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		<title>‘Chiwiwi’ Made UFC History In Mexico</title>
		<link>https://mmaband.net/2025/03/31/chiwiwi-made-ufc-history-in-mexico/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:58:32 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[MMA Fighting]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://mmaband.net/?p=48900</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC Find out why professionals are using BoxBandz “Chiwiwi” made history this weekend. 20-year-old Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight Raul Rosas Jr. kept his momentum going, securing a unanimous decision victory over UFC veteran Vince Morales at UFC Mexico on Sat., March 29, 2025, inside Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico. With</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mmaband.net/2025/03/31/chiwiwi-made-ufc-history-in-mexico/">‘Chiwiwi’ Made UFC History In Mexico</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mmaband.net">MMA Band</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/l-fiGcdPwchkuNIZjDYn2Yf5WFs=/0x0:5189x3459/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73993429/2207559189.0.jpg" alt="UFC Fight Night: Moreno v Erceg" /><figcaption>Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Find out why professionals are using <a href="https://boxbandz.com/">BoxBandz</a></h2>
<p id="elwsye">“Chiwiwi” made history this weekend.</p>
<p id="B0ACkY">20-year-old Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight <strong>Raul Rosas Jr.</strong> kept his momentum going, securing a unanimous decision victory over UFC veteran <strong>Vince Morales</strong> at <a href="https://www.mmamania.com/2025/3/29/24391762/ufc-mexico-city-results-live-streaming-updates-brandon-moreno-vs-steve-erceg">UFC Mexico</a> on Sat., March 29, 2025, inside Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico.</p>
<p id="Y6KYf4">With this triumph at <a href="https://www.mmamania.com/2025/3/29/24391762/ufc-mexico-city-results-live-streaming-updates-brandon-moreno-vs-steve-erceg">UFC Mexico</a>, Rosas Jr. etched his name in the history books as the youngest UFC fighter to win five bouts inside the Octagon, shattering former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion <strong>Vitor Belfort</strong>’s 27-year-old record.</p>
<p id="CSBr9d">Belfort established the mark in 1998 at age 21, earning victories over <strong>Tra Telligman</strong>, <strong>Scott Ferrozzo</strong>, <strong>Tank Abbott</strong>, <strong>Joe Charles</strong>, and <strong>Wanderlei Silva</strong>.</p>
<aside id="GvZBLC">
<div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data="{&quot;stories&quot;:[{&quot;title&quot;:&quot;UFC Mexico City Results, Highlights&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mmamania.com/2025/3/29/24391762/ufc-mexico-city-results-live-streaming-updates-brandon-moreno-vs-steve-erceg&quot;}]}"></div>
</aside>
<figure class="e-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2DZuPQwkpUXzJoN1Zun4zhxx-0Y=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25932228/154304957.jpg" alt="UFC Ultimate Brazil: Belfort v Silva" data-mask-text="false" /> <cite>Photo by Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images</cite></figure>
<aside id="1XuzSN">
<div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data="{&quot;stories&quot;:[{&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Bye! Rosas Jr. Retiring At 25&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mmamania.com/2024/9/11/24242153/19-year-old-phenom-raul-rosas-jr-retirement-timeline-ahead-ufc-306-noche-sphere-mma&quot;}]}"></div>
</aside>
<p id="HmcXJb">Rosas Jr., at just 20, shattered the record by 1 year and 26 days—a feat that could stand for years to come.</p>
<p id="9wYQ7A">“El Niño Problema” infamously secured a UFC contract <a href="https://www.mmamania.com/2022/8/16/23308107/youngest-fighter-ufc-history-17-year-old-phenom-raul-rosas-jr-dana-whites-contender-series-debut-mma">when he was 17</a> and has since dominated opponents, <a href="https://www.mmamania.com/2023/4/10/23677132/my-bad-raul-rosas-jr-didnt-have-energy-win-ufc-287-bros">with his sole defeat</a> coming against <strong>Christian Rodriguez</strong> in his second promotional fight.</p>
<p id="Cgo4HJ">The rising star aims to break <strong>Jon Jones</strong>’<a href="https://www.mmamania.com/2020/3/19/21187256/ufc-free-fight-jon-jones-youngest-champion-ever-dismantling-shogun-rua-ufc-128-video-mma"> record as the youngest UFC champion</a> and has just under three years to make it happen.</p>
<aside id="Sc9EI7">
<div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data="{&quot;stories&quot;:[{&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Rosas Jr. Vows To Become UFC Triple Champ&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mmamania.com/2023/1/29/23577094/raul-rosas-jr-declares-his-intention-to-become-triple-champ-135-145-155-lets-go&quot;}]}"></div>
</aside>
<p id="i7ox9P">Will he do it?</p>
<p id="SfuEko">Well, he thinks he will and then <a href="https://www.mmamania.com/2023/1/29/23577094/raul-rosas-jr-declares-his-intention-to-become-triple-champ-135-145-155-lets-go">become a three-division champ as well</a> &#8230; that is, <a href="https://www.mmamania.com/2024/9/11/24242153/19-year-old-phenom-raul-rosas-jr-retirement-timeline-ahead-ufc-306-noche-sphere-mma">if he doesn’t retire first.</a></p>
<hr id="z3IImP" class="p-entry-hr" />
<p id="CAijGf"><strong>For more UFC Mexico City results, coverage and highlights click </strong><a href="https://www.sbnation.com/e/24155803"><strong>HERE</strong></a>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mmaband.net/2025/03/31/chiwiwi-made-ufc-history-in-mexico/">‘Chiwiwi’ Made UFC History In Mexico</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mmaband.net">MMA Band</a>.</p>
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		<title>Matches To Make After UFC 313</title>
		<link>https://mmaband.net/2025/03/10/matches-to-make-after-ufc-313/</link>
					<comments>https://mmaband.net/2025/03/10/matches-to-make-after-ufc-313/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Mar 2025 00:27:45 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[MMA news]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://mmaband.net/?p=48892</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC Find out why professionals are using BoxBandz UFC 313 went down last night (Sat., March 8, 2025) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, which saw Magomed Ankalaev defeat Alex Pereira via a lackluster unanimous decision, all while capturing the Light Heavyweight title (see it again here). In the co-main event</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mmaband.net/2025/03/10/matches-to-make-after-ufc-313/">Matches To Make After UFC 313</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mmaband.net">MMA Band</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/x37j7d_EYAylPs0WyBxV4qLe6B0=/0x0:6911x4607/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73951090/2204067037.0.jpg" alt="UFC 313: Gaethje v Fiziev" /><figcaption>Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Find out why professionals are using <a href="https://boxbandz.com/">BoxBandz</a></h2>
<p id="Wmgwth"><a href="https://www.mmamania.com/2025/3/8/24376736/ufc-313-results-live-streaming-updates-alex-pereira-vs-magomed-ankalaev-ppv">UFC 313</a> went down last night (Sat., March 8, 2025) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, which saw <strong>Magomed Ankalaev</strong> defeat <strong>Alex Pereira</strong> via a lackluster unanimous decision, all while capturing the Light Heavyweight title (<a href="https://www.mmamania.com/2025/3/9/24381169/alex-pereira-vs-magomed-ankalaev-results-live-streaming-fight-updates-ufc-313">see it again here</a>). In the co-main event of the evening, <strong>Justin Gaethje</strong> and <strong>Rafael Fiziev</strong>, put on a show which resulted in “Highlight” getting another win over “Ataman” via decision (<a href="https://www.mmamania.com/2025/3/9/24381160/fire-fight-justin-gaethje-defeats-rafael-fiziev-again-in-awesome-striking-rematch-ufc-313">highlights</a>).</p>
<aside id="MTPGwT">
<div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data="{&quot;stories&quot;:[{&quot;title&quot;:&quot;UFC 313, The Worst Case Scenario&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mmamania.com/2025/3/9/24381223/ufc-313-worst-case-scenario-last-standing-ppv-star-alex-pereira-coughs-up-title-dreadfully-boring&quot;}]}"></div>
</aside>
<figure class="e-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HYC_Qb5KVsaYhAOA8KfHtQfAIVw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25904231/2204069079.jpg" alt="UFC 313: Pereira v Ankalaev" data-mask-text="false" /> <cite>Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC</cite></figure>
