Latest news with #ValentinaShevchenko
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
You know who's winning some fights right now? The old people. Saturday was another example
You know what this is? The elders putting their foot down. There's this stat that came into popular conversation in MMA a couple of years back, concerning the age of Dramatic Fall Off (or DFO) in the fight game. Champions who are 35 or older, especially at the lighter weights it was shown — and especially in the UFC — tend to fall off precipitously at that age. The proof of this was well documented. Younger competitors have been flushing the old birds out with duck calls or whatever and shooting them in flight. (With the obvious exception being Jon Jones, who doesn't respond to duck calls.) This stat was particularly true until it wasn't. That's because recently the old guard has gotten real, real stubborn, whether in the UFC or the boxing ring. Alex Pereira has done his best work north of 35, realizing a twilight windfall of cash. Valentina Shevchenko fended off Manon Fiorot at 37 years old at UFC 315. Alexandre Pantoja looked the best he ever has at 35 years young in his title defense against Kai Kara-France at UFC 317. Last week, 39-year-old Katie Taylor defeated Amanda Serrano for a third time at Madison Square Garden, bringing the greatest rivalry in women's boxing history to a close. Perhaps the most understated compliment we could pay her afterward was, 'She didn't look her age.' And this weekend? Why, this weekend was a veritable geriatric renaissance! An old-fashioned blue-hair revival! Older fighters showed up like it was early bird dinner at the Golden Corral and laid waste to the youth without regret nor conscience. Out in London, it was 38-year-old Oleksandr Usyk straight outclassing Daniel Dubois with counters and speed and in-ring acumen. The left he dropped Dubois with to end the fight in the fifth round was a masterclass of fast-twitch muscle memory and instinct, generated from a well harnessed source of power. 'Thirty-eight is a young guy, remember!' Usyk yelled into the microphone afterward, winning over Earl Court's finest quadragenarians. 'Thirty-eight is only the start!' What an icon. Only the start? That must explain why Manny Pacquiao, returning to the boxing ring at 46 years old to face Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title on Saturday night, gave 'El Azteca' all he wanted. The fight ended in a majority draw (!!), yet it was Pacquaio pulling away in the later rounds. He was out-foxing, out-quicking, and out-gunning a fighter who was 16 years younger. Scenes, baby, scenes! And think about that for a minute. When Barrios was born in 1995, Pacquiao already had facial hair and a driver's license. By comparison, when Pacquaio came into the world, 'The Dukes of Hazzard' was the hottest show on television. Maybe the DFO line is moving. If we thought that Terence 'Bud' Crawford, who turns 38 in September, might be a little long in the tooth for his epic boxing match with Saul "Canelo" Alvarez scheduled for that same month, we might think again. If the trend continues, Crawford — who was alive in the 1980s — could very well be in a sweet spot. 'Athletes are extending their prime performance age more so than ever before,' Most Valuable Promotions CEO Nakisa Bidarian posted on social media after the dust settled in the Pacquiao fight Saturday night. 'Plus they have experience.' Bidarian ain't wrong. Experience is having a freaking day. It was true at UFC 318 out in New Orleans, too. At 39 years old, Michael Johnson was a five-to-one underdog in his fight with 26-year-old Daniel Zellhuber, the Mexican brawler who put on the Fight of the Year against Esteban Ribovics at the Sphere last fall. When they showed Johnson in the promo before the fight, he was talking about 'making another name,' which sounded like rocking chair babble for a guy whose points are no longer all that lucid. So, what did Johnson do? He went out there and lit up Zellhuber for two of the three rounds, hurting him on occasion, dropping him, schooling him in the ways of 'experience.' And in the main event, when 36-year-old Dustin Poirier stood in the pocket and fired shots against 33-year-old Max Holloway, there was no sense of a dramatic drop off. There was only the bittersweet feeling that it was all coming to an end. That the Bayou-born Poirier was going out on his own terms, one last time into the breach, right in the heart of New Orleans, whether he won or lost. It's good to get out gracefully. It's rare to get out gracefully. Yet next to some of his counterparts, Poirier was still a proverbial spring chicken. Not that the young aren't holding their own if you pan back. Dakota Ditcheva, the 26-year-old phenom at PFL, reminded everyone why she's the hottest name outside the UFC down in South Africa, defeating Sumiko Inaba from pillar-to-post (even through a broken hand). Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez, 25, unified the WBC and WBO super flyweight titles by stopping Phumelele Cafu in the 10th. Ilia Topuria has done more by the age of 27 than some of the most decorated fighters of our generation did in their entire careers. But give it up to the mainstays, the veterans, the graying distinguished fighters who right now are defiantly staying relevant. Looking at you, Beneil Dariush. The gray on the temple is as menacing an omen as any cauliflower ear in the industry. Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson is the oldest fighter in the UFC at 42, and even though he lost to Gabriel Bonfim on the scorecards, he didn't really lose. Jim Miller may go on forever. And there's no telling how old Myktybek Orolbai is — the program says he's 27, but let's just say there's a museum of natural history out there somewhere missing a warrior from its exhibit of prehistoric man. Older, wiser, meaner. Usyk, Pacquiao, Johnson. Either the young guys are dropping off, or these guys are refusing to.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
UFC Trailblazer Retires After 15-Year Run
UFC Trailblazer Retires After 15-Year Run originally appeared on Athlon Sports. A storied run ends in Nashville as a pioneer makes a final walk. UFC Nashville brought the chaos fans expected from a Derrick Lewis headliner, with the heavyweight slugger facing off against rising knockout artist Tallison Teixeira in a main event built for fireworks. But while the top of the card delivered explosive action, the undercard quietly delivered closure—for one of the toughest fighters in the UFC. Advertisement Lauren Murphy, 41, officially ended her professional career following a hard-fought loss to Eduarda Moura. The unanimous decision marked her final bout in the UFC, capping off a 15-year run defined by grit, honesty, and perseverance. UFC Gloves Getty Images Known as one of the original trailblazers of women's MMA, Murphy walked away with a resume that includes a title challenge against Valentina Shevchenko and the distinction of being Invicta FC's first-ever bantamweight champion. NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JULY 12: Lauren Murphy prepares to face Eduarda Moura of Brazil in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Bridgestone Arena on July 12, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) In her post-fight interview, Murphy kept it real in the only way she knows how. 'There's a lot of people to thank, but first and foremost, I want to fcking thank me… for being a pioneer for women in this sport… At 41 years old, I'm still in here fcking these girls up, man.' Advertisement Murphy's longevity—having debuted in 2010 and competed in both bantamweight and flyweight divisions—earned her respect across the MMA world. A fan favorite for her authenticity and toughness, she connected with audiences who appreciated her unfiltered honesty and relentless spirit. Signed by Dana White and the UFC in 2014, she carved out a long-lasting presence inside the Octagon. She also holds a notable victory over former UFC champion Miesha Tate, adding another respected name to her resume. As she steps into life beyond fighting, whether it's coaching, mentoring, or media work, Lauren Murphy leaves behind a blueprint—not just for how to survive in the UFC, but how to do it your way. Advertisement Related: Jake Paul's $500K Move May Have Saved a Life Related: 'I Think My Mom Has More Followers' – Jake Paul Takes Shot at Boxing Superstar This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Valentina Shevchenko suspects title defense against fellow UFC champ Zhang Weili next
After a closely contested decision win to open her second reign as UFC women's flyweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko thinks a superfight might be next. Shevchenko (25-4-1 MMA, 14-3-1 UFC) outworked challenger Manon Fiorot (12-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) a little more than three weeks ago at UFC 315 in Toronto in the co-main event. She won with a trio of 48-47 scores. It wasn't immediately clear after the win whom her next challenger would be. Advertisement Saturday, while in Las Vegas, Shevchenko could have gotten a little clarity with the UFC on ESPN 68 main event between Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber – until Barber pulled out moments before her walkout, effectively ditching herself from the conversation. Before Shevchenko beat Fiorot, Natalia Silva knocked Alexa Grasso down the ladder. So there is Silva, and there is Blanchfield – but Shevchenko also thinks when the time comes to figure out what's next, the name could be from another division. Shevchenko thinks strawweight champ Zhang Weili (26-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) has designs on a move up to 125 pounds for a shot at the belt, and that's the fight she thinks is most realistic. "Flyweight right now is the most exciting weight class – so many good and talented fighters," Shevchenko said on the post-fight show after the UFC on ESPN 68 broadcast. "But from the other side, you can see the champion. She built up her career. She deserves so much because of her title defenses. I feel at this point, she deserves this fight. Everyone deserves it." Advertisement After a two-fight run of losses to Rose Namajunas in title