Latest news with #KnockoutoftheYear
USA Today
22-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Fares Ziam responds to surprise criticism of UFC Paris fight booking
Fares Ziam is aware of everyone's reaction to him drawing unranked Kaue Fernandes at UFC Paris, but he has an explanation. Ziam (17-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) meets Fernandes (10-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in a lightweight bout on Sept. 6 from Accor Arena. When his fight was announced, the comments section was showered with criticism toward the UFC's matchmaking and why Ziam hasn't been matched up with a ranked opponent. The 27-year-old previously told MMA Junkie that he'd rather have one more fight before taking on ranked opposition, but many thought he deserved a bigger name than Fernandes. Ziam addressed those comments. "Not very (surprised) because we talked with my manager, Ali Abdelaziz, we said maybe it's not the timing to fight a top-15 ranked guy," Ziam told MMA Junkie. "I need to work on my wrestling, work on my jiu-jitsu, everything. I need to get better, I need to evolve. It's OK, five-fight win streak is good, but I need more." While Ziam has impressed in his winning streak, including a Knockout of the Year contender over Matt Frevola, he wants to tighten up certain aspects of his ground game first. "Because I fought unranked guys and they took my back, they took the mount, they took top position," Ziam said. "And if a ranked guy takes (my back), it's not going to be like my last fight. I need to evolve in this, and I need to prove that I'm ready for the top 15. "Mike Davis, Matt Frevola, Claudio Puelles, those three guys took my back, had the mount position, too much top position. If you do that with a guy like Renato Moicano, Beneil Dariush, or someone like that, it's not good." Fernandes is riding some momentum after back-to-back wins over Mohammad Yahya and Guram Kutateladze. "He's a dangerous fighter, he has a good calf kick, he's dangerous – but honestly, I think I'm better everywhere," Ziam said of Fernandes. "So for me, it's a good fight, but he's still dangerous. I think with Kaue, I can do wrestling, striking, grappling. I can do anything, but just be careful for his calf kicks and his counters because he's a counter guy. So yeah, I can wrestle this fight."
USA Today
11-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
The UFC's 26 best knockouts of 2025 so far will smack you upside the mouth
Just past the halfway point of the calendar year, the UFC has named its best knockouts of 2025 so far. Without question, there are some that will be in the conversation for Knockout of the Year when we hit late December. Instead of rolling out a nice number like the 25 best so far, perhaps in anticipation of next week's show in New Orleans, the UFC gave us a little lagniappe – and 26 of the best KO finishes of '25 so far. Take a look at them all in the video above.
USA Today
10-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Paddy Pimblett uses Islam Makhachev as example to argue why he deserves UFC title shot
Paddy Pimblett explains why he deserves to challenge UFC lightweight champion llia Topuria. Pimblett (22-4 MMA, 7-0 UFC) is coming off a dominant TKO finish of former title challenger Michael Chandler at UFC 314. Although higher-ranked Justin Gaethje and Arman Tsarukyan were also in attendance for UFC 317, it's Pimblett who was called into the octagon to face off Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC), who knocked out Charles Oliveira to claim the vacant 155-pound belt. Pimblett thinks his resume warrants a title shot. He used Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira as examples to make his case. "To be honest, Arman's probably most deserving. But at the same time, is he? Because he split decisioned Charles in a fight a lot of people think Charles won," Pimblett told Sky Sports. "It just annoys me when people say I'm not deserving when Islam (Makhachev) got a title shot off beating Bobby Green, and I beat him faster. "Oliveira just got another title shot off beating Chandler, who he went to decision with and nearly got finished with, when I beat Chandler up for three rounds and beat him like no one else has beaten before. People just have a different opinion when it's me. When it's these other fighters, it's all right. 'Yeah, give them a title shot.'" Tsarukyan will likely have to get back to the UFC's good graces after pulling out of his title fight against Makhachev just a day before UFC 311. As for Gaethje, Pimblett doesn't see him in the title conversation after a rebound win over Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313. "People are saying Gaethje, when Gaethje just beat ranked (No.) 11 or 12 (Rafael Fiziev) then coming back off the Knockout of the Year against (Max) Holloway in a fight he lost," Pimblett said. "You can probably make arguments for several people, but the fact that me and Ilia have got history – I think apart from Ilia vs. Islam, pound-for-pound No. 1 vs. pound-for-pound No. 2, me vs. Ilia is the biggest fight the UFC can make, especially now that Jon Jones is retired and you can't do Aspinall vs. Jones."