<h3 id="6Df3cQ"><strong>Winner: Magomed Ankalaev</strong></h3>
<h3 id="GcF1RV"><strong>Who He Should Face Next: Alex Pereira rematch</strong></h3>
<p id="2kXNpX">Ankalaev’s win over Pereira wasn’t exactly dominant, and UFC CEO, <strong>Dana White</strong>, has <a href="https://www.mmamania.com/2025/3/9/24381260/does-ufc-book-alex-pereira-vs-magomed-ankalaev-2-immediately-dana-white-says-probably-ufc-313">already hinted</a> at setting up an immediate rematch between the two men. After all, if Pereira — who has won belts in two divisions, and <a href="https://www.mmamania.com/2024/4/14/24130147/ufc-300-alex-pereira-knocking-out-jamahal-hill-least-i-could-do-to-not-so-good-behavior-espn-mma">saved the promotion in a pinch</a> — doesn’t deserve an instant do-over, then who does?</p>
<aside id="rnYPnU">
<div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data="{&quot;stories&quot;:[{&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Alex Pereira Vs. Magomed Ankalaev 2 Is Probably’ Next&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mmamania.com/2025/3/9/24381260/does-ufc-book-alex-pereira-vs-magomed-ankalaev-2-immediately-dana-white-says-probably-ufc-313&quot;}]}"></div>
</aside>
<hr id="uPqGEz" class="p-entry-hr" />
<figure class="e-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VsiHtjgePmaExEETqZE_9y_fToQ=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25904223/2204067763.jpg" alt="UFC 313: Gaethje v Fiziev" data-mask-text="false" /> <cite>Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC</cite></figure>
<h3 id="I5CEpG"><strong>Winner: Justin Gaethje</strong></h3>
<h3 id="tFHLVl"><strong>Who He Should Face Next: Arman Tsarukyan</strong></h3>
<p id="CXaXC7">Tsarukyan was in line to challenge <strong>Islam Makhachev</strong> for the 155-pound title before a <a href="https://www.mmamania.com/2025/1/17/24346174/arman-tsarukyan-issues-statement-ufc-311-withdrawal-explains-injury-ended-islam-title-fight-mma">bad back bounced him from the fight</a>, and Dana White has stated that Tsarukyan <a href="https://www.mmamania.com/2025/1/19/24347076/bye-dana-white-boots-arman-tsarukyan-back-to-the-drawing-board-after-bailing-on-ufc-311">would not be next in line</a> after he withdrew. <strong>Ilia Topuria</strong> is <a href="https://www.mmamania.com/2025/3/6/24379595/get-ready-ilia-topuria-teases-huge-fight-is-coming-you-wont-believe-it-islam-makhachev">teasing a big fight</a> for his first challenge at 155 pounds, though it’s not clear if it’s Makhachev — but it very well could be. While Gaethje and the champ throwing down would be great, I still feel “Highlight” has to win one more fight before he gets a shot at the title, so why not let him fight the No. 1 ranked fighter in the division to see what’s what?</p>
<aside id="GfDZiC">
<div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data="{&quot;stories&quot;:[{&quot;title&quot;:&quot;‘Our Families Don’t Deserve That’&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mmamania.com/2025/3/9/24381265/justin-gaethje-declines-trilogy-fight-with-dustin-poirier-our-families-dont-deserve-that&quot;}]}"></div>
</aside>
<hr id="6LkRsg" class="p-entry-hr" />
<figure class="e-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/S7fO1HOmGt-DsPze53Nvy7hfAdQ=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25904243/2204062224.jpg" alt="UFC 313: Pereira v Ankalaev" data-mask-text="false" /> <cite>Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images</cite></figure>
<h3 id="Jvzbfn"><strong>Winner: Ignacio Bahamondes</strong></h3>
<h3 id="ZAJY3H"><strong>Who He Should Face Next: Grant Dawson</strong></h3>
<p id="OmzzmO">Bahamondes secured his third straight stoppage win after <a href="https://www.mmamania.com/2025/3/8/24381176/highlights-ignacio-bahamondes-retires-jalin-turner-with-triangle-choke-at-ufc-313">making quick work</a> of <strong>Jalin Turner</strong> — <a href="https://www.mmamania.com/2025/3/9/24381380/jalin-turner-explains-decision-to-retire-after-ufc-313-loss-the-fire-is-just-not-there">and then forcing his retirement </a>— putting him in great position to make a case of the Top 15. If he doesn’t get in this week, perhaps a victory over Grant Dawson would do the trick. I would have like a fight against <strong>Benoit Saint Denis</strong> — who is ranked No. 15 — but he is on a two-fight losing streak. As for Dawson, he is ranked No. 14 and has won three straight, as well.</p>
<aside id="r3hIoH">
<div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data="{&quot;stories&quot;:[{&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Highlights! Bahamondes Retires Turner With Triangle&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mmamania.com/2025/3/8/24381176/highlights-ignacio-bahamondes-retires-jalin-turner-with-triangle-choke-at-ufc-313&quot;}]}"></div>
</aside>
<hr id="UeCVCR" class="p-entry-hr" />
<figure class="e-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ewBkFXgkDZxJ-XffX9DXLcV6Zx8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25904264/2204060410.jpg" alt="UFC 313: Pereira v Ankalaev" data-mask-text="false" /> <cite>Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC</cite></figure>
<h3 id="KARYPJ"><strong>Winner: Amanda Lemos</strong></h3>
<h3 id="hBZr2P"><strong>Who She Should Face Next: Tatiana Suarez</strong></h3>
<p id="cJO9dd">Lemos secured a big win over Iasmn Lucindo, firmly keeping her cemented in the Top 5. She has a loss to <strong>Virna Jandiroba</strong> (No. 3), who is in line to face <strong>Yan Xiaonan</strong> (No. 1), while <strong>Jessica Andrade</strong> (No. 4) is in line to face <strong>Jasmine Jasudavicius</strong> and is constantly moving from Flyweight to Strawweight. That only leaves Suarez as the best option in the Top 5. Suarez is coming off a loss to division champion, Weili Zhang, so it would be a great bounce back fight for her, as well.</p>
<aside id="8Cdnmg">
<div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data="{&quot;stories&quot;:[{&quot;title&quot;:&quot;UFC 313 Free To Watch After ESPN+ Meltdown&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mmamania.com/2025/3/9/24381576/espn-makes-ufc-313-free-to-watch-after-latest-streaming-platform-meltdown&quot;}]}"></div>
</aside>
<hr id="1qVZ0J" class="p-entry-hr" />
<figure class="e-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LAsfohL5gY0i4djDANU2mYCHLUE=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25904307/2204057318.jpg" alt="UFC 313: Green v Ruffy" data-mask-text="false" /> <cite>Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC</cite></figure>
<h3 id="rCIZ2h"><strong>Winner: Mauricio Ruffy</strong></h3>
<h3 id="AvRHe9"><strong>Who He Should Face Next: Hernandez vs. Holobaugh winner</strong></h3>
<p id="3AiUIX">Ruffy had one of the most impressive finishes of the night, ending <strong>King Green</strong>’s night with a spinning wheel kick that put him out cold (<a href="https://www.mmamania.com/2025/3/8/24381143/knockout-mauricio-ruffy-flatlines-king-green-with-perfect-wheel-kick-at-ufc-313">see it again here</a>). With his win streak up to seven in a row, The FIght Nerd-team member is well on his way to making an impact on the Lightweight division in speedy fashion. Ruffy is an exciting prospect that has all of the makings of a future star. I wouldn’t mind seeing him face off against the winner of the upcoming 155-pound scrap between <strong>Alexander Hernandez</strong> and <strong>Kurt Holobaugh</strong>, which is set to go down next week in “Sin City.”</p>
<aside id="hIdtNR">
<div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data="{&quot;stories&quot;:[{&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Biggest Winners, Loser From UFC 313&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mmamania.com/2025/3/9/24381209/ufc-313-results-biggest-winners-loser-pereira-vs-ankalaev-last-night-espn-mma&quot;}]}"></div>
</aside>
<hr id="IN2LmK" class="p-entry-hr" />
<p id="fIoCeB"><strong>To checkout the latest and greatest UFC 313: “Pereira vs. Ankalaev” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right </strong><a href="https://www.mmamania.com/ufc-313-results-stream-start-time-pereira-ankalaev-gaethje-vegas-mma"><strong>here</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mmaband.net/2025/03/10/matches-to-make-after-ufc-313/">Matches To Make After UFC 313</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mmaband.net">MMA Band</a>.</p>
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		<title>Merab Dvalishvili: Umar Nurmagomedov ‘bullsh*tting’ injury talk ahead of UFC 311</title>
