Kamaru Usman

UFC: Gilbert Burns looking to cement his fighter of the year status on July 11th

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Entering 2020, not a lot of people were thinking about Gilbert Burns (19-3) as a top contender in the UFC‘s welterweight division. Sure, Burns had won four fights in a row, but his best win came against Gunnar Nelson at UFC Fight Night 160. While that’s a quality win, nobody was putting him on that elite level. Burns got his first shot to prove his eliteness back in March against Demian Maia (28-10).

Gilbert Burns UFC Ascension

Burns responded by knocking out Maia in the first round. It was clear that Burns was ready for the next step. Burns was calling out top competition after his win, and the UFC gave him what he asked for. Burns was slated to fight former champion, Tyron Woodley (19-5-1), in May. Many people (including myself) thought a motivated Woodley would win the fight. However, from the opening minute, it became very evident that those pundits were wrong.

Burns ran through Woodley as if the former UFC champion didn’t even belong in the cage with Burns. “Durinho” has completely taken off in 2020. Burns is elite on the ground, and he’s become incredibly dangerous on his feet with a fantastic combination of speed and power. Following the win, Burns called out his now former teammate and current UFC welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman (16-1). Usman was initially scheduled to fight Jorge Masvidal, but contract disputes nixed that fight. Burns got the shot at UFC 251 instead.

2020 Male Fighter of the Year (So Far)

In the span of four months, Burns has the opportunity to go from being a top ten welterweight to being the best in the world. The run that Burns is on is truly remarkable. Now, winning the UFC title is not going to be easy. Usman is extremely well-rounded himself with a very strong wrestling game. It’ll be interesting to see the grappling exchanges with a top level wrestler and a top level jiu jitsu practitioner.

ESPN released their mid-year awards and named Burns the Co-Fighter of the Year along with lightweight Justin Gaethje. No disrespect to Gaethje, but this award belongs to Burns. Two incredibly dominant wins, and now he has the chance to win the title in July. If Burns can beat Kamaru Usman next week, he could step away until January and still win 2020 male fighter of the year in the UFC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WITvWTmUYxc

UFC: Former welterweight champ, Tyron Woodley, hungry to fight two more times in 2020

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UFC, Tyrone Woodley

Just two years ago, Tyron Woodley (19-5-1) was looked as one of the best fighters in the UFC. Woodley had knocked out Robbie Lawler to win the welterweight title, then he successfully defended the title three times. With his skillset, it was hard to imagine him losing the welterweight title. Fast-forward and Woodley finds himself on a two-fight losing streak. At 38-years-old, Woodley still remains hungry and took to Instagram Live to say as much recently.

“I want to fight two more times this year,” (via MMA Junkie). “So we are right now in June. I feel like if I can get one on the books sometime in the near future then it still leaves me with November or December to fight again.”

What does the UFC do?

Woodley would also go on to say that he’s not in a position to call anyone out. Woodley is coming off back-to-back shutout losses. Kamaru Usman dominated him for five rounds taking away his UFC welterweight title, then Gilbert Burns dismantled him back in May. In both fights, Woodley just looked very hesitant to pull the trigger. He did not look like the same Tyron Woodley that we have seen in the past.

Robbie Lawler

So the question becomes, what does the UFC do with Woodley? To me, I think there’s a few matchups that would make sense for Woodley at this stage of his career. I think if you paired Woodley up with Robbie Lawler (28-14, 1 NC) it would make sense. Both men are on multiple fight losing streaks. They were already supposed to rematch a year ago, but injuries forced Woodley out of the fight.

Stephen Thompson

Another fight that could make sense is a third fight with Stephen Thompson (15-4-1). Both of their first two UFC title fights were razor close. They are right next to each other in the rankings so it would make perfect sense from that standpoint. Probably not the sexiest matchup considering the way the first two fights went, but it’s definitely a possibility.

Colby Covington

Then of course you have the potential matchup with Colby Covington (15-2). While there is a lot of heat behind this matchup, I’m not sure the UFC would give Woodley this fight after back-to-back losses, but it’s the biggest potential fight there is. There is a ton of heat between the two men, and both are looking to get back to the UFC welterweight title. This has to be the fight that Woodley wants.

Time will tell what Dana White and the UFC decide to do with Tyron Woodley. He’s still considered to be one of the better welterweights in the world, but many are doubting his eliteness at this stage of his career. I would guess that we will probably see him back in August, perhaps on the card headlined by Cormier/Miocic 3.

