Search Results

In the world of mixed martial arts, controversies and claims of unfairness are not uncommon. One such claim has recently emerged from Jafel Filho, who is alleging that Muhammad Mokaev, his opponent at UFC 286, tapped to not one but three submission attempts. This claim has caught the attention of the MMA community, and fans and pundits alike are waiting to see what happens next. The fight ultimately carried and generated several fascinating tales, even though neither guy had anything at risk outside their victory bonus. But first probably most important, Mokaev appeared to have a seriously injured shoulder before he began fighting after choosing physical therapy over surgery to take part in the event. The injury drama grew inside the third round when Mokaev's knee was severely fully extended because of Filho latching on to the tight kneebar and cranking out the submission. Mokaev persevered through the obvious discomfort and probable tendon tears to wrestle his way to Filho's back and apply a face crank that eventually caused the former Shooto champion to concede shortly before the final buzzer. Earlier during the first round, when Mokaev was mostly on the peak in Filho's guard, the two players engaged in an odd conversation. The Dagestani-born fighter seemed to tap Filho on the back multiple times when they were in a somewhat basal state. That was immediately seized upon by fans as a potential flashpoint for debate. Although Filho didn't look like he was responding at either the time as if the bout had finished. Although Filho continued to hunt for chances to use his hips, Mokaev continued to wrestle in defense. No one made any arguments, and the referee missed it. In perspective, it appears that Filho wishes the decision to be re-evaluated. The Brazilian claimed in an interview with MMA Fighting that he honestly felt Mokaev tap three times. “[Mokaev tapped] at least three times,” Filho said of his loss at UFC 286. “I felt him tapping on my back like he was hiding, with malice. There was another situation I went for the guillotine and then attacked his injured shoulder, he tapped and I loosened it up a little bit. “I was looking at the referee the entire time. The kneebar, I felt him tapping with his foot and the referee asked him, ‘Tap?’ I loosened it, and he was able to twist his knee a little bit.” In a brief interview on The MMA Hour podcast with Ariel Helwani, Mokaev was quick to defend the debate. “Listen, Ariel, if I didn’t tap to my knee, do you think I would tap to—what he said? Guillotine, right?” Mokaev laughed when asked about the phantom tap. “Guillotine wasn’t even locked. How the hell people would actually believe I would tap to this guillotine that can’t put me to sleep? Filho reported that his manager Andre Pederneiras is analyzing the tape to decide if he should challenge and try to get the verdict overturned. The Brazilian flyweight stated he recognizes Mokaev as a fighter and doesn't have any animosity against him, but he'd adore facing the English-Russian fighter again in the future.

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has made his first statement after losing to Leon Edwards at UFC 286. In their trilogy on Saturday in London, Usman was defeated by Edwards by a majority decision. Usman has suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time in his professional MMA career. Usman made a comeback at UFC 286 after losing the championship to Edwards in UFC 278. Before that, he held the title of UFC pound-for-pound king and was regarded by some as the sport's all-time best welterweight. Usman is still reeling from his UFC 286 loss, but despite this most recent setback, he appears refreshed and motivated to resume fighting. "A special thank you to my management, family, friends, and fans," Usman tweeted. "I appreciate each and everyone of you. Wasn't my night but as always we go back to work. Congratulations [Leon Edwards] great work." Before their trilogy, tensions between Edwards and Usman flared, but after spending nearly 13 complete rounds in the Octagon together, the two sides now seem amicable. Usman defeated opponents like Jorge Masvidal, Colby Covington, and Gilbert Burns before suffering back-to-back defeats against Edwards. After serving as the backup for this weekend's main event, Covington is likely to receive the next title opportunity. Usman recently made hints at retiring from fighting, but he still appears committed to doing so. When he starts this new phase of his career, a switch to middleweight is also an option.