		<link>https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/merab-dvalishvili-umar-nurmagomedov-bullshtting-injury-talk-ahead-of-ufc-311/</link>
					<comments>https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/merab-dvalishvili-umar-nurmagomedov-bullshtting-injury-talk-ahead-of-ufc-311/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jan 2025 04:55:14 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[MMA Fighting]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/merab-dvalishvili-umar-nurmagomedov-bullshtting-injury-talk-ahead-of-ufc-311/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Merab Dvalishvili doesn&#x2019;t believe Umar Nurmagomedov&#x2019;s injury talk one bit ahead of their bantamweight title fight. Dvalishvili puts his title on the line for the first time against the undefeated Nurmagomedov in the co-main event of UFC 311 on Jan. 18 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. In a recent interview with ESPN, Nurmagomedov was</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/merab-dvalishvili-umar-nurmagomedov-bullshtting-injury-talk-ahead-of-ufc-311/">Merab Dvalishvili: Umar Nurmagomedov ‘bullsh*tting’ injury talk ahead of UFC 311</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mmaband.net">MMA Band</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div></div>
<p id="vCz7UT"><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4276/merab-dvalishvili">Merab Dvalishvili</a> doesn&#x2019;t believe <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5039/umar-nurmagomedov">Umar Nurmagomedov</a>&#x2019;s injury talk one bit ahead of their bantamweight title fight.</p>
<p id="QoYx6L">Dvalishvili puts his title on the line for the first time against the undefeated Nurmagomedov in the co-main event of <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1501/ufc-311">UFC 311</a> on Jan. 18 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. In a recent interview with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgYGM3qImd0">ESPN</a>, Nurmagomedov was asked about an arm injury he revealed in November, but said he still accepted the fight after feeling better &#x201C;20 days&#x201D; later. Nurmagomedov also claims he&#x2019;s been healthy for the training camp, perhaps wisely not putting a target on the injury.</p>
<p id="wil4Wt">Regardless of what&#x2019;s real and what isn&#x2019;t, Dvalishvili isn&#x2019;t buying what Nurmagomedov is selling.</p>
<p id="NB5ZA0">&#x201C;He&#x2019;s bullshitting,&#x201D; Dvalishvili told MMA Fighting. &#x201C;He&#x2019;s a bullshit guy and I&#x2019;m not buying it. It&#x2019;s bullshit, you know, his injury. Like he has little injury in his arm and he was&#8230; like I had an injury, big injury but I&#x2019;m not mentioning this. I&#x2019;m not bringing up this one, you know. Everybody has an injury and every professional fighter has an injury and like, he&#x2019;s bullshitting.&#x201D;</p>
<p id="Xvh9rH">&#x201C;He said he was training, I saw he was punching bags very good when he arrived in Vegas&#x2014;you can go and see in the video he posted. He was punching bag and if you have any problem with your hand, you won&#x2019;t be able to punch the bag, and then he was punching bag very normal and I think he&#x2019;s just mentioning this [to make] some excuse.&#x201D;</p>
<p id="GRyLxk">Since winning the belt against <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4140/sean-o-malley">Sean O&#x2019;Malley</a> at <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1450/ufc-306">UFC 306</a>, Dvalishvili has been vocal that Nurmagomedov hasn&#x2019;t done enough to earn a bantamweight title opportunity, especially after the road that &#x201C;The Machine&#x201D; had to travel to get his crack at UFC gold.</p>
<p id="1gB1Qk">Regardless, he&#x2019;s giving Nurmagomedov&#x2014;who defeated <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4356/cory-sandhagen">Cory Sandhagen</a> in his most recent outing in the main event of <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1465/ufc-abu-dhabi">UFC Abu Dhabi</a> in August&#x2014;his title shot, and on Nurmagomedov&#x2019;s timeline.</p>
<p id="dJQvuz">&#x201C;It&#x2019;s kinda a little bit [of a] quick turnaround for me because, ideally, I wanted to fight in February or March, but [<a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1499/ufc-312">UFC 312</a>] is in Australia, and in March, Umar don&#x2019;t want the fight [at <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1503/ufc-313">UFC 313</a>] because of Ramadan,&#x201D; Dvalishvili said. &#x201C;Now, I have to fight on my holidays and it&#x2019;s a little bit [of a] quick turnaround, but I&#x2019;m all lean and ready to go. &#8230;</p>
<p id="QbFgoD">&#x201C;Yeah, Cory Sandhagen fight was good, but my problem was before he wasn&#x2019;t fighting anybody, the ranked guys. [The] fight before, he [fought] debut guy and because of [the] win against debut guy, he fights No. 2, which for me, it&#x2019;s not right. It&#x2019;s a shortcut and it&#x2019;s cheating. And, yeah, the fight was good. It&#x2019;s not easy to beat Cory Sandhagen like this, and Umar is a good fighter, but like you have to end it. There is <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4764/mario-bautista">Mario Bautista</a>, has seven-fight win streak and I think Bautista earned it even more [than Umar].&#x201D;</p>
<p id="Ky9ewa">Dvalishvili plans to be active in 2025. Should he get by Nurmagomedov, he&#x2019;s eyeing a fight against <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4437/petr-yan">Petr Yan</a> &#x201C;in March,&#x201D; and then he&#x2019;d like to turn around a month later to face O&#x2019;Malley in a rematch &#x201C;in April.&#x201D;</p>
<p id="fvOQNs">The first step is to dispatch of Nurmagomedov at the UFC&#x2019;s first pay-per-view of 2025. </p>
<p id="5jLBOB">&#x201C;I&#x2019;m going to try and finish him,&#x201D; Dvalishvili said.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/merab-dvalishvili-umar-nurmagomedov-bullshtting-injury-talk-ahead-of-ufc-311/">Merab Dvalishvili: Umar Nurmagomedov ‘bullsh*tting’ injury talk ahead of UFC 311</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mmaband.net">MMA Band</a>.</p>
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		<title>Between the Links: UFC 311, Khabib’s airplane dispute, and more</title>
		<link>https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/between-the-links-ufc-311-khabibs-airplane-dispute-and-more/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jan 2025 04:55:12 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[MMA Fighting]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/between-the-links-ufc-311-khabibs-airplane-dispute-and-more/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Find out why professionals are using BoxBandz It’s officially UFC 311 fight week as the UFC brings two big title fights to the octagon. In the main event, Islam Makhachev is set to defend his title against Arman Tsarukyan in a rematch, while Merab Dvalishvili puts his newly won bantamweight championship on the line against the</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/between-the-links-ufc-311-khabibs-airplane-dispute-and-more/">Between the Links: UFC 311, Khabib’s airplane dispute, and more</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mmaband.net">MMA Band</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>
<h2>Find out why professionals are using <a href="https://boxbandz.com/">BoxBandz</a></h2>
</div>
<p id="M665cd">It’s officially <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1501/ufc-311">UFC 311</a> fight week as the UFC brings two big title fights to the octagon. In the main event, <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3279/islam-makhachev">Islam Makhachev</a> is set to defend his title against <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4890/arman-tsarukyan">Arman Tsarukyan</a> in a rematch, while <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4276/merab-dvalishvili">Merab Dvalishvili</a> puts his newly won bantamweight championship on the line against the undefeated <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5039/umar-nurmagomedov">Umar Nurmagomedov</a>.</p>
