Latest news with #ShavkatRakhmonov
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mailbag: In UFC's crowded welterweight division, what's the next move for every contender?
What should the UFC do about all these welterweight contenders thinking they deserve the next title shot? Would we be better off with finish bonuses instead of win bonuses? And what can Khalil Rountree Jr.'s customized fight shorts tell us about the state of MMA fashions and so forth? All hat and much more in this week's mailbag. To ask a question of your own, hit up @benfowlkesMMA or @ @SLefkaditis: Welterweight. Who against who next? Advertisement First of all, can we all agree that Kamaru Usman is living in some alternate reality with all his title shot talk? I get it, that was a big win for him on Saturday. He needed it and he got it. But the reason he needed it is because he was 0-3 coming into the fight and his last win came in 2021. You don't win one fight and jump immediately to the front of the line. I know his argument is that a 170-pound title fight between the former pound-for-pound best (himself) and the current pound-for-pound best (Islam Makhachev) would be a guaranteed blockbuster. My counter to that is: Would it though? Usman wasn't a massive draw even when he was champ. Makhachev's biggest potential fight is still Ilia Topuria at lightweight. Usman still has work to do to get back in the conversation at welterweight, which is why he should stop playing and accept Belal Muhammad's offer to fight next. As for what should happen with the title, I say Shavkat Rakhmonov should get the winner of Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena. He earned it. That title shot that "JDM" got out of nowhere was supposed to be Rakhmonov's. So as soon as he's healthy, let's find out if he's really as inevitable as he seems at 170 pounds. That leaves Sean Brady and Ian Machado Garry without dance partners, so put them in there with each other and let's see who's next in line. Advertisement Whatever happens, one rule I'd like us to agree on moving forward is this: The next person to call out Colby Covington automatically falls three spots in the rankings. This simply must stop, you guys. @Mike_Fierce_: Light Heavyweight was once considered the UFC's marquee division with some of the biggest names and greatest fights in the history of the sport. Now ruled by a lackluster champion in Ankalaev, are those days of walking amongst giants now long gone…? First of all, let's tap the brakes on phrases like 'ruled by' when referring to the guy who won the UFC light heavyweight title in March and has yet to defend it. Let's also not forget that for the past year and change the champ was Alex Pereira, who's still one of the vanishingly few actual stars on the UFC roster. We all had fun with that, right? Some of the best and most popular fighters in the short history of this sport have come out of the 205-pound class, from Jon Jones to Chuck Liddell to Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson. Sometimes the division is better than others, but I still think it has the potential to be the UFC's glamour division. Advertisement The fighters who populate the division are big enough to be scary tough guys to the general public, but not necessarily big enough that all the good ones already got scooped up by the NFL. And who knows, maybe Magomed Ankalaev will turn out to be more fun as a champion than we think. Though I will admit, the fact he's basically disappeared from view and from the conversation entirely since winning the title doesn't make me terribly hopeful just now. @BTM99_MMA: Should the fight/win bonus structure be replaced with a generous fight/finish bonus? The last UFC for example was very poor - x2 DQ chasers several bouts resembled sparring sessions I don't hate that idea at all. I think the show/win pay structure sucks for a few different reasons, not the least of which is that there are so many ways for a fighter to put on a great performance and still end up with only half their money. Incentivizing wins above all else can result in some boring fights — and especially some boring final rounds, once a fighter knows he's up on the cards and just has to coast home. Incentivizing finishes seems like it would lead to more exciting fights, and you still end up paying the winner anyway. But as long as we're looking at antiquated pay structures, how about those UFC 'performance' bonuses? It used to be Knockout of the Night, Submission of the Night and Fight of the Night. Then I'm guessing some legal egghead saw the NFL's concussion lawsuits and figured that explicitly incentivizing knockouts could come back to bite the UFC