UFC 295 Preview Show

The highly anticipated UFC 295 is set to take place at Madison Square Garden, featuring an exhilarating lineup of fights. Ahead of the event, MMA Fighting presents the UFC 295 Preview Show. Join expert analysts Mike Heck, Shaun Al-Shatti, and Alexander K. Lee as they provide in-depth analysis, fight predictions, and a full event breakdown of this action-packed card.

Key Takeaways:

Expert analysis and fight predictions for each matchup
Insights into the implications of a win for Prochazka and Pereira in the main event
Discussion on the future of the light heavyweight division
An overview of the co-main event title fight and the potential for a unification bout
Full event breakdown and analysis from the main event to the preliminary bouts

Main Event: Jiri Prochazka vs Alex Pereira

The main event of UFC 295 is set to be an electrifying showdown between Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira. Both fighters will be vying for the vacant light heavyweight title, adding an extra layer of intensity to this highly anticipated matchup.

Jiri Prochazka, a former champion in the division, is known for his aggressive fighting style and devastating knockout power. With an impressive record and a reputation for putting on thrilling performances, Prochazka is expected to bring the heat to the octagon.

Alex Pereira, on the other hand, comes from a kickboxing background and has made a name for himself with his exceptional striking skills. This will be Pereira’s first major opportunity to make his mark in the MMA world and prove that he is a force to be reckoned with.

The clash between Prochazka and Pereira promises to be an epic battle between two top-tier athletes hungry for victory. With the vacant title on the line, both fighters will leave it all in the octagon, delivering an unforgettable main event for UFC 295.

Recent Performance Comparison

	Jiri Prochazka	Alex Pereira
Record	29-3-1	8-2-0
Knockout Wins	25	6
Submission Wins	na	0
Decision Wins	na	2

Table: Recent Performance Comparison between Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira.

Co-Main Event: Sergei Pavlovich vs Tom Aspinall

The co-main event of UFC 295 is set to showcase a highly anticipated clash between heavyweight contenders Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall. With the interim heavyweight championship on the line, both fighters are expected to leave it all inside the Octagon. This matchup presents an intriguing contrast in styles and skills, making it a must-watch for fight fans.

Sergei Pavlovich comes into this bout riding a wave of momentum, with a string of impressive victories that have put the division on notice. Known for his knockout power and technical abilities, Pavlovich has proven to be a force to be reckoned with. On the other side, Tom Aspinall has emerged as a rising star in the heavyweight division, showcasing his own skills and putting together an impressive winning streak.

With the interim championship at stake, both fighters have everything to gain and will leave no stone unturned in their preparation. The winner of this bout could find themselves in a prime position for a future shot at the undisputed heavyweight title, adding even more significance to this co-main event clash.

In-Depth Analysis: Sergei Pavlovich vs Tom Aspinall

Fighter	Style	Record	Notable Wins
Sergei Pavlovich	Knockout artist with technical skills	14-1-0	Marcin Tybura, Maurice Greene
Tom Aspinall	Well-rounded with excellent ground game	11-2-0	Andrei Arlovski, Alan Baudot

“This co-main event matchup between Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall is a fascinating clash of heavyweight talents. Pavlovich’s knockout power and technical skills make him a dangerous opponent for anyone in the division, while Aspinall’s well-rounded game and ground skills have earned him recognition as a rising star. It’s a pivotal fight for both fighters, and the winner will undoubtedly establish themselves as a top contender in the heavyweight division.” – MMA Fighting’s expert analysis

Full Event Breakdown and Analysis

The UFC 295 preview show by MMA Fighting’s experts offers a comprehensive full event breakdown and analysis of the entire fight card. With their years of experience and deep knowledge of the sport, they provide viewers with valuable insights and expert analysis that can enhance their understanding of the matchups.

From the highly anticipated main event between Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira to the preliminary bouts, no fight goes unnoticed. The experts carefully assess each fighter’s strengths, weaknesses, and fighting styles, allowing viewers to gain a thorough understanding of how the fights may unfold.

Not only do the experts provide analysis on the individual matchups, but they also offer their predictions for each fight. This can assist viewers in making more informed fight predictions of their own, enabling them to participate in the excitement of UFC 295 with a deeper understanding of the potential outcomes.

If you want to stay ahead of the game and have a better grasp of the action-packed event at Madison Square Garden, be sure to tune in to the UFC 295 preview show. The full event breakdown, analysis, and expert insights provided by MMA Fighting’s experts will give you the inside scoop you need to fully appreciate and enjoy this highly anticipated UFC event.

Video Transcription

mixed martial arts mixed martial arts how do we like our martial arts in New

York City

yes that was an incredible introduction Casey well done yes UFC 295 back well

the UFC is back in Madison Garden for UFC 295 you see the faces they’ll be fighting for championships yes you’re

were supposed to get Jon Jones maybe in his final fight against Steve apit maybe in his final fight but injuries happen

Things Fall Apart sometimes but in the end we got a fascinating Main Event a very intriguing co-main event and a very

interesting MSG is lineup which we’re going to talk about right now here on the UFC 295 preview show Welcome

everybody I am Mike Heck I never do these alone thank goodness we got my bald Brethren the wise Wordsmith Deputy

edor for mmafighting.com the great Shan ALS how we doing sir I’m doing wonderful

my man this is my most anticipated fight of the year I’m back with you gentlemen this is great this is great time and

fresh off of hosting the weigh-in show like nobody else my best friend the prince of positivity Mr Alexander Kay Le

hey K how’s it going what is up what is up everybody happy veterans well be tomorrow Advanced happy Veterans Day and

happy uh Remembrance Day in Canada for my for my fellow Canucks but uh yeah super pump for Saturday’s card I’m with

Daniel Cormier give me this pavich Aspen fight over Jon Jones Stipe any day I’m

all about I’m all about being hardore Mike people know me is they call me AK hardcore Lee that’s how I’m uh that’s

how I how highly my fandom is regarded and this is a hardcore delight at the top I feel and and and a really really

good ban card overall that is very catchy no I feel

like you’ve had 18 nicknames fighting yeah I’m like Shaq it’s got a

lot ah well said AK you know what Shaheen I I want to begin with you because AK brought out a key word that

I’ve been hearing since this Jon Jones stpe fight fell apart hardcore this is a

hardcore fans Delight but may not have the Casual appeal like this card probably doesn’t pass the Public’s

grocery store test but for the hardcore fan these are two very interesting fights the main event is the one we’ve been

looking forward to we had the ranking show we ranked them it was like unanimous Yuri prashka versus Alex PR

was the fight but I don’t know man like The Vibes just don’t seem the same as

compared to most other MSG cards like it is very strange is it not like compared

to even 281 and 268 especially 205 that was obviously the historic event the first one at MSG but this just feels

like a like a regular pay-per-view not that it’s a bad thing but for MSG this I

don’t know it’s just the buzz isn’t where it typically is do you feel that too you know what I think okay I would

say that’s a fair assessment right but I also don’t care yes I’m being honest

right like we spend so much time worrying about how big things are going to be numbers excitement does it feel

like the Casual audience is involved all that I don’t give a I really don’t this week Mike this one’s for us

sometimes we get one for us this one’s for us this is Christmas come early this is birthdays come early this is all of

it wrapped in one for me at least if the gods of valaha came down right now and said Heen I need you to make this deal

we’re gonna wipe out the rest of the MMA calendar but you get to keep yui and Alex 100% sure you get it I’m signing up

for that deal right now I do not care Mike I don’t care whether no one likes this I don’t care where everyone whether Everyone likes this this one is for me

I’m so deeply deeply excited for this light heavyweight title fight this is chaos incarnate just to the two absolute

chaos agents of the UFC right now just going at each other and also you know this heavyweight fight is very fun and

probably is the whoever wins this is going to be the heavyweight champion by this time next year because of how the weird this division is so I just really

don’t care I really don’t I’m so excited for this and I just I I almost just don’t even want to talk about this Main

Event because I don’t want to jinx it but it’s going to be so much fun you you may not feel the buzz right now and I feel like that was pretty predictable

right you get two guys who aren’t really like hype up Masters they’re not really cutting promos out here but by the time

Jerry and Alex are walking out there tomorrow night we’re all going to be feeling it yeah these are four like Tom aspadol

has a great personality but the other three guys could just stand there looking stoic and you’re just like all

right these guys get it they don’t have to say a word they just look angry and ready to fight AK where are you at with this I’ll get your gymnastics score as

well but yeah this is the buzz may not be there but this is the Hardcore Delight kind of an MSG card this just

feels like a regular pay-per-view and that’s okay this is for us AK what’s the gymnastics score for UFC 295 where are

we at here uh first let me say Shaheen may not care about the people but I do I think uh their voice is important uh you

guys are if you people are out there you are important all right don’t listen to Shaheen saying who cares what the public

think that’s just absurd uh so of course I’ve thrown up a poll uh uh uh echoing a question uh Mike

that you asked on on heck of a morning that was discussed on heck of a morning earlier today even uh where you rank UFC 295 among the Madison Square Garden

cards and and I wish I could provide a better range I just gave three options best best lineup middle of the road

worst lineup uh worst lineup very few people picking up so far at 8% most people agreeing it’s middle of the road

uh 61% it’s it’s a heart it’s hard to um when you’re when you’re doing a gymnastics rating it’s you kind of have

to compare to what you would have given the other ones right you can’t just say like I think it’s a good card relative

to like maybe uh some of the other cards this year but comparing to mg’s so uh

just a quick recap of course the very first show yoc 205 I mean it was making history uh uh the support had been

legalized in the state you got Conor McGregor Eddie Alvarez I mean boom right there there’s that’s that’s immediately

a top tier card in addition to the other star power that was on it and the undercard there was uh the prelims I just say excuse me were loaded as well I

mean if you look at the names on the 205 card compared to the names on Saturday’s

card a lot of talented fighters on Saturday definitely not many who are you know proven UFC names uh 217 the return

of GSP 230 uh Daniel Cormier that was a pretty strong you would probably May ranking around here Dan Cormier Derrick

Lewis um what else we had 244 mazal Diaz BMF really well builtup car 268 Usman

cumington rematch and 281 uh petta uh Alex petta upsetting Israel Des so um

then Zang Le had T fight as well so that’s and that’s just again just looking at the top fights they’re considerably stronger than this so I’ll

relative like this is relative relative to the other MSG cards this card if you’re watching from

very first prelim to like uh to Main Event it’s like maybe a 8.8 8.8 and

before anyone says I thought you know you thought nine was a minimum for pay-per-view uh I’m recalibrating I I’ve

maybe been too generous my scores I think my scores have been a little wild Jed Michu michul and star system is outstanding has made me rethink my way

of scoring so we’ll go 8 if everything goes right I just don’t see a world where even if we get you know seven or

eight highlight real finishes and um a bunch of great back and forth battles that this is ends up as like one of the

most memorable uh pay-per-views to come to uh to MSG yeah I I get both sides of this

equation because I’m like I’m I’m with Sean here it’s just I don’t care what the Casual audience thinks because

they’re not going to watch anything unless the biggest stars are on anyways this is this is a pay-per-view for us and as Jed Mishu famously has said many

times the UF is one or two injuries away from putting together a great fight card and he thinks this is that exact card so

we got Yuri prashka versus Alex pran this is the fight of fights for you I know how excited you are for this

there’s just so much statistical like anomaly going on here because you have Yuri prashka this is his fourth UFC

fight his first fight since the Glover to Shar War where he won the belt vacated the title after the serious

shoulder injury but Yuri kind of explained that that’s not really the case here and in his fourth UFC fight

could become a two-time light heavyweight champion without actually losing the belt in a fight and then on

the flip side we have Alex Pereira who is a two division Glory champion this is a seventh UFC fight just is 11th Pro MMA

fight could become a two division UFC champion which is just absolutely ridiculous the quickest any fighter

would have ever done it so there’s just so much to talk about here Shaheen this fight’s going to be absolute chaos and

what’s so great about this new main event compared to Jon Jones Stipe I kind of feel like this is as

unpredictable as we can get here you said it you said it Mike I I I

hate to repeat myself this but this fight is everything to me just because it it em like the the possibilities of

this fight are what make it so fun right like both of these tudes are are two of the most unpredictable men in the entire

UFC and you you throw them together and it’s like you could have this fight 20 different times and I feel like it looks

completely different 20 different times just because they’re both wild men dude and and ultimately like at its core

that’s what this is about right like we can sit here and say we love uh you know technicians we can sit here and say we

love the wrestling and and the ground and pound and all everything that goes into the sport that we love and watch

but ultimately you get two wild men out there that’s it for me that is nirvana that that is fight game Nirvana and

that’s what this is I’m so I’m so excited for what this could look like it is so weird to see Alex Pera not as this

gigantic man in there you look at yui like Yi’s actually a little bigger than him which is like almost startling to

see we just haven’t seen somebody be able to physic like match Alex in that sort of physicality uh I just I I love

it man and also like if people are probably sleeping on Yuri because they’re they haven’t seen him in a while

and the short ter memory of all this but the last time we saw Yuri Braska the dude put together the greatest light

heavyweight fight in the history of the sport like full stop and that’s not hyperbole like him and Glover was the

big the greatest spectacle I’ve ever seen at 205 pounds like you could throw out John versus gustus and one go back

and rewatch that fight like without like the drama was what made that fight what it was because it was so stunning to see

somebody really like be able to match Jon in some way but just for action for Action sake second by second Yuri versus

Glover Takes the Cake for me and it’s not even close and I’m just so excited this man is now back in our lives it

feels like I don’t know if this is the the great rewriting of light heavyweight

like a reiding the ship of of sort of this weird division that has been a drift at sea for like a year and a half

now uh it it sort of feels like it in a way right like we’ve had three vacant title fights in this division since the

last time someone has been able to actually have a title defense which is just a very weird place to get to I

don’t know that this is it just I don’t think one fight can fix what how how broken this division fundamentally is

right now but it is certainly a baby step towards it it’s a it’s a nice first step and if we can get whoever wins

right whoever wins on Saturday and sort of the king of this division this division is set up really nicely to have

a very entertaining stretch moving forward because both these guys are so some like maniacs so I just love it man

I love everything about this and I just I again I I’m almost afraid to talk about it because we still have as Jose

