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a day ago
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UFC Vegas 107 predictions, odds, full card preview: Is Maycee Barber a real title challenger?
The future could finally be now for Maycee Barber, starting at UFC Vegas 107. Barber takes on her fellow top-ranked flyweight contender in Saturday night's UFC main event. A win would extend her hot streak to seven straight, and though Barber may not have fulfilled her goal of becoming the youngest UFC champion of all time, it'd put her at the forefront of title talks. On the other side, Erin Blanchfield can steal that shine, re-cementing herself as a future star of the division. Advertisement UFC Vegas 107 is nothing to write home about, but the main event is excellent, and a handful of other notable contenders are in action as well. We'll leave it at that, but that doesn't mean we don't have predictions to make, folks. 👑 UFC Vegas 107's lineup Crown grade: D. 👑 Betting odds courtesy of BetMGM. Erin Blanchfield plans to get back on a winning streak at the expense of Maycee Barber. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) (Jeff Bottari via Getty Images) 125 pounds: Erin Blanchfield (-250) vs. Maycee Barber (+200) As much as I'd love to see UFC Vegas 107's main event in an arena full of fans on a PPV main card or something like that, I am glad that the ladies will have five potential rounds to work with. Let's start there, and throw out the fact that this is Barber's first five-round fight of her 16-fight career. Despite Barber's cardio having shown no problematic signs thus far, she stylistically will have an uphill battle if the fight drags out. Blanchfield is a relentless force on the ground, and that factor, along with her activity advantage, is surely what gives her the edge in the eyes of the oddsmakers. Advertisement I've been high on Blanchfield since day one, when she was showing early BJJ supremacy and winning her way to an Eddie Bravo Invitational championship at age 19. It's been ride or die en route to the top of the mountain, and she was right there, ready to challenge for gold had she gotten past Manon Fiorot in March 2024. The unanimous decision defeat ultimately may have been worth it, as Blanchfield was proven unready for a moment like that. Still just 26, her rebound win over former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas last November was a good appetizer to build back toward this inevitable Barber collision. The flyweight contenders were booked to fight in late 2021 and only found heaps of success afterward, with fans wondering how it would have played out. Barber has consistently proven to be one of the most aggressive and damaging strikers at 125 pounds. Her nasty clinch work and power combinations give anyone fits, making for a vast area of contention when she and Blanchfield meet in the pocket. Advertisement This fight boils down to how much damage Blanchfield can endure and how many takedowns Barber can defend. In the latter case, she'll want to avoid as many as possible because her chances of surviving submissions or getting controlled are worse than Barber's ability to withstand punishment. Although she's on a great six-fight winning streak, Barber has been taken down by all of those opponents. At first glance, I actually leaned Barber in this matchup, which is something I'd never have done until the Blanchfield vs. Fiorot fight. However, the extra time and Barber's suspect grappling defense keep me in favor of New Jersey's flyweight phenom. Pick: Blanchfield 155 pounds: Mateusz Gamrot (-170) vs. L'udovit Klein (+140) Does anyone else smell a trap fight in UFC Vegas 107's co-main event? Advertisement Mateusz Gamrot is one of the best lightweight fighters on the planet and should be fighting fights that show the world as much. That's no offense to L'udovit Klein, it's just the truth. Gamrot, quite literally, is so good that no one in the top 15 wanted to fight him for his No. 7 spot. That includes the No. 1 Arman Tsarukyan, who is being forced to re-earn his title shot, and who also saw his last loss come from Gamrot. The lightweight division is just all sorts of messed up right now. Regardless, we have what should be a great matchup despite the odd optics. Gamrot is technically masterful and sharp in every aspect of MMA, making him a problem for everyone. Klein is equally well-rounded and talented in his own right; he'll just be a step behind in this one, requiring a finish to secure the win. Unfortunately for him, Gamrot has never been finished. Pick: Gamrot 170 pounds: Ramiz Brahimaj (+300) vs. Billy Ray Goff (-375) I don't know when it happened, but Billy Goff added "Ray" to his name somewhere along the way. Advertisement It's been over a year since Goff last fought, coming up short in his sophomore Octagon appearance vs. Trey Waters. Meanwhile, Ramiz Brahimaj fought the week after Goff, dropping a unanimous decision to Themba Gorimbo before he knocked out Mickey Gall in November. Brahimaj has been as hot-and-cold as it gets since 2018. He's alternated wins and losses in his last 10 fights, winning his matchups with opponents who arguably aren't quite UFC caliber. The 26-year-old Goff has primarily been a finishing machine the past five years, and while stopping Brahimaj will be no easy task, the overall complete game of Goff should be too much for the inconsistent Brahimaj. Pick: Goff Dustin Jacoby is in the lone light heavyweight bout of the night at UFC Vegas 107. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) (Chris Unger via Getty Images) 205 pounds: Dustin Jacoby (-200) vs. Bruno Lopes (+165) The light heavyweight division has been weird since Jon Jones left it in the dust five years back. Let's look at the 37-year-old former GLORY Kickboxing champ Dustin Jacoby as a prime example. Right when you think the Marc Montoya product might be done, he goes out and puts away the 27-year-old Vitor Petrino in style last December. Advertisement On the other hand, Bruno Lopes is somewhat of a sneaky rising prospect in the 205-pound ranks, riding a solid three-fight winning streak with only a single loss in his 15-fight career. In terms of pure striking, Jacoby should be able to control this matchup and do as he pleases. Lopes has just proven to be more dangerous in all areas of MMA. His last win over the previously undefeated Magomed Gadzhiyasulov was somewhat of an eye-opener as well. I'm surprised the oddsmakers are giving the edge to Jacoby, but ultimately, I expect Lopes to wear down the seasoned veteran. Pick: Lopes 135 pounds: Ketlen Vieira (+110) vs. Macy Chiasson (-135) Why settle for one "Macy" when we can have two? That was the matchmakers' thoughts going into UFC Vegas 107, anyway. That's right. Macy Chiasson is also in action this weekend, friends. Advertisement One of my proudest predictions of 2024 was Chiasson's war with Mayra Bueno Silva delivering at UFC 303 last June. The win was so good that Chiasson finds herself favored going into an extremely difficult bout with Brazil's Ketlen Vieira. At this stage in, let's just say life, what more can be said about women's bantamweight? It simply is what it is — and that isn't necessarily good compared to its arrival in the UFC. These are two of the division's consistent best, though. Had some decisions been judged slightly differently, we'd be having some very different conversations about how the title scene shook out, particularly regarding Vieira. Chiasson has been massive for the division since she dropped from featherweight, but that's not to say she'll outsize Vieira. We've often seen Chiasson bully and batter her opponents with strikes, clinching or at distance. Her grappling has improved tremendously since she won The Ultimate Fighter 28 in 2018. However, Vieira is one of the best "nullifiers" south of 145. Her mix of judo and wrestling has been problematic for anyone less than superior to her in those realms (like Kayla Harrison), but she can be inactive with her damage output. Tactically, Vieira just has a tighter overall package to her MMA craft. Chiasson is the more dangerous, but she will have to fight for her breathing room to unleash offense. Advertisement Pick: Vieira 185 pounds: Zachary Reese (-250) vs. Dusko Todorovic (+200) Fights don't get much more "must-win" than this for Dusko Todorovic. "Thunder" started his career a perfect 10-0, reaching that mark with his UFC debut in 2020. He's now 12-5 and had his chin shattered in four of those losses. It's somewhat surprising that he's still getting another shot off the heels of back-to-back first-round knockout losses. The dude goes out on his shield, and that makes for a great highlight booster. You hate to say that, but that's the reality of the situation. Zachary Reese has also only lost by knockout, dropping two of his 10 career fights. He just hasn't been bolted as often and brutally as Todorovic. That's damage accumulation, folks. We're not getting too deep with this one. Todorovic simply won't be able to take as much damage as Reese at the speed at which they'll collide. Advertisement Pick: Reese Allan Nascimento seeks his third straight win at UFC Vegas 107. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) (Chris Unger via Getty Images) Preliminary notes I had thought it had been a minute since Allan Nascimento fought. Then his record swiftly reminded me of the myriad of cancellations he's had, keeping him out of action since January 2023. Put the inactivity aside, you'll easily forget how legit the guy is because of it. Other than the Charles Oliveira teammate, I'll highlight another Brazilian in the former Invicta FC atomweight champion Rayanne dos Santos. It's been an incredibly demoralizing start to dos Santos' UFC career, losing back-to-back split decisions she very easily should have or could have won. Regardless, she's clearly much better at 105 pounds, but a loss to Alice Ardelean would permanently kill her UFC career. (As a strawweight.) Advertisement Quick picks: Allan Nascimento (-150) def. Jafel Filho (+125) Jordan Leavitt (-220) def. Kurt Holobaugh (+180) Andreas Gustafsson (-170) def. Trevin Giles (+140) Bolaji Oki (-350) def. Michael Aswell (+275) Rayanne dos Santos (-275) def. Alice Ardelean (+220)
