Latest news with #UFC314
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
TJ Brown expects Bryce Mitchell to have career resurgence at bantamweight
ABU DHABI – TJ Brown thinks Bryce Mitchell will finally be competing at his natural weight class at UFC on ABC 9. Mitchell (17-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) takes on Said Nurmagomedov (18-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in a bantamweight bout on Saturday's main card (ABC, ESPN, ESPN+) at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Mitchell says his submission loss to Jean Silva at UFC 314 was a wakeup call, and Brown agrees. "I think personally he's always been a '35'er," Brown told MMA Junkie. "His last couple of fights, I think these guys, he got in there and realized they were way bigger than he's used to fighting. So, I think '35 is going to be a great move, and it's almost like his resurgence. I think it's going to be a great comeback fight, and we're looking forward to it." Most of Nurmagomedov's finishes have come by submission, but Brown expects Mitchell to have a big advantage on the ground. "Said is a great kicker," Brown said. "He does a great job at range, but stylistically, I think this is a great fight for us. Bryce puts him on his back, and we're right where we want to be. I think he's a good fighter, all respect to him, but I think there's levels to it, and Bryce is a world-class grappler."
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Patricio Freire shares mixed feelings with first UFC win, wants Aaron Pico next
Patricio Freire had mixed feelings after winning his first UFC fight. NEW ORLEANS – Patricio Freire is conflicted over his first UFC victory. The former Bellator champion stepped into the octagon for the second time at UFC 318 to face Dan Ige, and came out with a unanimous decision nod. Despite getting his first win under the UFC banner, Freire (37-8 MMA, 1-1 UFC) believes he could have done more to prove his skills against Ige (19-10 MMA, 11-9 UFC). "I'm happy, but I know I can do better," Freire told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. "Much respect to my opponent. Dan Ige's a very tough guy. ... He's very good, but I'm better. I proved it today." "Pitbull" made his UFC debut against former interim titleholder Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314, losing by unanimous decision. The scorecards were in his favor this time around, and while he was glad to get his hand raised, he wasn't satisfied with his performance. "I'm not very happy now – because I know I can do better," Freire said. "I was with a little pressure on my shoulder. I came from a defeat. Of course, I lost the April fight against Yair. He's very good. He was a former champion, but I know I'm better than these guys." Freire hopes to make a quick turnaround to face a fellow former Bellator competitor waiting to make his debut, Aaron Pico, who was scheduled to face Movsar Evloev at UFC on ABC 9 on July 26. "He's ready, I'm ready," Freire said. "I cut my nose now, but two days, I'm good. ... He can make his debut in the UFC against me. Now I'm a (UFC) veteran."
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC 318 results: Patricio Freire notches first win in promotion with decision over Dan Ige
Patricio Freire now has a win under the UFC banner after getting past Dan Ige. Freire (37-8 MMA, 1-1 UFC), one of best champions from the Bellator era, won his sophomore appearance in the UFC by winning a unanimous decision (29-29, 29-28, 29-28) over Ige (19-10 MMA, 11-9 UFC). The featherweight bout served as the second fight on the pay-per-view main card of UFC 318 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The fight started off at a methodical pace as neither fighter rushed the feeling-out process. "Pitbull" secured a nice takedown sequence midway through the round as the first big action of the fight. Ige did well to prevent damage and scrambled to his feet. Freire leaped forward with a knee for a nice connection, but the crowd wasn't very happy with the overall offering in the opening frame. Round 2 started off at a similar slow pace, but Ige offered a good combination. The boo birds continued to chirp as the fight reached the midpoint of the round. That's when things changed out of nowhere. "Pitbull" cracked Ige with a hard left hand, dropping him to a knee. The swarm from Freire was on, but Ige survived the moment. Although the finish was no longer in play, Freire kept the pressure on with a nice takedown with some ground and pound before heading