UFC 267

Khamzat Chimaev smashes and puts Li Jingliang to sleep at UFC 267

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On the main card of UFC 267, we saw the return of one of the most hyped prospects in recent memory. Khamzat Chimaev (9-0) was making his highly anticipated return as he took on “The Leech” Li Jingliang (18-6).

Li is ranked 11th in the welterweight division while Chimaev sits just outside the top fifteen. However, Li was a massive underdog. Granted, that’s not a spot that Li is uncomfortable with as he was a decent underdog in his last fight.

As mentioned, Khamzat Chimaev has a ton of hype behind him after what he did in 2020. The Chechen made his debut on Fight Island last year and won three fights in three months. All by stoppage. The UFC then booked him against Leon Edwards, but COVID got in the way.

Chimaev had a terrible battle with COVID and at one point, he thought he was going to have to retire. However, the UFC got him the care he needed and he’s back and ready to take on one of the toughest contenders in the division.

UFC 267 Recap

Round 1

The UFC 267 welterweight contest kicked off with immediate pressure from Chimaev. Chimaev has beautiful timing and he gets a body lock on Li. He picked up Li and talks to Dana White as he slams The Leech to the ground.

Chimaev circles to the back of Li and is heavy on the pressure. Li tries to get up along the fence, but Chimaev drags him right back down. Heavy back pressure here from Chimaev who is landing some nice shots along the fence on Li.

Chimaev settling in here on the back of Li as he continues to land shots. Big shots land for Chimaev who is completely dominating Li here in the first round. Chimaev gets full back mount and flattens out Li.

Huge shots land for Chimaev and Chimaev locks in a rear naked choke. Li defends well at first but Chimaev switches it up and locks it in deep. Li goes to sleep and Chimaev looks unstoppable after UFC 267.

Khamzat Chimaev def. Li Jingliang by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) – Round 1

Magomed Ankalaev shuts out Volkan Oezdemir at UFC 267

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Kicking off the main card of UFC 267 was a battle between top ten light heavyweight contenders. Former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir (17-5) was tasked with taking on the big favorite and top contender Magomed Ankalaev (15-1).

Entering UFC 267, Oezdemir was just 2-4 in his last six fights. That stretch started with his title shot against Daniel Cormier where he was dominated. One of the wins in that stretch was a controversial split decision win over Aleksandar Rakic.

In the eyes of many, he’s just 1-5 in his last six. Not a great spot to be in when you’re taking on one of the UFC‘s brightest contenders in Magomed Ankalaev. Ankalaev is a monster and he’s slowly making his way up the light heavyweight ranks.

The Russian has won six consecutive fights leading up to UFC 267 after losing his debut in the promotion to Paul Craig. A dominant win over Oezdemir today would like net Ankalaev an opponent inside the top five.

UFC 267 Recap

Round 1

The UFC 267 main card opener kicked off with a touch of the gloves. Ankalaev circles on the outside as Oezdemir plots forward to start the fight. Good 1-2 from Ankalaev opens up the striking and Oezdemir gets popped with another stiff jab afterwards.

Oezdemir charges in but is met with a clean check right hook. Then Oezdemir lands a nice shot and a big uppercut on Ankalaev. Ankalaev backing up and Oezdemir goes for a flying knee which forces a clinch from the Russian.

Knees to the body from Ankalaev, but Oezdemir is able to circle out and break. Good 1-2 lands for Oezdemir and he ends with a nice leg kick. Kick to the body lands for Ankalaev. Ankalaev lands a straight left that sits Oezdemir down briefly.

Oezdemir bounces right back up but he still looks a little wobbly. Nice jab lands for Ankalaev. Lunging right doesn’t come close for Oezdemir and Ankalaev counters with a jab. Beautiful 1-2 lands for Ankalaev. Ankalaev is now the one pressing forward at UFC 267.

Oezdemir circling on the outside and he’s popped with a couple of jabs. Nice body kick from Oezdemir. Oezdemir steps in but eats a big combination from Ankalaev. The first round comes to a close and it’s 1-0 Ankalaev at UFC 267.

Round 2

Oezdemir needs to get some respect back from Ankalaev as we enter the second at UFC 267. Ankalaev takes the center to start the second. Oezdemir presses forward into a clinch but eats a big knee to the body. Huge straight left from Ankalaev finds it’s home.