<p id="fI0oDQ">On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel previews Saturday’s big pay-per-view event, the two championship bouts, the highly anticipated light heavyweight bout between <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5050/jamahal-hill">Jamahal Hill</a> and <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3464/jiri-prochazka">Jiri Prochazka</a>, and the rest of the card as a whole. Additionally, they’ll give their thoughts on the shocking airplane incident involving <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/1480/khabib-nurmagomedov">Khabib Nurmagomedov</a>, <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3624/mackenzie-dern">Mackenzie Dern</a>’s big win over <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5015/amanda-ribas">Amanda Ribas</a> at <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1502/ufc-vegas-101-ribas-vs-dern-2">UFC Vegas 101</a>, <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3026/leon-edwards">Leon Edwards</a> vs. <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5772/jack-della-maddalena">Jack Della Maddalena</a> to headline <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1390/ufc-london-aspinall-vs-tybura">UFC London</a> in March, and much more.</p>
<p id="KG5Fdx">Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew and Morning Kombat’s Luke Thomas.</p>
<p id="TECRYV">Watch the special Tuesday edition of the show live at 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT in the video above.</p>
<p id="OUkiCS">If you missed the show live, you can still watch above, or listen to the podcast version, which can be found below and on <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?xcust=___sb__p_23677463__t_w__r_google.com__d_D&amp;id=66960X1516590&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id320642139&amp;referrer=sbnation.com" target="_blank" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" data-cdata="{&quot;rewritten_url&quot;:&quot;https://go.redirectingat.com/?xcust=___sb__p_24106712__m_m-placeholder__s_s-placeholder__t_w__c_c-placeholder__r_google.com__d_Du0026id=66960X1516590u0026xs=1u0026url=https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id320642139u0026referrer=sbnation.com&quot;,&quot;subtag_max_length&quot;:50,&quot;subtag_delim_length&quot;:3,&quot;subtag_key&quot;:&quot;xcust&quot;,&quot;subtag_data&quot;:{&quot;xcust&quot;:&quot;___sb__p_24106712__m_m-placeholder__s_s-placeholder__t_w__c_c-placeholder__r_google.com__d_D&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;66960X1516590&quot;,&quot;xs&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id320642139&quot;,&quot;referrer&quot;:&quot;sbnation.com&quot;},&quot;encode_subtag&quot;:false}">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLmZlZWRidXJuZXIuY29tL1RoZU1tYUhvdXJXaXRoQXJpZWxIZWx3YW5p">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/27Z2RR39rjGrRcV1DiQ40J?si=5ZS0Lje7QbWITUd60cOb8g">Spotify</a>, and wherever you get your pods.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/between-the-links-ufc-311-khabibs-airplane-dispute-and-more/">Between the Links: UFC 311, Khabib’s airplane dispute, and more</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mmaband.net">MMA Band</a>.</p>
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		<title>Nate Diaz claims Islam Makhachev is lying over water bottle incident at UFC 311 presser </title>
		<link>https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/nate-diaz-claims-islam-makhachev-is-lying-over-water-bottle-incident-at-ufc-311-presser/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jan 2025 04:55:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[MMA Fighting]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/nate-diaz-claims-islam-makhachev-is-lying-over-water-bottle-incident-at-ufc-311-presser/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Nate Diaz doesn&#x2019;t understand how he got all mixed up in some kind of heated rivalry with UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. This past December at the UFC 311 pre-fight press conference, Diaz and Makhachev were involved in a brief backstage altercation where members from their respective teams threw water bottles at each other before</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/nate-diaz-claims-islam-makhachev-is-lying-over-water-bottle-incident-at-ufc-311-presser/">Nate Diaz claims Islam Makhachev is lying over water bottle incident at UFC 311 presser </a> appeared first on <a href="https://mmaband.net">MMA Band</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div></div>
<p id="TZjRxx"><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/365/nate-diaz">Nate Diaz</a> doesn&#x2019;t understand how he got all mixed up in some kind of heated rivalry with UFC lightweight champion <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3279/islam-makhachev">Islam Makhachev</a>.</p>
<p id="KY0mly">This past December at the <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1501/ufc-311">UFC 311</a> pre-fight press conference, Diaz and Makhachev were involved in a brief backstage altercation where members from their respective teams threw water bottles at each other before security intervened to ensure the situation didn&#x2019;t escalate. Makhachev later claimed that the whole ordeal started <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/2025/1/7/24338385/islam-makhachev-addresses-water-bottle-incident-with-nate-diaz-at-ufc-311-press-conference">with Diaz flipping his team off with his middle finger </a>and then next thing you know, water bottles went flying.</p>
<p id="4Pd8eK">Now Diaz has responded and says he didn&#x2019;t even know Makhachev was with the group that threw a water bottle at him.</p>
<p id="OwxvTu">&#x201C;[What the hell is] going on?,&#x201D; Diaz wrote on Instagram. &#x201C;I didn&#x2019;t even know Islam was there. I don&#x2019;t even know which one he is.  I was just there to corner my boy [<a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3446/kron-gracie">Kron Gracie</a>] and these [Ewoks] were looking for [trouble] threw a bottle at me looking for clout. [What the f*ck] did I do?&#x201D;</p>
<p id="diYlHh">After the incident went public, UFC flyweight contender <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5342/brandon-royval">Brandon Royval</a> <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/12/22/24321808/brandon-royval-exonerates-nate-diaz-from-starting-water-bottle-fight-at-ufc-310">actually backed part of Diaz&#x2019;s claims </a>after he says he witnessed Makhachev&#x2019;s teammate <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5352/tagir-ulanbekov">Tagir Ulanbekov</a> fire off the first bottle of water, which nearly hit him.</p>
<p id="MmcxpP">In the same interview where Makhachev addressed the water bottle throwing incident, he also said that he didn&#x2019;t know why Diaz suddenly had a problem with him after they seemingly had a mutual respect after running into each other in an elevator at a separate event.</p>
<p id="Cn22CB">&#x201C;You know what&#x2019;s interesting, maybe five, six months ago, I meet Diaz in the elevator in the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas,&#x201D; Makhachev said. &#x201C;He goes to me and says, &#x2018;Respect, respect, respect.&#x2019; But what changed now? A lot of cameras come and always people change.</p>
<p id="F2eZei">&#x201C;We don&#x2019;t have something. If I have something with him, I can fix it in the Wynn Hotel. But he came to me and said &#x2018;Respect&#x2019; and then he go. But when camera comes, he&#x2019;s changing. And people think I started this!&#x201D;</p>
<p id="x85s1Y">That interaction apparently stuck in Makhachev&#x2019;s head when the water bottle incident happened but Diaz claims he never actually approached the UFC lightweight champion in any elevator much less told him there was respect between them.</p>
<p id="Yy3f65">&#x201C;I never saw this guy in an elevator,&#x201D; Diaz said. &#x201C;[What the f*ck?], I thought religious people didn&#x2019;t lie. [What the f*ck] is happening? And [what the f*ck] happened to champ. All you had to do was say yes champ.&#x201D;</p>
<p id="QKcvy8">There&#x2019;s no telling when Diaz and Makhachev might cross paths again but it seems like there&#x2019;s no love lost between these two.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/nate-diaz-claims-islam-makhachev-is-lying-over-water-bottle-incident-at-ufc-311-presser/">Nate Diaz claims Islam Makhachev is lying over water bottle incident at UFC 311 presser </a> appeared first on <a href="https://mmaband.net">MMA Band</a>.</p>
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		<title>Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby joins Conor McGregor as part-owner of BKFC</title>