back to the stools. Needing to change the fight in a hurry, Ige cracked Freire with a hard head kick early in the final round. Freire held on to avoid follow-ups, though. A low kick from Ige paused the fight momentarily, but on the restart, Freire kept Ige busy with takedown attempts, and caught a kick to bring the fight to the ground until the final horn. All three judges scored the first two rounds for Freire and the final for Ige. With the win, Freire successfully rebounds from his UFC debut loss to former interim champ Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314 in April. "Pitbull" entered the UFC on he heels of a Bellator title defense against Jeremy Kennedy last March. On the other side, Ige fails to keep momentum going after a third-round finish of Sean Woodson, which also took place at UFC 314. Up-to-the-minute UFC 318 results
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Dan Ige vs. Patricio Freire prediction, pick, start time for UFC 318
Dan Ige and Patricio Freire meet Saturday on the main card of UFC 318 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. Last event: 4-2 UFC main cards, 2025: 68-50-1 Dan Ige vs. Patricio Freire UFC 318 preview Ige (19-9 MMA, 11-8 UFC) comes in after successfully rebounding from back-to-back losses by stopping Sean Woodson at UFC 314 in April. Prior to that fight, Ige dropped a super-short notice replacement outing vs. Diego Lopes at UFC 303 followed by a unanimous decision loss to Lerone Murphy. In the fight prior, Ige lived up to his "50K" nickname with a bonus-winning stoppage of Andre Fili. ... Freire (36-8 MMA, 0-1 UFC) is hunting for his first win under the UFC banner. The former Bellator champion debuted in April, but couldn't get the job done against Yair Rodriguez. "Pitbull's" last victory came by third-round stoppage in his final Bellator bout against Jeremy Kennedy last March. Dan Ige vs. Patricio Freire UFC 318 expert pick, prediction In what's arguably the second-best fight on the card, Dan Ige will get his wish when he meets former Bellator double champ, Patricio Freire. Considering the theme at the top of this card, you could also argue that this serves as a solid BMF fight as far as featherweight standards go. Freire, who might not get the respect he deserves from casual fans (particularly after the way Joe Rogan called his last fight), has had one of the more impressive careers outside of the UFC in MMA's modern era. Ige, on the other hand, has been building his own resume and reputation within the UFC in recent years, becoming a well-respected staple of the scene who you can always count on for quality fights. If this fight were a few years ago, then I'd probably be forced to steer away from bias by picking an elite pound-for-pound talent in Freire. However, with Freire firmly in the post-prime of his career after spending the better part of the past decade hopping around weight classes, I'm not sure I can confidently pick him to outwork or stop a durable and proven product like Ige within three frames. The pick is Ige by knockout in Round 2. Dan Ige vs. Patricio Freire UFC 318 odds The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Hawaiian fighter, listing Ige -225 and Freire +180 via FanDuel. Dan Ige vs. Patricio Freire UFC 318 start time, how to watch Ige and Freire are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 10:40 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ESPN and ESPN+.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC featherweight rankings: Alexander Volkanovski returns to No. 1 spot after UFC 314
The UFC featherweight rankings showcase some of the best fighters in the entire sport. Where lightweight was once considered the deepest weight class in MMA, 145 pounds has caught up and become one of the premier divisions in the UFC. With that in mind, here is the official Sportsnaut top 10 for the organization's featherweight class. Related: 1. Alexander Volkanovski (27-4) Alexander Volkanovski has solidified his place as the best featherweight of all time. However, trips up in weight for a second title and the rise of Ilia Topuria led to three straight losses for 'The Great' and speculation that his best days were behind him. With Topuria choosing to leave the division and move up to lightweight, the Australian was gifted another chance at the 145-pound belt at UFC 314 when he faced Diego Lopes for the vacant title. In April, the legend turned back the clock one more time and proved he is still an elite fighter to become a two-time featherweight champ. 