UFC 254

UFC: Dana White says that Abu Dhabi will be the new fight capital; will return in Sept. or Oct.

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UFC, Dana White

When UFC President Dana White started talking about Fight Island earlier this year, the fans imaginations ran wild. There were mockups of fights on the beach and fighters making the walk in the sand.

When the UFC announced Fight Island, it was incredible to see what they had put in place. The protocols and the infrastructure was just incredible. Not to mention, the fights were pretty good which kicked off with UFC 251.

White appeared on TMZ today and discussed when the promotion would be making their return to Abu Dhai.

UFC’s New Fight Capital

“Everyone wants to go there. We’re working on fights right now for the next run. Obviously the big international stars will fight over there. This next trip over there, I’ll probably be there for five weeks,” White told TMZ.

It is unclear when the UFC will be returning, but it will probably hinge on the travel status for some of the international fighters. We know for sure that the UFC is planning on UFC 254 being on Fight Island which is headlined by the Khabib – Gaethje title fight.

Again, depending on travel, the first event that could be back on Fight Island is UFC 253. That card is headlined by the Paulo Costa – Israel Adesanya title fight. That fight is tentatively booked for the APEX, but I could see that one switching venues.

White is expecting Abu Dhabi to remain a staple for big fights in the future. “Abu Dhabi is going to be the fight capital of the world. The infrastructure that’s already built and the stuff were talking about, this is going to become a destination if you’re a fight fan.”

No question that the UFC is planning on continuing their partnership with Abu Dhabi for a long time. The pandemic has increased their partnership and I believe we are going to see Abu Dhabi be a main location for big fights for a very long time.

 

 

UFC: Khabib plans on taking Justin Gaethje to “The deepest ocean and drown him”

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There might not be a fighter more terrifying in the UFC than the lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmogomedov (28-0). When it comes to game plans, the Dagestan native makes it very clear what he plans on doing.

UFC commentator Joe Rogan posted a video on Instagram of interim champion, Justin Gaethje (22-2) training, and Nurmagomedov voiced his opinion about what will happen in a couple of months at UFC 254.

UFC 254 can’t come soon enough

The UFC has never seen a fighter like Nurmogomedov. He’s so dominant to the point that he doesn’t even appear to be human. He pushes forward and every opponent he’s faced has been taken down.

AKA teammate and former UFC heavyweight champion, Daniel Cormier, talked about how strong Nurmogomedov is yesterday on his show with Ariel Helwani. Cormier talked about how it was hard for even him to get up when Khabib had him down.

“I’m a heavyweight, I should not feel like ‘This dude’s strong’ when a 55 pounder grabs me. I was on the bottom with him and I had to actually try to get up. I can only imagine what it’s like when a 55 pounder is under him,” Cormier said to Helwani.

The UFC interim lightweight champion, Gaethje, might be the best wrestler that Khabib has fought so far. Most (including myself) don’t feel that Gaethje will be able to keep Nurmagomedov off of him.

I think that even Gaethje knows at some point he will probably be taken down. The game plan for Gaethje has to be to keep it standing long enough to hurt/finish the UFC lightweight champion.

This fight is so fascinating and UFC 254 can’t come soon enough. Justin Gaethje presents the most dangerous challenge in the lightweight division for Nurmogomedov.

If Khabib can’t get through Gaethje, he will cement himself as the greatest lightweight to ever live. Then, if he gets his dream matchup with GSP following that win, he could cement himself as the greatest fighter of all time.

Robert Whittaker – Jared Cannonier added to UFC 254

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Earlier this week, UFC President Dana White was interviewed by ESPN and he stated that a fight between Robert Whittaker (21-5) and Jared Cannonier (13-4) would make sense.

He talked about how it’s hard to distinguish a number one contender between the two men. They both are deserving of the next title shot. Well, it’s been announced that the two men are going to fight to determine who is the number one contender.

UFC 254 will determine number one contender

It’s a quick fight announcement for the former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. Whittaker is coming off of a close decision win over Darren Till last Saturday at UFC Fight Island 3.

Since dropping down to middleweight back in 2014, Whittaker has been at the very top. He’s gone 10-1 and captured the UFC‘s middleweight title. The only slip up came when he lost the title by knockout to Israel Adesanya at UFC 243.

Whittaker desperately wants to get that fight back. Adesanya has a tall mountain to climb in front of him at UFC 252 in Paulo Costa, but if Izzy and Whittaker both win expect the rematch in 2021.

