dana white

Could Gane – Lewis at UFC 265 ultimately lead to Jon Jones – Francis Ngannou?

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UFC, Jon Jones

Earlier this week we learned that UFC 265 would be headlined by Derrick Lewis (25-7, 1 NC) and Ciryl Gane (9-0). The PPV headliner will take place in Lewis’ hometown of Houston, Texas and the interim heavyweight title will be on the line.

The decision to create an interim heavyweight title at UFC 265 was perplexing. Mass confusion fell upon the MMA community due to the fact that Francis Ngannou (16-3) just won the heavyweight title back in March.

Ngannou has been on vacation and told the UFC he’d be ready to fight Derrick Lewis for the undisputed title in September. However, the promotion needed a main event for August 7th. Their solution was to book Lewis in an interim title fight.

Now, this leaves the undisputed heavyweight champion without a fight. The UFC has said that Gane and Lewis are fighting for the interim title because they are the two most deserving contenders and they are ready to fight on August 7th. Again, doesn’t make a ton of sense, but that’s their story.

However, there could be a silver lining here for all parties involved. Perhaps the UFC can now put together the fight that fans wanted to see all along. Maybe it’s time for the promotion to revisit the superfight between Ngannou and Jon Jones (26-1, 1 NC).

Will the UFC try to make Ngannou – Jones happen?

Let’s rewind time back to just before UFC 260 where Ngannou defeated Stipe Miocic. The storyline leading up to the fight was that Jon Jones would be moving up to heavyweight and would be fighting the winner.

For months, that’s what Dana White and the UFC had been saying. Jon Jones vacated his light heavyweight title last year to prepare for his move to the heavyweight division.

However, immediately after UFC 260 we learned the fight was going to be hard to make. Jones and the promotion could never come close to a deal and as a result, the UFC moved on from Jones and focused on Derrick Lewis.

Now, we find ourselves in an interesting position. Jones recently hired Richard Schaeffer as his new representative. Schaeffer has a great relationship with UFC President Dana White and has already said publicly that he’s confident the Jones – Ngannou fight will get done.

Heavyweight Tournament?

With this interim title fight on the books for UFC 265, I think it’s time to go back to the negotiation table. There has never been a better time to book Jones against Ngannou. With the interim title fight booked, you get to give the top contenders the crack at gold that they rightfully deserve.

At the same time, if you book Ngannou – Jones, you’re also giving UFC fans the fight they want to see. A four-man tournament could be playing out for the biggest prize in all of combat sports. Of course, at this point it’s all talk, but even Ngannou’s coach talked about this potential silver lining. 

There’s also the outside chance that a four-man tournament plays out without Jones. Stipe Miocic (20-4) is bulking up and wants the trilogy with Ngannou. Perhaps the UFC moves in that direction if a fight with Jones still can’t be made.

This is definitely going to be a storyline to watch over the coming weeks.

Sound Off: Should the UFC book Ngannou against Jones/Miocic or wait for the Gane-Lewis winner?

BREAKING: UFC books interim heavyweight title fight between Derrick Lewis and Ciryl Gane

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Massive breaking news this afternoon involving the UFC‘s heavyweight division. Dana White told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto that the promotion is moving forward with an interim heavyweight title fight between Derrick Lewis (25-7, 1 NC) and Ciryl Gane (9-0).

The fight will headline UFC 265 on August 7th which will take place in Houston, Texas. This is a massive shot as Francis Ngannou (16-3) just became the undisputed heavyweight champion a few months ago.

The promotion had been trying to book Ngannou against Derrick Lewis for August, but Ngannou wasn’t ready. The latest word was that the UFC was going to book the heavyweight title fight for September, but everything changed on a dime.

Over the weekend at UFC Vegas 30, Ciryl Gane dominated Alexander Volkov to remain undefeated. After witnessing his performance, the UFC decided to move Gane up the ladder for an interim title fight against Lewis.

The manager for the UFC heavyweight champion was completely stunned by the news. Ngannou’s reps told Okamoto, “This comes as a complete shock. To make an interim title so soon, if you look at the history of this division, it comes as a surprise. We hope to get clarity and figure out something with the UFC soon.”

UFC’s odd decision

I honestly don’t understand the UFC’s logic here at all. By all accounts, Ngannou was going to be ready to defend his title in September. Over the last few years, the heavyweight title has been defended on average once per year.

Ngannou just won the title at the end of March. To make an interim title so soon is absolutely insane to me. Nevertheless, the UFC is moving forward and Ciryl Gane will battle Derrick Lewis in his backyard for the heavyweight title.

