Sean Brady had a lot to deal with during the UFC 280 fight week, and he still does when it comes to bad fans abusing social media for malicious purposes. Brady said that those fans threatened him in a direct message to his wife on Monday's episode of The MMA Hour. Brady suffered his first professional defeat at UFC 280 when Belal Muhammad stopped him. On Instagram, he and his wife started receiving remarks regarding his performance. His wife got a troubling message from a fan before the fight. VanCamp's record after making his promotion debut this year was 0–2. “Someone messaged her and said that if I won the fight against Belal that they would kill me and bury me in the desert – it was pretty bad,” Brady said. “She was right there front row sitting with [Joe Pyfer], and she busted through the security and got to me when I was walking out of the [octagon], but she was right there [in Abu Dhabi] with me, [and] she got messages.” In an Instagram post following the bout, Brady discussed the need to make changes and get out of his comfort zone, but he also mentioned how fans were “mocking my wife” after the result. Whether it’s because they lost a bet on the fight or are just insecure, Brady doesn’t understand why fans of the sport act like this, especially since there are so many who have respect for the sport and its athletes. Brady is now 15-1 as a pro and 5-1 inside the octagon, and he believes the loss will end up being a good thing for him, even saying it was a giant weight lifted off of his shoulders. As far as those fans giving him and his family grief, Brady knows that social media isn’t the real world. “I know for a fact you wouldn’t say that s*** if we were in real life,” he explained. “That’s the problem: Those people get to hide behind these screens and say these things. I lost a fight, but my life isn’t over. I still live my dream every day. These people hate their lives, and that’s why they do what they do. “I almost kind of feel bad for them, but I’d like to slap the s*** out of them at the same time.”

In one of the most anticipated fights of the year on Saturday, Paul defeated former UFC middleweight champion, Anderson Silva, by unanimous decision for the biggest success of his boxing career. Jake Paul is accustomed to facing criticism, and his most recent victory over Anderson Silva is no exception. Paul made an appearance on The MMA Hour to discuss his most significant victory. Paul is still processing his monumental victory a few days later. “It’s still pretty crazy to me, beating one of the greatest combat strikers of all time,” Paul told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “I’m just proud of myself. I’m proud I was able to execute everything we worked on in the gym. This is the first fight where everything was slowed down for me, and I was able to really, really handle the moment really well and execute the game plan perfectly. I felt really comfortable in there, and here we are. It’s unbelievable, it’s surreal. I can’t believe I actually pulled it off, but I’m very proud of myself.” Paul added a finishing touch to his victory by submitting Silva with a short right hand in the final round of the fight, in addition to outworking Silva throughout eight rounds. Although the knockout made it clear who had won the fight, for the most part, it also sparked suspicions that it had been "fixed" by conspiracy theorists. "I lose faith in my generation and my peers, and us in a society in a world just when I see that type of stuff and that type of stupidity. Yeah, it just sucks. It sucks because I work so hard for this. I dedicate everything. Sacrifice everything every single day... bust my b*lls... Have a 15-person team working around the clock helping me become the best boxer possible. And when I do something like beating Anderson Silva, yeah, they try to take it away from me, but I know deep down, and I guess that really matters." Even though Paul probably still faces some naysayers, Silva was a significant step up in opposition. It demonstrated how hard the YouTube celebrity works to become a better boxer. Paul acknowledged that the outcome would have been very different if the battle had taken place a year earlier. Despite the result, some fans remained dubious about the former YouTuber's skills and the veracity of his fights. It makes sense to believe that a fighter with the reputation of "The Spider" should triumph just based on his combat background. But the judges felt it was a one-sided battle, therefore that wasn't the case. Boxer Tommy Fury, who also made an appearance on The MMA Hour, was one of 'The Problem Child's doubters. Silva's advanced age was cited by Fury as a consideration. "Please, look what a 48-year-old man has done with him... He looked like he'd been in there fighting with the WBC light heavyweight champion. He looked gone like he went through the trenches in that fight. He got roughed up and that's a 48-year-old man."