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2 days ago
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Michael Chandler Finally Opens Up About ‘Baddy' Beatdown
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC Mangled Mike has finally broken his silence. It has been 47 days since Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) superstar Paddy Pimblett destroyed Michael Chandler inside the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, at UFC 314 (watch highlights), and for the most part, 'Iron' Mike kept quiet other than a few motivational posts. Advertisement Well, today, Chandler has finally opened up about his stoppage loss. 'I feel like I couldn't get my rhythm. I couldn't get my range,' Chandler told MMA Junkie. 'Paddy fights long, he fights with his chin way up in the air, and he's pretty far away from you. Throws a lot of kicks to keep the distance, and I felt like I was just kind of getting settled in and obviously, took the knee to the face, and then got taken down, and that was the end of it. It's one of those deals where you learn. Hat's off to Paddy, he had a great gameplan, went out there and got the win.' Chandler has no regrets about taking the fight, even though he had a lingering knee injury that hindered him. 'I was coming off a knee injury that I needed to get some rehab on and some physical therapy and all that stuff,' Chandler said. 'It started feeling better, and I'm the kind of guy where I'd rather just go than sit around and wait, you know? Maybe that was the wrong decision, but I was moving around well in the training decision to take the fight pretty early was my decision and my decision alone.' Advertisement As for when the former Bellator champion wants to return, he is taking the summer off to enjoy being a fan of the sport but knows there are plenty of names for his next outing (including a Conor McGregor fight that he has teased). 'I'm definitely going to take a little bit of time off. I'm going to take the summer off,' Chandler said. 'I've already spoken to the UFC that, 'Hey, don't call me for any summer shows.' I will show up, I will be a fan, I will do some appearances.' 'I will be a part of the UFC brand, but I need to take a little bit of time off and heal my body up. Then we'll see what's next. There's obviously a ton of different names out there, ton of possibilities, and we'll see,' Chandler concluded. To checkout more MMA news and notes click here. More from
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2 days ago
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Erin Blanchfield has put it all together at just 26 — and that's a scary thought for UFC women's flyweights
The first time Erin Blanchfield appeared in a main event was a little over two years ago, when she headlined a UFC Fight Night card against Jessica Andrade at the Apex. You might remember how that one went down. Andrade came out headhunting until Blanchfield shot for her first takedown early in the second round, immediately took side control, then sunk a rear-naked choke before the commentators could really get into the meat of their notes. That's when Blanchfield first arrived. She was just 23 at the time. Advertisement Yet her second main event might be the one that comes to define her. Or at least, the fight that went into necessary scaffolding of what she hopes is a championship run. That one came last spring in her home state of New Jersey, a showroom booking against Manon Fiorot in Atlantic City. It was a partisan crowd at Boardwalk Hall, there to see the upstart Blanchfield — who was 6-0 in the UFC to that point and carried the nickname of 'Cold-Blooded' — punch her ticket to a title shot. Yet what happened was closer to existential vertigo. Fiorot shut her down for five full rounds, rendering all of what made Blanchfield the women's most dominant prospect — the pressure, the pace, the managing of distance and the changing of levels — all but moot. Fiorot forced Blanchfield to produce a Plan B. Problem was, there wasn't a Plan B. Up until that point, Plan A had always worked. Advertisement Yet sometimes a hard night at the office is exactly what a young fighter needs, a night when you're forced to look more closely at your own shortcomings. If the now 26-year-old Blanchfield's rebound performance against Rose Namajunas in November is any indication, the old fight game proverb still holds true: 'You learn more from your losses …' Erin Blanchfield punches Rose Namajunas in a flyweight fight during a UFC Fight Night event at Rogers Place on Nov. 2, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) (Jeff Bottari via Getty Images) 'I think you really do,' Blanchfield told Uncrowned. 