Latest news with #UFC319
USA Today
17 minutes ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Lerone Murphy explains taking short-notice fight vs. Aaron Pico at UFC 319
Despite the far from ideal circumstances, Lerone Murphy sees incentive in welcoming Aaron Pico to the UFC. Pico (13-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) was originally scheduled to make his octagon debut in this past Saturday's UFC on ABC 9 co-main event against Movsar Evloev (19-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) in Abu Dhabi, but the bout was scrapped after Evloev withdrew. Now it's Murphy (16-0-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) who will fight Pico instead at UFC 319 on Aug. 16 in Chicago. Not only is the unbeaten featherweight contender putting his ranking on the line, he's doing it on on three weeks' notice. "The game's the game," Murphy explained on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "From a business perspective, people would probably have said, 'You shouldn't take the fight. Sit out, and wait for a big opportunity.' But, it's like for me, I think this is a big opportunity. I just want to fight. I'm not getting no younger. I want to stay active, I want to fight. Who's to say when everybody else is going to be ready to fight? "Everybody seems to get surgery and whatnot. So, do I want to sit out until December, November? No, I don't. I'm ready to go now. So, whoever, whenever. If I believe I can be champion, I've got to be able to fight anybody in any given moment, and that's it for me. I know it's a tough fight, I know it's a dangerous fight. Big risk, big reward. I'm happy, and I'm excited." Murphy has climbed to the No. 6 spot in the UFC's featherweight rankings, which is why he took this fight. "It's a big opportunity for me, now in the position I'm in, to make some noise and try to get that No. 1 spot," Murphy said. "Because a fighter like me, who's quiet and whatnot, I've got to take these chances. They're not going to give me nothing for free."
USA Today
17 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Jared Cannonier 'can't really make any reasoning' why UFC booked him vs. Michael Page
Jared Cannonier explained why he's not happy to draw Michael Page at UFC 319. Former title challenger Cannonier (18-8 MMA, 11-8 UFC) takes on Page (23-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in a middleweight bout Aug. 16 at United Center in Chicago (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). Page has only fought once at 185 pounds in the octagon when he handed Shara Magomedov his first-career loss at UFC Fight Night 250. Cannonier on the other hand, has fought the who's who in the division, from Israel Adesanya, to Robert Whittaker, and Sean Strickland. "The issue is that I have with the fight is that he's not really a middleweight," Cannonier told Submission Radio. "I'm focused on getting back to the title. I understand it's a big fight, it's on a big card. So, there is some weight there." Ex-UFC fighter Joe Riggs claimed that Cannonier wasn't too excited when offered Page, and how he heard Dana White had Cannonier on the "chopping block." Cannonier addressed Riggs' comments. "That's the rumor you guys have heard so, I'm going to leave it at that, a rumor that y'all heard," Cannonier said. Cannonier was asked if the matchup has grown on him over time, and his answer was no. "It's business as usual," Cannonier said. "It's all about the next fight, to be honest. It's not that. He may be unranked, but I don't know. I can't really make any reasoning behind the matchmaking. It's still an exciting fight. I've watched 'MVP' for a long time. He's a world-renowned fighter, and we all know who he is. We all love to watch him fight. So, it's still a big fight and with any fight, a dominant finish will get me back on track of where I want to go."