fights, Weili has five straight wins. She had one defense in 2023 against Amanda Lemos, one in 2024 against Yan Xiaonan and one earlier this year at UFC 312 against Tatiana Suarez. Virna Jandiroba put herself in position to get a title shot in April with her fifth straight win, and she's one name Shevchenko doesn't have on her resume yet. But the idea of fighting Weili ultimately might be hard to resist – though Shevchenko stressed she'll wait until she's fully recovered from her win over Fiorot and ready to start a camp before she'll fully dive into preparing for anyone. "Weili has the same passion for martial arts (as me) and has this mindset of 'no matter what happens' – not fame or whatever," Shevchenko said. "She's very loyal and feels good about mixed martial arts. This is what I like about her. It's the same as I am, the feeling for martial arts itself. I'm hearing from my fans this is what they want to see." This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC champ Valentina Shevchenko willing to fight Zhang Weili next
USA Today
01-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
'Noche UFC' Mexico drought continues with shift from Guadalajara to San Antonio, Texas
'Noche UFC' Mexico drought continues with shift from Guadalajara to San Antonio, Texas Just when it looked like a "Noche UFC" event actually would take place in Mexico, those plans have been put on hold. In March, the promotion announced the third annual event that helps celebrate Mexican Independence Day would take place Sept. 13 at Arena Guadalajara in Guadalajara, Mexico, at UFC 320. But Saturday, a change in plans was announced. The UFC announced Saturday that construction delays at the arena have forced a move to Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on the same date. This will be the UFC's fourth trip to San Antonio. Most recently, UFC on ESPN 43 took place there in 2023. Previous events took place in 2019 and 2014, but "Noche UFC" will be the city's first UFC pay-per-view. UFC 320 marks the third annual Noche UFC event. The previous two took place in Las Vegas. UFC Fight Night 227 was the inaugural Noche event in 2023. It took place at T-Mobile Arena and was headlined by Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko 2. In 2024, the promotion took Noche UFC to another level. In what remains the only combat sports event held at Sphere in Las Vegas, the promotion put together UFC 306, an all-time spectacle that was headlined by Sean O'Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
UFC Vegas 107 Start Time, Full Fight Card Details!
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back after a week off to stage UFC Vegas 107 later TONIGHT (Sat., May 31, 2025) inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Headlining the ESPN+-streamed event will be a women's Flyweight fight between Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber. In the co-main event, Mateusz Gamrot battles fellow Lightweight Ludovít Klein. What's Hot: UFC Fight Night: Blanchfield v Barber Weigh-In Barber didn't do herself any favors in her match toward a potential title shot after she came in heavy for her Flyweight fight against Blanchfield. As a result, 'Future' will have to pay a portion of her fight purse to her opponent, and will not be eligible to win a $50,000 post-fight bonus. Should she win, matchmakers will likely be hesitant to award her a title shot due to the weight mishap, which means she is now at least two more wins away from getting her first-ever UFC title fight. It's a really big miss for Barber, as she is currently on a six-fight win streak and currently holds the No. 5 spot on the official rankings. UFC Fight Night: Blanchfield v Barber Weigh-In Blanchfield comes out on top here in more ways than one. Not only does she get a little bump in her paycheck, but she also has the chance to double up on the bonuses should they get 'Fight of the Night.' Furthermore, should she 'humble' Barber in impressive fashion she will shoot to the top of the list of candidates to face Valentina Shevchenko down the road. Blanchfield is currently No. 4 in the rankings and is 7-1 overall inside the Octagon. Natalia Silva is in the top spot to face 'Bullet' next, but Blanchfield has the chance to get next dibs with an impressive win here. What's Not: UFC Fight Night: Blanchfield v Barber Weigh-In Rayanne dos Santos and Alice Ardelean will kick things off in a fight that is a must-win for both. Ardalean has lost her first two fights under the UFC banner, which isn't a good look for a fighter beginning his/her journey on the biggest stage. And dos Santos has suffered that same string of bad luck after going 0-2 to the start of her run. The loser of this fight will likely get cut. Original Card vs. Actual Card: UFC Fight Night: Blanchfield v Barber Weigh-In Oban Elliott was supposed to face Ramiz Brahimaj at this event, but was forced out as a result of visa issues. Brahimaj will now face Billy Ray Goff, who is coming off a loss against Trey Waters. Also, MarQuel Mederos was removed from his bout with Bolaji Oki because of an illness. As a result, Oki will now face newcomer Michael