in the butt, so we changed the names but kept the same basic concept. Advertisement Thing is, those bonuses weren't always worth $50,000. For instance, UFC 106 in 2009? Bonuses were $70,000 each. For UFC 142 in 2012 they were $65,000. That was not only a different time for the value of the U.S. dollar (that $70,000 bonus in 2009 is equivalent to about $106,000 today), but also a very different time for the UFC. This promotion makes so much more money now than it did back then. Like, a boatload more. So tell me why the bonus amounts settled at $50,000 and then never budged, except for rare special occasions like UFC 300? How have fighters just accepted that their bonus-worthy finishes are basically worth less than half what Josh Koscheck got for choking out Anthony Johnson at the Mandalay Bay in 2009? Now that's a question they ought to be asking themselves. @JedKMeshew: What if, instead of some fighters getting custom shorts occasionally, every fighter got to make their own custom shorts? Do you think that would be cool? I do, Jed. I think it would be very cool. Also sometimes dumb and weird, but at least interesting. Advertisement That's why I couldn't understand the contingent of fans who, upon seeing Khalil Rountree Jr.'s shorts for Saturday's main event, got hung up on the question of whether or not Rountree was a big enough deal in the UFC to merit his own special shorts. They should all get their own individual shorts! It's an individual sport, and helping people stand out from the crowd should be part of a promoter's goal! Remember back before any of these outfitting deals, when fighters could wear whatever shorts they wanted within the limits of good taste? (Shouts out to Dennis Hallman.) Tito Ortiz had the flame shorts. Liddell had his whole 'Iceman' motif. People got to show some personality. We need more and not less of that. Plus, as Rountree's shorts showed us, some of these fighters actually have some good ideas. @NeedXtoseePosts: How bad is it I sorta of want Charles Oliveira to fall out of the Ilia Topuria fight with the news Arman Tsarukyan is the back up I do feel very bad about it FWIW For my money, Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira has the makings of a more exciting fight. You could argue that Topuria vs. Arman Tsarukyan would be the more meaningful fight at lightweight right now, and I wouldn't disagree. But I also think people are forgetting that 'Do Bronx' can still do the damn thing and might spoil everyone's party at UFC 317. @CrooklynMMA: If you had to go to a club in a UFC fight kit, whose would you choose? Advertisement I would go with a vintage "Giblert" Melendez Reebok kit. Lets people know you're not some newb casual. Shows you have a sense of humor. Plus it's got to be worth something by now, the same way those baseball cards with minor defects are. @Bengonzz01: Will Payton Talbot be the next edmen shabazyan/sage Northcutt considering how the ufc just booked him coming off a loss You're over here acting like Edmen Shahbazyan didn't just win a fight on Saturday. But fine, I see your point. The UFC can sometimes get excited about a young prospect one month only to feed him to the wolves the next. But what's happening with Payton Talbott seems more like the UFC matching up a couple young fighters with similar experience and letting them decide for themselves who's for real. Felipe Lima is newer to the UFC, but has a few more fights and only one loss, like Talbott. Lima is 27, while Talbott is 26. I know it's not a setup fight to help Talbott stack easy wins, but is that what we want out of the UFC? I'm not so sure. When you make fights with one specific outcome in mind, eventually you get disappointed. @ProFightsInfo: What would you think if all the non-UFC MMA companies got together and announced that once a year they will do a joint show that is branded like the World Cup? PFL, ONE, RIZIN, KSW and Cage Warriors (maybe not them w/ the UFC connections). Would fans be excited? Would it succeed? Advertisement I think it would be super exciting and you'd have a good chance of getting every promoter on board except the UFC. It has more to lose than to gain from that, and company execs know it. Would something like this help build the sport? Absolutely. But the UFC is not in the building phase right now. It is in the cash-out phase. One of the reasons it keeps hundreds of fighters under contract is so those other promoters have a harder time getting anything interesting going. The UFC isn't going to ruin that plan by flinging open the door just because fans would love it.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Usman ‘For Sure' Gets The Next Title Shot?!?!?