'I've had a few losses in my career, and I feel like after I've lost, I've learned the most because it really pushes you. You don't want to lose again, and it really exposes your weaknesses. I feel like I was able to look back on that [Fiorot] fight and adjust and come back and start building a winning streak again.' She could hit two consecutive wins if she can take care of business in what will be her third main event Saturday against Maycee Barber at the Apex. It hasn't officially been dubbed a title eliminator in the women's flyweight division, but an emphatic win either way could certainly sway the matchmakers. Right now, Brazil's Natalia Silva sits as the No. 1 contender for champion Valentina Shevchenko, and there's always the possibility strawweight champ Zhang Weili could move up to try to win a second title. Advertisement None of that matters to Blanchfield, who's orbited the title for the last few years. In a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business, she knows the importance of making the case whenever the spotlight comes around. 'I feel like getting a really good win, like a finish on Saturday, it could put me right in a title picture,' she says. 'I've been fighting top five for the last two years now, so I feel like it's been a really good experience for me and just prepping me for when I do get that title shot. 'But I don't feel like there's a huge hurry [to get the title shot]. I've been in the top five for a while, but I think people forget how young I was in the top five, only 23 when I first got in. So I think I needed that experience and I needed those fights, so whichever way it goes, I know I plan on being undeniable and keep winning and improving, so I'll get there.' If her and Barber share a connection, it's that both are still young (Barber just turned 27), both have carried big expectations since they were ridiculously young (when Barber was 21, she vowed to become the youngest champ in UFC history until 10-to-1 underdog Roxanne Modafferi upset her), and both have been battle-tested (Barber's loss to Alexa Grasso all but dropper her out of top-10 talk for years). Advertisement If anything, this weekend's fight is meant to serve as a reminder the youth movement is still very much underway. That yesterday's phenoms are now carrying experience. The growth of Blanchfield lies in the details of the Namajunas fight, which was taking a bad turn early — much like the Fiorot bout. Namajunas was holding court in first couple of rounds. It looked like Blanchfield was headed toward a second straight loss, yet this time she was able to overcome the slow start. 'She's a really good boxer,' Blanchfield says of Namajunas. 'I feel like the first two rounds she out-pointed me a bit. She was kind of getting her shots off, and she was countering really well. But I was able to get my takedown in the third round and then in the fourth round I began out-striking her.' That's when vintage 'Cold-Blooded' Blanchfield began to take over. Advertisement 'I could feel that I was beating her there, and then the fifth round I was able to take her down again and beat her from there. I had a little bit of bad start, but she's also really talented and then I was able to build as the fight went.' Back when Blanchfield was coming up, she would overwhelm people by dictating where the fight would take place. She dragged JJ Aldrich into the deep water before submitting her in the second round. She all but ruined the hype of Molly McCann in what was a lopsided affair at UFC 281. She controlled Miranda Maverick and Taila Santos as if holding them in custody, racking up control times that have made those betting the over at times very happy. What Blanchfield likes to do is break an opponent mentally and physically. Advertisement In fact, she's been so predictably dominant that some people have accused her of being the one word no fighter wants to be associated with. Boring. 'I wouldn't say I'm a boring fighter,' Blanchfield says. 'I would say I'm a technical fighter. I try to bring the fight where I want to fight, to make it my fight. I think I've gotten a lot of finishes. I've got a lot of finishes, with my jiu-jitsu, and I want to get some finishes with my striking as well. My goal is always to try to finish people.' She'll get another chance Saturday against a fighter who has led the chorus of saying Blanchfield is boring. Never mind that Barber has just one finish in the last six years (to Blanchfield's five), a little bad blood never hurts. Advertisement '[Maycee]'s been outspoken,' Blanchfield says. 'I plan on going there Saturday and finishing her. I mean, I know people always say they need to talk, right? They need to talk whether they're trying to build up a fight or make themselves feel better, so that's kind of where I put that.' Where Blanchfield has always done her loudest talking is in the Octagon. The Namajunas fight told us that she's back. Back to dictating the fight on her own terms. Back to figuring people out. Back to breaking people in a way that makes her becoming a champion more a question of when rather than if. 'I feel like you can tell [when somebody is breaking], especially when people start getting gassed, they'll be taking these deep breaths,' she says, almost too happily. 'I've been in fights where I'm fighting them and I've seen them take a big breath and you're like, 'Oh, I know you're tired, it's my time to go.' Or you feel them crumbling under your strikes. So, yeah, those are the moments you can feel you're breaking someone.'