With this news, we likely won’t see Francis Ngannou against until the end of the year. Well, maybe the UFC will finally book Ngannou against Jon Jones (26-1, 1 NC) for the undisputed title then have the winners face off. Who knows, but I don’t think anyone saw this coming.

Could Nate Diaz be next for UFC champion Kamaru Usman?

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I know that many eyebrows went up reading that title. Could the UFC actually give Nate Diaz (20-13) the next shot at the welterweight title. I can already imagine the confusion and the questions from UFC fans.

How in the world does Nate Diaz deserve a shot at Kamaru Usman (19-1)? Would the promotion actually give Diaz a shot over Colby Covington (16-2) and Leon Edwards (19-3, 1 NC)? Keep in mind, Edwards just dominated Diaz back at UFC 263 despite a last minute rally by Diaz.

Where is the speculation coming from? Well it all starts with the UFC welterweight champion’s manager Ali Abdelaziz. Abdelaziz has been vocal that he doesn’t want to see his client face top contender Colby Covington next.

The word from the Usman camp is that Covington hasn’t done enough to earn a title shot next. UFC president Dana White has been vocal that Colby Covington and nobody else is next for the welterweight champion.

So, where does Nate Diaz fit into all of this? Well, Diaz and Usman have had some back-and-forth on social media and the speculation of a future UFC title match between the two was fueled by Abdelaziz. Usman’s manager tweeted out that Diaz should be next over Colby Covington. 

Would the UFC give the shot to Diaz over Covington/Edwards?

If Nate Diaz would’ve defeated Leon Edwards at UFC 263, there’s a very high chance he would’ve jumped Colby Covington. Diaz is by far one of the biggest stars in the entire sport. When he fights, people watch and millions would want to see him fight for the title.

However, outside of general fan interest, there is no argument for Diaz deserving a UFC title shot. Regardless of what the Usman camp says, Colby Covington is the toughest fight for him at 170 pounds.

Heading into their fifth round at UFC 245, the fight couldn’t have been closer. One judge had Covington up three rounds to one so if they would’ve made it to the final bell, Usman would’ve only won a split decision.

Usman would definitely be the favorite, but Covington is a very tough fight for him. I’m a massive Nate Diaz fan, but if he gets the next title shot after back-to-back losses at welterweight to Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards, I would be at a loss for words.

The UFC should book Diaz in a rematch with Masvidal if they want a big fight. Covington – Usman is the fight to make and I really don’t think Dana White is going to entertain anything else at the moment.

Demian Maia wants one more UFC fight against Nate Diaz

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This past Saturday at UFC 263, Demian Maia (28-11) took on Belal Muhammad (19-3, 1 NC) on the main card. It was the final fight for Maia on his current contract and he was looking to call it a career with a victory.

In the first round, Maia looked decent. He was able to land some left hands and he was even able to secure a takedown. However, he wasn’t able to do much once the fight got there. Two of the three judges gave the first round to Maia at UFC 263.

However, starting in the second round, Maia couldn’t really do much the rest of the fight. His takedown attempts got sloppier and sloppier as he got tired. Muhammad was able to keep the fight standing where he was getting the better of the striking.

Maia would land some shots here and there, but ultimately, Muhammad was landing more. All three judges gave the final two rounds to Belal Muhammad and he was able to pick up the victory over Demian Maia at UFC 263.

As mentioned, this was the final fight on Maia’s contract. Dana White said after the event that this was likely Maia’s last fight. That said, Maia took to Instagram to say that he wants one more UFC fight and he wants to stand across from another legend who competed at UFC 263.

Would the UFC entertain Diaz – Maia?

Maia posted on Instagram after UFC 263, “Nate Diaz , I saw your quote on the press conference, and think you’re great too. You’re a great fighter who also represents Jiu Jitsu and you’re real, I respect that. Regardless of last night, I know I still have one fight left in me, and it’s no secret that I feel like UFC is my home, where I want to finish my career.”

Maia continued, “I have no idea if they will give me another fight, but if they do, I would be honored to do my last MMA bout with you, someone who always come to fight, who represents BJJ and whom I respect.”

Maia’s callout of Diaz after UFC 263 is completely based on respect as you can tell from the quotes. It would be a great way to send Maia off considering his tenure with the promotion and his status as one of the company men for the UFC over the last fourteen years.