He's back! Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman completely dominated Joaquin Buckley, winning a unanimous decision in the main event of UFC Atlanta last night (Sat., June 14, 2025) from inside State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Advertisement Before the fight, Usman suggested and planted a seed that a matchup with former Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev would be a 'blockbuster' event. Following his dominant performance, he's doubling down, arguing his win warrants a title shot. 'Let's be honest, I'm the biggest name in the division, and this is about entertainment- the UFC is an entertainment company,' Usman told reporters during the UFC Atlanta post-fight press conference (watch here). 'If you want to make the biggest fight, it's going to be [me] vs. the winner of JDM and Islam. If Islam pulls that one out, former pound-for-pound vs. current pound-for-pound, who doesn't pay for that?' A reporter straight up asked him if his win over Buckley earned him an immediate title shot. 'Oh yeah, for sure,' Usman said. 'I mean, you don't feel like that? Who else?' Advertisement While 'The Nigerian Nightmare' makes a strong case, and the UFC often favors former champions for title shots, other welterweight contenders, like Shavkat Rakhmonov and Sean Brady, are equally deserving. He was asked about a potential fight with Belal Muhammad because of their bad blood, and he didn't even acknowledge him, and seemed not to 'Remember the Name.' For more UFC Atlanta results, coverage, and highlights click HERE. More from
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC Vegas 106: Michael Morales continues ascent with 1st-round TKO of Gilbert Burns
The UFC is still looking for a fighter who can stop Michael Morales. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Michael Morales appears to be the real deal. The rising UFC welterweight star notched the biggest win of an undefeated career on Saturday with a first-round TKO of former challenger Gilbert Burns. He is the first welterweight to ever finish Burns in the first two rounds. Advertisement The win ties Morales for the third-longest win streak in the welterweight division with six, behind newly minted champion Jack Della Maddelena (eight) and top contender Shavkat Rakhmonov (seven). It has been a furious ascent for a fighter who made his UFC debut in 2022 and has looked like he has every tool needed to be considered a future title challenger. As for Burns, this was aanother gatekeeping fight for the 38-year-old, and it's hard to say he's provided much security lately. It's his fourth straight loss and his fifth in eight fights since challenging Kamaru Usman for the belt in 2021.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ian Machado Garry Says I Won't Accept Anything But a Title Fight
Staying relevant in the UFC's welterweight division takes more than just talent—it demands presence, momentum, and timing. Ian Machado Garry proved just that with a high-stakes win at UFC Kansas City, reminding fans and critics alike that he's still very much in the title picture. After suffering a defeat in his previous outing to the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov, this latest performance helped silence doubters and reignite his climb toward the top. Machado Garry rebounded in decisive fashion, defeating Fighting Nerds teammate Carlos Prates in a closely contested five-round bout. The win marked a crucial turnaround after his setback against Rakhmonov. In a recent interview with Full Send MMA's Shawty Mac, Machado Garry made headlines—not for who he beat, but for what he demanded next. When asked, 'So realistically then, Belal wins. Will you accept any other fight than a title shot?' Machado Garry responded, 'No. I don't think I need to. I believe I'm the biggest name in the division. You know what I mean? Shavkat's injured. He's not going to be fighting this year. You know what I mean? I don't see anyone who's bigger or anyone who's more interesting to put on a pay-per-view main event and sell out a stadium. There is no one bigger.' Ian Machado GarryGetty Images As Machado Garry pointed out, Shavkat Rakhmonov is currently sidelined after tearing his MCL at UFC 310, removing one of the top contenders from the immediate title conversation. With that opportunity open, Machado Garry isn't wasting time. Just weeks removed from his most recent fight, he's already in Canada, prepared to weigh in as the backup for the UFC 304 main event between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena. For Ian Machado Garry, the mission is clear: title shot or nothing. Related: 'He's Jacked!' – Ilia Topuria Photo Shows Lightweight Transformation Has Fans Buzzing Related: 'Looks Super Juicy' – UFC Champion Raises PED Questions About Top Contender ahead of UFC 316