Young says the fight has not started right like we still have 24 hours for this to get ruined and I just don’t want

it to I’m so I can’t wait for this Hey listen you fix chaos by adding more

chaos and there maybe no more two chaotic men in the UFC than these two gentlemen whether it’s just fight style

or just them breaking the sport in a number of ways like Alex Pereira has AKA

how excited are you for this fight what sort of intangibles are you looking at here how unpredictable is this to

you yeah 10 out of 10 man it’s uh I I have a pretty clear idea in my mind of

who’s going to win we’ll get to the predictions there so I won’t say it’s completely unpredictable I think I’m a little more uh torn on the co-main but

yeah listen this is this is uh this is a pretty um even matchup I mean I think you know you a year ago maybe not a year

ago maybe whatever 16 18 months ago you know the thought of Yuri and Alex petta

I think we would have favored you pretty strongly right I mean he just has the much longer MMA pedigree and you know we

weren’t 100% sure if Alex P was going to be that dude in MMA there was there was

reason for optimism there was of course reason to believe that uh he could beat Champion Israel adiso which he

eventually did um but you know Yuri was reasonably in higher esteem among the MMA Community now yeah it really feels

like this is pretty close to a tossup uh I’m I’m thinking about the intangibles

now I’m thinking about if we see some uh grappling from you know Yuri pach because we know listen he he knows how

to mix the martial arts and we know Alex pet has gotten better at that as well right so we’re all anticipating kind of

a tactical standup battle with some you know really nice uh like explosive flurries and and you know cool exchanges

but there could be there could be some some wrestling involved and that would be interesting to me that me see if uh we see something from from Yuri I mean

he won the title via submission right I mean now now saying that he just utilized wrestling in that absolutely

chaotic mad fight uh would not be accurate but we know the guy can grapple clear there’s there’s some uh there’s

some skill there so I really am not entirely sure what to expect even though I have a winner in mind uh the way I’m

imagining it playing out is believable but also one of like a dozen different

reasonable scenarios that you could present to me and I would like nod my head and be like yeah that makes sense you’re looking at this the right way so

um for all of these Reasons I’m very very excited because I just I just hope we get a winner because the I’ve also

considered the possibility that these two both th throw flying head kicks and knock each other out and the light heavyweight title just stays stays out

of someone’s grasp again the way this has been going the way this year has been going uh the way the light heavweight title picture has shaken out

I even that I think would not Shock anyone at this point Hey listen if that happens the timing would be perfect that

means these two get to fight again before Jamal Hill comes back like this is great that would be actually a really great outcome here as far as outcomes go

Sean because we talked about this a little bit on BTL I want to get your take on it whoever wins and whoever

loses it is super interesting because whoever becomes the champion obviously moves on and is going to try to cement their place to this division but whoever

loses this fight like trying to figure out what could be next for either Alex Pere or Yu prashka is another

fascinating conversation within itself so what do you think is the more

interesting scenario here Alex Pereira making history and continuing to break the UFC as we know

it or Yuri being the wild man y’all must have forgot moments to spin out for so

long what’s the more interesting road for the UFC light heavyweight championship picture a yui win or an

Alex win that is a good question that I had not truly considered until you it came

out of your mouth I mean my gut instinct in this question is to say Alex winning

right because Alex almost has like like I don’t know the Izzy loss maybe took a

little bit off this but there’s it has always felt like there’s a little bit of like a mystical quality to Alex pereira’s UFC run right like we have we

have been am amazed so many different times throughout the course of this man’s UFC career at the speed with which

he’s done it I I said you know in the past that he is speed running his way to a Hall of Fame career and that really is

what’s happening right now like if he wins on Saturday if he wins tomorrow he’s a he’s a Sure Fire Hall of Famer in

seven UFC fights two Division champion just that the names that would be on his resume like that is you’re putting that

guy in the Hall of Fame the moment he retires that’s crazy to me and so my again my kneejerk would be to say the

most interesting outcome for this is Alex winning because then you open up a couple doors that maybe Yuri winning

wouldn’t right you open up the potential of Izzy moving up to light heavyweight and we’re getting the trilogy there at a

different a different we class with Alex also just you know Alex is is a little bit older than Yuri it feels like he

sort of has a less time left to be able to maximize this so it would be interesting to see him sort of be the

king of the second division and see how long he can carry that forward as well but man we’re in a good spot either way

right because you just painted it you just painted the picture I mean we know what’s probably happening next is is Jamal Hill is gonna get a shot at some

point over the next year whenever he can come back we have Johnny Walker versus mango man KV presumably running that

back as well that’s sort of the next in line as well uh and and and we got you

know Alex rage coming back early next year we have yan yan blacko wit still out there very close fight with Alex the

first time I mean there’s a lot of really good options in this 205 pound division we just need to get it going

again we just need to get it moving again and this is finally what we’re doing because it’s it’s so frustrating and weird when these divisions are stuck

in stasis for so long and it’s been too long for 205 like it is it’s way past too long we need to just get this moving

and it’ll I think feel like this division will just feel better when we sort of have a sense of of where the momentum is headed rather than this this

weird place we’ve been stuck in what do you think AK do you agree that Pereira is the more intriguing Champion here or

do you think it’s Yuri I almost don’t want to speak into existence because and I know I’m a nerd

about this and this isn’t everyone’s top concern but I have not been able to stop thinking about what a Peta win would do

to our poor poor rankings which have already been put that have been put through the ringer in 2023 let me tell

you uh well when I mean before 2023 when when petta beat Izzy the first time we

were like man what the hell did we do Izzy was in our top five pound for pound has the more comprehensive M resume does

he just get Izzy spot how or how far do you bump down Izzy does Izzy hold on to his spot based on what we know and then

it kind of got correct kind of got corrected when Izzy beat him in the rematch um then the Sean strick thing

happens all this other stuff happens again people if you have time go look at our our pound-for-pound rankings and I’m

sure immediately you go like why the hell is this guy here why the hell is this guy there this is the discussion we have internally and amongst each other

literally every time we have to the pound-for-pound rankings they make they’ve barely made sense in the best of

times and these days they are just completely uh out to lunch they’re totally drunk and we have discussed

rebooting them uh at the start of 2024 so look forward to that and if we do and

Al petta is a two Division champion I don’t know how high he could go I really don’t I think he’s in our

top 10 right now I think if he’s if he’s a light heavyweight title going into January he has to be like top five which

is crazy because we’re talking about a guy who has after after this weekend we’ll have 11 proo MMA fights you you

can give him credit you know uh overall as an athlete for his kickboxing stuff but that shouldn’t you know contribute

to his M his M career but his M career in the UFC has been ridiculously strong

and impressive um so part of me is welcoming that is welcoming that uh that

Insanity because uh if if Yuri wins everything’s pretty much normal we’ve had Yuri at number one since uh even

since he vacated the title we said well look he’s going to come back eventually what he’s going to fight the winner then

that’ll that’ll decide it right he’ll fight the winner and if he loses he lose the spot otherwise uh otherwise he holds

on to it so we’re okay there if same thing he beats petta Yi still number one all good we carry on with our day but uh

boy PR could could completely change up the like heavyweight rankings completely change up the pound-for-pound rankings and I just had this hilarious thought of

like Jon Jones during his time off deciding you know what I’m going back to down to light heavyweight I I can’t stand these guys saying that they’re

fighting for the I I can’t stand this mess of light heavyweight I know I could beat all these I could beat Jamal Hill I

could beat Yuri I could beat Alex P I could beat Yan all these guys if I just came down and did it he’s probably above

that now like I said he seems he seems pretty happy uh being a heavyweight but uh I just don’t know if this division is

gonna settle down properly anytime soon well the beauty of this fight along

with co- event we’re going to talk about in a matter of moments pretty much a pick from the betting perspective we got

Alex per the slight favorite minus 122 The Comeback on Yuri prashka plus 102 I

mean we could break this thing down from a technical standpoint but we have no idea what the hell is actually gonna happen tomorrow night in M Square Garden

so Shaheen tough to make a pick here considering what we just talked about the unpredictable nature of this fight

but who do you think leaves MSG as the champ tomorrow oh man don’t make me do it

don’t make me this is like picking between my children right now I can’t i i d i I’ve gone back and forth on this

all week I think if you caught me an hour ago I’d probably give you a different answer than I would give you right now right now the the sense within

me is that this is a 5149 style fight 51 in favor of Yuri I

think if they run it back 20 times maybe he wins 11 of them uh this is such an evenly matched fight this is so

competitive with their matching skill sets and again just the unpredictability I can’t wait for it but I just get the

sense that we are going to see an absolute War uh Alex Pereira the damage that he has taken over the course of the

Izzy contests uh is maybe a little bit alarming obviously he had a lot of damage in his past as well as a two

division Glory Champion Glory Hall of Famer as well that’s maybe a little alarming once you start to get to age 36

37 in these in these heavier divisions uh I just I don’t know I’m I the gut my

gut tells me to lean yui and that we end up with one of the top five fights of the year I’d say third round stoppage

but I don’t feel confident at all about it and I wouldn’t be surprised the other way AK I’m not sure if you have a wager

on double knockout here I don’t know if there’s a prop for that but you got to make a pick here and if you’re picking

double knockout I respect the hell out of it honestly I feel like that’s the that that should be like minus 250 at this

point again given the light heavyweight the way the world is right now that that in that division uh no no I I I’m

picking Alex petta um I am just a little alarmed with how much uh how much y he

can get hit in some of these m match ups you know as great as he’s looked he got hit in the Dominic Reyes match up of course he got hit a bunch in the Glover

toar match up that’s pure chaos and he has a great chin there’s no doubt about it but that death touch of Alex petta is

not something that you want to mess around with right so if it comes down to it if it comes down

to you know who who’s gonna who’s who could do more damage who’s going to land the bigger bomb who’s going to land the

kill shot I’m gonna go with petta um Y pachka no stranger to finishes either I

mean again he hasn’t lost a fight in what 10 years or or he lost the one fight and he Avenged it he’s on a

ridiculous run and he and he finished fuel too he finish people from unorthodox angles uh

people always call it style kind of weird but you know there’s a lot there that’s fundamentally you can’t be the

kind of weird unorthodox fighter that he is without without having an extremely uh solid fundamental base right so

that’s what’s so great about him but but I do think there at some point petta is gonna land I think there’s going to be

exchanges in here and while with P it can be a coin toss I mean we we saw what happened in the second Izzy

fight I I think he can take barashka out and because I firmly believe that I’m

GNA go uh petta by second round

knockout this is so tough I actually like you know because of the watch party you do the the DraftKings thing with GC

and I don’t want GC to sit in that studio and feel the pressure of betting on fights by himself so I

bet way less than he does uh I do have a bet on Alex Pereira I got him at minus 122 pretty much for the same reasons AK

said like I don’t know what the hell’s gonna happen I feel like Yuri does have some defensive deficiencies he does

leave that chin W right up in the air to get cracked but it has served him well he’s also been knocked out in in some of

these fights like brutally ko’ed by leaving that chin open so Alex really just needs one shot to change the

entire aspect of the fight and Yuri does too and he’s going to do things a little bit crazier than Alex could but I think

25 minutes you’re giving Alex an opportunity to land on that exposed chin

at some point I kind of feel like he’s gonna find the button at some point so

the bet is Alex Pereira at minus 122 I do think he gets a finish and I don’t

even care who wins I just want to watch this these two dudes fight and it’s gonna be incredible we’re going to be

the winners we are going to be the winners the hardcore fans that are going to be watching this event this is for us

and this fight’s gonna absolutely rule much like AK I just want one last thing I want to

throw in because we didn’t we didn’t mention it I think it’s important to just hearing your guys’s breakdown of this Yuri’s durability for me is one of

the biggest keys to this fight because we’ve seen that man take some absolute Demons of shots in the UFC in ryzen ETC

and he has lived through most of them if not all of them right like he his durability is probably one of the best

in the entire Division and you’re right Alex with the death touch that that again is why this is so so just

fascinating to me is you you’re pulling that death touch up against the guy who can seemingly just eat nuclear bombs

like their breakfast I am so interested in just seeing that because you’re right Alex might just spark a out in one or

year might just take that best shot and keep coming in a way we haven’t really seen anybody do with Alex and that’s

very much on the table right yeah I know it was eight years ago but I’ve been seeing on Twitter the King

Mo knockout of against Yuri and it’s nasty dude it is a nasty n y KO so the

fight’s going to be incredible like if it goes 25 minutes it’s going to be like the fight of the century and I’m here

for it I’m here for all of it for however many seconds or minutes or rounds that it lasts it’s going to be

incredible and hopefully hopefully someone is wearing the UFC light heavyweight title at the end of the night let’s go to the co- Main Event uh

knocking on wood Sergey pavlovich versus Tom aspinal now again no Jones miic but

I gotta say the UFC did the best they could here this is as good as you can do on such short notice

you have two guys who probably were lining up to fight each other anyways interim title or not this fight makes a

lot of sense it is on short notice if I could have my DRS it’ be both guys on full training camps but both guyses seem

ready to go and it is going to be a very fascinating matchup so AK what are you

looking for here 12 days notice we put these two guys together to be the second title fight what are we looking at here

for this interim heavyweight title fight man I love this fight I mean this this to me is even more of a tossup than than

the main event it’s it’s a fight that we thought we’d see a little further down the line it’s one that has been mentioned multiple times on our

matchmaking show onto the next one Mike and I think I think again depending when it was was asked for I think we’ve had

varying levels of enthusiasm um I’m very much a you know I like to protect

contenders but I also at some point if they’re not getting that tle shot I like

if it’s not in the for both guys I need to see them uh thrown together so this is almost kind of The Best of Both

Worlds because we are getting an interim belt on the line hopefully this means both guys are getting uh you know that that title fight pay uh for this big

Madison Square Garden Show I don’t know if that’s guaranteed but again fingers crossed I hope that’s the case they deserve it um because I’m sure both

heavyweights would prefer to have this with a little more preparation but they’ve been in each other’s sites for a

while they knew this day would come eventually maybe one of them thought that they would be the champion defending against the other that’s not

the case uh instead got we got fresh gold up for grabs and stylistically I think it’s just a it’s really it’s

really cool to look at you have two guys who are I mean you would call them young heavyweights Sergey is 31 Tom asol 29

again at heavyweight that’s like being a teenager um both guys could have very very very long fruitful careers ahead of

them athletically I think they’re both upper tier Jed and I always talk about athleticism I mean being a cheat code in

MMA in general but especially at heavyweight if you’ve got Plus athleticism uh it can take you a long way and these guys have the skills on

top of that which is what we’ve seen with Sergey um on going on this very impressive run since a debut loss to

Alistair oim no shame in that such a huge experience Gap now since then he’s looked like a beast Tom aspal mixing the

martial arts a little bit more than Sergey and his fights um again another guy who you you know we put up I don’t

know if I’d put either guy on the seed gone range but you look at Tom moo man this guy looks like a welterweight in there looks like a welterweight or or

particularly like um coordinated middleweight and and I totally mean that as a compliment like

it is just impressive the things that this guy can do at his size uh plus both guys have that finishing instinct which

we love to see in contenders which some guys maybe could use more of JN ala um

but uh you know we all have our off nights so uh this one I don’t think it’s going to go the distance I think it

might go longer than people expect that’s how I’ll phrase my answer for now

until we get to our predictions longer than people expect all right John’s a

good one much more competitive in a lot of people’s eyes than Jones mies was going to be this is sort of the next

generation of the heavyweight Division and they’re going to pair off and get after it so biggest question you have

about this fight is it the short notice nature is it the quickness of Aspen against the power of pavich is it the