According to the numbers, Beneil Dariush should be Islam Makhachev's first championship contender. At UFC 280, Dariush defeated Mateusz Gamrot with a dominant victory to extend his winning streak to eight matches. However, a prospective super fight between Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski buried his resume. The forthcoming UFC 284 event in Perth will feature a matchup between the two champions who have both indicated interest in doing so. Dariush is therefore compelled to express her frustration. His UFC 280 media day was held on, the 33-year-old said: "It still sucks. Being backup, losing that positions sucks. Losing the title shot sucks. It’s all as crappy as it gets but I understand why they’re doing what they’re doing." Since the Dagestani duo has turned their attention toward the unbeaten featherweight champion for the first title defense, Dariush believes he has three good choices. “I guess right now my options are the winner of Dustin Poirier (and Michael Chandler), Charles (Oliveira), or (Rafael) Fiziev,” Dariush said on Morning Kombat. “Those are the three options. … Those are great fights, so let’s just figure this out and move forward.” Oliveira had been supposed to fight Dariush in October 2020, but the fight was called off when Oliveira withdrew for unspecified reasons. In February, he was scheduled to take against Makhachev, but he had to cancel due to an ankle ailment. Oliveira recently defeated Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler in title fights, while Rafael Fiziev, who is on a roll, has his sights set on Justin Gaethje, a former title challenger who is presently out due to nose surgery. Whoever Dariush faces next, he intends to turn around quite quickly. It's no secret that Dariush tried to book himself against the two former lightweight championship contenders before UFC 280. The Assyrian-American boxer admitted that neither man is a match that the matchmakers are excited about for him. Dariush recently spoke with Morning Kombat's Luke Thomas and said the following: "I've tried fighting Chandler and Poirier and I haven't really gotten much of a response back, so I'm not gonna really chase that fight. As far as the top five goes, I'm trying to think who's available." Dariush stated that he will not compete against Rafael dos Anjos and Justin Gaethje, two athletes he regards as close friends. In light of this, Rafael Fiziev and Arman Tsarukyan have emerged as Dariush's top two choices in the UFC lightweight division. Dariush appears to be leaning toward a confrontation with Fiziev out of the two. "That leaves me with Fiziev. That'd be a fun fight. I would really enjoy that fight because, as far as the striking goes, you know he's gonna put pressure on me. And he's one of the few people who can put pressure on me." Dariush asserts that he fully comprehends the UFC's continued preference for larger stars over him. Despite this, he is pledged to obtain the title shot the traditional way: by defeating everyone else.

Bellator lightweight champion Patricky Pitbull has disclosed that Usman Nurmagomedov's supporters have been verbally abusing him on social media. On November 18 at Bellator 288, "Pitbull" is slated to face Nurmagomedov in his first title defense. After his brother Patricio Pitbull relinquished the belt in November of last year, the Brazilian claimed the vacant title. The Irish fighter was TKO'd by the 36-year-old in the second round, giving him his first piece of Bellator gold and avenging a loss to Peter Queally months earlier. One of Bellator's quickest-emerging talents is Usman Nurmagomedov who holds a record of 15-0. The 24-year-old has never lost in his MMA career and is the cousin of former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. In an exclusive interview with James Lynch, Patricky Pitbull was questioned if he had ever experienced such abuse before a fight. "I'm here to fight, I don't care about this. These guys like to talk to sh*t on my Instagram... They come everyday to insult my history, talk sh*t and insult me. So f**k everybody, I don't care about them. I will destroy Usman... Every day I look to my Instagram, I get a lot of messages from Russians talking sh*t about me, I don't care. I train hard every day to beat my opponent." Pitbull, on the other hand, believes that no opponent is less deserving of the accolade. In a recent interview, the Brazilian expressed his honest sentiments regarding his future opponent. The 155-pound Bellator MMA champion, a 23-fight veteran of the promotion, believes that his opponent has been given the chance to compete for the championship based solely on his last name. “I’m very happy to fight with him, I’m ready for anything, I don’t think he deserves this title fight, he (received the title shot) because he has a big nickname, Nurmagomedov”, said Pitbull as he revealed his thoughts about his upcoming opponent. Usman Nurmagomedov had an accomplished career to date. He has the chance to go down as the third-youngest fighter to win a Bellator belt at age 24. This criticism has been leveled at Islam Makhachev as well, so Nurmagomedov is not the only member of his camp to experience it. The UFC 280 main event's second-round submission of 155-pound contender Charles Oliveira for the lightweight championship silenced his detractors.