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a relatively new sport, but it has already produced some incredible athletes who have set records that seem almost impossible to break. From winning streaks to knockout records, here are some of the unbreakable records in MMA. 1. Youngest UFC Champion: Jon Jones Jon Jones is widely regarded as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. He became the youngest UFC champion ever when he defeated Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the light heavyweight title at UFC 128 in 2011. He was only 23 years old at the time. He went on to defend his title 11 times, tying with Demetrious Johnson for the most title defenses in UFC history. He also holds the longest win streak in UFC history with 16 consecutive victories. Jones is still active and has moved up to the heavyweight division, where he hopes to challenge for another title. 2. Most Takedowns in a UFC Fight: Khabib Nurmagomedov Khabib Nurmagomedov is another fighter who is considered one of the best ever. He retired undefeated with a perfect record of 29-0. He was known for his dominant wrestling and grappling skills that overwhelmed his opponents. He holds the record for the most takedowns in a single UFC fight with 21 against Abel Trujillo at UFC 160 in 2013. He also holds the record for most takedowns landed in UFC history with 59. Nurmagomedov was also a lightweight champion who defended his title four times before retiring. 3. Fastest Finish in a UFC Championship Fight: Ronda Rousey Ronda Rousey was a pioneer and a superstar in women’s MMA. She was an Olympic bronze medalist in judo who transitioned to MMA and became a dominant force. She won her first six fights by armbar submission within the first round. She became the first female champion in UFC history when she defeated Liz Carmouche at UFC 157 in 2013. She defended her bantamweight title six times before losing it to Holly Holm at UFC 193 in 2015. She holds the record for the fastest finish in a UFC championship fight with 14 seconds against Cat Zingano at UFC 184 in 2015. She also holds the record for the fastest submission in a UFC championship fight with 16 seconds against Alexis Davis at UFC 175 in 2014. 4. Fastest Knockout in MMA: Jorge Masvidal Jorge Masvidal is a veteran fighter who has competed since 2003. He has fought for various promotions such as Strikeforce, Bellator, and now UFC. He is known for his striking skills and knockout power. He holds the record for the fastest knockout in MMA history with five seconds against Ben Askren at UFC 239 in 2019. He also holds the record for fastest knockout in UFC history with the same feat. He achieved this by landing a flying knee as soon as Askren attempted to shoot for a takedown making it an unbreakable record in MMA. 5. Most Professional MMA Fights: Travis Fulton Travis Fulton is an American fighter who has been competing since 1996. He has fought for various promotions such as IFL, WEC, and King of The Cage. He holds the record for most professional MMA fights with over 300 bouts which already seems to be an unbreakable record in MMA. He also holds the record for most wins (255), most knockouts (91), and most submissions (138). He has fought against notable fighters such as Andrei Arlovski, Jeremy Horn, and Rich Franklin. He last fought in October 2020. These are some of the unbreakable records in MMA that showcase the achievements and feats of some of the best fighters ever. For more articles like these, follow Fight.tv

Justin Gaethje, who calls himself the "Most Exciting Fighter of All Time," has his sights set on a previous rival. At UFC 286 this evening (Saturday, March 18, 2023) in The O2 in London, England, Gaethje, 34, returned to the winning column by beating rising contender Rafael Fiziev in an exciting and bloody contest. Additionally, "The Highlight" maintained his No. 3 Lightweight ranking and added to his absurd accumulation by winning the "Performance of the Night" bonus once more. Gaethje typically takes some time to consider his options after fights, but "The Highlight" already had a few matches in mind afterward, including a rematch of a "Fight of the Year." “Yeah, that’d be great,” Gaethje said when asked if he wants to fight Dustin Poirier next during UFC 286’s post-fight press conference. “You know, I did what I had to do — I fought someone ranked below me. I 100 percent believe that I deserve to fight someone ranked in front of me. “The loser of the Oliveira vs Dariush fight ... I’d rather not fight Dariush I love that dude,” Gaethje continued. “I think he’s going to beat Oliveira. I fought like a complete idiot when I fought Oliveira, so I’d love to have that fight back, but Dustin is a good option.” Gaethje and Poirier blew the roof off Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz., at UFC on FOX 29 back in 2018, a wild four-round war in which Poirier would finish Gaethje with punches. The loss apparently still stings Gaethje, who hinted that he was interested in “The Diamond” before he defeated Michael Chandler at UFC 268. Poirer, meanwhile, is coming off a “Fight of the Night” win over Chandler at UFC 281 in Nov. 2022 and is patiently waiting for his next fight.