Striking of pavich versus the Incredible ground game of Tommy Aspen what’s the

biggest question you got my biggest question is for AK longer than people expect I think people expect this to

last 50 seconds how long is longer than people expect definitely longer than that definitely longer than that I think

it’ll go more I I think I’m going I’m going over round I’m taking the over on I don’t know over half over5 whatever

that is okay okay so I’m not officially betting I’m not officially betting I

should say but if the whatever the point five is I would go over so two guys who never get out of the first round both

getting out of the first round basically for the first time in the UFC career more or less Tom’s done it once I think right um yeah man I mean what’s my

biggest question my biggest question is just is this is are like I don’t know how to frame this in in the terms of a

question but like this is the future of the heavyweight Division and it’s happening sooner than we expected right like this this matchup it felt like we

knew that Tom aspal and Sergey pish were going to fight each other for a UFC heavyweight title at some point over the

next two years and we just sort of got it way more prematurely than we all expected this was sort of the next ERA

this was going to be the post Jones ERA this was going to be the post stee era and now they just get a little opportunity here uh just almost like in

through the back door right because of the weird circumstances involving this my biggest question just alog together

in terms of this specific one that we’re seeing on Saturday is what what is Tom asol gonna what kind of shape is Tom

asol gonna be coming into this because I think there is a different this is a whole different world if you give that

guy 12 weeks to prepare for this eight weeks to prepare for that even C Sergey pavich had been preparing for somebody

right he was the backup fighter he was the one ostensibly getting being ready being in shape just being there in case

they needed him and with a guy like Jones and a guy like Stipe who are both sort of at the end of their run you you might be needed and you ended up being

needed so I’m sure he was ready for that opportunity Tom Aspen all more or less just pulling the kamaro Usman here

coming off of a week’s notice right like this is maybe a little bit easier in terms of heavyweight being able to

mitigate that because you’re not spending all your time for that whole two weeks one and a half weeks cutting weight and trying to get your weight

right that’s not nearly as big of a deal so you can probably allocate your resources a little bit better in terms of your time time and your training and

what you’re able to do within that shorts window that you have so Tom has been able to do that certainly uh but I

mean obviously we’re getting a Tom as on a short notice going against a guy who has had time to prepare that to me is a very big factor in this but also man I

mean Sergey pavlovich like I it’s it’s it’s weird to me like how much he has

almost slept on um just within the community just within the sport within the fan base the hardcores Casual

everybody just in terms of there’s not a lot of dialogue around ser pavlovich right other than the fact that hey yeah

he’s big he’s scary he knocks dudes out that’s kind of it and yet he is almost

like the Francis and ganu replacement in this Division if the UFC has one I don’t know that obviously the UFC doesn’t have

a Francis and I wouldn’t I wouldn’t compare him say he’s Apples to Apples to Francis but he is the closest thing they

have left of just that Titanic Titanic Behemoth heavyweight knock guard artist who gets everybody out here in a minute

or two with some ridiculous heavy punching like that is sort of the role that this man now Phils and I don’t know

man it’s it’s seemed to be unbeatable so far in the UFC unless you go all the way back to the very beginning when he

fought Alistar overy like several several several years ago and that was a very different version of him than the

one we get now so I don’t know man I mean I I think this is a great matchup it’s unfortunate the way that it sort of

came about but again I think ultimately the way this heavyweight division is shaped up obviously we’re going to get Jones and Stipe at some point in 2024

and then I would assume both those dudes are just going to retire and whoever wins this actually be the heavyweight champion it’ll be a Robert Whitaker type

of situation when bisbing and GSP were doing their thing so altogether I mean this is the best UFC could do with this

situation and I don’t mind sort of sort of speed running these guys into this spot no or at least Aspen all into a way

that maybe we weren’t ready for him to be here but you know that man has proven us uh time and time again that he is one

of the big fish in this division so I’m ready to see it we’ll get into the predictions in a moment by the way AK

I’ll have you know over a half a round minus 320 minus 320 AK uh yeah so it’s not like so

it’s not out of the realm of plus people are are feeling it but over one and a half rounds is plus 160 so give you

something a little to think about there you mentioned something Shaheen you mentioned Jon Jones and

stpe do you feel that there’s any chance that if Jon beats DPE especially after

the long delay now if you ask if not at all you don’t think John would fight if Tom asol wins this fight gets the heroes

welcome hold on let me paint the picture for you let’s just say let’s just say the UFC heads back to London maybe in April before John fights

Dee Tom fights maybe cill Gan or somebody else and he has a star making

moment where he just goes bananas almost like Stipe and Cleveland just this massive moment for him you don’t think

John will see some dollar signs there You’ think there’s no chance he fights either of these guys even Tom if he gets over big I don’t think JN needs money I

don’t think JN cares I think John’s set I think John’s going for Legacy at this point and and as much as we

as much as for us John beating Tom Aspen would be a big Legacy boost I don’t

think for the greater MMA space that that really holds true right John going up to heavyweight beating the the next

the new hotness in serial gone or at least that’s how he was being propped up at that time and then beating the guy

that we kind of all consider the greatest UFC heavyweight of all time will be enough for him to get that

Legacy bump even though you know the history books won’t ever say the Stipe he beat was like a 41 42 year old Stipe

like that’s not going to that’s not going to matter it’s just going to be the name on the resume and that is solely it seems like what JN is in it for to be like looked at as this alltime

two division champ and I don’t know that I would consider him that if he goes in there and beats Stipe that was a conversation we would have been having

all week of like what does this actually mean if that fight was still here just because stee is so old at this point but

again I don’t think JN gives a what me and you are having conversations about I think he just cares about having

that name that legendary Mount Rushmore type of name on his resume and Tom Aspen is not that yeah I don’t think if like

if pavich goes out there and just Icees ASP like I don’t think John’s fighting Sergey I just don’t think the risk reward plays out in his favor but Aspen

has got something he’s on the cusp of something big here AK if he goes out and wins at MSG and gets a big reaction and

then goes in defends in London gets a pop and by the way no one has gotten Jon’s attention in this division at all

except for Tom aspal he’s the only one that Jon has responded to throughout this entire run anything Sergey pavich

has done calling out Jones he has not he’s just crickets to him but Tom Aspen after the London win over Sergey over

Martin tyor that somehow got John’s attention AK so same question for you is

there any way especially if Tom wins that he could entice Jon to come back for one more

after the Stipe fight yeah it’s definitely possible it’s definitely possible um I agree with Shaheen that Jon has Stipe in his sights

the name just makes a lot of sense the Stipe the you know UFC’s touted Heavyweight goat most tile defenses

and uh Jones a guy who’s who wants to be the goat you know claim he’s the goat in two divisions that’s really I guess in

his mind the quickest path to get there though it would really hurt me if um any

portion of fans said um that John beating CEO Gan and Stipe made him like a top five heavyweight like I don’t even

know if I put him in the top five it’s just absurd um so I think uh yeah as much as he wants that

fight it it it is going to lose its luster as time goes by um it may never

lose so much luster that it’s worth less than again a a win over as espanol or a

win over Sergey pavich or whoever Jil MAA um in the eyes of the more casual

fan but I part of me thinks that um John

is aware of uh at least to himself that beating 42 how old will step B be

probably when they get 42 or something or am I even older right sorry guys excuse my typing I gotta look this up

real quick he’ll be 42 yeah Pro probably by the time they they actually fight 42 without they’ll probably fight before

August so he’ll probably still be 4 okay and and uh close to 42 and not having fought in three years uh not that John

cares about that he went through his own B of inactivity certainly won’t see him um diminish his own accomplishments because of Hiatus but it it will mean

less I think if J and especially if Jon is ready to compete sooner um it won’t he doesn’t need the money but there I

think there will be some appeal to knocking off one of the young Gunners you know especially if there’s enough of

a chatter enough of a swell that like Aspen’s number one uh Lord knows me and the fake news media I will be doing my

best to make make that fight happen because I will probably uh vote whoever wins on Saturday as my number one

heavyweight um and I’ll drop John gradually the longer he’s out so uh John

get well soon so you can get back in there and um so yes I I I I will certainly be doing my part to try and

make that fight happen so this is this is maybe me manifesting something as opposed to really you know knowing J Jones’s thought

process and believing that it could happen but if he wants to get in there before uh Ste if he’s healthy and again

you just never know St I guess he’s waiting for Jon Jones too but it took so long to make that fight happen I I just feel like there’s weird

things that could happen to push it back even further if John doesn’t want to wait I think he’s got to get another heavyweight fight in there so it’s it’s

possible it’s remote but it’s possible well much like the main event this this is very close fight nearly

pick him it’s actually it’s actually close minus 118 for Tom aspal coming in on short notice Sergey pavage minus 102

so it’s basically a coin flip Aspen is like a smidge higher uh as the favorite

here again unpredictability Sean who walks out of MSG the interim heavyweight

champion of the world perhaps soon to be elevated to the Undisputed heavyweight champion of the

world I have a question I I don’t even know if it’s a question for you fellas CU I don’t know that any of us are so

deep into gambling that we would know this maybe the comment section is this the most closely matched like well

matched onew punch on a UFC pay-per-view in the last like several years like

because both these fights are essentially pick thems and I can’t remember another situation where we’ve had to big fights with that sort of

being the equation right we need to call Jose he probably

knows this that’s Jose question Jose if you’re watching slack us that’s yeah if any if any of you Sharps out there in

the comments know too let us know cuz I know you guys know everything uh I’m going to go for this one Sergey

pavlovich to me I think the the the weight or not the weight the the short time span that Thomas had to prepare for

this will have some level of an effect I mean Sergey pavich was getting ready for a fight extensively and that that is a

leg up on what Tom was doing um also I just think Sergey pavich a little more advanced in this division than Tom I

don’t know that the Tom was quite ready for this opportunity yet uh I could certainly be proved wrong I’ve been

proven wrong plenty of times in the past but for me this feels like a Sergey pavich first round

knockout AK where are we at here it’s funny that you guys kept mentioning

Steve a because I thought I feel like man they’re queuing me up for this prediction so one and also the we mentioned the um

Sergey pavich Franson Ganda comparisons there is a chance there is a chance and

I guess this is why I’m feeling that over that over half over one and a half because there’s a chance it vers

resembles the first uh Stipe in ganu fight not to say that Tom Mell has the

same wrestling style as Stipe he doesn’t it’s a different grappling style it’s not the same thing it’s not to say that

um sergey’s takedown defense is as poor as Francis was when he first watched Dee

uh it isn’t but there is some similarties there I think in our minds as far as like what is the best strategy

for Tom asol he probably does not want to stand and slug with Sergey so we’re going to see some wrestling I I really

firmly believe we’re going see some wrestling um Aspen has hands for sure a lot a lot of those first round Knockouts

we’re talking about they did happen on the feet it’s not just him taking people down grounding and panning like that he has hands but Sergey has a huge reach

Advantage uh just I feels like a power Advantage again hard to tell because both guys are great finishers but I

would definitely just based on the eye test lean towards Sergey um so it feels like there’s going to be some mixing in

the martial arts from Tom and if that’s the case he’s going to be we’re going to see some takedowns we’re see a lot of

takedowns and if he can’t finish in the ground the fight is going to stretch out a bit and that is your best bet if you

are feeling frisky and are like I’m throwing money on a you know PL because I’m sure you’re getting Plus for a decision that’s your best bet is that he

it resembles miic and ganu onean just a great wrestling from asol very timely wrestling um doing enough to hold him

down doing enough ground and pound to keep from being stood up but you know not not quite being able to to to put uh

Sergey pich away it’s a possibility it’s a possibility um for me though I’m I

just can’t take it that far I do think asona will will have moments in the first two rounds I think we will see takedowns I think we’ll have to see

Sergey working his way back up and I think in round three though uh Sergey is going to catch him so I’m going I’m also

picking pavich I’m going by knockout in round three after two like rounds where we feel like Aspen might be you know

tilting things in his favor I think that that power cc is going to come out and uh and end things real

quick I mean I I expect uh the song To Be Sung ladies and gentlemen Tommy aseno

Aspen Espen I just I have questions about both

guys and this is incredibly unpredictable and nothing really would surprise me other than this fight like

getting to the championship rounds that would surprise me of all the things of these two title fights this fight in

particular going to like round four and five would be stunning to me I just I don’t know I I feel like Tom

is saying the right things and shout out to py Carrol who was was once part of

the crew here he’s got a relationship with Tom’s dad and he recently did an interview with

Tom and he was talking about it somewhere I heard it and he basically said like the first thing Tom’s dad

taught Tom about martial arts when he made the choice to jump into coaching was basically for the first couple of

years of the martial arts Journey was just basically teaching Tom Aspen all like hey just don’t get hit just do

everything in your power to not get hit play defense don’t get hit do everything in your power and I feel like I don’t

know the Vibes after hearing that story this is like as full circle of a fight from the beginning of the martial arts

journey to becoming a UFC champion like this just feels like it’s in the stars for Tom I also I think the biggest

question I have in this entire fight is what happens if this fight gets to the mat I almost feel like Tom just needs to

go in there like use the quickness on the feet but then just tackle this dude we haven’t seen Sergey pavic really

battle on the ground since the Alistar overing fight and we saw what happened there I know that was a long time ago

and people love to mention that but we have not had that question answered since because pavage is going out there

and just crushing dudes in under a minute so we really haven’t seen what pavich can do off of his back so when

this fight hits the mat I do think it’s gonna hit the mat at some point how is pavage gonna react does he sprawl like

Francis did to Stipe in their second fight where you just kind of knew in that moment that something really bad’s going to happen to

Stipe can he get back up I don’t know I just have a million questions about this fight but that’s the biggest one I have

what happens if this fight hits the mat until I actually see something I feel like Tom has a real path to Victory here

if he takes this thing down so I have Tom aspal uh as as a bet and minus 118

and I have Tom Aspen I’ll bu submission at plus 350 but again

unpredictability who the hell knows I don’t care it’s gonna be fun for 30

seconds or however long this fight lasts so God bless all of us who get to watch this fight because it’s going to be

incredible I just want to say uh oh man Tommy Tommy Aspen by decision plus 1400

don’t bet on MMA don’t bet on May I’m just saying plus 1400 am I on an island all alone on both

these fights with us three I like it I know I’m pick I’m picking I’m picking pavic but I’m just I’m just giving

people like why I think it’ll go over and if it and how it will do it like if

if if asol really is able to just control with wrestling I don’t know if ‘ll be able to finish but he might again

he might Stipe angu won him that that that is in the realm of possibility unlikely unlikely but again I don’t know

