Latest news with #UFC319
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Awkward on-air moment as Khabib Nurmagomedov snubs CBS Sports host's handshake
Image Source: Getty Images During the 2025 Champions League final, something unexpected happened on live TV. UFC superstar Khabib Nurmagomedov kindly declined a handshake from CBS Sports anchor Kate Scott, which was captured after Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defeated Inter Milan 5-0. Khabib's decision was rooted in his Muslim faith, and both his team and Scott also pointed out that his lack of a handshake was different from celebrating with the PSG players after the match. Khabib Nurmagomedov's respectful refusal sparks debate In June 2025, the Champions League final took place at the Allianz Arena in Germany and PSG won 5-0 over Inter Milan. As usual, Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, Micah Richards and host Kate Scott led the coverage of the game on CBS Sports.. After the match, Khabib Nurmagomedov and streamer IShowSpeed joined them on the field. Khabib happily shook hands with the male hosts but gently declined Scott's handshake, placing his hand on his chest instead. This is because, as a devout Muslim, his faith does not allow touching unrelated women. Scott apologized on air and kept things friendly. On X, some fans praised Khabib, with one saying, 'Khabib stayed true to his beliefs, respect.' Others thought he could have greeted Scott better, as one user noted, 'He didn't even look at her at first.' The moment got people talking about faith and respect. Kate Scott's professionalism shines through Kate Scott stayed calm and professional despite the awkward moment, winning fans' hearts. She quickly said sorry on air and moved the talk back to PSG's big win, their first Champions League title. Khabib, a huge PSG fan, was thrilled to be there with his friend, UFC fighter Islam Makhachev. They even took pictures with PSG player Achraf Hakimi and the trophy. Also Read : UFC Fans get divided as new training video of middleweight fighter Khamzat Chimaev goes viral ahead of the title bout at UFC 319 This wasn't the first time Khabib's faith shaped how he acts. In 2020, UFC fighter Cynthia Calvillo said Khabib doesn't train directly with women because of his beliefs, but he still shares tips kindly. Scott's smooth handling of the situation kept the show fun and focused on football. The Champions League final was a huge night for PSG, but Khabib's moment with Scott got everyone's attention. His faith as a Sunni Muslim guides him to avoid physical contact with women he's not related to, as noted by Muslim cultural sources.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
UFC Fans get divided as new training video of middleweight fighter Khamzat Chimaev goes viral ahead of the title bout at UFC 319
Khamzat Chimaev. Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC UFC fans get divided over a recent video of the undefeated Russian middleweight fighter Khamzat Chimaev training in his gym, which went viral. The fighter is seen preparing for the upcoming title bout against the current middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis, at UFC 319 . A couple of days ago, fans got to witness another video of Chimaev, where the fighter is seen practising some fierce wrestling moves with Abdulrashid Sadulaev, a prodigy in the world of wrestling with two Olympic gold medals and six world championships. Khamzat Chimaev isolates himself to concentrate on his training camp, practices hardcore wrestling moves involving takedown attempts and pins Borz seems to be keeping no stone unturned for his upcoming title run at UFC 319. The fighter, apparently, even isolated himself to avoid any distraction and has been focused on his training in the mountain villages of Kislovodsk. The last video that Khamzat Chimaev uploaded on Instagram featuring Abdulrashid Sadulaev garnered a lot of attention from the fans, which even included the ones supporting the current middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis. The recent video that went viral showed the fighter practising some rapid grappling moves and takedown attempts while also training to evade any such attempts from his opponent. Chimaev is known for his vicious wrestling moves, which have landed him as the Swedish National Champion in wrestling for three straight years. The fighter's wrestling record stands at an undefeated 12-0. Borz's very past, involving aggressive wrestling, has left the fans of Dricus worried, while they still try to stand behind the latter and support the fighter. Fans of Chimaev seem to be quite confident about the fighter winning the division golf, owing to his undefeated streak in his pro-MMA career. One of the fans wrote, 'The real future MW champion, The Borz !' A section of fans believes that no matter which direction the fight goes, it is the press conference that will be interesting, owing to DDP's past history of trash-talk records. A user wrote, 'dpp gonna crash khamzat during the press conference tho. we might see some crazy things happens during the press because khamzat isnt someone who can accept trash talk. Haha' Another user wrote while supporting the current middleweight, 'DDP gonna dog walk this man' Also read: Irish fighter Paddy McCorry seemingly yells pro-Palestine slogans while landing brutal blows on former IDF member turned fighter Shuki Farage The fight between Chimaev and DDP will be the headlining event of UFC 319 scheduled for August 16, 2025. Fans are eagerly waiting for this matchup which will feature two legends going head on against each other for the championship gold of the division. Chimaev is currently ranked 3rd in the entire division.