Although Eddie Hearn, Anthony Joshua's promoter, confesses he is "nervous" before the heavyweight's crucial return on April 1, Anthony Joshua has never put in more work in a training camp. Next month at the O2 Arena in London, two-time world champion Anthony Joshua will face 21-1 Jermaine Franklin in an effort to avenge consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk. Joshua will be making his professional debut against Derrick James, and Hearn thinks the pairing has led to the Londoner's most demanding training camp in the past ten years. Joshua's future, however, is at stake against Franklin, whose most recent contest was a contentious majority decision loss to Dillian Whyte in November, a contest that many believed the Michigan native had won. This week, Hearn paid a visit to Joshua at his training facility in Texas and said, "AJ's looking good but I'm nervous. “People are saying this is a straightforward fight for Anthony Joshua but it’s not at all. “Let’s look at the facts, he’s coming off two defeats to the pound-for-pound No.1 Oleksandr Usyk but you saw the emotional side to AJ in the last performance and after the fight. “Franklin is full of confidence coming off the Dillian Whyte fight and he looks all of a sudden about 20lbs lighter as well. “This is a big moment for Anthony Joshua’s career, people are talking about fights against Deontay Wilder, Whyte, Fury but he has to win on April 1. “Franklin is a good fighter who is going to come well equipped but AJ has worked himself hard out there in humble, humble surroundings. “This is just him, Derrick James and Erroll Spence. Just hard work. I think this is the hardest he’s ever worked in camp and I really hope that he can produce the performance that he deserves on April 1 because I believe he’s still in his prime. “But he has to beat Jermaine Franklin.”

Get ready for the fight of the year as undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney and former three-division titlist Vasiliy Lomachenko are set to square off in a highly anticipated matchup on May 20. The only thing holding back the official announcement of the fight is whether it will take place in Saudi Arabia or Las Vegas. Haney and Lomachenko have been linked to a potential fight dating back to 2019, and now it’s finally happening. The WBC semantics may have prevented the fight then, but not now, especially since both fighters are tied to Top Rank. Haney had a remarkable 2022 by twice beating George Kambosos Jr. via dominant decisions, which moved him up several notches on the mythical list of best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Haney is ranked No. 9 on BoxingScene.com’s P4P list. “I want to show the world my skills. I want to take on the best fighters in the world. I’ve been saying this for a while,” said Haney. “It’s about legacy. I’ve been wanting to fight Loma. I knew I could beat him back then. I still feel the same way, and I will show it.” However, Lomachenko is not an easy opponent, despite looking shaky at times in his last fight against Jamaine Ortiz in October. The former two-time Olympic gold medalist still scored a unanimous decision in the 12-round bout. Lomachenko has rebounded since his 2020 loss to Teofimo Lopez to also beat the likes of Masayoshi Nakatani and Richard Commey. “They say that because he had a bad performance, but one performance doesn’t define you,” said Haney. “We’re studying him off of all his fights. His best performances, his worst performances. We’re studying him all around. One performance doesn’t define you.” The world is waiting to see who will come out on top in this highly anticipated fight. Will Haney continue his impressive streak, or will Lomachenko prove he’s still a force to be reckoned with in the ring? One thing is for sure, this fight is not to be missed.

