as well as the opportunity to separate himself from the rest of the roster. "If people want to market it as Dagestan vs. Ireland if me and Islam Makhachev ever cross paths then they can," Machado Garry said in an interview with "But I feel like that's bringing in two people like Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, who have had their rivalry and have done and said the things they've said. The truth is, this is Dagestan vs. Ireland, but it would be Islam vs. Ian. "We can bring up the past, or we can focus on the present. Islam right now is the pound-for-pound No. 1. He's trying to move up and fight for the welterweight world title, and if he wins there is absolutely every scenario that I'm going to call for that fight because there is nothing more I want to do than go out there and beat the No. 1 pound for pound, get the belt and prove that I'm one of the best in the world." Machado Garry, who's coming off a unanimous decision win over Carlos Prates last month, weighed in as the official backup for the welterweight title fight between Della Maddalena and Belal Muhammad at UFC 315.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Maycee Barber: UFC Vegas 107's Erin Blanchfield is 'a boring fighter' with 'a terrible fighting style'
Maycee Barber isn't impressed with Erin Blanchfield. The pair of top-ranked flyweight contenders collide this Saturday night in UFC Vegas 107's main event. Barber and Blanchfield have long appeared to be on a collision course, with a previously booked matchup falling through in 2021 when an injury forced Barber's withdrawal. Advertisement Thanks to that previous instance, Blanchfield has recently expressed her worries that Barber will once again miss fight night. Barber reacted to the comments on Tuesday's edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show." "She's just trying to figure out what she can say bad about me, because I think she can't really talk anything bad about my style or anything about my marketability," Barber said. "I think it's just the only thing she can say about me — that she thinks I might not show up to the fight versus her. I think her fighting style is terrible, and there's a lot of things you can say about Erin Blanchfield — she's a boring fighter, she has a terrible fighting style. "It's boring. Have you watched it?" Barber continued. "Do you think she's an exciting fighter? She's a good fighter, but is she an exciting fighter, though?" When the original Blanchfield vs. Barber fight fell through in 2021, Blanchfield ultimately earned a one-sided win over replacement opponent Miranda Maverick. Coincidentally, Barber had come off a controversial victory of her own against Maverick immediately prior, but has since gained plenty of momentum by winning six bouts in a row. Advertisement Since then, Blanchfield has suffered just one setback over her past six bouts — when she lost a unanimous decision to recent title challenger Manon Fiorot in March 2024. Blanchfield rebounded with a decision win over former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas this past November, however Barber believes the judges did her rival a favor in that one. "Manon exposed Erin's holes, and I think she was gifted the win over Rose," Barber said. "I think Rose won the fight against Erin, honestly. I think she beat her in the striking, and I think she got lucky in that fight. "I think a lot of people didn't [score it for Blanchfield]. I think Rose is on her way out, and I think the UFC knows that. I think a lot of people know that. So what good would it do to give Rose the decision over Erin? So I think they gave Erin the decision over Rose because Erin's the younger fighter. "I'm not sure exactly what they're thinking, but I think there's some biased judges, for sure." Advertisement Barber's winning streak is undeniably the best of her career, and up there with the best currently at 125 pounds. Following the champion Valentina Shevchenko's latest title defense against Fiorot at UFC 315, "The Bullet" is expected to wait to see which contender emerges as the next in line. Maycee Barber earned a tough win over Katlyn Cerminara in her most recent UFC appearance in March 2024. () (Megan Briggs via Getty Images) While names like Barber, Blanchfield and Natalia Silva are all at the front of the flyweight list, reigning strawweight queen Zhang Weili has been linked to a champion vs. champion fight with Shevchenko since late 2024. Barber has mixed feelings on that idea, but has heard rumblings about its validity. "I was actually told that a while ago. And honestly, I think, for me, as a competitor in the flyweight division, obviously I want a title shot after I beat Erin," Barber said. "But also, it's cool to see that they keep trying to unite the belts or have a double champ. I don't know if Weili beats Valentina though, to be honest. I think Valentina is fast. I know Weili has the power, but Valentina is fast and I think Valentina is such a dominant champion." Advertisement Assuming the Shevchenko vs. Zhang superfight does happen next, Barber may have to fight once more if she gets past Blanchfield. In that case, a Silva clash could look like the obvious next step on paper. Barber isn't overly keen on the idea, though. If they end up fighting one day, "The Future" sees it happening when either woman is the champion. Although Silva's latest performance saw her dispatch ex-champ Alexa Grasso, Barber still thinks a win over Blanchfield will put her ahead of the Brazilian. "When I win on Saturday, I'm planning on calling for a title shot. That's the plan," Barber said. "I do [think I'll get it]. I don't think I need to say anything more, I think that will be enough. "You already know that every time I go out to fight, I try to hurt people. My plan is to hurt Erin and to make her bleed a lot and to finish her. I think that that's a good statement, and I don't want a decision. I think that all of Erin's fights go to boring decisions, so my plan is to finish her."