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3 days ago
- Health
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Sean O'Malley's coach: Merab Dvalishvili loss humbled both of us and 'forced us to level up'
Sean O'Malley is going into his big title fight rematch with Merab Dvalishvili more focused than before. (Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC) Sean O'Malley has changed his ways ahead of his upcoming UFC title rematch against Merab Dvalishvili. O'Malley has been out of action since September, when Dvalishvili became one of only two fighters to ever defeat him, winning a unanimous decision at UFC 306 and stealing away the UFC bantamweight title. On June 7, the pair rematch for the belt at UFC 316 inside Newark, New Jersey's Prudential Center. Advertisement According to O'Malley's longtime head coach Tim Welch, the loss had a significant impact on O'Malley, especially compared to when "Sugar" previously fell short against Marlon "Chito" Vera in 2020. "I've seen it a lot after a fighter loses — it literally just demoralizes them," Welch said Wednesday on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show." "You see their confidence go away. But with Sean, he's not like that. He's a mentally very strong kid, and I knew for a fact that he was going to figure out what's going to be the best mentality I can have after this, and he's going to do that. "It forced him to change a lot of things in his life, and it forced him to just kind of level up. It did kind of humble both of us and it forced us to level up, so his mindset has been so good. His happiness doesn't come from winning or losing his fights. His happiness comes from his relationships with his family and his health and stuff. So I knew the type of kid he is — I'm around him enough. It's not like he went out there and got his ass kicked [by Dvalishvili]. He didn't walk out of there with black eyes and bruised ribs, a cut face. He was more healthy after that fight, I think, than any of our other fights. "Tactical mistakes, [he] got tired, was super bummed out for a little bit, but it definitely woke up a different 'Sugar.'" O'Malley, 30, had a relatively short title reign that began in August 2023 with his second-round stoppage of Aljamain Sterling. He successfully defended his belt once in a lopsided rematch against Vera, but Welch notes that his pupil battled injuries throughout that stretch which led to "horrible camps." Advertisement Yet O'Malley's biggest changes before the Dvalishvili rematch have arguably been mental. Welch has been impressed to see the former champ plow through 2025 without the use of marijuana or social media, which according to Welch, have led to O'Malley seeming much happier in life overall. "He quit weed completely," Welch said. "He was really sore two weeks ago. I'm like, 'Hey, we got this thing. It's called herbs and it will help you relax a little bit.' He's like, 'Nope. Not doing it.' "He just completely quit the weed and completely got off Instagram, Snapchat and X. Before, every time we're doing something, his following's so big, he makes such good money on social media — every time we're doing something, it's like, 'Oh, what kind of content creation? What kind of funny reels can we do?' Always thinking about that. Now he's not thinking about that kind of stuff at all. I think he's a lot more at peace." Advertisement Although the social media departure is likely to stick, Welch believes the marijuana abstention will probably be a temporary pursuit, as O'Malley doesn't feel it hinders him as much. "I think he definitely doesn't want to be back on social media," Welch said of O'Malley. "He says the amount of anxiety that he doesn't have anymore just because of not being on Snapchat, Instagram, X — he's really, really liking it. He has more time to hang out with his kids and just focus on things that are healthy for your mind instead of everybody else's input." Dvalishvili has already matched O'Malley's title reign with a single title defense, having dispatched Umar Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision in January. Advertisement Stylistically, the matchup against Dvalishvili is as tough as any for a knockout artist like O'Malley, demanding he fends off the consistent