USA Today
27-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Kai Asakura returns at UFC 319 vs. Tim Elliott
Kai Asakura returns at UFC 319 vs. Tim Elliott Former RIZIN superstar Kai Asakura has the opportunity to bounce back. At UFC 319, Asakura (21-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC) will make his second promotional appearance vs. Tim Elliott (20-13-1 MMA, 9-11 UFC) in a three-round flyweight bout. The event takes place Aug. 16 at United Center in Chicago and is headlined by Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev. Both fighters recently announced the booking on social media. The fight was first reported by X user @realkevin. Asakura, 31, signed with the UFC in 2024 and debuted in a title fight vs. champion Alexandre Pantoja, which he lost by second-round submission. Prior to his UFC onboarding, however, Asakura built his brand in his home country of Japan as one of its biggest stars. His only losses prior to Pantoja were to Kyoji Horiguchi, Manel Kape, and Hiromasa Ougikubo. All three of those fighters Asakura also holds wins over. Elliott, 38, hasn't competed since a December 2023 submission win over Su Mudaerji. The victory was his third in four fights. Elliott was scheduled to compete vs. Tatsuro Taira in May 2024 but withdrew. With the addition, the UFC 319 lineup now includes:
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Difficult mentally waiting for Jones fight
Tom Aspinall says it is "difficult mentally" waiting for a UFC undisputed heavyweight title bout with Jon Jones. Britain's Aspinall, 32, has been the interim champion since November 2023 and last fought in July, defending his belt against Curtis Blaydes. American Jones beat Stipe Miocic in November to defend his championship but a unification bout with Aspinall is yet to be scheduled by the UFC. Aspinall says the wait to fight Jones has been "trickier" than the year he spent out injured after seriously injuring his knee in 2023. "Now, I've been almost a year inactive with no prospects of anything apart from wait," Aspinall said on Demetrious' Johnson's podcast. "I constantly had little goals to work towards [during recovery from injury]. Whereas now it's just like: 'Just be ready and we'll just let you know.' "It's kind of difficult mentally, but this is the fight against Jon Jones. The fight is another thing, this is the tricky bit where I really have to stay switched on, stay motivated, and I'm trying my best. It's tough sometimes." Aspinall beat Sergei Pavlovich in November 2023 to become interim champion when Jones pulled out of his original bout with Miocic because of injury. But rather than pair Jones up with Aspinall when the American recovered, the promotion rebooked the fight with Miocic in November. UFC president Dana White has said previously he is confident of making the bout between Jones and Aspinall, which would be the "biggest heavyweight fight in the promotion's history". Aspinall has called for the fight to be set up on multiple occasions but Jones has been less forthcoming on the prospect. This week the 37-year-old, who is also a former light-heavyweight champion, jousted online with fans who were goading him about Aspinall. He added: "I told the UFC my plans a long time ago. I have no clue why they haven't shared them with you guys yet." Aspinall has won eight of nine UFC bouts since his debut in 2020 and holds multiple records in the heavyweight division. Jones holds the record for the most title fight wins in the promotion's history, with 16 - and is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters of all time. Despite frustration at waiting on the sidelines, Aspinall says he can empathise with Jones' position. He added: "I get it. I get it. It's just about the title for me. "I just want the title, that's it. Nothing else really matters. So I get it completely, get his point of view, get what everybody's saying, completely understand. I just want to prove I'm the best, that's all." With the organisation's main events on their flagship numbered shows booked until UFC 319 on 16 August, the earliest Jones and Aspinall could realistically fight is at UFC 320 in Guadalajara, Mexico on 13 September. The UFC is yet to confirm its schedule of events for the remainder of the year. MMA schedule and results 2025 Watch every Born to Brawl episode Notifications, social media and more with BBC Sport
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sean Strickland makes 'hands-down' Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev prediction
Sean Strickland is familiar with both middleweight title-fight headliners at UFC 319. Dricus Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) defends his middleweight title when he takes on undefeated Khamzat Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in the Aug. 16 main event at United Center in Chicago (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). Advertisement Strickland (29-7 MMA, 16-7 UFC) lost to Du Plessis twice in title fights – once by split decision at UFC 297 then in a more definitive decision at UFC 312. He also trained with Chimaev before at Xtreme Couture. With insight on both men, Strickland broke down the title fight. "They can grapple," Strickland said of Chimaev in an interview with Helen Yee. "Someone like me, I've been training these f*ckers for years. I usually could counter-wrestle and grapple them. So, I just don't know if f*cking Dricus can be able to counter-wrestle him. But if he can, I think he wins, hands down. I sparred the f*cking Chechen wh*re. Hands down, I think Dricus wins. It's just going to come down to are you going to be able to stop that and counter-wrestle him? You can. It's not hard." As for what's next for Strickland, the former champion has his sights set on settling his grudge match with ex-UFC welterweight champ Belal Muhammad. He admitted his interest in rematching Israel Adesanya is not high, but would do it if the fight was offered. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 319: Sean Strickland makes 'hands-down' Du Plessis-Chimaev pick
