Conor McGregor Wants to Fight Kamaru Usman for Title in UFC Return in Late Summer
Mar 18, 2022
Conor McGregor prepares to fight Dustin Poirier in a UFC 264 lightweight mixed martial arts bout Saturday, July 10, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Conor McGregor wants his next fight to be against Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight title.
In an interview on his MacLife YouTube channel (h/t ESPN's Brett Okamoto), McGregor discussed his desire to face Usman:
"Myself versus Usman for the 170-pound title in my comeback fight is the one I'm eyeballing at the minute. Why cut the weight? I've already won the 155-pound title. I got myself to a lightweight frame, but you know, I'm big now. I feel big. I feel strong. I feel healthy. I've got good energy. I'm coming back from a gruesome injury. I don't want to be depleting myself. There should be no need to deplete myself."
McGregor has not fought since UFC 264 in July, which saw him lose to Dustin Poirier by doctor stoppage after he suffered a broken tibia and fibula in his left leg.
Per Okamoto, McGregor mentioned "late summer" as a target for his return date, although he didn't commit to that time frame.
Usman, 34, is widely regarded as the most dominant active fighter in MMA, as he owns a 20-1 career record and has won 19 consecutive fights. That includes a 15-0 record in UFC.
McGregor is an all-time UFC great in his own right and has held the UFC featherweight and lightweight titles, but he has struggled lately.
The 33-year-old Irishman has lost three of his past four fights and four of his past seven, including two losses to Poirier, one to Khabib Nurmagomedov and one to Nate Diaz, dropping his record to 22-6.
Meanwhile, Usman owns victories over Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal, Gilbert Burns and Tyron Woodley among others over the past few years.
Despite the gap in recent performance, McGregor believes he could beat Usman:
"I feel confident against Usman -- a jab-happy, sloppy, orthodox wrestler with no submissions whatsoever. What's he going to do? Where's the danger here? I don't see danger. ... No one has ever obtained three titles in three divisions like I will do if we make this fight."
Usman is also injured after suffering a hand injury that required surgery during his UFC 268 win over Covington in November. Okamoto noted that he is expected back over the summer.
In terms of star power, few UFC fights could measure up to Usman vs. McGregor.
Based on how McGregor has performed over his past several fights, however, it is unclear if UFC President Dana White would be willing to put him in such a high-profile bout fresh off an injury.
3 UK Fighters to Watch for Saturday at UFC London
Mar 18, 2022
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 04: Paddy Pimblett of England reacts after knocking out Luigi Vendramini of Brazil in their lightweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 04, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
How does Paddy Pimblett not have a Wikipedia page? Not since Justin Gaethje has MMA witnessed such an indignity.
The native of Liverpool, England is new to the UFC, but not to the sport's championship echelons. Pimblett first drew eyeballs years ago as the featherweight belt holder at Cage Warriors, the well-regarded European show that incubated Conor McGregor, Michael Bisping and a slew of others. The blond-mopped Pimblett quickly gained a following with his nose for the finish and flamboyance around the audiovisual equipment.
This Saturday, in his second UFC contest, Pimblett faces the not-very-distinguished Rodrigo Vargas in his quest for the white whale that is Wikipedia. It happens on the main card of UFC Fight Night 204, going down from O2 Arena in swinging London.
On grand display Saturday is the ever-active world of British MMA. The card features no fewer than 11 fighters who are from and/or based in the United Kingdom. The London crowd will be over the top. The energy will reach Spinal Tap levels. These fighters will badly want to show out for their compatriots.
He's a work in progress, but if he can string more wins together, Pimblett has the makings of a future MMA celebrity. But who are some other UK denizens to watch at this event? Outstanding play-by-play commentator and proper Englishman John Gooden, who will have the call Saturday, is excluded from consideration but nevertheless deserves a shoutout, which, mission accomplished.
Here are three UK fighters to keep a close eye on in London.
