Latest news with #DanaWhite:Lookin'foraFight
USA Today
17-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC Fight Night 256 video: Gabe Green spoils Matheus Camilo's debut with slam, choke
UFC Fight Night 256 video: Gabe Green spoils Matheus Camilo's debut with slam, choke Matheus Camilo entered his UFC debut with a lot of buzz, but Gabe Green wasn't fazed. At UFC Fight Night 256 on Saturday, Green (12-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) submitted Camilo (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) with a rear-naked choke at 3:43 of Round 2. The lightweight bout was the featured prelim at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Camilo had a successful first round and appeared to be on his way to finishing the fight when he locked in a triangle choke off his back. The lock appeared to be tight. As Green strained, he elevated Camilo and slammed him down. The impact resulted in Camilo's release of the submission attempt. Camilo rolled and gave up his back. Green gladly took it and landed some punches from that position. Eventually, Green locked in the rear-naked choke and got the tap. Green, 32, had not competed in two years and was coming off back-to-back losses. The fight was his divisional debut after five UFC appearances at welterweight. His UFC losses have come against Daniel Rodriguez, Ian Machado Garry, and Bryan Battle. Camilo, 24, was signed on a recent episode of "Dana White: Lookin' for a Fight." The defeat snapped a six-fight winning streak for the Xtreme Couture product. Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 256 results
USA Today
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Matheus Camilo recounts moment Dana White offered him UFC contract
Matheus Camilo recounts moment Dana White offered him UFC contract Show Caption Hide Caption UFC's Matheus Camilo recalls emotional family moment after signing UFC lightweight Matheus Camilo speaks to MMA Junkie Radio before his promotional debut at UFC Fight Night 256 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Matheus Camilo always felt it would happen, but now he can officially call himself a UFC fighter. In December, he earned himself a UFC deal at ZFN 2 in Goyang, South Korea – an event promoted by "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung for "Dana White: Lookin' for a Fight." He fought Dorobshokh Nabotov, a fighter who infamously asked Dana White for a shot at a press conference. Camilo (9-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) won by unanimous decision. "I know God wrote my story already," Camilo recently told MMA Junkie Radio. "When they offered me this fight, I just said yes. I went to Korea and I knew all the media and all the guys went for this guy, for (Dorobshokh) Nabotov. I don't take this pressure for me. I know this fight is for me and already made for me. We fought and I won and I impressed Dana White. I was so happy for that he liked because I fought against a wrestler. The guy was very tough. I defended his takedowns. I stood up with him. I struck with him. I did my best inside the cage that night. I believe that God already wrote my story. He's already made it." Camilo was initially disappointed that the performance was a bit wrestle-heavy due to his opponent's approach. But the self-criticism quickly evaporated when "Korean Zombie" told him the UFC CEO wanted to have a video call with him after the fight. "I got so happy, but I didn't know what was going on, if he's just going to say, 'Oh, you did a great fight. But you're young.' I didn't know what was going on," Camilo said. "In the end, I went to the little room. Dana White was there on the FaceTime. I was so happy just to see him and talk with him. He told me about the UFC contract and I didn't believe it. I was in shock. A lot of emotions, a lot of feelings." There were a lot of emotions flowing through Camilo, particularly considering his backstory and relationship with his family. When his father died during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Camilo decided to quit his MMA journey – but his mother would not let that happen. He went full-fledged into MMA and moved to the United States to train at Xtreme Couture, not seeing his family for years at a time. Getting to tell his mother it was finally worth it was a moment Camilo will cherish forever. "I wanted to do that surprise for her and she got so emotional, so emotional," Camilo said. "To answer your question, after my fight in Korea and everything and I knew I was already in the UFC, I called my mom inside the event. She was crying a lot. Five years ago when my father passed, I wanted to give up. I didn't want to fight any more. I wanted to work. I wanted to do another thing to change our lives because my father was the provider for our house. When he died, everything changed. It was going to be a hard life for us. I told my mom I wanted to give up. I wanted to work. I wanted to study. "She told me, she came to me and said, 'No, you're going to keep following your dreams, go back to Rio de Janeiro, follow your dreams. Because that's your dream and your father's dream.' That day in the event, I called her and she was crying. I told her, 'Mom, this is for you, and thank you because you never let me give up. This is for you. She got so emotional – so emotional." Saturday, Camilo (9-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC makes his promotional debut at UFC Fight Night 256 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't on Cloud 9. "The feeling is so grateful," Camilo said. "That feeling right now and always, I'm feeling so grateful to be a UFC fighter. It's very different. You feel good. You feel at home."