Nice calf kick lands for Oezdemir. Ankalaev steps in with a clean combination and Oezdemir just evades the last big power shot. Another big calf kick from Oezdemir. Oezdemir steps in and gets clipped with a nasty right hook from Ankalaev that immediately opens a cut.

Jab lands for Ankalaev who is moving forward like a fighter who smells blood. Oezdemir circling on the outside looking for an opening. Oezdemir plots forward but isn’t finding a home for anything big. Nice counter lands for Ankalaev.

Big calf kick again from Oezdemir and that one got the attention of Ankalaev. Ankalaev immediately shoots for and lands a takedown after that calf kick. Big shot lands for Ankalaev on the break and the round comes to a close. 2-0 Ankalaev at UFC 267.

Round 3

Entering the final round at UFC 267 and Oezdemir is going to need a finish to get the win. Oezdemir takes the center to start the final round and eats a jab from Ankalaev to start the final round. Head kick attempt misses from Oezdemir.

Ankalaev pressing forward looking for his opening. Huge combination lands for Ankalaev but Oezdemir eats it with no issue. Oezdemir shockingly shoots for a takedown and Ankalaev immediately brushes him off.

Nice check right hook lands for Ankalaev. Ankalaev presses forward and lands a clean combination where he finishes with a head kick. Another clean left counter lands for Ankalaev as Oezdemir tries to press forward. Jab from Ankalaev who has really pulled away in this one.

Another beautiful left followed by a nice combination from Ankalaev. Oezdemir is looking hurt with just over a minute left as he circles on the outside. No urgency from Oezdemir here as Ankalaev keeps picking him apart from the outside.

Oezdemir tries pressing forward but eats another combination from Ankalaev. Ankalaev with a nice body kick. Oezdemir throws a body kick back. The fight comes to a close and Ankalaev just pitched a shutout at UFC 267.

Magomed Ankalaev def. Volkan Oezdemir by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

UFC 267 Preview: Jan Blachowicz – Glover Teixeira

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Corey Anderson

Tomorrow night in the main event of UFC 267, the light heavyweight title is on the line. The Polish Power and defending champion Jan Blachowicz (28-8) will defend his title against the veteran Glover Teixeira (32-7).

Both of these men have similar stories that have led them to UFC 267. Just a few years ago, people would have likely laughed at you if you told them that these two would be headlining a UFC card for the light heavyweight title, but here we are.

Back in 2018, Glover Teixeira lost a decision to Corey Anderson. With the loss, he was just 2-3 in five fights and he was getting older. However, Glover wasn’t prepared to hang things up and he’s rattled off five consecutives wins to earn himself another shot at UFC gold.

Back in 2017 at UFC 210, Jan Blachowicz lost a fight to Patrick Cummins. That fight dropped him to 2-4 in six UFC fights. However, things all started to change when he took his career more serious.

The Polish Power went on a streak that saw him go 9-1 leading up to tomorrow night. The top two highlights were winning the UFC title against Dominick Reyes then defending against the previously unbeaten middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.

UFC 267 Prediction

I will be the first person to say that I’ve doubted Glover Teixeira virtually this entire winning streak. He’s proved me wrong every single time that I doubted him. Will UFC 267 go that route as well or will the magic finally run out for Glover.

The first two rounds are going to be incredibly dangerous for Teixeira. Blachowicz has ungodly power and we’ve seen Glover get hurt several times by other opponents. If the champion lands clean, he can easily put the lights out.

Glover Teixeira needs to close the distance quickly and try to tire the champion out tomorrow. If he can do that, he might be able to land some takedowns after the halfway point of the fight. If he gets a tired Blachowicz down, he can submit him in the later rounds.

However, I don’t think the UFC 267 main event is going to get there. I think that the champion is going to find a home for that famous Polish Power in the first round and the title will return to Poland tomorrow.

Prediction: Jan Blachowicz by KO – Round 1

UFC 267 Preview: Petr Yan – Cory Sandhagen

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Tomorrow in the co-main event of UFC 267, we will see a battle for the interim bantamweight title. Former bantamweight champion Petr Yan (15-2) will try to regain some gold as he takes on “The Sandman” Cory Sandhagen (14-3).

This matchup came together after the champion, Aljamain Sterling (20-3), wasn’t cleared to compete following neck surgery. Yan lost the title to Sterling back at UFC 259 in an extremely controversial manner. The former champion was completely dominating the latter half of the fight.