		<link>https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/las-vegas-raiders-star-maxx-crosby-joins-conor-mcgregor-as-part-owner-of-bkfc/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jan 2025 04:55:10 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[MMA Fighting]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[<p>Las Vegas Raiders star defensive end Maxx Crosby is getting into the bare-knuckle fighting business. He&#x2019;s not throwing punches but instead he&#x2019;s making a financial investment in BKFC to become a part-owner in the promotion in similar fashion to UFC superstar Conor McGregor. Crosby is a well-known fan of combat sports and now he&#x2019;s putting</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/las-vegas-raiders-star-maxx-crosby-joins-conor-mcgregor-as-part-owner-of-bkfc/">Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby joins Conor McGregor as part-owner of BKFC</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mmaband.net">MMA Band</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div></div>
<p id="q3UH0e">Las Vegas Raiders star defensive end Maxx Crosby is getting into the bare-knuckle fighting business.</p>
<p id="isu4a0">He&#x2019;s not throwing punches but instead he&#x2019;s making a financial investment in BKFC to become a part-owner in the promotion in similar fashion to UFC superstar <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/1859/conor-mcgregor">Conor McGregor</a>. Crosby is a well-known fan of combat sports and now he&#x2019;s putting his money to work to back BKFC.</p>
<p id="koPAnS">&#x201C;Bare knuckle fighting is raw, real, and incredibly engaging for fans,&#x201D; Crosby stated in a press release. &#x201C;I have always been passionate about combat sports, and I see BKFC as a platform that not only showcases the incredible skill, talent, and athleticism of these fighters but also brings a unique and authentic experience to combat sports enthusiasts.&#x201D;</p>
<p id="cC2Kfs">BKFC has enjoyed significant growth over the past few years, especially with expansion into more and more international markets. In 2024, BKFC traveled to Spain for a show staged inside a bull fighting arena and the promotion has already announced plans for events in both Dubai and Italy in 2025.</p>
<p id="uaS5IK">McGregor has become a very vocal supporter of BKFC since investing in the promotion in 2024 and he&#x2019;s happy to have another sports star like Crosby join him as a part-owner in the brand.</p>
<p id="Llw5mA">&#x201C;I am thrilled for Maxx to join me as an owner of BKFC,&#x201D; McGregor said. &#x201C;He is the epitome of hard work and perseverance that is the backbone of BKFC!&#x201D;</p>
<p id="86rIHN">BKFC&#x2019;s next major show is scheduled for Jan. 25 when the promotion goes to Philadelphia for the first time with the upcoming KnuckleMania V card headlined by ex-UFC champion <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/54/eddie-alvarez">Eddie Alvarez</a> as he faces <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/78/jeremy-stephens">Jeremy Stephens</a> in the main event.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/las-vegas-raiders-star-maxx-crosby-joins-conor-mcgregor-as-part-owner-of-bkfc/">Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby joins Conor McGregor as part-owner of BKFC</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mmaband.net">MMA Band</a>.</p>
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		<title>UFC mailbag: Has Mackenzie Dern turned a corner? Plus, looking ahead to UFC 311</title>
		<link>https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/ufc-mailbag-has-mackenzie-dern-turned-a-corner-plus-looking-ahead-to-ufc-311/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jan 2025 04:55:08 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[MMA Fighting]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[<p>The first UFC event of 2025 took place this past weekend when UFC Vegas 101 went down in the world&#x2019;s most famous APEX. Though the card was a wee bit maligned heading into the weekend, UFC Vegas 101 ended up being a pretty fun time, and a few notable things occurred, including Mackenzie Dern getting</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/ufc-mailbag-has-mackenzie-dern-turned-a-corner-plus-looking-ahead-to-ufc-311/">UFC mailbag: Has Mackenzie Dern turned a corner? Plus, looking ahead to UFC 311</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mmaband.net">MMA Band</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div></div>
<p id="yp5N1d"><em>The first UFC event of 2025 took place this past weekend when </em><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1502/ufc-vegas-101-ribas-vs-dern-2"><em>UFC Vegas 101</em></a><em> went down in the world&#x2019;s most famous APEX. Though the card was a wee bit maligned heading into the weekend, UFC Vegas 101 ended up being a pretty fun time, and a few notable things occurred, including Mackenzie Dern getting her revenge on Amanda Ribas with a third-round armbar victory.</em></p>
<p id="DgTqUZ"><em>So, let&#x2019;s talk about UFC Vegas 101 one more time before turning our eye to the sensational </em><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1501/ufc-311"><em>UFC 311</em></a><em> card which takes place this upcoming weekend.</em></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="kHzr5A">
<h2 id="Bvd5iB"><strong>Mackenzie Dern</strong></h2>
<blockquote readability="7">
<p id="Z7TGzd">&#x201C;Feels like the Mackenzie Dern Bandwagon is maybe one fight from a title shot? Who gets her there? I know her and Virna Jandiroba fought once but it was like five years ago. Seems like a solid No. 1 contender fight.&#x201D;</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="hBMIUM">That&#x2019;s right it is, baby! All of us Dern truthers are finally having our moment! Sure, we lose A LOT before then, but that doesn&#x2019;t matter! We weren&#x2019;t wrong, just early!</p>
<p id="3EzRjy">Despite mountains of evidence calling me a moron, I&#x2019;ve steadfastly believed that Mackenzie Dern could be a legitimate title threat if she could just get her act together. After all, the woman has a super power, and that makes her extremely dangerous against anyone, even if she kept getting beat. And while no one should go spiking the football just yet, I do think Saturday showed us that Dern is <em>finally</em> starting to improve.</p>
<p id="kxPfWl">My biggest criticism of Dern is not that she&#x2019;s a bad wrestler &#x2014; she is, but while that&#x2019;s bad and annoying, it&#x2019;s not the fatal flaw. My biggest issue is that Dern simply isn&#x2019;t mean enough. Despite being a bad wrestler, she pretty regularly finds herself on the ground and in top position. But from there, too often Dern tries to Demian Maia her way into a gentle submission. Occasionally that&#x2019;s worked, but against the best in the world it hasn&#x2019;t. So instead of hunting for a submission endlessly, I want Dern to start punishing fighters with punches and elbows, and then chase the submission. And we saw some of that against Ribas!</p>
<p id="rhOQeO">Dern is a good athlete with an <em>elite</em> skill, but has a lot of fundamental flaws that probably prohibit her from ever winning a title. But if she can build on this, and simply be a little more ruthless in the cage, I believe she&#x2019;ll go from being a Top 10 strawweight to a Top 5 one. </p>
<p id="kHgV5y">As for how she gets to a title fight, I peered into my crystal ball and the path was quite clear: Tatiana Suarez beats Zhang Weili in their upcoming fight, and the UFC books an immediate rematch. Jandiroba now needs to fight against to stay active and the UFC books the rematch between Jandiroba and Dern for the same card as Suarez-Zhang 2, just in case someone falls out.</p>
<p id="iIRxqL">I see these things.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="5Edgx1">
<h2 id="TOV0AP"><strong>Dern continued</strong></h2>
<blockquote readability="6">
<p id="oEKtEv">&#x201C;Does Mackenzie Dern have a chance of sneaking into a title fight if Tatiana pulls out at short notice?&#x201D;</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="agndf4">A chance? Sure. Likely? Not at all.</p>
<p id="DfOQ8w">For the past few years now the best ability in MMA has been availability, so if I&#x2019;m in Dern&#x2019;s corner, I&#x2019;m telling her to stay sharp, just in case. But, god forbid, Suarez is forced out of the <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1499/ufc-312">UFC 312</a> title fight with Zhang (given her history, fair to worry about) then Jandiroba will be the first person the UFC calls. But if Jandiroba can&#x2019;t or won&#x2019;t for some reason, Dern is probably second in line right now, so there is definitely a chance, even if it&#x2019;s small.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="b9Bu8z">
<h2 id="t8ILSY"><strong>Chris Curtis</strong></h2>
<div id="9ymsbL" readability="6.0508474576271">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center" data-conversation="none" readability="6.0508474576271">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Was Chris Curtis unjustly denied a decision? </p>