USA Today
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Dana White: Lookin' for a Fight' – The Korean Zombie's promotion Z Fight Night
'Dana White: Lookin' for a Fight' – The Korean Zombie's promotion Z Fight Night In the latest episode of 'Dana White: Lookin' for a Fight,' the fighter who asked the UFC CEO for a contract gets his chance. UFC CEO White hosts the series with former UFC champion Matt Serra and former fighter and current analyst Din Thomas. On the show, they search for future UFC talent and often make comical pitstops along the way. The crew visits Tampa in the latest episode, then sit down to watch "The Korean Zombie's" promotion Z Fight Night to scout for talent – including Dorobshokh Nabotov, who asked White for a contract during the UFC 308 press conference this past October in Abu Dhabi. White didn't award Nabotov a contract on the spot, but watched him try to earn his way in a lightweight matchup against Xtreme Couture's Matheus Camilo. Unfortunately for Nabotov (8-1), he fell short to Camilo (9-2) by split decision, and it was the Brazilian who was awarded the UFC contract instead.
USA Today
18-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC signs Austin Vanderford for Seattle card debut on days' notice
Austin Vanderford is a UFC fighter. Thirteen years after his competitive MMA journey began, Vanderford (12-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will debut Saturday at UFC Fight Night 252 in Seattle in a 175-pound catchweight bout vs. Nikolay Veretennikov. The bout will take place on the prelims at Climate Pledge Arena. Two people with knowledge of the matchup Tuesday informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Full Send MMA was first to report the bout. A Pacific Northwest representative, Vanderford and Veretennikov (12-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC), fill out a card that has been ravaged by injuries and cancellations. Vanderford, 34, is the husband of former UFC star Paige VanZant. He competed seven times in Bellator from 2019 to 2022 and compiled a 5-2 promotional record, including a failed title challenge vs. Gegard Mousasi. Vanderford became a free agent following the PFL-Bellator merger and won his LFA debut in 65 seconds in October. Veretennikov, 35, is a product of 'Dana White: Lookin' for a Fight' and 'Dana White's Contender Series. He debuted in August, but lost a split decision to Danny Barlow. With the addition, the UFC Fight Night 252 lineup now includes: MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET) Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez Melsik Baghdasaryan vs. Jean Silva Rob Font vs. Jean Matsumoto Alonzo Menifield vs. Julius Walker PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET) Melquizael Costa vs. Andre Fili Ibo Aslan vs. Ion Cutelaba Eric McConico vs. Nursulton Ruziboev Javid Basharat vs. Ricky Simon Austin Vanderford vs. Nikolay Veretennikov Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Nick Klein Modestas Bukauskas vs. Rafael Cerqueira For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC Fight Night 252.
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
UFC notables appear in 'Grace Point' movie, set to release this week
Give the soon-to-be-released "Grace Point" movie a view and you'll likely spot some familiar fighting faces. Former UFC champions Aljamain Sterling and Chris Weidman, as well as former UFC fighter and current analyst Din Thomas all have speaking roles in the drama-thriller that releases on digital platforms Tuesday with a limited theatrical run. The movie, directed and written by filmmaker Rory Karpf, stars John Owen Lowe (son of Rob Lowe), Andrew McCarthy (of Brat Pack infamy), and Harlan Drum ("MacGyver", "Friendship Never Dies"). In addition to the work that earned him five Emmys and a Peabody Award, Karpf is known in the MMA space for his work with the UFC. He's worked on various projects for the promotion including the long-running series "Dana White: Lookin' for a Fight." "Grace Point" is Karpf's first scripted film. The plot centers around Brandon, a young man struggling with a drug problem and played Lowe, as he takes a trip with his father (McCarthy) to a rehabilitation center in a small town. When their car breaks down, the excursion takes an unexpected and terrifying left turn. The 84-minute film is fast-paced and action-packed with twists and turns as Lowe's character Brandon tries to escape danger and find answers. Check out the trailer for "Grace Point" above. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC notables appear in 'Grace Point' movie, set to release this week