UFC Welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, changes camps ahead of UFC 251

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One of the more interesting storylines going into UFC 251 was the fact that champion, Kamaru Usman (16-1), and challenger, Gilbert Burns (19-3), both were training partners. The two men have trained together for a while under Henri Hooft at Hard Knocks 365. Well, just weeks before the two teammates square off, Usman has decided to leave the camp, and the state of Florida.

Per ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, the UFC welterweight champion will be moving his camp to Denver. He’s going to be training under Trevor Wittman who is the lead trainer for Justin Gaethje and Rose Namajunas. Namajunas is also fighting on the July 11th card. Wittman is notorious for only working with a few fighters. He likes to give all of his attention to his select fighters. Justin Gaethje might be in the corner for Usman’s title defense against Burns.

The UFC welterweight champ could get even better

“But I wanted a little more specific attention at this point in my career — someone to be able to say, ‘You’re going to come in at this time and work on this particular skill.’ It’s very tough to do that when there are 40 to 50 guys in the room with you who also need to get attention,” Usman said to Okamoto. Again, Wittman is very focused on his particular fighters, and this move will likely benefit the champion. Plus, it doesn’t hurt having a training partner like the great Justin Gaethje.

I cannot wait for the UFC welterweight title fight on July 11th. I’m very curious to see how Usman looks in his first camp outside of Florida. We know that Usman is already elite, but working with a coach like Trevor Wittman could take him to the next level. It’s going to be a fun month culminating in a big-time fight at UFC 251.

UFC: What is next for Jorge Masvidal?

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A couple of months ago, this was an easy question to answer. Jorge Masvidal (35-13) was going to be fighting for the UFC welterweight title in his next fight. “Gamebred” won fighter of the year in 2019 after knocking out top welterweights Darren Till and Ben Askren. Masvidal capped his year off with beating Nate Diaz for the BMF title back in November. All that was left was for Masvidal to fight Kamaru Usman for the title. However, due to failed negotiations we have seen the title shot go to Gilbert Burns. Now that the title shot is gone, what is next for the BMF? Let’s take a look at four realistic options for Jorge Masvidal’s next fight.

Colby Covington

This fight would have the most personal heat, and it’s the fight that probably makes the most sense from a rankings perspective. Former teammates and roommates turned bitter rivals. A fight between Masvidal and Colby Covington (15-2) makes all the sense in the world. Masvidal has been wanting to get paid more for his next fight. A fight with Covington would be a big money maker. Love him or hate him, Colby Covington has turned into must see TV. After reinventing himself a couple of years ago, he has blown up in popularity.

The two men were once closer than brothers if you just take a look at their Instagram accounts from a few years ago. They were both constantly talking about taking over the UFC‘s welterweight division together. Fast forward to now, and both men cannot stop insulting each other in public whenever the other is mentioned. Covington has left American Top Team due to all of the tension that was in the gym. Whether it was a shoot or reality, the heat has seemingly become real between the two. This fight would be a massive seller for the UFC. A fight between Covington and Masvidal would also give a clear number one contender to challenge the winner of the Usman/Burns fight in July.

Nate Diaz

When everything started to go south with the title negotiations, Masvidal turned his attention to Nate Diaz (20-12) with one tweet.

This tweet caught a lot of people off guard considering the fact that everyone was assuming that Usman/Masvidal was opening. Of course we all learned how the negotiations went, and now Masvidal is left without a dance partner. Well, the November BMF title fight left a lot to be desired. Not because of the fight itself, but because of how the fight ended. The fight was getting ready to head into the championship rounds when a ringside doctor called it off due to a cut.

Diaz had some really good moments in the third after Masvidal had dominated most of the fight. Masvidal made more money against Diaz than he was offered to fight Usman. Well, how about running back the BMF title fight as Masvidal suggested? Have to think that the UFC would pony up a little more money considering the star that Nate Diaz is. This would give Masvidal a fight, and it would give the fans a proper conclusion to the BMF title fight that they were robbed of in November.

