Latest news with #UFCFightNight250
USA Today
27-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC 317 adds Viacheslav Borshchev vs. Terrance McKinney to lineup
UFC 317 adds Viacheslav Borshchev vs. Terrance McKinney to lineup Terrance McKinney and Viacheslav Borshchev will meet in a matchup of powerful lightweight strikers at UFC 317. The fight card that highlights UFC's 13th annual International Fight Week on June 28 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) will feature McKinney (16-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) vs. Borshchev (8-5-1 MMA, 3-4-1 UFC) as part of the lineup. Two people with knowledge of the booking verified the news to MMA Junkie after McKinney announced the fight himself on Monday. McKinney, 30, is coming off a two-minute finish of Damir Hadzovic at UFC Fight Night 250 in February. "T-Wrecks" has earned all 16 of his career wins by stoppage, with a remarkable 15 of those coming in the first round. Borshchev, 33, meanwhile, will try to rebound from a unanimous decision loss to Tom Nolan at UFC 312 in February. "Slava" is 1-2-1 in his past four fights overall dating back to November 2023. The latest UFC 317 lineup includes:
USA Today
14-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Nassourdine Imavov named official backup for Du Plessis vs. Chimaev at UFC 319
Nassourdine Imavov named official backup for Du Plessis vs. Chimaev at UFC 319 Nassourdine Imavov will weigh in as a backup for the middleweight title fight at UFC 319. Champion Dricus Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) defends his title when he meets 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+). Imavov (16-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC), who's coming off a knockout of former champion Israel Adesanya at UFC Fight Night 250 in February, has been named the official backup. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the news to MMA Junkie after an initial report from RMC Sport Combat. Imavov earned the No. 1 spot in the UFC middleweight rankings after four straight wins over Roman Dolidze, Jared Cannonier, Brendan Allen, and Adesanya. Imavov was called out by No. 6 Caio Borralho, but the French fighter dismissed his challenge due to having nothing to gain from facing a lower-ranked opponent.
USA Today
25-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Paul Felder: David Goggins can help Israel Adesanya find next level of commitment and grit
Paul Felder: David Goggins can help Israel Adesanya find next level of commitment and grit Paul Felder sees David Goggins having a positive impact on Israel Adesanya. Adesanya (24-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) has recently spent time training with former Navy SEAL Goggins, who put him through the trenches in a workout that resulted in the former UFC middleweight champion throwing up. With Adesanya currently on a three-fight losing skid, Felder thinks Goggins can reignite the fire in "The Stylebender." "Depending on what you're using it for, this could be a great thing for him," Felder said on the "Believe You Me" podcast. "Because if it's just to get your ass back in gear, get you motivated, and maybe push yourself to another level that you're not quite getting just doing your basic, everyday gym training, and you want to just kind of find out who you are, Goggins is the guy to pull that out of you. 'He's just going to torture you. He's going to make you find another level down there. And with somebody like Izzy, who's shown that he's still got the skills, whereas Tony (Ferguson), I see why that might have been something they were trying to pair up with each other to try to dig him out of the trenches, but I think he's just too far gone physically and in so many other ways, where (Goggins) wasn't able to really make him successful." Goggins' work with Tony Ferguson may have not yielded results, but his work with UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones prior to his fight against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 certainly did. "Jones, I could see why Jon would want a guy like that around, a guy who maybe slips off and loses discipline," Felder said. "And Izzy maybe is having the same issues where he just needs to find that next level of commitment and grit more importantly." Adesanya is coming off a TKO loss to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night 250 in February. He recently caught the itch to compete again, and wants to avenge his loss to Sean Strickland, who dethroned him to become middleweight champion at UFC 293.
USA Today
23-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Daniel Cormier hopes Nassourdine Imavov isn't forgotten in UFC middleweight title picture
Daniel Cormier hopes Nassourdine Imavov isn't forgotten in UFC middleweight title picture Daniel Cormier urges Nassourdine Imavov to throw his name in the hat after rumors of UFC champion Dricus Du Plessis' injury. With UFC middleweight champion Du Plessis allegedly sidelined, Caio Borralho (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) has campaigned to fight No. 1 contender Khamzat Chimaev for the interim title. Cormier is against the idea of an interim title, but thinks it would be unfair for Imavov (16-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC) not to be involved in a big fight after finishing former champion Israel Adesanya at UFC Fight Night 250. "If I am Imavov, I'm saying, 'Listen, I want to be involved,'" Cormier said on his YouTube channel. "'This trifecta becomes a foursome because I need to be involved. I don't care what you're doing, whatever you're doing needs to involve me because I have earned that. When Brendan Allen was riding hot, I beat him. "'You told me to fight Izzy. I beat him. I have earned my chance to fight one of the best.' And granted, an interim title fight does not seem as exciting when you input Imavov over maybe Borralho, but just a big fight, not for an interim title as I'm saying it should be." Borralho initially called out Imavov, but his challenge was dismissed. Imavov is focused on fighting upwards, and Cormier agrees with him. "Imavov deserves to be there, man," Cormier said. "Let's call a spade a spade. He deserves to be there, and I hope that they don't forget about this dude, because this dude has earned his opportunity to fight in that level of competition with those level of guys."
USA Today
11-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Caio Borralho claims 'f*cking p*ssy' Nassourdine Imavov turned down UFC fight: 'Dagestan is ashamed of you'
According to Caio Borralho, Nassourdine Imavov rejected to fight him. Both Borralho (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and Imavov (16-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC) sit atop of the middleweight division as they vie for a title shot. Borralho previously called out Imavov, and revealed that the UFC tried to match them up, but Imavov was not interested. Borralho went off on Imavov, downplaying his recent finishes over Jared Cannonier, and former champion Israel Adesanya in the UFC Fight Night 250 headliner. Borralho's most recent win came in a five-round main event over Cannonier this past August. 'I just heard the news that they offered us a fight. I said yes right away, and he came and said no,' Imavov told Full Send MMA. 'Then the UFC came to him and said, 'If you say no, you're not the next in line. Caio's going to be ahead of you.' Then he said, 'OK, I agree with that.' So I don't know what this guy is thinking. 'People are saying, 'Oh, he finished Cannonier.' It was an early (stoppage). He was losing the fight. After that, 'Oh, he finished Adesanya.' OK, it was a great job, but he was getting beaten up by a guy who was on three straight losses. Even if it's Adesanya, it's three straight losses. He's not in the best moment of his career, so nothing to be proud of.' Borralho stepped it up a notch by going after Imavov's origins. 'I heard this guy is kind of a Dagestani. I think the Dagestani people are ashamed of him,' Borralho said. 'I heard that the Dagestani guys like to fight. They fight in the street. They live a rough life. But this guy is a f*cking p*ssy. He's not Dagestani. Dagestan is ashamed of you, have shame on you. That's what they have.'