(Note the event's early start time for the United States, with prelims set to start at 1 pm Eastern.)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 04: In this handout image provided by UFC, (L-R) Tom Aspinall of England punches Serghei Spivak of the Ukraine in their welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 04, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevad
Tom Aspinall
Record: 11-2 Division: Heavyweight Age: 28 Fighting Out Of: Liverpool, England Opponent: Alexander Volkov (34-9) DraftKings Moneyline: -130 (bet $100 to win $76.92)
Tom Aspinall seems like the type of fighter who never stops being overjoyed by the prospect of beating people up for money.
Lucky for him, then, that he's good at it. Damn good. He might be the best British fighter out there, full stop.
Aspinall, who faces Volkov in the evening's main event, is adept at the art of punching people senseless. He hits hard, he hits often and he hits with bad intentions. Nine of his 11 wins are knockouts, and he has yet to go the distance in a 4-0 UFC tenure, three of which were knockouts.
One assumes this can only be aided by his training with a boxer named Tyson Fury.
Aspinall's non-knockout UFC win doubled as his biggest to date, over the ageless Andrei Arlovski. It was a close contest until the second round, when an Aspinall double-leg led to a rear-naked choke. All in the span of seven seconds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMFNvSKbeak
To reach those numbers, you have to be more than a brute. Aspinall is an impressive athlete. For a guy who goes 6'5" and 247 pounds, Aspinall is remarkably light on his feet, with stellar hand speed to match.
He overwhelms you with pressure and volume. Aspinall landed 7.19 strikes per minute in those four bouts. You need five fights to qualify for the UFC leaderboard, but if he were eligible today, he'd rank second among active heavyweights. We'll see where he sits Monday when he'll be qualified for the leaderboard.
The 6'7" Volkov is a "tall" order for any heavyweight with an 8-3 record in the UFC. Remember that leaderboard? Volkov ranks third with 5.2 strikes landed per minute.
So, yeah. It's the main event for a reason. This is a career-defining fight for Aspinall, win or lose. It's his first time fighting in the UK for the UFC. Fireworks are expected. We'll see what he delivers.
Paddy Pimblett
Record: 17-3 Division: Lightweight Age: 27 Fighting Out Of: Liverpool, England Opponent: Rodrigo Vargas (12-4) DraftKings Moneyline: -590
Yes, Pimblett is flashy. When was the last time you saw a fighter pass out wigs of his hairstyle at a media event? But there's plenty of promise behind the style.
In his UFC debut, fighting at lightweight against Luigi Vendramini, Pimblett's frame was visibly more filled out compared to his rangier featherweight days in Cage Warriors. About halfway through the first, Vendramini reached back and slammed a left hand across Pimblett's jaw. But his deceptively sturdy chin kept him upright. With Pimblett losing the round, suddenly he landed his own offense. A right hook wobbled Vendramini, and Pimblett blitzed forward with massive lefts and rights. No hesitation or overthinking; he smelled blood, he charged, he got his man.
"I like getting into a firefight, I like a fistfight," he told UFC.com's Thomas Gerbasi. "It's entertaining for people and it's mad to say, but I enjoy getting punched. It's not something that I shy away from. I enjoy taking a shot and I enjoy giving a shot."
His chin is a clear asset, but his striking is not his strong suit.
"The funniest thing about it," Pimblett told Gerbasi, "is that people think I'm a striker now. And I'm not. I'm far from it."
Pimblett is primarily a grappler with seven submission wins, even if you wouldn't know it from that debut. Outside of a single-leg shot that never went anywhere, Pimblett didn't try hard to ply his ground game against Vendramini. That should change.
There are issues. For one, he's eminently hittable, often neglecting to keep his chin down and his hands up. Granted, it was one contest, but against Vendramini, he absorbed 5.66 strikes per minute with a 50 percent strike defense rate. Those are not good numbers.