That said, I can’t see anyway that this fight happens. There’s an outside chance that the promotion agrees to give Maia one more fight, however, I don’t see it being Diaz. I think the promotion has bigger plans for Diaz, but who knows, crazy things happen all the time in this sport.

Despite Leon Edwards’ win at UFC 263, Colby Covington still next for the title

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This past Saturday on the main card of UFC 263, top welterweight contender Leon Edwards (19-3, 1 NC) took on Nate Diaz (20-13). The two men fought in the first non-title and non-main event five-round fight in UFC history.

Edwards put on an incredible performance for the majority of the fight. He used a steady diet of leg kicks, sweeps, and elbows to get the better of Nate Diaz. However, late in the fight, Diaz landed a shot that almost changed everything.

Through 24 minutes, Leon Edwards was dominant. Then, with a minute to go in the fight, Diaz landed a beautiful 1-2 that almost put Edwards out. Edwards looked out on his feet, but was able to survive the last sixty seconds. That shot lands at the beginning of the round at UFC 263 and Nate Diaz likely wins that fight.

However, Edwards survived and got the decision win. With that victory, Edwards is now 9-0, 1 NC in his last ten fights. The one No Contest was a fight he was dominating but ended due to an accidental eye poke to Belal Muhammad. It would’ve likely been another victory for Edwards.

Having gone on this impressive streak, Leon Edwards is wanting a UFC title shot. However, it doesn’t appear that he’s getting it next. Dana White reiterated after the event that Colby Covington (16-2) is next for Kamaru Usman (19-1). Covington also confirmed that with Submission Radio today. 

UFC booking the rematch between Usman and Covington

The UFC has never wavered in their plans for the welterweight title. After Kamaru Usman knocked out Jorge Masvidal, Dana White made it very clear that Colby Covington would be next. Many wondered if that would still be the case after UFC 263.

While the fight still isn’t booked, the UFC has reiterated to Covington and the public that Colby Covington is next. Kamaru Usman’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, tweeted out that Leon Edwards should be next given his current streak.

However, that is not what the UFC is pushing for. Usman and his manager have been vocal about the fact that Colby Covington doesn’t deserve another shot. That said, what hurts his argument is the fact that he gave Masvidal a rematch despite Masvidal staying inactive after Usman defeated him the first time.

At the moment, there appears to be no momentum in booking this fight. However, I think it’s going to come together rather quickly. If I had to guess, I think September or October is likely for the rematch between Usman and Covington. Yes, Leon Edwards is deserving, but it’s not the fight that should be made next.

UFC: Dana White blasts Paulo Costa for demanding more money

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UFC, Dana White

Last week we learned that Paulo Costa (13-1) had withdrawn from his UFC main event in August. Costa was set to take on Jared Cannonier. The fight would have been Costa’s first since his failed attempt to become middleweight champion at UFC 253.

The initial reasons for Costa’s withdraw were unknown. This was the second straight main event spot that Costa had withdrawn from. Back in April, Costa withdrew from a main event against former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. That time, Costa had the flu which is why he had to withdraw from the fight.

However, this time was something completely different. Costa took to Twitter where he voiced some current frustrations with the UFC. The former middleweight title challenger said he never signed a contract for his August fight and he expects more money if they want him to fight.

These comments were brought to UFC president Dana White this week by TSN. In an interview with TSN. White spoke openly about Costa’s recent remarks and he didn’t hold anything back in regards to Paulo Costa.

UFC Fighter Pay Issue

White told TSN, “Guess what, you (Costa) should’ve started a YouTube channel when you were f**king 13 years old and built your name up. But guess what, you didn’t. You’re not a f**king YouTuber, you’re a fighter. You’re in no position to be talking about crazy money after your last performance.”

Of course, White is referencing Costa’s UFC 253 performance as well as the Paul brothers with that comment. Costa knows the Paul brothers and he’s trained with Logan Paul. Logan Paul made an estimated $20 million for his boxing exhibition against Floyd Mayweather Sunday night.

I think the majority of people would like to see UFC fighters make more money. Jon Jones has been one of the athletes who’s been the most vocal in regards to demanding more money from the promotion.

Now, I can also see the UFC’s side of things. The UFC’s stance is that fighters sign a contract and they have no obligation to pay more than the contract states. Usually, the promotion pays more than the listed pay, but some fighters still believe that the number is far too low.

Paulo Costa is one of those fighters. Now, in this case, I have to side with Dana White. In reality, Paulo Costa is in no position to demand more money from the UFC. His last performance was atrocious and he’s not a massive draw. Jon Jones has an argument, Paulo Costa simply does not.