2. Movsar Evloev (19-0) Movsar Evloev has been outstanding to begin his UFC career. He has won his first nine inside the Octagon and scored wins over proven featherweight veterans like Hakeem Dawodu and Dan Ige. He took another step closer to title contention when he scored a hard-fought victory over former bantamweight king Aljamain Sterling at UFC 310. While it wasn't easy, he was under pressure in a big moment and came through looking like a future title challenger. 3. Diego Lopes (26-7) After making his UFC debut in a very difficult short-notice clash with Movsar Evloev, Diego Lopes has caught fire inside the Octagon. He has won five straight and scored wins over top 15 stalwarts Sodiq Yusuff, Dan Ige, and, most recently, a UFC 306 win over former title challenger Brian Ortega. That is why he fought for gold at UFC 314. While he gave a solid effort, his loss to Alexander Volkanovski showed he still has some work to do if he wants to be a UFC champion one day. 4. Lerone Murphy (16-0-1) England's Lerone Murphy has quietly become one of the best 145-pound fighters in the world. 'The Miracle' has won eight straight inside the Octagon, and none was bigger than his latest victory at UFC Vegas 105 over Josh Emmett. The American has been a stalwart of the top 10 for years, so scoring a win over one of the weight class's elite went a long way toward proving the undefeated has serious title contender potential 5. Yair Rodriguez (19-5) After a period where he battled injuries and some tough losses, there was doubt as to whether Yair Rodriguez would ever reach his potential. He quieted all the uncertainty with massive wins over Brian Ortega and Josh Emmett. The latter made him the new interim champion. However, his reign was short-lived as Alexander Volkanovski took back the undisputed spot at UFC 290. He then followed that up with another decisive loss in his home country to Brian Ortega in February. He entered UFC 314 in a must-win situation if he ever wanted to fight for UFC gold again. In a big fight welcoming Patricio Pitbull to the UFC, 'El Pantera' posted a dominant win to get his name back in the championship conversation. 6. Josh Emmett (19-5) Over the last five years, few fighters at 145 pounds have been better and more consistent than Josh Emmett. Over his 15-fight UFC career, he has scored huge wins over fights like Shane Burgos, Calvin Kattar, Dan Ige and Bryce Mitchell. However, at 40, Father Time is tapping on his shoulder. While he is still a very good fighter, he has lost three of his last four fights, and his dream of one day fighting for UFC gold is done. 7. Arnold Allen (20-3) There are few fighters who have been better than Arnold Allen over the last decade. His recent 11-fight win streak was one of the best in division history, and it turned him into one of the United Kingdom's top fighters. However, his title-contender hopes were derailed in a decisive loss to Max Holloway. That was followed up by another setback to Movsar Evloev. However, he bounced back at UFC 304 with an important victory over talented striker Giga Chikadze. 8. Jean Silva (16-2) If there were any doubts about how good Jean Silva is, he sent a massive message to the division at UFC 314. He passed a huge test by completely shutting down Bryce Mitchell's grappling and pummeled him on the feet. But even better, instead of getting another knockout win, he actually submitted the American. He has won 13 straight overall and all five in the Octagon. 'Lord' is a problem. 9. Aljamain Sterling (24-5) After an outstanding run at bantamweight that should land him a run in the UFC Hall of Fame one day, Aljamain Sterling made the jump to featherweight in 2024. While he has split his first two in the division, he has faced elite-level competition in Calvin Kattar (win) and Movsar Evloev (loss). While he may never fight for gold at 145 pounds, he will be a big problem for any fighter in the top 10 for as long as he stays in it. 10. Youssef Zalal (17-5-1) After losing three straight and being on the brink of being cut, Youssef Zalal has caught fire over the last three years. In that time, he has won seven straight, with the biggest yet coming in February when he scored a definitive win over top 15 stalwart Calvin Kattar. Related Headlines Six Philadelphia Eagles Who Must Step Up for Another Super Bowl Run Steelers Make T.J. Watt Highest-Paid Defender in NFL History Derrick Lewis Next Fight: 3 Options for 'Black Beast's' UFC Return, Including Sergei Pavlovich UFC Lightweight Rankings: Where Do Poirier and Holloway Land Ahead of UFC 318 Showdown?
