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USA Today
20-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ABC 8 predictions: Jamahal Hill or Khalil Rountree in Azerbaijan\u00a0debut?
The UFC makes its first visit to Azerbaijan this week with a former champions in the main event. UFC on ABC 8 (ABC, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku. Get pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below. Bogdan Grad vs. Muhammad Naimov Nikolas Motta vs. Nazim Sadykhov Tofiq Musayev vs. Myktybek Orolbai Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Rafael Fiziev Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. Individual staff member picks, main card Readers 75-51: Rountree (66%), Fiziev (57%), Blaydes (84%), Orolbai (78%), Sadykhov (92%), Naimov (75%) Preliminary card picks Although they don't count toward the standings, MMA Junkie staff members still pick the fights on the prelims. Here are the results:
USA Today
18-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Analyst: Khalil Rountree not 'championship-level fighter,' gets knocked out at UFC Baku
Analyst: Khalil Rountree not 'championship-level fighter,' gets knocked out at UFC Baku Din Thomas thinks Khalil Rountree's performance at UFC 307 was a one-time thing. Rountree (13-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) will look to rebound from his title-fight loss against Alex Pereira when he meets former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in Saturday's UFC on ABC 8 (ABC, ESPN, ESPN+) main event at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. Although Hill is on a two-fight losing skid, Thomas sees him getting the finish. The fight analyst and coach explains that although Rountree performed better than most of Pereira's opponents when he tested him at UFC 307, he doesn't think he leveled up. "I'm leaning towards Jamahal Hill to knock out Khalil Rountree," Thomas told MMA Junkie. "The reason being, Khalil Rountree looked fantastic against Alex Pereira, but that was his moment, and sometimes fighters just have that moment and then they go back to what they really are. And I'm not saying Khalil Rountree is not a great fighter. He's a very dangerous fighter, but I think he rose to the occasion with Alex Pereira, and then we're going to automatically assume that that's his new standard. "Me personally, I don't necessarily assume that's his new standard. I think he rose to the occasion, but I still think he's a good and dangerous fighter, but not an elite, world championship-level fighter. I think Jamahal Hill as that ability in him. He's a little bit longer. He's got instinctive boxing skills. I think he's going to be able to touch up Khalil Rountree as long as he can avoid the leg kicks." Thomas thinks the winner of Hill and Rountree could be in the title mix but said the loser will take a massive step back. "I think that the winner of this definitely has an opportunity to move up," Thomas said. "The loser gets put into night watch status. You're watching the gate at night, you're the gatekeeper for night time. But the winner has the ability to move up and say there's still some potential left in them. So, there is a lot at stake in this because there is no championship aspirations without a win on Saturday night for either guy."
USA Today
18-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC's Jamahal Hill: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira rematch 'really up in the air'
UFC's Jamahal Hill: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira rematch 'really up in the air' After a spot-on prediction for the first fight between Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira, Jamahal Hill has given his take on the potential rematch. Ankalaev (21-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) dethroned Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) to claim the light heavyweight title at UFC 313, and the pair are expected to run things back later in the year. Not only did Hill predict an Ankalaev win at UFC 313, but he detailed how Ankalaev's striking would be slept on in the matchup. Having lost to Pereira by knockout at UFC 300, many accused Hill (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) of being a salty competitor. However, Hill's prediction proved to be accurate, with Ankalaev outstriking and even stumbling Pereira on the feet. "I will say people were thinking I was hating, which is crazy," Hill told MMA Junkie. "I just try to be real and authentic and say things the way that I see them and speak on how I feel. I guess realness rubs people the wrong way sometimes, I guess? So, it is what it is. I think there's adjustments that can be made by Alex that aren't huge adjustments. "He could change that fight and turn that fight around, but at the same time, there are also adjustments that Ankalaev can make that can make him win more convincingly and more dominantly. So, I think it's really, really up in the air. It's like who pinpoints these things and who makes those adjustments. That's what it's going to come down to ultimately." Many fighters such as Michael Chiesa, Anthony Smith, Dustin Poirier, and most recently Stephen Thompson have served as analysts on the ESPN desk. With Hill providing extensive and well thought out breakdowns on his YouTube channel, he also hopes to make the transition some day. "It's a job, and it's a job that pays and something that I enjoy doing," Hill said. "I got my YouTube channel where I do breakdowns. I haven't done any recently because I've been busy with my own thing to get ready and locked in for the fight. "I've been in camp. I've been wanting to spend time with family and things like that. But yeah, it's definitely something that I'd like to do. Just being able to talk about fights, break down dialogue about it, just throw out different theories and ideas of how I see it, seeing somebody else's way of how they might see it. I love that." Former champion Hill will look to re-enter the title picture when he meets Khalil Rountree in Saturday's UFC on ABC 8 (ABC, ESPN, ESPN+) main event at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan.
USA Today
26-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ESPN 66 predictions: Garry or Prates –\u00a0who will keep rising in mighty K.C.?