Ultimately, I think Costa will take a fight with the UFC in the next few months once things settle down. However, I guarantee that he’s not going to see a bump in his pay for his next fight.

Could we see Logan Paul in the UFC? Dana White doesn’t dismiss the idea

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Logan Paul to the UFC. That sentence sounds completely insane when you read it out loud and it feels insane just typing it out. However, if we’ve learned anything over the last year it’s that we shouldn’t dismiss anything in combat sports.

I mean who would’ve thought that Logan Paul would end up in a boxing ring against Floyd Mayweather? If I told you 12 months ago that Logan Paul would box Money Mayweather, you’d probably have laughed yourself into a coma.

Yet, on Sunday night, we saw Logan Paul get in the ring with Floyd Mayweather. We’ve seen Logan’s brother Jake knock out Ben Askren in a professional boxing match. The Paul brothers have become the talk of combat sports whether fight fans like it or not.

While Jake Paul is focusing on boxing, Logan Paul seems incredibly interested in MMA. Could we see Logan Paul in the UFC? Well, after his boxing exhibition with Mayweather, Paul said he would definitely fight in MMA if the right opportunity presented itself.

Today, TMZ Sports asked UFC president Dana White about Logan Paul and his boxing match with Floyd Mayweather. When asked about the possibility of Logan Paul competing inside the octagon, White definitely didn’t dismiss it.

Logan Paul in the UFC?

The UFC president said, “There’s no doubt when you look at both of those kids (The Paul Brothers) that they take it seriously. I don’t know man (On giving Logan Paul a fight). Here’s the thing man, not to say I haven’t taken a guy in that’s 0-0 into the UFC and done those type of fights before. I don’t know, I can’t answer that.”

White closed his statements with a smile. Obviously, the guy White was referencing was former WWE superstar CM Punk. The UFC gave CM Punk two fights and he was demolished in both. Punk had no combat sports experience prior to signing on with the promotion.

The only other athlete on that level of fame that was brought in by the UFC was Brock Lesnar. Of course, Lesnar had competed once in MMA and was a division one national champion in wrestling. Not too mention, he was a freak athlete and that aided him in becoming UFC heavyweight champion.

Logan Paul has now competed in the boxing ring a few times and was a standout wrestler in the state of Ohio. I’ll tell you this, Logan Paul would beat CM Punk in an MMA fight if they were the same weight class.

Will we see Logan Paul fight in the UFC? I would lean towards no at the moment, however, I wouldn’t put it past Dana White. Love him or hate him, Dana White is a great businessman and if the right opportunity presents itself for both sides, we will see Logan Paul make the walk in the UFC.

UFC getting closer to booking the return of Nick Diaz

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Nick Diaz (26-9, 2 NC) is getting closer and closer to his UFC return. Back in April, Diaz met with Dana White to talk about his fighting future. Diaz was interested in returning to the octagon, but Dana White wasn’t convinced that Diaz would actually fight.

In the past, Diaz has mentioned that he was interested in returning to the UFC. However, a deal never materialized to make it happen. With that, White was cautious to believe that Diaz would actually step into an octagon in 2021.

However, the UFC president seems to be changing his turn. In speaking with UFC Arabia, White talked about the return of Nick Diaz. White not only thinks things are moving in the right direction, but he is certain Diaz will fight this year.

“You never hear me say that, ever,” White said. “You say, ‘Do you think Nick Diaz will fight this year?,’ and ‘absolutely, positively not’ is what I usually say. The matchmakers have (spoken to Diaz) and I don’t know where we’re at on it, but it’s looking promising,” White said.

Nick Diaz’s UFC Return

Assuming Nick Diaz makes his UFC return this year, the attention then turns to potential opponents. In my opinion, there are a couple of options that should be really attractive to the promotion.

One of the options is former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler (28-15, 1 NC). Like Nick Diaz, Lawler is up there in age. Lawler is 39 while Nick Diaz is 37 years old. The two of them fought extremely early in their UFC careers with Diaz getting the knockout win.

Their first fight came all the way back in 2004. Both men are extremely popular and it would be a fun fight for the long-time fans of both men. The other option for the UFC would be a much bigger fight, but it might be hard to put together.

That fight would be pairing Nick Diaz against Jorge Masvidal (35-15). Masvidal has history with Diaz’s younger brother Nate and he also has his own history with Nick. Long before Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz fought, the UFC tried to book Nick Diaz against Masvidal.