Now that he's a free man, Georges St-Pierre isn't ruling out a comeback to combat sports. After nearly five years have passed since his retirement fight against Michael Bisping at UFC 217, where St-Pierre won the middleweight title and cemented his status as one of the greatest fighters of all time, the UFC Hall of Famer and former two-division champion revealed that he is no longer under contract with the organization. “I’m already out of my UFC contract. I’m out. I couldn’t be here today [working with Showtime] if I was under UFC contract,” St-Pierre said ahead of the Paul vs. Silva fight. “It might piss off the UFC that I’m here, but I did it because, like I said, I have the freedom now to do whatever I want, with whoever I want, whenever I want. “If I wanted to [I could compete in boxing],” St-Pierre continued. “You never say never. If it’s for a good cause, it’s well organized, who knows? I could do boxing or grappling. Who knows? But my days of trying to prove I’m the strongest man in the world, it’s gone. I have other priorities in life and I’m still training, I’m still getting it. When I go with a guy, when I spar with a guy, I still get it. But my heart is not there anymore.” The best welterweight to ever compete in mixed martial arts is usually regarded to be St-Pierre, 41. The Canadian legend finished his career in 2017 with a 13-fight winning streak and numerous records for the 170-pound weight class. He successfully defended his welterweight belt nine times in a row before relinquishing it and retiring from the sport for four years in 2013. With stunning stoppage victories over Matt Hughes and Matt Serra, St-Pierre holds the distinction of having defeated every man he has ever faced. While St-Pierre's legacy may exist in the octagon, he recently stated to the media that if he ever returns to active combat, it will be in a sport with fewer dangers than mixed martial arts. “I might compete because I’m in an entertainment business, in boxing or in grappling, something that is safer than MMA,” St-Pierre said. “Not MMA. Something that is safer, that has less risks, because I have a lot more to lose and it’s not my priority anymore. And yeah, why not? You know what I mean? If it’s well done and everything. But something like a boxing match with small [gloves], nah, I’m done with it. Do you think that we will be seeing GSP compete once again in the combat sports at the age of 41? Let us know in the comments.

Henry Cejudo, a former two-division UFC champion, hopes to challenge 'Sugar' Sean O'Malley for the interim UFC bantamweight championship at UFC 284 on February 12, 2023, at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Cejudo seemed to be mocking current UFC bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling, with the suggestion of an "interim title." At UFC 280 earlier this month, Sterling defeated T.J. Dillashaw via second-round TKO to successfully defend his title. Aljamain Sterling, the UFC bantamweight champion, asserted that it is too soon for him to resume competition after his championship defense against Dillashaw. Instead, he plans to return in the middle of 2023. Thus, Henry Cejudo desires Sean O'Malley to come next. Sean O'Malley, who defeated former bantamweight champion Petr Yan at UFC 280, is now the top-ranked bantamweight in the promotion. After the incident, "Triple C" issued a title bout challenge to Aljamain Sterling. Sterling rejected Cejudo's challenge and indicated that he would like to take on O'Malley. Not to be outdone, Cejudo continued to fire shots at the "Funk Master" while simultaneously focusing on O'Malley. In their first bantamweight title fight in March 2021, Aljamain Sterling defeated Petr Yan via DQ (Disqualification), according to Henry Cejudo, who has repeatedly accused Sterling of acting and faking an injury. On that basis, Henry Cejudo now seems to have equated the character "Funk Master" to actor Denzel Washington from Hollywood. Cejudo (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) has already finished his six-month stint in the USADA program and is hungry to reclaim the bantamweight championship he has never dropped. Therefore, Cejudo wants current No. 1 ranked bantamweight challenger O'Malley to compete for the interim title at UFC 284 in Perth if Sterling decides to take a break. Cejudo pleaded his desire with UFC president Dana White via Twitter to schedule a match between Sean O'Malley and himself Cejudo at UFC 284. In their May 2020 UFC bantamweight title showdown, Dominick Cruz was defeated by Henry Cejudo via second-round TKO. In the post-fight interview, Cejudo later made his retirement announcement. Sean O’Malley and Cejudo have been seen before exchanging words. After Sean O'Malley's match against Pedro Munhoz in July of this year, Cejudo confronted him backstage. O'Malley discussed the event in an episode of the Timbo Sugarshow podcast and implied that Cejudo frequently singles out certain competitors just to get attention. According to "Sugar," Cejudo decided to return to the octagon to resolve his financial problems. "I think he retired, wanted more money from the UFC, and the UFC's like, 'Alright.' Then he's calling everyone out. He's coming back. I think he's running out of money. Because he retired, he wanted more money."

