Khabib Nurmagomedov rubs it in after Conor McGregor’s UFC 257 knockout loss

There is no love lost between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor. That’s been well documented.

Even after McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) suffered the first knockout loss of his professional MMA career to Dustin Poirier in the UFC 257 main event, Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC) seemingly took a shot at the Irishman on Twitter.

Nurmagomedov indicated McGregor, who wasn’t outright named in the tweet, didn’t stay true to himself or take things seriously enough to deserve a victory.

“This is what happened, when you change your team, leave the sparring partners, who made you a champion and sparring with little kids, far away from reality,” Nurmagomedov wrote.

Nurmagomedov’s tweet got a reaction from McGregor during the UFC 257 post-event news conference.

“My team has been the team since Day 1. I have not changed anything. It is what it is. Respect the athletes,” McGregor said. “That’s the character of the man, for sure, behind the mask. Whatever, what’s he want to do? Does he want to come back or no? … If he wants to have his disrespectful comments, come back and let’s go again, my man. I’m here for it. That’s fighting talk.”

McGregor, 32, was finished with punches by Poirier in Round 2. The loss was only his third inside the UFC cage. All of his previous career losses came by submission.

Nurmagomedov, 32, who remains the UFC lightweight champion, retired in the cage after a successful title defense last October at UFC 254. However, since that time, UFC president Dana White expressed his confidence Nurmagomedov would return for one more fight – to attempt accumulating a 30-0 record.

UFC 257 took place Saturday at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The main card streamed on ESPN pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/01/conor-mcgregor-knockout-loss-khabib-rubs-it-in-ufc-257

 

UFC 257 performance bonuses: Dustin Poirier’s knockout of Conor McGregor tops the list

UFC president Dana White announced the winners of the UFC 257 Performance of the Night bonuses at the post-fight press conference on Saturday night in Abu Dhabi.

Dustin Poirier, Makhmud Muradov, Marina Rodriguez and Michael Chandler all walked away with $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses.

UFC 257 Performance of the Night: Dustin Poirier

Poirier turned the fight world upside down Saturday night, earning his post-fight bonus by decisively knocking out former two-division champion Conor McGregor in the high-paced, back and forth two round main event.

Dustin Poirier puts down Conor McGregor at UFC 257
Dustin Poirier puts down Conor McGregor at UFC 257

UFC 257 Performance of the Night: Michael Chandler

Not to be outdone by Poirier, Chandler took the UFC by storm in his promotional debut, putting the lightweight division on notice by brutally knocking out number six ranked lightweight Dan Hooker in the first round of the co-main event.

Michael Chandler rocks Dan Hooker at UFC 257
Michael Chandler rocks Dan Hooker at UFC 257

UFC 257 Performance of the Night: Makhmud Muradov

Muradov took home the reward for his third-round TKO of Andrew Sanchez in the middleweight matchup. Muradov stopped Sanchez with a barrage in the third round of the bout in a fight that was back and forth from start to finish.

Makhmud Muradov punches Andrew Sanchez at UFC 257
Makhmud Muradov punches Andrew Sanchez at UFC 257

TRENDING UFC 257 results: Dustin Poirier knocks out Conor McGregor; Michael Chandler stuns Dan Hooker

UFC 257 Performance of the Night: Marina Rodriguez

Rodriguez earned a Performance of the Night bonus for her stoppage of Brazilian upstart Amanda Ribas in their strawweight tilt. Rodriguez initially connected with a right cross to Ribas’ chin, initially thinking the fight was over before referee Herb Dean indicated the bout was ongoing. Rodriguez did a good job retaining momentum to ultimately finish Ribas in the second round.

Morina Rodriguez punches Amanda Ribas at UFC 257
Marina Rodriguez punches Amanda Ribas at UFC 257


Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/ufc-257-performance-bonus-dustin-poiriers-knockout-conor-mcgregor

 

Dana White no longer thinks Khabib is going to fight again following UFC 257

UFC president Dana White has been saying for months that he believes lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov would return to the Octagon. That is no longer what he’s saying after Dustin Poirier knocked out Conor McGregor on Saturday night in Abu Dhabi.

White spoke with Khabib earlier in the week, again telling the media that he believed his champion might fight again, depending upon the outcome of the UFC 257 main and co-main event bouts.

While Poirier knocked out McGregor in the headliner, former Bellator champion Michael Chandler announced his arrival in the Octagon by taking out Dan Hooker in two minutes and 30 seconds.

Neither appears to be a performance that will entice Khabib back into the Octagon to try and up his spotless record from 29-0 to 30-0.

“I did talk to Khabib (tonight),” White said at the UFC 257 Post-Fight Press Conference.

“He told me, ‘Dana, be honest with yourself. I’m so many levels above these guys. I beat these guys.’ I don’t know, but it doesn’t sound very positive. And what he said was, I won’t hold the division up.”