Winner of Usman/Burns

Probably the easiest thing for Masvidal to do at this point is wait. Kamaru Usman (16-1) and Gilbert Burns (19-3) are fighting in a couple of weeks for the UFC welterweight title. Masvidal can sit on the sidelines while these two go at it. After the fight is over, Masvidal can go back to the UFC to negotiate fighting the winner. The UFC supposedly made a last minute effort to try to get Masvidal to fight Usman on July 11th, but the money just never worked for Gamebred. After all of this fuss, maybe a second round of negotiations after July 11th will go smoother. In an ideal world, Usman would beat Burns on July 11th, and the UFC would move right back to try to book Usman/Masvidal. Realistically, I think this will be the first option considering the fight is just weeks away.

Conor McGregor

Red panty night anyone? Masvidal wants to get paid, and Conor McGregor (22-4) just wants to fight. McGregor “retired” due to the frustrations he had with the UFC for not giving him a fight. Masvidal passed up a title fight due to his frustrations with pay. Do you see where I’m going with this? A fight with Masvidal and McGregor is a win-win for everyone. Masvidal would get the paycheck that he’s searching for. McGregor would get an opponent who would stand and trade with him, and the UFC would hit it out of the park with a massive PPV. I mean imagine a fight with McGregor and Masvidal with no fans. You could hear every word that the two would say to each other. The McGregor fight is one that Masvidal has wanted for a while, and it’s a fight that makes sense for both men. For Conor, he could lose the fight, but not lose ground in the lightweight division. It’s a fight that makes a lot of sense, but I’m not confident the UFC will move to book it.

What does the UFC do?

It’s crazy, but the two biggest fights in terms of PPV money are the two least likely from the UFC‘s perspective. I just don’t see the UFC pushing to make the McGregor or the Diaz fight for Masvidal. My guess is that they will wait to see how July 11th goes. If Usman gets through Gilbert Burns, I think they start up the talks again to have Masvidal fight Usman for the title in the fall. If that fight doesn’t materialize the UFC could pivot to try and booking Masvidal with Covington. However, a roadblock there could be the UFC trying to book the rematch between Usman and Covington. I respect Masvidal for sticking to his guns, but if he gets another chance at Usman, I really hope he doesn’t pass it up. I don’t think the UFC will give him the money fights he’s looking for, so if he doesn’t get the title shot, who knows what’ll happen to him. Gamebred soared to stardom last year, and it is crazy to think that there’s a possibility that the 2019 fighter of the year will not fight in 2020.

UFC: Jorge Masvidal’s offer was “Take it or leave it”

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It seems like we can’t go a day or two without there being new information that’s coming out about the UFC and one of their unhappy stars. Jorge Masvidal took to Twitter Sunday afternoon to talk about the offer that was given to him by the UFC to fight welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman.

A step back for a UFC title shot?

Masvidal signed a new UFC contract last year, prior to his fight with Nate Diaz. Historically, fighters sign long-term deals with the UFC, but they are able to negotiate on a fight-by-fight basis. Masvidal’s deal gives him a base pay, but he made much more than that base pay for his fight with Diaz. The entire issue that has come up is that the UFC is saying that they will not negotiate with Masvidal for his next fight. They offered him the title fight with Usman for the amount that is listed on his contract. Of course, Masvidal was not happy with the deal because he’d be taking a step back financially when he’s fighting for the actual title. It’s a weird situation because the UFC is well within their right to hold Masvidal to the contract that he and his management signed, but Masvidal has every right to be frustrated.

How UFC contracts normally work

Many pundits have come out recently and talked about this including former two-division champion, Daniel Cormier. “DC” said that he still is under his old contract, but he makes much more than that for his fights. While UFC contracts are signed for multiple fights, they are negotiated on a fight-by-fight basis. Masvidal also stated this in another Tweet:

Where we go from here

With this entire mess, the fans are the ones that are truly missing out. The Masvidal/Usman fight was going to be huge for the July PPV card. Don’t get me wrong, Usman/Burns is a fantastic fight, but it doesn’t have the heat that the Masvidal fight had. I’m not sure how this entire situation is going to end, but it’s not a good look right now. Many stars have issues, but the problem for Masvidal is that he doesn’t have the leverage that the other guys do. Jon Jones is considered to be the greatest of all time. He will likely get what he wants far before Masvidal gets what he wants. For fight fans, I really hope this situation gets resolved. But for now, we will all wait just like Jorge Masvidal.

UFC 251 adds Usman-Burns and Yan-Aldo title fights to stacked card

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UFC President Dana White took to ESPN’s First Take this morning to announce three title fights for the upcoming July 11th on Fight Island.