<p>A decision either way to be clear.</p>
<p>&#x2014; Dizzle (@dazcummy) <a href="https://twitter.com/dazcummy/status/1878284064328929345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a>
</p></blockquote>
</div>
<blockquote readability="7">
<p id="jqidAM">&#x201C;Was Chris Curtis unjustly denied a decision? </p>
<p id="yzqYUn">&#x201C;A decision either way to be clear.&#x201D;</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="YGzgTs">I think it&#x2019;s pretty inarguable that yeah, referee Mark Smith screwed the pooch on this one. </p>
<p id="h36jfW">In case you missed it, Roman Kopylov <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/2025/1/11/24341756/video-roman-kopylov-last-second-head-kick-knockout-chris-curtis-angered-controversial-stoppage">stopped Chris Curtis with a walk-off head kick</a> this past Saturday, with just seconds remaining in the fight. Except when you say it like that, it seems like Curtis got slabbed up, which isn&#x2019;t what happened. The head kick clearly rocked Curtis who stumbled and fell, but Mark Smith looked like he only really jumped in because Kopylov walked it off. Make no mistake, Curtis was in a bad way, but he wasn&#x2019;t <em>out,</em> and we&#x2019;ve seen plenty of fighters recover from similar circumstances. This was an instance of Kopylov playing the game and forcing the referee to make a call. <a href="https://youtu.be/VA7J0KkanzM?si=GYX1SmqG8Pjmj_7p&amp;t=128">Mark Smith chose poorly</a>. </p>
<p id="Xgs1We">Fortunately, though Smith definitely messed up, it&#x2019;s one of those errors we&#x2019;ll quickly forget about because it didn&#x2019;t change the overall outcome. Kopylov and Curtis were tied up on the judges&#x2019; scorecards, and it seems pretty clear that with the knockdown, Kopylov would have won the third round and a decision, had it gone there. I&#x2019;m sure that&#x2019;s little comfort to Curtis who now has a KO loss on his record, but it is the facts.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="gweOZU">
<h2 id="UD9bXO"><strong>Islam Makhachev</strong></h2>
<div id="XEK9FT" readability="6.3372781065089">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center" data-conversation="none" readability="6.3372781065089">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Do you think with a win at 311, Islam is given the nod to jump to welterweight and challenge either Belal or Shavkat?</p>
<p>&#x2014; Jordan Anderson (@jordanjanjan) <a href="https://twitter.com/jordanjanjan/status/1878285724027371727?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a>
</p></blockquote>
</div>
<blockquote readability="7">
<p id="id__lhe3m02bssr">&#x201C;Do you think with a win at 311, Islam Makhachev is given the nod to jump to welterweight and challenge either Belal Muhammad or Shavkat Rakhmonov?&#x201D;</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="aSf1WW">Yes. If Islam Makhachev beats Arman Tsarukyan in the main event of UFC 311, I believe he will get a welterweight title shot next.</p>
<p id="DH35sL">Assuming Makhachev wins on Saturday, he will have victories over four of the top 6 contenders in the lightweight division (Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway are the outliers, both of whom lost their last fights). Who would he face next at lightweight? In a world where champions rarely clean out their weight divisions, Makhachev has done a pretty good job at lightweight right now. Sure, the winner of Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano would be fine, or I suppose a rematch with Charles Oliveira, but are those really fights that he or fans are that interested in?</p>
<p id="Vu0hUq">On top of that, a win on Saturday makes Makhachev the most accomplished lightweight in UFC history, with four successful title defenses. When you factor in his spot atop the pound-for-pound rankings, this is a guy who probably does deserve a chance at seizing a second title.  </p>
<p id="bzv386">The question for me is not &#x201C;Will he get the opportunity?&#x201D; but &#x201C;Will Belal lose?&#x201D; Belal Muhammad and Islam train together (not all the time but enough now) and they don&#x2019;t seem particularly inclined to fight each other. If Muhammad successfully defends his title against Shavkat Rakhmonov, will Makhachev say eff it and try anyway? </p>
<p id="ip4ICB">My gut says no, but I also think it&#x2019;s a moot point. I believe Rakhmonov beats Muhammad when they fight, and though there is some history between Rakhmonov and the Nurmagomedov gym, I don&#x2019;t think that would prohibit the fight. And given the relative dearth of undeniable challengers in both weight divisions, I think we&#x2019;re heading to champ-champ fight before the end of the year.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="4hO7P2">
<h2 id="x1wfUH"><strong>UFC 311 quick hits</strong></h2>
<div id="4SyMQ6" readability="5.9926829268293">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center" data-conversation="none" readability="5.5317073170732">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">1.  Are you at all concerned that Umar is far from 100% healthy (the recently broken arm)?<br />2.  Favorite 311 song &amp; any stories from seeing them play live?</p>
<p>&#x2014; Scot McCreight (@Scot_McCreight_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scot_McCreight_/status/1878473825366442482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a>
</p></blockquote>
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<div id="SFrz6L" readability="7.5241635687732">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center" data-conversation="none" readability="8.4646840148699">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">sorry for the double-dip but this card is so stacked man&#8230;who you got for Holland/RDR, Jiri/Jamahal, and which fight will you incorporate the next step of &#8220;the climb&#8221; with?  That&#8217;s seven legs down right?  Bravo dude!</p>
<p>&#x2014; Scot McCreight (@Scot_McCreight_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scot_McCreight_/status/1878502202240622976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a>
</p></blockquote>
</div>
<blockquote readability="13">
<p id="ZhcR2v">&#x201C;1.  Are you at all concerned that Umar Nurmagomedov is far from 100% healthy (the recently broken arm)?</p>
<p id="l7nIEk">&#x201C;2.  Favorite 311 song and any stories from seeing them play live?</p>
<p id="id__a69p3t5254v">&#x201C;3. Who you got for Kevin Holland vs. Reiner de Ridder, Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill, and which fight will you incorporate the next step of &#x201C;The Climb&#x201D; with?&#x201D;</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="Gifg25">This weekend&#x2019;s card is pretty stacked (at least the main card certainly is) so let&#x2019;s run down a few of these before we close up shop.</p>
<p id="TaNZOZ">1. Marginally? For those who don&#x2019;t know, Umar allegedly had an issue with his arm that meant he couldn&#x2019;t fight in December, but now that&#x2019;s apparently not the case. Honestly, it&#x2019;s hard to know what&#x2019;s true and what&#x2019;s nonsense with regard to the arm saga at this point. </p>
<p id="BSKiNJ">It&#x2019;s entirely possible that Umar did have a lingering arm issue but a title shot is a title shot and this one comes with Islam on the same card. Alternatively, it&#x2019;s just as possible that his arm issue was just not 100 percent a few months ago and now it&#x2019;s fine and this is also some ploy. In situations like this, I defer to what the fighter is telling us as true, because whether or not it is, Umar is fighting Saturday, and if you agree to fight, then you come as you are.  </p>
<p id="zY0jWh">2. I have never seen 311 live, so I hope I didn&#x2019;t spread that lie somewhere. I like 311 just fine, but I only own one album of theirs (<em>From Chaos</em>). If I&#x2019;m listening to reggae rock, I&#x2019;m going with Pepper or Sublime over 311 (though 311 beats out Slightly Stoopid, I think). But my favorite and their best song is <em>Amber</em>, but <em>I&#x2019;ll Be Here Awhile</em> also rips.</p>
<p id="adzcuA">3. I will obviously supporting my boy Reiner de Ridder AKA The Dutch Knight AKA Henny Cognac as he takes on Kevin Holland. That fight is going to be impossibly silly. Similarly, there are few people who love Jiri Prochazka more than I do, so I&#x2019;ll be rooting for my large idiot violence king with the same reckless abandon he fist fights with.</p>
<p id="Vsn5Gy">As for The Climb, no idea. Check <em>No Bets Barred </em>when it drops later this week.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="MVQ55c">