However, an illegal knee caused the fight to end and Sterling won the UFC title by DQ. It was also the first UFC loss for Yan who had started out a perfect 7-0 inside the octagon on his way to capturing the title.

Cory Sandhagen would have likely had a title shot against Yan earlier this year had Yan not lost by DQ. He was the clear number one contender, but was forced to sit on the sidelines waiting his turn. The UFC decided to book Sandhagen against TJ Dillashaw.

Dillashaw won a razor close split decision, but suffered a knee injury due to a heel hook attempt by Sandhagen. With Dillashaw out and the fight having been razor close, the UFC opted for Sandhagen as Yan’s challenger.

UFC 267 Prediction

In Sandhagen’s last fight, I was incredibly impressed with how well he did on the feet. He was able to use his length to strike well from distance and even hurt TJ Dillashaw a couple of times. His range striking could come into play at UFC 267.

His ground skills are also something to watch out for tomorrow. However, it’s going to be incredibly tough stopping Petr Yan. Yan is the kind of fighter who gets better and better as the fight goes on. I’m expecting success early from Sandhagen until Yan figures things out.

If Yan can survive early, which I’m expecting, I think he’s going to really pour it on late at UFC 267. Yan won his first title on Fight Island and he’s going to win another tomorrow as I’m expecting him to flourish later in the fight and pick up a late stoppage.

Prediction: Petr Yan by TKO – Round 5

UFC 267 Preview: Dan Hooker – Islam Makhachev

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Tomorrow on the main card of UFC 267 we will see a tremendous lightweight contest between Dan “The Hangman” Hooker (21-10) and Islam Makhachev (20-1). Hooker will be looking for his second win in just over a month while Makhachev will be going for his eighth straight win.

There haven’t been many lightweights as dominant as Islam Makhachev over the past few years. You can point to his coach and former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov as the one person who’s been more dominant.

The dream for AKA and Eagles MMA was for Makhachev to take over for Khabib right after the former UFC lightweight champion retired and Makhachev just might be on his way. He’s 9-1 in the UFC and right now he looks like he could be one of if not the best in the world.

Standing in his way tomorrow is the tough Dan Hooker. Hooker went on a great run when he moved from featherweight to lightweight. That run led him to a fight with Dustin Poirier last year. In a war, Hooker fell short by decision. Afterwards, Hooker last by TKO to Michael Chandler.

Last month, Hooker took on Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 266 and was able to pick up the decision win. After Rafael Dos Anjos pulled out of this UFC 267 matchup with Makhachev, Hooker immediately stepped up for this massive opportunity.

UFC 267 Prediction

In his past few fights, we’ve seen Islam Makhachev show off some decent striking. However, make no mistake about it, he’s not going to try and strike with Dan Hooker at UFC 267. Tomorrow night is all going to come down to the takedown.

If Islam Makhachev can get Hooker down with ease, it’s going to be a long night for The Hangman. We’ve seen what that Dagestani pressure and wrestling can do to some of the best fighters in the world. Makhachev possesses all the skills to ground and control Hooker.

However, Hooker isn’t going to make it easy. The Hangman is a sniper from the outside and if Makhachev is sloppy, he could get put out with a clean shot. He’s not invincible and we’ve seen him get knocked out in his only loss in the UFC.

Personally, I see Hooker landing some good shots in the early part of all three rounds. However, I don’t think any shot is going to be enough to take Makhachev out. Ultimately, I think Makhachev is able to land enough takedowns and control Hooker enough to win a decision here.

Prediction: Islam Makhachev by Unanimous Decision

UFC 267 Preview: Khamzat Chimaev – Jingliang Li

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Tomorrow on the main card of UFC 267, we will see the return of one of the most hyped prospects in recent memory. Khamzat Chimaev (9-0) will be making his highly anticipated return as he takes on “The Leech” Jingliang Li (18-6).

Li is ranked 11th in the welterweight division while Chimaev sits just outside the top fifteen. However, Li is the massive underdog tomorrow night. Granted, that’s not a spot that Li is uncomfortable with as he was a decent underdog in his last fight.

The last time we saw Li was back in January when he took on Santiago Ponzinibbio. Ponzinibbio was a big favorite, but Li wasn’t intimidated and knocked him out in the first round. Overall, Li is 4-1 in his last five UFC bouts.