It started to come out last night that the UFC was planning on booking the featherweight title rematch between Alexander Volkanovski (21-1) and Max Holloway (21-5) for UFC 251. It was rumored that they would be adding two more title fights, and White confirmed the news this morning.

Kamaru Usman & Gilbert Burns fight for the welterweight title

Kamaru Usman (16-1) will be defending his welterweight title against rising challenger, Gilbert Burns (19-3). There has been nobody in the MMA world hotter in the last 10 months than Burns. “Durinho” has looked like a completely different fighter since moving to the welterweight division. He’s 4-0 in the division with wins over Tyron Woodley, Demian Maia, Gunner Nelson, and Alexey Kunchenko. The win over Woodley came less than two weeks ago. Burns completely dominated the former champion from bell to bell shutting Woodley out. Burns looks incredibly strong and fast at 170. His striking looks great, and everyone knows his ground game is world class. He poses a very big challenge for the champion.

All year long, welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, believed he would be fighting Jorge Masvidal in July. Those negotiations have fallen completely apart over the last few weeks. Usman will now shift his focus to his teammate, Burns. Usman will look to defend his welterweight title for this second time at UFC 251. Usman is coming off the two biggest wins in his career over Tyron Woodley and Colby Covington. Covington gave Usman a battle, but outside of that, the champion has completely dominated every opponent that has stepped across the octagon from him. I’m very interested to see this fight take place on Fight Island.

Petr Yan vs Jose Aldo for the vacant bantamweight title

The vacant bantamweight title will be up for grabs on Fight Island when Petr Yan (14-1) and Jose Aldo (28-6) go head to head. Since joining the UFC just under two years ago, Yan has looked completely dominant. He’s gone 6-0 with wins over the likes of Urijah Faber, Jimmie Rivera, and John Dodson. Yan is a very strong bantamweight, and he has incredibly good striking skills. One of these two guys in this title fight doesn’t really deserve to be there, and it’s not Petr Yan.

Aldo really should not be fighting for the title at UFC 251. Aldo has lost two consecutive fights and he’s 0-1 in the division. Yes, many people believe he won his bantamweight debut against Marlon Moraes, but the only ones that matter didn’t think so. The only reason Aldo was getting a shot at the title was Henry Cejudo. When Cejudo was champion, he wanted to fight Aldo for legacy reasons. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Cejudo ended up fighting Dominick Cruz after Aldo was promised a title shot. Cejudo retired after defeating Cruz, and the UFC didn’t want to go back on their word to Aldo. With that in mind, the former featherweight king is getting his shot against arguably the best bantamweight in the world. This is a fight that is intriguing on a number of levels, and Aldo will look to become the eighth fighter in UFC history to hold a belt in two different weight classes.

Fight Island kicks off with a bang

UFC 251 is absolutely stacked. Fight Island, which we now know is in Abu Dhabi, has three title fights, and the card is filled with a number of incredible matchups up and down the card. This is one that all UFC fans should be pumped for. Yes, the card doesn’t feature the likes of a Conor McGregor, but if you’re a die-hard fight fan, this is the kind of card to die for.

UFC Vegas Recap: Gilbert Burns dominates former champion, Tyron Woodley

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UFC on ESPN 9 marked the UFC’s return to Las Vegas and the main event featured former Champion, Tyron Woodley (19-5-1), and rising contender Gilbert Burns (19-3). This is a fight that was interesting for a number of reasons. There were a lot of questions going into the fight about just how good Gilbert Burns was and how motivated Tyron Woodley was. Early on in the fight, we got our answer. Burns took the center of the octagon early, and Woodley immediately through a huge power shot and whiffed. Burns landed a massive right hand that rocked Woodley early. The fight went to the ground where Burns possesses a huge advantage. Burns was able to get full mount, but he wasn’t able to really get a ton of damage done from the mount position. Woodley was able to regain his composure while being on the bottom. Woodley was able to explode up from the mount position and get the fight back on the feet with about 90 seconds left in the first round. However, he wasn’t able to accomplish much on the feet. Gilbert Burns could not have gotten off to a better start in the main event.