However, that fight never came together. If Nick Diaz wants to get right back in the mix, Jorge Masvidal is the way to do it. Either one of those fights would excite me as a fight fan and I would be willing to bet that it’s two matchups the UFC is looking at.

Dana White on Woodley – Paul boxing match: ‘Woodley should knock him out, but…’

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UFC, Dana White

The world has been buzzing this week on the news that Showtime Boxing has booked Jake Paul (3-0) against former UFC champion Tyron Woodley (19-7-1). This will be the first time in his short boxing career that Jake Paul is taking on someone who can do damage.

Paul recently signed an exclusive deal with Showtime Boxing and they are immediately upping his competition. Yesterday, I said that Jake Paul deserves credit and a little respect for at least taking on someone who has a lot of power like Woodley.

Yes, he’s still not taking on someone legit in boxing. However, it would’ve been easy for Paul to take on someone with virtually no power or striking experience in his next boxing matchup. Instead, he’s taking on a former UFC champion with serious knockout power.

UFC President Dana White was asked about the boxing matchup during his appearance on Mike Swick’s Podcast this week. White made a prediction for the matchup, but he did hedge a little on that prediction.

Who will win the boxing match?

When asked to give a prediction, Dana White said, “I’d have to go with Woodley by knockout. Listen man, Woodley should knock him out. But, again, the Tyron Woodley you talk about… Isn’t the same f**kin’ guy he was four years ago.”

White also pointed out the fact that Woodley will head into this boxing matchup having lost four straight. Yes, Woodley isn’t the same guy that he was just a few years ago and he is getting up there in age.

Dana White brought up a lot of valid points about this boxing matchup. In reality, Tyron Woodley should win this, but he’s not even the betting favorite. Those lines likely play off Woodley’s losing streak and his age.

I will say that the Tyron Woodley we saw at UFC 260 was the best version of Woodley we’ve seen in a while. He was aggressive and he hurt Vicente Luque in the first round. If Woodley is calculated and aggressive, he could put Jake Paul out cold in their boxing matchup.

You can view White’s full appearance below:

UFC: Stipe Miocic targeting a return at the end of the year to regain his title

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MMA, Stipe Miocic

The greatest heavyweight in the history of the UFC is ready to make his return. Stipe Miocic (20-4) is ready to get back into the octagon and he’s excited to regain what he believes is his and that’s the heavyweight championship.

Back at UFC 260, Miocic was set to defend his title against Francis Ngannou (16-3). The two had met a couple of years prior and Miocic completely dominated Ngannou. However, this fight was a completely different story. Ngannou’s measured approach was difficult for Miocic to solve.

In the second round, Ngannou dropped Miocic with a straight shot. Upon retreating, Miocic landed a beautiful counter right that for a moment appeared to daze Ngannou. In reality, this was the worst thing that could have happened to Miocic at UFC 260.

Sensing he had Ngannou hurt, Miocic rushed in and was caught flush with a short left hook. That hook knocked Miocic out cold and Ngannou claimed the UFC heavyweight title. After the fight was over, many were wondering if that was the last time we’d see Miocic inside the octagon.

However, Miocic has made it clear that he’s going no where. He has a fire burning inside of him and he’s ready to get back to the heavyweight title. UFC President Dana White said last week that Miocic would be facing the winner of Ngannou – Derrick Lewis (25-7, 1 NC). This news brought a smile to the former champion’s face.

UFC redemption?

In speaking to Submission Radio this week, Miocic said of the UFC President’s comments, “That’s great news. It’s what I was expecting, but you never know what could happen. I’m happy with that.” When asked about his timeline, Miocic said, “I don’t know, we will see on when they want to give me the rematch. End of this year, early next year, I don’t know.”

The UFC’s fallout with Jon Jones (26-1, 1 NC) has made a lot of this possible. Originally, the promotion wanted Jones to face off against the winner of the UFC 260 main event. However, the promotion and Jones never got on the same page when it comes to negotiations.

Jones recently hired former Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer as his representative. The former light heavyweight champion announced that he didn’t plan on returning to the UFC until next year which would fit Stipe Miocic’s timeline he has now.

However, yesterday, Jones said that if Schaefer does well for him in negotiations, he could return this year. The UFC is currently targeting the Ngannou – Lewis title fight for early August. The winner would likely face Miocic at the end of the year, but of course, Jones could throw a wrench into everything. Honestly, I would love to see Jones fight for the heavyweight title, but if anyone deserves a shot before him, it’s Stipe Miocic.