But it's nothing anyone should have to worry about this weekend. As the moneyline suggests, this is a showcase fight for Pimblett. The UFC knows full well what it has here, and it won't look the gift horse of Pimblett's charisma in the mouth. Even if it's not his strength, Pimblett may seek another firefight for maximum showmanship.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 04: In this handout image provided by UFC, (R-L) Jack Shore of Wales punches Liudvik Sholinian of the Ukraine in their bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 04, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Jack Shore
Record: 15-0 Division: Bantamweight Age: 27 Fighting Out Of: Abertillery, Wales Opponent: Timur Valiev (18-2, 1 NC) DraftKings Moneyline: -105
This nod could have gone to Arnold Allen or someone else on the main card, but where's the fun in that?
Instead, we'll give it to the up-and-coming lad from Wales. Defeating Valiev on Saturday could very well be his one-way ticket out of the prelims.
Shore is a grappler. He times takedowns well and is constantly going for the back, locking in the body triangle, seeking the choke.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sww4ggnO5Q
But unlike someone like Pimblett, whose skill set tilts toward one area, Shore has a broader array of skills. Chief among them is a lethal jab.
"I know that if you're sitting on the end of my jab, and you let me find the range, then they won't get past it," Shore said at a news conference following his win in September over Liudvik Sholinian. "So it's definitely one of my top weapons.
"I think in my four fights I've shown how well-rounded I am," he continued. "I'm not just going out there and mauling [opponents]. I've had back-and-forth wrestling battles, I've had rounds of boxing and kickboxing, so I think I've shown I can go anywhere, and I've shown I'm the real deal."
Valiev is his toughest test to date, and it's not close. Hard as nails, Valiev is a suffocating grappler. To illustrate, in a 15-minute fight with Martin Day, he controlled 11:19 of the action. He's highly skilled and awfully strong for his size, so there hasn't been much anyone can do about it.
As dumb as it might seem to bet against any Dagestani Russian fighter based on their incredible, ongoing run of dominance, this is a winnable fight for Shore. He won't be intimidated on the ground and might even be the better athlete. We'll see what kind of work that jab can do. Even though he's a slight underdog (Valiev is -115), Shore seems like an interesting play to bring a W to the UK. If these British fighters and their colleagues have a say, it will be one of many.
Moneyline odds accurate as of Thursday.
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UFC 272 Results: Colby Covington, Rafael Dos Anjos Wins Highlight Main Card
Mar 6, 2022
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 05: Colby Covington reacts after his unanimous-decision victory over Jorge Masvidal in their welterweight fight during the UFC 272 event on March 05, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
All disdain in the world wasn't enough for Jorge Masvidal to overcome the pressure and wrestling of Colby Covington. Chaos defeated his former training partner and friend with a unanimous-decision win.
After a heated buildup to the main event of UFC 272 it was Covington's suffocating wrestling that was the difference between the two welterweights. The No. 1 ranked welterweight was able to beat his former American Top Team teammate by maintaining control of the fight.
#UFC272 Official Result: Colby Covington (@ColbyCovMMA) (49-46, 50-44, 50-44) defeats Jorge Masvidal by Unanimous Decision.
Gamebred didn't jump at the opportunity, though. He gave Covington the opportunity to recover and it ended up costing him the bout.
Covington went back to his suffocating top game to score the dominant decision win.
The welterweight grudge match wasn't the only big fight from Las Vegas. Here's a look at the rest of the results and a closer look at each main card bout.
Kevin Holland def. Alex Oliveira via TKO, 0:38 of Round 2
Sergei Spivac def. Greg Hardy via TKO, 2:16 of Round 1
Prelims
Jalin Turner def. Jamie Mullarkey via TKO, 0:46 of Round 2
Marina Rodriguez def. Yan Xiaonan via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Nicolae Negumereanu def. Kennedy Nzechukwu via split decision (27-29, 29-27, 29-27)
Maryna Moroz def. Mariya Agapova via submission (arm-triangle choke), 3:27 of Round 2
Umar Nurmagomedov def. Brian Kelleher via submission (rear-naked choke), 3:15 of Round 1
Tim Elliott def. Tagir Ulanbekov via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
L'udovit Klein def. Devonte Smith via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
Dustin Jacoby def. Michael Oleksiejczuk via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Rafael dos Anjos def. Renato Moicano
Rafael dos Anjos can't be counted out just yet. The 37-year-old notched a lopsided decision victory over Renato Moicano in a catchweight co-main event.