The BOXXER Team Set to Take on Poland with Caroline Dubois and Martin Bakole Leading the Way BOXXER, the UK-based promotional team, is set to partner with Knockout Promotions for the upcoming Alen Babic-Lukasz Rozanski WBC Bridgerweight title fight. The event is scheduled to take place on April 22 in Rzeszow, Poland, and BOXXER’s fighters will feature prominently on the undercard. Caroline Dubois, a 2020 Great Britain Olympian, will be the star attraction of the BOXXER-led undercard. Dubois, who is known for her quick hands and explosive power, has a record of 6-0 with five knockouts. The 22-year-old southpaw recently celebrated her one-year pro anniversary with a third-round stoppage of Feriche Mashaury in February. Joining Dubois on the undercard will be heavyweight contender Martin Bakole, who will be making his BOXXER debut against Ukraine’s Ihor Shevadzutskyi. Bakole, who has a record of 18-1 with 13 knockouts, is coming off an upset victory over 2016 Olympic Gold medalist Tony Yoka in May 2021. The event will mark BOXXER’s second foray into continental Europe, following a successful show in Paris earlier this year. BOXXER founder and CEO Ben Shalom is excited about the upcoming event in Poland, stating that “Another significant European adventure awaits…we believe that this fight night in Poland will be hugely impactful in the world of boxing.” The Babic-Rozanski fight is courtesy of Knockout Promotions, who won the rights to the event at a January 31 purse bid hearing. Rozanski, who has a record of 14-0 with 13 knockouts, is the next highest ranked contender below Babic. The unbeaten Polish contender has fought exclusively in his home country throughout his seven-year pro career. Babic, on the other hand, has emerged as a cult favorite on the UK boxing scene since turning pro in 2019. The Croatian boxer, who is promoted by Matchroom Boxing, has campaigned at the bridgerweight limit and is now just one win away from his first major title. The event promises to be an exciting night of boxing, with BOXXER’s fighters looking to make a statement on the global stage. With Dubois and Bakole leading the way, the BOXXER team will once again hit the road, hoping to come back with a haul of victories and further cement their place in the world of boxing.

John Ryder is not interested in the opinions of critics who claim he does not deserve a shot at Canelo Alvarez’s four super middleweight titles. The British southpaw believes he has earned his opportunity to become boxing’s fully unified 168-pound champion. Ryder’s recent victories over former IBF/WBA middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs and previously unbeaten Brit Zach Parker have proven his worth as a legitimate contender. Ryder’s win over Jacobs, which took place in February 2022 at Alexandra Palace in London, is the most notable victory of his 12-year professional career. His fifth-round stoppage of Parker, who suffered a fractured right hand, earned him the WBO interim super middleweight title and made him a mandatory challenger for one of Alvarez’s four championships. In an interview with Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel, Ryder expressed his excitement about the upcoming fight against Alvarez, which will take place on May 6 in Zapopan, Mexico. Despite being listed as a 12-1 underdog, Ryder believes he deserves this shot at the title and has paid his dues in the sport. “I feel like I really deserve to be here and deserve this shot,” said Ryder. “I’ve earned this shot three times over for me. So, yeah, I feel like I really deserve to be here and deserve this shot.” Ryder has won four fights in a row since his controversial defeat to Callum Smith in November 2019. Despite his recent success, many critics still doubt his ability to defeat Alvarez, one of boxing’s most dominant fighters. However, Ryder is not concerned with the opinions of others and is focused solely on his upcoming fight. He has a message for those who doubt his ability to defeat Alvarez: “Don’t shoot me down. I’m still dreaming, so let me live my dream. And listen, keep your opinions to yourself. I’m not reading them, don’t care. I’m doing this for me. I’m not doing it for you. Go about your business. Life can’t be that bad that you gotta worry about me too much.” Ryder’s confidence and determination are admirable, and it will be interesting to see how he fares against Alvarez in May. Regardless of the outcome, Ryder has proven himself to be a formidable opponent and a deserving contender for the super middleweight title.

If UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards has anything to say about it, Colby Covington won't be his next title challenger. Edwards defeated Kamaru Usman in their UFC 286 trilogy on Saturday in London. He used his signature striking, along with superb takedown defense, to stifle Usman and retain the 170lb title. Edwards, after defeating Usman in come-from-behind fashion at UFC 278, put a stamp on his claim for the UFC welterweight belt. He doesn't have a shortage of potential title challengers, including a few contenders set to return later this year. One such contender is Covington, who hasn't fought since a dominant win over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272. He's been in a legal battle with Masvidal in the courtroom and has been recovering from the injuries he sustained during a Miami-area altercation. Covington surprised many over the past few days when he weighed in as the UFC 286 backup fighter on Friday. UFC President Dana White says Covington will get the next title shot after Edwards outpointed Usman. During his UFC 286 post-fight press conference, Edwards seemed to deny that a Covington fight is a done deal. “I don’t know how that makes sense,” Edwards said. “He hasn’t fought for over a year-and-a-half. Sat out. Not injured. I don’t get how he just slides in for the world title shot when there’s other guys in the division that have been active and fighting. Didn’t sit out. "I’m the king now. I’ve earned my way, so I feel like I should decide who’s next.” Before the win over Masvidal, Covington fell short against Usman in their rematch at UFC 268. It was a close fight from start to finish, but Usman pulled out the win on the judges' scorecards. Edwards hasn't lost a fight since his first matchup with Usman in 2015. It was a long road to the title, but Edwards is making the most of his position at the top of the division. In addition to Covington, the Gilbert Burns vs. Masvidal winner at UFC 287 has been proposed as the next possible challenger. Although, White seems adamant that Covington will get the next shot, regardless of how UFC 287 plays out. As Edwards awaits his next title defense, he feels Covington doesn't deserve the next shot based on merit. His title rematch win makes the welterweight division arguably more intriguing than ever, with Covington waiting in the wings for another chance at UFC gold.

During their recent press trip, Oscar De La Hoya praised Ryan Garcia's unwavering commitment to taking on Gervonta Davis. Garcia's promoter, "The Golden Boy," gave himself and his staff a virtual pat on the back for making sure the agreement for the most publicized fight on the boxing calendar was completed. De La Hoya didn't elaborate, but he did tell a small group of reporters that the fight wouldn't have taken place if Golden Boy Promotions hadn't made sure of it as talks dragged on in February after a press conference at Palladium Times Square. “It actually was in trouble and, you know, I’m proud to say that Golden Boy are the ones who revived it,” De La Hoya said. “So, we took it to the finish line and we’re very proud of that. So, the fact that Ryan wanted it, the fact that we revived it, just goes to show you that we’ve always wanted to work with all the promoters. We’ve always wanted to work with the very best to make these fights happen. That’s all we want is to make the best fights happen.” On April 22 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) of Baltimore and Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs), of Victorville, California, will face off. At a catch weight of 136 pounds, their 12-round battle will be the main event of a four-fight Showtime Pay-Per-View card. Garcia agreed to a rehydration clause that forbids him from gaining more than 10 pounds over the contracted maximum on the day of their fight in addition to weighing in again at or near the 135-pound lightweight limit. Garcia's most recent contest, a sixth-round TKO of Javier Fortuna on July 16 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, had a 140-pound contract weight. Additionally, Garcia agreed to a rematch clause that gives Davis the right to a quick rematch if Garcia wins. If Davis prevails, Garcia would not be entitled to a rematch. “You know, you have to respect Ryan Garcia for it,” De La Hoya said. “It’s unheard of to give so many concessions up, but that’s how badly he wanted it. That’s how motivated he is to win this fight April 22nd.” De La Hoya hopes the finalization of Davis-Garcia leads to his company and Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions working together on more fights in the foreseeable future. “It’s a perfect testament to what we wanna get done here, not only for this fight, but for the sport in general,” De La Hoya said. “We wanna make sure the big fights happen for boxing.”