Much like Whittaker, Cannonier has also seen a career resurgence once he changed weight classes. Cannonier suffered back-to-back losses against top light heavyweight contenders forcing him to move down to middleweight.

Once he moved down, Cannonier has looked sensational. He’s fought three times against and finished every opponent. His hit list includes David Branch, Anderson Silva, and Jack Hermansson.

I’m pumped for this fight. Both men are extremely talented and have elite striking skills. I love this fight because it will determine a true number one contender in the UFC‘s middleweight division.

UFC: Anthony Pettis vs Anderson Silva?

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UFC, Anderson Silva

Anthony Pettis recently posted on his Instagram, a picture of him watching and studying UFC 234. Pettis wasn’t just watching the event as a whole; he was watching Israel Adesanya vs Anderson Silva. This fight is a super fight 100%, but should this fight actually happen? Anthony Pettis is still in great fighting shape and climbing back to the top, while Anderson Silva, well he hasn’t fought in a year, and hasn’t won a fight in 3.

Why the Fight Should Happen

It’s the ultimate money fight for both competitors. Money makes the world go round; this fight could easily command 700k pay-per-view buys by itself. Legacy will also come into question, Pettis has had a long, storied career, and Silva is one of the G.O.A.T.’s. The fans would be ecstatic to see these two Hall of Famers go at it. This is the type of fight you put together in the UFC games, but at least it’ll be more realistic this time.

Why the Fight Shouldn’t Happen

Anderson Silva is 45 years old, that right there should be enough to tell you that the fight shouldn’t happen. Since 2013, Anderson Silva has won one fight, and he has a record 1-6-1 in his last 8 fights. I’m getting serious BJ Penn vibes from Silva right now, and that’s a very bad thing. If Silva keeps fighting, his G.O.A.T. status will be lost, and UFC fans just look back and say he was the greatest Middleweight for these years. Very similar to what UFC fans say about Chuck Lidell. Lidell was the scariest man on the planet for 4 years, and he sorta tarnished his status with his later fighting years. I know no UFC fans want to see Silva get knocked out again. Also, what weight would this fight be at? Silva is heavier than a Middleweight right now, and I don’t think Pettis can reach 185 comfortably.

Conclusion

This fight should not happen at all. Pettis has everything to win, and Silva has everything to lose. Silva should stay retired and ride out into the sunset, and Pettis should fight someone like Geoff Neal.

Alexander Volkov – Walt Harris booked for UFC 254

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Alexander Volkov, UFC

UFC 254 has added a big time heavyweight clash featuring two guys in the top ten as Alexander Volkov (31-8) will be taking on Walt Harris (13-8).

Both Volkov and Harris fought in the first two months that the UFC was back in production. Both men lost their first fights of 2020. Harris and Volkov will be looking to use this contest as a bounce back to head towards to top five.

Big UFC heavyweight implications

The heavyweight division in the UFC is in an interesting state at the moment. Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic will conclude their trilogy for the heavyweight title in a couple of weeks at UFC 252.

Both men could walk away from the sport after UFC 252. Right behind them the division has a clear number one contender in Francis Ngannou. Ngannou has won four consecutive fights by first round knockout.

After Ngannou, there’s a wide open field of contenders. Two of those contenders are Harris and Volkov.

Walt Harris had one of the most difficult years anyone could go through over the last twelve months. He made his emotional return to the octagon back in May against Alistair Overeem.

Harris looked like he was going to close the show in the first, but a game Overeem survived. Harris began to tire and Overeem was able to get the finish in the second round. This fight is a big chance for Harris to right the ship.

Back in 2018, Volkov was perhaps a victory away from a UFC title shot. Actually, he was about 11 seconds away from a potential title shot. That’s when Derrick Lewis landed a massive bomb which knocked Volkov out after Volkov dominated the fight.

Volkov bounced back in 2019 with a win over Greg Hardy, but then fall short against Curtis Blaydes back in June. The Russian had some bright spots in the fight, but a steady wrestling onslaught was his downfall.

This fight is so much fun and it’s so interesting. Harris is a very fast starter who looks to finish the fight early while Volkov likes to use his shots to fatigue his opponents. I think a finish is likely in this fight. If it’s early, I expect Harris to win. Later rounds, I’m going with Volkov. It’s a fun one in the heavyweight division.