RDA simply bludgeoned Moicano, utilizing his wrestling to control the fight and putting a ton of damage on his opponent. Moicano has to get credit for stepping up and taking the fight on four days' notice, but it was in now way close.
Dos Anjos looked to be his vintage self. The former champion has been outside of the cage for over a year and is now 37 years old but showed he's still deserving of some of the biggest names in the division.
The Brazilian was supposed to fight Rafael Fiziev. However, a positive COVID-19 test left the co-main event without a competitor and Moicano stepped in after securing a win at UFC 271.
It's hard to hold this loss over him because he was tough in putting on the fight on short notice.
Bryce Mitchell def. Edson Barboza
Edson Barboza is a dangerous man, and Bryce Mitchell made light work of the veteran striker. The 27-year-old was expected to see his toughest test to date against the Brazilian but he had few moments where the fight was ever in question.
He proved early on that he isn't just a grappler. He put Barboza on the floor with a straight left hand and wasted no time in turning the fight into a grappling battle.
From there, he continued to dominate where and how the fight took place. He scored multiple 10-8 rounds on two of the scorecards, winning 30-25 on two of the scorecards.
Bryce Mitchell absolutely mauls Edson Barboza. Goes the distance, but pure dominance. Probably some 10-8 rounds coming. Who do you match him with next? Top of 145 is pretty booked. Josh Emmett?
In all, it was an incredibly impressive performance for Mitchell, who could be a problem in the featherweight division. Barboza might not be what he used to be but he's still a tough kickboxer to get past.
Mitchell made it look easy and is now 15-0.
Kevin Holland def. Alex Oliveira
It might be a new weight class for Kevin Holland, but it was the same old entertaining Trailblazer. Holland won his welterweight debut in his typical exciting fashion with a second-round TKO.
Things didn't get off to a great start for the 29-year-old. Oliveira tagged him in the striking early on and Holland had to survive a rear-naked choke attempt that could have been trouble if it weren't for the bell, even if he played it off:
But with the second bell came an energized Holland and that was bad news for Oliveira. He put Cowboy on the mat and went to work on the finish with vicious ground-and-pound.
The win opens up a whole new division of possibilities for Holland. He has fought at 185 pounds up to this point in his UFC career but he looked even better at 170.
Serghei Spivac def. Greg Hardy
The Greg Hardy experiment may have come to an end at UFC 272. The former NFL star finished out his current UFC contract on a three-fight losing streak in a one-sided first-round TKO loss to Serghei Spivac to kick off the main card.
The Polar Bear wasted little time in clinching up with Hardy and taking him for a ride to the mat. While he was temporarily able to muscle his way back to his feet, Spivac never let go and just wound up putting him right back on the floor.
The second time turned out to be the charm for the Moldovan. He worked his way to mount where he punched a shelled up Hardy and forced the referee to intervene.
While Hardy's UFC future might be in jeopardy, this was an important win for Spivac. He gets back a little of the momentum he lost with a first-round loss to Tom Aspinall last time out.
UFC 272 may not have a title on the line, but there's plenty at stake with Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal meeting up in the main event. There's been no shortage of trash talk between the two combatants...
Colby Covington on Beef with Jorge Masvidal and How Friendship Turned into Feud
Mar 4, 2022
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 06: Colby Covington prepares to fight Kamaru Usman of Nigeria in their UFC welterweight championship fight during the UFC 268 event at Madison Square Garden on November 06, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC)
This Saturday, in the main event of UFC 272, Colby Covington will battle Jorge Masvidal in a five-round welterweight fight.