USA Today
19 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
'Meet him head on': Michael Bisping advises Dricus Du Plessis how to fight Khamzat Chimaev
Michael Bisping warns Dricus Du Plessis not to back up against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319. Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) defends his middleweight title against Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in the Aug. 16 main event at United Center in Chicago (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). Bisping acknowledges the work Chimaev has put in for his cardio, but doubts Du Plessis feels threatened. "Dricus Du Plessis, I mean, you cannot doubt this guy," Bisping said on ESPN's UFC on ABC 9 post show. "He said he wants to fight Khamzat on the ground. He said everyone else tries to avoid the ground with him, he said, 'I want to fight the best version of him. I want to test my skills against his on the ground.' He's not intimidated. "There are videos of Dricus Du Plessis online taking on an entire Gracie Barra blackbelt team and submitting them all one by one. He's big, he's strong, he can wrestle, he's got great judo, he's got knockout power. He's had a nose job so. He's got a great gas tank now as well. They hate each other. They absolutely hate each other." That being said, Bisping is confident that Chimaev will succeed in taking Du Plessis down. He advises the champion not to shy away from the early onslaught that the undefeated contender brings. "(Chimaev) is going to get you down," Bisping said. "Look at what he did to (Robert) Whittaker. Look at what he did to (Kamaru) Usman. Usman, with that fight you might go, 'Oh yeah, Usman's had his best days behind him.' Then, look what he did to Joaquin Buckley. "He's still got it. That's how good Khamzat Chimaev is at wrestling. So if you try and just do everything you can to avoid him and get away and run, you're just running away the entire time. He's going to get you. Nah, screw that. Meet him head on. Fight him at his own game."
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Meet him head on': Michael Bisping advises Dricus Du Plessis how to fight Khamzat Chimaev
Michael Bisping warns Dricus Du Plessis not to back up against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319. Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) defends his middleweight title against Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in the Aug. 16 main event at United Center in Chicago (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). Bisping acknowledges the work Chimaev has put in for his cardio, but doubts Du Plessis feels threatened. "Dricus Du Plessis, I mean, you cannot doubt this guy," Bisping said on ESPN's UFC on ABC 9 post show. "He said he wants to fight Khamzat on the ground. He said everyone else tries to avoid the ground with him, he said, 'I want to fight the best version of him. I want to test my skills against his on the ground.' He's not intimidated. "There are videos of Dricus Du Plessis online taking on an entire Gracie Barra blackbelt team and submitting them all one by one. He's big, he's strong, he can wrestle, he's got great judo, he's got knockout power. He's had a nose job so. He's got a great gas tank now as well. They hate each other. They absolutely hate each other." That being said, Bisping is confident that Chimaev will succeed in taking Du Plessis down. He advises the champion not to shy away from the early onslaught that the undefeated contender brings. "(Chimaev) is going to get you down," Bisping said. "Look at what he did to (Robert) Whittaker. Look at what he did to (Kamaru) Usman. Usman, with that fight you might go, 'Oh yeah, Usman's had his best days behind him.' Then, look what he did to Joaquin Buckley. "He's still got it. That's how good Khamzat Chimaev is at wrestling. So if you try and just do everything you can to avoid him and get away and run, you're just running away the entire time. He's going to get you. Nah, screw that. Meet him head on. Fight him at his own game." This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Michael Bisping issues warning to Dricus Du Plessis ahead of UFC 319
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lerone Murphy on Aaron Pico bout: 'A fighter like me, who's quiet and whatnot, I've got to take these chances'