It appears that Askar Askaraov's inclusion on the UFC roster is in doubt. Askaraov said in an Instagram post on Saturday that he had received "a great reaction" after requesting that the UFC let him out of his contract, which, he noted, has just one bout left. “Due to my return being delayed due to medical reasons and being my last fight under my contract, I asked UFC to release me,” Askarov wrote in Russian, according to the translation. “To which, I received a positive response. First, let’s put our health in order, and then we will see what and how.” Whether Askaraov's post indicates that he has been released is unknown. When sources tried to ask the UFC, they didn't confirm or announce the athlete release statement. At 125 pounds, Askarov, 30, is ranked No. 4 in the most recent official UFC rankings. At UFC Fight Night 212 two weeks ago, he was scheduled to face No. 5 Brandon Royval, but Askarov (14-1-1 MMA, 3-1-1 UFC) withdrew on the day of weigh-ins due to problems with weight-cutting. When Askarov competed against Joseph Benavidez at UFC 259 in March 2021, he failed to make weight. At 127 pounds, he suffered a financial setback following his unanimous decision victory. He suffered his first defeat in March when Kai Kara-France defeated him at UFC on ESPN 33. With the victory, Kara-France earned a crack at the interim title, forcing Askarov to start over. In July, he was scheduled to meet Alex Perez, but Askarov canceled. A difficult period for the Dagestani fighter was made worse by missing weight before the bout.

Israel Adesanya, the middleweight champion of the UFC, has high admiration for a certain Dana White's Contender Series veteran and regularly keeps an eye on the division for prospective future opponents. The Last Stylebender has already beaten some notable names in the division as he sets for another title defense at UFC 281. As he faces Alex Pereira in the UFC 281 main event in a few weeks, the champion is finishing his fight camp. Adesanya stated he is preparing for what he calls his biggest battle yet because the opponent has previously defeated him in kickboxing. If Adesanya triumphs, it will be his sixth championship defense and he is eager to carry on his ruthless rule over the division. On Jake Paul's YouTube show, Adesanya made an appearance as a guest and shared the names of a few divisional rivals he has been keeping an eye on. The champion maintained the "anyone can get it" attitude, although he did list a few fighters he would like to spice things up with in the future, including Gregory "Robocop" Rodrigues and Khamzat Chimaev, who would come as a surprise given his current ranking in the category. “A good fighter actually I want to fight is the guy that – he kind of just fought not too long ago, ‘Robocop’ is his name,” Adesanya said on BS w/ Jake Paul. “He’s a Brazilian guy. He had that gash, you cannot forget that gash. He had that cut. That guy. “He’s solid, he’s a good fight. No beef, no nothing. I just think he’s going to come up to the top and I’d like to test myself against a guy like that.” The gash Adesanya was referring to, was a severe scar Rodrigues received from Chidi Njokuani's knee during their UFC Fight Night 210 match. As of right now, Rodrigues has four victories in the middleweight division of the UFC. Although he is not currently in the promotion’s rankings, his performance in this year's back-to-back victories over Julian Marquez and Njokuani has shown that he could be a viable candidate. The mention by the division champion has caught the attention of rising middleweight Rodrigues, who is presently scheduled to compete against Brad Tavares at UFC 283, and he's absolutely up for the battle should their paths meet in the future. “My goal is the belt and if you continue as champion, for sure we will fight soon!” Rodrigues wrote on Twitter.