It hasn't always been this way. They used to be best friends.
"We always had this picture-perfect dream," Covington told B/R ahead of UFC 272. "We even talked about it. We're like, 'Man, if we ever do have to fight each other, let's keep it cordial.'"
Covington met Masvidal when he was fresh out of college. Buoyed by an extremely successful wrestling career at Oregon State University, he decided to pursue professional mixed martial arts and ultimately started training at American Top Team in South Florida, Masvidal's longtime headquarters.
"I was testing out a couple gyms after I left college and got my degree and became Division I All-American," he said. "I was like 'I want to be a professional fighter. I want to change my life, go into mixed martial arts.' So I was testing out a couple gyms and I ran across him."
In 2022, Covington speaks as though he instantly loathed Masvidal. However, the pair got along so well that they not only decided to train together constantly, but share an apartment.
"I trained with him, and he just fell in love with me," Covington said. "He was like, 'Dude, I need to be with you every day. Let's be best friends. I need this wrestling. I need this pace. I'll do anything. Let's live together. Let's make this work, man, and I'll try and show you some striking, but you show me wrestling and you help evolve my game.'"
Thing started off well, but Covington claims he began to feel like he was being used.
"It just ended up becoming a one-sided relationship," he said. "He would just use me to help him with his wrestling and wrestling defense and help for his camps, but he didn't care about my career. It was just about him and his career."
DALLAS, TX - MAY 13: (L-R) Demian Maia fights against Jorge Masvidal in their Welterweight bout during UFC 211 at American Airlines Center on May 13, 2017 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
For Covington, things finally boiled over in 2017, when he and Masvidal both had a fight with submission wizard Demian Maia. Masvidal fought the Brazilian first, flaunting some slick submission defense but ultimately losing a split decision. Covington was next and mercilessly smothered his opponent to a clear-cut unanimous win.
"It was when he lost to Demian Maia to get a title shot," Covington said. "The UFC was like 'Hey, you beat Demian Maia we'll give you a title shot.' He wanted that title shot really bad. He lost to Demian Maia, and I ended up fighting Demian Maia the next fight. I went out there and left Demian Maia in a pool of his own blood, beat his ass in his home country.
"I just remember coming home and all the attention and the media was around me and [Masvidal] didn't like it," he added. "He's an egomaniac. He didn't like that I was getting all this attention."
It's worth noting at this point that much of the media attention Covington received after the Maia fight centered around the comments he made in his post-fight interview. He unleashed a vicious tirade, calling the Brazilian fans in attendance "filthy animals" and has since claimed that speech saved his career.
Covington doubled down in the years that followed, becoming an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump and, at one point, referring to the Black Lives Matter movement as "terrorists" and "criminals." Unsurprisingly, several of his UFC peers took issue with that racist remark.
But in Covington's side of the story, it was Masvidal who was the toxic influence.
"As soon as I started passing him up, doing better than him, that's when he turns his back on me and back-stabs me," he said.
"He just hurt and set my career back a lot of time."
But Masvidal has lobbed some very specific accusations at Covington. He has repeatedly accused his former teammate of refusing to pay one of their coaches, which he says "fast-forwarded" the decay of their friendship. The coach in question has corroborated this story.
"I would see signs in the way he treated his family, the way he talked about his sister, the way he talked about his mom," Masvidal told MMA Junkie's Danny Segura. "I was already like, 'Let me start separating myself from this guy little by little.' And then, bam, before I could even fully [separate], he betrayed my coach, didn't pay him the money that was agreed upon, and I knew since then I'm gonna hurt this guy."
Covington, however, is adamant he's blameless.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 06: Colby Covington battles Kamaru Usman in their UFC welterweight championship fight during the UFC 268 event at Madison Square Garden on November 06, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC)
"I have no regrets," he said. "This is not my fault. People can believe what they want to believe. His side of the story is completely different. It's not true. It's not facts. Don't believe anything Jorge says. He's a liar. He can't ever be a man of his word and just be honest. I'm honest. I know the real side of the story.