In the second round, Woodley came out with a lot of urgency landing some really big shots early. The two welterweights exchanged a few times in the second before Burns was able to land a big takedown with about two and a half minutes left in the round. Woodley was able to work his way back up to his feet using the fence. After Woodley worked his way up, both men stayed in the clinch the rest of the round with nothing significant happening as Burns coasted to his second straight round. The third round didn’t feature a ton of major moments as the two men stood and traded shots throughout the round. Burns continued to pressure the former champion, and Woodley seemed to be headhunting for a one-punch knockout. Woodley landed a couple of good shots, but this was another round where Burns seemed to be in control of the fight. The fourth round started really slow for both guys. The two engaged in a clinch for the first few minutes with not a lot of action. Referee Herb Dean separated two fighters, and after they separated, Burns completely took control. Burns popped Woodley several times with a few stiff jobs and momentarily dropped Woodley with a huge right hand. Burns took down Woodley towards the end of the round and almost ended things with a guillotine choke. Woodley looked completely lost heading back to his corner after losing his ninth consecutive round dating back to his loss to Kamaru Usman.

Coming out for the fifth, Woodley through with everything he had in the first couple of exchanges, but Burns was able to neutralize him against the cage. There wasn’t a ton of action the rest of the round. Woodley continued to look for a miracle shot, but that shot would never come. Gilbert Burns looked incredible, and the judges agreed giving him all five rounds and the unanimous decision victory. Burns made me a believer with that performance. His striking looked crisp, he was very fast, and his ground skills are elite. “Durinho” has now won six consecutive fights and called out the champion Kamaru Usman after the fight was over. It would be hard to argue against his case for a title shot after that performance. The UFC has been struggling to book Usman and Jorge Masvidal for July, and Burns just gave them another option for that card. Burns comes out of this fight without a scratch and he said he could fight in July. It will be interesting to see what the UFC does, but Gilbert Burns is for real and he made a believer out of me.

Fall From Grace

Just two fights ago, Tyron Woodley looked unstoppable. He had incredible power and a great wrestling base to dictate where any fight would take place. Since his submission of Darren Till, Woodley has not just lost two consecutive fights, but he’s been shut out in both fights. Woodley has lost ten consecutive rounds looking like a shell of the guy who was the champion. I’m really not sure where Tyron Woodley will go from here. Going into this fight, I thought if he showed up motivated, he could stop Burns. Instead, Woodley looked lost and out of it again. Maybe it was mental or maybe it was the first big shot that Burns landed. At 38 years old, you have to wonder how much is left in the tank for Woodley.

Prelim Recap

UFC on ESPN 9 took place in the same location where Dana White’s Contender Series takes place, the UFC Apex, and the fighters on the prelims fought like they were on the Contender Series. Everyone was going for the finish which led to incredible fights throughout the undercard. One standout performers was undefeated prospect Jamahal Hill (8-0) who stopped Klidson Abreu (15-5) with a huge knee to the body early in the first round. Hill is now 2-0 in the UFC since getting signed after his TKO win in the contender series. Chris Gutierrez (15-3-1) also looked incredible stopping Vince Morales (9-5) with a flurry of leg kicks in the second round. Gutierrez’s striking looked crisp and he put a beating on the lead leg of Morales which looked horrifying after the fight. Casey Kenney (14-2-1) was also able to pull off a slick guillotine choke on Louis Smolka (16-7) in the first round. The best fight we saw in the prelims was between Tim Elliot (15-11-1) and Brandon Royval (11-4). The pace was incredible in this fight and it was back and forth throughout. Elliot looked really good in the first round but found himself on the losing end of an arm-triangle choke in the second round.

Chookagian Bounces Back in Dominant Fashion

Katlyn Chookagian (14-3) and Antonina Shevchenko (8-2) was the fight I was the most intrigued by on the prelims. I thought it was going to be interesting to see how Chookagian would bounce back from her last loss and how Shevchenko would handle the step up in competition. The first round was shocking to watch as Chookagian immediately took Shevchenko down and took her back. The majority of the first round, Chookagian looked like she was seconds away from finishing the fight. She had Shevchenko in a fully locked in rear-naked choke a couple of times and she mounted Shevchenko and landed some heavy shots. The second round was very similar to the first round in that Chookagian immediately clinched and took down Shevchenko. Once they were on the ground, Chookagian immediately got to the mount position. Chookagian spent the rest of the round landing some pretty good ground and pound on Shevchenko, but never seemed close to finishing the fight. The third round made me raise my eyebrows a little to start. Chookagian decided to not go for the takedown for the first three minutes of the round after dominating the entire fight on the ground. As a result, Shevchenko was starting to build a little momentum landing some pretty decent shots. Chookagian was landing shots as well, but the former Muay Thai champ was getting the better of the exchanges. With about two minutes left in the final round, Chookagian finally shot in for the takedown. While she didn’t get one on her first attempt, she was able to get Shevchenko down before the round ended. In the final 15 seconds, Chookagian started dropping bombs and almost finished the fight. This was a huge fight for Chookagian coming off the loss to the champ, and she bounced back in a very impressive way winning on all three scorecards 30-25. Now that she’s back on the winning track, I think you’ll see Chookagian get a top 5 fighter in her next outing.