I would love to know what the miic by decision odds were for over angu in their their first fight so probably probably not plus, 1400 but probably up

there that’s this is part of the reason why that Curtis blades fight is so frustrating the way that it went where

it’s just like Curtis I wish you had tried to wrestle man because I would love to see this right like I would love to see if Sergey has some wrestling

defense we just what are you what were you doing there Curtis bles why are you trying to strike with that man I think

Tom like gets the assignment I think he gets it just like let’s just get this the ground and not get punched by but

easier said than done we also got Mackenzie during J andr on this on this as the featured bout very important

fight especially for McKenzie der and Jess onra man the way she started the year to where she could end the year

just wild how the swings of this sport can work we got ma rol Ben was santon

which is be a fraking battle we get Diego Lopez versus Pat sabatini I

basically am describing this fight as a old school cartoon fight where you’re just gonna see two dudes tangle up

you’re gonna see rolling around and you’re just gonna see a bunch of dust flying because that’s what this is going to be just a bunch of scrambles on the

ground and then we got some interesting prelims but I mean there’s really no

low-key Banger here like Beno sanon ma rol is not a low-key Banger that’s basically the fight everyone’s knows is

gonna deliver here so I don’t know unless you guys have one that’s just buried on there that you’re

super excited about because I just think they’re all competitive intriguing and they’re just gonna be

fun you don’t think fola and Stony counts I feel like that counts I I feel

like most fans like except for the most hardcore fans could not pick ston out of a lineup yet but I feel like outside of

these top two fights this is the one everybody’s talking about even more so than the DAR andr fight

it’s like all right we get two title and we get we get BSD for vola like that’s what everyone’s kind of looking at the

top here like we’re getting these three fights that’s fair but that’s also probably just speaks to card quality

more than anything else yeah but we don’t care about that this is for us this is for us M this is for us this is

for us I’ll I’ll throw out the Jared Gordon uh the Jared cord and Mark Madson

fight I I don’t know if it’s going to be the most like visually appealing fight but I just I feel like Gordon has been

close to having a moment um you know it was supposed to be Patty Pimpin right

that’s the fight that was so close easily could have gone his way that was supposed to be his moment and and since

then and then the unfortunate Clash of heads with Bobby green um but now he’s F he’s from New York I believe right he’s

he’s a New Yorker um yeah this this this could be a really big moment for if he beats Mark mson uh Madson has been solid

in the UFC you know he came in with that great Olympic wrestling pedigree this is

the right matchup I feel like for both guys and I’m not saying Jared Gordon beats him inally goes in a run to a

title but he’s been like regarded this talented guy for so long and I don’t feel like the window is closed on him

just yet so I I I want to see if he puts on has if he puts on an impressive performance against Mark mson has the

crowd roaring behind him and just either comes out with a knockout or like a really convincing decision um he might

be one of the guys we’re talking about most at the end of the night and of course a guy with a great uh a great personal um personal Back start as well

so I I I’m really interested in that I think that’s when the card uh with respect to some of the fights before that I think when that’s when the card’s

really going to like really going to wake up yeah Jared Gordon’s grandfather fought on MSG so nice little family

history within the world’s most famous arena let’s bring in the incomparable ekc Leiden the badest stash in MMA and

let’s take a few questions from the peeps hi everybody up casy did you see I I I I took some

Liberties and I jumped into the pole AK did you see the poll I put up there uhhuh I see it so I was oh you can read

it AK uh will Jon Jones fight the winner of pavish versus espanol uh no

78% pretty uh pretty convincing I think we all see what’s happening we all see what’s happening yeah yeah we should ask

this question if Tom Aspen wins tomorrow on the postf fight show and we’ll see what the what the response

is see I don’t I’m kind of kind of both ways on this you guys are sgg suggesting

he would never fight Sergey but what you see Sergey is kind of like sural Gan in the sense like oh

there’s an easy path to Victory I don’t know I mean seral gan’s

not in the the enanu mold of puncher right like that to me feels like

pavlovich is in that like you know uh Shane Carwin T mold that that like Sanu

mode like I don’t know that we’ve never seen Jon fight that mode I think Jon would destroy that’s what I’m saying

like I don’t I don’t you’re you’re much more optimistic about Jon’s chances against a a massive powerful man than I

would be because I Jon’s like advantages have always come through size right like he’s always kind of struggled a little

bit with guys no like obviously he has other advantages too but like he’s always struggled the most with men who are sort of his he’s not a giant 205

he’s not a big 205 people tall and Incredibly long he has a reach that far

extends any other 205 and he’s much taller than other 205s and the only 205s who sort of match that reach or at least

were competitive with it put up pretty good fights with him right Dominic Reyes Augustus and one like those are sort of

his hardest fights at 205 and stature wise they sort of made sense I just that’s why it sucks that we never saw

John Francis is because like that was always the one big question for me is like what would it be like to see JN against this just ferocious knock artist

well France is is afraid to take so we know that God oh yeah that’s right

that’s right we forgot you’re right you’re right um also someone in the comments

keeps calling St Deni benois stt Den St Denim and I don’t know if it’s an auto

correct but I’m very much sure Ben Beno St denim is a great is a great has to be an autocorrect who cares about Jon Jones

searching for the easiest opponent in heavyweight I mean this is where he’s at right now make that money that’s prize

fighting he’s a prize fighter at fight he won’t be my number one heavyweight at the end of the weekend but uh yeah I

think joh that’s the weird thing because I I I know this uh comment is trying to say but then we also go well is this

price fighting and I’m I’m big on this is price fighting above anything else but does that will that kind of

talk would John feel that talk like oh well people know I make the most money but I’m not taking the tough

fight not anymore this is like five years ago maybe but not anymore he’s

done it like because we have talking but the whole Legacy like he wants to beat the the the the record for heavyweight

tit off defenses too you know are we gonna do you think that I don’t think he does

though just check beat stee get out yeah I don’t think he’s I don’t think beating

the title defense record at heavyweight is as meaningful to him as just getting the name like Stipe on the resume again

we call Stipe the greatest UFC heavyweight of all time and if John’s like well I got a victory over that guy

it’s no one’s going to like well at a certain year like yeah BJ be the

greatest lightweight ever if you beat BJ pen now it’s not like you’re the greatest lightweight now that’s what I’m like do you think because it’s true I

mean you beating step Bay now isn’t like beating Stipe four years ago or when

Francis beat him but you we we using nuance and no one actually uses Nuance

you know that the farther we get from that say John beat Stipe next year five years from now no one’s

gonna be like well it was an old Stipe they’re just GNA say John beat Stipe that’s how just like Anthony Pettis beat

Roy Jones Jr exactly or or to or uh you know uh Patty pimpl

beating Tony Ferguson you know when that happens I think we’re all gonna view that as Patty P beating one of the

greatest lightweights of all time and uh you know no one will think no one will think twice about it right I think we on

that I don’t know Patty pimp working with David Goggins I didn’t see any hell week videos of Patty pimp I asked this on the

way by the way I still don’t know who David Goggins is I asked this on the weigh-in show I when the closer he’s a

guy that runs a lot then he yells at the guy running next to him with a camera and he goes why aren’t you running a

jerk that’s who David go again this doesn’t quite explain I mean that really

that should be all the explanation I need but I’m still kind of lost in this whole David Goggins David Goggins yeah

he’s an English he’s an English guy right Walter Walter Goggins Walter no Walter Goggins is the

actor nice try nice try Shaheen good catch good catch nice try you’re not

gonna get me with that yeah last thing I’ll say about

Stipe not only is it the Legacy fight but and this may not make sense to

everybody but it is damn true outside of JN Stipe is the biggest star in this Division and he still hasn’t and he hasn’t fought in three years he’s still

the biggest the biggest name in this division outside of JN right now right now that could change for right now in

the UFC division I’ll give you yeah oh yeah obviously Fran is but we’re talking about realistic fights right now

yeah yeah yeah I’m so conflicted on this whole Jon Jones stay thing yeah do you

is hold on now now I’m thinking about it is St Bay a bigger star than Derrick

Lewis yes I don’t is he though is he though because I don’t think he is like

popularity wise I think PE I think he’s generally looked as a better fighter and so people are used to seeing him

headlining in big fights but I don’t know that everyone’s like oh man I can’t wait to see that Stipe fight in the same

way they are for Derrick Lewis if I went if I went if I went to the grocery store right now and I said and I asked 100

people who Stipe was and then ask that those same 100 people who Derrick Lewis was I guarantee you more people know who Stipe is

I bet you the same number of people I bet you the same number of people know I don’t think so no but here’s the thing

but my best friend I will say this though if you ask them do you know the B the my balls is hot guy is it would be

like 100 out of a 100 would know who that is and or not 100 but more I think more people would know the ball oh the

balls is hot guy so that might not be a great endorsement for Derrick Lewis but I do think more people know the balls is

hot guy I have a lot of casual made fans friends who like know balls is hot guy don’t know his name at all just just

know him as that guy and a little more in the stpe but yeah I just don’t think stpe star power is where we’re putting

it but but but I will say is just a fun dude yes Lage and is

still over man like he still is over people like when St says things it isn’t

much but people still somehow care what he says even though it’s one sentence

and not all that compelling and and I think just important L you can always sell him to

someone who doesn’t know MMA by just you he has UFC champion before his name right that that is something that will always give him a littleit more cach

yeah he’s definitely seen as a a better fighter because he is but I just don’t know that that equates the star power

but I don’t know I feel like we’re getting too great yeah neither guy is like a household name I wouldn’t say one guy’s definitely been gone more viral

but um I think being a UFC champion like again it’s just Cas oh US champion this guy whatever whatever okay sure even

even the Mike heck is a legend guy in the chat gar Clem is agreed with me so I feel good about

that Garr it to Garrett Clemens he’s a casual I’m just kidding I’m just kid my

opinion I’m stuck and I ain’t gonna change my mind no I’m just joking you’re a biggest fan and you’re turning against it I know I’m joking that’s why yeah

that’s why I’m apparently a legend I am who I am I’m stubborn and it’s got to take I’ll admit when I’m wrong but I don’t feel like I’m wrong here what else

we got are Yuri and Alex Hall of Fame worthy with under 10 UFC fights each

like right right now is that the question I assume the winner it’s win the winner tomorrow Alex

100,000% Yuri I would still has some work to do really you think Yuri yeah

just being a UFC champion doesn’t make you a hollow faor he’d be a two-time UFC champion though but what does that mean

that just means he got injured during his well just kind of the defense then it’s two- time regardless because you

you win and you defend or you win and you win it’s still two time yeah that’s like Matthew around like I’m a nine-time

welterweight champion or whatever is he keeps saying um like I I love Yuri but if he wins he’ll be 4-0 in the UFC like

that’s not a Hall of Famer well no no I think yui and Alex whoever

wins tomorrow are future Hall of Famers yes that’s why I definitely agree in that one well yui probably is already in

for the Glover fight like just as a fight talking I’m talking individual yeah as an individual yeah I’ll say both

I I’ll say I’ll say I think they both make it though obviously I this is coming with like no matter what year he’s not going to retire I assume not

going to retire you never know but I assume not going to retire so I’m probably projecting a little bit like oh we add on three or four more big fights

for Yuri but even if he retired after Saturday no you know what I I’m kind of

machine now actually um I I don’t know because the company rewards you for doing stuff for them that’s what the UFC

likes the most is did you did you spill enough blood for us and uh yeah four fights probably wouldn’t be enough as

messed up as that sounds yeah no I mean that’s I don’t feel like that’s messed up like a Hall of Fame has to mean

something right and already the offc kind of doesn’t because we’ve lowered the bar a lot on on who gets in and who

doesn’t but like if you’re just going to let in every champion who ever won a belt what does it matter at that point

and we’re not I guess we’re not counting at all of Yu’s previous career before UFC when he was no I mean it’s an it’s

not an MMA Hall of Fame if it was an MMA Hall of Fame every aspect of the criteria is different right like as long

as you fight like sakuraba is in the UFC Hall of Fame not based on his UFC career even though he did fight in the UFC he

they claim at this point at this point we’re just having a weird dialogue of what actually UFC Hall of Fame is yeah

you’re right I hate talking about UFC Hall of Fame because remember they claim Pride UFC essentially acts like pride is theirs they act like they claim the

pride because they own the tapes now so they’re like oh yes oh pride is us so if you did something in Pride and the UFC then that’s all UFC that’s how they look

at stuff sorry I got sucker I got sucker in talking about Hall of Fame it’s a great a great for him if you’re four- 0

in those wins are Vulcan o deir Dominic Reyes glev toera who was pretty old at that point and then Alex like that’s a

great run I’m not taking anything away from it but that just doesn’t you’re not like a by way GL was always old he he

literally was never young like he he was born he was born as a 38y old man by the way I just want you to know that that’s

super Fair don’t take that away from don’t take that away from Yuri I don’t know

have you seen bearded Glover Tashara this week no look tremendous Santa Claus it’s

awesome we’re all praising for Yuri versus Alex but what becomes what if it

becomes a snoozefest it could turn out like osanna versus Romero do you see a

world it actually could not it like actually could not those are two counter strikers yri yes yeah we have two

counter- Strikers there’s always that risk so yeah and what listen if it then

we’ll criticize it afterwards why why would we ahead of time go like well this fight’s probably going to suck because that is we were we were crazy about

adist versus Romero we were crazy about Derrick Lewis’s versus Francis G and there was good reason you you can’t look

back on your analysis for those fights and go like oh we shouldn’t have we shouldn’t have uh biged up those fights now that now that they happened yeah of

course of course now that you know they happen you can say so no there’s no reason if it’s bad we’ll have a laugh

about it tomorrow we’ll we’ll we’ll look at ourselves like man why did we not consider but we have considered it you have to consider everything in MMA you

just don’t know what was the one a Danny gay and uh landw I remember earlier this year I was like oh that’s GNA be a freaking Banger it was fine it’s an okay

fight and guess what on paper it looked like a banger that’s that’s how this thing is so I mean you know prepare yourself if you need to to to not be

disappointed but uh on paper this has all the making of a of a light heavyweight classic so we’ll see any

fight any fight you never know what can happen so wait were we really super excited

about adisan Romero I was I was pretty excited I thought we were the

fact that was Izzy right after that was Izzy on like a crazy hot streak too he was

just like riding a heater like we were we were pretty into it I was pretty into it yeah I was just like why is this

fight happening y all probably should be right now also that whole week yoel was

just incredible he was A+ in interviews right like that was his go go interview

with with uh forget who it was that was so good the ESPN guy yeah go where is y that’s an that’s an

all-timer man let get Y in Phil Mur it was yeah

uh oh I like this kind of it’s more of a comment but Y is right there with the Highlight

for the dudes I would pay the most to watch fight all action all creative chance taking musty TV yep sure is he’s

awesome I at light heavyweight I think second

for second the most exciting uh light heavyweight in the world Yuri oh yeah I

think pound forp pound he might be the most exciting fighter in the world period just because there’s an inherent

level of danger that comes with a 220b Man compared to like 170 lb man right

him and gatei are one and one and two yeah just yeah like the Dominic

Rey’s knockout is like is one of the most brutal things in the history I

thought Dominic Reyes was not getting up I really did that was one of the moments I was like oh boy like this is one of

the this is a bad knockout like a really bad one he was like motionless on the ground it was brutal like an elbow at

that angle from that giant of a man is such Terri Reyes had taken a good beating right before that elbow too

right re Reyes is winning like Reyes had a mounted Reyes had hurt him and then like ended up getting the fight to the

ground and mounted Yuri and we’re like oh man Dominic Rees is back and then Yuri hulks up and

elbows him into another universe that was my knockout of the year that year too didn’t win it but that was my pick

do what were the other top ones that year because I’m pretty sure that was my knockout of the Year too what was that