<p id="seA8M8"><em>Thanks for reading and thanks to everyone who sent in tweets (Xs?)! Do you have any burning questions about things at least somewhat related to combat sports? Then you&#x2019;re in luck because you can send your tweets to me, </em><a href="https://twitter.com/JedKMeshew"><em>@JedKMeshew</em></a><em>, and I will answer my favorite ones! It doesn&#x2019;t matter if they&#x2019;re topical or insane, just so long as they are good. Thanks again, and see y&#x2019;all next week.</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/ufc-mailbag-has-mackenzie-dern-turned-a-corner-plus-looking-ahead-to-ufc-311/">UFC mailbag: Has Mackenzie Dern turned a corner? Plus, looking ahead to UFC 311</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mmaband.net">MMA Band</a>.</p>
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		<title>UFC 312 loses flyweight prospect bout</title>
		<link>https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/ufc-312-loses-flyweight-prospect-bout/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jan 2025 04:55:07 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[MMA Fighting]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/ufc-312-loses-flyweight-prospect-bout/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>UFC 312 has lost an intriguing flyweight contest. MMA Fighting&#x2019;s Mike Heck confirmed with sources with knowledge of the change that a scheduled 125-pound bout between Rei Tsuruya (10-0) and Stewart Nicoll (8-1) is off the Feb. 8 pay-per-view in Sydney after Nicoll was forced to withdraw due to injury. The news was first reported</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/ufc-312-loses-flyweight-prospect-bout/">UFC 312 loses flyweight prospect bout</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mmaband.net">MMA Band</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div></div>
<p id="4gUkvF"><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1499/ufc-312">UFC 312</a> has lost an intriguing flyweight contest.</p>
<p id="Sgd0Zs">MMA Fighting&#x2019;s Mike Heck confirmed with sources with knowledge of the change that a scheduled 125-pound bout between <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/6509/rei-tsuruya">Rei Tsuruya</a> (10-0) and <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/6533/stewart-nicoll">Stewart Nicoll</a> (8-1) is off the Feb. 8 pay-per-view in Sydney after Nicoll was forced to withdraw due to injury.</p>
<p id="7ZJ8BW">The news was first reported by <a href="https://x.com/BigMarcel24/status/1879025739741483346">Eurosport</a>.</p>
<p id="60apCv">Tsuruya also acknowledged the news on social media.</p>
<p id="QKI9W5">It&#x2019;s unclear if matchmakers are working to keep Tsuruya on the card with a replacement opponent, but former UFC fighter <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5345/zhalgas-zhumagulov">Zhalgas Zhumagulov</a> has volunteered his services.</p>
<p id="cHHAeo">Tsuruya has had a fine start to his MMA career after turning pro in 2021. He is currently 10-0, which includes a unanimous decision win over <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5823/carlos-hernandez">Carlos Hernandez</a> in his octagon debut this past June at <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1449/ufc-303">UFC 303</a>. Prior to that, Tsuruya earned a UFC contract with a first-round TKO of Jiniushiyue in a Road to UFC finale bout.</p>
<p id="pPBUWa">UFC 312 is headlined by a pair of title bouts as middleweight champion <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5478/dricus-du-plessis">Dricus du Plessis</a> meets <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/2072/sean-strickland">Sean Strickland</a> in a main event grudge match, and <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4539/zhang-weili">Zhang Weili</a> defends her strawweight title against the undefeated <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3662/tatiana-suarez">Tatiana Suarez</a> in the co-main event.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/ufc-312-loses-flyweight-prospect-bout/">UFC 312 loses flyweight prospect bout</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mmaband.net">MMA Band</a>.</p>
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		<title>Donn Davis announces Patricio Pitbull’s release from PFL</title>
		<link>https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/donn-davis-announces-patricio-pitbulls-release-from-pfl/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jan 2025 04:55:06 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[MMA Fighting]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/donn-davis-announces-patricio-pitbulls-release-from-pfl/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Patricio Pitbull is officially a free agent. Shortly after the longtime Bellator star went on a public tirade against PFL, who acquired Bellator in 2023, PFL chairman Donn Davis announced Tuesday via Twitter that Pitbull has been granted his release. See Davis&#x2019; statement below. We are releasing @PatricioPitbull @PFLMMA is all about opportunity I founded</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/donn-davis-announces-patricio-pitbulls-release-from-pfl/">Donn Davis announces Patricio Pitbull’s release from PFL</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mmaband.net">MMA Band</a>.</p>
]]></description>
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<p id="EcSSFK"><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/451/patricio-pitbull">Patricio Pitbull</a> is officially a free agent.</p>
<p id="SUVH6L">Shortly after the longtime Bellator star went on a public tirade against PFL, who acquired Bellator in 2023, PFL chairman Donn Davis announced Tuesday via Twitter that Pitbull has been granted his release.</p>
<p id="t8aCws">See Davis&#x2019; statement below.</p>
<div id="UXnFV7" readability="6.6520146520147">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center" readability="7.4835164835165">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">We are releasing <a href="https://twitter.com/PatricioPitbull?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PatricioPitbull</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PFLMMA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PFLMMA</a> is all about opportunity </p>
<p>I founded this company to create new great opportunities for top fighters </p>
<p>PFL has and will continue to do that for all top fighters who want to be here <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PFLMMA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PFLMMA</a></p>
<p>&#x2014; Donn Davis (@DonnDavisPFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/DonnDavisPFL/status/1879264781393355030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a>
</p></blockquote>
</div>
<p id="0uAP9v">&#x201C;We are releasing [Pitbull],&#x201D; Davis wrote. &#x201C;[PFL] is all about opportunity. I founded this company to create new great opportunities for top fighters. PFL has and will continue to do that for all top fighters who want to be here.&#x201D;</p>
<p id="iDDzOY">Pitbull, currently in his third reign as Bellator featherweight champion, had been campaigning for months to be released from his contract amid complaints of inactivity. On Tuesday, <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/2025/1/14/24343560/patricio-pitbull-blasts-pfl-donn-davis-following-league-changes-bellator-closure">the 37-year-old veteran called Davis and PFL out</a> for allegedly lowering fighter pay and making it more difficult for fighters to leave in free agency. He also lamented the end of the Bellator brand, which is not part of PFL&#x2019;s plans going forward outside of a few select title fights.</p>
<p id="LhZCAM">In his plea to be released, Pitbull also tagged PFL heavyweight champion <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3362/francis-ngannou">Francis Ngannou</a>, suggesting they work together to form a fighters union.</p>
<p id="1V5uMe">Pitbull&#x2019;s efforts appear to have paid off as he is now a free agent, according to Davis. He departs the organization with a 24-6 record under the Bellator banner, which includes three title reigns as featherweight champion and a lightweight title win in 2019.</p>
<p id="Pk7rUF"><strong>UPDATE</strong>: Following Davis&#x2019; announcement, Pitbull took to social media where he claimed that his release actually came with strings attached with PFL maintaining matching rights for any offer he might receive in free agency. </p>
<p id="kSlJRu">&#x201C;As much as I appreciate an earlier termination of my deal and a waiver of the exclusive negotiation period, you are still retaining matching rights so I&#x2019;m not exactly free,&#x201D; Pitbull wrote. &#x201C;If you&#x2019;re so kind to let me go, why not make it an unconditional release?&#x201D;</p>