Georges St-UFC Pierre's contract has expired. The former two-division UFC champion said on Friday that his agreement with the organization, which is based in Las Vegas, has reached its expiration date and is thus coming to an end. At the ceremonial weigh-ins for Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva, St-Pierre talked to MMA Junkie about the most recent advancement in his professional life. He claimed that: “I don’t know the exact date, but I’m glad I’m free,” St-Pierre said. “I can do whatever I want. But my days of trying to prove I’m the strongest guy in the world are gone, you know what I mean. “My heart is not there anymore to do this. I just enjoy being here as a promoter. I’m healthy, which is the most important, wealthy and I don’t need to do it, I do it because I love it.” Since defeating Michael Bisping to win the UFC middleweight championship in 2017, St-Pierre hasn't engaged in athletic competition. The Canadian was rumored to return to the cage for the most anticipated fight against the former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. It was a dream fight declared by the Russian’s late father, but it never came to fruition. St-Pierre claims he has no interest in competing at the highest level, but he is open to lower-level opponents. “I could do something, but it needs to be something well organized, and maybe something where the risks of injury are to the minimum, not something that’s too crazy because my days of competing are over,” St-Pierre said. “If I do it, I will do it well and train my ass off. You never say never, but it needs to be in the right timing. We’ll see.” Although he left the door open for a return, in a recent interview Georges St-Pierre praised Nate Diaz for leaving the UFC on his terms but ruled out the possibility of the MMA veteran and Nate Diaz ever confronting one other in a boxing ring. Similar to the Stockton native, "Rush" retired after capturing the middleweight belt and left the UFC on his terms. With championships in two divisions, the Canadian is acknowledged as one of the greatest athletes to ever compete in the sport. Georges St-Pierre expressed nothing but admiration for Nate Diaz when asked if he would accept the opportunity to participate against the welterweight in boxing, but he declined the offer, saying he is content with his retirement. "I wish him [Nate Diaz] the best of luck for whatever he does next, his upcoming project. I admire him because he stood up for what he believes is right, not a lot of guys does that... Boxing is a very different sport than mixed martial arts, but I think he can do well... [He's a] very, very good striker. No [I won't box him], I'm done. I don't miss fighting at all, I made peace with it. I retired on top and I love to train, I love the lifestyle, but I'm not competing." The undisputed all-time greatest welterweight hasn't competed inside the octagon in nearly nine years, and despite persistent rumors that he'll join the UFC again, the Hall of Famer is content with his decision to retire.

In the co-main event of UFC 280, Aljamain Sterling defeated a crippled T.J. Dillashaw via submission in the second round. Following his victory, Henry Cejudo, who has long been campaigning for a title opportunity, reaffirmed his desires. Even though Sean O'Malley defeated Petr Yan on the same card in what was described as the number one contender match, Dana White unexpectedly selected Henry Cejudo for the next title opportunity. Since becoming a potential candidate for the next title defense for the Funkmaster, 'Triple C' has now attacked Sterling once more, calling into question all of his championship victories, and hyping up the potential matchup which has not been announced yet by the promotion. At UFC 259, Sterling defeated Petr Yan via a technical knockout to win the title. At UFC 273, "Funk Master" successfully defended his title with a hard-fought battle by split decision. Cejudo said that Sterling's first triumph stemmed from his acting prowess and that he was given a decision in the rematch. "Triple C" disregarded Sterling's most recent victory over Dillashaw as a hate crime committed against a combatant with a disability. Cejudo’s bitter rival, Demetrious Johnson recently appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast (JRE). During the podcast, Henry Cejudo recently received a game plan from Demetrious Johnson for a possible matchup with Aljamain Sterling. Johnson advises Cejudo to throw the ball up the center to take advantage of Sterling's stand-up, which Johnson claims is still lacking in rhythm. "What he [Cejudo] needs to do is just go out there, control the distance, throw body kicks. Well, he probably f***ing won't, cause he doesn't like getting taken down. But throw things up the middle, because Aljo, the thing is, backpack, big, he's coming on his own but his stand up is not rhythm. He has no rhythm on his feet." Johnson went on to give a display after being prompted to go into more detail about what he meant by rhythm. In conclusion, 'Mighty Mouse' stated that Henry Cejudo's striking appears to be dancing on his feet, in contrast to Sterling's striking, which has not yet reached the flow condition. "It's not flow, it's not smooth like a kickboxer. So it's kind of unorthodox. You watch Henry, Henry's moving like he's dancing a little bit."