pressure wrestling of Georgia's "Machine." In many ways, UFC 316 could be a make-or-break moment for O'Malley. Back-to-back defeats to Dvalishvili would make a trilogy almost entirely unjustifiable. However Welch said both he and O'Malley have done their best to ignore what people have said about them leading up to the fight. He, too, is feeling more confident in their preparation. "I wouldn't say [UFC 316 has been] less stressful just because of the guy we're dealing with," Welch said. "Merab is such a tank. But I'm not waking up in the middle of the night like I was before the fight with 'Aljo' [Sterling], constantly stressed about that fight. I feel a little bit better for it. Advertisement "S****y camp, great camp, it's whatever's going to happen in that 25 minutes on that night. So I'm not really playing into it that much. Just trying to be in the moment this whole week, next [week for] fight week. Focus on what we can control, then just go see what happens." Dvalishvili has only lost four times in his 23-fight career, with three of those loses coming in decisions. The champion's chin has yet to be fully cracked, despite a few scares along the way. Yet in the O'Malley sequel, Welch expects his man to get the job done and make history, ultimately setting up a trilogy. "He's good at getting in a position, just doing enough damage to not get you stood up," Welch said. "He's not going to beat your ass. He's going to make you tired. He might knee your thigh a couple times. He's not going to beat your ass but he's going to dominate the positions. He's an expert at winning 25 minutes. "The only person I've really seen hurt him is [O'Malley] hurt him in the fifth round. Marlon Moraes, they cracked him and stuff, but later on in these championship rounds, [O'Malley] gave him his best go."
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4 days ago
- General
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UFC legend B.J. Penn charged with family abuse after strange bedroom arrest: video
Former UFC champion B.J. Penn was arrested on a charge of abuse of a family or household member on Sunday, and posted a strange video showing cops trying to arrest him in his bedroom. TMZ reported Tuesday that Penn was taken to jail in Hilo, Hawaii, on Sunday and released on $2,000 bail shortly before 2 a.m. on Monday. Advertisement Penn posted a disturbing clip of the incident on Instagram Monday night, during which he argued with officers before being taken away in handcuffs. UFC hall of famer BJ Penn is seen in attendance during the UFC 267 event at Etihad Arena on October 30, 2021 in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Zuffa LLC 'How can I be under arrest for harassment? This is my house,' Penn told the officers. 'I just went to go grab the mail. Can we call an officer I know that can talk to you guys? Why am I being arrested again? What kind of harassment? What does harassment mean?' He also denied any wrongdoing in the caption of the social media post. MMA legend BJ Penn was arrested over the weekend in a video posted to instagram on May 26, 2025. Instagram/@bjpenn B.J. Penn as he was escorted out of an apartment building. Instagram/@bjpenn Police officers walking Penn down a flight of stairs. Instagram/@bjpenn 'In Hawaii, 'impostor theft' refers to instances where individuals falsely impersonate others, often to steal their identity or commit fraudulent acts,' Penn wrote. 'This can involve using a fake identity to obtain documents, financial accounts, or even posing as law enforcement or other professionals to commit crimes. #hawaii.' Advertisement TMZ added that Penn is set to appear in court on Tuesday. The latest incident comes a month after the UFC Hall of Famer bizarrely claimed that his family had been murdered and replaced with imposters in a series of Instagram posts. BJ Penn poses for a portrait during a UFC photo session on December 26, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Zuffa LLC via Getty Images 'My mother Lorraine Shin, my brother Jay Dee Penn, my brother, Reagan Penn and my brother Kalani Mamazuka [were] all murdered and I need [police] to investigate these guys get these people out of my house and my off my properties,' Penn captioned one of the posts on April 8.