Main Card Recap

Kicking off the main card was a really good fight between Mackenzie Dern (8-1) and Hannah Cifers (10-5). Dern came into the fight as the biggest favorite on the card, and she showed why with a first-round knee-bar. Cifers came out and looked strong in the opening minute, but shortly after Dern was able to take control of the fight. Dern’s hands look much improved and she was able to land some pretty clean shots. The two got in a scramble, and Cifers seemed okay with trying to ground and pound the Jiu-Jitsu world champion which was not a good idea. Dern quickly locked up one of Cifer’s legs and finished the fight. This was such a big win for Dern after suffering her first career loss back in October. Dern struggled with her weight in her last fight, but her cut was no problem this time around. She made 115 pounds with ease and looked fresh in this fight. I would like to see a pretty quick turnaround for Dern with a step up in competition with a top 15 opponent.

Next up we had a lightweight fight between highly touted prospect, Roosevelt Roberts (10-1), and the entertaining Brok Weaver (15-5). There was a lot of heat before this fight with Weaver and Roberts let Weaver know he wasn’t happy about Weaver missing weight. The first round was pretty back and forth with both guys landing some clean shots. Roberts was talking to Weaver throughout the first round and landed the cleaner shots on the feet. Roberts was really showing off his speed in this fight. In the second round, Roberts was able to get the fight to the ground and that is where is ground skills took over. Roberts landed some heavy shots on the ground and was able to transition to a rear-naked choke. A very impressive performance for Roberts who is now 4-1 in the UFC. Roberts called out Matt Frevola (8-1) for his next fight. These two were supposed to fight back in April, and if Frevola can win on June 20th, this seems like the fight to make.

The third fight of the main card was a catchweight fight between Spike Carlyle (9-2) and Billy Quarantillo (14-2). Carlyle ran across the octagon as soon as the fight started and got the fight to the ground after a flying kick and some vicious elbows. Carlyle was able to get to the mount position and land some heavy shots. After going for an armbar, Carlyle lost top position and Quarantillo started to take control. Quarantillo was able to get Carlyle’s back and almost secured a choke. Carlyle was able to reverse the position and get back to the top. After that, Carlyle was able to control the rest of the round from the top position. There was a weird moment at the end of the round where Carlyle stood up as if the round was over and Quarantillo landed a clean shot that dropped Carlyle. In the second round, Carlyle landed a huge elbow early that rocked Quarantillo. After a scramble, Carlyle was able to get top position and control Quarantillo for a good portion of the round. Later in the round, after the fight was back on the feet, both men were able to secure takedowns. Quarantillo almost finished the fight with a triangle choke late in the round, but Carlyle was able to power through the choke. Carlyle was completely gassed going into the third round and Quarantillo was able to get the better of the grappling exchanges in the third round. Quarantillo through up several submissions early in the round, but Carlyle was able to slip out of everything and regain top position a couple of times. Quarantillo dominated all aspects of the third round even landing some very heavy shots on the feet. The two men fought to the scorecards in an incredibly close fight. I had Carlyle winning two rounds, but the judges saw this one differently giving Quarantillo the fight 29-28 on all three scorecards.