2021 I don’t I don’t even remember we’re talking about this on heck of a morning oh no we talked about this on our show

AK on to the next one because someone had asked um like which fight I hate

that everybody loves and I picked that one only because of like how petrified I

was when Reyes hit the floor I was like oh God we might we something really bad

just happened I so that wasman that was Usman mazal y oh thatman okay yeah I

guess EI either one being winner yeah in Casey your number one that year was

Pettis horiguchi oh yeah same with me Casey I also Yuri didn’t even make your

list Yuri didn’t even make your top five you did oh my bad my bad how dare

you what’s my okay well okay I okay I had a reason Puchi Usman mazal

San Haagen Edgar uh enanu mioi 2 and then duod Taylor that knockout is so

good yeah you know why know I think I know I I gota remember the fight um I think and

I talk about this a lot imagery matters and that photo of uh Dominic Rees

getting elbowed by Yuri is such a great iconic photo I think I think that photo really is just stuck

in her head so number six was Yuri Dominic Reyes but those other but but those top

five incredible Knockouts also oh I put San Haagen Ed guy voted for that I thought I tried to pretend that never

happened oh man but sanen Edgar that’s like I feel like Mike that’s one of those Knockouts like I actually hate

because I love Frankie edger and of course hen is freaking amazing and it that was I screamed when that happened

cuz I thought Frankie Edgar died Mike that should have been my answer for what’s a fight that you that

you hate that everyone else loves every time Frankie Edgar got knocked the f out probably put them all

together I gotta say looking back on my list I feel pretty proud I was one of the only people to put Chris Barnett’s

ridiculous against Jan Volante on his list and I I a great I stand by that

that was a fun knockout for sure and the celebration I think the problem is I think I was giving I couldn’t separate

it from the celebration yeah yeah so I’m like is this really long I had to leave it off the celebration number one like by a mile so good uh we talked about

snoozefest in the main event how about the co-main could the heavyweight championship be who’ we get

now made Lewis no but we pay good money for it now I painted the picture if it’s

like mooic well again and I would not call mioi versus ganu Wan a snoozefest by the way that was like a super tense

proba maybe by the time you got to the fourth or fifth round and you’re kind of like whoa like Francis just cannot deal with the wrestling at that point you

probably were maybe rolling your eyes a little but for at least the first three rounds of the fight it was like whoa was like can St big really can he he really

going to hold this guy like be able to hold this guy down for three rounds and then you realized he could um so that is how this fight I do think again making

that comparison it could turn into asol just being as smart and safe as possible doing just enough to keep uh as paic

grounded and neutralized and held against the fence and just fighting you know grinding it out so it could be it could be boring in that regard but again

just given how dangerous pavich is for me it’s like that’ll be interesting its own way but but I also didn’t hate Almeida Lewis so think about who’s who

you’re think about who you’re listening to here yeah this guy yeah b b plus performance from Almeida yeah that’s

Casey’s number six fight of the year right there I’ll he quite smart quite smart but that

Tom is just not that guy though he’s not he’s not like J alme that guy almea wasn’t that guy yeah no jilton was

jayton we said it even in the leadup like he has a very limited thing that he does right like he gets you he has

certain he’s like a package of of takedowns and trips that will get you down and then he’s going to work for submissions he doesn’t really go for

damage Tom goes for damage D is as is as smart fighter aspan is a very smart

fighter he’s coming to this not prepared not fully prepared he’s fighting a bit

of an unknown of pavich we don’t know how good pavlovich is on his back we don’t know how truly how good with his

takedown defense is I think Aspen I think I think this could be a snoozefest in a in a snoozefest in the

sense it’s not GNA be that violent but I think this could be a very smart way for aspan to win and I think that’s

what aspan I think that’s what matters because you don’t get entertainment check you get a win bonus you get a championship belt you know so that’s why

I think this that’s why you said that betting line wasn’t uh Plus for the decision for Aspen oh oh okay the

decision Al what did you say AK was like plus over a thousand right 1400 dude

that’s a that’s a crazy smart bet at that at that line cuz if if going decision it’s an aspen decision do you

see a pavich decision th% I see a pavich decision over as decision

decision is coming in prepared for a five round fight Tom Aspen he is a smart

guy I agree with you and he is smart enough to know that his best case to win this fight is not to stretch out the

gigantic man over long over 25 minutes and probably exhaust himself with the cardio that he probably doesn’t have

right now like I Tom as’s trying to get in get out and go home everyone want to do that but that’s that might not be the

smartest way to win that’s all but this isn’t a 12we camp Tom aspal like this is

a Tom Aspen who’s just trying to get enough cardio in to like be good right now right and we have zero clue how what

pavlovich is like how much he was truly preparing for this fight zero clue pavlovich by decision plus 1600 so if

you want to get a little more ju out of there there you go either way maybe maybe maybe you Splash a couple of bucks

on both if we’re being hon if you really think it’s going to go the honestly yeah I I money fight goes to decision

probably plus 800 right now uh I’ll have to check but yeah I think you’re I think you’re probably in the right range uh my

best friend I do think it’s around plus 800 I can’t find it right now but either

way this fight is ending in seven minutes yeah one and a over under is one and a

halfus 210 that it goes under one and a half seven minutes is what

I’m you Shane you do is an excellent point about the cardio I do forget it is Aspen pavich Was preparing as the backup

Aspen probably cardio is not quite where it could be I I don’t think it’ll be a problem for him he’s a great athlete but

he right he is a heavyweight so and it’s going to be whatever if it does extend beyond two rounds I mean who knows how

much energy that’s gonna take for both guys uh but I will say remember miic was miic going into the Francis fight was

not like someone who they thought could Gran out a win in that scenario either he he was coming off like a run of

Knockouts like St was knocking out people left and right so it’s hard to imagine espanol like grinding out a

decision but again it was also with with miic the first time fought because that was a smart way to

win of course you want to get Francis out as quickly as possible but the smartest way to win was what Stipe did

it’s just like I mean just oh I surprised that first round grind him out grind him out grind him out that’s so

much easier said than done and I don’t think that trying to keep a man 280 down

for 25 minutes is is something that’s GNA that Tom’s like up for right now

now all right whoa whoa that’s possible that that does make me think twice about it the short the shorter notice does

make me think twice about it okay let let me ask you this so I assume I know where AK and Casey are you both believe

the main event will be a shorter fight than the co-main event yes yes that’s where I’m at yeah

oh yeah yeah yeah I’m looking my I’m looking at my picture right now yeah the main event is gonna be much sh I think I’m with Shaheen and I think

we’re on the same page here my my brother co-main event is going to be shorter than the main event absolutely

I’m with you I’m with you on that I think the main event’s going to be very back and forth for 12ish

minutes yeah we’ll see are you did you guys you guys both pick pavich

right I picked I picked Aspen yep okay so you’re picking a quick Victory by

Aspen you’re picking a very quick Victory by palovich submission round two Tommy

Aspen all right all right but again no freaking idea no idea I

have so many questions about both guys maybe Tom aspadol has the most Granite chin in the history of the sport we

haven’t seen him really get clocked maybe maybe pavage hits him with his best shot and aspal just does the

D bring it and they we’re like whoa all right that’s a whole different that’s

the thing about why this fight is so weird right because like obviously the heavyweight the heavyweight picture all

of it the Jon stuff makes this weird inherently but also the other aspect of side of this is just like we expected to

get this but by the time we thought we’d get this we would have more answers or questions answered for both these guys

and instead we have no questions answered for both these guys and they’re both Total Mysteries going into this so

it’s fun in a way I think we just sold like nine pay-per-views with this conversation I think we did it I think

we put them over the top this is great now the UFC will be a profitable business due to us wow oh thank goodness

changeing lives take St back up guys kids in college now I

know oh but that’s why that’s why this co-main event like I love both these fights

because Main and co-main especially the co-main just because there’s so much mystery we just don’t know we’re kind of

we’re all kind of talking out of our buts a little bit because we just don’t know anything about these guys oh oh in

terms of after seven minutes rather I guess yeah hey man it’s a year of chaos

it is the year of chaos it’s the ultimate year of chaos so like if you’re going to have chaos matchups like this

this is the year to have it right like come on my go let’s let’s get real weird guys let’s get real weird with it tomorrow pablovich by

submission oh God pavic by Split Decision wow we got um we did have two

weight misses AK right oh yeah and Roosevelt Roberts with

Roosevelt Roberts on like four days notice I saw one question Casey I’ll answer it quick from there you go Joseph

Boza just shot it up again yeah uh it takes on Tuesday 158 pounds should the

UFC have made it 160 pounds cing Robert took it on such short notice firstly uh

it’s not really the UFC’s call I’m sure they could talk to managers they want to and say but it’s not really their call

they kind of leave that to the manager so the first question you would ask is did Robert’s team propose it propose a

catch weight which I would hope they should have we don’t know if they did I would hope they did secondly rebeck’s team has to accept it rebecky but even

though someone’s coming in saving his spot on the card rebecky could have been like no I still want to have an advantage and make this guy cut as much

as he can on short notice so first there two managers that have to agree on it and then you know then maybe the UFC

comes into play so uh this is one thing where I won’t like point the finger at the UFC and go like oh how stupid of them for not making this a catch way

it’s not necessarily their call there’s there’s I’m gonna I’m gonna go stupid I’m gonna go stupid and

dangerous but to thefc like I don’t know if I blame the UFC yeah I am I am you

bring in bring in a you bring in a 45 you bring in a 45 to fight at 55 that’s what you do you don’t I’m assuming

Roosevelt Roberts made a very dangerous cut I’d be really interested what his hydration is and things like that I

think it’s just this is how we get just really extremely dangerous cuts and he clearly he didn’t make weight so the

whole point of bringing this 55 in didn’t even matter because like he didn’t even make weight he didn’t come

didn’t come close to making weight so I your issue with is with them offering with picking Roberts that like they

should Roberts okay okay not as much as I want Roosevelt Roberts in the UFC because he belongs in UFC this is a

crappy dangerous way to get back into the UFC and he didn’t make weight you

know so I I I I don’t like this yeah but like to the other point if I’m retki and

you find out Roosevelt Roberts is your opponent who had a has had a history of missing weight even on full camps this

is true why would you do 160 of course you would you get an extra you know you’re that the chance of getting an

extra 20 to 30% of his purse is high there’s are any of us gonna be surprised

at all if Roosevelt Roberts can’t make the fight tomorrow no would not surprise me in this that’s so that’s why I think

this is a is still a bad proposition a bad decision by his opponent and the

UFC but that’s one I say just sign a 45 who needs a fight or new 40 or someone

who who’s guaranteed to make make weight or come much closer so um that’s why

that’s why I do blame the UFC on this one by the way uh Garrett Clemens asking why is Roberts back in the UFC is the real question uh one Ultimate Fighter 31

never die uh Superstar secondly he probably never should have been cut he’s a UFC level fighter he’s a UFC level

fighter he was four and three in his first run with promotion he beat some good names I mean he’s a UFC level fighter they just didn’t resign him

probably because he was asking for a certain amount of money um the first time around goes back R scene wins a couple of fights does tough and now he’s

back but never should have been gone really he’s as good if not better than than I don’t even dozens of the

contender series Fighters that they have brought in since he’s been away yeah I I don’t think I don’t think he parted

waves with the I mean obviously you got to win fights and missing weight UFC doesn’t like that but I think honestly

him leaving came in a really good time because he was going through a lot personally probably mentally wasn’t

prepared to be a UFC fighter and him kind of leaving the sport and determining whether or not he wants to

continue to do this and then finding his way back into kind of built his hunger back up again

things seem to be going better he’s got a good relationship with Michael Chandler now after the tough season talked about possibly moving to Florida

I don’t know if he actually did that or not to to train with Chandler and all those guys so I think the timing of him

leaving was probably good for him and who knows maybe he goes in there and it just beats matucha bat

got dude’s got a lot of UFC experience get seven UFC fights he knows what it’s like to be in these spots he’s a huge

Underdog too retki is the biggest favorite on on the card minus 625 so and that was I think that was before he

missed weight too that that that betting line oh yeah yeah yeah and yeah and this

like there there there are sometimes when you miss weight where I think it’s an advantage I think this is a disadvantage for robbers When Miss by

missing weight like this coming to the last second you know what I’m trying to say like this is he he we are getting a

compromised version not a heavier version of him yeah in my opinion we good anything anything else

gentlemen we good I think tune in to the MMA hour a little

bit oh yeah yeah 6:30 everybody MMA hour live in New York uh if you want to get

tickets you should have got them earlier because they gone so you’re gonna have to watch them what a tease what a tease

damn you can’t even wear a fake mustache get in you you just ain’t getting it City wi is off liit to you if you do not

have a ticket so uh I Me by all means go down there with a fake mustache though we can’t stop you yeah take pictures #

fake mustache uh and we’ll talk about it Casey and I’ll will be back tomorrow uh around 5:15 Eastern Time to get you

ready we be the people’s pre- fight show your questions the entire time we got the watch party 9:45 p.m. Eastern it’s

going to be a good time Jose’s in New York you’ll get all the interviews all the footage all the good stuff from the

winners The Taste makers from UFC 295 press conference postf fight show AK and

I going live on Sunday for on to the next one it’s going to be a busy busy weekend my friends thank you all for joining us and you have tonight too can

watch game bre bear knuckle on YouTube nson Alan Bel yeah got Randy Costa and

Jason night and bare knuckle MMA that’s fraking insane so for AK Casey for Shaheen I am Mike kek thank you for

watching we’ll see you tomorrow everybody love you

guys Happy Birthday AK hey happy birthday okay it was your

birthday wasn’t it don’t worry about it

November 10, 2023November 10, 2023

Anthony Smith Wants a Title Shot After UFC 295

Anthony Smith, a former UFC light heavyweight title challenger, has set his sights on securing a title shot after UFC 295. Despite facing setbacks in his quest for a rematch with Jan Blachowicz, Smith remains determined to climb the ranks and challenge for the coveted championship belt.