USA Today
10-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Fares Ziam gets home fight vs. Kaue Fernandes at UFC Paris on Sept. 6
Fares Ziam won't get the top 15-ranked UFC lightweight he was looking for. Instead, Ziam (17-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) draws rising contender Kaue Fernandes (10-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) on Sept. 6 at Accor Arena in Paris, promotion officials announced Thursday. Winner of seven of his past eight fights, Ziam extended his winning streak to five when he defeated Mike Davis by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 250 in February. Prior to that, he scored a Knockout of the Year contender over Matt Frevola when he flattened him with a knee to earn his first bonus at UFC Fight Night 243. After dropping his UFC debut to Marc Diakiese, Fernandes stopped Mohammad Yahya by first-round TKO at UFC on ABC 7, followed by a unanimous decision win over Guram Kutateladze at UFC Fight Night 255 in March. With the addition, the current UFC Paris lineup includes:
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Max Holloway says to remove him from UFC featherweight rankings
Max Holloway's days making 145 pounds are done. The former UFC featherweight champion has decided to firmly plant his flag in the lightweight division after making a couple of pit stops at 155 pounds. At UFC 318 in New Orleans on July 19, Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC) returns to the lightweight division for good when he meets Dustin Poirier for a trilogy bout for the BMF title. Advertisement "I just figured, '55 is much funner," Holloway told MMA Junkie in an interview facilitated by "I get to eat a bunch more, and I just get to do my thing at '55. So, at the end of the day, it was a no-brainer to stay there. We had unfinished business at '45, so that's why we went back down. We here now, and I can't wait. There's some fun matchups for us here at '55, so it's even more better for me." In 2019, Holloway tested the lightweight waters against Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) for a shot at the interim title. After coming up short on the scorecards, Holloway returned to featherweight to defend his title against Frankie Edgar. "Blessed" spent seven more fights at 145 pounds before going back up at UFC 300 to face Justin Gaethje for the BMF title. After creating a Knockout of the Year moment, Holloway returned to 145 pounds again for a title shot against Ilia Topuria, where he was knocked out himself for the first time. Now, he says there will be no more bouncing back and forth between divisions. He's a lightweight for good, and wants to be removed from the 145-pound rankings. Advertisement "The last two '55 fights, I had business that I wanted to take care of going back down a weight class, so we went hard and we did it the right way," Holloway said. "We knew that hey, man, if the weight gotta come off, then the weight gotta come off. ... I don't know what the UFC or, I mean, you guys are the ones who vote on the rankings, right? I don't know what you guys are thinking keeping me No. 1 contender there, 'cause that's kind of ridiculous. I'm not going back down to '45. I'm over it." In the latest official UFC rankings, Holloway is the No. 1 contender at featherweight and No. 5 in the lightweight division. His upcoming opponent, Poirier, who will be fighting for the final time, rests one spot behind at No. 6. Holloway doesn't put too much stock into the official rankings because he notices too many inconsistencies. "It's ridiculous," Holloway said. "I don't understand. I mean, the rankings period, bro, I don't get it. The rankings is just all over the place, man. We'll go back to the Gaethje fight. Gaethje was the No. 1 contender when I fought him at '55. He was ranked 5 or 4 at the time. I beat him, and the way I beat him, I thought was cool. I felt like things were going my way early in the fight. During the whole fight I felt like I had control of the fight, and then to finish the fight with that point down, and that moment, I thought definitely when the rankings come out, I wouldn't come out at No. 9. That's just ridiculous, and the guy was at No. 5 or 4. "At the end of the day, the rankings, they're all over the place. When I seen, even with Ilia. Soon as he announced he was coming up, they took him directly out of the damn '45 one and they left me at No. 1 contender, so I was like, what the hell is going on? At the end of the day, I don't care. The rankings is cool, the rankings is fun, but how many times do we see where guys who rank at a certain position saying now I'm getting a title shot? It took me 12 fights to get an interim title fight at '45." Advertisement With a win over Poirier, Holloway believes he could be in position for a title shot, because things aren't always certain. With Topuria recently claiming the lightweight title, it could make for an interesting rematch in a different weight class. No matter what, Holloway will be ready now that he doesn't have to struggle to make 145 pounds. "I have a history with the champion, I have a history with the man who just fought the champion," Holloway said. "First things first is Dustin Poirier, of course. Rankings doesn't really mean nothing. Anybody can step up at any time UFC come knocking at your door, you just gotta be ready." This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Max Holloway says to remove him from UFC featherweight rankings