The co-main event of the evening featured a heavyweight battle between Blagoy Ivanov (18-3) and Augusto Sakai (14-1). The two heavyweights came out pretty slow in this one showing respect for each other. There were not a ton of exchanges early, but Ivanov rushed Sakai a few times throughout the round and was able to land a couple of clean shots. Sakai through some kicks throughout the first round, but seemed to be a little out of range early. Towards the end of the first round, Sakai was able to land some pretty decent leg kicks, one of which buckled the leg of Ivanov. In the second round, Ivanov came out pretty aggressive and landed some good left shots early. Sakai continued to land good leg kicks and seemingly found his range in the second round landing a few shots up top. As the round went on, Ivanov seemed to stay more on the outside feeling the effects of some of Sakai’s kicks. Sakai controlled most of the round with his striking, but Ivanov was able to secure a takedown near the end of the round. The takedown made the round closer, but this was seemingly a 1-1 fight going into the third round. Augusto Sakai was the much fresher fighter entering the third round and it showed. Sakai was able to stay on the outside and pick his shots against the labored Ivanov early. Ivanov did land a few good shots, but Sakai continued landing good shots even throwing a flying knee at one point. There was a little controversy in the third round where Ivanov was close to landing a takedown, but Sakai grabbed the fence to stop the takedown. There was no point deduction despite the obvious foul from Sakai. Ivanov seemed to get a second wind after the takedown attempt and really pushed the pace late landing some really good shots. Going to the scorecards, I thought Sakai one the fight 29-28 which two of the judges agreed with. Sakai won the fight via split decision, but one judge saw the fight 30-27 for Ivanov which was frightening to see.

Final Takeaway

The UFC’s return to Vegas was a successful one and they might have a new star on their hands. Gilbert Burns didn’t just open the door tonight, he kicked it in. I will be very interested to see what the UFC does with him next whether he gets a title shot or maybe a shot at Colby Covington. The card delivered in all aspects tonight and we get to turn around for another fight next week when we see UFC 250 headlined by the Lioness, Amanda Nunes. UFC 250 is completely stacked and I personally can’t wait to sit back down next week for another great night of fights.

UFC: Who will Conor McGregor fight next?

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Conor McGregor, UFC

UFC fans all around the world have been pondering the question, “Who is Conor McGregor going to fight next?” The former two-division champion made his triumphant return to action back in January, where he starched fan favorite Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds with a devastating combination of shoulder strikes and a high kick. It was a great way to kick off the year, and Conor made the statement that he would love to fight several times in 2020.

Well, the world encountered a global pandemic that has really thrown a wrench in McGregor’s original plans. It’s becoming clear to me that the UFC was going to have Conor fight the winner of the Tony Ferguson/Khabib Nurmagomedov fight that was originally scheduled for April. That fight, of course, fell through, and Tony Ferguson fought Justin Gaethje instead. Of course, Gaethje spoiled the party by upsetting Ferguson to be crowned Interim Lightweight Champion of the UFC.

Conor McGregor has been extremely active on Twitter, calling out people and saying he is ready to fight. With that in mind, let’s look at four men who could be a possibility for the Notorious one’s next fight.

Nate Diaz

You just had to know that we were starting with this. Imagine a Conor McGregor/Nate Diaz trilogy fight with nobody in the stands on the UFC’s Fight Island. You could hear every word that these two rivals would be saying to each other. To me, this is the fight that makes the most sense from a business perspective for Conor McGregor. It is clear that Conor McGregor would like to get back to UFC gold, but there’s a roadblock at 155. Interim Champ, Justin Gaethje, is currently waiting for his shot at Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Those two are not likely to fight until September, and it’s highly unlikely that McGregor will sit out until the winter to get his shot at the belt. That is where Nate Diaz comes into the equation.

The two rivals have a history, and it needs to be settled once and for all. Nate Diaz shocked the world back in 2016 when he took a fight against Conor McGregor on short notice. After getting touched up early, Diaz found his groove and took it to a tired McGregor. Diaz would go on to submit McGregor in the second round via rear-naked choke. The two immediately ran that fight back a few months later, and it was a back and forth classic. McGregor took that close fight by Majority Decision. With the two fan favorites currently 1-1 in their series, it would just make the most sense to run this one back a third time. There are no easy fights for Conor McGregor right now, but arguably the most winnable option for him would be Nate Diaz. He has the blueprint for beating Nate Diaz, and I think he would if they were to fight a third time. Conor could make the most amount of money in this fight, and it would be another big win for him as he awaits the winner of the Nurmagomedov/Gaethje fight in September.

Jorge Masvidal

Who would not want to see this fight happen? This was the hot fight that everyone was talking about after Conor McGregor stopped Donald Cerrone back in January. Jorge Masvidal was in the front row for that fight wearing a robe that matched the robe Conor McGregor wore in his fight with Floyd Mayweather. Masvidal was coming off of his victory for the BMF Title over Nate Diaz.