"That guy is a piece of s--t," he added. "As soon as I was free from him, that's when I really started having success and really started to grow into what I am today, and that's the best fighter in the world."
One way or the other, the two fighters now hate each other—either that, or they've conspired for an incredibly elaborate grift. Covington has left American Top Team and relocated to MMA Masters, just a 30-minute drive south on I-75. And when he speaks about the imminent opportunity to put a hurting on his former teammate, he sounds like he's foaming at the mouth.
"He hasn't just back-stabbed me," he said. "I know a lot of people want to see him pay and I'm glad I can make him pay on Saturday night.
"I want to make this look dominant. And more importantly, I want to make him squeal."
Grudge matches happen all the time in MMA—there's even another one on the UFC 272 bill. More often than not, the beef is squashed when the fight is over. The two fighters shake hands and hug it out and move on to more important things.
It will be very surprising if that's the scene that unfolds at the end of UFC 272.
"This is a blood feud," Covington said. "This is so, so deep. This isn't a manufactured beef like some of these fighters try to have. The UFC's never had a fight like this in the history of the company. It's irreconcilable. We're not coming back together as friends. We'll never shake hands. This will never be over.
"If we come face-to-face anywhere, it's a free pay-per-view."
Amid all the pre-fight intensity, it's easy to forget that a friendship was lost. The grim state of the world has turned many of us into cold, unfeeling robots, but when you really think about it, that's kind of sad.
Covington, despite all of his virulent trash talking, seems to recognize this, admitting a win over Masvidal will feel "bittersweet."
"I just never imagined it being like this," he said.
"But I'm excited. I'm really pumped up for this fight. I've never been more excited for a fight than I am for this fight."
UFC Champion Kamaru Usman Says He Wants to Fight Canelo Alvarez in September
Mar 3, 2022
Kamaru Usman before fighting against Colby Covington in a welterweight mixed martial arts championship bout at UFC 268, Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)
UFC star Kamaru Usman said Thursday that he has designs on boxing Canelo Alvarez later this year.
Speaking with TMZ Sports, the reigning UFC welterweight champion made the following statement regarding his desire to face one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world: "In 2022, I'm gonna shock the world. July, International Fight Week, I'm gonna fight Leon Edwards. God willing I get through Leon Edwards, September, Mexican Independence Day, I will stop Canelo Alvarez."
If Usman vs. Alvarez happens, it would send shockwaves through the combat sports world and be the biggest crossover since Floyd Mayweather Jr. beat Conor McGregor in a boxing match in 2017.
While Usman has long expressed interest in fighting Alvarez, Canelo stopped short of reciprocating the interest until recently.
Appearing on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani (h/t TMZ Sports) on Wednesday, Alvarez suggested he was open to the idea, saying: "Payday. He wants a payday, I know. But maybe, maybe, why not? You never say no, right?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrGIVDpq_Ro?
Usman told TMZ Sports he believes he and Alvarez could make $100 million or more each if they fight each other, but he insisted the fight wouldn't be about the money for him.
The Nigerian star also believes he could win a boxing match against one of the world's best boxers, saying: "Absolutely I see myself winning the fight."
In addition to the fact that Usman and Alvarez are both supremely popular figures in their respective sports, they have both been nearly perfect during their careers, which would add even more intrigue.
The 34-year-old Usman owns a 20-1 career record and has now won 19 consecutive fights. Usman has not lost since his second pro fight in 2013, and he has never lost a bout during his UFC career.
Usman owns wins over Jorge Masvidal, Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns, Tyron Woodley and other big names, making him No. 1 in UFC's pound-for-pound rankings.
Meanwhile, the 31-year-old Alvarez is the reigning WBA (Super), WBC, WBO and The Ring middleweight champion, as well as the IBF super middleweight champion.
Like Usman, Alvarez has only one loss on his record, that being a defeat at the hands of Mayweather in 2013.