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk now have until April 1st to sign a contract for their planned undisputed heavyweight championship. The two unbeaten heavyweights will face off in a championship consolidation fight, according to World Boxing Association (WBA) president Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, if their months-long negotiations are not successful. After submitting in writing that both parties had agreed to a purse split for their proposed title showdown, Fury and Usyk were able to delay the sanctioning body, but they were once again under pressure to hold the fight due to the passing of time. “The WBA deadline to receive signed bout contracts is April 1,” Mendoza announced Sunday morning. “Otherwise, the mandatory negotiations will be ordered (for Usyk).” London’s Daniel Dubois (19-1, 18KOs) is the WBA ‘Regular’ heavyweight titlist whom Ukraine’s Usyk (20-0, 13KOs) will be ordered to face in the absence of a full unification bout with Fury. Usyk holds the WBA ‘Super’ heavyweight title along with the IBF and WBO belts, with mandatory title defenses attached to all three belts. Manchester’s Fury (33-0-1, 24KOs) is the reigning WBC and lineal champion. He is currently in the voluntary title defense phase of his title reign without a WBC mandatory challenger. On April 23, 2017, at Wembley Stadium, Fury knocked out Dillian Whyte in the sixth round to fulfill his WBC commitment. After accomplishing the accomplishment, he defeated Derek Chisora by knockout on December 3 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London during their third encounter. The third victory over Chisora also marked the third time that Fury successfully defended his WBC championship. He has held the title ever since stopping Deontay Wilder in the seventh round of their rematch in February 2020 in Las Vegas. The requirement has not yet been included in a two-way signed deal. Furthermore, far too much information about the deadlocked negotiations has been made public, which makes it less likely than ever that the fight will take place in late April. Fury recently declared his support for a social media blackout, promising to refrain from making any more offensive video taunts at Usyk until a deal was made. Usyk asserts that the British must put an end to this continuing saga in the meantime. After defeating Anthony Joshua (24-3, 22KOs) in their September 2021 WBA, IBF, and WBO heavyweight championship match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Usyk became a two-division champion. In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on August 20, he defeated Anthony Joshua again by split decision to make his lone championship defense. Usyk's record in title fights covering two weight divisions improved to 9-0 with the two victories. The undisputed cruiserweight king from 2012 who won a gold medal at the Olympics moved up to heavyweight in 2019.

In front of a raucous home crowd at the O2 Arena in London, Britain’s Leon Edwards successfully defended his welterweight title against Kamaru Usman by majority decision at UFC 286. The bout was billed as the biggest British MMA fight in history and lived up to the hype, with Edwards proving to be the more dangerous striker throughout the five-round contest. Despite Usman’s reputation as a dominant wrestler and takedown artist, Edwards was able to stuff the majority of his attempts and keep the fight standing. This allowed Edwards to showcase his superior striking skills, as he landed a number of clean shots on Usman and controlled the pace of the fight. The victory over Usman marks Edwards’ first title defence since winning the belt in August with a shocking upset victory over the Nigerian. In doing so, Edwards became just the second British UFC champion, following in the footsteps of Michael Bisping, who won the middleweight title in 2016. Edwards’ success has captured the attention of MMA fans worldwide, and the UFC has responded by booking a trilogy bout and its first numbered show in Britain since Bisping defended his middleweight title against Dan Henderson in Manchester. Following his latest victory, Edwards opened the door to a potential fight with former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington, who was sitting cageside. However, he also expressed interest in travelling to Miami in April to watch Jorge Masvidal’s fight with Gilbert Burns. Regardless of who Edwards faces next, his performance against Usman has cemented his status as one of the top fighters in the welterweight division and a worthy champion. In a post-fight interview, Edwards thanked Usman for being a great competitor and expressed his gratitude to his fans and supporters for their unwavering support. As the MMA world looks ahead to the next chapter in Edwards’ career, there is no doubt that the British champion will continue to make headlines and leave his mark on the sport.