As mentioned, Khamzat Chimaev has a ton of hype behind him after what he did in 2020. The Chechen made his debut on Fight Island last year and won three fights in three months. All by stoppage. The UFC then booked him against Leon Edwards, but COVID got in the way.

Chimaev had a terrible battle with COVID and at one point, he thought he was going to have to retire. However, the UFC got him the care he needed and he’s back and ready to take on one of the toughest contenders in the division.

UFC 267 Prediction

There’s a reason why Khamzat Chimaev is such a big favorite leading into UFC 267. He’s got tremendous power on his feet and he’s got incredible wrestling. If you talk with people who watch him train, they say his hands can be just as good as his grappling which is terrifying.

Li is going to be a tough test as he’s also very well-rounded. He’s incredible strong and showed in his last fight that he also has the ability to put you out if he lands the right shot. He’s going to need to land the right shot tomorrow.

Call me a believer of hype, but I just don’t see Khamzat Chimaev losing this fight tomorrow night. I actually do think it goes the distance, but I think Chimaev completely controls and dictates where the fight takes place at UFC 267.

Prediction: Khamzat Chimaev by Unanimous Decision

Dan Hooker steps in to face Islam Makhachev at UFC 267

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Well, Dan Hooker (21-10) is wasting no time getting back into the cage after UFC 266. Just last weekend, Hooker defeated Nasrat Haqparast on the prelims which snapped his two-fight losing streak.

It was a great performance from Hooker who really showed off his wide-range of skills. The fight almost didn’t happen though as Hooker had issues getting a visa to get into the US to fight at UFC 266.

However, the issues were resolved and Hooker fought to victory. We learned last week that Rafael Dos Anjos was potentially going to miss his UFC 267 fight with Islam Makhachev (20-1).

Dos Anjos ended up suffering a knee injury that put the fight in jeopardy. RDA actually had to have surgery but he was still going to try to fight. However, his doctors were going to need to approve it.

Ultimately, the doctors wouldn’t clear him and the UFC was forced to look into other options. They turned right to Hooker and asked if he’d be interested in taking on the dangerous Islam Makhachev. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto broke the news today that Hooker signed and the fight is on at UFC 267.

UFC 267’s New Lightweight Contest

Islam Makhachev has been looked at as a new boogeyman of the lightweight division. He’s seemingly been avoided by many top guys and he’s actually accused Hooker of dodging him in the past.

Well, at UFC 267, he’s going to get his shot against The Hangman. Makhachev will enter the octagon next month riding an eight-fight win streak. The Khabib protégé has all the looks of a future world champion given his skillset.

Some of his coaches actually believe that he’s the evolution of Khabib. While Khabib would take his opponents down and try to smash them, Makhachev is constantly looking for submissions and he’s more advanced on the feet than Khabib was.

This is going to be a real test to see where Makhachev is in his development. If he can defeat Hooker and make it look easy, he will prove to everyone that he belongs in the UFC title conversation. However, if Hooker wins, he will prove that he’s still one of the very best in the world.

UFC books interim title fight between Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen

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UFC 267 has a new co-main event. Over the weekend we learned that bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling (20-3) was out of his title defense against Petr Yan (15-2) next month on Fight Island.

Sterling had next surgery earlier in the year and was trying to make his comeback to defend against Yan. Yan lost the title to Sterling back at UFC 259. The title change was controversial considering Sterling won by disqualification in a fight he was clearly losing.

Due to the nature of the fight, the UFC decided to run things back immediately. However, Sterling is going to need more time as doctors wouldn’t clear him to defend his title next month.

The promotion wanted to move forward with an interim title fight that featured Yan. The first choice was TJ Dillashaw (17-4). Dillashaw is ranked right behind Yan and just returned in July.

The former UFC champion defeated Cory Sandhagen (14-3) in his return, however, the fight was razor close. During the fight, Dillashaw suffered a knee injury which required surgery. With him still recovering, he wasn’t an option.

Sandhagen’s UFC Title Shot

ESPN’s Brett Okamoto broke the news today that Sandhagen will now be getting a shot at Yan for the interim title at UFC 267. Sandhagen was the favorite for a title shot after he knocked out Frankie Edgar with a flying knee earlier in 2021.