Overall, the Mexican star is 57-1-2 in his career, and he is now undefeated in his past 16 fights, including a win and a draw against Gennady Golovkin, and a victory over Caleb Plant in November.
By virtue of his recent run of success, Alvarez is No. 1 in The Ring's pound-for-pound boxing rankings.
For now, Usman and Alvarez have other fights to focus on. Usman's next challenger is Edwards, and the fight is being targeted for July, while Alvarez is set to meet Dmitry Bivol in May.
If Usman and Alvarez get through their next fights unscathed, there is likely no bigger fight available to either of them than a clash against each other.
UFC's Dana White Would Be 'Shocked' If Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz Fight Didn't Happen
Mar 1, 2022
LAS VEGAS, NV - AUGUST 20: (R-L) Conor McGregor of Ireland and Nate Diaz raise their hands and wait to hear the judges decision after their welterweight bout during the UFC 202 event at T-Mobile Arena on August 20, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
UFC president Dana White said he fully
expects a trilogy fight between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz to
eventually take place.
White told TMZ Sports in an interview
released Tuesday they're still trying to finalize Diaz's expected bout with
Dustin Poirier for now, though.
"We're still working on [the
Diaz-Poirier] fight. That fight's not done yet. I wouldn't count out
a Conor-Nate 3. Listen, I'd be shocked if that fight didn't happen
again," White said.
McGregor and Diaz delivered a pair of
memorable encounters in 2016.
That March, the 36-year-old California
native secured a submission victory in the second round after nine
hard-hitting minutes to hand The Notorious his first UFC loss.
McGregor bounced back five months later
to defeat Diaz by majority decision to level the score and create
immense interest in a potential trilogy rematch that so far hasn't
come to fruition.
Whether Diaz is interested in signing a
new UFC contract to make the fight happen isn't clear, though. He
told TMZ in mid-February his plan was to fight Poirier and then call
it a career with the conclusion of his current contract.
"I would like to fight Dustin
Poirier. Like now. Like I've been trying to. If there's any mix-up
it's him, and them, and the game," Diaz said. "I want the
fight now. What's up Dana White? Let's get this retirement fight
cracking so I can get out of this fight game. I'm done with it."
Meanwhile, McGregor is still completing
his recovery from a broken leg suffered against Poirier in July and
told SevereMMA (via MMAWeekly) last week he could be back sparring by
April, but isn't in a major rush to make his Octagon return.
"It's just about getting back in and
competing, getting myself in pristine condition and going in there
and enjoying myself and putting on a show for the fans," he said. "I'm in no hurry, no rush."
So there are a lot of different
variables in play when it comes to getting another McGregor-Diaz
encounter, but it would be an easy sell for UFC, which is likely why
White is eager to see it happen.
The outlook about whether the score
will actually be settled should become clearer later this year.
UFC Fight Night 202, which went down Saturday night inside the promotion's Apex facility in Las Vegas, was a quintessential Fight Night experience: It offered almost nothing in terms of big names but managed to produce some memorable action...
There was a little bit of everything for UFC fans Saturday night. Though ESPN's Fight Night card from the Apex in Las Vegas was rivaled by a championship boxing match in Scotland ...
UFC Fight Night 202 Results: Makhachev Beats Green via TKO in Main Event
Feb 27, 2022
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 26: (R-L) Islam Makhachev of Russia battles Bobby Green in their lightweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on February 26, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Islam Makhachev was as dominant as usual in a first-round TKO win over Bobby Green to close out UFC Fight Night 202 from the promotion's Apex facility in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Makhachev wasted no time in doing the best impression of his coach Khabib Nurmagomedov. After a few exchanges on the feet, he took Green down and went to work with his ground-and-pound.
Green didn't have much recourse once the fight got to the ground. The striker was fighting Makhachev just two weeks after scoring a win over Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 271.
The bout was supposed to take place between Makhachev and Beneil Dariush, which would have been an intriguing matchup between grapplers. However, Dariush was forced out of the bout with a leg injury.