White also finally admitted publicly that his belief that Khabib would return to the Octagon again was his thinking, not Khabib’s.

“He already retired. He’s basically retired,” White said. “I’m the one that’s been trying to get him to do one more.”

Despite finally coming to the realization that Khabib probably won’t return to the Octagon, White said he’s not putting a timeline on a definitive decision from Khabib.

With Poirier and Chandler having just fought and won at UFC 257, White sees them fighting for the belt if Khabib doesn’t return, so he has a bit of time to let his champion put a stamp on his retirement.

TRENDING UFC 257 results: Dustin Poirier knocks out Conor McGregor; Michael Chandler stuns Dan Hooker

Dana White addresses Khabib, Conor McGregor, and future of the lightweight division following UFC 257

(Video courtesy of MMA Junkie)


Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/dana-white-no-longer-thinks-khabib-is-going-to-fight-again-following-ufc-257

 

Michael Chandler soaks in first official UFC fight week on cusp of debut at UFC 257

ABU DHABI – Michael Chandler’s first official UFC fight week is in the books.

The former Bellator lightweight champion has gone through all the protocols and duties required from a UFC fighter as he prepares for his promotional debut this Saturday against Dan Hooker in the co-main event of UFC 257. Chandler (21-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) had a test run in October when he served as a replacement opponent for the lightweight title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. Although Chandler wasn’t needed, it was a good exercise and preparation for his debut.

Now, just hours away from fighting in the octagon for the first time, Chandler rates highly his first UFC fight week experience.

“It feels good, man. It’s all part of the process, and it’s something that I’ve done a lot in my career, but just not at this magnitude,” Chandler told MMA Junkie. “The weight came off great. Obviously the set up here on Yas Island is awesome. They roll out the red carpet for you, and it’s been a great experience. That first trip to Abu Dhabi served me well for this trip. I know all the staff now, familiar faces, putting names with faces, and it’s been a great week.”

Chandler has been on big stages outside of the UFC and has been a notable name for many years. Yet, despite being one of the most recognized fighters outside of the UFC, Chandler believes the attention has grown dramatically since he left Bellator to sign.

“It’s definitely something I’ve been enjoying. I love media obligations,” Chandler said. “Every single time there’s a microphone near me, it’s with a purpose.

“I truly believe God has had me in the palm of his hand since I started fighting, and I relish these opportunities. I relish in the opportunities that I get to show the UFC staff I’m an easy guy to work with, that I’m a guy who’s willing to go above and beyond, and truthfully this is my platform.

“Eventually the microphones will go away. Eventually you wont be getting the media requests. And that, to me, is just a call to action to a lot of professional fighters, us, who get this great opportunity. So it’s been a lot. The UFC is a great machine. I’ve been in some big events before, but this is by far the biggest one. This is bigger than anything I’ve ever been a part of. It hasn’t quite sunk in, and I hope it never sinks in how big this thing is because I want to focus on the task at hand and get my hand raised inside of the octagon.”

Once the cage door closes on Saturday, Chandler will be standing across one of the best lightweights on the UFC roster. Hooker is 7-2 in his past nine bouts since moving up from 145 pounds. “The Hangman” is a respected figure in the UFC, and Chandler is excited to showcase his skills against a proven and battle-tested veteran.

“Dan Hooker is professional. He’s a fighter’s fighter,” Chandler said. “You’re going to have a hard time finding someone in this organization who doesn’t have a ton of respect for Dan Hooker. He’s a great guy to draw for my first fight. He’s a tough out. He’s got great physical attributes. We’ll see Saturday night where I stack up in the lightweight division.”

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/01/ufc-257-michael-chandler-reacts-first-official-fight-week

 

ONE Championship free fight: Shinya Aoki taps out James Nakashima in Singapore

Japanese MMA legend Shinya Aoki may be 55 fights into his MMA career, but the 37-year-old known as “Tobikan Judan” looks as dangerous as ever.

The former ONE lightweight champion proved he’s still very much a title threat on Friday at “ONE Championship 126: Unbreakable,” where he submitted former LFA welterweight champion James Nakashima inside one round at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

In a bout that pitted two seasoned grapplers head to head, it was Aoki who dominated as he forced the action against the cage, moved to his opponent’s back, then leapt onto Nakashima to become a “human backpack.”

From there, it was just a matter of moments before the former DREAM and Shooto champion locked up a rear-naked choke that forced Nakashima to tap out a submission after just two minutes, 42 seconds of their lightweight bout.

It gave Aoki (46-9) his third straight victory since his title loss to Christian Lee in 2019, and took his remarkable tally of submission finishes to 30. It also saw him claim the record for the most submissions in ONE Championship history, with eight.

Relive Aoki’s masterful performance via the video above.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/01/one-championship-free-fight-shinya-aoki-taps-out-james-nakashima-in-singapore

 

 

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