UFC on ESPN 66 predictions: Garry or Prates – who will keep rising in mighty K.C.? Get MMA Junkie staff member predictions for all 14 fights at UFC on ESPN 66 The UFC is back in one of America's great Midwestern cities with welterweight rising stars at the top of the card. UFC on ESPN 66 (ESPN2, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. Get pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below. Ikram Aliskerov vs. Andre Muniz Records: Aliskerov (15-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Muniz (24-6 MMA, 6-2 UFC) Aliskerov (15-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Muniz (24-6 MMA, 6-2 UFC) Past five: Aliskerov 4-1, Muniz 3-2 Aliskerov 4-1, Muniz 3-2 Division: Middleweight Middleweight Rankings: None None Odds (as of 04.26.25): Aliskerov -455, Muniz +350 Aliskerov -455, Muniz +350 Junkie pick results: Aliskerov 9, Muniz 2 Randy Brown vs. Nicolas Dalby Records: Brown (19-6 MMA, 13-6 UFC), Dalby (23-5-1 MMA, 7-4-1 UFC) Brown (19-6 MMA, 13-6 UFC), Dalby (23-5-1 MMA, 7-4-1 UFC) Past five: Brown 3-2, Dalby 4-1 Brown 3-2, Dalby 4-1 Division: Welterweight Welterweight Rankings: None None Odds (as of 04.26.25): Brown -300, Dalby +240 Brown -300, Dalby +240 Junkie pick results: Brown 9, Dalby 2 Abus Magomedov vs. Michel Pereira Records: Magomedov (27-6-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC), Pereira (31-12 MMA, 9-3 UFC) Magomedov (27-6-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC), Pereira (31-12 MMA, 9-3 UFC) Past five: Magomedov 3-2, Pereira 4-1 Magomedov 3-2, Pereira 4-1 Division: Middleweight Middleweight Rankings: None None Odds (as of 04.26.25): Magomedov +125, Pereira -150 Magomedov +125, Pereira -150 Junkie pick results: Pereira 6, Magomedov 5 Giga Chikadze vs. David Onama Records: Chikadze (15-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC), Onama (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) Chikadze (15-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC), Onama (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) Past five: Chikadze 3-2, Onama 4-1 Chikadze 3-2, Onama 4-1 Division: Featherweight Featherweight Rankings: None None Odds (as of 04.26.25): Chikadze +165, Onama -200 Chikadze +165, Onama -200 Junkie pick results: Chikadze 8, Onama 3 Zhang Mingyang vs. Anthony Smith Records: Mingyang (18-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Smith (38-21 MMA, 13-11 UFC) Mingyang (18-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Smith (38-21 MMA, 13-11 UFC) Past five: Mingyang 5-0, Smith 2-3 Mingyang 5-0, Smith 2-3 Division: Light heavyweight Light heavyweight Rankings: Smith honorable mention Smith honorable mention Odds (as of 04.26.25): Mingyang -410, Smith +320 Mingyang -410, Smith +320 Junkie pick results: Mingyang 10, Smith 1 Ian Machado Garry vs. Carlos Prates Records: Garry (15-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC), Prates (21-6 MMA, 4-0 UFC) Garry (15-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC), Prates (21-6 MMA, 4-0 UFC) Past five: Garry 4-1, Prates 5-0 Garry 4-1, Prates 5-0 Division: Welterweight Welterweight Rankings: Garry No. 9, Prates honorable mention Garry No. 9, Prates honorable mention Odds (as of 04.26.25): Garry -160, Prates +135 Garry -160, Prates +135 Junkie pick results: Prates 6, Garry 5 Preliminary card picks Although they don't count toward the standings, MMA Junkie staff members still pick the fights on the prelims. Here are the results: Jimmy Flick vs. Matt Schnell: Schnell 6, Flick 5 Schnell 6, Flick 5 Evan Elder vs. Gauge Young: Elder 9, Young 2 Elder 9, Young 2 John Castaneda vs. Chris Gutierrez: Gutierrez 11, Castaneda 0 Gutierrez 11, Castaneda 0 Heili Alateng vs. Da'Mon Blackshear: Blackshear 9, Alateng 2 Blackshear 9, Alateng 2 Cameron Saaiman vs. Malcolm Wellmaker: Wellmaker 9, Saaiman 2 Wellmaker 9, Saaiman 2 Jaqueline Amorim vs. Polyana Viana: Amorim 11, Viana 0 Amorim 11, Viana 0 Timmy Cuamba vs. Roberto Romero: Romero 7, Cuamba 4 Romero 7, Cuamba 4 Chelsea Chandler vs. Joselyne Edwards: Edwards 7, Chandler 4 Check out all the main card picks below.
USA Today
02-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Video: 'UFC on ESPN 65: Emmett vs. Murphy' media day live stream (2:30 p.m. ET)
LAS VEGAS – UFC on ESPN 65 takes place Saturday at UFC Apex with a card that airs entirely on ESPN and streams on ESPN+. Before fight night arrives, though, notable athletes from the card are scheduled to speak to reporters Wednesday at media day, and MMA Junkie will have a live stream beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT. If you happen to miss any of the individual sessions on the live stream, check below for the archived videos of each media day. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC on ESPN 65.