So while Green should be commended for jumping in on short notice, this bout wasn't competitive.
It takes Makhachev's current win streak to 10. With Makharchev's No. 4 ranking, long winning streak and dominance, it won't be surprising if he skips a matchup with Dariush and goes right to a title shot.
Main Card
Islam Makhachev def. Bobby Green via TKO at 3:23 of Round 1
Wellington Turman def. Misha Cirkunov via submission (armbar) at 1:29 of Round 2
Priscila Cachoeira def. Ji Yeon Kim via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Arman Tsarukyan def. Joel Alvarez via TKO at 1:57 of Round 2
Terrance McKinney def. Fares Ziam via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:11 of Round 1
Jonathan Martinez def. Alejandro Perez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Ramiz Brahimaj def. Micheal Gillmore via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:02 of Round 1
Carlos Hernandez def. Victor Altamirano via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
Wellington Turman def. Misha Cirkunov
Wellington Turman showed his submission skills are always dangerous against Misha Cirkunov. He locked up one of the quickest armbars you will ever see against Cirkunov to pull off a stunning victory in the second round.
Turman actually nearly won the fight in the first round. He had a rear-naked choke attempt that took Cirkunov a long time to finally defend.
However, it put the Brazilian in a bad spot, as he was exhausted, and Cirkunov ended the first round on a strong note.
It appeared Cirkunov was ready to take over the fight and potentially finish it when he had Turman on the ground. However, the 25-year-old threw up his legs and locked in a Hail Mary armbar that immediately forced the tap and gave Turman the win.
It's a good thing he got it too. It's his first time winning back-to-back fights in six UFC fights.
Priscila Cachoeira def. Ji Yeon Kim
The flyweight contest between Priscila Cachoeira and Ji Yeon Kim appeared to be a stand-up battle on paper. Neither fighter was known to go to the ground.
Fortunately for fans, it played out exactly as expected. Both fighters put on a show in an absolute slugfest that came down to the final round.
The scorecards could be debated, to say the least. Kim had the advantage in significant strikes, landing 160 to Cachoeira's 77.
However, the Brazilian stole the third and final round with a series of elbows. She took some heavy shots to land them, but the judges were obviously impressed with the damage she was able to land to close out the fight.
The win probably saved Zombie Girl's job. She was 2-4 in her last six fights going into the night.
Arman Tsarukyan def. Joel Alvarez
Arman Tsarukyan made a violent statement in his second-round TKO win over Joel Alvarez. It was a fight that will be remembered for a dominant performance from Tsarukyan but also the outpouring of blood from a cut on Alvarez's nose.
Tsarukyan proved he wasn't afraid of grappling with Alvarez early on. He locked on a takedown and established top position. The real problems for Alvarez came from the ground-and-pound, though.
Tsarukyan opened up a gash on his opponent's nose that required the doctor to take a look at it between rounds. Alvarez was deemed fit to continue fighting in Round 2.
That might have been the case, but it didn't take long for Tsarukyan to get the upper hand again. He finished Alvarez with ground strikes a little over a minute into the round.
The 25-year-old now has five wins in a row. His only loss in the UFC is to Islam Makhachev.
Armen Petrosyan def. Gregory Rodrigues
The judges' scorecards could have named either fighter the winner in Armen Petrosyan vs. Gregory Rodrigues, but the real winner was those who watched the fight.
The main card kickoff was a back-and-forth roller coaster with a little bit of everything. The two traded momentum-shifting strikes throughout the three-round affair.
Ultimately, Petrosyan did enough to get the nod from two of the three judges. He has some flexibility to thank for making it out of the third round. Rodrigues nearly pulled off the rare Suloev Stretch.
The last-round submission attempt wasn't enough for Rodrigues, though, and Petrosyan will reap the rewards. He earned his UFC contract on the heels of a first-round knockout on Dana White's Contender Series.
However, he proved he belongs with this win in his UFC debut.