With Blachowicz already booked for his next bout and other top-ranked fighters tied up, Smith faces uncertainty in his path to a title shot. However, his resilience and hunger for success drive him to explore alternative routes to achieve his goal.

Smith’s tenacity and skill in the light heavyweight division make him a formidable contender. His impressive track record and unyielding determination make it clear that he deserves a shot at the title. Fans eagerly anticipate the next chapter in Smith’s journey as he works his way towards championship glory.

Key Takeaways:

Anthony Smith is determined to secure a title shot after UFC 295.
Jan Blachowicz, the ex-champ, is already booked for his next bout, challenging Smith’s initial hopes of a rematch.
Smith remains undeterred and is exploring alternative paths to achieve his goal.
Despite facing uncertainties, Smith’s tenacity and skill make him a formidable contender in the light heavyweight division.
Fans eagerly anticipate the next chapter in Smith’s journey as he works towards championship glory.

Anthony Smith’s Potential Callout of Alex Pereira

One potential fight that could catapult Anthony Smith into title contention is a potential callout of Alex Pereira. Pereira, a renowned striker and former middleweight champion, is set to compete for the vacant light heavyweight title against Jiri Prochazka. If Pereira captures the belt, Smith believes he could follow the path of Chito Vera, who bypassed deserving contenders due to a grudge with Sean O’Malley.

Smith, a skilled light heavyweight contender, has been critical of Pereira’s move up in weight. Having lost the middleweight title to Israel Adesanya, Pereira now aims to make his mark in the 205-pound division. However, Smith questions whether Pereira’s advantages at 185 pounds will translate to the light heavyweight division. Despite their online spat, Smith acknowledges that Pereira is a unique striker and recognizes his chances of defeating Prochazka.

Adding fuel to the potential fire, Smith’s willingness to face Pereira reflects his determination to prove himself as a top contender in the light heavyweight division. Whether it’s a traditional fight, a grappling match, or even a slap fight, Smith is ready to show Pereira the consequences of moving up in weight. With his chin holding up better than Pereira’s in recent fights, Smith remains confident in his ability to showcase his skills against the Brazilian fighter.

Anthony Smith’s Friendly Dynamic with Glover Teixeira

Interestingly, Smith shares a friendly relationship with Glover Teixeira, the coach and friend of Alex Pereira. This adds an intriguing dynamic to the potential matchup, as it intertwines personal connections within the competitive realm of mixed martial arts. While the outcome remains uncertain, the possibility of an Anthony Smith versus Alex Pereira clash demonstrates Smith’s determination to secure his path towards the light heavyweight title.

Comparison of Anthony Smith and Alex Pereira

Criteria	Anthony Smith	Alex Pereira
Division	Light Heavyweight	Light Heavyweight
Championship Experience	Former title challenger	Former Middleweight Champion
Striking Style	Well-rounded, versatile	Renowned striker, powerful punches
Chin Durability	Held up well in recent fights	Questionable in losses
Relationship with Coach	N/A	Glover Teixeira’s coach and friend

Anthony Smith’s Willingness to Fight Alex Pereira

Despite the online disagreements and tension between Anthony Smith and Alex Pereira, Smith is open to fighting Pereira. Whether it’s in a traditional fight, grappling match, or even a slap fight, Smith is willing to show Pereira the consequences of moving up in weight. Smith believes that his experience and skills will be too much for the Brazilian fighter to handle.

As Smith contemplates his next move, he sees Pereira as an opportunity to make a statement in the light heavyweight division. Moving up in weight is a bold decision, and Smith is ready to exploit any weaknesses Pereira may have. With his background in grappling, Smith is confident in his ability to control the fight and nullify Pereira’s striking prowess.

While Smith acknowledges Pereira’s unique striking style and recognizes the potential challenge he poses, he also believes that Pereira may underestimate the difference in competition at light heavyweight. Smith’s durability and chin have been tested in the Octagon, and he believes they will hold up better than Pereira’s in a potential fight.

Adding an intriguing twist to the potential matchup is Smith’s friendly relationship with Pereira’s coach and friend, Glover Teixeira. This connection adds an extra layer of complexity and could create a unique dynamic in the lead-up to a fight between Smith and Pereira. Only time will tell if this matchup will come to fruition, but Smith is ready to seize any opportunity to prove himself against the Brazilian fighter.

November 10, 2023November 10, 2023

UFC 295: Championship Fights Are On and 2 Fighters Didn’t Make Weight

At the official weigh-ins for UFC 295, two of the fighters scheduled to compete in the much-anticipated championship fights faced a setback. The vacant light heavyweight championship contenders, Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka, successfully made weight, ensuring their eligibility to fight for the title. However, on the preliminary portion of the card, Roosevelt Roberts and Jamall Emmers failed to make weight, leading to some adjustments in their respective bouts.

Key Takeaways:

UFC 295 features championship fights, adding to the excitement of the event.
Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka successfully made weight for their vacant light heavyweight championship bout.
Roosevelt Roberts and Jamall Emmers failed to make weight, resulting in catchweight bouts and a penalty of 20 percent of their purses.
The failed weight cuts may have implications for the outcomes of the fights and the championship aspirations of the fighters.
UFC 295 promises to be a thrilling event, with both success stories and setbacks leading up to the fights.

Official Weigh-In Results for UFC 295

The official weigh-ins for UFC 295 provided fans with a glimpse into the physical condition and readiness of the fighters scheduled to compete in the event. With the highly-anticipated championship fights on the line, the fighters stepped onto the scale to reveal their weights.

Starting with the main card, Jiri Prochazka weighed in at 204.2 pounds, just slightly over the light heavyweight limit. His opponent, Alex Pereira, came in at 204 pounds, making weight for their vacant championship bout.

In the co-main event, heavyweights Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall both successfully made weight. Pavlovich tipped the scales at 259.8 pounds, while Aspinall weighed in at 261.6 pounds, ensuring their clash remains a heavyweight affair.

The preliminary card and early prelims also saw fighters go through the weigh-in process. Unfortunately, Roosevelt Roberts failed to make weight, coming in at 158 pounds, two pounds over the non-title lightweight limit. Similarly, Jamall Emmers missed the non-title featherweight limit by one pound, weighing in at 147 pounds.

Weight Class	Fighter	Weight (lbs)
Main Card – Light Heavyweight Championship	Jiri Prochazka	204.2
Main Card – Light Heavyweight Championship	Alex Pereira	204
Co-Main Event – Heavyweight	Sergei Pavlovich	259.8
Co-Main Event – Heavyweight	Tom Aspinall	261.6
Preliminary Card – Lightweight	Roosevelt Roberts	158
Preliminary Card – Featherweight	Jamall Emmers	147

These weigh-in results provide an insight into the physical conditions of the fighters heading into the highly-anticipated UFC 295. Fans can now eagerly await the championship fights and evaluate how the fighters’ weights may impact their performances inside the Octagon.

Implications for the Championship Fights at UFC 295

The failed weight cuts by Roosevelt Roberts and Jamall Emmers have significant implications for their respective fights at UFC 295. As a result of his weight miss, Roberts will now face Mateusz Rebecki at a catchweight, with Roberts forfeiting 20 percent of his purse as a penalty. Similarly, Emmers will go up against Dennis Buzukja at a catchweight, also facing a 20 percent deduction from his purse.

These failed weight cuts could potentially put both Roberts and Emmers at a disadvantage in their fights. While their opponents successfully made the required weight limits, Roberts and Emmers will be entering the octagon with the added challenge of facing fighters who were able to meet the prescribed weight requirements.

It will be intriguing to see how these circumstances play out and if the failed weight cuts will have a tangible impact on the outcomes of the fights and the championship implications at UFC 295. Maintaining the required weight is a crucial aspect of professional mixed martial arts, and failing to do so can often have far-reaching consequences for the fighters involved.

November 9, 2023November 9, 2023

Julia Budd Out: Kayla Harrison vs Aspen Ladd

Two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison’s highly anticipated fight against Julia Budd at the PFL Finals has undergone a significant change. Budd, originally scheduled to face Harrison, has been removed from the card due to her refusal to fulfill her contractual obligation. However, the show must go on, and UFC veteran Aspen Ladd has stepped up to the challenge, becoming Harrison’s new opponent.

The fight will now take place at a 150-pound catchweight, adding an intriguing element to the matchup. This will mark Harrison’s first appearance in 2023, following her loss to Larissa Pacheco, the 2022 PFL champion. On the other hand, Ladd enters the ring with a submission win over Karolina Sobek and a majority decision win over Budd from her debut. Both fighters bring their own unique skills and determination, making this a must-see showdown.

Key Takeaways:

Kayla Harrison’s initial opponent, Julia Budd, has been replaced by Aspen Ladd for the upcoming PFL Finals.
The fight will take place at a 150-pound catchweight.
This will be Kayla Harrison’s first appearance in 2023.
Aspen Ladd enters the matchup with a submission win over Karolina Sobek and a majority decision win over Julia Budd.
The fight between Harrison and Ladd is highly anticipated by fans.

Kayla Harrison’s Road to the Fight

Kayla Harrison, a two-time PFL champion, has had an impressive career so far. However, she did suffer a career loss against Larissa Pacheco, the 2022 PFL champion. Despite this setback, Harrison remained determined and considered returning for another season-long tournament. Ultimately, she decided to wait for a different opportunity in 2023.

That opportunity came in the form of a fight against Julia Budd, but unfortunately, Budd was removed from the card, leading to a change in Harrison’s opponent. Now, she is facing off against UFC veteran Aspen Ladd in the upcoming PFL Finals card. This fight will mark Harrison’s first appearance in 2023, and she is determined to make a strong comeback.

Through her career, Harrison has showcased her skills and determination, earning her the title of two-time PFL champion. Now, she is ready to prove herself once again and show the world why she is a force to be reckoned with in the octagon.

Quotes:

“I may have suffered a loss, but it only fueled my fire. I know what I’m capable of, and I’m ready to show everyone that I’m back and better than ever.” – Kayla Harrison

Key Takeaways:

Kayla Harrison suffered a career loss against Larissa Pacheco.
She considered returning for another season-long tournament but opted to wait for a different opportunity in 2023.
Julia Budd was initially scheduled to fight Harrison, but she was removed from the card.
Harrison will now face Aspen Ladd in the upcoming PFL Finals card.
This will be Harrison’s first appearance in 2023, and she is determined to make a strong comeback.

Aspen Ladd’s Recent Success

Aspen Ladd, a UFC veteran, has made quite an impact since joining the PFL roster as a free agent. Her recent performances have showcased her skill and determination in the cage. In June, Ladd secured a submission win over Karolina Sobek, adding another victory to her record. This win demonstrated Ladd’s proficiency in grappling and her ability to finish fights on the ground.

Notably, Ladd’s debut in the PFL included a majority decision win over Julia Budd, who was initially set to face Kayla Harrison. This victory highlighted Ladd’s adaptability and resilience against a tough opponent. It also proved that she has what it takes to compete at the highest level of the sport.

“I’ve been working hard to improve my skills and show the world what I’m capable of,” Ladd said. “Winning against Julia Budd was a significant moment for me, and it has only fueled my desire for more challenges.”

With her recent successes, Ladd has established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the PFL. Her well-rounded skill set and determination make her a formidable opponent for anyone in the promotion. Now, she faces her biggest challenge yet in the form of Kayla Harrison, a two-time PFL champion. This highly anticipated matchup will put Ladd’s skills and resilience to the test and may determine her future in the promotion.

Wins	Losses	Draws
2	0	0

Anticipation for the Showdown

The upcoming PFL Finals card in November is generating immense anticipation among fight fans as two formidable fighters, Kayla Harrison and Aspen Ladd, prepare to face off. With Julia Budd being replaced by Ladd as Harrison’s opponent, the intensity of this matchup has only escalated.

Harrison, a two-time PFL champion, returns to the octagon after her career’s only loss to Larissa Pacheco, the 2022 PFL champion. Eager to make a strong comeback, Harrison is determined to showcase her skills against Ladd, who has been making waves since joining the PFL roster as a free agent.

Ladd’s recent successes in the promotion, including a submission win over Karolina Sobek and a majority decision victory against Julia Budd, have established her as a serious contender. Now, stepping up to face Harrison, Ladd aims to secure the most significant win of her career.

The clash between Harrison and Ladd promises to be an enthralling battle, with both fighters bringing their unique styles and impressive track records to the fight. As fight fans eagerly await November, they anticipate an exhilarating showdown that could potentially reshape the PFL landscape.

November 9, 2023November 9, 2023

Dricus Du Plessis new champion at UFC 297?

Dricus Du Plessis, the South African fighter, is set to compete for the middleweight title at UFC 297. He was originally scheduled to challenge Israel Adesanya, but due to a foot injury, he was replaced by Sean Strickland. Du Plessis earned his title shot with an impressive second-round TKO victory over former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 290. Now, he is determined to bring the title back to South Africa and prove himself as the new champion at UFC 297.

Key Takeaways:

Dricus Du Plessis is a South African fighter set to compete for the middleweight title at UFC 297.
He earned his title shot with a second-round TKO victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 290.
Du Plessis was originally supposed to challenge Israel Adesanya, but due to an injury, Sean Strickland took his place.
His goal is to bring the title back to South Africa and establish himself as the new champion.
UFC 297 is highly anticipated, and fans are excited to see if Du Plessis can claim the title.

Sean Strickland’s Defensive Masterclass Against Israel Adesanya

In a highly anticipated matchup at UFC 293, Sean Strickland showcased his defensive prowess against former two-time champion Israel Adesanya. The fight, which ended in a unanimous decision victory for Strickland, proved that he is a force to be reckoned with in the middleweight division.

Throughout the bout, Strickland’s impeccable defensive skills were on full display. He expertly evaded Adesanya’s strikes, countering with precision and efficiency. His ability to slip punches, parry kicks, and block takedowns was nothing short of impressive, frustrating Adesanya’s offense at every turn.

Strickland’s defensive masterclass was a sight to behold,” said commentator Joe Rogan. “He showed incredible head movement and footwork, making it incredibly difficult for Adesanya to land any significant strikes.”