The rest of the MMA community got a chance to see Khabib Nurmagomedov, the coach, at UFC 280. Beginning with his cousin Abubakar, Belal Muhammad, and of course, Islam Makhachev, who ultimately won the vacant lightweight title, "The Eagle" went 3-0 with his boxers over the weekend. Other elite fighters were aware of Khabib's impressive coaching run. Muhammad had the opportunity to chat with ESPN about how training camp went under Khabib's direction after he defeated Sean Brady by TKO to end the preliminary bouts. “This guy doesn’t understand tired. We’re going from sparring to grappling, and then he tells me ‘Come in the cage’ and he’s putting me on the fence and taking me down at will and just, like, drowning me,” he told Marc Raimondi. “I’m sitting there dead and all of a sudden at the end of it, they’re like, ‘Well, OK, you got three minutes of planks.’ I’m sitting there, dripping, I look to my right and I see Islam there. He tells me, ‘Khabib does not know tired.’ “There needs to be some rest in between because the practices are so hard that my body ended up breaking down halfway through.” Because of his talent for getting the greatest performance out of the athletes he trains, Muhammad continued by equating Khabib with another legendary sports personality. “He demands greatness from you. I just watched (The Redeem Team) and how Kobe Bryant would go to the gym at 4 AM and it made the other guys work that much harder. “Khabib is the same way where you want to do extra for him. You want to push yourself much harder for him because he doesn’t have to be there. He’s got all the money in the world, he’s got all the accolades in the world, he’s been a champion. “He’s accomplished it all, but he’s giving you his time, his knowledge. Even when we’d do warm-ups and he’d tell us, ‘You guys aren’t pushing hard enough. What are you guys doing? You gotta do it again.’ So we have to go again. “There’ll be some guys that’ll come in tired, and he’ll take their phone from them at night, and he’ll be like, ‘You need to go to sleep on time." Muhammad earned a $50K bonus for Performance of the Night and increased his record to 22-3 (1 NC) following UFC 280.

UFC Fight Night will bring the UFC back to the Apex Center in Nevada. This Saturday, October 29, will see the action take place, with the main event featuring two of the most explosive fighters in the featherweight division. The #5 ranked Calvin Kattar will compete against the #6 ranked Arnold Allen in the octagon. To avoid any controversy before their exciting featherweight main event on Saturday, Calvin Kattar and Arnold Allen made sure there was none. In preparation for their UFC Vegas 63 main event, Kattar and Allen both made weight on Friday with success. Due to his combative demeanor and frenetic speed, Kattar has been a fan favorite, although his rise in the rankings has been halted by defeats in two of his most recent three matches. The dynamic Allen has made nine UFC outings without losing a fight, but his debut main event marks a significant improvement in competition for him. In a division where there may soon be major movement at the top, the winner might be instantly in contention for a shot at the crown. Alexander Volkanovski, the reigning champion, has successfully defended the title four times and has expressed interest in going up to lightweight and contending for a second gold. He is regarded as the front-runner for Islam Makhachev's first lightweight title defense after the latter defeated Charles Oliveira to win the title on Saturday at UFC 280. After losing a tight split decision against Josh Emmett in June of this year, "The Boston Finisher" will get the chance to turn things around. Before suffering the defeat, Kattar defeated Giga Chikadze, who was then on the rise, by unanimous decision. Allen (18-1) has long been regarded as one of the most promising talents in the division, but his progress has been delayed by multiple lengthy layoffs and a sparsely populated opponent list. The 28-year-old English fighter, though, received some notice in March after knocking out former contender Dan Hooker in the first round. The victor of Saturday's main event might be eligible to challenge if Volkanovski decides to vacant the featherweight title. Max Holloway, the top-ranked contender, and former champion might be considered, but he has dropped three matches to Volkanovski. Yair Rodriguez, who is rated second, and Brian Ortega, ranked third, would also be in the mix, but Kattar or Allen would at least be mentioned, even if they might need one more victory.