Lerone Murphy has the biggest opportunity of his career lined up for Aug. 16 against promotional newcomer Aaron Pico at UFC 319. Competing in the promotion's big return to Chicago wasn't initially part of Murphy's summer plans. Top-ranked featherweight contender Movsar Evloev was instead tasked with welcoming Pico to the Octagon, however Evloev was ultimately forced to withdraw from the bout with an undisclosed injury. Speaking to Uncrowned on Monday's edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show," Murphy revealed that he was offered the matchup on short notice only a matter of days ago, yet he was fully on board with it immediately. "It's going to bring good eyes to me and it's a big opportunity for me now, in the position I'm in, to make some noise and try to get that No. 1 spot," Murphy explained. "A fighter like me, who's quiet and whatnot, I've got to take these chances. They're not going to give me nothing for free. "A fight's a fight. For me, I'm going in there with no pressure. Don't get it twisted, he's coming from another organization, but this kid's good. This kid's high level. I believe this is like a championship-level fight. He's good enough to compete with anyone in that division, especially in the top 10. So yeah, I think it's a big fight, it's a big stop to tick." Murphy, 34, joins the fast-growing list of UFC stalwarts to receive the honor of tackling one of the promotion's big-name acquisitions from the PFL-Bellator merger. Before Pico made the jump, his fellow former Bellator standouts Patchy Mix and Patricio Pitbull notably floundered in their UFC debuts. Despite Pico's lack of comparative experience to those two, Murphy doesn't want to discredit his next obstacle. The Brit also saw no reason to refuse the fight just because Pico has yet to debut. "He's fought some good guys, to be fair, but definitely not the level of guys I've fought," Murphy said. "I've fought better fighters than he has, so I think I've got the edge in experience. But yeah, he's wrestled from [early childhood] as well, so a fight's a fight. I've been in there with the best of the guys, and I'll be ready for Aaron Pico. Simple. "The game's the game. Listen, from a business perspective, people would probably have said, 'You shouldn't take the fight, sit out and wait for a big opportunity.' But it's like, for me, I think this is a big opportunity. I just want to fight as well, bro. I'm not getting no younger. I just want to stay active, I want to fight. Everybody else seems to get surgery and whatnot. Do I want to be sat out waiting until December, November? No, I don't. I'm ready to go now. So, whoever, whenever. "If I believe I can be champion, I've got to be able to fight anybody in any given moment, and that's it for me," Murphy continued. "We took the fight. I know it's a tough fight. I know it's a dangerous fight. Big risk, big reward, isn't it? Simple. I'm happy and I'm excited." As a UFC newcomer, Pico still finds himself in a massive spot with the late opponent switch, switching from one undefeated top featherweight contender to another. Like Evloev, Murphy has long been on a tear, winning 16 of his 17 career bouts, with the lone non-victory coming in the form of a draw six years ago in his UFC debut. Yet Murphy's winning streak hasn't yet put him at the forefront of title talks. For "The Miracle," he believes that's more a sign of the times than a knock on his talent. "I feel like MMA nowadays is like the WWE. You've got to have it all," Murphy said. "You've got to have the acting skills, there's a lot that comes with the game. "It's not just about who's the best fighter. If it was, there's a lot of guys that would have fought for the title a long time ago. It's about who's the fan favorite, and you see other guys in the division getting big, fast pushes. I fought two main events, beat two guys in main events. Two five-rounders. Three guys in the top 15, and I've still got to fight these people [like Pico]. So that just goes to show, if you're a fan favorite, you get fast-tracked. It's business, I get it." Murphy believes the same logic can be applied to Evloev and how he was lined up with Pico despite being the No. 1-ranked contender. As successful as Evloev has been, his lack of a finishes in his nine UFC fights has led to speculation that the UFC wants to see him be more exciting before he gets a title shot. But Murphy sees the potential to leapfrog the heap and get a title shot of his own if he takes out Pico. Reigning UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is among the current crop of titleholders still waiting to get their next title defense, which only gives Murphy more confidence he can make waves with an impactful performance. If nothing else, UFC 319 provides a good spotlight that the Brit intends to capitalize on. "I just explained the game," Murphy said. "When you look at it from the UFC's perspective, it's like, who's going to sell the pay-per-views? It's a business, and who's going to pay to see Volkanovski vs. Evloev? I personally would like to see it, but most people probably won't. They'll probably want to see the Diego Lopeses, the Jean Silvas. These guys that have got a bit of hype. The game's the game, isn't it? And if it goes off [merit], maybe Evloev should have gotten the title, but he's just pulled out of this fight here, another opportunity, so it's going to be a long road for him. "I think this fight's going to be a fire fight. I think we're both going to show our weight in gold and I believe this is the No. 1 contender fight. That was the No. 1 contender fight, Evloev and Pico, 100%. And obviously UFC want more U.S. champions, I believe. They've got one U.S. champion now at the moment. "I know if I go out there and do what I need to do, do what I know I can do, everybody's going to be screaming for my shot."