This victory catapulted Strickland to the forefront of the middleweight division and solidified his position as the current champion. However, it is important to note that Strickland wasn’t originally slated to challenge Adesanya. It was fellow contender Dricus Du Plessis who was initially set for the title bout before Adesanya’s foot injury.

The Defensive Numbers

Fighter	Total Strikes Landed	Significant Strikes Landed	Takedown Attempts
Sean Strickland	108	56	2
Israel Adesanya	62	34	0

The table above highlights the stark contrast between Strickland and Adesanya’s performance in terms of strikes landed and takedown attempts. Strickland’s higher number of total and significant strikes clearly demonstrates his offensive capabilities, while his successful defense against takedown attempts reflects his well-rounded skillset.

As the middleweight division eagerly awaits the upcoming UFC 297, where Du Plessis will face Strickland for the title, fans and analysts are buzzing with excitement. Strickland’s defensive masterclass against Adesanya has set the stage for what promises to be an exhilarating and closely contested battle. Will Du Plessis find a way to break through Strickland’s impenetrable defense and claim the championship? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain – this fight is not to be missed.

Whittaker’s perspective on Du Plessis’ title shot

Robert Whittaker, the former middleweight champion who was defeated by Dricus Du Plessis, has publicly voiced his support for Du Plessis’ upcoming title shot against Sean Strickland. In a recent interview, Whittaker acknowledged that Du Plessis wasn’t initially in the conversation for a title shot, but his victory over Whittaker proved his worthiness as a contender.

“Dricus put on an impressive performance against me, and he definitely earned his shot at the title,” Whittaker stated. “He showcased his skills and determination in our fight, and I believe he will bring that same level of intensity to his upcoming bout with Strickland.”

Whittaker’s endorsement of Du Plessis highlights the respect he has for the South African fighter and his abilities inside the Octagon. It further solidifies Du Plessis’ position as a formidable contender in the middleweight division.

“I see it as a fair matchup,” Whittaker added. “Both Du Plessis and Strickland are highly skilled fighters, and I’m excited to see how they match up against each other. I also hope to have a rematch with Du Plessis in the future, as I believe it would be another thrilling fight for the fans.”

With Whittaker’s support, Du Plessis enters his title bout with added motivation and validation. The upcoming matchup at UFC 297 promises to be an exciting clash between two talented fighters vying for the middleweight championship. One thing is for sure, Du Plessis will have the backing of a former champion in his corner as he steps into the Octagon to prove himself as a worthy title contender.

The anticipation for UFC 297 and Du Plessis’ chance at the title

As the highly anticipated UFC 297 approaches, fans and fighters alike are buzzing with excitement. All eyes are on Dricus Du Plessis as he prepares for his shot at the title against Sean Strickland. Du Plessis’ impressive victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 has solidified him as a formidable contender and added to the anticipation surrounding this title bout.

With the opportunity to bring the title back to South Africa, Du Plessis is determined to prove himself as the new champion. His relentless drive and skill inside the octagon have earned him the respect of his peers and the admiration of fans worldwide. UFC 297 is expected to be an action-packed fight, showcasing the best of what the middleweight division has to offer.

For Du Plessis, this fight is not just about personal glory, but also about representing his country. The support from South African fans is overwhelming, and their hopes are pinned on Du Plessis to bring home the title. The excitement surrounding this matchup is palpable, and everyone is eagerly awaiting the moment when the cage door closes and the battle begins.

UFC 297 is poised to be an unforgettable event, and Du Plessis’ chance at the title is an inspiring story of determination and perseverance. As the countdown to fight night continues, the anticipation continues to build. Will Du Plessis emerge victorious and become the new champion? Only time will tell, but one thing is for certain – UFC 297 is a must-watch event for MMA fans everywhere.

November 8, 2023November 8, 2023

UFC 295: Joe Rogan and Chael Sonnen Return to Broadcast Team

Joe Rogan and Chael Sonnen are set to make their return to the broadcast team for UFC 295. This exciting announcement has fans eagerly anticipating their expert analysis and commentary for this highly anticipated event.

Joe Rogan, who last appeared on the commentary desk at UFC 292 in August, will join Jon Anik and Daniel Cormier as part of the commentary team. With his wealth of knowledge and passion for mixed martial arts, Rogan’s return will undoubtedly enhance the viewing experience for fans.

Chael Sonnen will also be back, providing his expertise from the desk alongside analysts Anthony Smith and Teddy Atlas. This all-star lineup promises to deliver top-notch analysis and insights throughout the fights.

Key Takeaways:

Joe Rogan and Chael Sonnen return to the broadcast team for UFC 295, adding to the excitement of the event.
The commentary team also includes Jon Anik, Daniel Cormier, Anthony Smith, and Teddy Atlas.
Their expert analysis and insights will enhance the viewer’s experience.
UFC 295 promises to be an unforgettable event at Madison Square Garden.
Fans can expect top-notch commentary and expert analysis throughout the fights.

UFC 295 Features Vacant Light Heavyweight Title Fight

One of the main highlights of UFC 295 is the vacant light heavyweight title fight between Jiri Prochazka and former middleweight champion Alex Pereira. This highly anticipated matchup will determine the new champion in the light heavyweight division. Fans can expect an intense showdown between two skilled fighters vying for the title.

Jiri Prochazka, known for his explosive striking and aggressive fighting style, has quickly risen through the ranks in the light heavyweight division. With impressive victories over top contenders, Prochazka has proven himself as a formidable force in the octagon. His unorthodox techniques and knockout power make him a dangerous opponent for any fighter.

Alex Pereira, on the other hand, is no stranger to championship bouts. As a former middleweight champion and multiple-time kickboxing world champion, Pereira brings a wealth of experience and striking prowess to the cage. Known for his devastating knockout power and precise striking, Pereira poses a significant threat to Prochazka’s title aspirations.

This fight has all the ingredients for an epic battle,” says UFC commentator Joe Rogan. “Both Prochazka and Pereira are incredibly skilled fighters who bring their own unique styles into the octagon. It’s going to be a clash of titans, and I can’t wait to see who comes out on top.”

Comparison of Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira

Let’s take a closer look at the key attributes of both fighters:

	Jiri Prochazka	Alex Pereira
Fighting Style	Explosive Striker	Precision Striker
Knockout Power	High	High
Grappling	Average	Average
Experience	Less	More

As shown in the table, both fighters possess knockout power, although their striking styles differ. Prochazka relies on explosiveness, while Pereira focuses on precision. Additionally, their grappling abilities and overall fighting experience appear to be on par with each other.

The vacant light heavyweight title fight between Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira promises to be a thrilling matchup that will keep fans on the edge of their seats. With contrasting styles and equally impressive skill sets, it’s anyone’s guess who will emerge victorious and claim the title in the light heavyweight division.

All-Star Broadcast Team for UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden

UFC 295 is set to take place at the hallowed grounds of Madison Square Garden, and fight fans can expect an all-star lineup of broadcasters to enhance their viewing experience. The prestigious event will feature renowned commentators and analysts who bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table. With this stellar cast of broadcasters, UFC 295 promises to deliver top-notch commentary and analysis.

The broadcast team for UFC 295 includes the legendary Joe Rogan, who returns to the commentary desk after a brief hiatus. Rogan’s insightful observations and passion for the sport have made him a fan favorite over the years. Joining him will be Chael Sonnen, a former UFC fighter known for his charismatic personality and sharp insights. Together, Rogan and Sonnen will provide an engaging and dynamic commentary duo.

Supporting them in the broadcast booth will be Jon Anik and Daniel Cormier, two seasoned professionals with a deep understanding of the sport. Anik’s play-by-play commentary and Cormier’s expert analysis will give viewers a comprehensive understanding of the action inside the Octagon. Additionally, Megan Olivi and Din Thomas will contribute their expertise and conduct insightful interviews with the fighters.

The all-star broadcast team for UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden is a dream lineup for fight fans. With Joe Rogan, Chael Sonnen, Jon Anik, Daniel Cormier, Megan Olivi, and Din Thomas, viewers can expect unparalleled analysis and an immersive viewing experience,” said UFC President Dana White.

The combination of these talented broadcasters will undoubtedly add another layer of excitement to the already highly anticipated event. Their extensive knowledge, passion for the sport, and ability to captivate audiences will ensure that fans have a memorable experience watching UFC 295.

Co-Main Event for UFC 295: Interim Heavyweight Title Fight

Adding to the excitement of UFC 295, fight fans can look forward to a thrilling co-main event that will determine the interim heavyweight champion. Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall will step into the Octagon to vie for the highly coveted title in the heavyweight division.

Pavlovich, known for his explosive knockouts and aggressive fighting style, will seek to showcase his power and skill against the formidable Aspinall. With a strong background in boxing and a rapidly rising reputation in the MMA world, Aspinall is determined to prove himself and establish his dominance in the division.

The outcome of this epic clash will have significant implications for the heavyweight division, as the winner will move one step closer to a title shot against the reigning champion. As fans eagerly anticipate the co-main event of UFC 295, the buzz surrounding this interim heavyweight title fight continues to grow.

November 8, 2023November 8, 2023

Return Timeline for Jamahal Hill’s Title Shot

Jamahal Hill, a promising MMA fighter, is set to make his return to the ring for a title shot in the light heavyweight division. After suffering a torn Achilles tendon in a pickup basketball game in July, Hill underwent surgery and relinquished the vacant title while recovering. The return timeline for Hill’s title shot is expected to be in 2024, as he plans to challenge the winner of the upcoming title fight between Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira at UFC 295. Hill’s decision to give up the title was influenced by the fact that Prochazka had also vacated the title previously due to injury and had a deal in place to fight for it upon his return. Hill underwent surgery performed by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who has worked with several top athletes, including Conor McGregor and Aaron Rodgers. Despite the severity of his injury, Hill remains on schedule to resume full MMA training in early 2024 and make his return in the second quarter of the year.

Key Takeaways:

Jamahal Hill is set to make his return for a title shot in the light heavyweight division.
He suffered a torn Achilles tendon and underwent surgery, relinquishing the vacant title.
Hill’s return timeline is expected to be in 2024, challenging the winner of the upcoming title fight between Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira at UFC 295.
His decision to give up the title was influenced by Prochazka’s previous vacating of the title due to injury.
Under the care of Dr. Neal ElAttrache, Hill is on track to resume full MMA training in early 2024 and make his return in the second quarter of the year.

Hill’s Recovery Process and Prognosis

Jamahal Hill’s recovery process after his Achilles tendon surgery has been progressing well. While tendinosis, a degeneration of the tendon’s collagen in response to chronic overuse, played a role in his injury, Hill is on track to be cleared for full MMA training within six months of the surgery. His recovery has been quicker than anticipated, with Hill already walking and gradually transitioning back to his normal footwear. The second quarter of 2024 is the target for Hill’s return to the octagon, and he is actively looking to get booked for his comeback fight. The UFC has assured Hill that he will be given a title shot upon his return, with the same champion purse and pay-per-view points as before. This shows the organization’s confidence in Hill’s abilities and their belief that he will be able to regain his previous performance level. Despite the severity of his injury, Hill remains determined to make a successful return to MMA. He has been working closely with his surgical team and following a thorough rehabilitation program to ensure that he comes back stronger than ever. Hill’s dedication to his recovery process has been commendable, and it is clear that he is fully committed to achieving his goals.

Jamahal Hill’s Recovery Milestones

Milestone	Date
Completed Achilles tendon surgery	July 2023
Began walking with assistance	September 2023
Transitioned to normal footwear	October 2023
Cleared for full MMA training	January 2024
Targeted return to octagon	Second quarter of 2024

Hill’s Determination and Outlook

Despite having to relinquish the title due to his injury, Jamahal Hill remains determined to become a champion again. His determination is unwavering, and he is focused on regaining the title and making a successful return to the octagon. Hill’s decision to give up the belt was driven by his desire to prioritize the division’s progression, allowing Jiri Prochazka to compete for it upon his return. Hill’s confidence in his abilities is evident as he expresses indifference to who holds the title when he makes his comeback. His sole focus is on reclaiming the championship and proving himself as one of the best in the division. The UFC has assured Hill that he will be treated like a champion upon his return, emphasizing that he will receive the same champion purse and pay-per-view points. Looking forward, Hill is optimistic about the future of the division. He sees his return as an opportunity to contribute to its growth and elevate the competition. Hill is determined to showcase his skills and establish himself as a dominant force in the light heavyweight division once again.

Hill’s Impressive Surgical Team and Comparisons to Aaron Rodgers

Jamahal Hill’s Achilles tendon surgery was carried out by the highly esteemed orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Renowned for his exceptional work with top athletes, Dr. ElAttrache’s track record speaks for itself. He has successfully performed operations on MMA superstar Conor McGregor, as well as football players Georges St-Pierre and Francis Ngannou. Recently, Dr. ElAttrache also performed a surgery to repair Aaron Rodgers’ torn Achilles tendon, with Rodgers expressing optimism about a potential return to the field before the end of the 2023 NFL season. While the circumstances and severity of Hill’s injury differed from Rodgers’, they share the possibility of making a quicker-than-expected comeback to their respective careers. Hill acknowledges tendinosis as a contributing factor to his injury, resulting from chronic overuse of the tendon. However, under the guidance of his impressive surgical team and continuous rehabilitation, Hill is firmly on track for a successful return to the competitive world of MMA. Hill’s confidence in his surgical team stems from Dr. ElAttrache’s extensive experience and reputation in the field. With McGregor, St-Pierre, and Ngannou among the athletes who have benefitted from his expertise, Hill is in good hands. The collaboration between Hill and Dr. ElAttrache showcases the commitment to excellence and dedication to athletic success that both share. Hill’s commendable determination, combined with the support of his surgical team, positions him well for a triumphant return to the octagon.

November 7, 2023November 7, 2023

UFC Shanghai: Song Yadong vs. Chris Gutierrez?

The main event for UFC Shanghai, scheduled for December 9 at the Shanghai Indoor Arena, will feature a bantamweight bout between Song Yadong and Chris Gutierrez. Song Yadong, ranked #12 in the bantamweight division, is coming off an impressive fifth-round TKO win against Ricky Simon in April. He was originally slated to face Rob Font in August but had to withdraw from the matchup. Chris Gutierrez, with an 8-2-1 record in the UFC, secured a unanimous decision victory over Alatengheili in October. Earlier this year, Gutierrez had an eight-fight unbeaten streak but suffered a loss to Pedro Munhoz in April. UFC fans can expect an exciting showdown between these two skilled fighters, and there is a lot of anticipation for this matchup.