Nobody in the sport had a better year in 2019 than Jorge Masvidal. Masvidal knocked out Darren Till in England, knocked Ben Askren out in 5 seconds, then beat Nate Diaz and had The Rock wrap a BMF title around his waist to cap it off. Masvidal has a personality that would sell, and I bet he’d be willing to put that BMF title up for grabs in a fight with Conor McGregor. Masvidal used to fight at 155, so there wouldn’t be a huge size discrepancy between the two men. It’s a tougher fight for Conor than Nate Diaz would be, but it’s another fight that Conor could win. This fight would be a standup war, and one thing people can’t deny is how good Conor McGregor is on his feet. He’s one of the best in the business at gauging the range and timing shots when he’s on top of his game. Not sure if either man would get a finish in this fight, but it would be a fun war to watch.

Justin Gaethje

This would be the most personal of all the options for Conor McGregor. McGregor recently turned to Twitter to call out Gaethje where he mentioned Gaethje’s comments about McGregor’s skills as a father. This is a fight that Conor wants really badly, and it would be a fight that would give him at least some gold if he’s able to win. As mentioned above, Gaethje is currently waiting for his shot against Khabib for the Undisputed Lightweight title. However, there is one factor that could throw everything off. There have been many reports out of Russia on the condition of Khabib’s trainer and father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Khabib is a very private person when it comes to his family, but one thing that isn’t private is his love for his father. The elder Nurmagomedov is currently battling for his life due to Covid-19. Recent reports have suggested he’s either in a medically induced coma or he’s on life support. With everything going on with his father, I’m not sure Khabib is going to be fighting anytime soon. If that turns out to be the case, you will likely see the UFC move to book Conor McGregor vs Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title.

On paper, this would seem to be a fight that would give Conor McGregor trouble with Gaethje’s ability to wrestle, but that is just not Gaethje’s style, which will play right into Conor McGregor’s hands. Justin Gaethje has insane power, and he’s very fast, but Conor McGregor is not Tony Ferguson when it comes to striking. In a pure striking match, I do not believe Justin Gaethje could beat Conor McGregor unless he knocks him out. I think the diversity of Conor’s striking techniques, along with his ability to time straight counters, would give Gaethje fits throughout the evening. Eddie Alvarez, who fought both men, believes that McGregor would finish Justin Gaethje. Styles make matchups, and this is not a matchup that would excitement as a Gaethje fan unless he said he would mix in his wrestling, which we all know he wouldn’t.

Kamaru Usman

Wouldn’t this be something? Conor McGregor getting a shot to become the first man in UFC history to hold a title in three different weight divisions, would be huge business for the UFC but a nightmare of a fight for Conor McGregor. Khabib Nurmagomedov is a nightmare matchup for Conor McGregor, and it showed in their first fight. To be fair, I don’t believe we saw the best version of Conor McGregor in that fight, but either way, it’s a tough matchup. Kamaru Usman is like Khabib except much bigger and stronger.

This would be one fight where even the die-hard Conor McGregor fans would have to look at it and question the odds. The Nigerian Nightmare would immediately shoot once the opening bell sounded. If he couldn’t take Conor down, he’d likely lean on him by the cage and engage in some dirty boxing. We’ve seen Conor McGregor gas in fights before, and this is a fight that would have the potential to zap his energy exceptionally quickly. I’m not sure there’s a worse matchup for Conor in the UFC right now than Kamaru Usman.

Would it be a huge fight for the legacy of Conor McGregor? Absolutely, because no man has ever held a title in three weight classes, but the mountain he’d have to climb is a steep and tall one. The only way McGregor wins the title in this fight would be to stop Usman early with a clean shot. Does Conor have the pop to take out Usman at 170? There is no question that Conor McGregor is a better striker than Kamaru Usman, but this isn’t a kickboxing match. In the world of MMA, this is a fight I do not like if I’m a Conor McGregor fan.

Who will it be?

Thinking through everything, it still makes the most sense for Conor McGregor to fight Nate Diaz in his next fight. The history is there, and it’s the fight that makes the most sense. Let’s hope and pray that Khabib’s father recovers so his life can get back to normal and as fight fans we get to see the Nurmagomedov/Gaethje fight in September. If Conor can beat Nate Diaz, he can turn his attention to the winner of the September title fight. Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal need to fight for the 170-pound title. It’s the fight that makes the most sense at that weight class, and it’s a fight that needs to happen. If Conor McGregor is able to capture the 155-pound title before 2021, the UFC could then turn their attention to doing a champion versus champion fight in Q1 of 2021 with Conor McGregor facing off against whoever is the welterweight champion.