Aswell. Injuries: UFC Fight Night: Moreno v Albazi Official Weigh-in Trevin Giles suffered an injury a day before the UFC Vegas 107 weigh ins, forcing matchmakers to cancel his scheduled fight against Andreas Gustafsson, who was set to make his debut. New Blood: UFC Fight Night: Blanchfield v Barber Weigh-In Michael Aswell agreed to make his UFC debut on three days notice after MarQuel Mederos suffered an illness and was forced out of his fight against Bolaji Oki. Aswell lost his fight on the Contender Series, but bounced back with a win under the Fury FC banner. Now, he has a chance to shine in his UFC debut against Oki, who is 1-1 inside the Octagon and is coming off a loss at the hands of Chris Duncan. How The 'Prelims' Look: UFC Fight Night: Blanchfield v Barber Weigh-In In Lightweight action, Kurt Holobaugh will attempt to get back into the win column after losing in his previous contest against Alexander Hernandez when he goes toe-to-toe against Jordan Leavitt, who is also coming off a loss at the hands of Chase Hopper. Hopper forced Leavitt to tap with a rear-naked choke, his second loss in last three fights. Holobaugh is also 1-2 in his last three trips to the cage. Advertisement Allan Nascimento will look to pick up his third straight win when he faces Jafel Filho, who is also eying his third straight win under the UFC banner. Filho tumbled out of the gates in his UFC debut, losing to Muhammad Mokaev. He recovered nicely by winning back-to-back fights against Daniel Barez and Ode Osbourne. As for Nascimento, he did the same after losing his first fight under the UFC banner against Tagir Ulanbekov, defeating Jake Hadley and Carlos Hernandez in consecutive contests. Who Needs A Win Badly: UFC Fight Night: Blanchfield v Barber Weigh-In In men's Middleweight action, Dusko Todorovic will face Zachary Reese. Todorovic is currently on a two-fight losing streak and is just 3-5 under the UFC banner. He is definitely on the chopping block with a run like that, and a third straight defeat at the hands of Reese could prove to be the nail in the coffin of his UFC career. As for Reese, he had his two-fight win streak snapped by Azamat Bekoev, who knocked him out in the very first round (see it again here). Interest Level: 5/10 UFC Fight Night: Blanchfield v Barber Weigh-In In the co-main event, Mateusz Gamrot will attempt to get back in the win column when he goes up against Ludovít Klein. Gamrot had his three-fight win streak snapped his last time out at the hands of Dan Hooker, who walked away with a close split-decision win at UFC 305. Prior to that defeat, Gamrot was 7-2 inside the Octagon, scoring big wins over Arman Tsarukyan, Rafael dos Anjos and Rafael Fiziev, just to name a few. He is currently ranked No. 7, but a win over Klein could get him closer to the Top 5. Speaking of Klein, he has quietly been on a hot streak since 2022, going 6-0-1 during that span. That said, it's not good enough to get him a spot in the Top 15, but a victory of Gamrot will be. Advertisement In what proved to be a disastrous weigh-in, Ketlen Vieira had trouble cutting down to the allowed 136 weight limit for her Bantamweight showdown against Macy Chiasson, so the fight was changed to take place at Featherweight. It's not a good look for Vieira, who is coming off a loss to Kayla Harrison at UFC 307. As for Chiasson, she is currently on a two-fight win streak and one more win could move her into the Top 3. UFC Fight Night: Blanchfield v Barber Weigh-In Bruno Lopes got off to a great start to his UFC career by defeating Magomed Gadzhiyasulov in his promotional debut bout. Winner of three in a row, 'Brunao' is out to collect lucky win number four as he goes up against Dustin Jacoby, who snapped his two-fight skid by defeating Vitor Petrino via knockout in Dec. 2024 (highlights). Full UFC Vegas 107 Fight Card: UFC Vegas 107 Main Event On ESPN/ESPN+: 125 lbs.: Erin Blanchfield vs. Maycee Barber UFC Vegas 107 Main Card on ESPN/ESPN+ (9 p.m. ET): 155 lbs.: Mateusz Gamrot vs. Ludovít Klein 170 lbs.: Billy Ray Goff vs. Ramiz Brahimaj 205 lbs.: Dustin Jacoby vs. Bruno Lopes 145 lbs.: Ketlen Vieira vs. Macy Chiasson (changed to featherweight) 185 lbs.: Zach Reese vs. Dusko Todorovic UFC Vegas 107 Prelims Card on ESPN+ (6:30 p.m. ET): 125 lbs.: Jafel Filho vs. Allan Nascimento 155 lbs.: Kurt Holobaugh vs. Jordan Leavitt 180 lbs.: Trevin Giles vs. Andreas Gustafsson — CANCELED (details here) 155 lbs.: Bolaji Oki vs. Michael Aswell (not MarQuel Mederos) 115 lbs.: Rayanne dos Santos vs. Alice Ardelean *Fight card, bout order and amount of fights remain subject to change.* will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 107 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+ preliminary card bouts at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining main card balance on ESPN/ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET. Advertisement To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 107 news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archives here and here. For the updated and finalized 'Blanchfield vs. Barber' fight card and ESPN/ESPN+ lineup click here. More from