Key Takeaways:

UFC Shanghai will showcase a bantamweight bout between Song Yadong and Chris Gutierrez.
Song Yadong is ranked #12 in the bantamweight division and is known for his impressive TKO win against Ricky Simon.
Chris Gutierrez has an 8-2-1 record in the UFC and recently secured a unanimous decision victory over Alatengheili.
Both fighters have experienced wins and losses in their careers, making this matchup highly anticipated among UFC fans.
The fight is scheduled for December 9 at the Shanghai Indoor Arena and is expected to be a thrilling showdown.

Fight Predictions and Strategies

As the highly anticipated bantamweight matchup between Song Yadong and Chris Gutierrez approaches, fight fans and experts have been offering their predictions and analyzing potential strategies for both fighters. Yadong’s aggressive fighting style and knockout power have led many to believe that he will have the upper hand in this bout. His ability to finish fights late in the rounds, as evidenced by his victory over Ricky Simon, makes him a formidable opponent.

However, it would be unwise to underestimate Gutierrez’s skills and resilience. With notable wins and a highlight-reel knockout of Frankie Edgar, Gutierrez has proven himself to be a tough fighter. His technical striking and defensive capabilities could pose a significant challenge for Yadong.

Both fighters are likely to come prepared with specific strategies to exploit their opponent’s weaknesses and capitalize on their own strengths. Yadong’s aggressive approach may involve putting pressure on Gutierrez early on to test his defense, while Gutierrez may aim to use his reach advantage to keep Yadong at bay and counter with precision strikes. It will be intriguing to see how these game plans unfold inside the Octagon and which fighter can effectively execute their strategy to secure victory.

Fighter Quotes:

“I’m ready to put on a show for the fans in Shanghai. Yadong is a talented fighter, but I believe my technical skills will lead me to victory.” – Chris Gutierrez

“I have a lot of respect for Gutierrez, but I’m confident in my abilities. I’m looking to finish this fight and make a statement in front of the Shanghai crowd.” – Song Yadong

Fighter Statistics

Now let’s delve into the fighter statistics of Song Yadong and Chris Gutierrez. Song Yadong, aged 25, boasts an impressive professional record of 17 wins, 4 losses, and 1 draw. He has showcased his striking power by finishing 9 of his victories by knockout. In addition to his knockout prowess, Yadong has also demonstrated his versatility with 4 submission wins, highlighting his well-rounded skill set.

On the other hand, Chris Gutierrez, with a record of 15 wins, 3 losses, and 2 draws, brings his own set of skills to the table. He has finished 2 of his victories by knockout and an impressive 5 by submission, further emphasizing his versatility as a fighter. Gutierrez also enjoys a significant reach advantage, which could potentially play a crucial role in the fight.

UFC Shanghai: Song Yadong vs. Chris Gutierrez is set to be a thrilling bantamweight clash that has captured the attention of fight fans worldwide. With Song Yadong’s explosive knockout power and Gutierrez’s technical prowess, this fight promises to be an intense battle from start to finish.

Many fight predictions and strategies indicate that Yadong’s aggressive fighting style and ability to finish fights late in the rounds could give him the upper hand. However, Gutierrez’s resilience and defensive skills cannot be underestimated, making him a formidable opponent for Yadong.

In the end, this fight will be decided by who can effectively execute their game plan and capitalize on their strengths. UFC fans are eagerly awaiting this showdown, anticipating an exhilarating display of skill, determination, and heart.

Stay tuned for an unforgettable bout at UFC Shanghai as Song Yadong and Chris Gutierrez step into the Octagon and battle it out for bantamweight supremacy.

November 7, 2023November 7, 2023

Fight Update: Roosevelt Roberts vs. Mateusz Rebecki at UFC 295

Roosevelt Roberts has stepped in on short notice to replace Nurullo Aliev and will now face Mateusz Rebecki in a lightweight bout at UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Roberts, who previously competed in the UFC with a record of 4-3, is making his return to the promotion after parting ways in 2021. His opponent, Rebecki, looks to improve his UFC record to 3-0 after victories over Loik Radzhabov and Nick Fiore. This last-minute change in opponent comes after Aliev withdrew from the bout due to a leg injury.

Key Takeaways:

Roosevelt Roberts replaces Nurullo Aliev in a lightweight bout against Mateusz Rebecki at UFC 295.
Roberts returns to the UFC with a 4-3 record, while Rebecki aims to improve his 2-0 UFC record.
Last-minute change in opponent due to Aliev’s withdrawal from the bout.
The fight will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Roberts had a successful run on The Ultimate Fighter and aims to make a strong comeback in the promotion.

Roosevelt Roberts’ UFC career and recent performances

Roosevelt Roberts has had an eventful career in the UFC, with a notable stint on The Ultimate Fighter reality show. He advanced to the lightweight semifinals before narrowly losing a split decision to Austin Hubbard. Roberts’ performance on the show showcased his potential and skills in the octagon, leading to his subsequent signing with the UFC.

Prior to his appearance on The Ultimate Fighter, Roberts had a successful regional career, amassing a record of 2-0. This experience outside of the UFC helped him refine his technique and build confidence in his abilities. Now, with his return to the promotion, Roberts has the opportunity to make a strong comeback and prove himself as a top contender in the lightweight division.

Roberts’ upcoming fight against Mateusz Rebecki at UFC 295 provides him with the chance to showcase his improved skills and regain momentum in his career. This matchup promises to be an exciting battle between two talented fighters looking to make their mark. With his previous experience and determination, Roberts will undoubtedly bring his best performance to the octagon.

In summary, Roosevelt Roberts’ UFC career has seen its fair share of ups and downs. His time on The Ultimate Fighter showcased his potential, while his regional success outside the promotion helped mold him into a well-rounded fighter. With his return to the UFC and an upcoming fight against Mateusz Rebecki, Roberts is determined to leave a lasting impression and make a statement in the lightweight division.

Mateusz Rebecki’s Rise in the UFC and Previous Victories

Mateusz Rebecki’s journey in the UFC has been nothing short of remarkable. After securing a contract through the Contender Series in 2022, Rebecki wasted no time in making his mark on the promotion. With an impressive record of 18-1, he has quickly become a force to be reckoned with in the lightweight division.

Rebecki’s UFC debut was a statement in itself, as he showcased his skills and dominated his opponent. Since then, he has continued his winning streak, securing two back-to-back victories that have only solidified his position as a rising star in the sport.

His most recent triumphs came against Loik Radzhabov and Nick Fiore, both accomplished fighters in their own right. Rebecki’s ability to dismantle his opponents with precision and technical prowess has garnered attention from fans and experts alike. It is evident that his hard work, dedication, and natural talent have paid off, as he has shown time and time again that he is a force to be reckoned with in the octagon.

November 6, 2023November 6, 2023

Upcoming Title Fights for UFC 297, UFC 298, UFC 299 Unveiled

UFC CEO Dana White recently announced a series of upcoming title fights for early 2024. The schedule includes UFC 297, where middleweight champion Sean Strickland will defend his belt against Dricus du Plessis. In UFC 298, featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski will face Ilia Topuria, and in UFC 299, bantamweight king Sean O’Malley will have a rematch with Marlon Vera. These highly anticipated matchups are expected to bring intense MMA action to fans.

Key Takeaways:

UFC 297 will feature a middleweight title defense by Sean Strickland against Dricus du Plessis.
Alexander Volkanovski will defend his featherweight championship against Ilia Topuria at UFC 298.
Bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley will have a rematch with Marlon Vera at UFC 299.
These upcoming title fights promise thrilling showdowns between skilled fighters.
The UFC continues to deliver high-quality MMA action, keeping fans excited for the future.

Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297

Middleweight champion Sean Strickland is set to defend his title against Dricus Du Plessis in an exciting showdown at UFC 297. Strickland, who shocked the world with his upset victory over Israel Adesanya, will look to solidify his reign atop the division. Du Plessis, a rising star from South Africa, has remained undefeated in his career and recently showcased his skills with a dominant win over former champion Robert Whittaker.

This clash between two talented fighters is expected to be a thrilling battle, with both Strickland and Du Plessis known for their aggressive fighting styles. Strickland’s precise striking and relentless pressure have proven to be a formidable combination, while Du Plessis has showcased his knockout power and submission skills in previous bouts. The matchup promises to deliver an intense fight that could potentially go the distance or end in a spectacular finish.

“I’m really looking forward to this fight. Du Plessis is a tough opponent, but I’m confident in my abilities and ready to defend my title. Fans can expect an all-out war when we step into the octagon.”

Fighter Stats:

Fighter	Record	Height	Weight
Sean Strickland	21-4-0	6’1″	185 lbs
Dricus Du Plessis	16-2-0	6’0″	185 lbs

Both fighters have the skills and determination to put on a memorable performance at UFC 297. MMA fans can anticipate an action-packed fight between two warriors vying for supremacy in the middleweight division. With the championship on the line, Strickland and Du Plessis will leave no stone unturned as they battle it out inside the octagon.

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria at UFC 298

Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is set to defend his title against Ilia Topuria in a highly anticipated bout at UFC 298. Volkanovski, known for his impressive skills and strategic approach, will be making his return to the 145-pound division after a recent loss to Islam Makhachev. On the other hand, Topuria has been on a winning streak, securing victories in all six of his octagon appearances. This clash between the reigning champion and the rising contender promises to be a thrilling showdown.

Both fighters possess unique strengths that will make this matchup exciting for fans to watch. Volkanovski’s well-rounded game and ability to adapt to his opponent’s style have been key factors in his success. Meanwhile, Topuria’s aggressive style and relentless pressure have earned him dominant wins in his UFC career so far. With the featherweight title on the line, both fighters will undoubtedly bring their A-game to the octagon, making this a fight to remember.

In terms of fighting styles, Volkanovski’s technical striking and exceptional defensive skills will be put to the test against Topuria’s relentless pressure and submission game. Volkanovski’s ability to control the distance and dictate the pace of the fight will be crucial in neutralizing Topuria’s aggressive approach. On the other hand, Topuria’s grappling prowess and ability to capitalize on his opponents’ openings will pose a constant threat to Volkanovski.

The Rise of Ilia Topuria

Ilia Topuria’s recent rise in the featherweight division has been nothing short of impressive. With a perfect record in the octagon and a string of dominant wins, Topuria has quickly established himself as a serious contender. His well-rounded skill set, combined with his relentless aggression, has proven to be a formidable combination. While he may be the underdog in this bout, Topuria’s previous performances indicate that he is more than capable of causing an upset.

Statistic	Alexander Volkanovski	Ilia Topuria
Record	22-2-0	12-0-0
Height	5’6″	5’8″
Reach	71″	70″
Striking Accuracy	54%	48%
Significant Strikes Landed per Minute	4.63	5.51

As the table above shows, both fighters have impressive records, and their physical attributes are relatively similar. However, Topuria holds a slight advantage in terms of striking accuracy and significant strikes landed per minute. This could indicate that he has the potential to cause problems for Volkanovski in the stand-up exchanges.

Sean O’Malley vs. Chito Vera 2 at UFC 299

Bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley is set to defend his title against Marlon Vera in a highly anticipated rematch at UFC 299. O’Malley, known for his flashy fighting style and knockout power, recently secured an impressive victory over Aljamain Sterling. However, Vera is no stranger to success, being the only fighter to have defeated O’Malley in his professional MMA career.

Since their first encounter, Vera has showcased remarkable skill and determination, accumulating notable victories against top-ranked opponents. His ability to weather O’Malley’s striking and implement his own game plan proved to be the key to his previous triumph. Now, in their highly anticipated rematch, both fighters have the opportunity to prove themselves once again.

With both O’Malley and Vera known for their exciting fighting styles and their ability to finish fights, fans can expect an action-packed clash. The bantamweight division is one of the most competitive in the UFC, and this rematch is sure to add another thrilling chapter to its history. Will O’Malley seek revenge and retain his title, or will Vera solidify his position as the top contender? Only time will tell.

Key Points:

Sean O’Malley will defend his bantamweight title against Marlon Vera at UFC 299.
O’Malley is seeking revenge against Vera, who has previously defeated him.
Both fighters are known for their exciting fighting styles and knockout power.
The rematch promises to deliver intense action in the highly competitive bantamweight division.

Excitement Building for the Upcoming Title Fights

With the announcement of the upcoming title fights in the UFC, anticipation is building among MMA fans. The matchups between Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis, Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria, and Sean O’Malley and Chito Vera 2 are generating excitement.

These fights feature a mix of reigning champions defending their titles and rematches between skilled fighters. The UFC continues to deliver high-quality MMA action, and these title fights are expected to showcase the best the sport has to offer.

As fight enthusiasts eagerly await these highly anticipated battles, the anticipation grows for the intense MMA action that will unfold in the octagon. The skill, determination, and heart of the fighters will be on full display as they compete for glory and the chance to solidify their status as champions.

Key Takeaways:

Main Event: Jiri Prochazka vs Alex Pereira

Recent Performance Comparison

Co-Main Event: Sergei Pavlovich vs Tom Aspinall

In-Depth Analysis: Sergei Pavlovich vs Tom Aspinall

Full Event Breakdown and Analysis

Key Takeaways:

Anthony Smith’s Potential Callout of Alex Pereira

Anthony Smith’s Friendly Dynamic with Glover Teixeira

Comparison of Anthony Smith and Alex Pereira

Anthony Smith’s Willingness to Fight Alex Pereira

Key Takeaways:

Official Weigh-In Results for UFC 295

Implications for the Championship Fights at UFC 295

Julia Budd Out: Kayla Harrison vs Aspen Ladd

Key Takeaways:

Kayla Harrison’s Road to the Fight

Quotes:

Key Takeaways:

Aspen Ladd’s Recent Success

Anticipation for the Showdown

Key Takeaways:

Sean Strickland’s Defensive Masterclass Against Israel Adesanya

The Defensive Numbers

Whittaker’s perspective on Du Plessis’ title shot

The anticipation for UFC 297 and Du Plessis’ chance at the title

Key Takeaways:

UFC 295 Features Vacant Light Heavyweight Title Fight

Comparison of Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira

All-Star Broadcast Team for UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden

Co-Main Event for UFC 295: Interim Heavyweight Title Fight

Key Takeaways:

Hill’s Recovery Process and Prognosis

Jamahal Hill’s Recovery Milestones

Hill’s Determination and Outlook

Hill’s Impressive Surgical Team and Comparisons to Aaron Rodgers

Key Takeaways:

Fight Predictions and Strategies

Fighter Quotes:

Fighter Statistics

Key Takeaways:

Roosevelt Roberts’ UFC career and recent performances

Mateusz Rebecki’s Rise in the UFC and Previous Victories

Key Takeaways:

Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297

Fighter Stats:

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria at UFC 298

The Rise of Ilia Topuria

Sean O’Malley vs. Chito Vera 2 at UFC 299

Key Points:

Excitement Building for the Upcoming Title Fights

Place Your Bets

BETMMA

MENU

MENU