<p id="x81o9h">PFL hasn&#x2019;t addressed Pitbull&#x2019;s claims about his contract situation. </p>
<div id="PHlp5n" readability="7.0545454545455">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" readability="7.9363636363636">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">As much as I appreciate an earlier termination of my deal and a waiver of the exclusive negotiation period, you are stull retaining matching rights so I&#x2019;m not exactly free. If you&#x2019;re so kind to let me go, why not make it an unconditional release? <a href="https://t.co/aTKrwfRwSn">https://t.co/aTKrwfRwSn</a></p>
<p>&#x2014; Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) <a href="https://twitter.com/PatricioPitbull/status/1879302892718637257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a>
</p></blockquote>
</div>
<p id="IDMB4p"><strong>UPDATE:</strong> As of Tuesday evening, Pitbull claims his release is now unconditional according to a conversation with PFL senior vice president of corporate communications Loren Mack. However, he still expects Davis and PFL CEO Peter Murray to clarify the situation publicly.</p>
<div id="bYP5Yp" readability="6.75">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center" readability="7.59375">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Loren Mack, <a href="https://twitter.com/PFLMMA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PFLMMA</a> Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications, just called my management team and said that my release is UNCONDITIONAL. Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/DonnDavisPFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DonnDavisPFL</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteMurrayPFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PeteMurrayPFL</a> for doing what is right. I&#x2019;ll be waiting for the corrected release letter.</p>
<p>&#x2014; Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) <a href="https://twitter.com/PatricioPitbull/status/1879320297847070807?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2025</a>
</p></blockquote>
</div>
<p>The post <a href="https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/donn-davis-announces-patricio-pitbulls-release-from-pfl/">Donn Davis announces Patricio Pitbull’s release from PFL</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mmaband.net">MMA Band</a>.</p>
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		<title>UFC Vegas 102 fight card announced with Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues in main event</title>
		<link>https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/ufc-vegas-102-fight-card-announced-with-jared-cannonier-vs-gregory-rodrigues-in-main-event/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jan 2025 04:55:05 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[MMA Fighting]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/ufc-vegas-102-fight-card-announced-with-jared-cannonier-vs-gregory-rodrigues-in-main-event/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>UFC Vegas 102 is just over a month away and the full lineup is officially set. UFC Vegas 102 goes down on Feb. 15, headlined by a middleweight matchup between former title challenger Jared Cannonier and rising contender Gregory Rodrigues, and on Monday, the UFC released the full fight card for the second APEX event</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/ufc-vegas-102-fight-card-announced-with-jared-cannonier-vs-gregory-rodrigues-in-main-event/">UFC Vegas 102 fight card announced with Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues in main event</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mmaband.net">MMA Band</a>.</p>
]]></description>
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<p id="WBkvev">UFC Vegas 102 is just over a month away and the full lineup is officially set. </p>
<p id="JlWpfv">UFC Vegas 102 goes down on Feb. 15, headlined by a middleweight matchup between former title challenger <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3047/jared-cannonier">Jared Cannonier</a> and rising contender <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5456/gregory-rodrigues">Gregory Rodrigues</a>, and on Monday, the UFC released the full fight card for the second APEX event of 2025.</p>
<p id="JLGFcx">Cannonier had a rough 2024, dropping back-to-back fights, first to <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5457/nassourdine-imavov">Nassourdine Imavov</a> and then <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5807/caio-borralho">Caio Borralho</a>. In contrast, &#x201C;Robocop&#x201D; added two more wins to his UFC resume in 2024, stopping <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/348/brad-tavares">Brad Tavares</a> in February before winning a decision over <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/6236/christian-leroy-duncan">Christian Leroy Duncan</a> at <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/1464/ufc-304">UFC 304</a>.</p>
<p id="vQKMor">In the co-main event, <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4139/calvin-kattar">Calvin Kattar</a> puts his Top 15 ranking on the line against the surging Youssef, who scored three stoppage wins in 2024 after returning to the octagon.</p>
<p id="y4jkG0">The card also features a matchup of two ranked women&#x2019;s bantamweights when <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4413/julia-avila">Julia Avila</a> takes on <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/6377/jacqueline-cavalcanti">Jacqueline Cavalcanti</a>, as well as the return of fan favorite <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/2943/angela-hill">Angela Hill</a>, who takes on <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/6265/ketlen-souza">Ketlen Souza</a> in a strawweight contest.</p>
<p id="d58JZD">Check out the full UFC Vegas 102 fight card below.</p>
<p id="bKQ0Ia">Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues</p>
<p id="hmvHKU">Calvin Kattar vs. <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5294/youssef-zalal">Youssef Zalal</a></p>
<p id="9ULYVF">Julia Avila vs. Jacqueline Cavalcanti</p>
<p id="4dGUDM">Angela Hill vs. Ketlen Souza</p>
<p id="LPUUjH"><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4666/edmen-shahbazyan">Edmen Shahbazyan</a> vs. <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/6393/dylan-budka">Dylan Budka</a></p>
<p id="wLjSPy"><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/4060/jared-gordon">Jared Gordon</a> vs. Kau&#xEA; Fernandes</p>
<p id="bFYAgJ"><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/6025/connor-matthews">Connor Matthews</a> vs. <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/6553/jose-delgado">Jose Delgado</a></p>
<p id="prTQnG"><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5036/rodolfo-vieira">Rodolfo Vieira</a> vs. <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5745/andre-petroski">Andre Petroski</a></p>
<p id="P5jjgw"><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/6119/ismael-bonfim">Ismael Bonfim</a> vs. <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/6066/nazim-sadykhov">Nazim Sadykhov</a></p>
<p id="wt1UXu"><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/6115/gabriel-bonfim">Gabriel Bonfim</a> vs. <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5984/rinat-fakhretdinov">Rinat Fakhretdinov</a></p>
<p id="9osGYW"><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/6145/rafael-estevam">Rafael Estevam</a> vs. <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/6072/jesus-aguilar">Jesus Aguilar</a></p>
<p id="sDMLuC">Billy Ray Goff vs. <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5795/nikolay-veretennikov">Nikolay Veretennikov</a></p>
<p id="YeilSq"><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/6294/valter-walker">Valter Walker</a> vs. <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/5154/don-tale-mayes">Don&#x2019;Tale Mayes</a></p>
<p id="t89FFp"><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3709/vince-morales">Vince Morales</a> vs. <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/6597/elijah-smith">Elijah Smith</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mmaband.net/2025/01/15/ufc-vegas-102-fight-card-announced-with-jared-cannonier-vs-gregory-rodrigues-in-main-event/">UFC Vegas 102 fight card announced with Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues in main event</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mmaband.net">MMA Band</a>.</p>
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