LAS VEGAS – Ahead of UFC Fight Night 184, Alexandre Pantoja spoke to the media, including MMA Junkie, on Thursday.

Pantoja (22-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC) talks about his difficult experience with COVID-19, training with American Top Team, and where he fits into the flyweight title picture heading into his rescheduled bout with Manel Kape (15-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC).

You can watch the full interview in the video above.

UFC Fight Night 184 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event streams on ESPN+.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/02/alexandre-pantoja-covid-19-manel-kape-ufc-fight-night-184-video

LAS VEGAS – Ahead of UFC Fight Night 184, Diego Ferreira spoke to the media, including MMA Junkie, on Thursday.

Ferreira (17-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) discussed how he kept himself busy during a year off due to the pandemic, still wanting a fight with Drew Dober, which dropped out twice, how he’s glad to have his lightweight rematch with Beneil Dariush (19-4-1 MMA, 13-4-1 UFC), and his plans to fight three more times in 2021.

You can watch the full interview in the video above.

UFC Fight Night 184 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event streams on ESPN+.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/02/ufc-fight-night-184-diego-ferreira-happy-beneil-dariush-rematch

A battle of two of the UFC’s most enduring competitors is in the works for a planned May 8 event.

Donald Cerrone, who has been fighting under the Zuffa umbrella since 2007, and Diego Sanchez, who has been with the UFC since winning “The Ultimate Fighter 1” in 2005, will square off in a welterweight bout on May 8. MMA Junkie confirmed the news after an initial Thursday night report by MMA Fighting.

Cerrone (36-15-1 MMA, 23-12-1 UFC) is the UFC’s all-time wins leader (23) and boasts the most finishes in company history (16). He’s tied with Jim Miller for most fights in UFC history at 36.

Despite those accomplishments, “Cowboy” has hit on rough times in recent outings. He’s winless in his last five fights, although his most recent result, a draw with Niko Price on Sept. 19, ended a four-fight losing streak.

The 39-year-old Sanchez (30-13 MMA, 19-13 UFC), meanwhile, is a member of the UFC Hall of Fame in the fight wing for his legendary 2009 win over Clay Guida. Sanchez has lost two of his last three bouts, with the sole victory a disqualification late for an illegal knee late in a bout with Michel Pereira which Pereira had been handily winning.

The duo, who were both mainstays at Jackson Wink MMA in New Mexico but have moved on, have combined for 26 post-fight bonuses over the years, with Cerrone netting an eye-popping 18 and Sanchez eight.

Earlier in the day, in a tweet aimed at Conor McGregor, Sanchez hinted both that he might be fighting Cerrone — and that this could be his last UFC fight.

@TheNotoriousMMA I know your last fight was not your best showing, stand tall you are a legend will continue to have more legendary success! It looks to be cowboy for my UFC finale. Sanchez versus McGregor will always be in the ether! HMU in the dm I might Have a bone for you.

— Diego Sanchez UFC (@DiegoSanchezUFC) February 4, 2021

This is the first fight to come to light for the UFC’s May 8 card, which does not yet have an event title or location.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/02/donald-cerrone-diego-sanchez-ufc-fight-night-may-8

LAS VEGAS – Ahead of UFC Fight Night 184, Beneil Dariush spoke to the media, including MMA Junkie, on Thursday.

Dariush (19-4-1 MMA, 13-4-1 UFC) talked about getting through his frustrations over a planned Charles Oliveira fight that fell out, why he believes opponent Diego Ferreira (17-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) deserves more respect, and that he’s not deliberately going out of his way to get bonuses, they just keep happening.

You can watch the full interview in the video above.

UFC Fight Night 184 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event streams on ESPN+.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/02/ufc-fight-night-184-beneil-dariush-over-charles-oliveria-fallout

Frankie Edgar is a former UFC lightweight champion. He has also fought for a version of the UFC featherweight championship on three occasions. Yet, it has been nine years since he had UFC gold around his waist.

At UFC Vegas 18 on Saturday, Edgar steps into the Octagon opposite Cory Sandhagen in his second bantamweight bout, hoping to once again put himself in a position to challenge for gold.

He knows he’s only a step or two away from again fighting for a UFC championship, believing the bout with Sandhagen is to determine who the number one contender is to the winner of the upcoming fight between champion Petr Yan and challenger Aljamain Sterling.

Watch as Frankie Edgar talks about his upcoming bout with Cory Sandhagen at UFC Vegas 18 on Saturday.

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Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/frankie-edgar-feels-even-more-an-underdog-than-ever-heading-into-ufc-vegas-18