However, after the UFC 259 result between Yan and Sterling, Sandhagen was forced to take a fight with Dillashaw. While two scorecards went for Dillashaw, many believe that Sandhagen won the fight. Now, due to two injuries, Sandhagen is getting his UFC title shot that many believe he deserved all along.

Before the Dillashaw loss, Sandhagen had gone 7-1 in the UFC with his lone loss coming against Aljamain Sterling. Sandhagen is looked at as someone who will definitely be a UFC champion at some point in his career.

He has all the tools and physical attributes to become a champion it’s just a matter of putting it all together. Now, he’s going to have his chance to do it. This is a fantastic fight and in my opinion, UFC 267 just got a lot more interesting.

UFC books Alexander Volkov – Marcin Tybura

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Alexander Volkov, UFC

The UFC has finalized a heavyweight battle that will feature two contenders in the top eight. MMA Fighting was the first to report today that the promotion has finalized a matchup between Alexander “Drago” Volkov (33-9) and Marcin Tybura (22-6).

The fight will take place at UFC 267 on October 30th in Abu Dhabi. The October event’s card is starting to shape up and it’s headlined by two title fights. UFC 267 is going to be free and it will be broadcasted on ABC in the United States.

Marcin Tybura is getting a big step up as he takes on Alexander Volkov. Tybura is currently riding a five-fight win streak heading into UFC 267. The last time we saw Tybura was in June when he stopped Walt Harris in the first round.

Harris started out extremely well and was hurting Tybura on the feet. However, Tybura weathered the storm and was able to get Harris down late in the first round. Once it was there, Tybura put it on Harris and stopped the fight.

After losing his UFC debut, Tybura has gone 9-4 with the promotion. Worth noting that two of those losses came against Fabricio Werdum and Derrick Lewis. Tybura will look to jump into title contention with a win in October.

Volkov’s UFC Redemption

Alexander Volkov made his UFC debut back in 2016. He started his career off with the promotion with winning four consecutive fights. The most impressive win being a TKO win over former champion Fabricio Werdum.

After that, Volkov had a shot against Derrick Lewis. Had Volkov won, he was likely going to get a UFC title shot. However, Volkov was stopped in final seconds of the final round after having dominated the entire fight.

In June, Volkov had a headliner against Ciryl Gane. Again, had Volkov won the fight, he might’ve been the one fighting Derrick Lewis for the interim heavyweight title at UFC 265 on Saturday night.

However, Gane’s technique and speed flustered Volkov and Volkov was nearly shutout on the scorecards. Now, Volkov will once again start his climb back up the latter and it starts with Marcin Tybura at UFC 267.

UFC books Islam Makhachev – Rafael Dos Anjos

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The UFC has finalized a pivotal matchup in the lightweight division. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was the first to report last night that the promotion had finalized a battle between surging contender Islam Makhachev (20-1) and former UFC lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos (30-13).

The fight will take place at UFC 267 on October 30th. UFC 267 will take place on Fight Island and will actually be free to watch on either ESPN or ABC. The promotion is offering this numbered event for free due to UFC 268 being just one week later.

This will be the second fight back in the lightweight division for RDA. Dos Anjos made his return to the lightweight division back in November after he had spent the last couple of years in the UFC‘s welterweight division.

RDA returned with an impressive win over Paul Felder. However, his original opponent that night was Islam Makhachev. Makhachev suffered an injury and the UFC called upon Felder to step in on short notice.

Nevertheless, the former champion put on a great performance. Now, he’s going to be tasked with defeating the surging Dagestan contender. RDA has dealt with some injuries in 2021 but the former UFC champion is healthy and ready to go for this one.

UFC’s Future Lightweight Champion?

When you ask most people about Islam Makhachev, they will tell you he’s a future UFC champion. Makhachev is the protégé and close friend of former lightweight champion and pound-for-pound king, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Nurmagomedov has taken on the role as Makhachev’s head coach in 2021 and Makhachev has been nothing short of dominant. His first fight of the year was at UFC 259 against Drew Dober. Makhachev dominated and submitted Dober in the third round.

Then, the UFC had trouble getting someone to take a fight against him. Thiago Moises stepped up and accepted a main event slot against Makhachev. Makhachev dominated Moises from the opening bell to the finish.

He scored a Rear-Naked Choke in the fourth round of their fight. This is the biggest step up in competition Makhachev has seen in his career. RDA is no pushover, but if Makhachev can dominate him like he has everyone else, the lightweight division should be terrified.